ACT English Final Quiz 4 – Outschool

Last September, I traveled to Rapid City, South Dakota to visit my childhood friend Laurie and to attend the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup in the Black Hills. I was interested in attending the roundup, because I wanted the experience that many people in the 1800s had on the Great Plains, that of seeing a giant herd of buffalo rumble by in front of me. So I booked my flight to Rapid City to arrive in September to visit my friend Laurie.

The name of the roundup is kind of a misnomer, the animals aren’t really buffalo. They are bison. But most of us Americans call them buffalo. The big bovines were prolific on the grassy plains of the Black Hills area in the 1800s but were overhunted and almost disappearing as a species. Now the public can only see a big herd mostly in a few state or national parks. While bison are not technically considered endangered, they have been put in the “near threatened” category, which means they are at risk to become endangered.

We got up really early around 6AM on the morning of the roundup, because we knew there would be a big crowd. [1] We arrived and parked and then worked our way to one of the viewing areas. [2] Stopping at a big tent for breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and coffee before we went to claim our spot for viewing the roundup. [3] People from all over the country had come for this year’s roundup. [4] We talked by visitors from Colorado, Georgia, and California, as well as some locals like Laurie. [*]

Finally, we saw the dust cloud that preceded the herd. In a minute or two, the first bison herded by cowboys and cowgirls on horseback topped the hill. The bison rumbled by right in front of us. To be honest, though, they ran more slowly than I expected. It took several minutes for the entire herd to pass. I took lots of photographs to capture the scene. Since our whole morning was centered around an event that took less than ten minutes to pass by us, I’m glad I made the trip to South Dakota. I got to spend time with my friend, and I finally saw a giant herd of thundering buffalo–up close!

Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?

A. No Change

B. roundup because

C. roundup. Because

D. roundup; because

(select answer below)

Last September, I traveled to Rapid City, South Dakota to visit my childhood friend Laurie and to attend the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup in the Black Hills. I was interested in attending the roundup, because I wanted the experience that many people in the 1800s had on the Great Plains, that of seeing a giant herd of buffalo rumble by in front of me. So I booked my flight to Rapid City to arrive in September to visit my friend Laurie.

The name of the roundup is kind of a misnomer, the animals aren’t really buffalo. They are bison. But most of us Americans call them buffalo. The big bovines were prolific on the grassy plains of the Black Hills area in the 1800s but were overhunted and almost disappearing as a species. Now the public can only see a big herd mostly in a few state or national parks. While bison are not technically considered endangered, they have been put in the “near threatened” category, which means they are at risk to become endangered.

We got up really early around 6AM on the morning of the roundup, because we knew there would be a big crowd. [1] We arrived and parked and then worked our way to one of the viewing areas. [2] Stopping at a big tent for breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and coffee before we went to claim our spot for viewing the roundup. [3] People from all over the country had come for this year’s roundup. [4] We talked by visitors from Colorado, Georgia, and California, as well as some locals like Laurie. [*]

Finally, we saw the dust cloud that preceded the herd. In a minute or two, the first bison herded by cowboys and cowgirls on horseback topped the hill. The bison rumbled by right in front of us. To be honest, though, they ran more slowly than I expected. It took several minutes for the entire herd to pass. I took lots of photographs to capture the scene. Since our whole morning was centered around an event that took less than ten minutes to pass by us, I’m glad I made the trip to South Dakota. I got to spend time with my friend, and I finally saw a giant herd of thundering buffalo–up close!

Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?

F. No Change

G. the experience of seeing a giant herd of buffalo rumble by right in front of me that many people in the 1800s had on the Great Plains.

H. to experience a herd of buffalo rumble by, just as people did back in the 1800s.

J. to be taken back in time to the 1800s when many people got to experience a giant herd of buffalo rumbling by in front of them.

(select answer below)

Last September, I traveled to Rapid City, South Dakota to visit my childhood friend Laurie and to attend the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup in the Black Hills. I was interested in attending the roundup, because I wanted the experience that many people in the 1800s had on the Great Plains, that of seeing a giant herd of buffalo rumble by in front of me. So I booked my flight to Rapid City to arrive in September to visit my friend Laurie.

