MODULE 1: READING AND WRITING

Question 1

The following text is from Lilliam Rivera's 2020 novel Never Look Back. The text describes the
narrator's friend Pheus, a young musician, after finishing a performance during a church service.

Pheus pulls a handkerchief from his back pocket and wipes his forehead. I mime a quiet clap for
him. He does a slight bow and flashes his dimples. This is where Pheus truly shines. When Pheus
is in front of an audience, it's as if he becomes another person, a more heightened version of
himself.
©2020 by Lilliam Rivera

As used in the text, what does the word “truly” most nearly mean?
A. Mildly
B. Scarcely
C. Really
D. Impolitely

Question 2

Native Hawaiian fiber artist Marques Hanalei Marzan creates art using the techniques of lauhala
weaving. Lauhala weaving is a traditional Hawaiian art form that uses leaves of the hala tree.
Often, Marzan doesn't have a specific ____ what the final product will look like when he starts a
new piece. Instead, he makes up his designs as he weaves, allowing inspiration to take him in
unexpected directions.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A. intention for
B. admiration for
C. imitation of
D. acceptance of

Question 3

In a study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, participants with clinically typical

eyesight were shown a drawing of a broken line, with the break in the line situated in a blocked
part of their field of vision. The participants still perceived the line as continuous, suggesting that
when visual information is incomplete, the brain can _____ filling in what is missing.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A. captivate
B. revert
C. barricade
D. compensate

Question 4

The following text is from Shirley Jackson's 1951 novel Hangsaman.

Natalie was leaving for her first year in college a week after her brother went back to high
school; sometimes twenty-one days resolved itself into three weeks, and seemed endless;
sometimes it seemed a matter of minutes slipping by so swiftly that there would never be time to
approach college with appropriate consideration, to form a workable personality to take along.
©1951 by Shirley Jackson

As used in the text, what does the word “consideration” most nearly mean?
A. Admiration
B. Indecision
C. Reflection
D. Kindness

Question 5

The Marsalis family is often referred to as “the first family of jazz.” Four of the children of
celebrated pianist Ellis Marsalis Jr. went on to become performers who are also critically
acclaimed: drummer Jason, trombonist Delfeayo, saxophonist Branford, and trumpeter Wynton.
Wynton notably went on to become the first jazz composer to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music
(for his oratorio Blood on the Fields).

Which choice best describes the main purpose of the text?

A. To explain why a family of musicians received a nickname.
B. To compare the artistic achievements of several musicians.
C. To show why a particular musician won a major award.
D. To emphasize why musicians should work together.
Question 6

Community science, which involves professional scientists collaborating with members of the
public to study a topic, is often an effective and engaging way to conduct research. It can
increase the amount of data researchers can collect, offer insight into the daily life of a scientist,
and spark youth interest in science. This approach was essential to the success of biologist
Abbigail Merrill and colleagues’ study of how weather relates to a butterfly’s flower choice,
which included findings from hundreds of students and community members in northwestern
Arkansas.

Which choice best states the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
A. It offers details to clarify the claim made in the previous sentence.
B. It establishes the limits of the conclusion presented in the sentence that follows.
C. It provides a contrast with an idea presented in the previous sentence.
D. It identifies the purpose of the study described in the sentence that follows.

Question 7

Text 1:

Scientists can learn a lot about the Hispaniolan ground sloth and other prehistoric sloths from
their fossils. But it can be hard to study sloths alive today. In the wild, the Linnaeus’s two-toed
sloth and other sloths spend most of their time in trees. They’re difficult to observe because of
their excellent camouflage and slow movements.

Text 2:

Rebecca Cliffe and other scientists can now record the previously hidden activities of tree-
dwelling sloths by using a backpack monitor. Such monitors can provide information to correct
misconceptions. It was long believed that sloths are slow because of laziness. But, in fact, sloths’
slow movements are useful. Being slow protects them from predators with keen eyesight.

The author of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 both discuss which topic?
A. The scientific study of sloths.
B. How climate change affects sloths.
C. The techniques scientists use to care for sloths.
D. The differences between prehistoric and living sloths.
Question 8

Humans aren’t the only ones who use tools. Other animals also find tools helpful. Octopuses use
two halves of a seashell to provide protection or a place to hide. And despite sometimes being
thought of as simple, many birds make clever use of tools as well. New Caledonian crows are
well known for creating hooks and spears from twigs. Furthermore, palm cockatoos have been
observed using leaves to pad their beaks when opening nuts.

