Daily Spark #1
(1) America is dependent on foreign oil, a fact that dismays many Americans. (2) Hybrid cars, most of
which run on gasoline or diesel and electricity, can help America reduce its dependence on foreign oil.
(3) They also reduce pollution. (4) Energy sources like electricity and solar power cut down on the
harmful emissions that contribute to allergy-aggravating smog. (5) Lobbyists say that eventually hybrid
cars will be just as affordable as gasoline-powered and diesel-powered vehicles. (6) However, the auto
industry contends that the cost of research and development of hybrids will drive the price of the
product higher than consumers will accept.
Which of the following is true about the author of the passage?
(A) The author is probably sympathetic to the auto industry.
(B) The author is probably in favor of the use of hybrids.
(C) The author is probably annoyed by lobbyists.
(D) The author has probably participated in studies on the effectiveness of hybrid cars.
(E) The author probably knows someone who purchased a hybrid.
The passage implies that many Americans
(A) dislike the fact that the U.S. depends on foreign electricity and solar power.
(B) dislike the fact that the U.S. is independent of foreign countries.
(C) appreciate the fact the lobbyists are working hard to reduce smog nationwide.
(D) disapprove of America’s reliance on foreign oil.
(E) have test-driven hybrids.
Daily Spark #2
The introduction of your essay has two main purposes: to introduce readers to your topic and to
present readers with your main claim, which you will spend the remainder of the essay arguing,
analyzing and defending. Readers generally expect to find your main claim at the end of your
introduction, but sometimes you might need to give two to three paragraphs of background, especially
in longer papers, before presenting your claim.
Write an introductory paragraph that ends with the claim: The United States should lower the drinking
age to eighteen.
Daily Spark #3
(1) Nearly all scientists agree that global warming is melting the world’s largest glacial structures and
causing water levels to rise. (2) Researchers estimate that the earth’s water levels, particularly in seas
and oceans, rise a fraction of an inch each year. (3) If the ice caps continue to melt, the gulf stream could
be affected.
The term “glacial structures” most likely refers to which of the following?
(A) frozen tundra
(B) polar ice caps
(C) mountain ice and snow
(D) intercontinental glaciers
(E) frozen lakes
Daily Spark #4
Can you name the eight parts of speech?
Write four sentences, in which you use all eight parts of speech. The catch? You can’t use any part of
speech more than once.
Noun: person, place, thing, or idea (chicken, dancehall, ocean, belief)
Pronoun: replaces a noun (he, she, it, her, them, who, which)
Adjective: describes a noun or pronoun (lovely, tattered, obese, violet)
Verb: an action word (ransack, stir, rejuvenate, are)
Adverb: modifies or describes an adjective, verb, or other adverb (gladly, helpfully, subtly, slowly)
Preposition: links nouns and pronouns to phrases (over, under, in, near)
Conjunction: links lists, phrases, and clauses (and, but or, when)
Interjection: conveys emotions (wow, what, ouch, man)
Daily Spark #5
(1) If I could travel back in time and found any company or industry, I would choose the bottled water
industry. (2) This industry has a brilliant strategy: take water that costs a few pennies, bottle it in plastic
containers that cost a few pennies, and then sell if for about a dollar a bottle. (3) That is pure genius. (4)
The best part is that many bottle waters are actually dirtier than tap water. (5) But because of clever
marketing campaigns, most people think all bottled water comes from the purest mountain streams.
Which of the following is the main idea of the paragraph?
(A) Consumers are so naïve that industries often take advantage of them.
(B) The bottled water industry has a brilliant business plan.
(C) The author would like to buy stock in bottled water companies.
(D) The bottled water industry should be prosecuted.
(E) The bottled water that most people enjoy is exactly the same as tap water in both taste and
content.