As he stepped into the shower that morning, Ronald wondered whether he would be scalded or frozen. It would happen every morning because his neighbors usually took their showers at the same time as he did, and the water temperature would either dip precariously or rise sharply, depending on the day. About five minutes into his shower, he could hear the telltale sound of his neighbors' turning on their shower, and he braced himself. Sure enough, a jet of steaming hot water was shooting through the shower nozzle, and Ronald darted to the side to wait until it cooled down again. As it was January, he was grateful that it wasnt cold water—if it had been, he might of spent the whole morning frozen in a block of ice. Soon the water returned to normal, and Ronald resumed his shower, cursing himself for ever moving into such an old building in the first place.

Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded portion of the passage. If the bolded portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."

As he stepped into the shower that morning, Ronald wondered whether he would be scalded or frozen. It would happen every morning because his neighbors usually took their showers at the same time as he did, and the water temperature would either dip precariously or rise sharply, depending on the day. About five minutes into his shower, he could hear the telltale sound of his neighbors' turning on their shower, and he braced himself. Sure enough, a jet of steaming hot water was shooting through the shower nozzle, and Ronald darted to the side to wait until it cooled down again. As it was January, he was grateful that it wasnt cold water—if it had been, he might of spent the whole morning frozen in a block of ice. Soon the water returned to normal, and Ronald resumed his shower, cursing himself for ever moving into such an old building in the first place.

Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded portion of the passage. If the bolded portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."

As he stepped into the shower that morning, Ronald wondered whether he would be scalded or frozen. It would happen every morning because his neighbors usually took their showers at the same time as he did, and the water temperature would either dip precariously or rise sharply, depending on the day. About five minutes into his shower, he could hear the telltale sound of his neighbors' turning on their shower, and he braced himself. Sure enough, a jet of steaming hot water was shooting through the shower nozzle, and Ronald darted to the side to wait until it cooled down again. As it was January, he was grateful that it wasnt cold water—if it had been, he might of spent the whole morning frozen in a block of ice. Soon the water returned to normal, and Ronald resumed his shower, cursing himself for ever moving into such an old building in the first place.

Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded portion of the passage. If the bolded portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."

As he stepped into the shower that morning, Ronald wondered whether he would be scalded or frozen. It would happen every morning because his neighbors usually took their showers at the same time as he did, and the water temperature would either dip precariously or rise sharply, depending on the day. About five minutes into his shower, he could hear the telltale sound of his neighbors' turning on their shower, and he braced himself. Sure enough, a jet of steaming hot water was shooting through the shower nozzle, and Ronald darted to the side to wait until it cooled down again. As it was January, he was grateful that it wasnt cold water—if it had been, he might of spent the whole morning frozen in a block of ice. Soon the water returned to normal, and Ronald resumed his shower, cursing himself for ever moving into such an old building in the first place.

Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded portion of the passage. If the bolded portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."

As he stepped into the shower that morning, Ronald wondered whether he would be scalded or frozen. It would happen every morning because his neighbors usually took their showers at the same time as he did, and the water temperature would either dip precariously or rise sharply, depending on the day. About five minutes into his shower, he could hear the telltale sound of his neighbors' turning on their shower, and he braced himself. Sure enough, a jet of steaming hot water was shooting through the shower nozzle, and Ronald darted to the side to wait until it cooled down again. As it was January, he was grateful that it wasnt cold water—if it had been, he might of spent the whole morning frozen in a block of ice. Soon the water returned to normal, and Ronald resumed his shower, cursing himself for ever moving into such an old building in the first place.

Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded portion of the passage. If the bolded portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."

Adapted from "The Weakness, Unrest, and Defects of Man," from The Thoughts of Blaise Pascal (ed. 1901)

We care nothing for the present. We anticipate the future as too slow in coming, as if we could make it move faster; or we call back the past, to stop its rapid flight. So imprudent are we that we wander through the times in which we have no part, unthinking of that which alone is ours; so frivolous are we that we dream of the days which are not and pass by without reflection those which alone exist. For the days of the present generally gives us pain; we conceal it from our sight because it afflicts us, and if it be pleasant, we regret to see it vanish away. We endeavor to sustain the present by the future, and think of arranging things not in our power, for a time at which we have no certainty of arriving.

If we examine our thoughts, we shall find them always occupied with the past or the future. We scarcely think of the present, and if we do so, it is only that we may borrow light from it to direct the future. The present is never our end; the past and the present are our means, the future alone is our end. Thus we never live, but hope to live, and while we always lay ourselves out to be happy, it is inevitable that we can never be so.

What is the best equivalent for the bolded "that we may borrow" in the passage?

