Craft & Structure
Words In Context
The following text is adapted from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1837 story “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment.” The main character, a physician, is experimenting with rehydrating a dried flower.
At first [the rose] lay lightly on the surface of the fluid, appearing to imbibe none of its moisture. Soon, however, a singular change began to be visible. The crushed and dried petals stirred and assumed a deepening tinge of crimson, as if the flower were reviving from a deathlike slumber.
As used in the text, what does the phrase “a singular” most nearly mean?
A lonely
A disagreeable
An acceptable
An extraordinary
An extraordinary
Transitions
The prime meridian, the global indicator of zero degrees longitude established in 1884, was originally determined using astronomically derived coordinates. ______ as decades passed, new calculations would reveal increasingly precise coordinates, yet the prime meridian remained unchanged; it wasn’t until the 1980s that, spurred by improved geodetic data, the prime meridian was officially moved—roughly one hundred meters east.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Specifically,
To that end,
Again and again,
Granted,
Again and again,
Form, Structure, and Sense
The Mission 66 initiative, which was approved by Congress in 1956, represented a major investment in the infrastructure of overburdened national ______ it prioritized physical improvements to the parks’ roads, utilities, employee housing, and visitor facilities while also establishing educational programming for the public.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
parks and
parks
parks;
parks,
parks;
Inferences
Marta Coll and colleagues’ 2010 Mediterranean Sea biodiversity census reported approximately 17,000 species, nearly double the number reported in Carlo Bianchi and Carla Morri’s 2000 census—a difference only partly attributable to the description of new invertebrate species in the interim. Another factor is that the morphological variability of microorganisms is poorly understood compared to that of vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, and algae, creating uncertainty about how to evaluate microorganisms as species. Researchers’ decisions on such matters therefore can be highly consequential. Indeed, the two censuses reported similar counts of vertebrate, plant, and algal species, suggesting that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
Coll and colleagues reported a much higher number of species than Bianchi and Morri did largely due to the inclusion of invertebrate species that had not been described at the time of Bianchi and Morri’s census.
some differences observed in microorganisms may have been treated as variations within species by Bianchi and Morri but treated as indicative of distinct species by Coll and colleagues.
Bianchi and Morri may have been less sensitive to the degree of morphological variation displayed within a typical species of microorganism than Coll and colleagues were.
the absence of clarity regarding how to differentiate among species of microorganisms may have resulted in Coll and colleagues underestimating the number of microorganism species.
2. some differences observed in microorganisms may have been treated as variations within species by Bianchi and Morri but treated as indicative of distinct species by Coll and colleagues.
1. __________ the invention of television, people probably spent more of their leisure time reading.
Nevertheless
Because
Before
The transition word indicates: addition / cause and effect / sequence/order
sequence/order
Drivers who strongly believe that the toll they must pay to use the Lewis and Clark Bridge, which spans the Ohio River to connect Indiana and Kentucky, is currently too high are unlikely to be ______ a proposal to increase the toll. Advocates for a higher toll are likely to have more success if they instead direct their arguments toward a more persuadable segment of the population.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
receptive to
apprised of
incensed by
cited in
receptive to
Transitions
In her poetry collection Thomas and Beulah, Rita Dove interweaves the titular characters’ personal stories with broader historical narratives. She places Thomas’s journey from the American South to the Midwest in the early 1900s within the larger context of the Great Migration. ______ Dove sets events from Beulah’s personal life against the backdrop of the US Civil Rights Movement.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
Specifically,
Thus,
Regardless,
Similarly,
Similarly,
A recent study tracked the number of bee species present in twenty-seven New York apple orchards over a ten-year period. ______ found that when wild growth near an orchard was cleared, the number of different bee species visiting the orchard decreased.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
Entomologist Heather Grab:
Entomologist, Heather Grab,
Entomologist Heather Grab
Entomologist Heather Grab,
Entomologist Heather Grab
In her 2021 article “Throwaway History: Towards a Historiography of Ephemera,” scholar Anne Garner discusses John Johnson (1882–1956), a devoted collector of items intended to be discarded, including bus tickets and campaign pamphlets. Johnson recognized that scholarly institutions considered his expansive collection of ephemera to be worthless—indeed, it wasn’t until 1968, after Johnson’s death, that Oxford University’s Bodleian Library acquired the collection, having grasped the items’ potential value to historians and other researchers. Hence, the example of Johnson serves to ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
demonstrate the difficulties faced by contemporary historians in conducting research at the Bodleian Library without access to ephemera.
represent the challenge of incorporating examples of ephemera into the collections of libraries and other scholarly institutions.
lend support to arguments by historians and other researchers who continue to assert that ephemera holds no value for scholars.
illustrate both the relatively low scholarly regard in which ephemera was once held and the later recognition of ephemera’s possible utility.
illustrate both the relatively low scholarly regard in which ephemera was once held and the later recognition of ephemera’s possible utility.
