betterMateusz/Llama-2-7b-SAT
Text Generation
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fa7a89f1 | Studying how workload affects productivity, Maryam Kouchaki and colleagues found that people who chose to do relatively
easy tasks first were less ______ compared to those who did hard tasks first. Finishing easy tasks gave participants a sense
of accomplishment, but those who tackled hard tasks first actually became more skilled and productive workers over time. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | secretive | efficient | outgoing | unsympathetic | B | Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion about Kouchaki and colleagues’
research into how workload affects productivity. In context, “efficient” means effective or well organized. The text indicates
that, according to Kouchaki and colleagues’ research, people who worked on hard tasks first were “more skilled and
productive” than those who did easy tasks first. This context conveys the idea that despite their sense of accomplishment,
the people who chose to do the easy tasks first were less efficient or productive than those who tackled hard tasks first.
Choice A is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that workers who do easy tasks first are less “secretive,”
or uncommunicative or silent, than those who do hard tasks first. Rather, the text suggests that people are less skillful or
efficient if they tackle easy tasks before the hard ones. Choice C is incorrect because “outgoing” means openly friendly,
which wouldn’t make sense in this context. The text focuses on Kouchaki and colleagues’ research in which people who
worked on hard tasks first were “more skilled and productive” than those who did easy tasks first and were therefore less
efficient. Choice D is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that workers who do easy tasks first are less
“unsympathetic,” or insensitive or unkind, than those who do hard tasks first. Rather, the text suggests that people are less
skillful or efficient if they tackle easy tasks before the hard ones. | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
dddfa043 | Before the Erie Canal was completed in 1825, transporting goods by wagon between New York City and the Midwest took up
to forty-five days and cost one hundred dollars per ton. By linking the Hudson River to Lake ______ canal reduced transport
time to nine days and cut costs to six dollars per ton. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | Erie; the | Erie (the | Erie, the | Erie: the | C | Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a supplementary phrase and a main
clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the introductory supplementary phrase (“By
linking the Hudson River to Lake Erie”), which identifies how the canal reduced transport time, and the main clause (“the
canal reduced transport time to nine days and cut costs to six dollars per ton”).
Choice A is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between a supplementary phrase
(“By…Erie”) and the main clause (“the canal...ton”). Choice B is incorrect because an open parenthesis can’t be used in this
way to mark the boundary between a supplementary phrase (“By…Erie”) and the main clause (“the canal...ton”). Choice D is
incorrect because a colon can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between an introductory supplementary phrase
(“By…Erie”) and the main clause (“the canal...ton”). | Easy | Standard_English_Conventions |
59209b6d | Based on genetic evidence, archaeologists have generally agreed that reindeer domestication began in the eleventh century
CE. However, since uncovering fragments of a 2,000-year-old reindeer training harness in northern Siberia, ______ may have
begun much earlier. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | researcher Robert Losey has argued that domestication | researcher Robert Losey’s argument is that domestication | domestication, researcher Robert Losey has argued, | the argument researcher Robert Losey has made is that domestication | A | Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes the noun phrase
“researcher Robert Losey” the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase “since…Siberia.”
In doing so, this choice clearly establishes that researcher Robert Losey—and not another noun in the sentence—is who
uncovered fragments of a 2,000-year-old reindeer training harness in northern Siberia.
Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “researcher Robert Losey’s
argument” immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the “argument” is what uncovered fragments of a
2,000-year-old reindeer training harness in northern Siberia. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier.
The placement of the noun “domestication” immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that “domestication”
is what uncovered fragments of a 2,000-year-old reindeer training harness in northern Siberia. Choice D is incorrect because
it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “the argument” immediately after the modifying phrase
illogically suggests that the “argument” is what uncovered fragments of a 2,000-year-old reindeer training harness in
northern Siberia. | Medium | Standard_English_Conventions |
96e5da01 | The alga species Chlorella vulgaris is very efficient at making oxygen. For this reason, scientists are currently exploring ways
to use this species in space. C. vulgaris might be used, for example, to build future biological air exchange systems that
______ oxygen for astronauts. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | are producing | produced | produce | have produced | C | Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense. Simple present tense verbs
can be used to describe actions that tend to occur, including in a hypothetical or future scenario. In this case, the simple
present tense verb “produce” indicates what the air exchange systems might be able to do in the future (produce oxygen for
astronauts).
Choice A is incorrect. The present progressive tense verb “are producing” suggests that the oxygen is currently being
produced, not that it might be produced in the future. Choice B is incorrect because the past tense verb “produced” suggests
that the oxygen was produced in the past, not that it might be produced in the future. Choice D is incorrect because the
present perfect tense verb “have produced” suggests that the oxygen has been produced from a point in the past up to the
present, not that it might be produced in the future. | Easy | Standard_English_Conventions |
b13378c8 | Early in the Great Migration of 1910–1970, which involved the mass migration of Black people from the southern to the
northern United States, political activist and Chicago Defender writer Fannie Barrier Williams was instrumental in helping
other Black women establish themselves in the North. Many women hoped for better employment opportunities in the North
because, in the South, they faced much competition for domestic employment and men tended to get agricultural work. To
aid with this transition, Barrier Williams helped secure job placement in the North for many women before they even began
their journey. | Which choice best states the main purpose of the text? | To introduce and illustrate Barrier Williams’s integral role in supporting other Black women as their circumstances
changed during part of the Great Migration | To establish that Barrier Williams used her professional connections to arrange employment for other Black women,
including jobs with the Chicago Defender | To demonstrate that the factors that motivated the start of the Great Migration were different for Black women than they
were for Black men | To provide an overview of the employment challenges faced by Black women in the agricultural and domestic spheres in | A | Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the text’s purpose, which is to discuss the important role
Barrier Williams played in supporting many other Black women as they relocated to the northern United States during the
early years of the Great Migration. After introducing Barrier Williams, the text describes how she helped find jobs for other
Black women, who in many cases relocated in search of better employment prospects than the South could offer at the time.
The text indicates that by doing so, she eased these women’s transition as their circumstances changed.
Choice B is incorrect. Although the text mentions Barrier Williams’s work as a political activist and writer for the Chicago
Defender, it doesn’t discuss any professional connections she made in these roles or indicate that she used any such
connections in her work to secure employment for other Black women. Choice C is incorrect. Although the text discusses a
factor that caused many women to relocate during the Great Migration, their difficulty finding employment in the South, the
text doesn’t indicate that this factor motivated the start of the Great Migration. Moreover, the text doesn’t discuss the factors
that motivated Black men to migrate. Choice D is incorrect. Although the text mentions the difficult employment prospects
for Black women in the domestic and agricultural sectors in the South during the Great Migration, the text’s main purpose
isn’t to provide an overview of the employment challenges Black women faced in these sectors. Rather, it provides this | Medium | Craft_and_Structure |
afd48140 | In 1877, 85% of California’s railways were already controlled by the Southern Pacific Railroad. The company further solidified
its ______ in rail access to the state’s Pacific coast when it completed the Sunset Route in 1883: running from Louisiana to
Southern California, the route established the first transcontinental rail line across the southern United States. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | dominance | creativity | insignificance | neutrality | A | Choice A is the best answer because it most logically and precisely completes the text’s discussion of the Southern Pacific
Railroad. As used in this context, "dominance" means the state of being more successful than others. The text states that
the Southern Pacific Railroad already controlled 85% of California’s railways in 1877, and that the Sunset Route it constructed
in 1883 was the first transcontinental rail line across the southern United States. Therefore, the Southern Pacific Railroad
would be more successful than other railroads in the area, and the construction of the Sunset Route would further solidify its
dominance in rail access to California’s coast.
Choice B is incorrect. Although the construction of the Sunset Route must have required some creativity, or use of
imagination, the word "creativity" would not also encompass the fact that the Southern Pacific Railroad already controlled
85% of California’s railways. The text is more focused on the railroad’s control of the field and overall success rather than its
imaginative thought processes. Choice C is incorrect because if the Southern Pacific Railroad controlled the majority of
California’s railways, it would not make sense to refer to its "insignificance," or the state of being unimportant. Rather, the
opposite would be true. Choice D is incorrect because in context it would not make sense to refer to the Southern Pacific
Railroad’s "neutrality," or absence of strong opinion on a matter, since no opinions are mentioned. Nor would "neutrality" in
the sense of impartiality in a conflict be a logical or precise choice since no conflict is explicitly described. There might be an
implied conflict between the Southern Pacific Railroad and other railroads doing business in California, but that is not a
conflict in which the Southern Pacific Railroad would take an impartial position. | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
c91ef0f0 | During the American Civil War, Thomas Morris Chester braved the front lines as a war correspondent for the Philadelphia
Press. Amplifying the voices and experiences of Black soldiers ______ of particular importance to Chester, who later became
an activist and lawyer during the postwar Reconstruction period. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | were | have been | are | was | D | Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "was" agrees in
number with the singular subject "amplifying." Gerunds such as "amplifying" are always singular.
Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb "were" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "amplifying." Choice B
is incorrect because the plural verb "have been" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "amplifying." Choice C is
incorrect because the plural verb "are" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "amplifying." | Hard | Standard_English_Conventions |
7ce4ee13 | After immigrating from Mexico and obtaining U.S. citizenship, Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo entered politics, earning a
reputation for being a fervent defender of Hispanic civil rights. In 1919 Larrazolo was elected governor of ______ in 1928 he
became the nation’s first Hispanic U.S. Senator. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | New Mexico and | New Mexico, | New Mexico, and | New Mexico | C | Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice
correctly uses a comma and the coordinating conjunction "and" to join the first main clause ("In 1919 Larrazolo was elected
governor of New Mexico") and the second main clause ("in 1928 he became the nation’s first Hispanic US Senator").
Choice A is incorrect because when coordinating two longer main clauses such as these, it’s conventional to use a comma
before the coordinating conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction
following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on
sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. | Hard | Standard_English_Conventions |
ff97fd53 | In 1973, poet Miguel Algarín started inviting other writers who, like him, were Nuyorican—a term for New Yorkers of Puerto
Rican heritage—to gather in his apartment to present their work. The gatherings were so well attended that Algarín soon had
to rent space in a cafe to accommodate them. Thus, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe was born. Moving to a permanent location in
1981, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe expanded its original scope beyond the written word, hosting art exhibitions and musical
performances as well. Half a century since its inception, it continues to foster emerging Nuyorican talent. | Which choice best describes the overall purpose of the text? | To explain what motivated Algarín to found the Nuyorican Poets Cafe | To situate the Nuyorican Poets Cafe within the cultural life of New York as a whole | To discuss why the Nuyorican Poets Cafe expanded its scope to include art and music | To provide an overview of the founding and mission of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe | D | Choice D is the best answer. The text presents a brief history of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, from how it got started in the ’70s,
to its expansion in the ’80s, to its ongoing mission today.
Choice A is incorrect. This isn’t the overall purpose. The text never mentions Algarín’s motivations. Choice B is incorrect. This
isn’t the overall purpose. The text never discusses the cultural life of New York as a whole. Choice C is incorrect. This is too
narrow. One sentence mentions that the Nuyorican Poets Cafe expanded its scope to include art and music, but this is only
one point in the broader history of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, which is the overall focus of the text. | Medium | Craft_and_Structure |
a2835734 | Visual artist Gabriela Alemán states that the bold colors of comics, pop art, and Latinx culture have always fascinated her.
This passion for the rich history and colors of her Latinx community translates into the ______ artworks she produces. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | vivid | unknown | definite | reserved | A | Choice A is the best answer. "Vivid" can mean "colorful" or "bright-colored." This definition fits the context clues about
Alemán’s fascination with and passion for bold colors.
Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. Nothing in the text indicates that Alemán’s artworks are "unknown."
Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. "Definite" means "certain" or "decided." It wouldn’t make sense to
describe artwork as "definite." Choice D is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. "Reserved" can either mean "slow to
reveal emotions" or "booked." But the clues suggest that Alemán’s artworks are boldly colorful—almost the opposite of
"reserved." | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
b7363ba2 | Mathematician and meteorologist Edward Lorenz used the metaphor of the “butterfly effect” to explain how seemingly minor
events can have major impacts on future weather. According to Lorenz’s metaphor, the wind from a butterfly flapping ______
in Brazil might eventually grow into a storm elsewhere across the globe. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | its wings | its wings’ | it’s wing’s | it’s wings’ | A | Choice A is the best answer. The conventions being tested are the use of possessive determiners and plural nouns. The
singular possessive determiner "its" and the plural noun "wings" correctly indicate that the butterfly has multiple wings.
Choice B is incorrect because the context requires the plural noun "wings," not the plural possessive noun "wings’." Choice C
is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive determiner "its" and the plural noun "wings," not the
contraction "it’s" and the singular possessive noun "wing’s." Choice D is incorrect because the context requires the singular
possessive determiner "its" and the plural noun "wings," not the contraction "it’s" and the plural possessive noun "wings’." | Easy | Standard_English_Conventions |
0ff8477b | Food and the sensation of taste are central to Monique Truong’s novels. In The Book of Salt, for example, the exiled character
of Bình connects to his native Saigon through the food he prepares, while in Bitter in the Mouth, the character of Linda ______
a form of synesthesia whereby the words she hears evoke tastes. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | experienced | had experienced | experiences | will be experiencing | C | Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense. In this choice, the present
tense verb “experiences” is consistent with the other present tense verbs (e.g., “connects” and “prepares”) used to describe
the events in Truong’s novels. Furthermore, it’s conventional to use the present tense when discussing a literary work.
Choice A is incorrect because the past tense verb “experienced” isn’t consistent with the other present tense verbs used to
describe the events in Truong’s novels. Choice B is incorrect because the past perfect tense verb “had experienced” isn’t
consistent with the other present tense verbs used to describe the events in Truong’s novels. Choice D is incorrect because
the future progressive tense verb “will be experiencing” isn’t consistent with the other present tense verbs used to describe
the events in Truong’s novels. | Easy | Standard_English_Conventions |
db2e480a | By the time Hawaiian king Kamehameha III ______ the throne, the number of longhorn cattle, first introduced to the islands in
1793, had drastically increased, and so too had the need for paniolo (Hawaiian cowboys) to manage the wild herds that then
roamed throughout the volcanic terrain. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | ascended | will ascend | ascends | is ascending | A | Choice A is the best answer. "Ascended" is in the simple past tense. Since Kamehameha became king in the past, this makes
the most sense.
Choice B is incorrect. "Will ascend" is in the future tense, but we wouldn’t know about Kamehameha III’s ascent if it hadn’t
happened yet. The information in the sentence, as well as the tense of other verbs, tells us that the events described
happened in the past. Choice C is incorrect. "Ascends" is in the simple present tense. However, the information in the
sentence, as well as the tense of other verbs, tells us that the events described happened in the past. Choice D is incorrect.
"Is ascending" is in the continuous present tense, which we use to show that something is ongoing, but this doesn’t make
sense here—the information in the sentence, as well as the tense of other verbs, tells us that the events described happened
in the past. | Medium | Standard_English_Conventions |
48e4021d | The following text is from Holly Goldberg Sloan’s 2017 novel Short.
More than two years ago my parents bought a piano from some people who were moving to Utah. Mom and Dad gave it
to my brothers and me for Christmas. I had to act really happy because it was such a big present, but I pretty much
hated the thing from the second it was carried into the hallway upstairs, which is right next to my bedroom. The piano
glared at me. It was like a songbird in a cage. It wanted to be set free.
©2017 by Holly Goldberg Sloan | Which choice best states the main purpose of the text? | It explains why the narrator always wanted a piano close to her bedroom. | It establishes how the narrator feels about the piano. | It suggests that the narrator’s brothers are talented piano players. | It describes the event that led the narrator’s parents to buy a piano. | B | Choice B is the best answer because it best states the main purpose of the text, which is to establish the narrator’s feelings
about the piano. The narrator reveals that she “had to act really happy” about the piano even though she “pretty much hated
the thing” as soon as it was placed upstairs near her bedroom. The narrator also describes the piano as glaring at her and
compares it to a caged bird that wants to be set free. These details establish the narrator’s feelings about the piano,
suggesting that it makes her uneasy.
Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that the narrator hated having the piano upstairs right next to her bedroom,
not that she wanted a piano to be close to her bedroom. Choice C is incorrect because the only information provided in the
text about the narrator’s brothers is that they were given the piano along with the narrator. Choice D is incorrect because the
text does not describe the event that led the narrator’s parents to buy the piano from the people moving to Utah. Instead, the
text focuses on the narrator’s feelings about the piano after it was given to her and her brothers. | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
c06af4d8 | Sociologist Alton Okinaka sits on the review board tasked with adding new sites to the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places,
which includes Pi‘ilanihale Heiau and the ‘Ōpaeka‘a Road Bridge. Okinaka doesn’t make such decisions ______ all historical
designations must be approved by a group of nine other experts from the fields of architecture, archaeology, history, and
Hawaiian culture. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | single-handedly, however; | single-handedly; however, | single-handedly, however, | single-handedly however | A | Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary word or phrase between two
main clauses. This choice correctly uses a comma to separate the supplementary adverb “however” from the preceding
main clause (“Okinaka doesn’t…single-handedly”) and a semicolon to join the next main clause (“all…culture”) to the rest of
the sentence. Further, placing the semicolon after “however” correctly indicates that the information in the preceding main
clause (Okinaka doesn’t make such decisions single-handedly) is contrary to what might be assumed from the information in
the previous sentence (Okinaka sits on the review board that adds new sites to the Hawaii Register of Historic Places).
