Subtest A—Geographic Literacy

1. 
   What do the patterns on this map represent?
   
   1. 
      Population density
      
   2. 
      Climate regions
      
   3. 
      Rainfall accumulation
      
   4. 
      Economic activity
      
2. 
   Which of the following countries lies entirely south of the Arctic Circle?
   
   1. 
      Iceland c. Sweden
      
   2. 
      Norway d. Finland
      
3. 
   Which of the following countries does not have any tundra?
   
   1. 
      Iceland c. Sweden
      
   2. 
      Norway d. Finland
      
4. 
   Most of Finland has which type of climate region?
   
   1. 
      Humid oceanic c. Subarctic
      
   2. 
      Humid continental d. Tundra
      
5. 
   What is the climate region of the United Kingdom?
   
   1. 
      Humid oceanic c. Subarctic
      
   2. 
      Humid continental d. Tundra
      

7. 
   What do the shades and patterns on the map of East Asia represent?
   
   1. 
      Areas covered with forests
      
   2. 
      Deep rivers
      
   3. 
      Natural resources
      
   4. 
      Population density
      
8. 
   What does the darkest shading on the map represent?
   
   1. 
      Places where many natural resources are located
      
   2. 
      Areas inhabited by 260 and over persons per square mile
      
   3. 
      Places where the territory is very mountainous
      
   4. 
      Areas whose populations averages less than one person per square kilometer
      
9. 
   What large city is located at the same latitude as the Tropic of Cancer?
   
   1. 
      Harbin c. Wuhan
      
   2. 
      Tianjin d. Guangzhou
      
10. 
    According to the map, where do most of the people in China live?
    
    1. 
       In the western part of the country
       
    2. 
       In the eastern part of the country
       
    3. 
       In the city of Hong Kong
       
    4. 
       In Japan
       
11. 
    What is Beijing’s relative location?
    
    1. 
       North of Harbin
       
    2. 
       East of Tokyo
       
    3. 
       Southwest of Shenyang
       
    4. 
       Southeast of Shenyang
       

13. 
    What do the shades and patterns on this map represent?
    
    1. 
       What religion people in Africa practice
       
    2. 
       How people in Africa make a living
       
    3. 
       Where people in Africa live
       
    4. 
       What people in Africa hunt
       
14. 
    For what purpose is most of the land in northern Africa used?
    
    1. 
       Manufacturing and trading
       
    2. 
       Commercial farming
       
    3. 
       Livestock raising
       
    4. 
       Nomadic herding
       
15. 
    How is most of the land on Madagascar, the large island off the southeast coast of Africa, used?
    
    1. 
       Livestock raising
       
    2. 
       Hunting and gathering
       
    3. 
       Manufacturing and trade
       
    4. 
       Subsistence farming and nomadic herding
       
16. 
    Which of the following best describes how most of the land throughout Africa is used?
    
    1. 
       Livestock raising
       
    2. 
       Hunting and gathering
       
    3. 
       Manufacturing and trading
       
    4. 
       Farming and nomadic herding
       
17. 
    Which of the following statements best describes the information the information on the map?
    
    1. 
       The land of southern Africa is generally used for hunting and gathering, manufacturing and trading, and commercial agriculture
       
    2. 
       The land in northern Africa is generally used for commercial agriculture and subsistence farming
       
    3. 
       The land of central Africa is generally used for nomadic herding
       
    4. 
       The land of western Africa is generally used for manufacturing and trade and subsistence farming
       

19. 
    According to the map, most of the southern United States lays in which of the following elevation ranges?
    
    1. 
       Mountain ranges
       
    2. 
       Plains
       
    3. 
       Plateaus
       
    4. 
       Hills
       
20. 
    Which of the following statements describes a feature that the states of Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana have in common?
    
