Preparation Manual: Section 4: Sample Selected-Response Questions

Section 4: Sample Selected-Response Questions
TX PACT: Essential Academic Skills (Subtest I: Reading) (701)

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This section presents some sample exam questions for you to review as part of your preparation for the exam. To demonstrate how each competency may be assessed, sample questions are accompanied by the competency that they measure. While studying, you may wish to read the competency before and after you consider each sample question. Please note that the competency statements do not appear on the actual exam.

The correct answer is provided for each sample exam question. The sample questions are included to illustrate the formats and types of questions you will see on the exam; however, your performance on the sample questions should not be viewed as a predictor of your performance on the actual exam.

Competency 001—Understand the meaning of words and phrases.

1. Read the passage below; then answer the question that follows.

1 Since the middle of the 1990s, Hispanic radio and television in the United States have grown significantly. The nation's leading Spanish-language radio network reported a 34 percent increase in listeners in just seven years. According to Hispanic Radio Today, over 95 percent of all Hispanic Americans have access to Spanish-language radio stations. Hispanic American television also has mushroomed. The largest Hispanic television network in the country reported a 50 percent increase in stations in one year, while a second Hispanic TV company, created in 2002, was reaching over 85 percent of Hispanic Americans just four years later.

2 These companies began as small ventures to broadcast programming for what was once viewed as a specialized market. Now they are being acquired by multibillion dollar corporations that see substantial economic opportunities in the growing Hispanic community. With estimates of Hispanic American buying power exceeding one trillion dollars annually, many businesses have developed advertising aimed specifically at Hispanic consumers. Major corporations are also creating their own Spanish-language programming or buying out independent Hispanic media companies. One national network paid 3 billion dollars to add one of the largest Hispanic television networks to its programming menu.

3 Yet Hispanic radio and television is as much about offering expanded choices to listeners and viewers as it is about Spanish-language programming. Bilingual television viewers often switch back and forth between Spanish and English programs. One study found that 60 percent of bilingual speakers preferred watching the news in Spanish, despite the availability of English-language broadcasts; and the most popular national television programs all appear on Hispanic stations. At the same time, adult Hispanic viewers watch English-language and Spanish-language movies with equal frequency, while their bilingual children spend more of their television hours watching mainstream English-language programming.

4 These differing and evolving preferences make it clear that the popularity of Hispanic radio and television is not so much about language as it is about choice and culture. Businesses have responded by producing and airing bilingual commercials that run on both Spanish-language and English-language stations as well as commercials in English that focus on Hispanic American culture. One major U.S. corporation, for example, aired a prime-time commercial on mainstream television featuring a Hispanic American family, despite predictions that Hispanic Americans would not be watching mainstream programming.

5 In fact, the opposite may be true. Studies suggest that younger, American-born Hispanics are increasingly tuning into mainstream media. Making up almost two-thirds of the total Hispanic population, these younger adults are more acculturated to American life than their parents, and are often equally at home with either Hispanic or mainstream radio and television. Yet the familiar cultural context of Spanish-language media continues to attract a wide spectrum of Hispanic American listeners and viewers, suggesting that even as programming and advertising aimed at the Hispanic community become part of the mainstream media, the growth of Hispanic media is likely to continue for years to come.

Which of the following phrases best defines the word mushroomed as it is used in the first paragraph of the passage?

made significant progress
changed considerably
grown rapidly
become more diverse

Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded: Option C is correct. This question requires the examinee to determine the meaning of unfamiliar or uncommon words in the context of a paragraph. From information in the first paragraph about the increase in the number of Hispanic TV stations in the United States, it is clear that the meaning of mushroom in this context is to grow or spread rapidly.

Competency 002—Understand the main idea and supporting details in written material.

2. Read the passage below; then answer the question that follows.

1 Since the middle of the 1990s, Hispanic radio and television in the United States have grown significantly. The nation's leading Spanish-language radio network reported a 34 percent increase in listeners in just seven years. According to Hispanic Radio Today, over 95 percent of all Hispanic Americans have access to Spanish-language radio stations. Hispanic American television also has mushroomed. The largest Hispanic television network in the country reported a 50 percent increase in stations in one year, while a second Hispanic TV company, created in 2002, was reaching over 85 percent of Hispanic Americans just four years later.

