DIRECTIONS:
In the passages that follow, certain words and phrases are underlined and numbered. In the right-hand column, you will find alternatives for the underlined part. In most cases, you are to choose the one that best expresses the idea, makes the statement appropriate for standard written English, or is worded most consistently with the style and tone of the passage as a whole. If you think the original version is best, choose “NO CHANGE.” In some cases, you will find in the right-hand column a question about the underlined part. You are to choose the best answer to the question.
You will also find questions about a section of the passage, or about the passage as a whole. These questions do not refer to an underlined portion of the passage, but rather are identified by a number or numbers in a box.
For each question, choose the alternative you consider best and fill in the corresponding oval on your answer document. Read each passage through once before you begin to answer the questions that accompany it. For many of the questions, you must read several sentences beyond the question to determine the answer. Be sure that you have read far enough ahead each time you choose an alternative.
Seurat's Masterpiece
[1] How can I describe the wonder I felt the first time I saw my favorite painting, Georges Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte? [2] I had admired the work for years in art books, but I never thought I saw Q16 the actual painting, which was housed in Chicago, many miles from where I lived. [3] I finally got my chance to Q17 when I met someone else who loved the painting as much as I did. [4] We both had three days off at the same time, so we decided to make a road trip to Chicago so we could see the painting in all it's Q18 grandeur. [5] We packed our bags, jumped in the car, and headed Q19 on our way toward Chicago. Q20
[1] The first thing that struck me as we entered the room where the painting was displayed; Q21 was the size of the painting. [2] A common size for canvases is 24 by 36 inches. [3] It was enormous! [4] It covered a large part of an even larger wall. [5] The painting's size amazed me since it was painted with dots, a technique called pointillism. [6] To create a painting of such magnitude using this technique seemed an almost impossible task. Q22 [7] Seurat had done it, though, and had made it look easy! Q23
Even more impressive, however, was Q24 the beauty of the painting. Viewed from a distance, the colors looked muted, capturing the idyllic mood of a summer day in the park.
When I approached the painting, though, Q25 its colors exploded into myriad hues, illustrating the artist's skill in combining colors to create a mood. Even the parts of the painting that appeared white from a distance were vibrantly multicolored when viewed up close. Q26 The effect was incredible;
he Q27 sat and stared at the painting in wonder for a good portion of the afternoon. Q28
My friend and I saw many other sights, Q29 on our trip to Chicago, but the best part by far was being able to see our favorite work of art. The image is forever imprinted in my mind at the museum gift shop, Q30 even when I'm not looking at the souvenir print I bought.