1. Although originally a German innovation, kindergarten got its real start in the United States as a movement to provide an improved learning environment for children. A) an easy B) a playful C) an open D) a better 2. There is always excitement at the Olympic Games when an athlete breaks a previous record of performance. A) beats B) matches C) maintains D) announces 3. The attack on Fort Sumter near Charleston provoked a sharp response from the North, which led to the American Civil War. A) demanded B) elicited C) extracted D) defied 4.Illinois has produced writers such as Carl Sandburg, gangsters such as A1 Capone, and architects such as Louis Sullivan. A) violent criminals B) politicians C) musicians D) industrialists 5. The towers of a suspension bridge serve as a rigid framework to which the cables are attached. A) boundary B) skeleton C) enclosure D) material 6. The use of the chemical may present a certain hazard to the laboratory workers. A) protection B) indication C) immunity D) danger 7. Many economists have given in to the fatal lure of mathematics. A) error B) function C) attraction D) miracle 8. The development of the transistor and integrated circuits revolutionized the electronics industry by allowing components to be packaged more densely. A) compactly B) inexpensively C) quickly D) carefully 9. The leading astronomers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were fascinated by comets. A) intrigued B) infected C) inconvenienced D) inclined 10. In their productions, choreographers of modern dance have introduced humor, protested social injustice, and probed psychological problems. A) solved B) explored C) involved D) disputed 11. They agreed to settle the dispute by peaceful means. A) solve B) determine C) untie D) complete 12. The children trembled with fear when they saw the policeman. A) wept B) cried C) ran D) shook 13. We were shocked to find that Mary didn t know her guest s name. A) frustrated B) disturbed C) relieved D) surprised 14. We have got to abide by the rules. A) stick to B) persist in C) safeguard D) apply 15. The river widens considerably as it begins to turn east. A) extends B) stretches C) broadens D) traverses KEYS: DABAB DCAAB ADDAC