Braden McGowan had been my best friend since I was five years old. We started school on the same day, sharing a desk and keeping pace with one another through pot- ooks and the alphabet, time tables, cursive, and those scrolled and curlicued capitals demanded by our Queensland State School copybooks. We dawdled to and from school on our own circuitous route. Past the Vulcan Can Company, where long shiny cut-offs of raw tin were to be had, which we carted off in bundles to be turned into aids of our own devising, past the crushing-mill where we got sticks of sugar cane to chew. Narrow gauge lines ran to the mill from the many outlying farms, and you heard at all hours in the crushing season the noise of trundling, and the shrill whistle of the engine as a line of carts approached a crossing, and rumbled through or clanked to a halt.
Questions
The narrator’s use of the words “trundling,” “shrill whistle,” “rumbled,” and “clanked” in above para mainly serves to
A. detail the process by which the crushing-mill typically operates.
B. establish why the narrator finds this environment intriguing.
C. contrast the noise of the crushing-mill with the silence of the farm.
D. evoke the industrial atmosphere of a location from the narrator’s childhood.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
In the afternoons after school and in the holidays, we played together in the paddocks and canebrakes of the McGowans’ farm, being, as the mood took us, explorers, pirates, commandos, bushrangers, scouts on the track of outlaws. Usually we had a troop of the McGowan dogs with us, who followed out of doggy curiosity and sometimes, in the belief that they had got the scent of what the game was, moiled around us or leapt adventurously ahead. But for the most part they simply lay and watched from the shade, till we stretched out beside them and let the game take its freer form of untrammeled thinking-aloud that was also, with its range of wild and rambling surmise, the revelation- ven to ourselves, though we were too young as yet to know it- of bright, conjectural futures we would have admitted to no one else.
Questions
The paragraph above mainly serves to
A. explain how the narrator and Braden became close friends.
B. emphasize the narrator and Braden’s fascination with the farm.
C. present the narrator and Braden as active and imaginative.
D. depict how the narrator and Braden devise ways to avoid doing chores.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
Mrs. McGowan, unlike my mother, had no interests beyond the piles of food she brought to the table and the washing – her men’s overalls and shirts and singlets, and the loads of sheets and pillowcases I saw her hoist out of the copper boiler when I came to collect Braden on Monday mornings.
Questions
As used in paragraph “collect” most nearly means
A. save.
B. contain.
C. arrange.
D. meet.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
Enemies of objectivity argue that because journalists must be free of bias to be objective, and because this is impossible, it follows that objectivity is a false ideal. As a group, journalists probably have more opinions than most, and it is very rare that a reporter starts working on a story without having some notion as to what happened- in other words, a point of view.
Questions
As used in para above, “free of” most nearly means
A. uninterested in.
B. unworthy of.
C. uninfluenced by.
D. unaware of.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
As a group, journalists probably have more opinions than most, and it is very rare that a reporter starts working on a story without having some notion as to what happened- in other words, a point of view. But objectivity does not require that journalists be blank slates free of bias. In fact, objectivity is necessary precisely because they are biased . . . . [Journalists] Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel describe what they call “the lost meaning of objectivity.” As [they) point out, “In the original concept … the method is objective, not the 1journalist.” It was because journalists inevitably arrived with bias that they needed objectivity as a discipline to test that bias against the evidence so as to produce journalism that would be closer to truth.
Questions
The sentences (“But …biased”) in above para mainly serve to
A. criticize a familiar idea in order to analyze the significance of emerging research regarding that idea.
B. challenge an understanding of a concept in order to introduce a new perspective about that concept.
C. summarize the steps of a scientific method in order to discuss improvements to that method.
D. consider the implications of a belief in order to demonstrate the widespread cultural influence of that belief.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
[The scientific) ideal remains quite popular among journalists. They continue to fancy themselves as experts at providing objective and balanced information on critical pieces of information and as the only ones who can be trusted with providing an unbiased viewpoint.