The name of the roundup is kind of a misnomer, the animals aren’t really buffalo. They are bison. But most of us Americans call them buffalo. The big bovines were prolific on the grassy plains of the Black Hills area in the 1800s but were overhunted and almost disappearing as a species. Now the public can only see a big herd mostly in a few state or national parks. While bison are not technically considered endangered, they have been put in the “near threatened” category, which means they are at risk to become endangered.

We got up really early around 6AM on the morning of the roundup, because we knew there would be a big crowd. [1] We arrived and parked and then worked our way to one of the viewing areas. [2] Stopping at a big tent for breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and coffee before we went to claim our spot for viewing the roundup. [3] People from all over the country had come for this year’s roundup. [4] We talked by visitors from Colorado, Georgia, and California, as well as some locals like Laurie. [*]

Finally, we saw the dust cloud that preceded the herd. In a minute or two, the first bison herded by cowboys and cowgirls on horseback topped the hill. The bison rumbled by right in front of us. To be honest, though, they ran more slowly than I expected. It took several minutes for the entire herd to pass. I took lots of photographs to capture the scene. Since our whole morning was centered around an event that took less than ten minutes to pass by us, I’m glad I made the trip to South Dakota. I got to spend time with my friend, and I finally saw a giant herd of thundering buffalo–up close!

Which choice is least redundant in context?

A. No Change

B. So I booked my flight in September to Rapid City to visit Laurie.

C. So I booked my flight to see my friend Laurie in Rapid City in September.

D. Delete the underlined portion.

(select answer below)

Last September, I traveled to Rapid City, South Dakota to visit my childhood friend Laurie and to attend the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup in the Black Hills. I was interested in attending the roundup, because I wanted the experience that many people in the 1800s had on the Great Plains, that of seeing a giant herd of buffalo rumble by in front of me. So I booked my flight to Rapid City to arrive in September to visit my friend Laurie.

The name of the roundup is kind of a misnomer, the animals aren’t really buffalo. They are bison. But most of us Americans call them buffalo. The big bovines were prolific on the grassy plains of the Black Hills area in the 1800s but were overhunted and almost disappearing as a species. Now the public can only see a big herd mostly in a few state or national parks. While bison are not technically considered endangered, they have been put in the “near threatened” category, which means they are at risk to become endangered.

We got up really early around 6AM on the morning of the roundup, because we knew there would be a big crowd. [1] We arrived and parked and then worked our way to one of the viewing areas. [2] Stopping at a big tent for breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and coffee before we went to claim our spot for viewing the roundup. [3] People from all over the country had come for this year’s roundup. [4] We talked by visitors from Colorado, Georgia, and California, as well as some locals like Laurie. [*]

Finally, we saw the dust cloud that preceded the herd. In a minute or two, the first bison herded by cowboys and cowgirls on horseback topped the hill. The bison rumbled by right in front of us. To be honest, though, they ran more slowly than I expected. It took several minutes for the entire herd to pass. I took lots of photographs to capture the scene. Since our whole morning was centered around an event that took less than ten minutes to pass by us, I’m glad I made the trip to South Dakota. I got to spend time with my friend, and I finally saw a giant herd of thundering buffalo–up close!

Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?

F. No Change
G. misnomer;
H. misnomer, and
J. misnomer

(select answer below)

Last September, I traveled to Rapid City, South Dakota to visit my childhood friend Laurie and to attend the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup in the Black Hills. I was interested in attending the roundup, because I wanted the experience that many people in the 1800s had on the Great Plains, that of seeing a giant herd of buffalo rumble by in front of me. So I booked my flight to Rapid City to arrive in September to visit my friend Laurie.

The name of the roundup is kind of a misnomer, the animals aren’t really buffalo. They are bison. But most of us Americans call them buffalo. The big bovines were prolific on the grassy plains of the Black Hills area in the 1800s but were overhunted and almost disappearing as a species. Now the public can only see a big herd mostly in a few state or national parks. While bison are not technically considered endangered, they have been put in the “near threatened” category, which means they are at risk to become endangered.

