Test Information Guide

Field 52: Academically Advanced
Sample Multiple-Choice Questions

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Curricular Content

Objective 0001
Understand literature.

1. Read the excerpts below from two different short stories; then answer the question that follows.

At the Memorial Theater, a couple had arrived late. The usher glanced at the tickets, and grandly led them to their seats. The seats were not good, being all the way to one side, and the theater, with a capacity of almost 500, had barely twenty people in it. The two sat for a few minutes, then rose and moved swiftly into the center section. Just as swiftly, the usher came down the aisle like a troll, gesturing angrily. The pair gestured back. Soon voices were heard above the strains of Beethoven.

So, as I was telling Dave, these two guys walked in and asked for a glass of water. So I took two plastic cups and filled them with water like they asked. I set them down on the counter and said, "That'll be fifty cents," because you know, we have to buy those cups. And the big guy, he said, "Since when do you have to pay for water! Water is free!" So I said, "Well, the cup isn't. Fifty cents." Then they got kind of worked up and stomped out.

A person wishing to contrast the above passages should best focus on the use of

  1. descriptive language.
  2. plot structure.
  3. narrative elements.
  4. points of view.
Answer
Correct Response: D.

Correct Response: D.

2. Read the excerpt below from a novel; then answer the question that follows.

I have to tell you that San Miguel is truly beautiful after a storm. The traffic sizzles with rainwater. Crowds of people gather at the corner of Martinez and 22nd Streets, and indeed, we all crossed the intersection together as if we knew each other. In the distance, a low cloud was caught in the balconies and hanging gardens of a high rise. I saw people boarding a bus and soon they were sleeping as it departed. And look! The rings and necklaces in a jewelry store window, the dress shirts laid out in a spectrum of color, the musical instruments! I tell you, the rain hasn't got a chance against so many colors. I tell you—well, I have to confess I haven't actually been in San Miguel. I once saw a photograph of San Miguel in a rainstorm—or maybe it wasn't San Miguel at all; it could have been some other city. To be honest, I don't really care for cities, and as far as I know there never were any sleeping people on a bus, or a shop for musical instruments. The city in the photograph should have had a bus full of sleeping people, and a shop full of beautiful stringed instruments. Every city should have such a thing. And perhaps I really did see such a shop once. In fact, maybe it was in San Miguel after all. I am sorry, my memory fails me at times, and I might have misled you.

The ambiguity in the above passage about what is true can best be attributed to:

  1. an excessive amount of detail aimed at imparting a mood of uncertainty.
  2. a narrator whose credibility is in question.
  3. an author writing about places that he himself has never visited.
  4. an overly complicated series of statements by the narrator.
Answer
Correct Response: B.

Correct Response: B.

Objective 0002
Understand rhetoric and composition.

3. With which of the following writing tasks would word processing technology be most helpful?

  1. assessing effective style for a persuasive essay
  2. generating ideas for a research paper
  3. choosing appropriate colloquial expressions to include in a speech
  4. revising a short story
Answer
Correct Response: D.

Correct Response: D.

Objective 0003
Understand number theory, algebra, patterns, and functions.

4. Use the graphing calculator display below to answer the question that follows.

A student displays the functions y = x3 − 3x and y = x − 1 on the screen of a graphing calculator and uses the trace function to find the coordinates of point P. This is a method for estimating a solution to which of the following equations?

  1. x3 − 4x + 1 = 0
  2. x3 − 4x − 1 = 0
  3. x3 − 2x + 1 = 0
  4. x3 − 2x − 1 = 0
Answer
Correct Response: A.

Correct Response: A.

Objective 0004
Understand geometry, trigonometry, data analysis, probability, and discrete mathematics.

5. What is the period of the function y = sin (x + pi over two)?

  1. one half
  2. Pi over 2
  3. Pi
  4. 2Pi
Answer
Correct Response: D.

Correct Response: D.

6. A signal buoy floats on the surface of the water in a coastal bay. As the buoy moves up and down, its height, h, in feet above average sea level is modeled by the equation h = A sinStart fraction two pi over three end fractiont + 6, where A is a constant t (in the equation t = time). During a storm the buoy's height varies from 1 to 11 feet. What is the value of A in the equation?

  1. 5
  2. 6
  3. 10
  4. 12
Answer
Correct Response: A.

Correct Response: A.

Promoting Learning in Academically Advanced Students

Objective 0006
Understand reasons, uses, and research evidence for differentiated instructional and grouping practices for academically advanced students.

7. When considering grade level acceleration for an academically advanced student at the elementary school level, decision-makers should first consider the student's:

  1. fine- and gross-motor skills.
  2. ability to get along with peers.
  3. current instructional level.
  4. size and physical maturity.
Answer
Correct Response: C.

Correct Response: C.

8. Jamal is a second-grade student in a heterogeneous classroom. He is attentive and responsive during math instruction, but his teacher notices that Jamal quickly loses interest in completing any written activities that reinforce skills and concepts presented during math lessons. Instead of completing class work, he draws on his paper. However, Jamal consistently demonstrates mastery of the given skill set or concept during assessment. Which of the following modifications to math instruction would be most appropriate for Jamal?

  1. sending Jamal to a third-grade math class for advanced instruction
  2. allowing Jamal to practice math skills on a computer instead of on paper
  3. accelerating the pace of Jamal's math instruction to match his learning rate
  4. identifying Jamal as an "assistant teacher" during math class
Answer
Correct Response: C.

Correct Response: C.

Objective 0007
Understand program options, supplements, and curricular resources for academically advanced students.

9. Justine is a sixth-grade student who demonstrated advanced capabilities in the primary grades. She now seems to have lost interest in doing her best in school, and she frequently fails to turn in assignments. Justine once expressed a keen interest in becoming a doctor, but her friends have discouraged her. The teacher of the academically advanced arranges for a successful female doctor to act as a mentor and meet with Justine on a regular basis. Which of the following would be the most appropriate reason for the teacher to choose a mentorship program to promote the continued motivation of this student?

  1. The mentor can help Justine explore other career options that are related to her interests in the medical field.
  2. Justine could obtain ongoing tutoring help to assist her in completing her schoolwork on time.
  3. The mentor can provide age appropriate insights to help Justine deal with peer pressure.
  4. Justine would have a role model to suggest strategies for meeting achievement obstacles.
Answer
Correct Response: D.

Correct Response: D.

10. A science teacher of academically advanced middle school students suggests that they participate in a summer program sponsored by a local university to conduct a scientific study of shoreline erosion and its effects on wildlife. Participating in this type of program is particularly beneficial to academically advanced students because they have the opportunity to:

  1. practice previously acquired skills.
  2. work with professionals to examine a real world problem.
  3. socialize with intellectual peers.
  4. experience the structure of higher education coursework.
Answer
Correct Response: B.

Correct Response: B.