Questions
As used in para above, “critical” most nearly means
A. severe.
B. humbling.
C. derogatory.
D. crucial.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
1301
Questions
“[The scientific] ideal remains quite popular among journalists. They continue to fancy themselves as experts at providing objective and balanced information on critical pieces of information and as the only ones who can be trusted with providing an unbiased viewpoint. This philosophy, however, is faulty even at its most basic foundation. . . [1]n recent decades, numerous cracks have shown up in the facade of scientific objectivity among even physical scientists. Thanks to the research in the fields of the “sociology of science” and the “economics of science,” there is increasing documentation illustrating what should have been obvious all along—namely that scientists are not immune to the effects of their own personal biases.”
Based on Passage , with which claim about objectivity would McMaken most likely agree?
A. Although objectivity is impossible, people in some fields pursue it more successfully than do people in other fields.
B. Although objectivity is difficult to achieve, it has become more possible in the present than it was in the past.
C. Although objectivity is a goal common to many disciplines, it can actually prove to be dangerous in certain circumstances.
D. Although objectivity is commendable, it should not be pursued to the exclusion of other worthy goals.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Questions
“Believing this, of course, requires a nearly heroic level of naivete as well as ignorance about the economic underpinnings of scientific research—or the social pressures under which scientists function. There is no doubt that many scientists try to be objective. But this doesn’t mean they actually are objective. On the other hand, scientists have a better claim to objectivity than journalists. In many fields, scientists are constrained by whether or not their scientific knowledge is actually useful. Prescription drugs either work or they don’t. New building materials and new chemical solutions either work or they don’t.”
Based on Passage , McMaken would most likely believe that journalists who follow the “more scientific way” , as described in Passage 1, may
A. discount evidence that undermines their opinions.
B. expose political influence shaping their research.
C. represent an elitist movement in their profession.
D. exaggerate the challenges of objective investigation.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Questions
“Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel describe what they call ‘the lost meaning of objectivity.’ As [they] point out, ‘In the original concept . . . the method is objective, not the journalist.’ It was because journalists inevitably arrived with bias that they needed objectivity as a discipline to test that bias against the evidence so as to produce journalism that would be closer to truth.”
Based on Passage , Jones would most likely respond to McMaken’s claim in line below, Passage by
Thanks to the research in the fields of the “sociology of science” and the “economics of science,” there is increasing documentation illustrating what should have been obvious all along— namely that scientists are not immune to the effects of their own personal biases.
A. conceding that current research has changed the way that scientists are perceived.
B. agreeing that scientists may hold a personal perspective regarding their work.
C. arguing that the scientific method demonstrates an overall lack of bias in research.
D. suggesting that the effects of a lack of objectivity in science are not fully understood.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Questions
“The range is the first barrier on the island encountered by the prevailing easterly winds, which carry moisture from the Caribbean Sea. The resulting orographic effect produces copious rainfall, exceeding 5 meters per year at higher elevations, where a dense rainforest thrives.”
According to the passage, the location of the Luquillo Mountains in northeastern Puerto Rico is important because it
A. enables the Luquillos to support an unusually diverse array of earthworms.
B. leads to the Luquillos’ receiving an especially large amount of precipitation.
C. ensures that the Luquillos are shielded from the effects of the prevailing winds.
D. protects the Luquillos from the high erosion rates seen in other areas of the island.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans:B
Questions
“With the amount of precipitation [the area] gets, you should be eroding the range at a much quicker rate,” Harrison explains.”
As used in paragraph, “should” is best understood as
A. expressing an expectation.
B. acknowledging an obligation.
C. indicating a condition.
D. signaling an intention.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Questions
“Whereas erosion rates in the Luquillos range from about 0.05 to 0.18 millimeters per year depending on elevation, rates are typically much higher in other high-precipitation tropical environments, she says; the mountains of Taiwan, for example, lose between 2.2 and 8.3 millimeters per year.”
