1
The following text is from the 1913 story “The King’s Coin” by Emily Pauline Johnson, a Kanienkahagen (Mohawk) writer also known as Tekahionwake. Fox-Foot, a young Ojibwe man, is guiding a group of fur traders who are traveling by canoe and suspects that they are being followed. At supper time, Fox-Foot would allow no fire to be built, no landing to be made, no trace of their passing to be left. They ate canned meat and marmalade, drank again of the stream and pushed on, until just at dusk they reached the edge of a long, still lake, with shores of granite and dense fir forest. As used in the text, what does the word “trace” most nearly mean?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice A is the best answer because the text indicates that Fox-Foot doesn’t let the group build a fire or create a canoe landing when it’s time for supper. This context suggests that he doesn’t want anyone who might be following the group to see any sign of them or their activities. In other words, Fox-Foot doesn’t want there to be any trace, or evidence, of the group’s movements (“their passing”) through the area.
Choice B is incorrect because the text conveys that Fox-Foot doesn’t want the group to be detected, not that he doesn’t want their presence to create a blemish, or a spoiling flaw, in the area; human activity could disturb a natural environment, but the context emphasizes that Fox-Foot is instead focused on avoiding giving any sign of the group’s movements through a place (“their passing”) to anyone who might be following them.
Choice C is incorrect because the text focuses on Fox-Foot’s desire to avoid detection by those who might be following the group. This context conveys that Fox-Foot doesn’t want to create any signs or evidence of the group moving through a place (“their passing”), not that he doesn’t want to leave behind some quantity of their presence; indeed, it isn’t clear what an amount of a group’s movement would be.
Choice D is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that the group has a sketch, or rough drawing, of their movements through that area (“their passing”) that might be left behind. Rather, the context emphasizes that Fox-Foot is focused on ensuring that the group doesn’t give any kind of indication of their presence, as he wants to avoid detection by anyone who might be following the group.
2
Many ancient sculptures of people’s heads are missing their noses. This is because the nose is the most _______ part of a sculpture of a person’s head. It is delicate and sticks out from the rest of the sculpture, making it especially easy to break. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of noses on ancient sculptures. In this context, “fragile” means weak or delicate. This matches the text’s description of noses on ancient sculptures, which are often missing from sculptures’ heads because they are “especially easy to break.” Therefore, this context indicates that noses on ancient sculptures are the most fragile part of the sculptures’ heads.
Choice A is incorrect. In this context, “recognizable” would mean identifiable, and since the text indicates that noses are often missing from ancient statues, they therefore cannot be the most recognizable part of the statue.
Choice C is incorrect because the text indicates that many ancient statues are missing noses, so noses wouldn’t be “common,” or frequent, aspects of ancient statues; they would conversely be uncommon.
Choice D is incorrect because the text only indicates that noses on ancient statues often stick out and end up missing from the heads, which doesn’t relate to the noses being “sophisticated,” or knowledgeable or refined.
3
K.D. Leka and colleagues found that the Sun’s corona provides an advance indication of solar flares—intense eruptions of electromagnetic radiation that emanate from active regions in the Sun’s photosphere and can interfere with telecommunications on Earth. Preceding a flare, the corona temporarily exhibits increased brightness above the region where the flare is _______ . Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s
discussion of advance indications of solar flares. In this context the word
“impending” means imminent or approaching. The text mentions a study by Leka
and colleagues that found that the Sun’s corona provides an advance indication
of solar flares. The text then points out why such an advance indication would be
useful—solar flares can interfere with communications on Earth—and concludes
by describing the characteristic of the corona that gives warning of a solar flare.
The text indicates that this characteristic—increased brightness in a particular
region of the corona—comes before the appearance of the flare. Therefore,
in context, the best answer would indicate that the flare is approaching, or
impending.
Choice A is incorrect. The best answer would be one that indicates that the
increased brightness of the Sun’s corona precedes the appearance of the flare.
But if the flare were “antecedent,” or previous, then the flare would instead
precede the appearance of the increased brightness of the corona, a statement
that is logically inconsistent. Choice C is incorrect. The word “innocuous,” or
harmless, does not logically complete the text; since solar flares can interfere with
communications on Earth, they cannot reasonably be described as innocuous.
Choice D is incorrect. If the solar flares have an advance indication of their
appearance, then there must therefore be a time before the appearance of the
flares when they do not exist. But the word “perpetual,” or never-ending, would in
context indicate that the flare exists at the same time as the advance indication
provided by the Sun’s corona, which would not make logical sense.
4
To demonstrate that the integrity of underground metal pipes can be assessed without unearthing the pipes, engineer Aroba Saleem and colleagues _______ the tendency of some metals’ internal magnetic fields to alter under stress: the team showed that such alterations can be measured from a distance and can reveal concentrations of stress in the pipes. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of using magnetism to detect stress in buried metal pipes. In this context, “exploited” means made productive use of. The text indicates that the magnetic fields of some metals change under stress and that Saleem and colleagues showed that it is possible to measure those changes from a distance, thereby demonstrating that the integrity of underground metal pipes can be evaluated without having to unearth them. This context thus indicates that Saleem and colleagues made productive use of, or exploited, this tendency of the metals’ magnetic fields.
Choice A is incorrect because in this context, “hypothesized” would mean made a tentative assumption to be evaluated in a study or experiment. Although Saleem and colleagues may have had one or more hypotheses for these experiments, the text presents the information about the tendency of some metals’ magnetic fields to change under stress as a known fact that the researchers made productive use of, not as a hypothesis to be evaluated. The text after the colon indicates that the researchers were not evaluating whether such changes occur but whether those changes can be measured at a distance.