2 These companies began as small ventures to broadcast programming for what was once viewed as a specialized market. Now they are being acquired by multibillion dollar corporations that see substantial economic opportunities in the growing Hispanic community. With estimates of Hispanic American buying power exceeding one trillion dollars annually, many businesses have developed advertising aimed specifically at Hispanic consumers. Major corporations are also creating their own Spanish-language programming or buying out independent Hispanic media companies. One national network paid 3 billion dollars to add one of the largest Hispanic television networks to its programming menu.

3 Yet Hispanic radio and television is as much about offering expanded choices to listeners and viewers as it is about Spanish-language programming. Bilingual television viewers often switch back and forth between Spanish and English programs. One study found that 60 percent of bilingual speakers preferred watching the news in Spanish, despite the availability of English-language broadcasts; and the most popular national television programs all appear on Hispanic stations. At the same time, adult Hispanic viewers watch English-language and Spanish-language movies with equal frequency, while their bilingual children spend more of their television hours watching mainstream English-language programming.

4 These differing and evolving preferences make it clear that the popularity of Hispanic radio and television is not so much about language as it is about choice and culture. Businesses have responded by producing and airing bilingual commercials that run on both Spanish-language and English-language stations as well as commercials in English that focus on Hispanic American culture. One major U.S. corporation, for example, aired a prime-time commercial on mainstream television featuring a Hispanic American family, despite predictions that Hispanic Americans would not be watching mainstream programming.

5 In fact, the opposite may be true. Studies suggest that younger, American-born Hispanics are increasingly tuning into mainstream media. Making up almost two-thirds of the total Hispanic population, these younger adults are more acculturated to American life than their parents, and are often equally at home with either Hispanic or mainstream radio and television. Yet the familiar cultural context of Spanish-language media continues to attract a wide spectrum of Hispanic American listeners and viewers, suggesting that even as programming and advertising aimed at the Hispanic community become part of the mainstream media, the growth of Hispanic media is likely to continue for years to come.

Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the passage?

With Hispanic television companies reaching as much as 85 percent of Hispanic American families, the future of Hispanic media in the United States looks very bright.
Hispanic media companies owe much of their success to an ability to provide expanded programming choices and a welcoming cultural context to a diverse Hispanic American community.
Hispanic media have been so successful that even mainstream radio and television networks are beginning to provide Spanish-language programming.
Although bilingual Hispanic American media consumers watch and listen to mainstream programming, they clearly prefer the culturally familiar offerings on Hispanic radio and television stations.

Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded: Option B is correct. This question requires the examinee to identify the implied main idea of the passage. The passage attributes the growth of Hispanic media companies to their ability to make an ever-growing number of programming choices available to viewers and listeners and to produce programming that appeals to many different segments within the Hispanic American community.

Competency 003—Understand a writer's purpose and audience, point of view, and intended meaning.

3. Read the passage below; then answer the question that follows.

1 Since the middle of the 1990s, Hispanic radio and television in the United States have grown significantly. The nation's leading Spanish-language radio network reported a 34 percent increase in listeners in just seven years. According to Hispanic Radio Today, over 95 percent of all Hispanic Americans have access to Spanish-language radio stations. Hispanic American television also has mushroomed. The largest Hispanic television network in the country reported a 50 percent increase in stations in one year, while a second Hispanic TV company, created in 2002, was reaching over 85 percent of Hispanic Americans just four years later.

2 These companies began as small ventures to broadcast programming for what was once viewed as a specialized market. Now they are being acquired by multibillion dollar corporations that see substantial economic opportunities in the growing Hispanic community. With estimates of Hispanic American buying power exceeding one trillion dollars annually, many businesses have developed advertising aimed specifically at Hispanic consumers. Major corporations are also creating their own Spanish-language programming or buying out independent Hispanic media companies. One national network paid 3 billion dollars to add one of the largest Hispanic television networks to its programming menu.

3 Yet Hispanic radio and television is as much about offering expanded choices to listeners and viewers as it is about Spanish-language programming. Bilingual television viewers often switch back and forth between Spanish and English programs. One study found that 60 percent of bilingual speakers preferred watching the news in Spanish, despite the availability of English-language broadcasts; and the most popular national television programs all appear on Hispanic stations. At the same time, adult Hispanic viewers watch English-language and Spanish-language movies with equal frequency, while their bilingual children spend more of their television hours watching mainstream English-language programming.