In the first paragraph, the author refers to the mountains of Taiwan primarily to
A. offer a counterexample that emphasizes the variability in the erosion rate in the Luquillos.
B. provide a comparison that illustrates the relatively low erosion rate in the Luquillos.
C. highlight the erosion rate typically found in mountains that are taller than the Luquillos.
D. show a contrast between the erosion rate in mountain ranges with low rainfall and the erosion rate in the Luquillos.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Questions
“Intrigued by the abundance and prodigious activity of endogeic worms at her field site, Harrison wondered whether their presence could influence weathering in the Luquillos. Previous studies had found that landslides account for most of the erosion in the lush, tropical and steep environment of the Luquillos, and that removing earthworms from an experimental plot in the mountains greatly increased surface runoff and the downhill transport of fine organic matter.”
Based on the passage, which choice best describes the scientific understanding of erosion in the Luquillo Mountains before Harrison conducted her experiment?
A. Scientists had data indicating that erosion in the Luquillos encourages the proliferation of earthworms but did not know why erosion had this effect.
B. Scientists had a theory that erosion rates in the Luquillos are influenced by the activity of animals but did not know which ones.
C. Scientists had reason to believe that earthworms contribute to reduced erosion in the Luquillos but did not know how they contributed.
D. Scientists had evidence suggesting that erosion in the Luquillos varies with precipitation but did not know the extent of the variation.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
Questions
“After placing endogeic worms and soil native to the Luquillos in the nests, the researchers stored them in a dark room, pulling them out once per day to photograph the worms’ progress.”
As used in para, “progress” most nearly means
A. activity.
B. maturation.
C. improvement.
D. increase.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Questions
“First, as the earthworms burrow, they push the dirt surrounding the tunnels together, reducing pore space between soil particles. In addition, when soil particles are ingested and later excreted by worms, the particles tend to be compacted, she says. The soil is also compacted when earthworm tunnels collapse.”
According to the passage, how do endogeic worms indirectly promote soil compaction?
A. Empty spaces in the soil are eliminated when their tunnels cave in.
B. Their body weight compresses the soil beneath them as they move.
C. Rainwater that runs through their tunnels melds soil particles together.
D. Dense surface clay sticks to their bodies and gets carried underground.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Questions
“Based on the experiments, the researchers concluded that earthworms are significant biological agents that actively restructure the Luquillo soils, and that the worms’ tunnel networks increase the rate at which precipitation filters through the soil. This allows water to drain more rapidly from the clay-rich surface where landslides most frequently occur. The end result, according to the team’s hypothesis, is fewer landslides and a slower rate of erosion in the Luquillo Mountains.”
Which finding, if true, would best support the conclusions of Harrison’s team as presented in the passage?
A. The orographic effect that occurs in the Luquillos does not occur in most high- precipitation tropical mountain ranges.
B. The density of the soil in the Luquillos is approximately the same as that found in most high-precipitation tropical mountain ranges.
C. The tunnels made by endogeic worms in the Luquillos are smaller than those typically found in high-precipitation tropical mountain ranges.
D. The endogeic worms common in the Luquillos are typically absent from high- precipitation tropical mountain ranges.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
Questions
“Previous studies had found that landslides account for most of the erosion in the lush, tropical and steep environment of the Luquillos, and that removing earthworms from an experimental plot in the mountains greatly increased surface runoff and the downhill transport of fine organic matter.”
Based on the passage, if endogeic worms were removed from the Luquillos, one likely result would be that
A. landslides would become less frequent but more intense than they currently are.
B. rainwater would remain at the soil surface for longer than it currently does.
C. soil particles would be separated by less pore space than they currently are.
D. the soil surface would contain more clay than it currently does.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Questions
“In the first study I did with Fleder, we argued that because common recommendation algorithms promote products based on past sales and ratings (‘people who bought X also bought Y’), they cannot recommend products that have only limited historical data, even if these products were likely to be rated favorably.”
Which claim about product personalization algorithms can most reasonably be inferred from the passage?
