West B Test General 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A reading passage shifts from describing a scientist's optimism to her eventual frustration. What is this change in the author's portrayal called?
- Foreshadowing
- Character development (Correct answer)
- Irony
- Flashback
Correct answer: Character development
Character development refers to the change or growth of a character's traits or emotions over the course of a narrative.
Question 2: Which of the following is a prime number?
- 51
- 57
- 59 (Correct answer)
- 63
Correct answer: 59
59 is divisible only by 1 and itself; 51=3×17, 57=3×19, and 63=9×7.
Question 3: In academic writing, which transition word best signals a contrast between two ideas?
- Furthermore
- Therefore
- Nevertheless (Correct answer)
- Subsequently
Correct answer: Nevertheless
'Nevertheless' introduces a contrasting idea, meaning 'despite that' or 'in spite of that.'
Question 4: A student's test scores are 72, 85, 90, 68, and 95. What is the median score?
- 82
- 85 (Correct answer)
- 81
- 90
Correct answer: 85
Arranged in order: 68, 72, 85, 90, 95 — the middle value (median) is 85.
Question 5: A persuasive essay claims that a policy 'has been endorsed by many experts' without naming them. This is an example of which logical fallacy?
- Straw man
- Appeal to authority (vague authority) (Correct answer)
- False dilemma
- Ad hominem
Correct answer: Appeal to authority (vague authority)
Citing unnamed or unspecified 'experts' as proof is a vague appeal to authority fallacy.
Question 6: Which of the following correctly uses an apostrophe?
- The student's backpack's were left outside.
- The student's backpack was left outside. (Correct answer)
- The students backpack's were left outside.
- The students' backpack's were left outside.
Correct answer: The student's backpack was left outside.
'The student's backpack' correctly uses an apostrophe to show singular possession.
Question 7: A garden has dimensions 12 feet by 15 feet. A homeowner wants to add a 2-foot-wide border of mulch around the entire garden. What is the area of just the mulch border?
- 116 sq ft
- 124 sq ft
- 136 sq ft (Correct answer)
- 180 sq ft
Correct answer: 136 sq ft
Outer dimensions: 16 × 19 = 304 sq ft; inner garden: 12 × 15 = 180 sq ft; border = 304 − 180 = 124 sq ft.
West B Test General 5
A reading passage shifts from describing a scientist's optimism to her eventual frustration.
What is this change in the author's portrayal called?