Martial Arts with a Backbeat

Diane Cardwell

1 More than 400 years old, the Afro-Brazilian martial art capoeira (pronounced cop-wear-a), combines gymnastic staples like hand and headstands, backbends, cartwheels, and backflips with the roundhouse, front, and back kicks of karate. 2 Set to a pounding Afro-Brazilian beat that controls the speed of the simulated fight, capoeira incorporates fluid circular motions, and steps similar to those in jazz dance. 3 It was developed in Bahia, Brazil, by West African slaves who had to disguise the deadly technique as a playful dance to keep their wealthy landowning masters in the dark.

4 After slavery ended, capoeira grew as a street-fighting form among the underclass. 5 He is credited with inventing the faster, more acrobatic regional form that’s become increasingly popular in Brazil during the last few years. 6 It was considered the province of hooligans until the 1930’s, when the first formal capoeira academy was established by Manoel Machado. 7 The traditional form, capoeira Angola, is played slower and closer to the ground. 8 Either way; it is a fluid and demanding sport that builds strength, agility, and discipline.

1. Which of the following changes is needed in the above passage?

1. Line 1: delete the comma after "old."
2. Line 2: place a comma after "simulated."
3. Line 8: replace the semicolon after "way" with a comma.
4. Line 8: place a comma after "fluid."

2. Which of the following changes is needed in the above passage?

1. Line 2: delete the comma after "motions."
2. Line 3: replace the comma after "Brazil" with a semicolon.
3. Line 6: delete the comma after "1930’s."
4. Line 6: place a comma after "established."

3. Which of the following changes would make the sequence of ideas in the second paragraph clearer?

1. Place part 8 before part 4
2. Reverse the order of lines 5 and 6
3. Delete part 6
4. Reverse the order of lines 7 and 8

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