According to the text, what are New Caledonian crows known for?

A. They have larger brains than palm cockatoos have.

B. They live longer than octopuses do.
C. They create tools out of twigs.
D. They use leaves as tools.

Question 9

Women like Minnie McNeal Kenny made important early contributions to the history of US
cryptology, a field concerned with secure data communication and storage. Kenny worked for
the National Security Agency (NSA) and received the NSA’s two highest awards. She also held
administrative positions at the National Cryptologic School. In this way, Kenny and others like
her helped make it possible for more women—such as Anna Lysyanskaya, who currently works
in and teaches digital cryptography—to enter the field of cryptology.

According to the text, what is the relationship between Kenny and Lysyanskaya?

A. Minnie McNeal Kenny taught Anna Lysyanskaya how to securely manage important data.
B. Minnie McNeal Kenny and Anna Lysyanskaya worked together early in their careers.
C. Minnie McNeal Kenny founded an organization that Anna Lysyanskaya currently works for.
D. Minnie McNeal Kenny made earlier contributions to a field that Anna Lysyanskaya currently
works within.
Question 10

Optimal foraging theory (OFT) holds that animals’ foraging behaviors reflect cost-benefit trade-
offs that vary by species and with dynamic ecological circumstances. One such circumstance is
lunar intensity, which Mahmoud-Reza Hemami and colleagues found to be negatively associated
with foraging by Iranian jerboas but Deborah J. Curtis and colleagues found to be positively
associated with foraging by mongoose lemurs. This discrepancy is explicable in terms of OFT:
the lemurs’ greater reliance on vision means that higher lunar intensity benefits them more than
it benefits the jerboas.

Information in the text best supports which statement about OFT?

A. It can account for observations of different species responding differently to similar

ecological circumstances.
B. It tends to allow for a better understanding of the benefits of ecological circumstances than the
costs of those circumstances.
C. It may be weakened by the finding that the costs and benefits associated with a particular
ecological circumstance vary by species.
D. It can explain why some species act in accordance with cost-benefit trade-offs and others do
not.

Question 11

Most bird species that are capable of flight weigh less than a kilogram (kg), which is not
surprising considering the burden that extra body weight puts on a flying animal. But not all
flying birds are so light, as we can see most clearly in the example of the ____
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the example?
A. northern cassowary, which has an average mass of 44.0 kg.
B. Andean condor, which has an average mass below 10 kg.
C. northern cassowary, which has a higher average mass than the lesser rhea.
D. Dalmatian pelican, which has an average mass of 11.5 kg.

Question 12

A student is writing a research paper on the history of irrigation in the United States, situating the
development of Lake Yosemite (created in Merced County, California in 1888) in a larger
historical context. The student claims that California’s climate renders irrigation an essential
component of agriculture in some parts of the state but not in others.

Which quotation from a study of California agriculture best supports the student’s claim?

A. “While the low humidity of Southern California’s desert areas makes irrigation a requirement
if agriculture is to be a success there, the relatively high humidity in the northern parts of the
state makes such practices less necessary.”
B. “The irrigation system developed by the Hohokam people in the 7th century CE in what is
now Arizona was simple but applied hydraulic engineering design features that are in use today
throughout California.”
C. “Sprinkler irrigation systems are a method of irrigating that requires machinery to spray water
in all directions. These systems can presently be found in use throughout California.”
D. “The usefulness of irrigation infrastructure in California today cannot be overstated, since it is
the most common means of conveying water for agricultural purposes.”
Question 13

Terrestrial plants typically carry a negative electrical charge, while bees and other pollinators
tend to accumulate a positive charge. A team of researchers therefore hypothesized that
electrostatic attraction (mutual attraction between objects with opposite charges) might enhance
pollen transmission between plants and their pollinator species. The team’s experiments showed
that the maximum positive charge of wintering honeybees is sufficiently high to facilitate
electrostatic pollen transfer, a finding that suggests that ____

Which choice most effectively uses data from the graph to complete the text?