Choice B is incorrect because in this context, “discounted” would mean downplayed or ignored, but the text does not suggest that Saleem and colleagues minimized or ignored the tendency of the magnetic fields of some metals to change under stress. Rather, the text indicates that this tendency is the basis for Saleem and colleagues’ method of assessing the pipes’ integrity. Choice C is incorrect because nothing in the text indicates that Saleem and colleagues “redefined,” or reevaluated or reformulated, the tendency of some metals’ magnetic fields to change under stress. Instead, the text indicates that the researchers made use of that tendency to demonstrate that it is possible to evaluate the integrity of underground pipes without unearthing them.
5
Despite the generalizations about human behavior they have produced, many studies of behavioral psychology have used highly unrepresentative subject pools: students at the colleges and universities where the researchers are employed. To _______ this situation, it is necessary to actively recruit subjects from diverse backgrounds and locations. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of behavioral psychology studies. In this context, “ameliorate” means to help remedy or improve. The text states that many behavioral psychology studies are flawed because the subjects used are “highly unrepresentative.”
It is then suggested that researchers should recruit subjects from “diverse backgrounds and locations” in order to help address the issue of unrepresentative subject pools. Thus, this context conveys that recruitment efforts focused on diversity would help ameliorate the problems outlined in the text.
Choice A is incorrect. In this context, “sanction” could have two meanings: to give official approval for something or to enact a penalty, neither of which makes sense in this context. The text describes a situation known to be problematic in behavioral psychology studies and then presents a potential remedy to that situation; the text does not suggest that the situation is officially approved or results in any type of penalty.
Choice C is incorrect because rather than “rationalize,” or explain or justify, a situation, the text presents a situation and its potential remedy. Choice D is incorrect because the text is not attempting to “postulate,” or suggest a claim or theory, related to the situation described in the text but is rather presenting a potential remedy for the situation.
6
The following text is adapted from Jean Webster’s 1912 novel Daddy-Long-Legs. The narrator is a young college student writing letters detailing her weekly experiences. [The college is] organizing the Freshman basket-ball team and there’s just a chance that I shall make it. I’m little of course, but terribly quick and wiry and tough. While the others are hopping about in the air, I can dodge under their feet and grab the ball. Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. In the first sentence of the text, the narrator states that she thinks there’s a chance she will become part of the basketball team at her college. She goes on to explain that she is “quick” and “tough.” Based on these characteristics, she thinks she has a chance to join the team. Thus, the main purpose of the text is to explain why the narrator thinks she might make the basketball team.
Choice A is incorrect because the text focuses solely on basketball and doesn’t mention any other kinds of sports. Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t describe aspects of the game of basketball. Instead, it provides the narrator’s reasoning for thinking that she might make her school basketball team. Choice C is incorrect. Although the narrator explains why she thinks she will be chosen for the basketball team at her school, the text doesn’t go into the general decision- making process or the requirements for being picked for the team.
7
In the late 1800s, Spanish-language newspapers flourished in cities across Texas. San Antonio alone produced eleven newspapers in Spanish between 1890 and 1900. But El Paso surpassed all other cities in the state. This city produced twenty-two newspapers in Spanish during that period. El Paso is located on the border with Mexico and has always had a large population of Spanish speakers. Thus, it is unsurprising that this city became such a rich site for Spanish-language journalism. Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The text begins by stating that there were many Spanish- language newspapers in cities across Texas in the late 1800s, citing San Antonio as a city that produced eleven such newspapers. The text then goes on to note that in El Paso, there were twenty-two newspapers published in Spanish in the late 1800s, more than any other Texas city. The text then concludes by explaining that the reason for this large number of Spanish-language newspapers was likely El Paso’s location near Mexico and its large population of Spanish speakers.
Therefore, the main purpose of the text is to explain that Spanish-language newspapers thrived in Texas cities, especially in El Paso, in the late 1800s.
Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t discuss Spanish-language newspapers published in Texas today, let alone compare them with newspapers that were published in the 1800s. Choice C is incorrect. Although the text characterizes El Paso as a particularly rich site for Spanish-language journalism in the late 1800s, the text doesn’t discuss whether newspapers published in El Paso influenced the newspapers published in other cities across Texas, including San Antonio. Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t mention whether Spanish-language newspapers published in Texas were also widely read in Mexico. The text only focuses on the popularity of Spanish-language newspapers within Texas, and especially in El Paso.
8
Chile’s Atacama Desert is one of the driest places on Earth. Mary Beth Wilhelm and other astrobiologists search for life, or its remains, in this harsh place because the desert closely mirrors the extreme environment on Mars. The algae and bacteria found in Atacama’s driest regions may offer clues about Martian life. By studying how these and other microorganisms survive such extreme conditions on Earth, Wilhelm’s team hopes to determine whether similar life might have existed on Mars and to develop the best tools to look for evidence of it. Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as a whole. The first sentence describes a unique location on Earth, the Atacama Desert. The next sentence, which is the underlined sentence, states that the reason why astrobiologists study life, or its remains, in this unique location is that Atacama is a harsh environment that closely resembles the extreme environment of Mars. The remainder of the text explains that the researchers hope their work in Atacama will support inquiry into life on Mars. Thus, the underlined portion functions mainly to indicate why astrobiologists choose to conduct research in the Atacama Desert.
Choice A is incorrect because to contrast two things means to show the differences between them, and the phrase “closely mirrors” in the underlined sentence indicates that the extreme environment in the Atacama Desert is similar to, not different from, that on Mars. This similarity is why, according to the underlined sentence, astrobiologists conduct research in Atacama. Choice B is incorrect because the underlined sentence doesn’t address forms of life that are unable to survive the harsh environment of the Atacama Desert. Instead, the underlined sentence explains why astrobiologists study life, or its remains, in this environment. Choice D is incorrect because the underlined sentence doesn’t suggest that the scientific research in the Atacama Desert is limited in any way; instead, the sentence explains that the similarity between the environments of Atacama and Mars is the reason why astrobiologists search for life, or its remains, in Atacama.