    1. 
       They lie east of the Mississippi
       
    2. 
       They border the Gulf of Mexico
       
    3. 
       Their state capitals are located in mountain ranges
       
    4. 
       Their state capitals are located on rivers
       
21. 
    Which of the following pairs of cities share the same longitude?
    
    1. 
       Baton Rouge, LA and Tallahassee, FL
       
    2. 
       New Orleans, LA and Memphis, TN
       
    3. 
       Montgomery, AL and Jackson, MS
       
    4. 
       Lexington, KY and Atlanta, GA
       
22. 
    Which southern state is a peninsula?
    
    1. 
       Texas c. Georgia
       
    2. 
       Florida d. Alabama
       

2. 
   To which of the following questions has the woman answered “No”?
   
   1. 
      Will you let me buy you Paris garters?
      
   2. 
      Will you marry me?
      
   3. 
      Will you buy me more socks?
      
   4. 
      Will you wear the stocking I bought you?
      
3. 
   What product or service is this advertisement selling?
   
   1. 
      Shoes c. Wedding rings
      
   2. 
      Garters d. Socks
      
4. 
   The advertisement states that if the man could have “read her thoughts he would not have lost her.” Which of the following thoughts does the advertisement believe the man should have read?
   
   1. 
      Paris garters are the only ones she will wear
      
   2. 
      He does not make enough money to support her
      
   3. 
      He dresses carelessly and looks like a slob
      
   4. 
      He does not love her enough
      
5. 
   According to the advertisement, what should the man do to improve his standing with the woman?
   
   1. 
      Be less careless with his appearance
      
   2. 
      Take her to Paris
      
   3. 
      Buy her Paris garters
      
   4. 
      Take off his socks
      
6. 
   Which of the following is closest to an equivalent modern-day scenario for this advertisement?
   
   1. 
      A girl taking a test glances at the answers of the boy in the seat next to hers
      
   2. 
      A young man pleads with his girlfriend to go on a roller coaster ride
      
   3. 
      A woman dancing with one man glances over his shoulder at another man
      
   4. 
      A woman turns away from a man holding a lit cigarette
      

8. 
   Which of the following statements best characterizes the trends shown on the graphs?
   
   1. 
      The amount of coal, cotton, and iron generally increased each year between 1760 and 1840
      
   2. 
      Except in the 1810s, the amount of coal, cotton, and iron generally increased each year between 1760 and 1840
      
   3. 
      The amount of coal, cotton, and iron remained constant between 1800 and 1830
      
   4. 
      The consumption of cotton sharply decreased as more iron and coal was made available
      
9. 
   In which year were approximately 55,000 metric tons of cotton consumed and 300,000 metric tons of iron produced?
   
   1. 
      1800 c. 1810
      
   2. 
      1005 d. 1815
      
10. 
    Between which years did cotton consumption reach 140,000 metric tons and coal outputs reach 28 million tons?
    
    1. 
       1780-1790 c. 1820-1830
       
    2. 
       1800-1810 d. 1830-1840
       
11. 
    What was the output of coal in millions of tons the year cotton consumption was 80,000 metric tons?
    
    1. 
       36 c. 8
       
    2. 
       16 d. 12
       
12. 
    In 1790 approximately 8 mission tons of coal was mined. Approximately how many thousands of metric tons of iron were produced this same year?
    
    1. 
       4 c. 100
       
    2. 
       20 d. 300
       

1. 
   What is the main idea of this passage?
   
   1. 
      Mr. Jones has piles 1,000-pound bales of hay and put up electric fences to keep trespassers off his land, but they ignore his warnings.
      
   2. 
      Some landowners are unhappy about a public policy that attempts to link the community together by turning railroad tracks into public bike trails.
      
   3. 
      Rails-to-trails programs are becoming increasing popular with bike enthusiasts, but they have caused property owners to fear for their lives.
      
   4. 
      Carl Jones is leading the trails-to-rails program, which is turning old bike trails into railroad lines to help improve the economy of his community.
      
