The phrase "two decades" in line 1 refers to a period of _______.

The word “acquire” in the passage mostly means _______ .

According to the passage, people respond to loud noises in the same way that they respond to ___.

Look at the verb accelerate in paragraph 3. Which of the following is the closest in meaning to _____.

The phrase as well in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ___.

According to the passage, __________.

the (5)_________ are taking recreational subjects for personal satisfaction. Schools and community colleges arrange evening classes, and a catalog of courses is published by local boards of education.

The passage implied that to go to a private school, a student needed _______ .

According to the passage, Horace Mann wanted a better educational system for Americans because _______ .

What is the main topic of the passage?

The word “handle” in paragraph 2 mostly means ____________.

According to the passage, writing _______ .

The word “they” in the passage refers to _______

Which of the following is the author’s main point?

According to the author, one mark of a civilized society is that if _______ .