Passage C

Practice Tests
Practice Tests for the Florida State College Basic Skills Exit Test
Passage C

Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.

22. Which sentence best states the main idea of this passage?

A. Mass media affects our thinking and conduct through cultural, social, and political influences.

B. Mass media is the root cause of many of the problems in society today.

C. Politicians sometime use mass media to gain support for issues concerning the nation.

D. The content of mass media sometimes reflects the opinions, attitudes, and wishes of the American public.

23. Motion picture and television producers believe that

A. they have failed to understand what the public wants to see in movies.

B. they are the catalysts for changing public opinion about violence.

C. they are responsible for informing the public about dangerous issues such as second-hand smoke and AIDS.

D. they are fulfilling the public's wishes by producing movies that contain violence.

24. The primary purpose of this passage is to

A. give the history of mass media.

B. detail the significance of mass media.

C. analyze the importance of the mass media in bringing about change.

D. describe theories held by researchers about mass media.

25. Identify the relationship between these sentences from paragraph one.

"Clearly the mass media strongly influence our thinking and conduct. This is evident in obvious, simple ways..."

A. time order

B. addition

C. comparison/contrast

D. example

26. Identify the relationship between these sentences from paragraph two.

"The national campaign to forbid smoking in public places, so strong in the mid-1990s, developed from a spate of news stories about the health dangers created by second-hand smoke. This led to a ban against smoking on airlines, creation of smoke-free areas in restaurants, and in some cities a total ban against smoking in restaurants and public buildings."

A. statement and clarification

B. cause and effect

C. contrast

D. concession

27. As used in line 10, the word manifestations most nearly means

A. occurrences of an occult phenomenon

B. displays or shows

C. lists or invoices

D. motives

28. The tone of this passage is

A. humorous

B. clinical

C. instructional

D. critical

29. For the most part, the author of this passage shows bias in favor of

A. regulating the content of mass media.

B. using mass media for political influence

C. the positive impact of mass media

D. restricting the influence of mass media

30. One conclusion that can be drawn from the first paragraph is

A. Parents will do anything to find toys for their children at Christmas.

B. Mass media often initiate styles and fads.

C. Actors perform as zany cartoon characters at presidential inaugurations.

D. New reporters often support advertisers in promoting merchandise.