2. 
   What is the most likely effect of the decision by some trail users to set fire to barricades built by Mr. Jones?
   
   1. 
      Mr. Jones will drop his opposition to the use of his property by bicyclists
      
   2. 
      Bicyclists who use the trail will replace the straw barricades with sturdier barricades
      
   3. 
      Mr. Jones will be less willing to work out a compromise with trail users
      
   4. 
      Mr. Jones’ lawyer will seek a court order preventing future barricades from being built
      
3. 
   Which statement best describes the position of Mr. Jones?
   
   1. 
      Private property owners should be able to control how their property is used by others
      
   2. 
      Only professional bike riders should be allowed access to trails on private property
      
   3. 
      Bicyclists on public trails are criminals who should be sued in court
      
   4. 
      Railroads are less disruptive to property owners than public bicycle paths
      
4. 
   Which of the following statements best explains the meaning o the message on the sign outside of the bicycle shop?
   
   1. 
      Bicycle riders have a right to be on Mr. Jones’ property because he shares the path with the city
      
   2. 
      Recreational bicycle riders must take property owners to court in order to freely use public trails
      
   3. 
      Recreational bicycle riders using a public trail are not breaking the law by doing so
      
   4. 
      Bicycle riders are trespassers who have been illegally using the path on Mr. Jones’ personal property
      
5. 
   Which of the following people would most likely agree with the statement: “Anyone who uses the bikeway path for recreation or who promotes the use of this path in any way should be sued.”
   
   1. 
      The planner of a rails-to-trails project
      
   2. 
      A bicyclist who uses the trail
      
   3. 
      A bicycle shop owner
      
   4. 
      A lawyer representing Mr. Jones
      

6. 
   What is the purpose of this message?
   
   1. 
      To describe the purpose of the Voyager spacecraft
      
   2. 
      To explain where the Voyager spacecraft came from and who built it
      
   3. 
      To persuade countries on Earth to cooperate
      
   4. 
      To provide updated information about the Earth’s population
      
7. 
   Which of the following two things does President Carter contrast in his message?
   
   1. 
      The Voyager spacecraft and nation states
      
   2. 
      Nation states and a global civilization
      
   3. 
      The Voyager spacecraft and the United States
      
   4. 
      The populations of the planets and the solar system
      
8. 
   Which of the following statements from the message expresses an opinion?
   
   1. 
      This Voyager spacecraft was constructed by the United States of America
      
   2. 
      We are a community of 240 million human beings
      
   3. 
      More than 4 billion who inhabit the planet Earth
      
   4. 
      Nation states are rapidly becoming a single global civilization
      

9. 
   Put the following events in the sequence in which they would have occurred, according to Noah Smithwick
   

1. 
   Settlers in Texas begin paying taxes
   
2. 
   Robinson convinces settlers to migrate to Texas
   
3. 
   Settlers move to Texas and begin farming
   
4. 
   Robinson receives a grant to start a colony
   

1. 
   2, 3, 1, 4 c. 4, 2, 3, 1
   
2. 
   3, 2, 1, 4 d, 1, 4, 3, 2
   
1. 
   With which of the following statements would Sterling Robinson probably disagree?
   
   1. 
      A farmer who is given help starting out will succeed in Texas
      
   2. 
      Taxation is an unnecessary burden on families migrating to Texas
      
   3. 
      The expansion of farming in Texas will bring prosperity to the area
      
   4. 
      Farmers moving to Texas face many obstacles and challenges
      
2. 
   What is the main idea of the paragraph?
   
   1. 
      Robinson’s promises made Texas seem like a very appealing place for farmers
      
   2. 
      Settlers in Texas could succeed only if they received free land and seed
      
   3. 
      Taxation should be prohibited in new territories for six years
      
   4. 
      Robinson had difficulty convincing enough settler to move to Texas
      
3. 
   Suppose you are the mayor of a large East Coast city. A resident of your city says, “We rarely go downtown anymore. I work in the suburbs, and the whole family shops there. We find what we want at shopping centers scattered along the interstate highways.” Which of the following suggestions would you reject as you work to bring citizens back to the city?
   
