Workspace▸ English▸ Test 6
← Back to English
English · Drill 6

English practice 6

15 questions ~9 min recommended
⏱ 00:00
Score
—

Lou Gehrig, All-American

Since their inception in 1913, the New York Yankees have long been regarded as a force in Major League Baseball. Love them or hate them, there is no denying the tradition of excellence that they have leveraged in order to win1 26 World Series championships, a league record.

The Yankees have had many great baseball players2 contribute to the team, but one man stands out for his fortitude and good spirit: Lou Gehrig. Born to poor German immigrants in 1903, Gehrig received no encouragement to pursue baseball as a career. His mother considered business a better line of work for her son3, wanting him to excel academically, not physically. Gehrig followed her wishes, at least at first. He attended Columbia University, but after only two years, and without a degree, Gehrig left school.

He broke many long-standing records5, including those for runs batted in and extra-base hits, and even played in 2,130 consecutive games4! His formidable skills and unflinching dedication to the sport interested6 his teammates and the fans alike.

Then suddenly, Gehrig's7 amazing stamina and talent seemed to vanish. Gehrig was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, a disease that would rob him of his physical abilities. The prognosis was a veritable death sentence.

However, on the day of Gehrig's retirement from baseball, he delivered one of the most famous speeches of the time. In his address, he allowed the writer8 to infer his condition without explicitly stating it. He acknowledged his grim fate but paid tribute to the life-affirming support he'd received from his fans: "The ballplayer who loses his head, who can't keep his cool, is worse than no ballplayer at all."13 He spoke highly of the encouragement his fans always provided and proudly proclaimed that, despite his fate, he didn't regret anything in his life or career. He was a man whose14 eternal optimism and good spirit lived on as a legacy of hope and kindness for fans everywhere. We would all do well to learn that lesson.

1. Which of the following alternatives to the underlined portion would NOT be acceptable?

2.

3.

4. Which of the following alternatives to the underlined portion would be LEAST acceptable?

5.

6. Given that all the choices are true, which one most clearly communicates how positively Gehrig was viewed as a player?

7.

8. Which of the following alternatives to the underlined portion would be LEAST acceptable?

9. Which of the following sequences of sentences makes this paragraph most logical?

10.

11. At this point, the writer is thinking about adding the following true statement:

I know when I had to put my dog to sleep when he got cancer, all I could do was cry in my room for days.

Should the writer make this addition here?

12.

13. Given that all the choices are quotations attributed to Gehrig, which one would most effectively support the preceding statement in this sentence?

14.

15. Question below asks about the preceding passage as a whole.

After reviewing this essay, the writer is thinking about deleting its opening phrase-"Since their inception in 1913,"-and revising the capitalization accordingly. Should this phrase be kept or deleted?

← Prev test Next test →
Jump to