A. They are more popular in the United States than they are in other countries.
B. They require a critical threshold of information in order to work.
C. They encourage consumers to share their favorite products with others.
D. They were designed by online businesses to simplify purchase decisions for their customers.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Questions
“In the first study I did with Fleder, we argued that because common recommendation algorithms promote products based on past sales and ratings (‘people who bought X also bought Y’), they cannot recommend products that have only limited historical data, even if these products were likely to be rated favorably.”
As used in para, “promote” most nearly means
A. raise.
B. improve.
C. accelerate.
D. advertise.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
Questions 35
“We developed simulations of several commonly used recommendation algorithms to test the theory, and they indeed demonstrated that these algorithms can create a rich-get-richer effect for popular items.”
As used in para, “demonstrated” most nearly means
A. illustrated.
B. declared.
C. objected.
D. instructed.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Questions
“Surprisingly, we found that the total sales of niche items went up. How is it possible that they were selling more at the same time that their market share was decreasing? The answer to the puzzle lies in the fact that the sales for all items-niche as well as blockbuster -are greater under recommendations.”
A marketing executive argues that the studies discussed in the passage provide evidence that product recommendation algorithms benefit only sellers of popular products. Is the executive correct?
A. No, because automated recommendations help increase purchases of less popular items as well as more popular items.
B. No, because automated recommendations were designed to increase sales of less popular products.
C. Yes, because automated recommendations increase the range of popular items viewed by customers.
D. Yes, because automated recommendations increase sales of the most frequently purchased items.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Questions
“But niche products are losing overall market share (and potentially consumer mindshare) under algorithmic recommendations.”
In para, the phrase in parentheses (“and … mindshare”) serves mainly to
A. provide an alternative explanation for the results described in the passage.
B. offer a likely reason for the unanticipated results examined in the passage.
C. suggest a potential effect beyond those directly discussed in the passage.
D. acknowledge the limitations of the research methods presented in the passage.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
Questions
“A second group of 100,000 users was shown recommendations of the ‘people who bought X also bought Y’ variety whenever they visited a product page. We found, as expected, that recommendations increased purchases across multiple product categories, ranging from apparel and appliances to toys and video games.”
Which statement is best supported by the data presented in figure 1?
A. More products were available to purchase for the control group than were available to the group receiving recommendations.
B. The percentage of total items purchased both with and without recommendations was similar for the 20 percent least frequently purchased items.
C. The difference in the percentage of total items purchased between the control group and the group receiving recommendations increased as the cost of items increased.
D. Nearly 40 percent of the items purchased by the control group came from the top 95 percent of most frequently purchased items.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Questions
“Surprisingly, we found that the total sales of niche items went up. How is it possible that they were selling more at the same time that their market share was decreasing? The answer to the puzzle lies in the fact that the sales for all items-niche as well as blockbuster -are greater under recommendations.”
Which statement on the effect of recommendations on niche products is best supported by the passage and data presented in figure 1?
A. Algorithmic recommendations reduce the likelihood that a shopper will purchase a niche product over a popular product.
B. The overall market share for niche products will increase with consistent use of algorithmic recommendations.
C. Algorithmic recommendations increase purchase diversity in multiple product categories.
D. The total number of sales, for both niche and popular products, will not change with algorithmic recommendations.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Questions
“Although both niche and blockbuster items were purchased more, the gains were far greater for popular products than niche ones. As a result, niche sellers might notice that sales have risen, and individuals might notice they are consuming more esoteric items than before.”
According to figure 2, the average number of items purchased in the “people who purchased this item also purchased” group was
A. 2.44.
B. 2.46.
C. 2.56.
D. 10.38.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
Questions
“This is more than a chemical curiosity. . . . It’s profoundly important because it really sets the stage for all of Earth’s subsequent evolution,” says Jonathan Tucker, a geochemist at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C., who was not involved in the work. “The oxidation state of the Earth, and planets in general, is a very, very important factor controlling habitability.”