We got up really early around 6AM on the morning of the roundup, because we knew there would be a big crowd. [1] We arrived and parked and then worked our way to one of the viewing areas. [2] Stopping at a big tent for breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and coffee before we went to claim our spot for viewing the roundup. [3] People from all over the country had come for this year’s roundup. [4] We talked by visitors from Colorado, Georgia, and California, as well as some locals like Laurie. [*]

Finally, we saw the dust cloud that preceded the herd. In a minute or two, the first bison herded by cowboys and cowgirls on horseback topped the hill. The bison rumbled by right in front of us. To be honest, though, they ran more slowly than I expected. It took several minutes for the entire herd to pass. I took lots of photographs to capture the scene. Since our whole morning was centered around an event that took less than ten minutes to pass by us, I’m glad I made the trip to South Dakota. I got to spend time with my friend, and I finally saw a giant herd of thundering buffalo–up close!

Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?

A. No Change
B. disappear
C. have disappeared
D. disappeared

Last September, I traveled to Rapid City, South Dakota to visit my childhood friend Laurie and to attend the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup in the Black Hills. I was interested in attending the roundup, because I wanted the experience that many people in the 1800s had on the Great Plains, that of seeing a giant herd of buffalo rumble by in front of me. So I booked my flight to Rapid City to arrive in September to visit my friend Laurie.

The name of the roundup is kind of a misnomer, the animals aren’t really buffalo. They are bison. But most of us Americans call them buffalo. The big bovines were prolific on the grassy plains of the Black Hills area in the 1800s but were overhunted and almost disappearing as a species. Now the public can only see a big herd mostly in a few state or national parks. While bison are not technically considered endangered, they have been put in the “near threatened” category, which means they are at risk to become endangered.

We got up really early around 6AM on the morning of the roundup, because we knew there would be a big crowd. [1] We arrived and parked and then worked our way to one of the viewing areas. [2] Stopping at a big tent for breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and coffee before we went to claim our spot for viewing the roundup. [3] People from all over the country had come for this year’s roundup. [4] We talked by visitors from Colorado, Georgia, and California, as well as some locals like Laurie. [*]

Finally, we saw the dust cloud that preceded the herd. In a minute or two, the first bison herded by cowboys and cowgirls on horseback topped the hill. The bison rumbled by right in front of us. To be honest, though, they ran more slowly than I expected. It took several minutes for the entire herd to pass. I took lots of photographs to capture the scene. Since our whole morning was centered around an event that took less than ten minutes to pass by us, I’m glad I made the trip to South Dakota. I got to spend time with my friend, and I finally saw a giant herd of thundering buffalo–up close!

Which choice most effectively guides the reader from this paragraph into the next paragraph?

F. No Change

G. Some of these parks include Yellowstone National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, and Custer State Park.

H. In addition to large herds of bison, Custer State Park offers fishing lakes, campgrounds, and scenic drives.

J. Custer State Park has a very large herd, and that’s why I was making my visit to South Dakota.

(select answer below)

Last September, I traveled to Rapid City, South Dakota to visit my childhood friend Laurie and to attend the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup in the Black Hills. I was interested in attending the roundup, because I wanted the experience that many people in the 1800s had on the Great Plains, that of seeing a giant herd of buffalo rumble by in front of me. So I booked my flight to Rapid City to arrive in September to visit my friend Laurie.

The name of the roundup is kind of a misnomer, the animals aren’t really buffalo. They are bison. But most of us Americans call them buffalo. The big bovines were prolific on the grassy plains of the Black Hills area in the 1800s but were overhunted and almost disappearing as a species. Now the public can only see a big herd mostly in a few state or national parks. While bison are not technically considered endangered, they have been put in the “near threatened” category, which means they are at risk to become endangered.

