35 points
high scalers
bureau of reclamation (excerpt)

millions of years of weather[ing] [had] eroded the canyon walls [where the hoover dam was to be built]. water [had] frozen in cracks and crevices, splitting the rock. before construction could begin on the dam, this loose rock had to be removed. special men were required for the job, men called "high-scalers."

their job was to climb down the canyon walls on ropes. here they worked with jackhammers and dynamite to strip away the loose rock. the men who chose to do this work came from many backgrounds. some were former sailors, some circus acrobats, some were american indians. all of them were agile men, unafraid to swing out over empty space on slender ropes.

it was hard and dangerous work, perhaps the most physically demanding work on the entire project. laden with tools and water bags, the men would descend the canyon walls. jackhammer drills were lowered to them, and powder holes were drilled into the rock. the jackhammers weighed 44 [pounds] and had to be maneuvered into position by hand. once the holes had been drilled into the rock, they were loaded with dynamite. after the shot, broken rocks sometimes had to be levered free using crowbars.

moving about on the cliffs was difficult and dangerous. live air hoses, electrical lines, bundles of drill steel festooned the cliffs. the scalers had to carefully pick their way through the resulting maze. the danger from falling rocks and dropped tools was extreme.
which sentence best summarizes the passage?
a.
high scalers moved down the canyon walls carrying loads of tools and a water bag. then, they manually maneuvered the jackhammer drills that were lowered to them to drill rocks and then loaded the drilled holes with dynamite to blast the rocks.
b.
high scalers were a group of former sailors, circus acrobats, and american indians whose job was to climb down the canyon walls on ropes to strip away loose rock.
c.
the high scalers' task of clearing loose rock from the cliffs was difficult and dangerous because they had to move among live air hoses, electrical lines, and bundles of drill steel and risk injury from falling rocks and dropped tools.
d.
the high scalers were strong, agile workmen who moved on the equipment-strewn cliffs on ropes, using heavy jackhammer drills, dynamite, and crowbars to remove loose rock from the canyon walls, risking their lives to do so.

D. The high scalers were strong, agile workmen who moved on the equipment-strewn cliffs on ropes, using heavy jackhammer drills, dynamite, and crowbars to remove loose rock from the canyon walls, risking their lives to do so.

Explanation:

i have learned a great many things from participating in varsity football. it has changed my entire outlook on and attitude toward life. before my freshman year at [high-school], i was shy, had low self-esteem and turned away from seemingly impossible challenges. football has altered all of these qualities. on the first day of freshman practice, the team warmed up with a game of touch football. the players were split up and the game began. however, during the game, i noticed that i didn't run as hard as i could, nor did i try to evade my defender and get open. the fact of the matter is that i really did not want to be thrown the ball. i didn't want to be the one at fault if i dropped the ball and the play didn't succeed. i did not want the responsibility of the team because i was too afraid of making a mistake. that aspect of my character led the first years of my high school life. i refrained from asking questions in class, afraid they might be considered too stupid or dumb by my classmates. all the while, i went to practice and everyday, i went home physically and mentally exhausted.

yet my apprehension prevailed as i continued to fear getting put in the game in case another player was injured. i was still afraid of making mistakes and getting blamed by screaming coaches and angry teammates. sometimes these fears came true. during my sophomore season, my position at backup guard led me to play in the varsity games on many occasions. on such occasions, i often made mistakes. most of the time the mistakes were not significant; they rarely changed the outcome of a play. yet i received a thorough verbal lashing at practice for the mistakes i had made. these occurrences only compounded my fears of playing. however, i did not always make mistakes. sometimes i made great plays, for which i was congratulated. now, as i dawn on my senior year of football and am faced with two starting positions, i feel like a changed person.

over the years, playing football has taught me what it takes to succeed. from months of tough practices, i have gained a hard work ethic. from my coaches and fellow teammates, i have learned to work well with others in a group, as it is necessary to cooperate with teammates on the playing field. but most important, i have also gained self-confidence. if i fail, it doesn't matter if they mock or ridicule me; i'll just try again and do it better. i realize that it is necessary to risk failure in order to gain success. the coaches have always said before games that nothing is impossible; i know that now. now, i welcome the challenge. whether i succeed or fail is irrelevant; it is only important that i have tried and tested myself.

the topic of this essay is how the applicant has matured and changed since his freshman year. he focuses on football. one of the strengths of this essay is that it is well organized. the applicant clearly put time into the structure and planning of this essay. he uses the platform of football to discuss and demonstrate his personal growth and development through the high school years. what he could have done better was spend more time describing himself after he made improvements. as it is, he only tells us about his newfound confidence and drive. this essay would have been stronger had he actually shown us, perhaps by including a story or describing an event where his confidence made a difference

explanation: