Citing Evidence
“Poetry” is a 1919 poem by Marianne Moore. The poem highlights an ambivalence toward poetry as the speaker acknowledges its merits while also expressing a sense of displeasure, writing _______
Which quotation from “Poetry” most effectively illustrates the claim?
a. “nor is it valid / to discriminate against ‘business documents and / school-books’; all these phenomena are important.”
b. “One must make a distinction / however: when dragged into prominence by half poets, the result is not / poetry.”
c. “when [poems] become so derivative as to become unintelligible, the / same thing may be said for all of us—that we / do not admire what / we cannot understand.”
d. “Reading [poetry], however, with a perfect contempt for it, one discovers that there is in / it after all, a place for the genuine.”
d. “Reading [poetry], however, with a perfect contempt for it, one discovers that there is in / it after all, a place for the genuine.”
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?
a) To compare Spanish-language newspapers published in Texas today with ones published there during the late 1800s.
b) To explain that Spanish-language newspapers thrived in Texas and especially in El Paso during the late 1800s.
c) To argue that Spanish-language newspapers published in El Paso influenced the ones published in San Antonio during the late 1800s.
d) To explain why Spanish-language newspapers published in Texas were so popular in Mexico during the late 1800s.
b) To explain that Spanish-language newspapers thrived in Texas and especially in El Paso during the late 1800s.
The first public libraries were created to ensure books’ availability for people who could not afford to buy them. Over time, libraries expanded to include newspapers, maps, and community programs. Today, many libraries also offer free internet access, job-search assistance, and educational workshops. As a result, libraries continue to serve as important community resources.
The writer is considering adding the following sentence after the second sentence: Many early libraries were built using decorative stone architecture that reflected the styles popular at the time.
Should the writer make this addition?
a) Yes, because it helps readers visualize what early libraries looked like.
b) Yes, because it provides background information about the history of libraries.
c) No, because it interrupts the paragraph's focus on how libraries serve communities.
d) No, because it repeats information already stated in the paragraph.
c) No, because it interrupts the paragraph's focus on how libraries serve communities.
A harpsichord may look just like a piano, but the difference between the two instruments is easy to hear. When a harpsichord’s keys are pressed, the strings inside the _______ are plucked, not struck.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
a) instrument:
b) instrument
c) instrument—
d) instrument,
b) instrument
The first public libraries were created to ensure books’ availability for people who could not afford to buy them.
What is the correct suffix and part of speech for the word "availability"?
a) -ity, noun
b) -ity, adjective
c) -ability, noun
d) -ability, adjective
a) -ity, noun
In 1949, Frank Zamboni developed an ice rink resurfacing machine. As Zamboni’s machine moved along the rink’s surface, it first scraped off the top layer of ice. _______ it sprayed water into the deep grooves left behind by customers’ skates. Lastly, it smoothed over the newly formed ice.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
a) For example,
b) Next,
c) Similarly,
d) In contrast,
b) Next,
Fish whose DNA has been modified to include genetic material from other species are known as transgenic. Some transgenic fish have genes from jellyfish that result in fluorescence (that is, they glow in the dark). Although these fish were initially engineered for research purposes in the 1990s, they were sold as pets in the 2000s and can now be found in the wild in creeks in Brazil. A student in a biology seminar who is writing a paper on these fish asserts that their escape from Brazilian fish farms into the wild may have significant negative long-term ecological effects.
Which quotation from a researcher would best support the student’s assertion?
a) “In one site in the wild where transgenic fish were observed, females outnumbered males, while in another the numbers of females and males were equivalent.”
b) “Though some presence of transgenic fish in the wild has been recorded, there are insufficient studies of the impact of those fish on the ecosystems into which they are introduced.”
c) “The ecosystems into which transgenic fish are known to have been introduced may represent a subset of the ecosystems into which the fish have actually been introduced.”
d) “Through interbreeding, transgenic fish might introduce the trait of fluorescence into wild fish populations, making those populations more vulnerable to predators.”
d) “Through interbreeding, transgenic fish might introduce the trait of fluorescence into wild fish populations, making those populations more vulnerable to predators.”
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?
a) To contrast the conditions in the Atacama Desert with those on Mars
b) To explain why many life-forms cannot survive in the Atacama Desert
c) To indicate why astrobiologists choose to conduct research in the Atacama Desert
d) To describe certain limitations to conducting scientific study in the Atacama Desert
c) To indicate why astrobiologists choose to conduct research in the Atacama Desert
Scientists have found that wetlands absorb excess rainwater. Wetlands also filter pollutants before they reach rivers and lakes. Because of these benefits, many communities have invested in the restoration of wetlands that were previously drained or developed.
The writer is considering revising the underlined sentence to read: Scientists have found that wetlands absorb excess rainwater and naturally reduce flooding in nearby communities.
Should the writer make this revision?
a) Yes, because it makes the explanation more specific and directly connects the evidence to the paragraph's main idea.
b) Yes, because it introduces a completely new topic for the paragraph.
c) No, because it removes all mention of wetlands.
d) No, because the revised sentence is wordier and longer than the original.
a) Yes, because it makes the explanation more specific and directly connects the evidence to the paragraph's main idea.
On March 23, 2021, a gust of wind wreaked havoc on global trade. Ever Given, an international shipping container vessel, became lodged in Egypt’s Suez Canal, a major shipping route between Europe and Asia. The vessel took six days to _______ it’s as heavy as two thousand blue whales when fully loaded.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
a) dislodge in part due to its sheer size,
b) dislodge, in part due to its sheer size:
c) dislodge, in part due to its sheer size,
d) dislodge, in part, due to its sheer size
b) dislodge, in part due to its sheer size:
Many communities have invested in the restoration of wetlands that were previously drained or developed.
Identify the correct suffix and part of speech for the word "restoration."
a) -tion, noun
b) -tion, verb
c) -ation, verb
d) -ation, adjective
a) -tion, noun
In retrospect, one of the lessons of the 2003 Human Genome Project is that a gene is affected by many factors, not the least of which is its interactions with the protein products of other genes. _______ rather than just focusing on the human genome, efforts to better understand gene mutations related to disease have begun to consider the human proteome, the complete set of proteins expressed by human genes.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition? (DHC1.4)
a) In other words,
b) That said,
c) For example,
d) Accordingly,
d) Accordingly,