As used para, “curiosity” most nearly means
A. investigation.
B. oddity.
C. eagerness.
D. trinket.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Questions
“This is more than a chemical curiosity. . . . It’s profoundly important because it really sets the stage for all of Earth’s subsequent evolution,” says Jonathan Tucker, a geochemist at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C., who was not involved in the work. “The oxidation state of the Earth, and planets in general, is a very, very important factor controlling habitability.”
The main purpose of the paragraph is to
A. consider other fields of study that might be affected by the researchers’ results.
B. detail the level of progress that had been achieved before the current study.
C. convey the importance of understanding the phenomenon explored in the research.
D. acknowledge that the results of the research do not entirely explain the phenomenon being studied.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
Questions
“Scientists have suspected that intense pressure in such magma oceans forced oxygen-containing ferrous iron to split into two different kinds of iron: one richer in oxygen, called ferric iron, and oxygen-free metal iron.”
Based on the passage, which finding, if true, would most likely call into question the explanation for the levels of ferric iron in Earth’s mantle put forth by Armstrong and colleagues?
A. The amount of oxygen-containing molecules in the atmosphere before the Great Oxidation Event was much higher than was initially believed.
B. The pressures in the ancient magma oceans were insufficient to result in the processes investigated in the laboratory.
C. The pressures deep inside the ancient mantle changed more frequently than scientists had originally estimated.
D. Reactions that form ferric iron can occur in conditions similar to those found beneath the ancient mantle.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Questions
“While heating synthetic mantle material to thousands of degrees Celsius, the researchers used anvils to crush the molten samples with pressures up to more than 20 gigapascals. ‘That’s the equivalent of putting the entire mass of the Eiffel Tower on an object the size of a golf ball,’ says Katherine Armstrong, now at the University of California, Davis.”
The main purpose of the paragraph is to
A. illustrate the extreme conditions in the simulation by describing a hypothetical situation.
B. explain the challenges the researchers faced by using an analogy that references well- known objects.
C. attempt to clarify a common misconception about mantle pressure through an example.
D. suggest that the pressures used in previous studies were inaccurate by demonstrating their unlikelihood.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Questions
“Armstrong and colleagues measured the amounts of ferrous and ferric iron in samples before and after exposure to these extreme conditions. No matter how much ferrous iron was originally in the rock, at the highest pressures 96 percent of the iron in the final product was the oxygen-rich ferric iron.”
Based on the passage, the design of the lab experiments performed by Armstrong and colleagues helped to rule out which potential explanation for their findings?
A. At high pressures, differences in the proportion of ferric iron produced by the experiments could be attributed to differences in the initial amount of ferrous iron added to the synthetic mantle.
B. At high pressures, differences in the initial temperature of the ferrous iron could affect the rate that ferric iron was able to stabilize within the experimental mantle material.
C. The magnitude of the change in pressure during the experiments might have influenced the speed at which the ferrous iron converted to create ferric iron in the synthetic mantle.
D. Changes in the concentration of ferric iron could result from variations in ferrous iron that was gathered from multiple sources.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Questions
“These results are ‘pretty convincing’ evidence that the chemical breakdown of ferrous iron in magma oceans could have helped boost the relative abundance of oxygen in the early Earth’s mantle.”
As used in para, “boost” most nearly means
A. inspire.
B. adjust.
C. increase.
D. publicize.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
Questions
“No matter how much ferrous iron was originally in the rock, at the highest pressures 96 percent of the iron in the final product was the oxygen-rich ferric iron.”
Which statement about the proportion of ferric iron is best supported by the data in the graph?
A. The lowest proportion of ferric iron was produced at a temperature of 2,373 kelvins and between 10 and 15 gigapascals of pressure.
B. When 5 gigapascals of pressure was applied, the proportion of ferric iron was higher at a temperature of 2,023 kelvins than at 1,873 kelvins.
C. The greatest proportion of ferric iron was produced at a temperature of 2,473 kelvins and 25 gigapascals of pressure.
D. When 15 gigapascals of pressure was applied, the proportion of ferric iron was higher at a temperature of 2,473 kelvins than at 2,373 kelvins.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
Questions
“At the highest pressures 96 percent of the iron in the final product was the oxygen-rich ferric iron.”
