ACT English › Introductions, Transitions, and Conclusions
“Bach and German Hymnody”
\[31\] The great German composer, Johann Sebastian Bach was a member of a prodigiously talented musical family. \[32\] A significant number of Johann Sebastians ancestors and descendants were musicians of various levels of talent. \[33\] Although he was known for music of a variety of forms, one of his most enduring legacies is the repertoire of chorale music by which he improved and solidified the world of German congregational singing.
During the period after the Protestant Reformation, a number of hymns were written for use in the common worship of the Christians of the time. \[34\] The structured form of these compositions werewell suited for congregational singing although theywould sound strange to our contemporary ears. \[35\] The harmonies and meters of these hymns are very close in character to the music with which we are familiar. They lack some of the standard structural elements that we take for granted in this form of organized \[36\] Western music, these small differences would stand out to our sensibilities.
It was the great glory of Johann Sebastian Bach to have harmonized a great number of these hymns, often penning multiple such harmonies. \[37\] One solitary single melody might be made by Bach into three, four, or even five different harmonic compositions. \[38\] This amazing feat of musical prowess is no smalladdition to the original behest of Lutheran hymns that Bach had inherited from his fellow religious brethren. \[39\] Many of these harmonies remain to this day as classic renditions of these songs. \[40\] They are sung not only in the German world but inProtestant and Catholic services. \[41\] Indeed they are even sung in wholly secular concerts thanks to their great beauty!
Interestingly enough, Bach was more recognized as a talented performer, rather than composer, of music in his own lifetime. While he was still composing, knowledge of Bach’s work was limited to music connoisseurs who happened to be physically near places \[42\] he lived and worked. It was not until the early 19th century, when the first biography of Bach was published, that academic and popular interest \[43\] truly picked up steam. In the two centuries that followed, his works have continued to proliferate in both religious and purely musical contexts.
This great diffusion of one mans’ work is a testament to his prodigious talent. \[44\] It also stands as a testament to the fact that Bach’s work came at a pivotal time when the Protestant hymnody was crystallizing, as well as when Western harmonies were coming into a particular expression that is known as the Baroque. \[45\]
Choose the answer that would be a good addition at location \[45\].
This development of Western harmony structure would remain an important aspect in all of Western music for years to come.
This rupture in musical styles would set the stage for many new advances in years to come.
For this reason, the beauty of Bach's music remains a testimony to the greatness of his soul and the talents of all Western musicians who perform it.
The broad appeal of Bach's music is regularly recognized in concerts, ceremonies, and recitals.
The overall point of the passage is that Bach's work was a development that helped to carry forward certain developments in harmonies in Western music. As it is written, the closing paragraph is okay, though it trails off a little. Thus, the correct answer helps to "round out" the closing paragraph's reiteration of the main theme of the selection.
The truth is, I kinda hate my brother. Can you blame me? We're always fighting. Today, he "borrowed" my favorite book and now its ripped in two. Likewise, my brother and I like to play sports together. We both bond over games like volleyball, and basketball. We both play real good. We even were considering trying out for the high school team together.
What is the best alternative for the underlined word, "Likewise"?
Nevertheless,
NO CHANGE
Hence,
Furthermore,
For instance,
The author is contrasting negative feelings he/she has regarding his/her brother with more positive feelings towards the brother. Therefore, a transition word that shows contrast is the best option. "Likewise" shows similarity, "For instance" shows an relationship of clarification, while "Hence" and "Therefore" imply causation. "Nevertheless" implies a contrasting relationship between ideas and is the best choice.
Josh and Mary, who have been married for several years, told us the story of the early years of their relationship. They first met on a cold day in December of 1993. They were very different--Josh was an artist and spent his days painting murals, and his nights bartending. Mary was on the fast track to a partnership at a law firm. At first, Josh was not sure he was interested. Mary felt it was love at first sight. Over time, as their relationship developed, Josh could not imagine his life without Mary anymore, so he suggested that they get married. They have been living happily in the country ever since.
The author is considering adding a concluding sentence to this paragraph. Which of the following sentences would provide the strongest conclusion?
Josh and Mary are proof that sometimes people can surprise you.
I don't know why they moved out of the city.
Josh is no longer a bartender.
I also know another married couple that lives on their street.
Josh is a better cook than Mary.
This question asks you to select the best conclusion for the paragraph. The best option, "Josh and Mary are proof that sometimes people can surprise you," sums up the thesis of the paragraph--that a couple who did not initially seem like a good match ended up being happy together. The other options do not provide satisfying conclusions, but merely introduce new information.
There once was a shepherd boy whom sat on the hillside watching the village sheep. He was hot and exhausted fanning himself, rapidly in a feeble attempt to cool himself down. On top of that, he had never been so bored before.