9
More than 60% of journeys in Mexico City occur via public transit, but simply reproducing a feature of the city’s transit system—e.g., its low fares—is unlikely to induce a significant increase in another city’s transit ridership. As Erick Guerra et al. have shown, transportation mode choice in urban areas of Mexico is the product of a complex mix of factors, including population density, the spatial distribution of jobs, and demographic characteristics of individuals. System features do affect ridership, of course, but there is an irreducibly contextual dimension of transportation mode choice. Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined portion functions in the text as a whole. The first sentence explains that reproducing the high ridership of Mexico City’s public transit system in other cities by implementing some of its features, such as its low fares, is unlikely to guarantee significant ridership increases in those cities. The following sentence introduces a study by Guerra et al., whose findings—namely that choice of transportation mode in urban centers in Mexico is influenced by a variety of local contextual factors—support this claim. The first part of the last sentence concedes that features of transportation systems likely do have some effect on ridership numbers, but the underlined portion reiterates the study’s conclusion by stating that there is an “irreducibly contextual dimension” to peoples’ choice to use public transportation: that is, there is a complex mix of local contextual factors—including population density, spatial distribution of jobs, and demographics—whose influence over an urban center’s transit ridership is unique to each location, and it is unlikely that simple changes to transit system characteristics could negate the influence of those contextual factors. Thus, the underlined portion explains why it is challenging to influence transit ridership solely by changing some of a transit system’s characteristics.
Choice A is incorrect. Rather than objecting to the argument of Guerra et al., the underlined portion reiterates their argument by stating that there is an “irreducibly contextual dimension” involved in transportation mode choice; in other words, transportation mode choice in urban areas of Mexico is strongly dependent on contextual factors that are unique to each urban area. Choice C is incorrect because it mischaracterizes the text’s central claim, which is that transit ridership is the product of a complex mix of contextual factors and transit system features, not that a characteristic associated with Mexico City’s high transit ridership was found to have no association with high transit ridership elsewhere.
Additionally, the underlined portion does not illustrate a claim, but instead restates the findings of Guerra et al. Choice D is incorrect. Although Guerra et al. demonstrate that population density, the spatial distribution of jobs, and demographic characteristics—factors that comprise the “contextual dimension of transportation mode choice”—influence transit ridership, the underlined portion does not substantiate—that is, provide evidence in support of—this assertion.
Rather, the underlined portion merely restates a study finding that explains why simply altering a transit system’s features would be unlikely to induce significant increases in transit ridership.
10
Changes to vegetation cover and other human activities influence carbon and nitrogen levels in soil, though how deep these effects extend is unclear. Hypothesizing that differences in land use lead to differences in carbon and nitrogen levels that are not restricted to the topsoil layer (0–30 cm deep), Chukwuebuka Okolo and colleagues sampled soils across multiple land-use types (e.g., grazing land, cropland, forest) within each of several Ethiopian locations. They found, though, that across land-use types, carbon and nitrogen decreased to comparably low levels beyond depths of 30 cm. Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined portion functions in the text as a whole. The first sentence explains that reproducing the high ridership of Mexico City’s public transit system in other cities by implementing some of its features, such as its low fares, is unlikely to guarantee significant ridership increases in those cities. The following sentence introduces a study by Guerra et al., whose findings—namely that choice of transportation mode in urban centers in Mexico is influenced by a variety of local contextual factors—support this claim. The first part of the last sentence concedes that features of transportation systems likely do have some effect on ridership numbers, but the underlined portion reiterates the study’s conclusion by stating that there is an “irreducibly contextual dimension” to peoples’ choice to use public transportation: that is, there is a complex mix of local contextual factors—including population density, spatial distribution of jobs, and demographics—whose influence over an urban center’s transit ridership is unique to each location, and it is unlikely that simple changes to transit system characteristics could negate the influence of those contextual factors. Thus, the underlined portion explains why it is challenging to influence transit ridership solely by changing some of a transit system’s characteristics.
Choice A is incorrect. Rather than objecting to the argument of Guerra et al., the underlined portion reiterates their argument by stating that there is an “irreducibly contextual dimension” involved in transportation mode choice; in other words, transportation mode choice in urban areas of Mexico is strongly dependent on contextual factors that are unique to each urban area. Choice C is incorrect because it mischaracterizes the text’s central claim, which is that transit ridership is the product of a complex mix of contextual factors and transit system features, not that a characteristic associated with Mexico City’s high transit ridership was found to have no association with high transit ridership elsewhere.
Additionally, the underlined portion does not illustrate a claim, but instead restates the findings of Guerra et al. Choice D is incorrect. Although Guerra et al. demonstrate that population density, the spatial distribution of jobs, and demographic characteristics—factors that comprise the “contextual dimension of transportation mode choice”—influence transit ridership, the underlined portion does not substantiate—that is, provide evidence in support of—this assertion.
Rather, the underlined portion merely restates a study finding that explains why simply altering a transit system’s features would be unlikely to induce significant increases in transit ridership.