A. red mason bees and houseflies, having greater maximum charges than wintering honeybees
have, should not demonstrate this capacity.
B. houseflies should demonstrate the opposite tendency.
C. the minimum positive charge necessary for a pollinator to induce electrostatic attraction must
be greater than 300 pC.
D. red mason bees should also demonstrate this capacity.
Question 14

Namibia has classified the house sparrow as an invasive species that could harm some of the
country’s native species. But researchers Alejandro Camacho and Jason McClachlan have
pointed out that “invasive” and “native” are labels that describe temporary circumstances.
Changes in Earth’s climate may force animals from their current ranges. Climate changes may
also create good habitats in areas where a species couldn’t live previously. These observations
suggest that ____

Which choice most logically completes the text?

A. changes in Earth’s climate are likely to result in the house sparrow establishing itself as a
native species in locations other than Namibia.
B. Namibia was previously home to some house sparrows but they were outcompeted by
invading species.
C. it’s appropriate for Namibia to designate certain species as invasive but the country should
designate the house sparrow as native.
D. Namibia may eventually need to reexamine its designation of the house sparrow as invasive.

Question 15

Password strength meters (PSMs) provide real-time feedback to users during the password-
creation process about how secure a potential password is. PSMs often include “nudges”—
design elements meant to encourage the creation of robust passwords. Other PSMs provide direct
guidance on how to create strong passwords. A research team found that the strongest passwords
resulted from a combination of these approaches. The team also found that the specific type of
nudge (reciprocity, compensation, etc.) did not significantly affect user behavior. It therefore
follows that when creating passwords, users receiving ____

Which choice most logically completes the text?

A. both compensation and reciprocity nudges would not be expected to create stronger
passwords than users receiving reciprocity nudges only, although users receiving direct guidance
would be expected to create stronger passwords than users receiving either type of nudge.

B. direct guidance would not be expected to create stronger passwords than users receiving
compensation nudges, although users receiving compensation nudges would be expected to
create stronger passwords than users receiving reciprocity nudges.
C. reciprocity nudges would not be expected to create stronger passwords than users receiving
compensation nudges, although users receiving direct guidance and reciprocity nudges would be
expected to create stronger passwords than users receiving only reciprocity nudges.

D. both direct guidance and reciprocity nudges would not be expected to create stronger
passwords than users receiving reciprocity nudges only, although users receiving this
combination would be expected to create stronger passwords than users receiving both direct
guidance and compensation nudges.

Question 16

The Okavango Delta is a vital water source and hub for biodiversity in southern Africa. Koketso
Mookodi, a director of the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project (NGOWP) in
Botswana, helps educate the public about ___ important place.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. this
B. both
C. those
D. these

Question 17

After screening Stellar by Anishinaabe filmmaker Darlene Naponse, the members of the
selection committee for the Native Women in Film Festival were so impressed by the feature-
length romance that they chose ___ as one of the films to be shown at the festival.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. it
B. those
C. these
D. them

Question 18
Robert B. Elliott was one of the nearly two thousand African Americans who won a public office
during the Reconstruction era, the twelve-year period that followed the Civil War. A politician
from South Carolina, ___

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Elliott was elected to the US House of Representatives in 1870 by his constituents.

B. 1870 was the year that Elliott was elected to the US House of Representatives by his
constituents.
C. Constituents of Elliott elected him to the US House of Representatives in 1870.
D. In 1870, his constituents elected Elliott to the US House of Representatives.

Question 19

The relationship between grassland arthropod populations and agricultural fertilizers containing
macronutrients—such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium—was the focus of a 1992 study in
the ___ by the researcher Walther van Wingerden. The study examined a variety of arthropod
specimens, which had been collected by hand.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Netherlands and led
B. Netherlands, led
C. Netherlands. Led
D. Netherlands led

Question 20

Known in Taiwan for hosting its first televised cooking show, renowned ___ Fu Pei-mei taught
viewers how to cook Chinese cuisine for almost 40 years. Fu gained acclaim outside of Taiwan
as well, particularly from the success of her first bilingual Mandarin-English cookbook,
published in 1969.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. chef and culinary instructor,
B. chef and culinary instructor
C. chef, and culinary instructor
D. chef, and culinary instructor—
Question 21

Anthropologist, activist, and musician Lila Downs draws on a variety of Mexican musical genres
in her 2023 album La Sánchez ___ she draws on corridos, rancheras, and other genres of
northern Mexico, even though she is from the southern Mexican city of Oaxaca.
“La Sánchez is my contribution,” Downs says in an interview, “as a southern woman, that also
considers this music as hers.”