To amuse himself, he decided to play a joke. He put his hands around his mouth and yelled in a loud voice, "Wolf! Wolf! A wolf is chasing the sheep!”
They came running. They asked the boy, “What’s going on? Did you yell ‘A wolf is chasing the sheep?’ ”
The boy laughed. “It was just a joke, everyone.”
The people fumed, but they all returned to their homes.
The next day, the boy bored again decided to amuse himself again. He bellowed, “Wolf! Wolf!”
Again, the townspeople came running. Once they arrived and witnessed the laughing boy, they realized they’d been tricked a second time. Nonetheless, they returned home and irritated resolved to never fall for the trick again for third time.
The next day, the boy was watching his sheep. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a wolf appeared from behind the bushes. With its teeth bared, the boy cowered as the wolf approached the sheep. Terrified, he called, “Help! A wolf! A wolf is here!”
The people ignored his cries. “That mischievous boy,” they all said to one another. “He must think he can fool us again.” But not one of them came running.
No one was there to witness as the wolf ate every last sheep on the hillside, as the boy helplessly cowered behind a bush. As the boy hid, he shook his head. “I shall never fib again,” he resolved to himself.
Which is the best alternative for the underlined word, "Nonetheless"?
Therefore
Instead
On the other hand
Likewise
NO CHANGE
The sentence here is a cause-effect relationship. The townspeople left irritated because they realized that the boy had tricked them. "Nonetheless" and "on the other hand" show a contrast between ideas, which does not apply here. "Instead" shows one action replacing another, while "likewise" shows a similarity of ideas, both of which also don't apply here. "Therefore" is the best answer.
Josh and Mary, who have been married for several years, told us the story of the early years of their relationship. They first met on a cold day in December of 1993. They were very different--Josh was an artist and spent his days painting murals, and his nights bartending. Mary was on the fast track to a partnership at a law firm. At first, Josh was not sure he was interested. Mary felt it was love at first sight. Over time, as their relationship developed, Josh could not imagine his life without Mary anymore, so he suggested that they get married. They have been living happily in the country ever since.
The author is considering adding an introductory sentence to the beginning of the paragraph. Which sentence would be the most effective introduction?
My friends seem like a perfect couple, but they almost didn't get together.
People should not get married unless they are very similar, and here is one example.
Most married couples end up living in the country.
My friend Mary has many hobbies, including golfing and scrapbooking.
NONE OF THESE
This question asks you to select the most appropriate introductory sentence for a paragraph. The best choice adds context and establishes the topic of the paragraph. The phrase "My friends seem like a perfect couple" explains how the narrator knows the characters, and the statement "but they almost didn't get together" foreshadows the story that expands this conflict. The other options are off topic for this paragraph or make sweeping generalizations that are not supported by the paragraph's content.
Growing up, I used to find math very tedious. I abhorred algebra, couldn't stand geometry, and 1. was just hating trigonometry. I was sure calculus would be no different. 2. That was until I met, my calculus teacher, Ms. Sweed. 3. Calculus being the subject she taught, she used it to show me how 4. math makes our world go around.
5.Ms. Sweed was very educated, having two master’s and a PhD. 6. I can still remember one day that she talked to me after class after one of the first tests we took in class I had done not as well as I had wanted. When I went to talk to her after class, she told me that she thought I was very smart and could do better if I tried. I began to come to talk to her after class every day for extra study. 7.She only used these extra sessions to not help me understand the math, but showed how math can be used to apply to real life.She showed how math could be used to explain many natural phenomena. 8. However, she showed how math can be used to analyze patterns from studies. I never thought I would say math was my favorite subject, but with Ms. Sweed teaching, it was.
9. (1) Trying to use Mrs. Sweed’s wit, enthusiasm, and dedication, as I tried to inspire other students. (2) I even started to do well enough in math to start tutoring other students. (3) I never would have been able to do so without meeting Ms. Sweed. (4) I was soon one of the top tutors in our school, and I helped dozens of students increase their grades. \[10\] Thanks to her inspiration, I’ve decided to look into the field of engineering. 11. Now, an engineering major taking many math classes in college. I enjoy every single one of them. 12. Math is a subject everyone can enjoy.
Which is the best concluding sentence for the passage?
I may have thought that math was tedious, but all it took was one inspirational teacher to show me that nothing is more interesting.
NO CHANGE
Ms. Sweed has one master's in engineering as well.
I am thinking of going to grad school.
And we all know that math is great.
The correct answer maintains focus on how Ms. Sweed affected the narrator's interest in math, and it references the beginning.
Growing up, I used to find math very tedious. I abhorred algebra, couldn't stand geometry, and 1. was just hating trigonometry. I was sure calculus would be no different. 2. That was until I met, my calculus teacher, Ms. Sweed. 3. Calculus being the subject she taught, she used it to show me how 4. math makes our world go around.