We got up really early around 6AM on the morning of the roundup, because we knew there would be a big crowd. [1] We arrived and parked and then worked our way to one of the viewing areas. [2] Stopping at a big tent for breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and coffee before we went to claim our spot for viewing the roundup. [3] People from all over the country had come for this year’s roundup. [4] We talked by visitors from Colorado, Georgia, and California, as well as some locals like Laurie. [*]

Finally, we saw the dust cloud that preceded the herd. In a minute or two, the first bison herded by cowboys and cowgirls on horseback topped the hill. The bison rumbled by right in front of us. To be honest, though, they ran more slowly than I expected. It took several minutes for the entire herd to pass. I took lots of photographs to capture the scene. Since our whole morning was centered around an event that took less than ten minutes to pass by us, I’m glad I made the trip to South Dakota. I got to spend time with my friend, and I finally saw a giant herd of thundering buffalo–up close!

Which choice is least redundant in context?

A. No Change
B. around 6AM really early
C. really early
D. really early in the morning

(select answer below)

Last September, I traveled to Rapid City, South Dakota to visit my childhood friend Laurie and to attend the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup in the Black Hills. I was interested in attending the roundup, because I wanted the experience that many people in the 1800s had on the Great Plains, that of seeing a giant herd of buffalo rumble by in front of me. So I booked my flight to Rapid City to arrive in September to visit my friend Laurie.

The name of the roundup is kind of a misnomer, the animals aren’t really buffalo. They are bison. But most of us Americans call them buffalo. The big bovines were prolific on the grassy plains of the Black Hills area in the 1800s but were overhunted and almost disappearing as a species. Now the public can only see a big herd mostly in a few state or national parks. While bison are not technically considered endangered, they have been put in the “near threatened” category, which means they are at risk to become endangered.

We got up really early around 6AM on the morning of the roundup, because we knew there would be a big crowd. [1] We arrived and parked and then worked our way to one of the viewing areas. [2] Stopping at a big tent for breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and coffee before we went to claim our spot for viewing the roundup. [3] People from all over the country had come for this year’s roundup. [4] We talked by visitors from Colorado, Georgia, and California, as well as some locals like Laurie. [*]

Finally, we saw the dust cloud that preceded the herd. In a minute or two, the first bison herded by cowboys and cowgirls on horseback topped the hill. The bison rumbled by right in front of us. To be honest, though, they ran more slowly than I expected. It took several minutes for the entire herd to pass. I took lots of photographs to capture the scene. Since our whole morning was centered around an event that took less than ten minutes to pass by us, I’m glad I made the trip to South Dakota. I got to spend time with my friend, and I finally saw a giant herd of thundering buffalo–up close!

Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?

F. No Change
G. We were stopping
H. Stopped
J. We stopped

(select answer below)

Last September, I traveled to Rapid City, South Dakota to visit my childhood friend Laurie and to attend the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup in the Black Hills. I was interested in attending the roundup, because I wanted the experience that many people in the 1800s had on the Great Plains, that of seeing a giant herd of buffalo rumble by in front of me. So I booked my flight to Rapid City to arrive in September to visit my friend Laurie.

The name of the roundup is kind of a misnomer, the animals aren’t really buffalo. They are bison. But most of us Americans call them buffalo. The big bovines were prolific on the grassy plains of the Black Hills area in the 1800s but were overhunted and almost disappearing as a species. Now the public can only see a big herd mostly in a few state or national parks. While bison are not technically considered endangered, they have been put in the “near threatened” category, which means they are at risk to become endangered.

We got up really early around 6AM on the morning of the roundup, because we knew there would be a big crowd. [1] We arrived and parked and then worked our way to one of the viewing areas. [2] Stopping at a big tent for breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and coffee before we went to claim our spot for viewing the roundup. [3] People from all over the country had come for this year’s roundup. [4] We talked by visitors from Colorado, Georgia, and California, as well as some locals like Laurie. [*]

Finally, we saw the dust cloud that preceded the herd. In a minute or two, the first bison herded by cowboys and cowgirls on horseback topped the hill. The bison rumbled by right in front of us. To be honest, though, they ran more slowly than I expected. It took several minutes for the entire herd to pass. I took lots of photographs to capture the scene. Since our whole morning was centered around an event that took less than ten minutes to pass by us, I’m glad I made the trip to South Dakota. I got to spend time with my friend, and I finally saw a giant herd of thundering buffalo–up close!

Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?

A. No Change
B. to
C. up
D. Delete the underlined portion.

(select answer below)

Last September, I traveled to Rapid City, South Dakota to visit my childhood friend Laurie and to attend the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup in the Black Hills. I was interested in attending the roundup, because I wanted the experience that many people in the 1800s had on the Great Plains, that of seeing a giant herd of buffalo rumble by in front of me. So I booked my flight to Rapid City to arrive in September to visit my friend Laurie.

The name of the roundup is kind of a misnomer, the animals aren’t really buffalo. They are bison. But most of us Americans call them buffalo. The big bovines were prolific on the grassy plains of the Black Hills area in the 1800s but were overhunted and almost disappearing as a species. Now the public can only see a big herd mostly in a few state or national parks. While bison are not technically considered endangered, they have been put in the “near threatened” category, which means they are at risk to become endangered.

We got up really early around 6AM on the morning of the roundup, because we knew there would be a big crowd. [1] We arrived and parked and then worked our way to one of the viewing areas. [2] Stopping at a big tent for breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and coffee before we went to claim our spot for viewing the roundup. [3] People from all over the country had come for this year’s roundup. [4] We talked by visitors from Colorado, Georgia, and California, as well as some locals like Laurie. [*]

Finally, we saw the dust cloud that preceded the herd. In a minute or two, the first bison herded by cowboys and cowgirls on horseback topped the hill. The bison rumbled by right in front of us. To be honest, though, they ran more slowly than I expected. It took several minutes for the entire herd to pass. I took lots of photographs to capture the scene. Since our whole morning was centered around an event that took less than ten minutes to pass by us, I’m glad I made the trip to South Dakota. I got to spend time with my friend, and I finally saw a giant herd of thundering buffalo–up close!

The writer wants to add the following sentence to the preceding paragraph:

As the time approached for the herd of almost 1,300 bison to come over the hill, we could feel the excitement in the crowd.

The sentence would most logically be placed after Sentence:

F. 1.
G. 2.
H. 3.
J. 4.

(select answer below)

Last September, I traveled to Rapid City, South Dakota to visit my childhood friend Laurie and to attend the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup in the Black Hills. I was interested in attending the roundup, because I wanted the experience that many people in the 1800s had on the Great Plains, that of seeing a giant herd of buffalo rumble by in front of me. So I booked my flight to Rapid City to arrive in September to visit my friend Laurie.

The name of the roundup is kind of a misnomer, the animals aren’t really buffalo. They are bison. But most of us Americans call them buffalo. The big bovines were prolific on the grassy plains of the Black Hills area in the 1800s but were overhunted and almost disappearing as a species. Now the public can only see a big herd mostly in a few state or national parks. While bison are not technically considered endangered, they have been put in the “near threatened” category, which means they are at risk to become endangered.

We got up really early around 6AM on the morning of the roundup, because we knew there would be a big crowd. [1] We arrived and parked and then worked our way to one of the viewing areas. [2] Stopping at a big tent for breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and coffee before we went to claim our spot for viewing the roundup. [3] People from all over the country had come for this year’s roundup. [4] We talked by visitors from Colorado, Georgia, and California, as well as some locals like Laurie. [*]

Finally, we saw the dust cloud that preceded the herd. In a minute or two, the first bison herded by cowboys and cowgirls on horseback topped the hill. The bison rumbled by right in front of us. To be honest, though, they ran more slowly than I expected. It took several minutes for the entire herd to pass. I took lots of photographs to capture the scene. Since our whole morning was centered around an event that took less than ten minutes to pass by us, I’m glad I made the trip to South Dakota. I got to spend time with my friend, and I finally saw a giant herd of thundering buffalo–up close!

Which choice makes the sentence most grammatically acceptable?

