The "write" stuff
If I see the man who works at that store, he is wearing a
green baseball cap.
A. If
B. Until
C. Whenever
D. Even though
C. Whenever
American copyright laws, laws that prohibit the use, distribution, or adaptation of another’s product without permission, first applied only to the copying of books, but now cover such diverse products as sound recordings, motion pictures, and computer programs. The federal Copyright Act of 1790 allowed copyright protection for 14 years with one 14-year extension allowed (if the author survived the first 14-year term). The Copyright Act of 1909 extended copyright protection to 28 years with a 28-year renewal, and the Copyright Act of 1976 extended it further, to 75 years.
What is the main purpose of this passage?
A. To explain the need for copyright laws
B. To show how copyright laws have been applied
C. To indicate how copyright laws have changed
D. To argue that copyright laws need to be expanded
C. To indicate how copyright laws have changed
If you are committed to healthy, green living and want to reduce your environmental footprint, you might consider expanding your daily diet to include bugs. Supporters of the edible insect initiative rightfully argue that farming insects has a much lower environmental impact than does raising livestock since bugs are easier to harvest and require a fraction of the water and land space that cattle need. Indeed, the high-protein, low-fat health benefits of bug-eating have long been known. For hundreds of years, crickets, silkworms and even tarantulas have been served roasted, stewed, and fried at the dinner tables of many cultures.
In the first sentence, “expanding” most nearly means:
A. intensifying
B. broadening
C. developing
D. exaggerating
B. broadening
The main authors of The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are usually thought of as America’s founders. Other, less known personages also deserve that designation, however, and Noah Webster was one of these. Through his writings, which include the still influential dictionary that bears his name, Webster sought to legitimize an “American English” that was independent of British spelling and pronunciation. For instance, Webster removed the “u” from “colour,” creating the distinct American version of the word.
According to the passage, Noah Webster
A. helped write the Constitution
B. was a poor speller
C. authored a new dictionary
D. was unknown in his lifetime
C. authored a new dictionary
The committee members took a long lunch break to
tour the city, the committee members reconvened.
A. The committee members took
B. After taking
C. While the committee members took
D. Although taking
B. After taking
Indiana is the smallest state in the Midwest although
they have one of the largest populations of any state in
that region.
A. although they have
B. although with
C. but has
D. but they have
C. but has
Swarms of locusts causing deadly plagues are usually thought of as the stuff of myths. However, the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria has been responsible for damage to populations across three continents. The desert locust does its damage by consuming its body weight in food each day, devouring virtually any type of vegetation it encounters. When millions of locusts swarm into an area, their effect on the food supply in that area and surrounding areas can be catastrophic. Fortunately, it takes a big, sustained rainstorm (a rare event in desert areas) to create the conditions in which desert locusts thrive.
The passage is primarily about
A. the damage done by swarms of desert locusts
B. the consumption behavior of the desert locust
C. comparing real plagues to mythical ones
D. protecting vulnerable areas from desert locusts
A. the damage done by swarms of desert locusts
The 1922 German Expressionist film Nosferatu, directed by F. W. Murnau, is considered one of the most influential films in cinematic history—while also being a classic vampire movie. The film is closely based on Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, Dracula; however, the villain in the film is called “Count Orlok” rather than “Count Dracula.” The reason is that the small studio that produced the film, Prana Film, was unable to secure the rights to Stoker’s novel. In fact, shortly after finishing Nosferatu, its one and only film, Prana went bankrupt in order to dodge copyright lawsuits from Stoker’s widow.
In context, “secure” (sentence 3) most nearly means
A. shelter
B. fasten
C. obtain
D. guarantee
C. obtain
After working from home for the past year, I was relieved to get back into the office. The office environment has provided me with a much-needed, set schedule—I work for eight hours, and then I go home to a relaxed and work-free environment. When I worked at home, my “office” was always accessible, and my work hours bled into my leisure time so that I was never fully free of my job. Even when spending time with my family after dinner, I’d be checking emails and thinking about projects. Today, my former home office is a family room, and when I spend time relaxing there, work never crosses my mind. Well, almost never.
The author of this passage probably would characterize telecommuters as being generally
A. unproductive
B. stressed
C. hardworking
D. satisfied
C. hardworking
Stamp collecting being a hobby sometimes used in
schools to teach economics and social studies.