Choice B is incorrect because placing the semicolon after “single-handedly” and the comma after “however” illogically
indicates that the information in the next main clause (all historical designations must be approved by a group of experts) is
contrary to the information in the previous clause (Okinaka doesn’t make such decisions single-handedly). Choice C is
incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Commas can’t be used in this way to punctuate a supplementary word or
phrase between two main clauses. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are
fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. | Hard | Standard_English_Conventions |
bcc91b1e | The spacecraft OSIRIS-REx briefly made contact with the asteroid 101955 Bennu in 2020. NASA scientist Daniella
DellaGiustina reports that despite facing the unexpected obstacle of a surface mostly covered in boulders, OSIRIS-REx
successfully ______ a sample of the surface, gathering pieces of it to bring back to Earth. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | attached | collected | followed | replaced | B | Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft’s contact
with the asteroid 101955 Bennu. In this context, “collected” means acquired and took away. The text indicates that although
the boulders on the asteroid’s surface caused some unforeseen problems, OSIRIS-REx was able to gather a sample to return
to Earth. This context suggests that OSIRIS-REx successfully collected a sample of 101955 Bennu.
Choice A is incorrect because in this context “attached” means connected or affixed. The text indicates that OSIRIS-REx
gathered pieces of 101955 Bennu to bring to Earth; it doesn’t suggest that the spacecraft attached anything to the asteroid.
Choice C is incorrect because in this context “followed” means tracked or traveled behind and the text discusses OSIRIS-
REx’s brief encounter with 101955 Bennu during which the spacecraft gathered a sample to bring to Earth. The text doesn’t
suggest that the spacecraft tracked the sample, and it’s not clear what it would mean for the spacecraft to travel behind the
sample it collected. Choice D is incorrect because in this context “replaced” means put back or returned. The text indicates
that OSIRIS-REx gathered pieces of 101955 Bennu to bring to Earth but doesn’t suggest that anything was returned to the
asteroid. | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
37e5c794 | 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: | D | Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice ensures that the
modifying phrase “despite being cheap, versatile, and easy to produce” appears immediately before the noun it modifies,
“commercial plastics,” clearly establishing that the commercial plastics—and not another noun in the sentence—are being
described as cheap, versatile, and easy to produce.
Choice A is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the function word “there” immediately after
the modifying phrase illogically and confusingly suggests that “there” is cheap, versatile, and easy to produce. Choice B is
incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun “two problems” immediately after the
modifying phrase illogically suggests that the “problems” are cheap, versatile, and easy to produce. Choice C is incorrect
because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “commercial plastics’ two associated problems”
immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the “problems” are cheap, versatile, and easy to produce. | Hard | Standard_English_Conventions |
1d971f75 | Photographer Ansel Adams’s landscape portraits are iconic pieces of American art. However, many of the ______ of
landscapes were intended not as art but as marketing; a concessions company at Yosemite National Park had hired Adams
to take pictures of the park for restaurant menus and brochures. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | photographer’s early photo’s | photographers early photo’s | photographer’s early photos | photographers early photos | C | Choice C is the best answer. There’s only one photographer (Adams), and the photos are his, so the singular possessive
"photographer’s" is correct. There’s more than one photo, and nothing belongs to the photos, so the simple plural "photos" is
correct.
Choice A is incorrect. This choice uses the singular possessive "photo’s," which isn’t correct. There’s more than one photo,
and they don’t possess anything, so the noun should be the simple plural "photos." Choice B is incorrect. This choice uses
the simple plural "photographers" and the singular possessive "photo’s," which aren’t correct. There’s only one photographer
(Adams) and there’s more than one photo. Choice D is incorrect. This choice uses the simple plural "photographers," which
isn’t correct. There’s only one photographer (Adams). | Easy | Standard_English_Conventions |
6f5fc289 | The following text is adapted from Charles Dickens’s 1854 novel Hard Times. Coketown is a fictional town in England.
[Coketown] contained several large streets all very like one another, and many small streets still more like one another,
inhabited by people equally like one another, who all went in and out at the same hours, with the same sound upon the same
pavements, to do the same work, and to whom every day was the same as yesterday and tomorrow, and every year the
counterpart of the last and the next. | Which choice best states the main purpose of the text? | To emphasize the uniformity of both the town and the people who live there | To explain the limited work opportunities available to the town’s residents | To reveal how the predictability of the town makes it easy for people lose track of time | To argue that the simplicity of life in the town makes it a pleasant place to live | A | Choice A is the best answer. The author describes Coketown as having streets that are all very similar and residents who live
similarly and do the same work. This repetition of similarities emphasizes how everything in Coketown is alike.
Choice B is incorrect. While the text mentions that all the residents “do the same work,” it never explains what that work is or
why everyone does it. Besides, the idea that they all do the same work is just one of several similarities among the
townspeople described in the text. Choice C is incorrect. While the last sentence states that “every day was the same as
yesterday and tomorrow, and every year the counterpart of the last and the next,” it never suggests that people actually “lose
track of time.” This is also too narrow to be the main idea, since time is just one of many aspects of Coketown that the text
describes as always being the same. Choice D is incorrect. The text never mentions whether life is simple in Coketown, and
the town sounds as though it’s probably a pretty dull place to live, rather than a pleasant one. | Medium | Craft_and_Structure |
acb852e7 | The following text is from the 1923 poem “Black Finger” by Angelina Weld Grimké, a Black American writer. A cypress is a
type of evergreen tree.
I have just seen a most beautiful thing,
Slim and still,
Against a gold, gold sky,
A straight black cypress,
Sensitive,
Exquisite,
A black finger
Pointing upwards.
Why, beautiful still finger, are you black?
And why are you pointing upwards? | Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text? | The speaker assesses a natural phenomenon, then questions the accuracy of her assessment. | The speaker describes a distinctive sight in nature, then ponders what meaning to attribute to that sight. | The speaker presents an outdoor scene, then considers a human behavior occurring within that scene. | The speaker examines her surroundings, then speculates about their influence on her emotional state. | B | Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the overall structure of the text. First, the speaker
describes observing a “most beautiful” sight: a tree (“black cypress”) standing out from the golden sky behind it, looking like
a person’s finger “pointing upwards” and appearing “sensitive” and “exquisite.” Then the speaker wonders about the image’s
meaning, asking why the finger is black and why it’s pointing upward. Thus, the text moves from the speaker’s description of
a distinctive sight in nature to her pondering about what meaning to attribute to that sight.
Choice A is incorrect because the speaker assesses a natural sight—a “black cypress” tree standing “against a gold, gold
sky” like a pointed finger—but doesn’t question the accuracy of her own assessment. Although she wonders why the finger,
which is really a tree, is black and why it’s pointing, the speaker doesn’t suggest that her belief that the tree resembles a
finger is wrong. Choice C is incorrect. Although the speaker describes seeing a “black cypress” tree standing “against a gold,
gold sky” like a pointed finger, she wonders about that natural image (asking why the finger, which is really a tree, is black
and why it’s pointing) and doesn’t give any indication that any people are present in the scene. Choice D is incorrect.
Although the speaker examines and wonders about one thing in her surroundings—a “black cypress” tree standing “against a | Medium | Craft_and_Structure |
f631132b | In the Here and Now Storybook (1921), educator Lucy Sprague Mitchell advanced the then controversial idea that books for
very young children should imitate how they use language, since toddlers, who cannot yet grasp narrative or abstract ideas,
seek reassurance in verbal repetition and naming. The most enduring example of this idea is Margaret Wise Brown’s 1947
picture book Goodnight Moon, in which a young rabbit names the objects in his room as he drifts off to sleep. Scholars note
that the book’s emphasis on repetition, rhythm, and nonsense rhyme speaks directly to Mitchell’s influence. | Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text? | The text outlines a debate between two authors of children’s literature and then traces how that debate shaped theories
on early childhood education. | The text summarizes an argument about how children’s literature should be evaluated and then discusses a contrasting
view on that subject. | The text lists the literary characteristics that are common to many classics of children’s literature and then indicates the
narrative subjects that are most appropriate for young children. | The text presents a philosophy about what material is most suitable for children’s literature and then describes a book | D | Choice D is the best answer. The text starts by introducing Mitchell’s philosophy about using simple, repetitive language in
books for young children. Then it describes a book influenced by that philosophy, Goodnight Moon.
Choice A is incorrect. Although two authors are mentioned in the text, they both agree about the type of language that should
be contained in books for young children. Choice B is incorrect. The text never discusses the evaluation of children’s
literature. It does provide one view of how children’s books should be written, but never introduces a competing view. Choice
C is incorrect. The text doesn’t mention “many classics of children’s literature.” Instead, it describes an educational theory
and identifies one example of a famous children’s book that was influenced by that theory. | Medium | Craft_and_Structure |
b74f676f | Classical composer Florence Price’s 1927 move to Chicago marked a turning point in her career. It was there that Price
premiered her First Symphony—a piece that was praised for blending traditional Romantic motifs with aspects of Black folk
music—and ______ supportive relationships with other Black artists. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | developing | developed | to develop | having developed | B | Choice B is the best answer. The missing verb is part of the same clause as the verb "premiered," and "Price" is the subject of
both. So we need the past-tense form "developed" in order to match "premiered."
Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a verb form error. The missing verb is part of the same clause as the verb
"premiered," and "Price" is the subject of both. So we need the past-tense form "developed" in order to match "premiered."
Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a verb form error. The missing verb is part of the same clause as the verb
"premiered," and "Price" is the subject of both. So we need the past-tense form "developed" in order to match "premiered."
Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a verb form error. The missing verb is part of the same clause as the verb
"premiered," and "Price" is the subject of both. So we need the past-tense form "developed" in order to match "premiered." | Medium | Standard_English_Conventions |
7d84fe2b | Particle physicists like Ayana Holloway Arce and Aida El-Khadra spend much of their time ______ what is invisible to the
naked eye: using sophisticated technology, they closely examine the behavior of subatomic particles, the smallest
detectable parts of matter. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | selecting | inspecting | creating | deciding | B | Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the work of particle physicists. In
this context, “inspecting” means viewing closely in order to examine. The text indicates that as particle physicists, Arce and
El-Khadra’s work involves using advanced technology to “closely examine” subatomic particles. In other words, they use
technology to inspect small parts of matter that can’t be seen by the naked eye.
Choice A is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that Arce and El-Khadra spend time “selecting,” or choosing,
subatomic particles for some purpose; the text simply states that the particle physicists use advanced technology to see
and study the behavior of those tiny parts of matter. Choice C is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that Arce and
El-Khadra spend time “creating” subatomic particles, or bringing them into existence; the text simply states that the particle
physicists use advanced technology to see and study the behavior of those tiny parts of matter. Choice D is incorrect. In this
context, “deciding” would mean making a final choice or judgment about something. It wouldn’t make sense to say that
particle physicists get to choose what is and isn’t visible to the naked eye, especially when the text presents it as fact that
subatomic particles are “the smallest detectable parts of matter” and would therefore be invisible. The text focuses on Arce
and El-Khadra’s close observation of those particles, not on any decisions they might make. | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
975b0602 | A number of Indigenous politicians have been elected to the United States Congress since 2000 as members of the country’s
two established political parties. In Canada and several Latin American countries, on the other hand, Indigenous people have
formed their own political parties to advance candidates who will advocate for the interests of their communities. This
movement has been particularly successful in Ecuador, where Guadalupe Llori, a member of the Indigenous party known as
Pachakutik, was elected president of the National Assembly in 2021. | Which choice best states the main purpose of the text? | To trace the history of an Indigenous political movement and speculate about its future development | To argue that Indigenous politicians in the United States should form their own political party | To highlight two approaches to achieving political representation for Indigenous people | To consider how Indigenous politicians in the United States have influenced Indigenous politicians in Canada and Latin | C | Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text, which is to illustrate two
approaches that Indigenous politicians have taken to achieve political representation for their communities. The text begins
by explaining that one approach is exemplified by Indigenous politicians in the United States who, in an effort to ensure that
the interests of their communities are represented in government, joined preexisting political parties and were subsequently
elected to Congress. The text goes on to highlight a second approach adopted by Indigenous leaders in Canada and several
Latin American countries: rather than joining established political parties, many Indigenous politicians in these countries
have instead formed their own parties to promote candidates for office who support causes that are important to their
communities.
Choice A is incorrect because the text’s focus is on the contrasting approaches adopted by different Indigenous political
movements in different countries; thus, it isn’t accurate to say that the text traces the history of one political movement.
Moreover, the text only discusses examples from 2000 to 2021, a relatively short period of time; therefore, it provides very
little in the way of discussion of larger historical developments, nor does it make any predictions about how these
movements might continue to develop in the future. Choice B is incorrect because the text never urges Indigenous
politicians in the US to alter their strategy of striving for representation through the established political parties, nor does it
suggest that this strategy is inferior to that of Indigenous politicians in Canada and Latin America, who have formed their
own parties. In fact, the text notes that both strategies have resulted in the election of Indigenous politicians to national
governments. Choice D is incorrect because the text never suggests that Indigenous politicians in the US have influenced
those in Canada and Latin America; instead, it stresses how Indigenous politicians’ approach toward achieving | Hard | Craft_and_Structure |
84a7fbca | When Mexican-American archaeologist Zelia Maria Magdalena Nuttall published her 1886 research paper on sculptures
found at the ancient Indigenous city of Teotihuacan in present-day Mexico, other researchers readily ______ her work as
groundbreaking; this recognition stemmed from her convincing demonstration that the sculptures were much older than had
previously been thought. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | acknowledged | ensured | denied | underestimated | A | Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Nuttall’s 1886 research paper. In
this context, “acknowledged” means recognized as having a certain status. The text indicates that other researchers
recognized Nuttall’s work as groundbreaking because of its “convincing demonstration” related to the age of the ancient
sculptures. In other words, the researchers recognized the groundbreaking status of Nuttall’s work.
Choice B is incorrect because in this context, “ensured” would mean to have guaranteed or made sure something was the
case. The text states that other researchers gave Nuttall’s work recognition after it was published, but there’s no indication
that they contributed to the work or had any involvement that would have allowed them to make sure the work would be
groundbreaking. Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that other researchers “denied,” or refused to admit
or accept, that Nuttall’s work was groundbreaking; on the contrary, it indicates that researchers praised the work, recognizing
it as groundbreaking due to its “convincing demonstration” related to the age of the ancient sculptures. Choice D is incorrect
because the text doesn’t suggest that other researchers “underestimated,” or undervalued, Nuttall’s work; on the contrary, it
indicates that researchers praised the work, recognizing it as groundbreaking due to its “convincing demonstration” related
to the age of the ancient sculptures. | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
479c7e82 | Although critics believed that customers would never agree to pay to pick their own produce on farms, such concerns didn’t
______ Booker T. Whatley’s efforts to promote the practice. Thanks in part to Whatley’s determined advocacy, farms that
allow visitors to pick their own apples, pumpkins, and other produce can be found throughout the United States. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | enhance | hinder | misrepresent | aggravate | B | Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Booker T. Whatley. In this context,
“hinder” means hold back or obstruct. The text explains that Whatley encouraged farms to allow customers on site to pick
their own produce for a fee. He did so despite critics’ concerns that the customers would never pay to do so. This context
establishes that the critics’ concerns didn’t hinder Whatley’s efforts to promote the practice.
Choice A is incorrect. The text indicates that critics’ skepticism of the idea that customers would pay to pick their own
produce didn’t have some effect on Whatley’s promotion of the practice. The text illustrates this assertion by describing
Whatley’s “determined advocacy” for the practice. This context suggests that critics’ concerns didn’t obstruct Whatley’s
efforts, not that critics’ concerns didn’t “enhance,” or increase or improve, Whatley’s efforts. Choice C is incorrect because in
this context, “misrepresent” would mean portray inaccurately, and the text includes no information relevant to the issue of
how Whatley’s efforts were portrayed by critics of the practice of charging customers to pick their own produce. Choice D is
incorrect. The text indicates that critics’ skepticism of the idea that customers would pay to pick their own produce didn’t
have some effect on Whatley’s promotion of the practice. The text illustrates this assertion by describing Whatley’s
“determined advocacy” for the practice. This context suggests that critics’ concerns didn’t obstruct Whatley’s efforts, not
that critics’ concerns didn’t “aggravate,” or irritate or make more severe, Whatley’s efforts. | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
47598085 | Yawn contagion occurs when one individual yawns in response to another’s yawn. Studies of this behavior in primates have
focused on populations in captivity, but biologist Elisabetta Palagi and her colleagues have shown that it can occur in wild
primate populations as well. In their study, which focused on a wild population of gelada monkeys (Theropithecus gelada) in
Ethiopia, the researchers further reported that yawn contagion most commonly occurred in males and across different
social groups instead of within a single social group. | Which choice best describes the function of the first sentence in the text as a whole? | It defines a phenomenon that is discussed in the text. | It introduces a problem that is examined in the text. | It makes a claim that is challenged in the text. | It presents a hypothesis that is evaluated in the text. | A | Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the first sentence functions in the text as a whole.
The first sentence introduces what yawn contagion is, explaining that it occurs when an individual yawns in response to the
yawn of another individual. The text goes on to describe Elisabetta Palagi and her colleagues’ study of this phenomenon in a
wild population of gelada monkeys. According to the text, the study showed that wild primate populations experience yawn
contagion and that the behavior occurs most commonly in male monkeys and across social groups. Thus, the function of
the first sentence is to define the phenomenon of yawn contagion that is discussed in the text.
Choice B is incorrect. Although the first sentence introduces the text’s discussion of yawn contagion, it doesn’t present this
behavior, or anything else, as a problem. Choice C is incorrect because the first sentence doesn’t present a claim but instead
explains what yawn contagion is. Moreover, the text doesn’t challenge anything; it’s an informative text that describes the
findings of a research study about yawning in wild primate populations. Choice D is incorrect. Although the text describes a
scientific study, and most scientific studies are guided by a hypothesis, the text doesn’t say what Palagi and her colleagues’
hypothesis was; the text discusses their findings instead. | Medium | Craft_and_Structure |
19688783 | The following text is from Lucy Maud Montgomery’s 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables. Anne, an eleven-year-old girl, has
come to live on a farm with a woman named Marilla in Nova Scotia, Canada.