4 These differing and evolving preferences make it clear that the popularity of Hispanic radio and television is not so much about language as it is about choice and culture. Businesses have responded by producing and airing bilingual commercials that run on both Spanish-language and English-language stations as well as commercials in English that focus on Hispanic American culture. One major U.S. corporation, for example, aired a prime-time commercial on mainstream television featuring a Hispanic American family, despite predictions that Hispanic Americans would not be watching mainstream programming.

5 In fact, the opposite may be true. Studies suggest that younger, American-born Hispanics are increasingly tuning into mainstream media. Making up almost two-thirds of the total Hispanic population, these younger adults are more acculturated to American life than their parents, and are often equally at home with either Hispanic or mainstream radio and television. Yet the familiar cultural context of Spanish-language media continues to attract a wide spectrum of Hispanic American listeners and viewers, suggesting that even as programming and advertising aimed at the Hispanic community become part of the mainstream media, the growth of Hispanic media is likely to continue for years to come.

The author's main purpose in the passage is to:

compare the programming of Hispanic and mainstream media.
analyze the profitability of Hispanic radio and television networks.
examine the viewing and listening habits of Hispanic Americans.
describe the growth of Hispanic radio and television media.

Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded: Option D is correct. This question requires the examinee to recognize a writer's stated or implied purpose for writing. In the passage, the author traces the sharp increase in the number of Hispanic media outlets since the mid-1990s and the corresponding growth in the number of Hispanic viewers and listeners that has taken place during that period.

Competency 004—Use critical reasoning skills to evaluate written material.

4. Read the passage below; then answer the question that follows.

1 Since the middle of the 1990s, Hispanic radio and television in the United States have grown significantly. The nation's leading Spanish-language radio network reported a 34 percent increase in listeners in just seven years. According to Hispanic Radio Today, over 95 percent of all Hispanic Americans have access to Spanish-language radio stations. Hispanic American television also has mushroomed. The largest Hispanic television network in the country reported a 50 percent increase in stations in one year, while a second Hispanic TV company, created in 2002, was reaching over 85 percent of Hispanic Americans just four years later.

2 These companies began as small ventures to broadcast programming for what was once viewed as a specialized market. Now they are being acquired by multibillion dollar corporations that see substantial economic opportunities in the growing Hispanic community. With estimates of Hispanic American buying power exceeding one trillion dollars annually, many businesses have developed advertising aimed specifically at Hispanic consumers. Major corporations are also creating their own Spanish-language programming or buying out independent Hispanic media companies. One national network paid 3 billion dollars to add one of the largest Hispanic television networks to its programming menu.

3 Yet Hispanic radio and television is as much about offering expanded choices to listeners and viewers as it is about Spanish-language programming. Bilingual television viewers often switch back and forth between Spanish and English programs. One study found that 60 percent of bilingual speakers preferred watching the news in Spanish, despite the availability of English-language broadcasts; and the most popular national television programs all appear on Hispanic stations. At the same time, adult Hispanic viewers watch English-language and Spanish-language movies with equal frequency, while their bilingual children spend more of their television hours watching mainstream English-language programming.

4 These differing and evolving preferences make it clear that the popularity of Hispanic radio and television is not so much about language as it is about choice and culture. Businesses have responded by producing and airing bilingual commercials that run on both Spanish-language and English-language stations as well as commercials in English that focus on Hispanic American culture. One major U.S. corporation, for example, aired a prime-time commercial on mainstream television featuring a Hispanic American family, despite predictions that Hispanic Americans would not be watching mainstream programming.

5 In fact, the opposite may be true. Studies suggest that younger, American-born Hispanics are increasingly tuning into mainstream media. Making up almost two-thirds of the total Hispanic population, these younger adults are more acculturated to American life than their parents, and are often equally at home with either Hispanic or mainstream radio and television. Yet the familiar cultural context of Spanish-language media continues to attract a wide spectrum of Hispanic American listeners and viewers, suggesting that even as programming and advertising aimed at the Hispanic community become part of the mainstream media, the growth of Hispanic media is likely to continue for years to come.