11
Recently, scientists looked at data collected by NASA’s InSight lander to learn more about seismic activity on Mars, known as marsquakes. The data show that the marsquakes all started from the same location on the planet. This discovery was surprising to scientists, as they expected that the marsquakes would originate from all over the planet because of the cooling of the planet’s surface. Now, scientists believe that there could be areas of active magma flows deep beneath the planet’s surface that trigger the marsquakes. According to the text, what was surprising to scientists studying the seismic activity data from NASA’s InSight lander?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice D is the best answer because it presents a statement about what surprised the scientists that is supported by the text. The text states that the marsquakes described in the data from NASA’s InSight lander originated from the same location on Mars. The text goes on to say that because they had expected the opposite (that marsquakes would originate from all over the planet) this discovery surprised the scientists.
Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t say that the data from NASA’s InSight lander revealed any surprising information about the planet’s surface temperature. Instead, the text mentions the cooling of Mars’s surface as a reason the scientists expected that marsquakes had multiple origins. In addition, cooling would indicate that the temperature has been falling rather than rising. Choice B is incorrect. Although the text indicates that by studying seismic activity scientists found a possible explanation for what causes marsquakes, the text doesn’t say that they discovered that marsquakes are caused by different types of seismic waves. Rather, the text states that based on the data from NASA’s InSight lander, scientists now believe that this seismic activity happens because of areas of active magma that flow below the planet’s surface. Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t discuss the amount of data NASA’s InSight lander collected or whether scientists who studied the data found the amount to be as expected. Instead, the text focuses on what the data revealed about where on Mars the marsquakes originated.
12
The ancient writing system used in the Maya kingdoms of southern Mexico and Central America had a symbol for the number zero. The earliest known example of the symbol dates to more than 2,000 years ago. At that time, almost none of the writing systems elsewhere in the world possessed a zero symbol. And the use of zero in Mexico and Central America may be even more ancient. Some historians suggest that Maya mathematicians inherited it from the Olmec civilization, which flourished in the region 2,400–3,600 years ago. According to the text, what do some historians suggest about Maya civilization?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice A is the best answer because it presents information about Maya civilization that is supported by the text. The text states that the writing system used in the Maya kingdoms had a symbol for the number zero. It goes on to say that at the time of the zero symbol’s earliest example, more than 2,000 years ago, almost no other writing systems in the world featured such a symbol. The text also points out that some historians suggest that Maya mathematicians inherited the use of zero from the Olmec civilization, which existed in the same area as the Maya civilization at an earlier date. Thus, according to the text, some historians suggest that the Maya civilization acquired the use of zero from the Olmec civilization.
Choice B is incorrect because although the text mentions present-day historians and Maya mathematicians, it does not say anything about how much the Maya civilization respected its historians and mathematicians. Choice C is incorrect because the text does not indicate that the Maya civilization treated its use of the zero symbol, or any other intellectual achievements, as secrets to be kept from other civilizations. Choice D is incorrect because although the text mentions historians who suggest that the writing system of the Maya civilization inherited some features from the earlier Olmec civilization, the text does not describe any attempts of Maya civilization to introduce its writing system to other civilizations.
13
“The Bet” is an 1889 short story by Anton Chekhov. In the story, a banker is described as being very upset about something: _______ Which quotation from “The Bet” most effectively illustrates the claim?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice D is the best answer because it most effectively uses a quotation from “The Bet” to illustrate the claim that the banker was very upset about something.
The quotation indicates that the banker shed tears, which suggests that he was likely unhappy about something, and that his emotions were so strong that they kept him from sleeping for hours. These details suggest that the banker was very upset.
Choice A is incorrect because this quotation mainly describes the banker cautiously unlocking a door; it doesn’t suggest that he was particularly upset about anything. Choice B is incorrect because this quotation doesn’t mention whether the banker was experiencing any particularly strong negative feelings; instead, the quotation focuses on the quietness of the setting. Choice C is incorrect because this quotation states that the banker was feeling “delighted,” not that he was upset.
14
The passage of time is among the many obstacles faced by scientists who are pursuing de-extinction efforts—that is, efforts to use breeding or a mixture of cloning and genetic engineering to bring back extinct species. Specifically, researchers are concerned that the longer a species has been extinct, the less likely it is that a suitable habitat still exists for that species. Among candidate species for de-extinction, this problem would be especially concerning for the _______ Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice B is the best answer because it uses data from the table to complete the statement regarding a species for which the problem of finding a suitable habitat would be especially concerning. For each candidate species, the table lists its common name, scientific name, and when the species became extinct. The text explains that scientists pursing de-extinction for the candidate species also consider the length of time that has passed since the species’ extinction, noting that the longer the animal has been extinct, the less likely it is that a suitable habitat would exist for the species today. The possibility of not having a suitable habitat would be especially concerning for the candidate species for which the most time has passed since its extinction. According to the table this species would be the saber-toothed cat, which became extinct 11,000 years before present.
Choice A is incorrect because it compares the time since the extinction of the passenger pigeon to the time since the extinction of the huia instead of citing the species listed in the table that has been extinct the longest (the saber-toothed cat). The text indicates that the longer a species has been extinct, the lower the chances are that a suitable habitat exists for it today. Neither the table nor the text supports the claim that the passenger pigeon is especially vulnerable to this problem. Choice C is incorrect because the text states that the longer a species has been extinct, the less likely it is that there would be a suitable habitat available for the species today. So, the problem would be especially concerning for the saber-toothed cat, which became extinct several thousand years before the woolly mammoth did—not the other way around. Choice D is incorrect because the text states that the longer a species has been extinct, the lower the chances are that a suitable habitat would be available for that species today. According to the table, the Caribbean monk seal became extinct in 1952, which is the most recent extinction listed for a candidate species in the table.
15
“The Yellow Wallpaper” is an 1892 short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. In the story, the narrator expresses mixed feelings about her surroundings: _______ Which quotation from “The Yellow Wallpaper” most effectively illustrates the claim?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice C is the best answer because it most effectively illustrates the claim that the narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper” has mixed feelings about her surroundings.