A. No Change

B. bison topped the hill, herded by cowboys and cowgirls on horseback.

C. bison, herded by cowboys and cowgirls, topped the hill on horseback.

D. bison, herded on horseback by cowboys and cowgirls, topped the hill.

(select answer below)

Last September, I traveled to Rapid City, South Dakota to visit my childhood friend Laurie and to attend the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup in the Black Hills. I was interested in attending the roundup, because I wanted the experience that many people in the 1800s had on the Great Plains, that of seeing a giant herd of buffalo rumble by in front of me. So I booked my flight to Rapid City to arrive in September to visit my friend Laurie.

The name of the roundup is kind of a misnomer, the animals aren’t really buffalo. They are bison. But most of us Americans call them buffalo. The big bovines were prolific on the grassy plains of the Black Hills area in the 1800s but were overhunted and almost disappearing as a species. Now the public can only see a big herd mostly in a few state or national parks. While bison are not technically considered endangered, they have been put in the “near threatened” category, which means they are at risk to become endangered.

We got up really early around 6AM on the morning of the roundup, because we knew there would be a big crowd. [1] We arrived and parked and then worked our way to one of the viewing areas. [2] Stopping at a big tent for breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and coffee before we went to claim our spot for viewing the roundup. [3] People from all over the country had come for this year’s roundup. [4] We talked by visitors from Colorado, Georgia, and California, as well as some locals like Laurie. [*]

Finally, we saw the dust cloud that preceded the herd. In a minute or two, the first bison herded by cowboys and cowgirls on horseback topped the hill. The bison rumbled by right in front of us. To be honest, though, they ran more slowly than I expected. It took several minutes for the entire herd to pass. I took lots of photographs to capture the scene. Since our whole morning was centered around an event that took less than ten minutes to pass by us, I’m glad I made the trip to South Dakota. I got to spend time with my friend, and I finally saw a giant herd of thundering buffalo–up close!

Which choice most effectively portrays a large herd of bison passing by the narrator’s viewing location?

F. No Change
G. trotted by
H. ran over
J. sauntered by

(select answer below)

Last September, I traveled to Rapid City, South Dakota to visit my childhood friend Laurie and to attend the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup in the Black Hills. I was interested in attending the roundup, because I wanted the experience that many people in the 1800s had on the Great Plains, that of seeing a giant herd of buffalo rumble by in front of me. So I booked my flight to Rapid City to arrive in September to visit my friend Laurie.

The name of the roundup is kind of a misnomer, the animals aren’t really buffalo. They are bison. But most of us Americans call them buffalo. The big bovines were prolific on the grassy plains of the Black Hills area in the 1800s but were overhunted and almost disappearing as a species. Now the public can only see a big herd mostly in a few state or national parks. While bison are not technically considered endangered, they have been put in the “near threatened” category, which means they are at risk to become endangered.

We got up really early around 6AM on the morning of the roundup, because we knew there would be a big crowd. [1] We arrived and parked and then worked our way to one of the viewing areas. [2] Stopping at a big tent for breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and coffee before we went to claim our spot for viewing the roundup. [3] People from all over the country had come for this year’s roundup. [4] We talked by visitors from Colorado, Georgia, and California, as well as some locals like Laurie. [*]

Finally, we saw the dust cloud that preceded the herd. In a minute or two, the first bison herded by cowboys and cowgirls on horseback topped the hill. The bison rumbled by right in front of us. To be honest, though, they ran more slowly than I expected. It took several minutes for the entire herd to pass. I took lots of photographs to capture the scene. Since our whole morning was centered around an event that took less than ten minutes to pass by us, I’m glad I made the trip to South Dakota. I got to spend time with my friend, and I finally saw a giant herd of thundering buffalo–up close!

Which transition word or phrase, if any, is most logical in context?

A. No Change
B. Because
C. Even though
D. Delete the underlined portion.

(select answer below)

Last September, I traveled to Rapid City, South Dakota to visit my childhood friend Laurie and to attend the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup in the Black Hills. I was interested in attending the roundup, because I wanted the experience that many people in the 1800s had on the Great Plains, that of seeing a giant herd of buffalo rumble by in front of me. So I booked my flight to Rapid City to arrive in September to visit my friend Laurie.

