Words in Context
While scholars believe many Mesoamerican cities influenced each other, direct evidence of such influence is difficult to ascertain. However, recent excavations in a sector of Tikal (Guatemala) unearthed a citadel that shows ______ Teotihuacan (Mexico) architecture—including a near replica of a famed Teotihuacan temple—providing tangible evidence of outside influence in portions of Tikal.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) refinements of
B) precursors of
C) commonalities with
D) animosities toward
C) commonalities with
Even though its crocodilian jaws are fragile and incapable of eating a large animal, the Gharial still evokes a powerful emotion, terror.
A) No change
B) emotion
C) emotion—
D) emotion;
C) emotion—
Tides can deposit large quantities of dead vegetation within a salt marsh, smothering healthy plants and leaving a salt panne—a depression devoid of plants that tends to trap standing water—in the marsh’s interior. Ecologist Kathryn Beheshti and colleagues found that burrowing crabs living within these pannes improve drainage by loosening the soil, leading the pannes to shrink as marsh plants move back in. At salt marsh edges, however, crab-induced soil loosening can promote marsh loss by accelerating erosion, suggesting that the burrowing action of crabs ______
A) can be beneficial to marshes with small pannes but can be harmful to marshes with large pannes.
B) may promote increases in marsh plants or decreases in marsh plants, depending on the crabs’ location.
C)tends to be more heavily concentrated in areas of marsh interiors with standing water than at marsh edges.
D) varies in intensity depending on the size of the panne relative to the size of the surrounding marsh.
B) may promote increases in marsh plants or decreases in marsh plants, depending on the crabs’ location.
According to Indian economist and sociologist Radhakamal Mukerjee (1889–1968), the Eurocentric concepts that informed early twentieth-century social scientific methods—for example, the idea that all social relations are reducible to struggles between individuals—had little relevance for India. Making the social sciences more responsive to Indians’ needs, Mukerjee argued, required constructing analytical categories informed by India’s cultural and ecological circumstances. Mukerjee thus proposed the communalist “Indian village” as the ideal model on which to base Indian economic and social policy.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
A) The text recounts Mukerjee’s early training in the social scientific disciplines and then lists social policies whose implementation Mukerjee oversaw.
B) The text explains an influential economic theory and then demonstrates how that theory was more important to Mukerjee’s work than other social scientists have acknowledged.
C) The text presents Mukerjee’s critique of the social sciences and then provides an example of his attempts to address issues he identified in his critique.
D) The text mentions some of Mukerjee’s economic theories and then traces their impact on other Indian social scientists of the twentieth century.
C) The text presents Mukerjee’s critique of the social sciences and then provides an example of his attempts to address issues he identified in his critique.
In the summer, daytime temperatures in the Sonoran desert can reach up to 118℉, so many desert animals are nocturnal, preferring to avoid activity under the scorching sun.
A) No change
B) 118℉ so
C) 118℉
D) 118℉,
A) No change
While most animals are incapable of passing somatic mutations—genetic alterations that arise in an organism’s nonreproductive cells—on to their offspring, elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) presents an intriguing ______: in a 2022 study, researchers found that elkhorn coral produced offspring that inherited somatic mutations from a parent.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) corroboration
B) hypothesis
C) affinity
D) anomaly
D) anomaly
For individuals with less melanin in their skin, over-exposure to the sun can cause three things, freckles, wrinkles, and melanoma.
A) No change
B) things;
C) things:
D) things
C) things:
Laura Mulvey has theorized that in narrative film, shots issuing from a protagonist’s point of view compel viewers to identify with the character. Such identification is heightened by “invisible editing,” or editing so inconspicuous that it renders cuts between shots almost unnoticeable. Conversely, Mulvey proposes that conspicuous editing or an absence of point-of-view shots would induce a more critical stance toward a protagonist. Consider, for example, the attic scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, a conspicuously edited sequence of tens of shots, few of which correspond to the protagonist’s point of view. According to Mulvey’s logic, this scene should affect viewers by ______
A) obscuring their awareness of the high degree of artifice involved in constructing the montage.
B) compelling them to identify with the film’s director, whose proxy is the camera, and not with the protagonist.
C) diverting their attention away from the film’s content and toward its stylistic attributes.
D) lessening their identification with the protagonist, if not alienating them from the character altogether.
D) lessening their identification with the protagonist, if not alienating them from the character altogether.