5.Ms. Sweed was very educated, having two master’s and a PhD. 6. I can still remember one day that she talked to me after class after one of the first tests we took in class I had done not as well as I had wanted. When I went to talk to her after class, she told me that she thought I was very smart and could do better if I tried. I began to come to talk to her after class every day for extra study. 7.She only used these extra sessions to not help me understand the math, but showed how math can be used to apply to real life.She showed how math could be used to explain many natural phenomena. 8. However, she showed how math can be used to analyze patterns from studies. I never thought I would say math was my favorite subject, but with Ms. Sweed teaching, it was.
9. (1) Trying to use Mrs. Sweed’s wit, enthusiasm, and dedication, as I tried to inspire other students. (2) I even started to do well enough in math to start tutoring other students. (3) I never would have been able to do so without meeting Ms. Sweed. (4) I was soon one of the top tutors in our school, and I helped dozens of students increase their grades. \[10\] Thanks to her inspiration, I’ve decided to look into the field of engineering. 11. Now, an engineering major taking many math classes in college. I enjoy every single one of them. 12. Math is a subject everyone can enjoy.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
Also,
NO CHANGE
Contrastingly,
Hence,
And,
The author is showing another aspect of math that Ms. Sweed taught him/her, which is an example of adding ideas. The transition word, "also," shows an addition of ideas. The original transition word, "however," or the word "contrastingly" is not the right word to use here, because the ideas are not contrasting. "Hence" shows a cause/effect relationship, which is also not applicable here. "And" is a conjunction, and can't be used to start a sentence.
Growing up, I used to find math very tedious. I abhorred algebra, couldn't stand geometry, and 1. was just hating trigonometry. I was sure calculus would be no different. 2. That was until I met, my calculus teacher, Ms. Sweed. 3. Calculus being the subject she taught, she used it to show me how 4. math makes our world go around.
5.Ms. Sweed was very educated, having two master’s and a PhD. 6. I can still remember one day that she talked to me after class after one of the first tests we took in class I had done not as well as I had wanted. When I went to talk to her after class, she told me that she thought I was very smart and could do better if I tried. I began to come to talk to her after class every day for extra study. 7. She only used these extra sessions to not help me understand the math, but showed how math can be used to apply to real life. She showed how math could be used to explain many natural phenomena. 8. However, she showed how math can be used to analyze patterns from studies. I never thought I would say math was my favorite subject, but with Ms. Sweed teaching, it was.
9. (1) Trying to use Mrs. Sweed’s wit, enthusiasm, and dedication, as I tried to inspire other students. (2) I even started to do well enough in math to start tutoring other students. (3) I never would have been able to do so without meeting Ms. Sweed. (4) I was soon one of the top tutors in our school, and I helped dozens of students increase their grades. \[10\] Thanks to her inspiration, I’ve decided to look into the field of engineering. 11. Now, an engineering major taking many math classes in college. I enjoy every single one of them. 12. Math is a subject everyone can enjoy.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."
It was Mrs. Sweed's dedication to my learning that completely changed my approach to math.
NO CHANGE
I never saw myself being into math.
Math is a subject that every high school student should master.
I had never saw myself being into math
This option is the best as it introduces the idea of Ms. Sweed helping the author to enjoy math through working with her. The other options are off-topic.
This year, my New Year's resolution was to not buy any more books until I had read all of the books I already had. But, after getting fifty dollars for my birthday, I couldn't resist stopping by the library's used book sale.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose “NO CHANGE.”
NO CHANGE
For instance,
Moreover,
That is,
Additionally,
Here, “But” is the best transition word. “But” implies a contrast, and there is indeed a contrast between the idea expressed in the first sentence (making a commitment not to buy more books) and the idea expressed in the second (stopping by the book sale). The relationship of the second sentence to the first is not that of an example, an additional detail, or a clarification, which is why the other answers are not correct.
My mother was born in China. Additionally, she emigrated to the US when she was twenty-seven, but she was never able to get used to this country. She was used to haggling in loud, bustling street markets—not walking through the silent, orderly rows of American grocery stores. She also never became fluent in English; filling out forms and writing business letters confused her.
Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose “NO CHANGE.”
OMIT the underlined portion and begin the sentence with the word “She”
NO CHANGE
However,
For example,
Accordingly,
Here, the best correction would be to delete the word “Additionally” and to use no transition word. The word “additionally” is usually used in a list or when you are adding details on to a description; however, in this case we do not have a list, and the first two sentences are more action rather than description. The relationship of the second sentence to the first is also not an example, a contrast, or a necessary event, which is why the other answers are not correct.