Based on the graph, which statement best represents the findings about the proportion of ferric iron created at different temperatures and different pressures?
A. As pressure increased, the proportion of ferric iron decreased at 1,773 kelvins but increased at 2,473 kelvins.
B. The proportion of ferric iron increased with rising pressure only when applied at 2,473 kelvins.
C. Similar proportions of ferric iron occurred at 2,473 kelvins and at 1,773 kelvins as long as the pressure remained under 10 gigapascals.
D. An increase in pressure always produced an increase in the proportion of ferric iron at every temperature applied.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Questions
“No matter how much ferrous iron was originally in the rock, at the highest pressures 96 percent of the iron in the final product was the oxygen-rich ferric iron.”
Based on the passage, which statement best explains the data presented in the graph regarding the proportion of ferric iron measured at 5 gigapascals of pressure and at 20 gigapascals of pressure?
A. There was a higher proportion of ferric iron at 20 gigapascals of pressure than at 5 gigapascals of pressure, because the proximity of the oxygen and iron molecules increased the chances that they were able to react.
B. There was a lower proportion of ferric iron at 20 gigapascals of pressure than at 5 gigapascals of pressure, because oxygen atoms were able to escape into the atmosphere from the ferrous iron in the synthetic mantle.
C. There was a higher proportion of ferric iron at 5 gigapascals of pressure than at 20 gigapascals of pressure, because a greater amount of metal iron was able to sink through the synthetic mantle material in moderate conditions.
D. There was a lower proportion of ferric iron at 5 gigapascals of pressure than at 20 gigapascals of pressure, because ferrous iron was able to withstand the stress of the lower pressure without converting to two kinds of
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
Questions
The swimming _____________ commonly found ir lakes and ponds—are well documented
A. habits of Euglena- single-celled organisms
B. habits-of Euglena, single-celled organisms
C. habits, of Euglena, single-celled organisms,
D. habits of Euglena, single-celled organisms-
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Questions
Propelled by their whiplike flagellum, the oblong-shaped Euglena are known to swim through the water in a helical, or spiral-like, forward ___________ researchers at Stanford University discovered a new behavior in Euglena’s repertoire.
A. motion, recently. Though
B. motion. Recently, though,
C. motion, recently though,
D. motion, recently though
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Questions
The organisms were observed swimming in polygonal patterns, such _________ and squares.
A. as trianqles pentaqons
B. as, triangles pentagons,
C. as, triangles pentagons
D. as triangles, pentagons,
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
Questions
Bioengineer Alan Tsang was the first to notice changes in Euglena’s behavior when the organisms were exposed to varying degrees of light intensity. Light intensity is measured in lux.
Which choice most effectively combines the sentences at the underlined portion?
A. light-intensity-measuring
B. light intensity, by which it’s measured in
C. light intensity, which is measured in
D. light intensity, and that’s measuring
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
Questions
When the cells were exposed to between 500 and 1,000 lux, however, the percentage of cells exhibiting polygonal swimming peaked at ________.
Which choice most accurately represents the information in the graph?
A. around 10 percent
B. under 40 percent.
C. just over 70 percent.
D. exactly 90 percent.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
Questions
Finally, when exposed to 3,000 lux, almost all Euglena cells ___________________________________.
Which choice most accurately represents the information in the graph?
A. were documented swimming helically and spinning in place
B. were observed spinning in place.
C. alternated between helical and polygonal swimming.
D. increased the rate of their polygonal swimming.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Questions
This behavior enables the photosynthetic organism________its perfect habitat-one that’s neither too dim nor too bright.
A. to seek by
B. seeking into
C. to seek out
D. seeking of
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
Questions
When it encounters a less ideal light environment, such as a _____________ in the water, the cell’s eyespot sends feedback to the flagellum, and the cell makes a quick turn.