Space scientists Anna-Lisa Paul, Stephen M. Elardo, and Robert Ferl planted seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana in samples of lunar regolith—the surface material of the Moon—and, serving as a control group, in terrestrial soil. They found that while all the seeds germinated, the roots of the regolith-grown plants were stunted compared with those in the control group. Moreover, unlike the plants in the control group, the regolith-grown plants exhibited red pigmentation, reduced leaf size, and inhibited growth rates— indicators of stress that were corroborated by postharvest molecular analysis.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
A) It discusses the findings of a study that evaluated the effects of exposing a plant species to lunar soil conditions.
B) It presents evidence in support of the hypothesis that seed germination in lunar habitats is an unattainable goal.
C) It describes an experiment that addressed an unresolved question about the extent to which lunar regolith resembles terrestrial soils.
D) It compares two distinct methods of assessing indicators of stress in plants grown in a simulated lunar environment.
A) It discusses the findings of a study that evaluated the effects of exposing a plant species to lunar soil conditions.
The Microbead-Free Waters Act aims to eliminate tiny plastic beads from soaps and other beauty products microbeads pollute the water and cause internal abrasions in fish.
A) No change
B) products, microbeads
C) products microbeads,
D) products; microbeads
D) products; microbeads
As a poet, essayist, and novelist, Ocean Vuong often explores ______ themes in his work, including memory and trauma. His debut novel, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, is presented as a series of deeply personal letters written by a son to his mother and was described by The New Yorker as "[brimming] with longing and tenderness."
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) frivolous
B) intimate
C) pretentious
D) conformist
B) intimate
Two-year degree programs are perhaps not as popular as four-year programs, but they can lead to lucrative careers: such as programming and web development.
A) No change
B) to lucrative careers
C) to—lucrative careers
D) to, lucrative careers
B) to lucrative careers
Researchers Suchithra Rajendran and Maximilian Popfinger modeled varying levels of passenger redistribution from short-haul flights (flights of 50 to 210 minutes, from takeoff to landing) to high-speed rail trips. Planes travel faster than trains, but air travel typically requires 3 hours of lead time for security, baggage handling, and boarding that rail travel doesn’t, so short-haul routes take similar amounts of time by air and by rail. However, the model suggests that as rail passenger volumes approach current capacity limits, long lead times emerge. Therefore, for rail to remain a viable alternative to short-haul flights, ______
A) rail systems should offer fewer long-haul routes and airlines should offer more long-haul routes.
B) rail systems may need to schedule additional trains for these routes.
C) security, baggage handling, and boarding procedures used by airlines may need to be implemented for rail systems.
D) passengers who travel by rail for these routes will need to accept that lead times will be similar to those for air travel.
B) rail systems may need to schedule additional trains for these routes.
The beaver is a keystone species in North America, where it evolved in symbiosis with the aspen tree. Beavers were introduced to Patagonia (a region encompassing the southernmost tip of South America) in 1946, where they encountered an abundance of Nothofagus trees, a type of southern beech. From this, it was discovered that the evolutionary symbiosis that the beaver has with the aspen tree does not preclude it from forming new relationships with different tree species. Within a few years, the beavers had changed the ecosystem in Patagonia by utilizing Nothofagus trees much in the same way they interact with Aspens in North America.
Which choice best describes the function of the third sentence in the overall structure of the text?
A) It contrasts the beaver’s relationship with the aspen tree to the beaver’s relationship with the Nothofagus tree.
B) It states a generalization that is exemplified by the discussion of the beavers and Nothofagus trees.
C) It describes how the beaver was first introduced to Patagonia.
D) It provides context that clarifies why the beaver evolved to form symbiotic relationships with different tree species.
B) It states a generalization that is exemplified by the discussion of the beavers and Nothofagus trees.
Although San Francisco Bay's Golden Gate Bridge appears in dozens of films, but it often gets destroyed in action and monster flicks.
A) No change
B) films but
C) films,
D) films
C) films,
In the early 20th century, Constantin Brancusi's sculpture Bird in Space sparked considerable debate about the definition of art. Tax authorities argued in court that the abstract sculpture, which featured a long, sleek form without any identifiable features, should not be classified as art. Brancusi ultimately won the case, but the legal battle highlighted the ______ dividing line between "art" and "manufactured object".
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) rigid
B) unanimous
C) tenuous
D) straightforward
C) tenuous
Clinical trials manager, pharmacy technician, healthcare administrator, many careers in the medical field exist beyond just nurse or doctor.
