DIRECTIONS: In the passages that follow, some words and phrases are underlined and numbered. In the answer column, you will find alternatives for the words and phrases that are underlined. Choose the alternative that you think is best, and fill in the corresponding bubble on your answer sheet. If you think that the original version is best, choose “NO CHANGE,” which will always be either answer choice A or F. You will also find questions about a particular section of the passage, or about the entire passage. These questions will be identified either by an underlined portion or by a number in a box. Look for the answer that clearly expresses the idea, is consistent with the style and tone of the passage, and makes the correct use of standard written English. Read the passage through once before answering the questions. For some questions, you should read beyond the indicated portion before you answer.
A Gift From the Heart
Contrary to advertisements seen on television, read, in magazines, Q1 or heard on the radio, having spent a lot of money Q2 on a gift for a friend or loved one is totally unnecessary. Many people collect Q3 photos or mementos from special events, trips, or celebrations throughout their lives, throwing them in a drawer or cardboard box somewhere, intending to sort them out later. It seems, though, that “later” never comes. So, the next time you’re ready Q4 to plop down a plastic credit card for a silk scarf or pair of leather gloves for that special someone whom you care about, Q5 consider sorting through that junk drawer filled of Q6 trinkets and special photos.
[1] For example, you can decorate an inexpensive picture frame with colorful buttons for your seamstress mother, or you can use Q7 nuts and bolts for your workshop-crazed brother. [2] Shadow boxes are also a wonderful way to display several objects from a single special event, such as a wedding. [3] Inserting a special photo of you and that certain someone will create a gift that will be treasured forever. [4] Take the original wedding invitation, a candy favor, and Q8 a dried flower from the table centerpiece, a napkin, or anything else that you can gather from Q9 the wedding. Q10
When you have many photos and mementos, making Q11 a photo album or scrapbook for a friend or family member. Today, the options for embellishing your book are near to be endless. Q12 Entering a scrapbooking store can make your head spin. If some Q13 happens to you on your first scrapbooking venture, consider taking an introductory class, which many stores offer. Of course, you will have a much better idea of which scrapbook supplies to buy when the class ends. Q14
Pictures or books that can be enjoyed over and over again are one-of-a-kind, original gifts. There is nothing like receiving a gift that comes straight from the heart. Such gifts help people recall happy times and solidify the bond between the giver and the receiver. Q15