   1. 
      Modifying tax laws to attract new industries to the downtown area
      
   2. 
      Convincing downtown restaurants to open franchises in the suburbs
      
   3. 
      Proposing a “tax amnesty” suspending city sales tax for a weekend
      
   4. 
      Supporting public festivals and reduced parking rates downtown
      

13. 
    What is the purpose of President Lincoln’s address?
    
    1. 
       To explain the purpose and progress of the Civil War
       
    2. 
       To describe the structure of the government of the United States
       
    3. 
       To memorialize the fallen soldiers and reaffirm the cause for which they died
       
    4. 
       To propose ways of rebuilding the country once the Civil War has ended
       
14. 
    Which of the following things does Abraham Lincoln contrast in his address?
    
    1. 
       The action of the soldiers in Gettysburg and the attitude of the audience toward it
       
    2. 
       Government of the people and government for the people in the United States
       
    3. 
       The soldiers’ dedication to the Civil War and the listeners’ dedication to the Civil War
       
    4. 
       The soldiers’ ability to consecrate the cemetery and the speakers’ ability to consecrate the cemetery
       

18. 
    What is Alice’s response to Rodney’s claim that African Americans comprise a larger share of the volunteer army’s personnel than the population in general?
    
    1. 
       The draft violates African Americans’ rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
       
    2. 
       The volunteer army does not represent American society, although African Americans make up 95 percent of military recruits
       
    3. 
       More than 95 percent of African Americans who enlist are high school graduates
       
    4. 
       The greater number of African Americans in the volunteer army are due to educational and social opportunities available in the military
       
19. 
    With which of the following does Alice contrast the rates of volunteer recruits in the army today?
    
    1. 
       Involuntary servitude
       
    2. 
       The draft during the Vietnam War
       
    3. 
       High school graduation rates
       
    4. 
       Educational and social opportunities
       
20. 
    Which of the following statements from the passage states a fact?
    
    1. 
       The draft violates a person’s right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
       
    2. 
       More than 95 percent of recruits are high school graduates
       
    3. 
       Without a draft, many Americans remain ignorant about the importance of a strong national defense
       
    4. 
       Too many wealthy men avoid their military obligations
       
21. 
    Rodney would most likely disagree with which of the following statements?
    
    1. 
       A mandatory draft would lead to wide-spread resentment of the military in the United States
       
    2. 
       The United States military has an obligation to increase its efforts to recruit African Americans
       
    3. 
       More members of the military come from low-income backgrounds than from high-income backgrounds
       
    4. 
       Countries that require all young men to serve in the military are better prepared during wartime
       

2. 
   According to the author of this passage, why does this man help the poor of the tenements?
   
   1. 
      He wants their votes during elections
      
   2. 
      He is a moneylender
      
   3. 
      He wants them to shop at his store
      
   4. 
      He runs a soup kitchen
      
3. 
   Which part of this passage refutes the conclusion that the district leader helps others out of kindness?
   
   1. 
      He will go to the police courts to put in a good word for the “drunks and disorderlies” or pay their fines
      
   2. 
      He will attend christenings, weddings and funerals
      
   3. 
      Nearly everybody goes to him for assistance of one sort or another
      
   4. 
      A philanthropist? Not at all. He is playing politics all the time.
      

5. 
   Which of the following countries has the smallest percentage of exports for both automobiles and aircraft?
   
   1. 
      Canada c. the US
      
   2. 
      Italy d. France
      
6. 
   Read the following sentences which contain information pertaining to the graphs
   

• 
  Another study was done that complied information about railways
  
• 
  China introduced a new automobile to the world market called the “Chia”
  