She says she is “really getting quite fond of the big room,” a positive sentiment, but also describes the room’s wallpaper as “horrid,” a negative sentiment. Since some of her feelings about her surroundings are positive and others are negative, they are best described as mixed.
Choice A is incorrect because though the narrator describes the room’s wallpaper as “irritating,” a negative sentiment, she does not mention a positive sentiment. Thus, the quotation does not effectively illustrate the claim that the narrator has mixed feelings about her surroundings. Choice B is incorrect because it describes how the appearance of the room’s wallpaper changes at night but does not mention the narrator’s feelings about her surroundings. Choice D is incorrect because though the narrator describes the room’s wallpaper as “repellant,” a negative sentiment, she does not mention a positive sentiment. Thus, the quotation does not effectively illustrate the claim that the narrator has mixed feelings about her surroundings.
16
The population of the coral Lophelia pertusa declined significantly around 9,000 years ago in the Alboran Sea and around 11,000 years ago near the Mauritanian coast. Using the ratio of manganese to calcium, which inversely correlates with ocean oxygenation levels, marine scientist Rodrigo da Costa Portilho-Ramos and colleagues evaluated whether oxygenation played a role in the declines of L. pertusa. The researchers concluded that oxygenation may have been important in the Alboran Sea but not near the Mauritanian coast, since _______ Which choice most effectively uses data from the graph to complete the statement?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice B is the best answer because it effectively uses data from the graph to complete the statement about Rodrigo da Costa Portilho-Ramos and colleagues’ conclusion. The graph shows the ratio of manganese to calcium in L. pertusa coral samples from the Alboran Sea and the Mauritanian coast. The graph reflects time in approximate years before present: in other words, the greater the number in years noted on the graph’s horizontal axis, the farther that moment is in the past.
The text indicates that the researchers tested the samples to determine whether oxygenation played a role in the decline of L. pertusa. The text goes on to note that a change in the ratio of manganese to calcium would signal an inverse, or opposite, change in oxygenation. According to the graph, the ratio of manganese to calcium in samples from the Alboran Sea increased from about 30 micromoles per mole 10,000 years ago to about 80 micromoles per mole 8,000 years ago, which means that oxygenation decreased between 10,000 and 8,000 years ago.
Meanwhile, there was almost no discernible change in the ratio of manganese to calcium in samples from the Mauritanian coast between 12,000 and 10,000 years ago. According to the text, the population of L. pertusa declined significantly around 9,000 years ago in the Alboran Sea and around 11,000 years ago near the Mauritanian coast. Thus, the increase in the ratio of manganese to calcium around 9,000 years ago in the Alboran Sea coincides with the decline in the L. pertusa population, suggesting an association between the decrease in oxygenation and the decline in population of the coral. No such relationship is suggested around 11,000 years ago near the Mauritanian coast. So, oxygenation likely played a role in the L. pertusa decline in the Alboran Sea but not in the coral’s decline near the Mauritanian coast.
Choice A is incorrect because it asserts the opposite of what the graph indicates regarding oxygenation in the Alboran Sea, and it misrepresents what the graph indicates about oxygenation near the Mauritanian coast. The graph indicates that at the time of the decline in L. pertusa (approximately 9,000 years ago), the samples from the Alboran Sea contained a ratio of manganese to calcium that was increasing. According to the text, this ratio inversely correlates with ocean oxygenation levels, so if the ratio was increasing, oxygenation was decreasing, not substantially increasing. Furthermore, the graph shows that the ratio of manganese to calcium remained relatively stable in coral samples from the Mauritanian coast during the period studied, which suggests that there was no discernible relationship between oxygenation and the coral’s population decline in that location, not that there was a substantial decrease in oxygenation corresponding to the coral’s decline.
Choice C is incorrect. Although the graph suggests that the level of oxygenation in the Alboran Sea was higher before the decline in L. pertusa than after—because the ratio of manganese to calcium inversely correlates with ocean oxygenation levels and this ratio was lower before the decline than after—the graph doesn’t support the claim that oxygenation near the Mauritanian coast was consistently low before and after the coral’s decline there. Rather, the graph indicates that relative to coral samples from the Alboran Sea, the ratio of manganese to calcium in samples from near the Mauritanian coast was consistently low, which suggests that oxygenation levels were relatively high both before and after the decline of L. pertusa.
Choice D is incorrect because it states the opposite of what the graph indicates: the graph shows that throughout the period studied, the ratio of manganese to calcium was higher in coral samples from the Alboran Sea than it was in samples from near the Mauritanian coast. Since the text indicates that the ratio of manganese to calcium inversely correlates with ocean oxygenation levels, oxygenation in the Alboran Sea was therefore lower than, not higher than, oxygenation near the Mauritanian coast during the period studied. Moreover, even if choice D did accurately represent the graph, it wouldn’t effectively complete the statement since a comparison of the ocean oxygenation levels at the two locations is not relevant to the claim that a decline in oxygenation levels was associated with the decline of L. pertusa in the Alboran Sea but not near the Mauritanian coast.
17
The Younger Dryas was a period of extreme cooling from 11,700 to 12,900 years ago in the Northern Hemisphere. Some scientists argue that a comet fragment hitting Earth brought about the cooling. Others disagree, partly because there is no known crater from such an impact that dates to the beginning of the period. In 2015, a team led by Kurt Kjær detected a 19-mile-wide crater beneath a glacier in Greenland. The scientists who believe an impact caused the Younger Dryas claim that this discovery supports their view. However, Kjær’s team hasn’t yet been able to determine the age of the crater. Therefore, the team suggests that _______ Which choice most logically completes the text?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of a crater’s connection to the start of the Younger Dryas. According to the text, some scientists believe that a comet fragment hitting Earth caused the cooling of the Younger Dryas period to come about. The text then indicates that a team of scientists found a crater in Greenland, which some believe supports the theory of a comet fragment hitting Earth to initiate the Younger Dryas. However, the text also notes that the team was unable to determine the age of the crater.
