ACT Compass Reading Practice Test - Question List

61.

The U.S. Congress (Government and Civics 3­)

Did you ever wonder where federal laws come from? For example, who proposed that it be illegal to (1) operate a vehicle without a driver’s license? Who is responsible for making decisions about war? In the United States rules and decisions that affect its citizens (and visitors) are proposed and put into effect by what is known as the U.S. Congress.

The U.S. Congress is made of up two (2) bodies: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both representatives and senators are elected by voters. Congress has 535 members: 435 members in the House of Representatives and 100 members in the Senate. Each member of the House of Representatives serves two-year terms and each state in the union has at least one representative. Each of the 50 states has two senators; therefore, there are 100 senators in Congress, and each member of the Senate serves a six-year (3) term.

Congress works together to create (4) bills that are then later signed into law by the President of the United States. It also has power over financial concerns. It is the Congress who has the authority to make and collect taxes. Congress also plays an important role in the decisions of the national defense. It alone has the power to (5) wage war on another country.

So, next time your hear someone say they dislike a President’s decision to go to war with another country, you can tell them that Congress has the ultimate say, and not the President, in how the country is run.

According to the passage, why are there 100 senators in Congress?

62. Etiquette, which is sometimes unwritten, is a code that governs the expectations of social behavior of people. It usually reflects the cultures and traditions of countries. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the second largest country in African. It is also known as Congo (Kinshasa) or DRC. With over 200 ethnic groups represented the people of the Congo have a wide variety of customs, traditions, and values. They vary from place to place and group to group, especially when it comes to living in urban areas and rural areas. Therefore the etiquette rules differs depending on where a person lives.

Congolese that live in urban areas tend to have more Western customs and traditions. It is important to greet each other, and inquire about each others situation before other matters are discussed. Greetings consists of speaking, shaking their hands, and smiling. In the rural areas, men and women do not shake hands. Men will shake the hands of other men. Some women will greet men by clapping their hands and bowing slightly.

When dining in the Congo hands should be washed before and after eating. People should only eat with their right hands, especially if they are eating with their fingers. Men and women use separate communal bowls; often, women may sit together. When eating out of a communal bowl, people eat from the space directly in front of them. When utensils are used, the left hand holds the fork and the right hand holds the knife.

Dressing in the Congo is greatly influenced by the Western world, however, they are mixed with traditional clothing such as kikwembe, abacos, or a dashiki. The nicer a person look, the more respect he or she will receive. Jewelry is often made from wood, ivory bones, or shells. Many people in rural areas walk barefoot, but sandals and slippers are commonly worn.

Which is a valid inference about the extension of customs in the Congo?

63. Etiquette, which is sometimes unwritten, is a code that governs the expectations of social behavior of people. It usually reflects the cultures and traditions of countries. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the second largest country in African. It is also known as Congo (Kinshasa) or DRC. With over 200 ethnic groups represented the people of the Congo have a wide variety of customs, traditions, and values. They vary from place to place and group to group, especially when it comes to living in urban areas and rural areas. Therefore the etiquette rules differs depending on where a person lives.

Congolese that live in urban areas tend to have more Western customs and traditions. It is important to greet each other, and inquire about each others situation before other matters are discussed. Greetings consists of speaking, shaking their hands, and smiling. In the rural areas, men and women do not shake hands. Men will shake the hands of other men. Some women will greet men by clapping their hands and bowing slightly.

When dining in the Congo hands should be washed before and after eating. People should only eat with their right hands, especially if they are eating with their fingers. Men and women use separate communal bowls; often, women may sit together. When eating out of a communal bowl, people eat from the space directly in front of them. When utensils are used, the left hand holds the fork and the right hand holds the knife.

Dressing in the Congo is greatly influenced by the Western world, however, they are mixed with traditional clothing such as kikwembe, abacos, or a dashiki. The nicer a person look, the more respect he or she will receive. Jewelry is often made from wood, ivory bones, or shells. Many people in rural areas walk barefoot, but sandals and slippers are commonly worn.

What is the main idea of this passage?

64. Etiquette, which is sometimes unwritten, is a code that governs the expectations of social behavior of people. It usually reflects the cultures and traditions of countries. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the second largest country in African. It is also known as Congo (Kinshasa) or DRC. With over 200 ethnic groups represented the people of the Congo have a wide variety of customs, traditions, and values. They vary from place to place and group to group, especially when it comes to living in urban areas and rural areas. Therefore the etiquette rules differs depending on where a person lives.

Congolese that live in urban areas tend to have more Western customs and traditions. It is important to greet each other, and inquire about each others situation before other matters are discussed. Greetings consists of speaking, shaking their hands, and smiling. In the rural areas, men and women do not shake hands. Men will shake the hands of other men. Some women will greet men by clapping their hands and bowing slightly.

When dining in the Congo hands should be washed before and after eating. People should only eat with their right hands, especially if they are eating with their fingers. Men and women use separate communal bowls; often, women may sit together. When eating out of a communal bowl, people eat from the space directly in front of them. When utensils are used, the left hand holds the fork and the right hand holds the knife.

Dressing in the Congo is greatly influenced by the Western world, however, they are mixed with traditional clothing such as kikwembe, abacos, or a dashiki. The nicer a person look, the more respect he or she will receive. Jewelry is often made from wood, ivory bones, or shells. Many people in rural areas walk barefoot, but sandals and slippers are commonly worn.

What connection is made between how a person dresses and how he is treated in the Congo?

65. Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 at 7:55 a.m. This attack precipitated the United States’ entry into World War II. Prior to the attack, relations between the United States and Japan were rapidly deteriorating. It had invaded China and its alliance with Germany and Italy (the Axis Powers), along with its occupation of French Indochina strained diplomatic relations. The United States put a freeze on all of Japan’s assets and declared an embargo on oil and scrap metal shipments to Japan.

The oil embargo caused the most resentment, among the Japanese, because Japan did not have any oil of its own. Japan wanted freedom from their dependency on the United States. Japan declared war on the United States because of its national pride and the possibility of economic destruction.

Initially, Japan was going to invade the Philippines, not attack Pearl Harbor. The commander in chief of Japan’s fleet Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto believed that attacking Pearl Harbor would allow Japan to rebuild its defenses. With the destruction of Pearl Harbor, Japan’s military then be able to conquer all of Southwest Asia and open the Indonesian Archipelago. He plans the attack on Pearl Harbor with considerable care and trained his men extensively.

On the day of the attack three cruisers, two tankers, two battleships, six aircraft carriers, and nine destroyers sailed to a point north of Hawaii. From there, approximately 360 planes took off. Yamamoto planned to attack the naval base on a Sunday morning because he thought it would not be fully armed. The United States was unprepared for the attack, and Japan destroyed a majority of its planes. Four U.S. battleships was sunk, and the rest were badly damaged. The Japanese only lost twenty-nine aircrafts and less than one hundred aircrew members were killed. Because of the preemptive strike, Japan was able to carry out its plans for Southwest Asia and the Indonesian Archipelago.

Which reader would most likely find this article valuable?