TOEFL Grammar Exercises

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   In the beginning of the nineteenth century, the American educational
system was desperately in need of reform. Private schools existed,
but only for the very rich, and there were very few public schools
because of the strong sentiment that a child who would grow up to
5  be a laborer should not "waste" his time on education but should
instead prepare himself for his life's work. It was in the face of
this public sentiment that educational reformers set about their
task. Horace Mann, probably the most famous of the reformers, felt
that there was no excuse in a republic for any citizen to be uneducated.
10 As Superintendent of Education in the state of Massachusetts from
1837 to 1848, he initiated various changes, which were soon matched
in other school districts around the country. He extended the school
year from five to six months and improved the quality of teachers
by instituting teacher education and raising teacher salaries. Although
15 these changes did not bring about a sudden improvement in the educational
system, they at least increased public awareness as to the need for
a further strengthening of the system.

1. It is implied in the passage that to go to a private school, a student needed
(A)
a high level of intelligence
(B)
a strong educational background
(C)
good grades
(D)
a lot of money
2. Why is the word “waste” (line 5) punctuated in
this manner?
(A)
The author wants to emphasize how much time was wasted on education.
(B)
The author is quoting someone else who said that education was a waste/of time.
(C)
The author thinks that education is not really a waste of time.
(D)
The author does not want students to waste their time on education.

3. According to the passage, why did Horace Mann want a better educational
system for Americans?
(A)
Education at the time was so cheap.
(B)
In a republic, all the citizens should be educated.
(C)
People had nothing else to do except go to school.
(D)
Massachusetts residents needed something to do with their spare time.

4. According to the passage, which of the following is a change that Horace Mann
instituted?
(A)
Better teacher training
(B)
Increased pay for students
(C)
The five-month school year
(D)
The matching of other districts’ policies
5. Which of the
following would be the most appropriate title for the passage?
(A)
A Fight for Change
(B)
Nineteenth-Century Reform
(C)
American Education
(D)
The Beginnings of Reform in American Education