If the age of the crater can’t be determined, then its connection to the Younger Dryas period of time can’t be confirmed either. Thus, it can’t be concluded that the impact that made the crater was connected to the beginning of the Younger Dryas.
Choice B is incorrect because though the text suggests that the age of the comet crater found by a team of scientists is uncertain, it doesn’t address whether a comet fragment can make a crater as large as 19 miles wide. The text doesn’t consider the size of comet fragments and how they relate to the size of craters they might make.
Choice C is incorrect because the debate in the text centers on the age of the crater found, not the cause of the crater. The text doesn’t indicate uncertainty about what caused the discovered crater.
Choice D is incorrect because the text suggests that the age of the crater found by the team of scientists is uncertain, not that the dates of the Younger Dryas are uncertain or incorrect. The text states that “the Younger Dryas was a period of extreme cooling from 11,700 to 12,900 years ago” but doesn’t indicate any debate about the timing of the period.
18
In 2016 biological anthropologist Heather F. Smith and her team investigated the evolution of the appendix, an intestinal organ that is present in some mammals, including humans, but is generally thought to have no function. Studying 533 mammal species, the team found that the appendix has emerged independently across multiple lineages in separate instances and, significantly, hasn’t disappeared after emerging in specific lineages. Moreover, the team determined that species with the organ tend to have higher concentrations of lymphoid tissue, which supports immune responses, in the cecum, the organ the appendix is attached to. Therefore, the team hypothesized that the appendix likely _______ Which choice most logically completes the text?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Smith and colleagues’ investigation of the evolution and biological role of the appendix. The text indicates that the team found several instances of the appendix emerging and not disappearing in the lineages of various mammal species the team examined. Furthermore, the text states that species that possess an appendix also tend to have relatively high amounts of lymphoid tissue—a type of tissue that supports immune system function. Taken together, these details strongly support the hypothesis that the appendix has persisted in some species because it has a function that contributes to effective immune responses in those species.
Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t address any nonmammalian species. Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t make predictions about the evolutionary future of the species Smith and colleagues examined, and although the implication of the text is that the appendix likely does serve a function for the immune system, nothing in the text indicates that the appendix will become more widespread in the future. Choice D is incorrect. Although the text does suggest an association between having an appendix and relatively high concentrations of lymphoid tissue, it doesn’t claim that the appendix causes the tissue to grow, nor does it address the relative production of the tissue at different periods of time.
19
Some ethicists hold that the moral goodness of an individual’s actions depends solely on whether the actions themselves are good, irrespective of the context in which they are carried out. Philosopher L. Sebastian Purcell has shown that surviving works of Aztec (Nahua) philosophy express a very different view. Purcell reveals that these works posit an ethical system in which an individual’s actions are judged in light of how well they accord with the individual’s role in society and how well they contribute to the community. To the extent that these works are representative of Aztec thought, Purcell’s analysis suggests that _______ Which choice most logically completes the text?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion about Aztec (Nahua) ethics. The text indicates that, according to Purcell’s interpretation of available Aztec philosophical works, the Aztec ethical system views an individual’s actions in relation to that individual’s societal role and how the actions affect the community. The text contrasts this view with another held by some ethicists, namely that actions are morally good or bad regardless of the context in which they occur. Thus, Purcell’s analysis suggests that the Aztecs would have asserted that the morality of an individual’s actions are rooted in that person’s position in the community and the actions’ effects and therefore cannot be determined in the absence of that context.
Choice B is incorrect. Although the text indicates that morally judging an action according to Aztec ethics requires an understanding of the action’s effects and the individual’s social circumstances, it does not specify that only members of that society can acquire this information. Choice C is incorrect because it implies that the Aztecs considered some actions good or bad regardless of the surrounding context, which contradicts the text’s claim that the Aztecs believed that the morality of an individual’s action is dependent on the action’s effects on the community and the person’s specific circumstances. Choice D is incorrect.
Although the text indicates that in Aztec ethics the morality of an action depends in part on how it affects the community, this is only one of the two factors—the other being the person’s societal role—that need to be considered. Therefore, it is possible that two actions with the same effect on the community could be considered morally distinct if they are performed by individuals in different social roles.
20
Lê Lương Minh became the thirteenth secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in January 2013, making _______ the first time the organization would appoint a Vietnamese leader. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is pronoun-antecedent agreement. The singular pronoun “this” agrees in number with the singular antecedent “Lê Lương Minh became the thirteenth secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in January 2013.” The pronoun “this” is referring back to the singular event described earlier in the sentence in which Minh became secretary-general of ASEAN.
Choice A is incorrect because the plural pronoun “these” doesn’t agree in number with the singular antecedent “Lê Lương Minh became the thirteenth secretary- general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in January 2013.”
Choice B is incorrect because the plural pronoun “those” doesn’t agree in number with the singular antecedent “Lê Lương Minh became the thirteenth secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in January 2013.”
Choice D is incorrect because the indefinite pronoun “some” is ambiguous in this context; the resulting sentence leaves unclear what marks the first time the organization appointed a Vietnamese leader.
