Question 8 - Next Generation Reading Practice Test for the ACCUPLACER Test

Passage 1

(1) Homework is a necessary component to school and learning, especially at the high school level. (2) Doing homework assignments helps to ingrain what students learn in the classroom and allows for repetition in order to build understanding. (3) Homework becomes an extension of the lesson, challenging students to use their new knowledge to complete a task. (4) Homework can become an assessment tool for teachers to identify how well students are understanding a concept and helps students identify where they may still have questions or need help. (5) Doing homework creates a sense of responsibility and helps students learn time management skills. (6) Homework helps to build successful students and is a valuable tool in education.

Passage 2

(7) Homework has no place in American high schools. (8) It is a waste of time and distracts students from becoming well-rounded people. (9) Instead of being able to participate in sports or extracurricular activities after school, many students feel the pressure to complete homework and feel like they just can’t fit it all in. (10) Students toil hard in their classrooms all day and then, instead of being able to unwind with a pick-up game of ball in the park or maybe catching a feature film with a friend, they face mountains of homework that keep them up too late and deprive them of much needed sleep. (11) Schools need to do away with homework; it is often busy work assigned by teachers who will never actually look at or assess it, but who feel the need to prove to administrators or parents that they are actually teaching something. (12) Homework negatively affects students’ grades if they don’t have time to complete it, even if they score well on the tests.