Anne reveled in the world of color about her.
“Oh, Marilla,” she exclaimed one Saturday morning, coming dancing in with her arms full of gorgeous boughs, “I’m so
glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November,
wouldn’t it? Look at these maple branches. Don’t they give you a thrill—several thrills? I’m going to decorate my room
with them.”
“Messy things,” said Marilla, whose aesthetic sense was not noticeably developed. “You clutter up your room entirely
too much with out-of-doors stuff, Anne. Bedrooms were made to sleep in.” | Which choice best states the main purpose of the text? | To demonstrate that Anne has a newly developed appreciation of nature | To describe an argument that Anne and Marilla often have | To emphasize Marilla’s disapproval of how Anne has decorated her room | To show that Anne and Marilla have very different personalities | D | Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The text begins by noting
that Anne “reveled in the world of color about her”—that is, she takes great delight in colorful things. It then relates a scene
when she enthusiastically enters the house with autumn foliage and announces that she will decorate her room with it. The
focus of the text then shifts to Marilla, who has an undeveloped “aesthetic sense,” or appreciation of beauty, as can be seen
when she dismisses the maple leaves as “messy things” and criticizes Anne for cluttering her room with objects from
outside. This episode thus illustrates that Anne and Marilla differ in their appreciation of beauty and, more generally, in their
basic character: Anne is exuberant and joyful, while Marilla is stern and critical. Therefore, the purpose of the text is to show
that Anne and Marilla have very different personalities.
Choice A is incorrect because the text presents Anne’s appreciation of nature as a basic personality trait, not as a newfound
enthusiasm, and never indicates how recently she developed that appreciation. Choice B is incorrect. Although the text
portrays Anne and Marilla as having different personalities and attitudes toward natural beauty and home decoration, it
doesn’t show them engaging in an argument about this difference or suggest that they often argue about it. Choice C is
incorrect. Although the text does indicate that Marilla disapproves of how Anne plans to decorate her room, Marilla’s
disapproval is a supporting detail that serves to develop her personality, which the text as a whole contrasts with Anne’s
personality. | Medium | Craft_and_Structure |
066a3295 | Researchers have found a nearly 164,000-year-old molar from a member of the archaic human species known as
Denisovans in a cave in Laos, suggesting that Denisovans lived in a wider range of environments than indicated by earlier
evidence. Before the discovery, Denisovans were thought to have lived only at high altitudes in relatively cold climates in
what are now Russia and China, but the discovery of the tooth in Laos suggests that they may have lived at low altitudes in
relatively warm climates in Southeast Asia as well. | Which choice best states the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole? | It dismisses as untrue the research presented in the previous sentence. | It defines a term used in the description that follows in the rest of the sentence. | It emphasizes the main goal of the research introduced in the previous sentence. | It provides context that clarifies the significance of the information that follows in the rest of the sentence. | D | Choice D is the best answer. The text describes how a new discovery expands our understanding of Denisovans. The
underlined portion describes what we used to believe about Denisovans, which helps the reader understand the significance
of the discovery of the molar: it suggests that they lived in more places than we’d previously thought.
Choice A is incorrect. The underlined portion doesn’t do this. Instead, it explains what we used to believe about Denisovans
before the discovery—it doesn’t dismiss the new discovery as false. Choice B is incorrect. The underlined portion doesn’t do
this. No term is defined here. Choice C is incorrect. The underlined portion doesn’t do this. The text never tells us what the
“goal” of the research was, just what its discovery was. | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
6ea8c23f | In 2018, a team of researchers led by Dr. Caitlin Whalen compiled every available measurement of ocean mixing rates from
the past two decades. With this novel data set, the team was able to determine how current-driven mixing varies across
______ and what impact it has on the distribution of heat and nutrients in the ocean. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | regions, | regions: | regions; | regions | D | Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between coordinates in a sentence. The two
elements "how…regions" and "what…ocean" work together as coordinates to complete the description of what the team was
able to determine. Because there are only two coordinates in this case (as opposed to a series of three or more), no
punctuation is needed between them.
Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinates "how…regions" and "what…ocean." Choice
B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinates "how…regions" and "what…ocean." Choice C is
incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinates "how…regions" and "what…ocean." | Hard | Standard_English_Conventions |
49bbe4d7 | For painter Jacob Lawrence, being ______ was an important part of the artistic process. Because he paid close attention to
all the details of his Harlem neighborhood, Lawrence’s artwork captured nuances in the beauty and vitality of the Black
experience during the Harlem Renaissance and the Great Migration. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | skeptical | observant | critical | confident | B | Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Jacob Lawrence’s artistic process.
In this context, “observant” means watchful and perceptive. The text emphasizes that the “close attention” Lawrence paid to
“all the details” of his neighborhood allowed him to reflect subtle elements of “the beauty and vitality of the Black
experience” in his artwork. This context indicates that being observant of his surroundings was an important part of
Lawrence’s work as an artist.
Choice A is incorrect because the text gives no indication that Lawrence was “skeptical,” or had an attitude of doubt in
general or about particular things, let alone that skepticism was important to him as an artist. Rather than indicating that he
was skeptical, the text focuses on how Lawrence paid careful attention to everything around him and reflected his
observations in his artwork. Choice C is incorrect because the text gives no indication that Lawrence was “critical,” which in
this context would mean inclined to criticize harshly or unfairly. Rather than indicating that Lawrence found fault in things,
the text suggests that he paid careful attention to everything around him and that his artwork reflects this careful attention.
Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that Lawrence was “confident,” or self-assured. Rather than
addressing how Lawrence felt about himself and how that feeling affected his artistic process, the text emphasizes the
careful attention Lawrence paid to everything around him—attention that allowed him to capture subtle elements of a
particular place and time in his artwork. | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
adf210e7 | The haiku-like poems of Tomas Tranströmer, which present nature- and dream-influenced images in crisp, spare language,
have earned the Swedish poet praise from leading contemporary ______ them Nigerian American essayist and novelist Teju
Cole, who has written that Tranströmer’s works “contain a luminous simplicity.” | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | writers. Among | writers among | writers; among | writers, among | D | Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a supplementary
phrase. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause (“The haiku-like…writers”) and
the supplementary phrase (“among…Cole”) that specifies a contemporary writer who has praised Tomas Tranströmer’s
haiku-like poems.
Choice A is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “among.” Choice B
is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause and the supplementary phrase with appropriate
punctuation. Choice C is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the main clause (“The haiku-like…
writers”) and the supplementary phrase (“among…Cole”). | Hard | Standard_English_Conventions |
eef91a50 | Nine months before Rosa Parks made history by refusing to comply with the segregated seating policy on a Montgomery,
Alabama, bus, a fifteen-year-old Montgomery girl named Claudette Colvin was arrested for the same ______ to some
historians, Colvin’s arrest led to Parks’s action and eventually to the desegregation of Montgomery’s bus system. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | offense. According | offense, according | offense according | offense and according | A | Choice A is the best answer. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are both independent clauses. Separating
them with a period and turning them into their own sentences is the only grammatically correct choice among the provided
options.
Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a comma splice error, which is a punctuation error that occurs when two
independent clauses are joined by only a comma. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are both independent
clauses, so they need to be either joined by a semicolon, joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction, or separated by
a period. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two independent clauses are
joined without punctuation. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are both independent clauses, so they need
to be either joined by a semicolon, joined by a comma and a coordinating conjunction, or separated by a period. Choice D is
incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence, which occurs when two independent clauses are joined without
punctuation. “Nine months…offense” and “according to…system” are independent clauses, so we would need to put a
comma before the coordinating conjunction “and” to join them properly. | Medium | Standard_English_Conventions |
cb526866 | The recent discovery of a carved wooden figure dating to around 2,000 years ago in a ditch in England was truly surprising.
Wooden objects ______ survive for so long due to their high susceptibility to rot, but archaeologists suspect layers of
sediment in the ditch preserved the figure by creating an oxygen-free environment. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | sturdily | carelessly | rarely | simply | C | Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the discovery of a carved wooden
figure dating to around 2,000 years ago. In this context, “rarely” means infrequently. The text states that the discovery of the
figure was “truly surprising” and notes that wooden objects are highly prone to rot. This context conveys the idea that
wooden objects infrequently survive for as long as the carved figure has survived.
Choice A is incorrect because “sturdily” means strongly, which wouldn’t make sense in context. If wooden objects in general
could strongly survive for long periods of time, then the discovery of a wooden figure that’s around 2,000 years old wouldn’t
be surprising. Choice B is incorrect because “carelessly” means accidentally. The text conveys the idea that wooden objects
in general don’t survive for very long because they rot, not that wooden objects in general accidentally survive despite this.
Choice D is incorrect because the text conveys the idea that wooden objects in general don’t survive for very long because
they rot, not that wooden objects in general “simply,” or merely, survive for long periods of time. If wooden objects in general
could merely survive for as long as the figure has survived, then the discovery of the figure wouldn’t have been surprising. | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
e5da61f1 | The following text is adapted from Charles Chesnutt’s 1899 short story “Mars Jeems’s Nightmare.” The narrator and his wife
have recently moved to the southern United States, and Julius is their carriage driver.