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. Specifically,
B. Therefore,
C. In conclusion,
D. Rather,

Question 22

The World Cup of men’s soccer, one of the biggest sporting events on the planet, brought 32
national teams from six continents to the host country, Germany, in 2006. ___ only 16 teams, all
from Europe and the Americas, competed in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. Therefore,
B. For instance,
C. In contrast,
D. In other words,

Question 23

Broadcasting from the Yankton Sioux Tribe’s lands in southern South Dakota, the Native-run
radio station KDKO 89.5 FM does much to serve the local Dakota-speaking community. ___ it
broadcasts local news and music as well as programming in the Dakota language.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. Instead,
B. Specifically,
C. As a result,
D. Nevertheless,

Question 24

In the West African country of Sierra Leone, the percentage of the population living in cities rose
from 40.8% to 42.9% between 2015 and 2020. ___ urbanization rates climbed across West
Africa as a whole, rising 3.2 percentage points in that five-year period.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. In other words,
B. Eventually,
C. Concurrently,
D. For example,

Question 25

Al-Andalus, the historical region of the Iberian Peninsula that includes most of modern-day
Spain, was ruled by various Arabic-speaking Muslim states between the eighth and fifteenth
centuries. ___ many Arabic words, such as “alacrán”—meaning “scorpion”—made their way
into the Spanish language.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. Consequently,
B. Specifically,
C. For example,
D. Instead,

Question 26

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:

 The Dnieper River is in Europe.

 It ranks No. 48 among the longest rivers in the world.
 It is 2,287 kilometers long.
  The Indus River is in Asia.
 It ranks No. 19 among the longest rivers in the world.
 It is 3,610 kilometers long.

The student wants to compare the lengths of the two rivers. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. The Indus River is in Asia, whereas the Dnieper River is located in Europe.
B. The Dnieper River is shorter than the Indus River.
C. The Dnieper River in Europe is 2,287 kilometers long.
D. Among the longest rivers in the world, the Indus River is ranked No. 19.

Question 27

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:

 2024: Spain and Portugal sponsored a workshop to address recent encounters between
Iberian orcas and marine vessels off the Iberian Peninsula.
 Many of the 637 documented incidents involved pods of orcas damaging vessels by
ramming, nudging, or biting the rudders.
 Studies of Iberian orcas suggest recent increases in tuna populations have reduced the
time the orcas spend hunting by 99%.
 Researchers believe this shift has increased the number of interactions between marine
vessels and under-stimulated orcas.
 The workshop advised mariners to avoid orcas pending further testing of the efficacy of
TAST, a harmless acoustic deterrent.

The student wants to make and support a claim about Iberian orca behavior. Which choice
most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. The recent destructive behavior of Iberian orcas may be the result of understimulation,
given that orcas’ interactions with marine vessels have increased as the orcas have spent less
time hunting.
B. Tuna populations have increased by approximately 99% off the Iberian Peninsula due to
changes in the hunting behavior of Iberian orcas.
C. As supported by the workshop’s analysis of 637 encounters between vessels and Iberian
orcas, TAST is a harmless and effective acoustic deterrent.
D. In 2024, Spain and Portugal sponsored a workshop that addressed incidents where pods of
Iberian orcas were ramming, nudging, or biting the rudders of vessels.
MODULE 2: READING AND WRITING

Question 1

Microbiologist Radamés Cordero and team investigated surface temperatures of a variety of

fungi, including Marasmius capillaris and a species from the genus Cantharellus, in a study ___
a previous observation: Cordero had taken thermal images of various wild mushrooms while
hiking and found that the mushrooms all appeared to be colder than the surrounding
environment, raising questions about thermoregulation in fungi.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A. excluded by
B. acknowledged in
C. released in
D. prompted by

Question 2

Players of online games are largely aware that the games collect their data, and they’re often
willing to trade some privacy for a fun experience. But the games are often quite ___ about what
data they collect and why. Because of this, data-privacy advocates are seeking to expand online
players’ knowledge of data collection practices and improve their ability to navigate privacy-
setting features in games.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A. opaque
B. ambivalent
C. abrasive
D. outspoken
Question 3

Described in treatises mainly published between 1768 and 1950 (such as William Holdsworth
and William Aldridge’s Natural Short-Hand), musical stenography used quickly written
squiggles and dots in an attempt to preserve, in print and in real time, the ___ features of live
performances—those that result from impromptu deviations of performers when fidelity to an
established musical score is not mandated.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A. meticulous
B. inconspicuous
C. inevitable
D. extemporaneous

Question 4

The following text is from Edward Gibbon’s 1796 Memoirs of My Life and Writings. Gibbon
reflects on publishing a volume of his series The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman
Empire.