The name of the roundup is kind of a misnomer, the animals aren’t really buffalo. They are bison. But most of us Americans call them buffalo. The big bovines were prolific on the grassy plains of the Black Hills area in the 1800s but were overhunted and almost disappearing as a species. Now the public can only see a big herd mostly in a few state or national parks. While bison are not technically considered endangered, they have been put in the “near threatened” category, which means they are at risk to become endangered.

We got up really early around 6AM on the morning of the roundup, because we knew there would be a big crowd. [1] We arrived and parked and then worked our way to one of the viewing areas. [2] Stopping at a big tent for breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and coffee before we went to claim our spot for viewing the roundup. [3] People from all over the country had come for this year’s roundup. [4] We talked by visitors from Colorado, Georgia, and California, as well as some locals like Laurie. [*]

Finally, we saw the dust cloud that preceded the herd. In a minute or two, the first bison herded by cowboys and cowgirls on horseback topped the hill. The bison rumbled by right in front of us. To be honest, though, they ran more slowly than I expected. It took several minutes for the entire herd to pass. I took lots of photographs to capture the scene. Since our whole morning was centered around an event that took less than ten minutes to pass by us, I’m glad I made the trip to South Dakota. I got to spend time with my friend, and I finally saw a giant herd of thundering buffalo–up close!

Which choice most effectively concludes the essay by summarizing the narrator’s purpose for taking the trip?

F. No Change

G. South Dakota is a beautiful place with so many natural attractions to offer.

H. It is not every day that a person is able to experience a giant herd of thundering buffalo up close!

J. Custer State Park is one of many parks working to preserve the natural habitat of bison to keep them from becoming endangered.

(select answer below)

Last September, I traveled to Rapid City, South Dakota to visit my childhood friend Laurie and to attend the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup in the Black Hills. I was interested in attending the roundup, because I wanted the experience that many people in the 1800s had on the Great Plains, that of seeing a giant herd of buffalo rumble by in front of me. So I booked my flight to Rapid City to arrive in September to visit my friend Laurie.

The name of the roundup is kind of a misnomer, the animals aren’t really buffalo. They are bison. But most of us Americans call them buffalo. The big bovines were prolific on the grassy plains of the Black Hills area in the 1800s but were overhunted and almost disappearing as a species. Now the public can only see a big herd mostly in a few state or national parks. While bison are not technically considered endangered, they have been put in the “near threatened” category, which means they are at risk to become endangered.

We got up really early around 6AM on the morning of the roundup, because we knew there would be a big crowd. [1] We arrived and parked and then worked our way to one of the viewing areas. [2] Stopping at a big tent for breakfast of pancakes, sausage, and coffee before we went to claim our spot for viewing the roundup. [3] People from all over the country had come for this year’s roundup. [4] We talked by visitors from Colorado, Georgia, and California, as well as some locals like Laurie. [*]

Finally, we saw the dust cloud that preceded the herd. In a minute or two, the first bison herded by cowboys and cowgirls on horseback topped the hill. The bison rumbled by right in front of us. To be honest, though, they ran more slowly than I expected. It took several minutes for the entire herd to pass. I took lots of photographs to capture the scene. Since our whole morning was centered around an event that took less than ten minutes to pass by us, I’m glad I made the trip to South Dakota. I got to spend time with my friend, and I finally saw a giant herd of thundering buffalo–up close!

This question asks about the passage as a whole.

Suppose the writer’s goal had been to write an essay comparing and contrasting her experience in Rapid City, South Dakota to the experience of those who lived there in the early 1800s. Would this essay accomplish that goal?

A. Yes, because the narrator talks about how bison used to roam the plains in the 1800s until they were overhunted and began declining in population.

B. Yes, because the narrator goes into detail about her experience in Rapid City, which clearly contrasts the experience of those who lived there in the 1800s.

C. No, because the narrator’s main focus was to recount a personal experience in Rapid City, South Dakota.

D. No, because the narrator only describes the experiences of those who lived in Rapid City in the 1800s without going into any detail about her experience there.

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