Julius [was] very useful when we moved to our new residence. He had a thorough knowledge of the neighborhood, was
familiar with the roads and the watercourses, knew the qualities of the various soils and what they would produce, and
where the best hunting and fishing were to be had. He was a marvelous hand in the management of horses and dogs. | Which choice best states the main purpose of the text? | To compare the narrator’s reaction to a new home with his wife’s reaction | To give an example of Julius’s knowledge about soil | To show that the narrator and Julius often hunt and fish together | To explain different ways in which Julius was helpful | D | Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text, which is to explain different
ways in which Julius was helpful. The text begins with the narrator stating that Julius was very helpful to him and his wife
when they moved to their new residence. The narrator then provides a list of examples to illustrate Julius’s helpfulness. For
instance, the narrator states that Julius was familiar with the neighborhood’s roads, which suggests that he was helpful in
navigating them, and that Julius helped manage the horses and dogs. The text’s many examples of Julius’s usefulness
reinforce just how helpful he was and in how many different ways.
Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t portray either the narrator’s or his wife’s reaction to their new home. Rather,
the text focuses on how Julius was useful to the narrator and his wife in their new home. Choice B is incorrect. Although the
text states that Julius was knowledgeable about the soil, this is one of several supporting details that illustrate how helpful
Julius was. Moreover, the text merely states that Julius was knowledgeable about soil; it doesn’t provide an example of that
knowledge. Choice C is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest the frequency with which the narrator and
Julius hunted and fished together. In fact, it’s unclear from the text whether the narrator and Julius hunted and fished
together at all. The text merely indicates that Julius knew the best places to hunt and fish—a detail that supports the text’s
main purpose by conveying Julius’s usefulness. | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
576b2c70 | A member of the Cherokee Nation, Mary Golda Ross is renowned for her contributions to NASA’s Planetary Flight Handbook,
which ______ detailed mathematical guidance for missions to Mars and Venus. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | provided | having provided | to provide | providing | A | Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of finite verbs in a relative clause. Relative clauses, such
as the one beginning with “which,” require a finite verb, a verb that can function as the main verb of a clause. This choice
correctly supplies the clause with the finite past tense verb “provided.”
Choice B is incorrect because the non-finite participle “having provided” doesn’t supply the clause with a finite verb. Choice C
is incorrect because the non-finite to-infinitive “to provide” doesn’t supply the clause with a finite verb. Choice D is incorrect
because the non-finite participle “providing” doesn’t supply the clause with a finite verb. | Easy | Standard_English_Conventions |
790fc366 | Using satellite remote sensing, Dr. Catherine Nakalembe, director of NASA’s Harvest Africa initiative, gathers important data
on crop health. Nakalembe doesn’t just compile the ______ she also shares her findings with African farmers, enabling them
to make data-driven decisions about managing critical food crops. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | information, though; | information, though, | information; though | information though, | A | Choice A is the best answer. This choice uses a semicolon to join two independent clauses ("Nakalembe doesn’t just…
though" and "she also shares..."). This choice also appropriately includes "though" in the first clause, where it logically
belongs.
Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a comma splice. It incorrectly joins two independent
clauses with only a comma instead of a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and" or "but." "Though" is a transition
word, but it’s not a coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. A semicolon
can only be used to link two independent clauses. However, if "though" is included in the second clause, it turns the second
clause into a dependent clause, so a semicolon can’t be used after "information." Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in
a grammar error called a comma splice. It incorrectly joins two independent clauses with only a comma instead of a comma
and a coordinating conjunction like "and" or "but." | Hard | Standard_English_Conventions |
9d73c9eb | Osage Nation citizen Randy Tinker-Smith produced and directed the ballet Wahzhazhe, which vividly chronicles Osage history
and culture. Telling Osage stories through ballet is ______ choice because two of the foremost ballet dancers of the twentieth
century were Osage: sisters Maria and Marjorie Tallchief. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | a suitable | a determined | an arbitrary | an unpredictable | A | Choice A is the best answer. “Suitable” means “appropriate for a particular purpose.” Since the text indicates that two of the
best ballet dancers of the twentieth century were Osage, we can infer that the author believes that ballet is a very suitable
artform for telling Osage stories.
Choice B is incorrect. The text never suggests that Tinker-Smith’s choice was determined. That would imply that Tinker-
Smith initially faced some kind of obstacle or opposition, and nothing like that is mentioned in the passage. Choice C is
incorrect. The text implies the opposite of this. “Arbitrary” means “based on random choice or whim rather than reason.” But
the text does give us a good reason behind the choice to tell Osage stories through ballet: two of the best ballet dancers of
the twentieth century were Osage. Choice D is incorrect. The text never suggests that Tinker-Smith’s choice was
“unpredictable.” Rather, the fact that two of the best ballet dancers of the twentieth century were Osage makes ballet
especially appropriate for telling Osage stories. | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
2903a041 | Using NASA’s powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Mercedes López-Morales and colleagues measured the
wavelengths of light traveling through the atmosphere of WASP-39b, an exoplanet, or planet outside our solar system.
Different molecules absorb different wavelengths of light, and the wavelength measurements showed the presence of
carbon dioxide (CO₂) in WASP-39b’s atmosphere. This finding not only offers the first decisive evidence of CO₂ in the
atmosphere of an exoplanet but also illustrates the potential for future scientific breakthroughs held by the JWST. | Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text? | It discusses a method used by some researchers, then states why an alternative method is superior to it. | It describes how researchers made a scientific discovery, then explains the importance of that discovery. | It outlines the steps taken in a scientific study, then presents a hypothesis based on that study. | It examines how a group of scientists reached a conclusion, then shows how other scientists have challenged that | B | Choice B is the best answer. The text begins by describing how the researchers used the JWST to detect CO₂ in WASP-39b’s
atmosphere. Then the text discusses the significance of this finding, both as the first evidence of CO₂ in an exoplanet’s
atmosphere and as an illustration of the JWST’s potential for making new discoveries in general.
Choice A is incorrect. The text doesn’t compare two different methods, but rather focuses on one study that used the JWST.
Choice C is incorrect. The text doesn’t present a hypothesis, but rather reports on the findings of a study. Choice D is
incorrect. The text doesn’t mention any scientists challenging the conclusion reached by López-Morales and colleagues. | Medium | Craft_and_Structure |
cdbbbf94 | As British scientist Peter Whibberley has observed, “the Earth is not a very good timekeeper.” Earth’s slightly irregular rotation
rate means that measurements of time must be periodically adjusted. Specifically, an extra “leap second” (the 86,401st
second of the day) is ______ time based on the planet’s rotation lags a full nine-tenths of a second behind time kept by
precise atomic clocks. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | added, whenever | added; whenever | added. Whenever | added whenever | D | Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a verb and a preposition. When, as in this
case, a verb (“is added”) is immediately followed by a preposition (“whenever”), no punctuation is needed.
Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the verb and the preposition. Choice B is incorrect because
no punctuation is needed between the verb and the preposition. Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed
between the verb and the preposition. | Medium | Standard_English_Conventions |
22a41819 | Rejecting the premise that the literary magazine Ebony and Topaz (1927) should present a unified vision of Black American
identity, editor Charles S. Johnson fostered his contributors’ diverse perspectives by promoting their authorial autonomy.
Johnson’s self-effacement diverged from the editorial stances of W.E.B. Du Bois and Alain Locke, whose decisions for their
publications were more ______. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | proficient | dogmatic | ambiguous | unpretentious | B | Choice B is the best answer. A person who is "dogmatic" believes strongly that their principles and opinions are true.
Because Du Bois and Locke are implied to have one "unified vision" of Black American identity that they prioritize over the
"diverse perspectives" of different writers, they can be described as dogmatic.
Choice A is incorrect. "Proficient" means "skilled." Du Bois and Locke are contrasted with Johnson, but nothing in the text
suggests that Johnson was not skilled at making editorial decisions. Based on the text, the three editors just have different
styles; they’re not necessarily more or less skilled. Choice C is incorrect. "Ambiguous" means "unclear" or "open to multiple
interpretations." However, it’s actually Johnson who encouraged multiple interpretations ("diverse perspectives"). Since Du
Bois and Locke are said to "diverge" from Johnson, we can assume that the views they published were not ambiguous, but
instead clear and firm (a "unified vision"). Choice D is incorrect. "Unpretentious" means "not trying to impress others with
greater skill or importance than is actually possessed." Du Bois and Locke are contrasted with Johnson, but nothing in the
text suggests that Johnson is pretentious (trying to impress others). | Hard | Craft_and_Structure |
6fece68e | Emperor Ashoka ruled the Maurya Empire in South Asia from roughly 270 to 232 BCE. He is known for enforcing a moral
code called the Law of Piety, which established the sanctity of animal ______ the just treatment of the elderly, and the
abolition of the slave trade. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | life | life; | life: | life, | D | Choice D is the best answer. Notice that "the sanctity of animal life" is the first item in a list of three things. We must use a
comma to separate the first two items in the list, just as a comma is used to separate "the just treatment of the elderly" and
"the abolition of the slave trade."
Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. Notice that "the sanctity of animal life" is the first item in a list
of three things. To appropriately format the list, we need punctuation to separate each item. Choice B is incorrect. This
choice creates a punctuation error. Notice that "the sanctity of animal life" is the first item in a list of three things. While
semicolons are sometimes used to separate list items, this list uses commas to separate the other list items, and lists must
use the same punctuation throughout. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. Notice that "the
sanctity of animal life" is the first item in a list of three things. While colons can be used to introduce lists, they can’t be used
to separate items within a list. | Easy | Standard_English_Conventions |
0a04cac5 | The following text is adapted from Jane Austen’s 1814 novel Mansfield Park. The speaker, Tom, is considering staging a play
at home with a group of his friends and family.
We mean nothing but a little amusement among ourselves, just to vary the scene, and exercise our powers in something
new. We want no audience, no publicity. We may be trusted, I think, in choosing some play most perfectly unexceptionable;
and I can conceive no greater harm or danger to any of us in conversing in the elegant written language of some
respectable author than in chattering in words of our own. | Which choice best states the main purpose of the text? | To offer Tom’s assurance that the play will be inoffensive and involve only a small number of people | To clarify that the play will not be performed in the manner Tom had originally intended | To elaborate on the idea that the people around Tom lack the skills to successfully stage a play | To assert that Tom believes the group performing the play will be able to successfully promote it | A | Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately portrays the main purpose of the text. At the beginning of the text,
Tom asserts that he and the other people staging the play are doing so only for “a little amusement among ourselves” and
aren’t interested in attracting an audience or any attention with the production. Then, Tom promises that the play they chose
is modest and appropriate, and he further reasons that using the well-written prose of “some respectable author” is better
than using their own words. Overall, the main purpose of the text is to convey Tom’s promise that the play will be inoffensive
and involve only a few people.
Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t indicate that Tom had earlier intentions for the play’s performance or that
anything has changed since the group first decided to stage a play. Instead, the text focuses on how harmless the entire
endeavor will be. Choice C is incorrect. Although Tom mentions that using the words of a “respectable author” will be better
than using their own words, he never addresses the idea that the people around him generally aren’t skilled enough to stage
a play. Choice D is incorrect because in the text Tom specifically says that they “want no audience, no publicity,” which
indicates that they don’t plan on promoting the play at all. | Hard | Craft_and_Structure |
ad046778 | To humans, it does not appear that the golden orb-weaver spider uses camouflage to capture its ______ the brightly colored
arachnid seems to wait conspicuously in the center of its large circular web for insects to approach. Researcher Po Peng of
the University of Melbourne has explained that the spider’s distinctive coloration may in fact be part of its appeal. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | prey, rather, | prey rather, | prey, rather; | prey; rather, | D | Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. The
semicolon is correctly used to join the first main clause (“To humans…prey”) and the second main clause (“rather…
approach”). Further, the comma after the adverb “rather” is correctly used to separate the adverb from the main clause (“the
brightly…approach”) it modifies, logically indicating that the information in this clause (how the spider’s behavior appears to
humans) is contrary to the information in the previous clause (how the spider’s behavior does not appear to humans).
Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this
way to join two main clauses. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused
without appropriate punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice C is incorrect. Placing the comma between the first main
clause “To humans…prey” and the adverb “rather” illogically indicates that the information in the first main clause is contrary
to what came before, which doesn’t make sense in this context. | Medium | Standard_English_Conventions |
9f737b2a | In Death Valley National Park’s Racetrack Playa, a flat, dry lakebed, are 162 rocks—some weighing less than a pound but
others almost 700 pounds—that move periodically from place to place, seemingly of their own volition. Racetrack-like trails
in the ______ mysterious migration. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | playas sediment mark the rock’s | playa’s sediment mark the rocks | playa’s sediment mark the rocks’ | playas’ sediment mark the rocks’ | C | Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of plural and possessive nouns. The singular possessive
noun “playa’s” and the plural possessive noun “rocks’” correctly indicate that the sediment is that of one playa (the Racetrack
Playa) and that there are multiple rocks that have mysteriously migrated across the sediment.
Choice A is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun “playa’s” and the plural possessive noun
“rocks’,” not the plural noun “playas” and the singular possessive noun “rock’s.” Choice B is incorrect because the context
requires the plural possessive noun “rocks’,” not the plural noun “rocks.” Choice D is incorrect because the context requires
the singular possessive noun “playa’s,” not the plural possessive noun “playas’.” | Medium | Standard_English_Conventions |
2b085bc6 | The following text is adapted from Paul Laurence Dunbar’s 1902 novel The Sport of the Gods. Joe and some of his family
members have recently moved to New York City.
[Joe] was wild with enthusiasm and with a desire to be a part of all that the metropolis meant. In the evening he saw the
young fellows passing by dressed in their spruce clothes, and he wondered with a sort of envy where they could be
going. Back home there had been no place much worth going to, except church and one or two people’s houses. | Which choice best states the main purpose of the text? | It illustrates a character’s reaction to a new environment. | It explains why a character has traveled to a city. | It compares a character’s thoughts about an event at two different times of day. | It presents a character feeling regret over leaving home. | A | Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The narrator describes how
Joe responds to being in “the metropolis”: he’s excited and “wild with enthusiasm.” He also envies the young fellows who
walk by because, dressed as they are, they look as if they have somewhere special to go. The text contrasts this new place
with the place Joe comes from, where apparently there wasn’t as much to do. Thus, the main purpose of the text is to
illustrate Joe’s reaction to a new environment.
Choice B is incorrect because the text makes no reference to why Joe has moved. The narrator indicates that Joe is
enthusiastic about being in a city, but there’s no explanation provided for the move. Choice C is incorrect because the text
makes no reference to how Joe thinks about an event. The narrator describes young men passing by in the evening and then
recalls places worth going to at home—church and a few people’s houses—but there’s no explicit comparison made nor is a
time of day mentioned for these events back home. Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t support the idea that Joe
feels regret over leaving home. Instead, Joe is described as “wild with enthusiasm” at being in the city. Joe’s home is
mentioned, but only to compare it unfavorably with the city. | Medium | Craft_and_Structure |
4a90a978 | In 1990, California native and researcher Ellen Ochoa left her position as chief of the Intelligent Systems Technology Branch
at a NASA research center ______ the space agency’s astronaut training program. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | to join | is joining | joined | joins | A | Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of nonfinite verb forms in a sentence. The nonfinite to-
infinitive verb "to join" is correctly used to form a subordinate clause that expresses why Ochoa left her position (to join the
training program).
Choice B is incorrect because the finite verb "is joining" can’t be used in this way to indicate Ochoa’s action of joining the
training program. A conjunction such as "and" would be needed to coordinate "is joining" with the previous finite verb, "left."
Choice C is incorrect because the finite verb "joined" can’t be used in this way to indicate Ochoa’s action of joining the
training program. A conjunction such as "and" would be needed to coordinate "joined" with the previous finite verb, "left."
Choice D is incorrect because the finite verb "joins" can’t be used in this way to indicate Ochoa’s action of joining the training
program. A conjunction such as "and" would be needed to coordinate "joins" with the previous finite verb, "left." | Easy | Standard_English_Conventions |
aab74a3b | Researcher Lin Zhi developed a process for increasing the tensile strength—measured in gigapascals, or GPa—of silkworm
______ dissolving and reweaving the silk in a solution of iron metal ions, zinc, and sugar, Zhi increased the amount of force
required to stretch it from approximately 0.5 GPa to 2 GPa. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | silk, by | silk by | silk and by | silk. By | D | Choice D is the best answer. The independent clauses "researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and "by dissolving…2 GPa" can be
grammatically separated by a period. They can stand alone as sentences, and this is the only choice that lets them do that.
Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a comma splice. "Researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and "by
dissolving…2 GPa" are both independent clauses. They need to either be separated with punctuation like a period or a
semicolon, or they need to be connected by a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and." A comma alone isn’t
enough. Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a run-on sentence. "Researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and
"by dissolving…2 GPa" are both independent clauses. They need to either be separated with punctuation like a period or a
semicolon, or they need to be connected by a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and." Choice C is incorrect. This
choice results in a grammar error called a run-on sentence. "Researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and "by dissolving…2 GPa" are both
independent clauses. The coordinating conjunction "and" isn’t enough to link them by itself. We need a comma, too. | Hard | Standard_English_Conventions |
79fe7550 | Researcher Haesung Jung led a 2020 study showing that individual acts of kindness can ______ prosocial behavior across a
larger group. Jung and her team found that bystanders who witness a helpful act become more likely to offer help to
someone else, and in doing so, can inspire still others to act. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | require | remember | foster | discourage | C | Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Jung and her team’s study of acts
of kindness. In this context, “foster” means encourage or promote the development of. The text indicates that Jung and her
team found that seeing a helpful (or prosocial) act makes a bystander more likely to help someone else, which can in turn
inspire additional people to help others. That is, the team showed that single acts of kindness can foster additional prosocial
acts across a group.