I am at a loss how to describe the success of the work, without betraying the vanity of the writer.
The first impression was exhausted in a few days; a second and third edition were scarcely
adequate to the demand.

As used in the text, what does the word “betraying” most nearly mean?
A. Forsaking
B. Distorting
C. Exploiting
D. Exposing
Question 5

Al Black’s Sunset Backwater Scene with Egrets, a wetland landscape with silhouettes of moss-
covered trees contrasted by a vibrant orange sky, is typical of paintings by the Florida
Highwaymen, loosely affiliated landscape artists mainly active in Fort Pierce, Florida, during the
1950s and ’60s. Some art historians suggest that Highwaymen paintings played a role in shaping
popular perceptions of the state that persist today: the natural iconography that Black and
colleagues constantly revisited—lush tropical forests, vivid sunsets—is now seen as classically
Floridian.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To explain that a particular painting by Al Black has had greater influence on the broader
culture of the state of Florida than is generally acknowledged.

B. To present the argument that paintings by the Florida Highwaymen likely helped to create a
particular widespread impression of Florida.

C. To describe the historical circumstances in which paintings by the Florida Highwaymen

experienced a resurgence in popularity.

D. To contrast the public’s reaction during the 1950s and ’60s to a particular painting by Al
Black with more recent reactions to it.

Question 6

The metal featured in both the structure of the House in Kamiraya by Kazuto Nishi Architects
and the hardware in the One-Room Residence of 5 Layers by Matsuyama Architect and
Associates is representative of a trend in contemporary Japanese interior design to juxtapose
sleek, modern accents with traditional organic materials such as paper. The prominent featuring
of metal stems from the post–World War II emphasis on technological progress, while more
traditional natural materials help preserve longstanding architectural and aesthetic approaches.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. The text introduces the salient characteristics of two buildings and then details the historical
events that occasioned the buildings’ designs.
B. The text names projects that are noteworthy for their inclusion of certain materials and then
explains past important uses of the materials.

C. The text distinguishes between two aesthetic approaches to architecture and then submits that
one approach has had more of a long-term impact than the other has had.

D. The text cites examples of a design trend and then briefly establishes the principles underlying
the trend.

Question 7

The following text is from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1830 short story “Sir William Phips.”
The knowledge, communicated by the historian and biographer, is analogous to that which we
acquire of a country by the map,—minute, perhaps, and accurate, and available for all necessary
purposes, but cold and naked, and wholly destitute of the mimic charm produced by landscape
painting. These defects are partly remediable, and even without an absolute violation of literal
truth, although by methods rightfully interdicted to professors of biographical exactness.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A. Historians should not worry if their readers believe they are embellishing the truth.

B. Historians’ fidelity to the truth often results in work that is less engaging than it could be.

C. Historians do not agree among themselves about the best methods of recording history.

D. Maps are more practical to own than paintings.

Question 8
Deposits of valuable objects, called hoards, have been unearthed in many different parts of
Ireland and Northern Ireland. Technological advancements in the twenty-first century have made
it easier to locate hoards, but plenty of hoards were found earlier. For example, _____

Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement?

A. the Ardagh Hoard and Balline Hoard were both found before 2000.
B. Balline Hoard and Carrick-on-Suir Hoard were both discovered in the 1900s.
C. the Balline Hoard was found in 1868.
D. the Ardagh Hoard, Balline Hoard, and Carrick-on-Suir Hoard have all been found since 1868.

Question 9
The nearly forty tribes located in Oklahoma, including the Osage Nation and the Seminole
Nation, operate numerous businesses and generate billions of dollars in revenue. A student in an
economics class is researching the tribes’ collective activity as a single industry. The student
wants to compare that industry’s contribution to Oklahoma’s overall economy in 2017 with the
contributions made by three other industries in the state. Looking at the table, the student finds
that tribal economic activity totaled over $7.3 billion, ranking it above _____

Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the comparison?
A. accommodation/food services but below both health care and retail
B. health care, retail, and accommodation/food services
C. accommodation/food services and nearly equal to health care and retail
D. both accommodation/food services and retail but below health care

