MC 3-26-2020

AP English Language and Composition Test Booklet
3/26/2020 Name
(The following passage is excerpted from a book published by a Japanese American legal scholar in
2007.)
The stereotype that plagued me the most was the portrait of the Asian-American as the perpetual
foreigner. I came to hate the question, “Where are you from, really?” that followed my assertion that I had
grown up in Boston. I washed away this tincture of foreignness with language. I wish to be careful here,
as my pleasure in language feels largely independent of any other identity. Yet my racial identity did spur
my will to command English. I could see my parents struggling with a language in which neither of them
would ever swim. And my own failure at Japanese gave me direct experience of illiteracy. I collected
[1]
English words like amulets.
[2]
At Exeter, I noticed this mastery whitened me. I liked mathematics too, those rectangles thinning to fit a
[3]
curve in calculus, “like gold to airy thinness beat.” But to excel at mathematics was to collude in a vision
of my Asian mind as an abacus,[4] when I experienced it as a blood-warm runnel[5] of ink. And it was in
English classes that the teacher’s eyes would widen as I talked about a book in a headlong access[6] of
speech.
In college, I dated a woman who felt the same way. Janet was Korean-American, a premed English
major. We met in a poetry writing seminar. I was drawn to her for many reasons, but one was that I
sensed her relationship to language was similar to my own. Her parents were also immigrants—she
spoke to them in English, they responded in Korean. We recognized our common desire to write
ourselves out of the inscrutability of Asian-American experience—and to do so in the most traditional
ways. We disdained classes marked as ethnic, like Asian-American literature. We flew into the heart of
the canon: I specialized in Shakespeare, she in Milton.
Our evenings were filled with the happiness of people learning to read, to write. We read to each other
from opposite ends of a couch, like a two-headed disputatious literary creature. Much of our pleasure had
nothing to do with race. But race was an explicit part of our connection. We confessed our mutual love of
the literal color blindness imposed by writing. Our ink was as black, our page as white as anyone’s.
I smile now to see I had the debates with Janet about Asian-American assimilation I would later have with
Paul[7] about gay assimilation. In one moment, Janet would rail against a mutual acquaintance, an Asian-
American woman, who had gotten eyelid surgery—the “Asian nose job,” as she put it. She thought it was
self-hating, an attempt to “act white.” I wasted my words reminding her that double eyelids were cherished
in Japan, and that eyelid surgeries were done there too. She insisted that the spread of the surgery
worldwide only proved that white standards of beauty had colonized the world. It was likewise futile to
point out she often criticized me for failing to assimilate. Whenever I got my hair cut too short, it was Janet
who would needle me for looking “fresh off the boat.” When I suggested a tension between these two
positions, she quoted Whitman. I am large, I contain multitudes.
Copyright © 2017. The College Board. These materials are part of a College Board program. Use or distribution of these materials online or in print
beyond your school’s participation in the program is prohibited. Page 1 of 12
3/26/2020
Only in America, my mother would say, shaking her head with bemusement, could a Japanese date a
Korean so naturally, quoting American poetry all the while. What had the two countries shared but
centuries of racial enmity? When I went to visit Janet’s family in Connecticut, my mother told me to get
them an “American” gift. I wasn’t about to proffer a portrait of the emperor, but I knew what she meant.
She wanted me to meet them on the common ground of our assimilation into Asian America.
Yet if dating Janet represented assimilation in one sense, it was also its rejection. To date another Asian
was to be raced apart. We would often be the only Asians in a social group, and some would presume we
were together from our race alone. Even today, strangers at social functions sometimes assume me to be
married to a female Asian colleague. True assimilation would have meant avoiding romantic association
[8]
with Asians in the way I avoided Asian groups.
1
magical objects that provide assistance or protection
2
Phillips Exeter Academy, a boarding school in Exeter, New Hampshire
3
from “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” by English poet John Donne (1572–1631)
4
a calculating tool
5
a small stream
6
outburst
7
someone the author dated during law school
8
Asian student organizations
1. In the second paragraph, the author compares his relationships with mathematics and English
primarily to
A suggest how a desire to meet his teachers’ expectations influenced the author’s academic interests
imply that his determination to excel in mathematics was linked to a need to impress his
B
classmates
C indicate that his approach to both subjects was equally informed by his love of language
D demonstrate the advantages of a multidisciplinary approach to high school education
explain how his awareness of a cultural stereotype influenced his preference for one subject over
E
the other
2. Which of the following statements from the first paragraph most directly expresses the author’s
thesis in the passage?
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“The stereotype that plagued me the most was the portrait of the Asian-American as the perpetual
A
foreigner.” (sentence 1)
B “I washed away this tincture of foreignness with language.” (sentence 3)
C “[M]y pleasure in language feels largely independent of any other identity.” (sentence 4)
D “[M]y own failure at Japanese gave me direct experience of illiteracy.” (sentence 7)
E “I collected English words like amulets.” (sentence 8)
3. Which of the following statements best describes the function of the passage’s final paragraph?
A It restates the author’s thesis in a way that is designed to engage his audience’s attention.
B It answers an earlier objection to the author’s argument.
C It exhorts the audience to avoid making assumptions about strangers.
D It examines the significance of the author’s argument in a broader cultural context.
E It emphasizes the author’s desire to develop strategies for assimilation.
4. At the end of the first paragraph, the author compares English words to “amulets” primarily to
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A underscore how much his parents invested in his education
B suggest the pain occasioned by his classmates’ teasing
C emphasize the extent of the power he ascribed to language
D explain why he viewed English as more exotic than Japanese
E imply that he would have preferred to communicate with his parents in Japanese
5. In context, the phrase “blood-warm runnel of ink” (paragraph 2, sentence 3) most clearly conveys
A the author’s anxieties about being different from his classmates
B the obstacles that the author encountered in learning English
C the vitality of the author’s relationship with language
D the gratitude that the author felt toward his English teacher
E the author’s prioritization of speech over writing
6. In the fourth sentence of the last paragraph (“Even today . . . colleague”), the author alludes to his
experiences at social functions primarily to
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A suggest that he finds assimilation more difficult in adult life than he did in college
B question the extent to which he has succeeded in achieving his stated goal of assimilation
C offer evidence to support his larger argument about the benefits of assimilation
D imply that most of his colleagues are unfamiliar with Asian social customs
E emphasize the continuity between his college and present-day identities
(1) If you live in a city, you may have seen references to sister cities in other countries and wondered
what the designation means—or whether it really matters. (2) In fact, sister-city programs can matter a
great deal: civic organizations and local businesses are often involved in sister-city relationships.
(3) Sister-city partnerships were developed to foster international cooperation after the Second World
War, and they continue to serve this purpose today. (4) Many of the earliest relationships were between
cities that had previously been at war. (5) Nevertheless, the English city of Bristol and the German city of
Hanover formed a partnership in 1947, with Bristol shipping relief supplies to Hanover and Hanover