• 
  The circle graphs for automobiles and aircraft were created in 1990
  
• 
  The study was published in the Oxford Atlas of the World
  

1. 
   The information was not complied by experts
   
2. 
   The information is flawed because it is out of date
   
3. 
   The information is accurate because it used modern date research methods
   
4. 
   The information is not conclusive because it includes countries that are world powers
   
1. 
   Based on the information in these graphs, how could Italy improve its economic health?
   
   1. 
      By exporting more automobiles and importing more aircraft
      
   2. 
      By importing more automobiles and aircraft
      
   3. 
      By importing less than it exports
      
   4. 
      By selling more imports than it buys in exports
      
2. 
   Which of the following statements about the circle graphs is correct?
   
   1. 
      The countries combined in the “other” category have exports of automobiles and aircraft that exceed those of Canada
      
   2. 
      Sweden had fewer car and aircraft exports than any other country in the world
      
   3. 
      If one disregards the “other” category, Japan exports more cars than any other country, and Japan exports fewer aircraft
      
   4. 
      The US and Japan export approximately the same number of cars and aircraft as they import
      
3. 
   In the global economy, if the United States decides to stop selling goods to other countries, which of the following would most likely result?
   
   1. 
      Its economic wealth would suffer, because a nation’s economic wealth depends on the success of its exports
      
   2. 
      Its economy would thrive, because consumers would no longer be relying on foreign-produced goods
      
   3. 
      Its status as a world power would decline, because all world powers must export more than they import
      
   4. 
      Its manufacturing industries would thrive, because they no longer would have to compete in the world marketplace
      

We waited outside the President’s office. An aide inside opened the door—the doors in the West Wing don’t make a sound, you feel the air and that’s how you know they are swinging—and motioned us in.

There he was, behind the desk, turning toward me: big, tall, radiant man, impeccably tailored. He twinkled at me. I was the new one, and the only woman. He walked to me and took my hand. It is the oddest thing, and true even if everyone says it: it is not possible to be nervous in his presence. He acts as if he’s lucky to be with you…

I had been at the White House less than five months at that point. I had seen how the White House works and how speechwriting works. What I was learning was…that speechwriting in the Reagan White House was where the philosophical, ideological, and political tensions of the administration get worked out.

10. 
    Which of the following statements best explains Noonan’s credibility in making these observations?
    
    1. 
       She was the only woman speechwriter in the Reagan White House at that time
       
    2. 
       She had become a speechwriter for only a short period of time and did not have access to the President
       
    3. 
       She had no understanding of how speechwriting worked in the Reagan White House
       
    4. 
       She worked directly with the President and had first-hand knowledge of the White House
       
11. 
    Which of the following statements does Noonan use as evidence of why people felt comfortable in the presence of President Reagan?
    
    1. 
       [Reagan] acts as if he’s lucky to be with you
       
    2. 
       Speechwriting was where the administration got invented every day
       
    3. 
       [Reagan was a] big, tall, radiant man, impeccably tailored
       
    4. 
       [Noonan] had been at the White House less than five months at that point
       
12. 
    According to the passage, which of the following explanations is closest to Noonan’s opinion of speechwriting?
    
    1. 
       Speechwriting is not for women who are new to politics and who are awed by working for the President
       
    2. 
       Speechwriting provides a way for the administration to create and define its point of view
       
    3. 
       Speechwriting is the point at which the philosophical and political tensions of the President’s staff are at their worst
       
    4. 
       Speechwriting is not important to the administration because it is too ideological and philosophical
       

13. 
    Mr. Pryor has decided to buy new ovens for his pizza factory because bank lending rates are at an all-time low. If his actions are duplicated by most business owners in the nation, what, according to the diagram will result?
    