Question 10

Studies have found that when looking at other people’s eyes, humans tend to perceive dilated
pupils positively and constricted pupils negatively. Noting that a dark iris—the colored portion
surrounding the pupil—is hard to distinguish from the black of the pupil (and thereby affects the
pupil’s apparent size) and that many domestic dogs have dark irises, Akitsugu Kono et al.
showed close-up images of dogs’ faces to human participants and asked them to rate the dogs’
traits and their own attitudes toward the dogs. Their findings suggest that______

Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement?
A. iris color in domestic dogs may be an adaptation to elicit positive responses from humans, as
participants responded more negatively to images of dogs whose iris colors can make pupils
appear larger than they did to images of dogs without such iris colors.

B. humans may not be as sensitive to pupil size in dogs as they are to pupil size in other people,
as participants’ responses to the images show no relationship to differences in the shade of dogs’
irises that could affect how large the dogs’ pupils appear to be.

C. humans’ response to pupil size in other people may extend to dogs, as participants responded
more positively to images of dogs whose iris colors were likely to make their pupils appear large
than they did to images of dogs whose iris colors were unlikely to have that effect.

D. differences in dogs’ pupil size may elicit a stronger response in humans than differences in
people’s pupil size do, as participants’ responses to the images when dogs’ pupils were actually
large were indistinguishable from participants’ responses when dogs’ pupils only appeared to be
large due to iris color.

Question 11

Carolina chickadees are cavity-nesting birds that initiate nest building at the same time of year as
golden paper wasps, a species that also nests in enclosed spaces. Researchers observed that both
species will settle in nesting boxes, but birds and wasps are not often observed co-occupying
boxes, leading to the hypothesis that the two species compete for nesting sites. To test this
hypothesis, the researchers installed nesting boxes throughout a nature preserve in the US state
of North Carolina, manipulated some of the boxes to exclude birds, and then monitored the
boxes for two years. Not only was the hypothesis validated, there was also a clear indication of
competitive advantage for birds.

Which finding from the study, if true, would most directly support the text’s characterization of
the study’s results?

A. Even though overall usage of the nesting boxes by wasps and birds was high throughout the
study, 24% of the manipulated boxes remained vacant each spring, while less than 4% of the
unmanipulated nesting boxes remained vacant.
B. Nest initiation by either birds or wasps but not both was observed in more than 90% of the
unmanipulated boxes, but nest initiation by wasps was observed in less than 50% of the
manipulated boxes.
C. Wasps initiated nesting in manipulated boxes much more often than in unmanipulated boxes,
and 80% of initial co-occupations of unmanipulated boxes resulted in abandonment by wasps but
not by birds.
D. Although only 15 instances of co-occupation of unmanipulated boxes by wasps and birds
were observed over the course of the study, in a majority of those instances, wasps were already
occupying the boxes when birds initiated nesting in them.

Question 12

Based on findings from fossil sites, paleobotanists had developed the so-called partition
hypothesis, which holds that there were two distinctly different kinds of biomes during the
Devonian period (circa 360 to 420 million years ago). One was a tropical deltaic forest biome,
home to plants such as the fernlike Eospermatopteris, and the other was an arid floodplain forest
biome, home to plants such as the coniferlike Archaeopteris. Recently, however, evolutionary
ecologist Khudadad Khudadad examined the remnants of a Devonian forest in what is now
Cairo, New York, and concluded that evidence from the Cairo site is inconsistent with the
partition hypothesis.

Which finding about the Cairo site, if true, would most directly support Khudadad’s conclusion?

A. Although the site appears to have been a tropical deltaic forest during the Devonian period,
fossil evidence suggests that Eospermatopteris was present at that time

B. The site appears to have been a tropical deltaic forest early in the Devonian period but
transitioned to an arid floodplain forest after the end of the Devonian period.

C. The site appears to have been an arid floodplain forest during the Devonian period and
contains fossil evidence of contemporaneous Eospermatopteris and Archaeopteris.

D. Fossil evidence from the site suggests that several forest plant species other than
Eospermatopteris and Archaeopteris lived there during the Devonian period.

Question 13

Callie W. Babbitt, Hema Madaka, and colleagues assembled a database of materials used in
consumer electronics by studying products in the lab and by gathering data from similar product
studies. The team gave each of these studies a rating for level of detail (with a higher rating for
reported data with more detail) and for level of traceability (with a higher rating for clearer
descriptions of procedures). Based on these ratings, a second research team concluded that a
study by Baipaki P. Hikwana provided more specificity in its data than a study by Timothy G.
Townsend and colleagues did.