A. collecting being a hobby
B. collecting, a hobby,
C. collecting, which is a hobby
D. collecting is a hobby
D. collecting is a hobby
The fans in the audience expressed one’s appreciation for the performance by giving the lead actor a
standing ovation.
A. one’s
B. their
C. its
D. your
B. their
The first coin-operated vending machines in the United States were installed on the elevated platforms of the New York City railway system in 1888. These machines sold a chewing gum called “Tutti-Frutti,” which was manufactured by the Thomas Adams Gum Company. The machines were eventually updated to feature animated figures that would dance each time a gum purchase was made.
All of the following statements about the vending machines discussed in the passage are true EXCEPT
A. they dispensed chewing gum in exchange for coins
B. they were the first of their kind in the country
C. they were utilized by train passengers
D. they were originally designed to entertain
customers
D. they were originally designed to entertain
customers
(8) These teachers were happy to ensure that books they needed for their courses would be readily available to their students. (9) Many of them resented the University and Allied Bookshop for its entrenched, lethargic, unresponsive and high-handed ways.
As used in sentence 8, “readily” most nearly means
A. easily
B. gladly
C. willingly
D. voluntarily
A. easily
(6) Twice a week an impoverished university student was paid to sort new arrivals onto the designated shelves. (7) And since the bookshop prided itself on its academic as well as general stock, the proprietors unashamedly collared university teachers who wandered in to browse, sat them down with a cup of tea and a couple of publishers’ lists, and made them tick off titles that they thought the bookshop should consider ordering. (8) These teachers were happy to ensure that books they needed for their courses would be readily available to their students. (9) Many of them resented the University and Allied Bookshop for its entrenched, lethargic, unresponsive and high-handed ways.
In the second paragraph (sentences 6–9), the narrator indicates which of the following about Imperial Book Depot business practices?
A. The staff acquire only those books that are most in demand.
B. The clerks prefer to help people find nonacademic books and magazines.
C. The owners employ students and rely on teachers for information.
D. Staff members are generally lazy and take too many breaks for tea.
C. The owners employ students and rely on teachers for information.
With the increase in fuel prices, and some truck drivers being in very difficult circumstances.
A. With the increase in fuel prices, and some truck
drivers being
B. With the increase in fuel prices, some truck
drivers are
C. With fuel prices being what they are, some truck
drivers being
D. Fuel prices being what they are, thus some truck
drivers are
B. With the increase in fuel prices, some truck
drivers are
Charleston, South Carolina, is a popular city for tourists, with their historical sites and beautiful weather.
A. with their historical sites and beautiful weather
B. with its historical sites and beautiful weather
C. it has historical sites and beautiful weather
D. because of their historical sites and beautiful
weather
B. with its historical sites and beautiful weather
(16) Whenever she opened a scientific book and saw whole paragraphs of incomprehensible words and symbols, she felt a sense of wonder at the great territories of learning that lay beyond her—the sum of so many noble and purposive attempts to make objective sense of the world. (17) She enjoyed the feeling; it suited her serious moods; and this afternoon she was feeling serious.
The third paragraph (sentences 16–17) suggests that Lata regards science as
A. a topic that is less engaging than fiction
B. an interest that is not worth pursuing
C. a simple but appealing field of study
D. an unfamiliar but intriguing subject
D. an unfamiliar but intriguing subject
A “natural” look emerged with the dentures of the 18th and 19th centuries, which featured teeth made of ivory or porcelain and mounted on plates of gold or vulcanite, a type of rubber. While some modern dentures still feature porcelain teeth, most dentures today contain teeth made from plastic and mounted on a metal base.
The author uses the term “natural” to indicate that the
dentures of the 18th and 19th centuries
A. resembled real human teeth
B. included some real human teeth
C. contained animal teeth rather than artificial
substances
D. were made of materials found in nature
A. resembled real human teeth
(1) The Imperial Book Depot was one of the two best bookshops in town, and was located on Nabiganj, the fashionable street that was the last bulwark of modernity before the labyrinthine alleys and ancient, cluttered neighbourhoods of Old Brahmpur. (2) Though it was a couple of miles away from the university proper it had a greater following among students and teachers than the University and Allied Bookshop, which was just a few minutes away from campus. (3) The Imperial Book Depot was run by two brothers, Yashwant and Balwant, both almost illiterate in English, but both (despite their prosperous roundness) so energetic and entrepreneurial that it apparently made no difference. (4) They had the best stock in town, and were extremely helpful to their customers. (5) If a book was not available in the shop, they asked the customer himself to write down its name on the appropriate order form.