sending musicians to perform in Bristol. (6) The partnership evolved to include an educational exchange
that continues to give English and German students experience in another culture.
(7) Such relationships provide an important complement to diplomacy carried out between governments.
(8) Governments can forge alliances between countries, but the particular officials charged with doing so
vary from country to country. (9) What’s more, as Mary Kane of Sister Cities International notes, “Foreign
affairs doesn’t have to be done just by the State Department.” (10) By conveying international relations
into people’s lives, sister cities make connections with distant places feel real to citizens.
(11) Although the potential benefits of sister cities are great, they can’t be taken for granted. (12) Without
active participation from community groups, local government, and ordinary citizens, the relationships can
fall into neglect. (13) But with engagement from community stakeholders, sister-city programs provide a
gratifying and profitable connection to the wider world.
(14) Because trust and understanding are essential to business things, the feelings of closeness that
connect sister cities can translate into economic benefits. (15) This dynamic is illustrated in the sister-city
3/26/2020
relationship between Muscatine, Iowa, and Zhengding County in China. (16) In 1985, Xi Jinping visited
Muscatine on a research trip to study soybean farming. (17) When Xi later became president of China, his
personal connection to Muscatine formed the basis for the sister-city relationship, which in turn led to
Chinese investment in Muscatine’s hospitality and tourism industries.
7. Which version of the underlined text in sentence 8 (reproduced below) provides commentary that
logically connects to the evidence in the paragraph?
Governments can forge alliances between countries, but the particular officials charged with doing
so vary from country to country.
A (as it is now)
B people often have to travel abroad to truly understand what it is like in other countries
C their ability to do so can be constrained by economic conditions and other factors
D these acts do not necessarily encourage feelings of closeness between the countries’ citizens
E the strength of those alliances can be dependent on interactions among the countries’ diplomats
8. The writer wants to ensure that the organization of paragraphs effectively conveys the passage’s
line of reasoning. In order to accomplish this goal, the fourth paragraph (sentences 11-13) should
be placed
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A where it is now
B before the first paragraph (sentences 1-2)
C after the first paragraph (sentences 1-2)
D after the second paragraph (sentences 3-6)
E after the fifth paragraph (sentences 14-17)
great deal: when effectively cultivated, they bring people together to create mutually beneficial cultural
and economic ties.
(8) Governments can forge alliances between countries, but these acts do not necessarily encourage
feelings of closeness between the countries’ citizens. (9) What’s more, as Mary Kane of Sister Cities
International notes, “Foreign affairs doesn’t have to be done just by the State Department.” (10) By
conveying international relations into people’s lives, sister cities make connections with distant places feel
real to citizens.
3/26/2020
9. The writer wants to use an appropriate transitional word or phrase to introduce the evidence in
sentence 5 (reproduced below).
Nevertheless, the English city of Bristol and the German city of Hanover formed a partnership in
1947, with Bristol shipping relief supplies to Hanover and Hanover sending musicians to perform in
Bristol.
Which version of the underlined text most effectively accomplishes this goal?
A (As it is now)
B Earlier,
C Therefore,
D For example,
E Elsewhere,
10. The writer wants to replace the underlined word in sentence 14 (reproduced below) with a more
precise word, taking into account the context of the paragraph.
Because trust and understanding are essential to business things, the feelings of closeness that
connect sister cities can translate into economic benefits.
Which version of the underlined word best accomplishes this goal?
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A meetings
B stuff
C agreements
D issues
E products
great deal: civic organizations and local businesses are often involved in sister-city relationships.
(8) Governments can forge alliances between countries, but the particular officials charged with doing so
vary from country to country. (9) What’s more, as Mary Kane of Sister Cities International notes, “Foreign
affairs doesn’t have to be done just by the State Department.” (10) By conveying international relations
into people’s lives, sister cities make connections with distant places feel real to citizens.
3/26/2020
11. Which version of the underlined text in sentence 2 (reproduced below) provides the most effective
claim to set up the discussion that follows in the passage?
In fact, sister-city programs can matter a great deal: civic organizations and local businesses are
often involved in sister-city relationships.
A (as it is now)
B they have been established between cities including Bristol, England, and Hanover, Germany.
when effectively cultivated, they bring people together to create mutually beneficial cultural and
C
economic ties.
the organization Sister Cities International is dedicated to promoting sister-city relationships for
D
cities around the world.
even if your hometown does not have a sister city, you probably live close to a community that
E
does.
12. The writer is considering adding the following sentence after sentence 9.
Indeed, Kane persuasively argues that diplomacy works best “if we bring it down to our individual
communities and the people in the communities.”
Should the writer add this sentence after sentence 9 ?
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Yes, because it strengthens the argument of the passage by showing that the writer offers
A
contrasting points of view.
Yes, because it lends further support to the idea expressed in sentence 9 by incorporating an
B
additional clarifying quotation from the expert.
No, because it cites the same individual as sentence 9 does, suggesting that the writer has failed to
C
perform sufficient research.
No, because it makes the third paragraph repetitive by stating information that is mentioned again
D
in sentence 10.
No, because it introduces information about communities that is not relevant to the discussion of
E
diplomatic relations between governments.
great deal: when effectively cultivated, they bring people together to create mutually beneficial cultural
and economic ties.
(8) Governments can forge alliances between countries, but these acts do not necessarily encourage
feelings of closeness between the countries’ citizens. (9) What’s more, as Mary Kane of Sister Cities
International notes, “Foreign affairs doesn’t have to be done just by the State Department.” (10) By
conveying international relations into people’s lives, sister cities make connections with distant places feel
real to citizens.
3/26/2020
13. The writer has found several pieces of new information about sister cities. Which of the following
would most likely prompt the writer to change the line of reasoning in the passage?
A study by the Barcelona Media Foundation that determined that the closeness of sister-city
A
relationships did not diminish with geographical distance
A survey of Australian and Japanese participants in sister-city programs that found that
B respondents could be frustrated when their expectations of the program were not shared by people
from their sister city
A news article that reports how the sister-city partnership between Charleston, South Carolina, and
C Spoleto, Italy, has led to the development of an annual Italian festival in Charleston that brings
millions of dollars of revenue to businesses in the city
A New York Times article about Xi Jinping visiting Muscatine, Iowa, in 2012 that describes
D
numerous examples of local citizens’ enthusiasm for the attention directed at their city
An article in the American Journal of Economics and Sociology that explains how the sister-city
E relationship between Hastings, New Zealand, and Guilin, China, was proposed by the scientist Don
McKenzie, who wanted to encourage the sharing of horticultural research and technology
Copyright © 2017. The College Board. These materials are part of a College Board program. Use or distribution of these materials online or in print beyond your school’s
participation in the program is prohibited. Page 12 of 12