Cross Text Connections
Text 1
In 1916, H. Dugdale Sykes disputed claims that The Two Noble Kinsmen was coauthored by William Shakespeare and John Fletcher. Sykes felt Fletcher’s contributions to the play were obvious—Fletcher had a distinct style in his other plays, so much so that lines with that style were considered sufficient evidence of Fletcher’s authorship. But for the lines not deemed to be by Fletcher, Sykes felt that their depiction of women indicated that their author was not Shakespeare but Philip Massinger.
Text 2
Scholars have accepted The Two Noble Kinsmen as coauthored by Shakespeare since the 1970s: it appears in all major one-volume editions of Shakespeare’s complete works. Though scholars disagree about who wrote what exactly, it is generally held that on the basis of style, Shakespeare wrote all of the first act and most of the last, while John Fletcher authored most of the three middle acts.
Based on the texts, both Sykes in Text 1 and the scholars in Text 2 would most likely agree with which statement?
John Fletcher’s writing has a unique, readily identifiable style.
The women characters in John Fletcher’s plays are similar to the women characters in Philip Massinger’s plays.
The Two Noble Kinsmen belongs in one-volume compilations of Shakespeare’s complete plays.
Philip Massinger’s style in the first and last acts of The Two Noble Kinsmen is an homage to Shakespeare’s style.
John Fletcher’s writing has a unique, readily identifiable style.
Text Structure and Purpose
“How lifelike are they?” Many computer animators prioritize this question as they strive to create ever more realistic environments and lighting. Generally, while characters in computer-animated films appear highly exaggerated, environments and lighting are carefully engineered to mimic reality. But some animators, such as Pixar’s Sanjay Patel, are focused on a different question. Rather than asking first whether the environments and lighting they’re creating are convincingly lifelike, Patel and others are asking whether these elements reflect their films’ unique stories.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined question in the text as a whole?
It reflects a primary goal that many computer animators have for certain components of the animations they produce.
It represents a concern of computer animators who are more interested in creating unique backgrounds and lighting effects than realistic ones.
It conveys the uncertainty among many computer animators about how to create realistic animations using current technology.
It illustrates a reaction that audiences typically have to the appearance of characters created by computer animators.
It reflects a primary goal that many computer animators have for certain components of the animations they produce.
Transitions
Scientists were able to isolate a relatively pure sample of selenium in 1817, the same year they first discovered the element’s existence. ______ the isolation process took longer for molybdenum, which was isolated in its pure form three years after scientists first discovered it.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
By contrast,
Thus,
Similarly,
For instance,
By contrast,
Form, Structure, and Sense
Despite being cheap, versatile, and easy to produce, _____ they are made from nonrenewable petroleum, and most do not biodegrade in landfills.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
there are two problems associated with commercial plastics:
two problems are associated with commercial plastics:
commercial plastics’ two associated problems are that
commercial plastics have two associated problems:
commercial plastics have two associated problems:
Central Idea
Believing that living in an impractical space can heighten awareness and even improve health, conceptual artists Madeline Gins and Shusaku Arakawa designed an apartment building in Japan to be more fanciful than functional. A kitchen counter is chest-high on one side and knee-high on the other; a ceiling has a door to nowhere. The effect is disorienting but invigorating: after four years there, filmmaker Nobu Yamaoka reported significant health benefits.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
Although inhabiting a home surrounded by fanciful features such as those designed by Gins and Arakawa can be rejuvenating, it is unsustainable.
Designing disorienting spaces like those in the Gins and Arakawa building is the most effective way to create a physically stimulating environment.
As a filmmaker, Yamaoka has long supported the designs of conceptual artists such as Gins and Arakawa.
Although impractical, the design of the apartment building by Gins and Arakawa may improve the well-being of the building’s residents.
Although impractical, the design of the apartment building by Gins and Arakawa may improve the well-being of the building’s residents.
Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Organisms release cellular material into their environment by shedding substances such as hair or skin.
The DNA in these substances is known as environmental DNA, or eDNA.
Researchers collect and analyze eDNA to detect the presence of species that are difficult to observe.
Geneticist Sara Oyler-McCance’s research team analyzed eDNA in water samples from the Florida Everglades to detect invasive constrictor snake species in the area.
The study determined a 91% probability of detecting Burmese python eDNA in a given location.
The student wants to present the study to an audience already familiar with environmental DNA. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Answer
Sara Oyler-McCance’s researchers analyzed eDNA in water samples from the Florida Everglades for evidence of invasive constrictor snakes, which are difficult to observe.
An analysis of eDNA can detect the presence of invasive species that are difficult to observe, such as constrictor snakes.
Researchers found Burmese python eDNA, or environmental DNA, in water samples; eDNA is the DNA in released cellular materials, such as shed skin cells.
Sara Oyler-McCance’s researchers analyzed environmental DNA (eDNA)—that is, DNA from cellular materials released by organisms—in water samples from the Florida Everglades.
Sara Oyler-McCance’s researchers analyzed eDNA in water samples from the Florida Everglades for evidence of invasive constrictor snakes, which are difficult to observe.
The field of study called affective neuroscience seeks instinctive, physiological causes for feelings such as pleasure or displeasure. Because these sensations are linked to a chemical component (for example, the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain when one receives or expects a reward), they can be said to have a partly physiological basis. These processes have been described in mammals, but Jingnan Huang and his colleagues have recently observed that some behaviors of honeybees (such as foraging) are also motivated by a dopamine-based signaling process.
What choice best describes the main purpose of the text?
It describes an experimental method of measuring the strength of physiological responses in humans.
It illustrates processes by which certain insects can express how they are feeling.
It summarizes a finding suggesting that some mechanisms in the brains of certain insects resemble mechanisms in mammalian brains.
It presents research showing that certain insects and mammals behave similarly when there is a possibility of a reward for their actions.
It summarizes a finding suggesting that some mechanisms in the brains of certain insects resemble mechanisms in mammalian brains.
Rhetorical Synthesis
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
As engineered structures, many bird nests are uniquely flexible yet cohesive.
A research team led by Yashraj Bhosale wanted to better understand the mechanics behind these structural properties.
Bhosale’s team used laboratory models that simulated the arrangement of flexible sticks into nest-like structures.
The researchers analyzed the points where sticks touched one another.
When pressure was applied to the model nests, the number of contact points between the sticks increased, making the structures stiffer.
The student wants to present the primary aim of the research study. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Answer
Bhosale’s team wanted to better understand the mechanics behind bird nests’ uniquely flexible yet cohesive structural properties.
The researchers used laboratory models that simulated the arrangement of flexible sticks and analyzed the points where sticks touched one another.
After analyzing the points where sticks touched, the researchers found that the structures became stiffer when pressure was applied.
As analyzed by Bhosale’s team, bird nests are uniquely flexible yet cohesive engineered structures.
Bhosale’s team wanted to better understand the mechanics behind bird nests’ uniquely flexible yet cohesive structural properties.
Boundaries
On April 5, 1977, Kitty Cone and 150 other disability rights activists entered a San Francisco federal building. After pleading for years—to no effect—for the passage of key antidiscrimination legislation, ______ until their demands were addressed. Finally, on April 28, the legislation was signed.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
pressure on lawmakers increased when the activists staged a sit-in protest
a sit-in protest staged by the activists increased pressure on lawmakers
lawmakers came under increased pressure when the activists staged a sit-in protest
the activists increased pressure on lawmakers by staging a sit-in protest
the activists increased pressure on lawmakers by staging a sit-in protest
Command of Evidence
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?
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“Through interbreeding, transgenic fish might introduce the trait of fluorescence into wild fish populations, making those populations more vulnerable to predators.”
“Through interbreeding, transgenic fish might introduce the trait of fluorescence into wild fish populations, making those populations more vulnerable to predators.”
Boundaries
French philosopher René Descartes doubted whether he could prove his own existence. Eventually, he found proof in his famous phrase “I think, therefore I am.” The ______complexity: only those who exist would be able to ponder their existence.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
phrases’ simplicity masks its
phrases simplicity masks their
phrase’s simplicity masks their
phrase’s simplicity masks its
phrase’s simplicity masks its