A. sunny spot that’s a place of danger
B. dangerously sunny spot
C. hazardously dangerous spot in the sun
D. dangerously sunny and bright spot
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Questions
If the light intensity is too extreme, though, the cell’s light sensor gets overloaded, causing the cell to spin in place, unable to of the intense light.
A. elude the damagqing effects
B. allude the damaging effects
C. allude the damaging affects
D. elude the damaging affects
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Questions
On a beach in the Netherlands, a strange, many-legged creature-nimble as a crab but big as a school busscuttles across the windswept sand. This “Strandbeest” (or “beach animal”) is the brainchild of Dutch artist and engineer Theo Jansen. Though its skeleton is made of plastic and its energy flows from the wing-like sails that crest its back, when the wind blows and sets the Strandbeest in motion, it’s hard to believe that Jansen’s kinetic sculpture is not, at least a little bit, alive.
_____________________________________________________________.
Which choice most effectively establishes the main topic of the paragraph?
A. Such uncanny animation did not come easily for the first of Jansen’s Strandbeests
B. Jansen’s Strandbeests were off to a promising start.
C. Perhaps, above all, the lifelike appearance of the Strandbeests is due to their inherent imperfections.
D. When discussing the evolution of his Strandbeests, Jansen speaks in terms of “epochs” and “periods,” marking the major developments of his “species.”
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Questions
Built from plastic PVC pipes and tape, the first Strandbeests could wiggle__________ legs in the air, but when the creatures were placed upright, the complex, double-jointed limbs seized up and the Strandbeests crumpled to the ground.
A. its
B. their
C. it’s
D. they’re
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Questions
Running a computer algorithm that simulated natural selection,______________________
A.Jansen found the crucial ratio he had sought.
B. the crucial ratio Jansen had sought was found.
C. what Jansen found was the crucial ratio he had sought.
D. Jansen’s crucial ratio, which he had sought, was found.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Questions
This ratio determined the _________ proportions for the legs, allowing the beests to walk—and walk they did.
A. prizewinning
B. maximum
C. supreme
D. optimal
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
Questions
Some grew wider, with more legs, to keep from toppling____________ others added sails, allowing them to move autonomously in the wind.
A. over,
B. over
C. over;
D. over:
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
Questions
When Jansen first conceived of the project he envisioned the Strandbeests shoveling sand into barriers that would guard against rising sea levels.
The writer is considering deleting the underlined sentence. Should the sentence be kept or deleted?
A. Kept, because it provides readers with important background information about the Strandbeests’ origins.
B. Kept, because it explains why the Strandbeests needed to develop “nerves” to sense the water’s edge.
C. Deleted, because it contradicts the sentence that comes after it.
D. Deleted, because it distracts readers from the main idea of the paragraph.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
Questions
Even after forty iterations, Jansen has barely wavered in the materials he uses.
The writer is considering revising the underlined portion to the following. uses: cloth, nylon ties, plywood, and plenty of plastic tubes. Should the writer make this revision?
A. Yes, because it provides specific details that set up the information in the next sentence.
B. Yes, because it clarifies how Strandbeests have evolved over the years.
C. No, because it repeats information already mentioned in the passage.
D. No, because it interrupts the discussion of the Strandbeests’ technical and artistic appeal.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Questions
It’s what Jansen does with such low-tech supplies that ___________ these sculptures both technical and artistic marvels.
A. will be making
B. had made
C. made
D. makes
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
Questions
As they lumber their way, like walking trellises, against a flat backdrop of __________ Strandbeests seem designed to be photographed.
A. sky. The
B. sky; the
C. sky, and the
D. sky, the
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
Questions
While most books marketed to the general public are sold by large corporate publishing houses, independent publishers play an important role in the literary ecosystem too. Independent publishers are small or medium-sized presses.
Which choice most effectively combines the sentences at the underlined portion?
A. independent publishers—small or medium-sized presses—play an important role in the literary ecosystem too.
B. playing an important role in the literary ecosystem as well, independent publishers are small or medium-sized presses.