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AP English Language and Composition Test Booklet

D demonstrate the advantages of a multidisciplinary approach to high school education

B “I washed away this tincture of foreignness with language.” (sentence 3)

D “[M]y own failure at Japanese gave me direct experience of illiteracy.” (sentence 7)

E “I collected English words like amulets.” (sentence 8)

B It answers an earlier objection to the author’s argument.

C It exhorts the audience to avoid making assumptions about strangers.

D It examines the significance of the author’s argument in a broader cultural context.

E It emphasizes the author’s desire to develop strategies for assimilation.

A underscore how much his parents invested in his education

B suggest the pain occasioned by his classmates’ teasing

C emphasize the extent of the power he ascribed to language

D explain why he viewed English as more exotic than Japanese

A the author’s anxieties about being different from his classmates

B the obstacles that the author encountered in learning English

C the vitality of the author’s relationship with language

E the author’s prioritization of speech over writing

E emphasize the continuity between his college and present-day identities

C their ability to do so can be constrained by economic conditions and other factors

B before the first paragraph (sentences 1-2)

C after the first paragraph (sentences 1-2)

D after the second paragraph (sentences 3-6)

E after the fifth paragraph (sentences 14-17)

Which version of the underlined word best accomplishes this goal?

Should the writer add this sentence after sentence 9 ?

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