Ivan and Oscar, two little white mice living in Mrs. Wiggins house, were desperate for some cheese, but the only way to get to the kitchen was climbing down the old suit of armor that Mrs. Wiggins brought back from England after her honeymoon. Ivan had went down to the kitchen many times before, but Oscar was new to it all and he was more nervous than he would admit. They came out at the hole in the wall above the suit of armors left shoulder, and Oscar watched as Ivan slipped fast into the joins between the steel plates. He then heard Ivan scuttling down through the shoulder, chest, and the left leg before emerging through the left foot below. "Come on down Oscar" called the courageous mouse. Oscar made his way into the shoulder just as his friend had done, but somehow got mixed up and ended up in the right arm. The twists and turns inside the armor were too complicated for his tiny, mousy mind. Finally he called out, "Help, Ivan! Help! Wont you help me make it through the knight?"

Choose the answer that best corrects the bolded portion of the passage. If the bolded portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."

Adapted from The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1774; trans. Boylan 1854)

That the life of man is but a dream, many a man has surmised heretofore. I, too, am everywhere pursued by this feeling. When I consider the narrow limits within which our active and inquiring faculties are confined, I am silent. Likewise, when I see how all our energies are wasted in providing for mere necessities, which again has no further end than to prolong a wretched existence, I find myself to be silenced. Indeed, discovering that all our satisfaction concerning certain subjects of investigation ends in nothing better than a passive resignation, while we amuse ourselves painting our prison-walls with bright figures and brilliant landscapes—when I consider all this Wilhelm—I am silent. I examine my own being, and find there a world, but a world rather of imagination and dim desires, than of distinctness and living power. Then, everything swims before my senses, and I smile and dream while pursuing my way through the world.

All learned professors and doctors are agreed that children do not comprehend the cause of their desires; however, nobody is willing to acknowledge that the grown-ups should wander about this earth like children, without knowing whence they come or whither they go, influenced as little by fixed motives but, instead, guided like them by biscuits, sugar-plums, and the rod.

I know what you will say in reply. Indeed, I am ready to admit that they are happiest, who, like children, amuse themselves with their playthings, dress and undress their dolls.  They are happiest, who attentively watch the cupboard, where mamma has locked up her sweet things, and, when at last they get a delicious morsel, eat it greedily, and exclaim, "More!" These are certainly happy beings; but others also are objects of envy, who dignify their paltry employments (and sometimes even their passions) with pompous titles, representing them to mankind as gigantic achievements performed for their welfare and glory. However, the man who humbly acknowledges the vanity of all this, who observes with what pleasure the thriving citizen converts his little garden into a paradise, and how patiently even the poor man pursues his weary way under his burden, and how all wish equally to behold the light of the sun a little longer—yes, such a man is at peace, and creates his own world within himself. Indeed, he is also happy precisely because he is a man. And then, however limited his sphere, he still preserves in his bosom the sweet feeling of liberty and knows that he can quit his prison whenever he likes.

What is an acceptable replacement for the bolded word “quit” in the passage's last sentence?

Choose the answer that best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence. If the underlined portion is correct as written, choose "NO CHANGE."

Tom dug for worms in the backyard all day, so that he could use them as bate when he went fishing with Grandpa. 

Adapted from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (1861)

As she applied herself to set the tea-things, Joe peeped down at me over his leg, as if he was mentally casting me and himself up and calculating what kind of pair we practically should make, under the grievous circumstances foreshadowed. After that, he sat feeling his right-side flaxen curls and whisker, and following Mrs. Joe about with his blue eyes, as his manner always was at squally times.

My sister had a trenchant way of cutting our bread and butter for us, that never varied. First, with her left hand she jammed the loaf hard and fast against her bib, where it sometimes got a pin into it and sometimes a needle, which we afterwards got into our mouths. Then, she took some butter (not too much) on a knife and spread it on the loaf, in an apothecary kind of way, as if she were making a plaster.  She used both sides of the knife with a slapping dexterity and trimming and moulding the butter off round the crust. Then, she gave the knife a final smart wipe on the edge of the plaster and then sawed a very thick round off the loaf: which she finally, before separating from the loaf, hewed into two halves, of which Joe got one and I the other.

On the present occasion, though I was hungry, I dared not eat my slice. I felt that I must have something in reserve for my dreadful acquaintance, and his ally the still more dreadful young man. I knew, “Mrs. Joe's housekeeping to be of the strictest kind,” and that my larcenous researches might find nothing available in the safe. Therefore, I resolved to put my hunk of bread and butter down the leg of my trousers.

Which of the following is the best form of the underlined selection, "dexterity and trimming and moulding the butter off round the crust"?