C. an important role is also played by small or medium-sized presses in the literary ecosystem; these are independent publishers.
D. in the literary ecosystem, small or medium-sized presses, also known as independent publishers, also play an important role.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Questions
As a result,independent presses provide a ____________________ for literary voices that might otherwise not reach readers.
A. space—within the publishing industry,
B. space within the publishing industry
C. space, within the publishing industry
D. space: within the publishing industry
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Questions
Europa Editions, a publisher based in the United States and the United Kingdom, ________________________________________
Which choice best sets up the sentence that follows in the paragraph?
A. focuses on bringing international novels in translation to English language audiences.
B. was founded by the same publishers that started Rome’s Edizioni E/O publishing house.
C. features crime novels from a variety of countries in its Europa World Noir series.
D. has published such best-selling novels as Muriel Barbery’s The Elegance of the Hedgehog.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Questions
Commenting on Europa’s mission, ___________________ his publishing house was “born with the intention to create bridges between cultures.”
A. as cofounder Sandro Ferri says,
B. when cofounder Sandro Ferri says
C. which cofounder Sandro Ferri says,
D. cofounder Sandro Ferri says
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
Questions
To that end, Europa has published works from twenty-nine different countries. One of its _________________________________ ventures has been Italian author Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan quartet
A. undertakings that has been among its most successful publishing
B. most fruitful and successful book publishing
C. most successful
D. projects that has proven to be one of its most fruitful
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
Questions
Already popular in Italy, Ferrante’s novels about the friendship between two young women in postwar Naples ___________ with readers across the Atlantic as well.
A. resonates
B. has resonated
C. have resonated
D. is resonating
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: C
Questions
While Europa concentrates on international literature, Minnesota-based Graywolf Press has invested in several books that____________________a choice that has proven popular among critics and readers alike.
A. experiment with form and genre—
B. experiment, with form and genre,
C. experiment with: form and genre,
D. experiment with form and genre;
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
Questions
Moreover, one such work is Claudia Rankine’s Citizen: An American Lyric. Published in 2014 and the winner of several major literary awards, Rankine’s book uses a combination of poetry, prose, and photography to reflect on the experiences of African Americans in the twenty-first century.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Consequently,
C. However,
D. DELETE the underlined portion, adjusting the capitalization as needed.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
Questions
Jeff Shotts, the Graywolf editor who_____________ with Rankine on the manuscript for Citizen, notes that while publishing such innovative works can be financially risky, the publisher tries “to be a full-support service as much as possible in order to keep our cherished writers writing.”
A. will be working
B. worked
C. will have worked
D. is working
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
Questions
Jeff Shotts, the Graywolf editor who will be working with Rankine on the manuscript for Citizen, notes that while publishing such innovative works can be financially risky, the publisher tries “to be a full-support service as much as possible in order to keep our cherished writers writing.”
Which quotation from Jeff Shotts’s 2016 interview with Literary Hub best supports a main idea of the paragraph?
A. NO CHANGE
B. “Graywolf and our titles exist in the same marketplace as countless, more commercial publishers and their titles.”
C. larger publishers adhere to “a publishing model that doesn’t seem aware of its own history.”
D. Citizen and Graywolf’s other cross-genre books have created a “blazing level of excitement among readers.”
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: D
Questions
The niches that presses like Europa and Graywolf have carved out for themselves are good news for authors and book lovers alike. Through a variety of initiatives, such as contests and calls for submissions, independent publishers can find authors with unique and valuable perspectives.
The writer wants a conclusion that summarizes the main idea of the passage. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?
A. NO CHANGE
B. Across oceans and genres, independent publishers help readers connect to interesting, daring, and vital works of literature.
C. Nevertheless, readers should take care not to overlook the many important books released every year by large-scale publishers.
D. Other small presses such as Dorothy, which publishes primarily works by female authors, similarly aim to push the literary marketplace in new directions.
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans: B