A) No change
B) administrator—many
C) administrator; and many
D) administrator many
B) administrator—many
To better understand the burrowing habits of Alpheus bellulus (the tiger pistol shrimp), some studies have used resin casting to obtain precise measurements of the shrimps’ burrows. Resin casting involves completely filling an empty burrow with a liquid plastic that hardens to create a three-dimensional model; however, recovering the model inevitably requires destroying the burrow. In their 2022 study, Miyu Umehara and colleagues discovered that an x-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner can accurately record a burrow’s measurements both at a moment in time and throughout the entire burrow-building process, something that’s impossible with resin casting because ______
A) it can only be used on burrows below a certain size.
B) it does not allow for multiple castings of the same burrow over time.
C) the process of recovering the model distorts the resin’s shape.
D) the casting process takes more time than A. bellulus takes to construct a burrow.
B) it does not allow for multiple castings of the same burrow over time.
Psychologists have long debated whether bilingualism has an effect on cognitive development and executive function. They have not reached a consensus, however, because different studies have used different criteria and measures to define and assess bilingualism and its outcomes. Linguist Minna Lehtonen and colleagues recently proposed a new framework for conceptualizing and assessing bilingualism that takes into account both linguistic and cognitive factors, but acknowledged that more empirical data and validation are needed to test its applicability and reliability.
Which choice best describes the function of the second sentence in the overall structure of the text?
A) It evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the new framework proposed by Lehtonen and colleagues.
B) It summarizes inconsistencies in past research that Lehtonen and colleagues aimed to address.
C) It contrasts the approach of Lehtonen and colleagues with those of previous studies on bilingualism.
D) It suggests a possible implication of Lehtonen and colleagues' new framework for future studies.
B) It summarizes inconsistencies in past research that Lehtonen and colleagues aimed to address.
Contrary to popular expectations, most sugar in the United States does not come from sugarcane, sugar beets are actually the leading source of sugar in America.
A) No change
B) sugarcane sugar beets
C) sugarcane; sugar beets
D) sugarcane but sugar beets
C) sugarcane; sugar beets
Some foraging models predict that the distance bees travel when foraging will decline as floral density increases, but biologists Shalene Jha and Claire Kremen showed that bees’ behavior is inconsistent with this prediction if flowers in dense patches are ______: bees will forage beyond patches of low species richness to acquire multiple resource types.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) depleted
B) homogeneous
C) immature
D) dispersed
B) homogeneous
Among the candidates for Daily Show anchor were Amy Poehler, who quickly declined, Chris Rock, who considered filling in for a limited term; and Trevor Noah, who accepted the offer.
A) No change
B) declined
C) declined;
D) declined:
C) declined;
A heliograph is a semaphore device used for sending optical communications—usually in the form of Morse code—by reflecting flashes of sunlight off a mirror. Heliographs were used for rapid communication across expansive distances for military, surveying, and forestry purposes during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, but they were largely effective only during the daytime, and the range of the device depended on factors such as the opacity of the air and line of sight. Therefore, heliographs were eventually replaced by technology that ______
A) was not so constrained by environmental circumstances.
B) could be used for more than military, surveying, or forestry purposes.
C) enabled communication that didn’t require knowledge of Morse code.
D) worked on similar principles but was easier to produce and maintain.
A) was not so constrained by environmental circumstances.
In his 2018 book The Efficiency Paradox, technology writer Edward Tenner argues that the pursuit of efficiency in business, technology, and everyday life often leads to unintended consequences that can ultimately undermine the very goals of efficiency. Tenner draws on examples from a wide range of fields, from agriculture and education to healthcare and social media, to show how the single-minded focus on optimizing systems for maximum output and minimum waste can lead to a loss of resilience, creativity, and human judgment. He suggests that true efficiency requires a more holistic approach—one that balances the benefits of streamlining with the need for adaptability, redundancy, and serendipity. According to Tenner, this balance ensures that systems can respond effectively to unexpected challenges and opportunities.
Which choice best describes the function of the italicized sentence in the text as a whole?
A) It provides a counterpoint to Tenner’s main argument about the unintended consequences of pursuing efficiency.
B) It supports Tenner’s main claim about the paradox of pursuing efficiency with examples across a range of fields.
C) It contrasts different approaches to optimizing systems for maximum output and minimum waste.
D) It presents Tenner's proposed solution to the problem described in previous sentences.
D) It presents Tenner's proposed solution to the problem described in previous sentences.
Given that it is cheaper and more efficient, so ocean transportation, rather than air or roadway portage, carries the most commercial cargo worldwide.
A) No change
B) efficient so
C) efficient,
D) efficient
C) efficient,