The first paragraph (sentences 1–5) suggests which of the following about the relationship between university students and teachers and the Imperial Book Depot?
A. University people avoid Yashwant and Balwant
because the two do not speak English well.
B. Students will soon start buying their books from a
newer and more modern bookshop.
C. Both students and teachers prefer the Imperial
Book Depot to the bookshop closer to campus.
D. Teachers dislike using complicated handwritten
forms to order books for their classes.
C. Both students and teachers prefer the Imperial
Book Depot to the bookshop closer to campus.
Nothing grows as well in Kentucky as burley tobacco,
being the state’s chief agricultural crop.
A. tobacco, being the
B. tobacco, the
C. tobacco and the
D. tobacco, it is the
B. tobacco, the
Because Jean Rhys grew up in the West Indies island of Dominica and was educated there; this served as excellent background material for her most successful novel, Wide Sargasso Sea, which is set in the West Indies.
A. there; this served as
B. there; thus giving her
C. there, she had
D. there, and therefore she had
C. there, she had
(11) The idea that reading activates parts of the brain associated with “real life” functions goes beyond simple words and phrases: there is evidence that the brain treats the detailed interactions among characters in a book as something like real-life social encounters. (12) One scientist has proposed a reason: reading produces a vivid simulation of reality, one that “runs on minds of readers just as computer simulations run on computers.” (13) The brain, it seems, does not make much of a distinction between reading about an experience and encountering it in real life.
Which piece of evidence, if added to the third paragraph (sentences 11–13), would best support the writer’s argument?
A. Information about a study that showed substantial overlap in the parts of the brain used to understand stories and those used to navigate interactions with other people
B. A discussion of how the nature of reading has changed due to people choosing to read books, magazines, and newspapers on computers and mobile devices rather than in print
C. A quote from a neuroscientist about the connection between watching television and decreased brain activity
D. A statement from a teacher about how reading great literature enhances students’ minds and improves students as human beings
A. Information about a study that showed substantial overlap in the parts of the brain used to understand stories and those used to navigate interactions with other people
Polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, is used in most water carrying pipes in the United States. Known for their resistance to the corrosion that can be caused by water, PVC pipes are more durable than the metal pipes of old. As useful as PVC is, it may be surprising that it was accidentally discovered in 1835 by Henri Victor Regnault, who observed a mysterious white solid plastic forming inside some test tubes that were left exposed to sunlight in his lab.
It can be inferred from the passage that metal pipes
A. are used more than PVC pipes outside of the
United States
B. are more expensive than PVC pipes
C. are more likely to corrode than PVC pipes
D. are no longer used in the United States
C. are more likely to corrode than PVC pipes
Some historians attribute the origins of the front porches so common in American houses to the covered porticos of classical Rome. Indeed, our word “porch” derives from the Latin portico. However, these colonnaded spaces were almost always connected to public or religious structures rather than to private homes. The loggias of Renaissance Venice, recessed front entryways built into the ground floor of Venetian canal houses, perhaps provide a better starting point for the evolution of the American-style porch. This architectural feature later became popularized throughout Europe by the 17th-century Venetian architect Andrea Palladio. Eventually, English colonists would spread the loggia to the American colonies.
Does the author agree with the “historians” who attribute the origins of the American front porch to the classical Roman portico?
A. Yes, because the word “porch” derives from the Latin word portico
B. Yes, because the buildings of ancient Rome have influenced many American architects
C. No, because Roman porticos had public uses rather than domestic ones
D. No, because Italian architecture was popular in Europe but not in America
C. No, because Roman porticos had public uses rather than domestic ones
Walking on a leash and barking on command, the
judges were impressed by the dog.
A. judges were impressed by the dog
B. dog impressed the judges
C. judges were being impressed by the dog
D. dog having impressed the judges
B. dog impressed the judges