Which finding, if true, would most directly challenge the second research team’s conclusion?

A. The study by Hikwana had a lower traceability rating than the study by Townsend and
colleagues did.
B. The study by Hikwana had a lower detail rating than the study by Townsend and colleagues
did.
C. The study by Hikwana had a high detail rating and a high traceability rating.
D. The study by Townsend and colleagues had a low detail rating and a low traceability rating.

Question 14

From November 1980 to February 1981, oil prices rose 45%, creating what economists term an
oil shock. Although oil shocks have occurred multiple times since 1945, a broadly applicable
description of how oil shocks affect economies at the national level has proved elusive, a
problem typically attributed to the fact that oil shocks’ effects are substantially conditioned on
country-specific characteristics (oil import-export ratios, most importantly). Recently, however,
Gbadebo Oladosu et al. showed that economists’ estimates of national economies’
responsiveness to oil shocks are highly heterogeneous even within a given country and time
frame—ranging by more than a factor of five in the case of the United States during a recent oil
shock, for instance—suggesting that ____

A. controlling for variations in countries’ oil import-export ratios may have obscured
inconsistencies in economists’ findings about the effects of oil shocks at national levels.

B. economists’ conventional measures of national economic activity may be insufficiently

sensitive to the effects of oil shocks.

C. methodological discrepancies in studies of oil shocks may have contributed to economists’

inability to provide a generalized model of oil shocks’ effects on national economies.
D. differences in oil import-export ratios from one country to another may account for more of
the differences in the effects of oil shocks on those countries’ economies than economists
previously believed.

Question 15

Saeed M.Z.A. Tarabieh conducted a study of consumer attitudes toward Jordanian food and
beverage companies and found that for consumers who value environmental conservation, their
likelihood of purchasing a product decreased when their perception of the product’s risk of
causing environmental harm increased. Subsequently, other researchers conducted a study of
various demographic groups in Australia, investigating participants’ intentions to purchase a new
television, and found that, on average, middle-aged adults had the lowest perception among all
the demographic groups in the study of the environmental risks of the TV. Assuming that the
results of Tarabieh’s study are broadly applicable, this finding suggests that ____

A. middle-aged adults likely prioritize other factors over a product’s environmental sustainability
when making purchasing decisions.

B. middle-aged adults might be more likely than participants in the other demographic groups to
purchase the TV.

C. the new TV is less appealing to middle-aged adults than other similar products on the market
are.

D. there is not a meaningful difference in the average likelihood of purchasing environmentally

friendly products among the demographic groups included in the study.

Question 16

In a letter dated January 14, 1780, congressman John Witherspoon attempts to persuade General
George Washington that the Continental Army’s difficulty in procuring supplies, often attributed
to disloyalty among civilian farmers and merchants, ____ due to concerns suppliers have about
receiving compensation in the form of rapidly depreciating Continental currency.

A. largely occur
B. largely occurring
C. is largely occurring
D. have largely occurred

Question 17

Social media platforms have made the collection of qualitative human behavioral data easier than
ever. To collect such data by means of social media does raise a serious ethical ____ terms of
service stipulate that platforms can analyze users’ accounts and posts, according to sociologist
José van Dijck, users are not informed when their data are included in behavioral studies.

A. concern, though;
B. concern, though:
C. concern though
D. concern: though

Question 18

The neurotechnology company MindMaze is working on an exciting new technology: game-

based digital therapies that improve neuroplasticity to help with cognitive rehabilitation.
MindMaze’s technology, alongside other such neuromodulation technologies that function by
stimulating nervous system structures, ____ the way for future advancements in
neurotechnology.

A. paving
B. is paving
C. have paved
D. are paving

Question 19

Helical ____ widely understood to confer stability and efficiency in the locomotion of a variety
of microscopic organisms—including bacteria, eukaryotic algae, and ciliates—bestows similar
advantages, albeit via different propulsive modes, to larger oceanic macroplanktons, such as
salps.