21
In 1929, Edwin Herbert Land invented a polarizing filter that was featured in a number of products, from sunglasses to 3D movies. A decade later, Land _______ his technology to invent the world’s first instant camera, the Polaroid Land camera. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verb forms within a sentence. A main clause requires a finite (tensed) verb to perform the action of the subject (in this case, Land), and this choice supplies the finite past tense verb “used” to indicate what Land did with the technology he had invented.
Choice B is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The nonfinite perfect infinitive “to have used” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb. Choice C is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence.
The nonfinite to-infinitive “to use” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb. Choice D is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The nonfinite participle “using” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.
22
An online content creator who uses copyrighted songs without permission risks being demonetized (prohibited from including paid advertisements in content). The best way to avoid demonetization is to choose music from the public domain. Using one of these noncopyrighted songs _______ a creator won’t lose advertising revenue. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb “ensures” agrees in number with the singular subject “using.”
Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb “are ensuring” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “using.” Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb “have ensured” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “using.”
Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb “ensure” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “using.”
23
What makes the theremin a unique musical instrument? You play it without touching it. When you place your _______ the pitch will shift as your hands move through the air. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of plural nouns in a sentence. The plural noun “hands” and the plural noun “antennas” correctly indicate that two hands are placed between two antennas when playing the theremin.
Choice A is incorrect because the context requires the plural nouns “hands” and “antennas,” not the singular possessive nouns “hand’s” and “antenna’s.”
Choice C is incorrect because the context requires the plural nouns “hands” and “antennas,” not the plural possessive nouns “hands’” and “antennas’.” Choice D is incorrect because the context requires the plural noun “hands,” not the plural possessive noun “hands’.”
24
In the music video for the song “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel, the singer lists 118 political and cultural references. Such iconic references, cited in rapid and frenetic procession by the musician, who is seated impassively at a dinner table, _______ key moments and personalities of the twentieth century. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The plural verb “represent” agrees in number with the plural subject “references.”
Choice A is incorrect because the singular verb “represents” doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject “references.” Choice B is incorrect because the singular verb “has represented” doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject “references.” Choice C is incorrect because the singular verb “was representing” doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject “references.”
25
Long attributed to Jacques-Louis David, the preeminent Neoclassical painter of his day, the 1801 painting Marie Joséphine Charlotte du Val d’Ognes gained fresh attention in the 1990s when art historians discovered that the painting—which depicts a solitary young woman sketching—was actually the work of little-known French portrait _______ Marie-Denise Villers (1774–1821). Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation between titles and proper nouns. No punctuation is needed to set off the proper noun “Marie-Denise Villers” from the title that describes Villers, “little-known French portrait artist.”
Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed.
Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed.
Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed.
26
In 1986, conceptual artist Sophie Calle asked twenty-three people, all of whom had been born without sight, to describe “their image of beauty” in rich detail. Calle paired excerpts of these conversations with photographs—both of interviewees and the items they _______ to powerful effect in her exhibition The Blind. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of supplementary elements within a sentence. The comma after “described” separates the first supplementary element (“both of interviewees and the items they described”) from the second supplementary element (“from hair to grass to sculptures”). Furthermore, the dash after “sculptures” pairs with the dash after “photographs” to separate these two supplementary elements from the rest of the sentence. The pair of dashes, which operate at a higher organizing level than the comma, indicates that the elements between the dashes function together—in this case, the second supplement (“from...sculptures”) describes the range of items mentioned in the first supplement—and could be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence.
Choice A is incorrect because it fails to appropriately punctuate the supplementary elements in the sentence. A dash is needed after “sculptures” to separate the supplementary elements (“both...sculptures”) from the rest of the sentence.
Choice C is incorrect because it fails to appropriately punctuate the supplementary elements in the sentence. The two supplementary elements “both...described” and “from...sculptures” function together to describe the photographs, and placing a dash between them would make this relationship less clear, suggesting that the supplement “both...described” is a standalone element that could be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case.
Choice D is incorrect because it fails to appropriately punctuate the supplementary elements in the sentence. A colon isn’t conventionally used in this way to separate a supplementary element (“from hair to grass to sculptures”) from the noun phrase it is modifying (“items they described”). Additionally, a dash is needed after “sculptures” to separate the supplementary elements (“both...sculptures”) from the rest of the sentence.
27
Celebrated Tewa potter Maria Martinez (1887–1980) made her signature all-black ceramic vessels using a heating technique called reduction firing. This technique involves smothering the flame surrounding the clay vessel. _______ the vessel takes on a shiny, black hue. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice D is the best answer. “As a result” logically signals that the information in this sentence—the vessel turning black—is a result of the heating technique discussed in the previous sentence.
Choice A is incorrect because “on the contrary” illogically signals that the information in this sentence directly opposes the heating technique in the previous sentence. Instead, the vessel turns black as a result of that technique.
Choice B is incorrect because “for example” illogically signals that the information in this sentence is an example of the heating technique in the previous sentence.
Instead, the vessel turns black as a result of that technique. Choice C is incorrect because “previously” illogically signals that the information in this sentence occurs earlier in a chronological series of events than does the heating technique discussed in the first two sentences. Instead, the vessel turns black as a result of that technique.
28
Historians agree that the jazz pianist Jelly Roll Morton was exaggerating when he claimed to have invented jazz music. No one can deny, _______ that Morton’s innovative compositions and remarkable improvisational skills helped shape jazz as a genre during its early years. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice D is the best answer. “Though” logically signals that the claim in the sentence—that Morton’s improvisational skills helped shape jazz as a genre during its early years (“No one can deny” it)—is true despite the previous information about Morton’s exaggerated claim to have invented jazz.