According to information presented in the passage, there is a cause-and-effect relationship between the:

increased number of bilingual speakers and the expansion of Hispanic-owned radio and television stations.
growing diversity within the Hispanic community in the United States and the increased popularity of Hispanic media companies.
increased purchasing power of Hispanic Americans and the expansion of programming directed at Hispanic listeners and viewers.
growing interest in Hispanic cultural traditions and the increased number of Hispanic Americans tuning into mainstream television and radio.

Enter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded: Option C is correct. This question requires the examinee to identify cause-and-effect relationships. In the second paragraph of the passage, the author draws a connection between the increased buying power of Hispanic Americans and the growing interest of many businesses in using Spanish-language programming to advertise their products.

Competency 005—Understand the organization of information in written and graphic forms.

5. Read the passage below; then answer the question that follows.

1 Since the middle of the 1990s, Hispanic radio and television in the United States have grown significantly. The nation's leading Spanish-language radio network reported a 34 percent increase in listeners in just seven years. According to Hispanic Radio Today, over 95 percent of all Hispanic Americans have access to Spanish-language radio stations. Hispanic American television also has mushroomed. The largest Hispanic television network in the country reported a 50 percent increase in stations in one year, while a second Hispanic TV company, created in 2002, was reaching over 85 percent of Hispanic Americans just four years later.

2 These companies began as small ventures to broadcast programming for what was once viewed as a specialized market. Now they are being acquired by multibillion dollar corporations that see substantial economic opportunities in the growing Hispanic community. With estimates of Hispanic American buying power exceeding one trillion dollars annually, many businesses have developed advertising aimed specifically at Hispanic consumers. Major corporations are also creating their own Spanish-language programming or buying out independent Hispanic media companies. One national network paid 3 billion dollars to add one of the largest Hispanic television networks to its programming menu.

3 Yet Hispanic radio and television is as much about offering expanded choices to listeners and viewers as it is about Spanish-language programming. Bilingual television viewers often switch back and forth between Spanish and English programs. One study found that 60 percent of bilingual speakers preferred watching the news in Spanish, despite the availability of English-language broadcasts; and the most popular national television programs all appear on Hispanic stations. At the same time, adult Hispanic viewers watch English-language and Spanish-language movies with equal frequency, while their bilingual children spend more of their television hours watching mainstream English-language programming.

4 These differing and evolving preferences make it clear that the popularity of Hispanic radio and television is not so much about language as it is about choice and culture. Businesses have responded by producing and airing bilingual commercials that run on both Spanish-language and English-language stations as well as commercials in English that focus on Hispanic American culture. One major U.S. corporation, for example, aired a prime-time commercial on mainstream television featuring a Hispanic American family, despite predictions that Hispanic Americans would not be watching mainstream programming.

5 In fact, the opposite may be true. Studies suggest that younger, American-born Hispanics are increasingly tuning into mainstream media. Making up almost two-thirds of the total Hispanic population, these younger adults are more acculturated to American life than their parents, and are often equally at home with either Hispanic or mainstream radio and television. Yet the familiar cultural context of Spanish-language media continues to attract a wide spectrum of Hispanic American listeners and viewers, suggesting that even as programming and advertising aimed at the Hispanic community become part of the mainstream media, the growth of Hispanic media is likely to continue for years to come.

1. the recent growth of Hispanic radio and television in the U.S.
2. reasons for the success of the Hispanic media
3. mainstream media interest in Hispanic consumers
4. prospects for Hispanic radio and television in the future
1. a comparison of Hispanic radio and television
2. the purchase of Hispanic media companies
3. the interest of young Hispanic Americans in mainstream radio and television
4. attempts by the mainstream media to target Hispanic Americans
1. recent trends reported by Hispanic Radio Today
2. the growing consolidation of Hispanic media companies
3. the popularity of English-language media among Hispanic Americans
4. advertisements aimed at Hispanic American listeners and viewers
1. the growing number of Hispanic radio and television companies
2. the growing number of Hispanic American consumers
3. the growing purchasing power of Hispanic Americans
4. the growing efforts of mainstream media companies to advertise in the Hispanic American community