A. swimming has been

B. swimming, is
C. swimming,
D. swimming is

Question 20

Alberto Gabriele, author of Reading Popular Culture in Victorian Print, tracks the transnational
dissemination of works by author Mary Elizabeth Braddon via the magazine_____from 1866 to
1899 and distributed throughout the Australian cities of Melbourne, Adelaide, and Hobart; the
continental European cities of Brussels, Paris, and Turin; and cities in Turkey, India, and
Jamaica. This magazine helped make Braddon’s serialized novels globally available.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Belgravia, published

B. Belgravia; published

C. Belgravia. Published

D. Belgravia published

Question 21

Brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright famously received a patent for their flying machine on May
22, 1906. Louisiana native Charles F. Page, who was born into slavery and self-educated, created
a gas-powered flying ship in 1903 that was officially patented on April 10, _______only model
had been suspiciously destroyed en route to a planned demonstration at the 1904 World’s Fair;
and, discouraged, he never built a replacement.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. 1906—roughly six weeks earlier—Page’s

B. 1906. Roughly six weeks earlier, Page’s

C. 1906 roughly six weeks earlier, Page’s

D. 1906—roughly six weeks earlier. Page’s

Question 22

In contrast to first-past-the-post electoral processes, the proportional representation system by

which Australia’s Senate is elected begins with citizens casting their votes not for specific
candidates but for political parties. ____ once the votes have been tabulated, each party is
awarded a number of seats proportional to the number of votes it received.

A. Conversely,
B. In other words,
C. However,
D. Then,

Question 23

At Storm King Art Center, an outdoor sculpture park in New York, Charles Ginnever’s Fayette:
For Charles and Medgar Evers is exposed to rain, snow, heat, and humidity. ____ it remains in
good condition due to its material: Ginnever’s sculpture is made of corrosion-resistant steel.

A. That said,
B. In addition,
C. On the contrary,
D. As a result,

Question 24
A writer whose debut novel is a success may struggle to live up to that first book’s promise.
____ as in the case of Tommy Orange, author of the popular debut There There (2018) and the
sequel Wandering Stars (2024), the follow-up actually elevates the writer’s reputation.
(Wandering Stars was labeled a “towering achievement” by The New York Times.)

A. Specifically,
B. Accordingly,
C. Sometimes,
D. For example,

Question 25

Box modeling and digital sculpting approaches to three-dimensional digital modeling for video
games yield graphics that accurately represent the relative sizes and proportions of real-world
objects, but since these graphics are rendered from perfect geometric shapes, they tend to lack
organic realism. ____ these 3D elements may display unnaturally precise angles and curves as
compared to their real-world counterparts.

A. As such,
B. In addition,
C. In conclusion,
D. However,

Question 26

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:

 Horridus is the nickname of a Triceratops fossil specimen housed at the Melbourne

Museum.
 The Melbourne Museum is located in Melbourne, Australia.
 Horridus lived in the Late Cretaceous period.
 Dio is the nickname of a Triceratops fossil specimen housed at the Royal Ontario
Museum.
 The Royal Ontario Museum is located in Ontario, Canada.
 Dio lived in the Late Cretaceous period.
The student wants to contrast the locations of the two specimens. Which choice most effectively
uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Like Horridus, Dio is a Triceratops fossil specimen that lived in the Late Cretaceous period.
B. The Royal Ontario Museum in Ontario, Canada, houses Dio, a Triceratops fossil specimen.
C. The Triceratops fossil specimen Horridus is not the only such specimen currently housed in a
museum or institute.
D. Horridus is housed at the Melbourne Museum in Melbourne, Australia, while Dio is housed at
the Royal Ontario Museum in Ontario, Canada.

Question 27

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:

 Cree is a synthetic language in the Algonquian language family.

 In synthetic languages, nouns can take several different forms (or cases) depending on
their function within a sentence.
 Combining the suffix -ikh with the Cree noun sâkahikan (lake) forms the locative-case
noun sâkahikanihk (in the lake).
 Synthetic languages have extensive case systems.
 In analytic languages, cases are not typically used to indicate noun function.
 Noun function is instead indicated through word order and auxiliary words (such as
prepositions and adjectives).

The student wants to explain why Cree is classified as a synthetic language. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Cree is a synthetic language rather than an analytic language, where nouns rely on word order
and auxiliary words to indicate their function.
B. In contrast to an analytic language, a synthetic language like Cree indicates a noun’s function
within a sentence.
C. Cree has a robust case system in which nouns take different forms depending on their
function, making it a synthetic language.
D. Cree is classified as a synthetic language, meaning that the Algonquian language utilizes
nouns to fulfill various functions within a sentence.