Choice A is incorrect because “therefore” illogically signals that the claim in the sentence is a result of the previous information about Morton’s claim to have invented jazz. Instead, the sentence states that Morton helped to shape jazz—even if his claim was an exaggeration. Choice B is incorrect because “in the second place” illogically signals that the claim in the sentence is a second, separate point in addition to Morton’s claim to have invented jazz. Instead, the sentence states that Morton helped to shape jazz—even if his claim was an exaggeration. Choice C is incorrect because “in other words” illogically signals that the claim in the sentence is merely a paraphrase or restatement of the previous information about Morton’s claim to have invented jazz. Instead, the sentence states that Morton helped to shape jazz—even if his claim was an exaggeration.
29
According to Duverger’s law, countries with single-ballot majoritarian elections for single-member districts tend to polarize into two-party systems, wherein dueling political parties consistently dominate the political system. _______countries with proportional-representation electoral systems tend to support multi-partyism, under which power gets distributed among many political parties. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice B is the best answer. “Conversely” logically signals that the information in this sentence—that countries with proportional-representation electoral systems tend toward multi-partyism—contrasts with the previous information about countries with single-ballot majoritarian elections, which tend to have two-party systems.
Choice A is incorrect because “subsequently” illogically signals that the information in this sentence about countries with proportional-representation electoral systems occurs later in a chronological sequence of events than the information in the previous sentence. Instead, it contrasts with the previous information. Choice C is incorrect because “for instance” illogically signals that the information in this sentence about countries with proportional-representation electoral systems is an example supporting the previous statement about countries with single-ballot majoritarian elections. Instead, it contrasts with the previous statement. Choice D is incorrect because “in other words” illogically signals that the information in this sentence about countries with proportional-representation electoral systems is a paraphrase or restatement of the previous information about countries with single-ballot majoritarian elections. Instead, it contrasts with the previous information.
30
A turtle shell appears external to the animal, protecting its body like armor. _______ the shell is often incorrectly assumed to be an exoskeleton, a rigid outer casing like that of a crustacean or an insect, when in fact it is an endoskeleton, a part of the turtle’s internal bone structure, more akin to a spine or a pair of ribs. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice D is the best answer. “Hence” logically signals that the information in this sentence about turtle shells—that people incorrectly assume they are exoskeletons—is a consequence of the shells appearing external to the animal.
Choice A is incorrect because “that being said” illogically signals that this sentence qualifies or contrasts with the previous information about turtle shells appearing external to the animal. Instead, it presents a consequence of that nformation. Choice B is incorrect because “however” illogically signals that this sentence contrasts with the previous information about turtle shells appearing external to the animal. Instead, it presents a consequence of that information.
Choice C is incorrect because “for instance” illogically signals that this sentence provides an example supporting the previous information about turtle shells appearing external to the animal. Instead, it presents a consequence of that information.
31
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: • In 1859, the novel Adam Bede was published in England. • According to the novel’s title page, the author’s name was George Eliot. • George Eliot was widely assumed to be a pseudonym. • A pseudonym is a fake name used to conceal an author’s identity. • A woman named Mary Ann Evans later revealed herself as the novel’s real author. The student wants to identify the real author of Adam Bede. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice A is the best answer. The sentence identifies the novel’s real author, explaining that Mary Ann Evans published the novel under the pseudonym of George Eliot.
Choice B is incorrect. The sentence explains that George Eliot was assumed to be a pseudonym; it doesn’t identify the novel’s real author. Choice C is incorrect.
The sentence specifies the pseudonym used on the novel’s title page; it doesn’t identify the novel’s real author. Choice D is incorrect. While the sentence indicates that the novel’s real author used a pseudonym, it doesn’t identify that author as Mary Ann Evans.
32
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: • Scientists have developed a “freeze-thaw” battery that can retain 92% of its charge after twelve weeks. • The battery contains molten salt (a type of salt that liquifies when heated and solidifies at room temperature). • When the salt is in a liquid state, energy flows through the battery. • When the salt is in a solid state, energy stops flowing and is stored in the battery. • The stored (frozen) energy can be used by reheating (thawing) the battery. The student wants to specify how the salt enables energy storage. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice C is the best answer. The sentence specifies how the salt in a freeze-thaw battery enables energy storage, explaining that energy stops flowing and can be stored when the salt solidifies at room temperature.
Choice A is incorrect. The sentence explains some properties of molten salt; it doesn’t specify how that salt enables energy storage. Choice B is incorrect. The sentence indicates how the energy in a freeze-thaw battery can be released; it doesn’t specify how the salt in the battery enables energy storage. Choice D is incorrect. The sentence specifies how much charge the freeze-thaw battery retains when storing energy; it doesn’t specify how the salt in the battery enables energy storage.
33
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: • The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) keeps a list of all at-risk species. • Species on the list are classified as either endangered or threatened. • A species that is in danger of extinction throughout most or all of its range is classified as endangered. • A species that is likely to soon become endangered is classified as threatened. • The California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii) is likely to soon become endangered, according to the FWS. The student wants to indicate the California red-legged frog’s FWS classification category. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Đáp án và giải thích
Choice D is the best answer. The sentence effectively indicates the California red-legged frog’s FWS classification category, noting that the FWS classifies the frog as threatened, a classification given to species that are likely to soon become endangered.
Choice A is incorrect. The sentence specifies the classification categories of the FWS list; it doesn’t indicate the classification category of the California red-legged frog.
Choice B is incorrect. While the sentence does note that the California red-legged frog is among the species classified by the FWS, it doesn’t indicate what classification category the California red-legged frog occupies.
Choice C is incorrect. While the sentence does appear to indicate the California red-legged frog’s FWS classification category, the sentence is factually incorrect and therefore ineffective; the frog’s classification category is threatened, not endangered.