    1. 
       Economic activity will slow down
       
    2. 
       Economic activity will increase
       
    3. 
       The Federal Reserve will lower the discount rate
       
    4. 
       Businesses will put off borrowing
       
14. 
    Which of the following statements about the diagram is true?
    
    1. 
       The actions of the Federal Reserve ripple though the economy, increasing or decreasing economic activity
       
    2. 
       If the Federal Reserve lowers the discount rate, interest rates will rise
       
    3. 
       If interest rates rise, the Federal Reserve will raise the discount rate
       
    4. 
       The Federal Reserve can raise and lower discount rates, but it cannot affect the economy of the banking system
       
15. 
    The rising of interest rates is
    
    1. 
       A cause but not an effect
       
    2. 
       Reversing trends in banking activity
       
    3. 
       Both a cause and an effect
       
    4. 
       Continuing on an even path
       

16. 
    What does the graph suggest about gender equality in the workplace?
    
    1. 
       Regardless of education level, men earn more than women
       
    2. 
       High school graduates earn more than college graduates
       
    3. 
       Women must work twice as hard to get the same recognition as men
       
    4. 
       The difference between men’s and women’s earnings has decreased
       
17. 
    Which of the following statements about the graph is correct?
    
    1. 
       Men with some high school experience earn nearly twice as much as women who have some high school
       
    2. 
       Men earn $936 per week if they are college graduates, whereas women earn only $476 per week
       
    3. 
       Women with some college experience earn slightly more than half what men with college degrees earn
       
    4. 
       At the post-graduate level, both men and women earn the same
       

[The United States] has no desire to destroy the red people, although they have the power; but should you decline this invitation, and pursue your unprovoked hostilities, their strength will be exerted upon you; your warriors will be slaughtered, your towns and villages ransacked and destroyed, your wives and children carried into captivity…

The great cause of so many quarrels with the Indians has been, that the latter have always looked upon the attack of individuals as expressions of the disposition of the whole nation, and not infrequently have private quarrels been the cause of shedding of much blood. And it is worthy on both sides, between the Indians and those white people who live on the frontiers of the United States; so much so, that I have heard them talk with the same unconcern of killing an Indian, as of killing a deer or a turkey…

18. 
    Which of the following statement best characterizes the difference between the two accounts?
    
    1. 
       Scott admits that the settlers are a weaker power but says if provoked they will retaliate, whereas Bailey sees the Native American attacks as unprovoked
       
    2. 
       Bailey attempts to understand and explain both sides of the conflict, whereas Scott’s account is threatening to the Native Americans
       
    3. 
       Unlike Bailey, Scott avoids explaining why Native Americans act the way they do and instead focuses on why the quarrels exist
       
    4. 
       Unlike Scott, Bailey believes that all warfare between the settlers and the Native Americans is caused by the native Americans
       
19. 
    What seems to be the settlers’ opinion of Native Americans in these accounts? Settlers think Indians
    
    1. 
       Are difficult to overcome
       
    2. 
       Can be killed without guilt
       
    3. 
       Are harmless
       
    4. 
       Want to join their society
       
20. 
    Which writer supports his position with evidence, and what is that evidence?
    
    1. 
       Scott says the United States has no desire to destroy the red people
       
    2. 
       Bailey says Indians look on their attacks as expressing the wishes of their entire nation
       
    3. 
       Scott says that their towns and villages will be ransacked
       
    4. 
       Bailey says he has spoken with settlers about their conflicts with Native Americans
       

22. 
    Which of the following correctly categorizes the statements?
    
    1. 
       1, 3, and 4 favors the death penalty; 2, 5, 6 and 7 are against it
       
    2. 
       1, 3, 4, and 6 favors the death penalty; 2, 5, and 7 are against it
       
    3. 
       1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 favors the death penalty; 5 and 7 are against it
       
    4. 
       1, 4, 6 and 7 favors the death penalty; 2, 3, and 5 are against it
       
23. 
    “Poor people and African Americans are the most likely people to be executed, and an individual who kills a white person is four times more likely to be executed than one who kills an African American.” Which of the statements would this quote best support?
    
    1. 
       3 b. 2 c. 6 d.