GED Language Arts Practice Test 2: Reading and Editing

Passage A: Shade on the Street

[1] On a summer afternoon, two streets in the same city can feel like different climates. A block lined with mature trees may be noticeably cooler than a nearby block of bare pavement and parking lots, even though both receive the same sunshine. Planners call the warmer areas "heat islands," and many cities now map where they are.

[2] Trees cool a street in two ways. The first is shade: leaves block sunlight before it reaches asphalt, brick and concrete, materials that soak up heat during the day and release it slowly at night. The second is less visible. Trees draw water from the soil and release it as vapor through tiny openings in their leaves, a process called transpiration. Turning liquid water into vapor takes energy, and part of that energy comes from the surrounding air, which becomes cooler as a result.

[3] Adding trees to a city is not as simple as digging holes, however. A young tree may need ten years or more to grow a canopy wide enough to shade a sidewalk. Its roots need room, and city soil is often packed hard beneath the pavement. New trees also need regular watering for their first few summers, and someone has to do that work. For these reasons, some cities pair new plantings with programs in which neighbors agree to water the trees on their own blocks.

[4] The payoff reaches beyond comfort. Cooler streets can mean lower electricity bills when air conditioners do not have to run as hard, and a shaded sidewalk makes the walk to a bus stop more bearable on the hottest days. For residents who cannot afford air conditioning at all, a few degrees can matter a great deal.

Passage B: The Rye

This is an original fiction excerpt.

[1] The bakery's back door stuck in wet weather, and Lena had learned to open it with her hip while balancing a tray. At four in the morning the street was silent except for the hum of the streetlight, and the kitchen smelled of yeast and warm metal.

[2] Mrs. Duarte did not look up from the dough. "You're late," she said, though Lena was exactly on time. It was the same greeting every day, and after three months Lena understood that it meant good morning.

[3] Lena tied her apron and reached for the scale, but Mrs. Duarte slid a heavy bowl toward her instead. "Today you mix the rye." She said it the way someone else might announce a promotion. For weeks Lena had only shaped rolls and swept flour from the corners, watching the older woman's hands work the rye dough without measuring anything at all.

[4] "How will I know when it's right?" Lena asked.

[5] Mrs. Duarte finally looked at her. "Your hands will tell you. If they don't, the bread will." She went back to her own bowl, but Lena noticed that she had moved it a little closer, close enough to watch.

Passage C: Memo

Some sentences contain errors. The parts you may need to change are underlined.

To: All residents of Building C
From: Maple Court Property Office
Subject: Water shutoff on March 12

(1) On Tuesday, March 12, the water in Building C will be shut off from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (2) A plumbing crew will replace the building's main valve, this work cannot be done while water is flowing through the pipes. (3) Please fill a few containers with drinking water the night before. (4) Instead, avoid running your dishwasher or washing machine that morning. (5) If you have a medical need for running water, contact the office by Friday so that we can make other arrangements for them.

(6) The crew will also check the pipes under the kitchen sinks in several residents apartments. (7) A notice will be left on the doors of those apartments by Monday. (8) Crew members will knock, identify themselves, and they will show a company badge before entering. (9) Having been delayed twice already, we hope this repair will finally end the low water pressure that many of you have reported. (10) We thanked you for your patience while this work is completed.