Choice A is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that Jung and her team found that single acts of kindness
“require,” or depend on or make obligatory, broader prosocial (or helpful) behavior across a group. There’s no suggestion in
the text that individual acts of kindness can only occur if other prosocial acts have already occurred, and the text indicates
only that an act of kindness can inspire additional helpful acts, not that it necessarily will do so. Choice B is incorrect
because the text focuses on a possible direct effect of individual acts of kindness, or single helpful actions, and it wouldn’t
make sense to suggest that actions can “remember,” or hold a memory of, something. Choice D is incorrect because the text
doesn’t indicate that Jung and her team found that single acts of kindness can “discourage,” or hinder, prosocial (or helpful)
behavior across a group. On the contrary, the text states that Jung and her team found that seeing a helpful act makes a
bystander more likely to help someone else, which can in turn inspire even more people to help others. | Hard | Craft_and_Structure |
21d95d1d | Ofelia Zepeda’s contributions to the field of linguistics are ______: her many accomplishments include working as a
linguistics professor and bilingual poet, authoring the first Tohono O’odham grammar book, and co-founding the American
Indian Language Development Institute. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | pragmatic | controversial | extensive | universal | C | Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of how Ofelia Zepeda has contributed
to the field of linguistics. As used in this context, “extensive” means having a wide or considerable extent. The text indicates
that Zepeda’s many accomplishments in linguistics are varied, including teaching linguistics, writing poetry in more than one
language, creating a grammar book, and co-founding a language institute. This context supports the idea that Zepeda’s
contributions to the field are extensive.
Choice A is incorrect because the sentence presents Zepeda’s accomplishments as examples to support the claim made in
the first part of the sentence. It wouldn’t make sense to say that achievements as a professor, poet and author, and co-
founder of a language institute demonstrate that Zepeda’s contributions in her field are “pragmatic,” or related to practical
matters and not involving intellectual or artistic matters. Choice B is incorrect because the sentence presents Zepeda’s
accomplishments as a professor, poet and author, and co-founder of a language institute as examples to support the claim
made in the first part of the sentence. There’s no reason to believe that the positive achievements listed demonstrate that
Zepeda’s contributions in her field are “controversial,” or have caused disputes and opposing viewpoints. Choice D is
incorrect because in this context, “universal” would mean including or covering everything in a group. The sentence presents
Zepeda’s accomplishments as examples to support the claim made in the first part of the sentence, and it wouldn’t make
sense to say that these specific achievements—particularly as the author of a grammar book specific to the Tohono
O’odham language—demonstrate that Zepeda’s contributions relate to everything in the field of linguistics. | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
c468db1c | A group of ecologists led by Axel Mithöfer at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Germany examined the
defensive responses of two varieties of the sweet potato ______ TN57, which is known for its insect resistance, and TN66,
which is much more susceptible to pests. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | plant. | plant; | plant | plant: | D | Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a supplementary
phrase. In this choice, a colon is correctly used to mark the boundary between the main clause (“A group…plant”) and the
supplementary element (“TN57…pests”) and to introduce the following elaboration on the specific varieties of sweet potato
plants that were examined.
Choice A is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “TN57.” Choice B is
incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join the main clause (“A group…plant”) and the supplementary
element (“TN57…pests”). A semicolon is conventionally used to join two main clauses, whereas a colon is conventionally
used to introduce an element that explains or amplifies the information in the preceding clause. Choice C is incorrect
because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause (“A group...plant”) and the supplementary element
(“TN57...pests”) with appropriate punctuation. | Hard | Standard_English_Conventions |
e13171c4 | Historians Tiya Miles and Roy E. Finkenbine have both documented the assistance Indigenous peoples gave to Black
freedom seekers leaving the South before the US Civil War. Much of the historical evidence of this help comes from
Indigenous oral traditions and from autobiographies written by the freedom seekers. One such narrative is Jermain Loguen’s
autobiography, which tells about how Neshnabé (Potawatomi) villagers offered him food, lodging, and directions during his
1835 journey from Tennessee to Canada. | Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence? | It provides an example of an autobiography that describes help given by an Indigenous people to a Black freedom seeker. | It shows why Loguen decided to write in great detail about his experiences traveling from Tennessee to Canada in his
autobiography. | It argues that autobiographies are particularly important sources of information about geography in the United States
before the Civil War. | It suggests that most historians believe that Neshnabé villagers were more successful in assisting freedom seekers than | A | Choice A is the best answer. The previous sentence broadly mentions "autobiographies written by the freedom seekers." This
sentence identifies Loguen’s autobiography as a specific example.
Choice B is incorrect. The sentence never explains why Loguen chose to write about his experiences. Choice C is incorrect.
The previous sentence identifies autobiographies as useful sources of historical information about a specific topic, but not
for "information about geography." The underlined sentence provides details of one autobiography as an example of a source
of information about that specific topic (interactions between Indigenous people and Black freedom seekers). Choice D is
incorrect. The text never discusses other specific people who helped freedom seekers, and therefore can’t make a
comparison between the Neshnabé and anyone else. | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
8d53e7a0 | Slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo’s debut novel The Poet X, winner of the 2018 National Book Award for Young People’s
Literature, is composed of ______ protagonist, fifteen-year-old Xiomara Batista. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | poems putatively written by the novel’s | poem’s putatively written by the novel’s | poem’s putatively written by the novels’ | poems putatively written by the novels’ | A | Choice A is the best answer. Nothing belongs to the “poems” in the sentence, so it should not be possessive—just a simple
plural noun. The protagonist does belong to the novel—it’s the protagonist of the novel—so “novel” needs to be a singular
possessive noun.
Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This
choice uses the singular possessive “poem’s,” but the text indicates that it should be the simple plural “poems”: there is more
than one poem, and nothing belongs to the poems. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that
conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This choice uses the singular possessive “poem’s,” but the text indicates
that it should be the simple plural “poems”: there is more than one poem, and nothing belongs to the poems. This choice
also uses the plural possessive “novels’,” which is incorrect because there is only one novel. Choice D is incorrect. This
doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This choice uses the plural
possessive “novels’,” which is incorrect because there is only one novel, so it should be the singular possessive “novel’s.” . | Medium | Standard_English_Conventions |
94eb800d | For a 2020 exhibition, photographer and neurobiologist Okunola Jeyifous ______ a series of new images based on a series of
alphabet posters from the 1970s known as the “Black ABCs,” which featured Black children from Chicago. Jeyifous
photographed the now-adult models and layered the photos over magnified images of the models’ cells, resulting in what he
called “micro and macro portraiture.” | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | validated | created | challenged | restored | B | Choice B is the best answer because it most logically and precisely completes the text’s discussion of Jeyifous’s series of
images for the 2020 exhibition. In this context, “created” means produced. The text explains that Jeyifous, a photographer
and neurobiologist, photographed adults who had appeared as children in posters from the 1970s, then combined those
photographs with magnified images of the adults’ cells—a process that resulted in what he called “micro and macro
portraiture.” This context suggests that Jeyifous drew on his dual interests in photography and neurobiology to produce the
images for display in the exhibition.
Choice A is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that Jeyifous “validated,” or corroborated, the series of
images. The text describes Jeyifous’s process for composing the images but doesn’t describe Jeyifous making an effort to
evaluate the images for their artistic or scientific legitimacy. Choice C is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to
suggest that Jeyifous “challenged,” or disputed, an aspect of the images; rather, the focus of the text is on the inspiration
behind the images and the method Jeyifous used to achieve them. Choice D is incorrect because the text indicates that
Jeyifous made the images himself using a combination of photography and magnified pictures of cells, not that he
“restored,” or reconditioned, the images from a deteriorated state. | Medium | Craft_and_Structure |
c0e1b70a | The following text is adapted from Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto’s 1925 memoir A Daughter of the Samurai. As a young woman,
Sugimoto moved from feudal Japan to the United States.
The standards of my own and my adopted country differed so widely in some ways, and my love for both lands was so
sincere, that sometimes I had an odd feeling of standing upon a cloud in space, and gazing with measuring eyes upon
two separate worlds. At first I was continually trying to explain, by Japanese standards, all the queer things that came
every day before my surprised eyes; for no one seemed to know the origin or significance of even the most familiar
customs, nor why they existed and were followed. | Which choice best describes the main purpose of the text? | To convey the narrator’s experience of observing and making sense of differences between two cultures she embraces | To establish the narrator’s hope of forming connections with new companions by sharing customs she learned as a child | To reveal the narrator’s recognition that she is hesitant to ask questions about certain aspects of a culture she is newly
encountering | To emphasize the narrator’s wonder at discovering that the physical distance between two countries is greater than she | A | Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The narrator asserts that she
loves both her “own” country (Japan) and her “adopted country” (the United States) even though the two countries differ
“widely.” She also indicates that, at first, she would try to explain unfamiliar experiences that she had in the United States
using the standards ingrained in her from growing up in Japan. Thus, the main purpose of the text is to convey the narrator’s
experience of observing and making sense of the differences between two cultures she embraces.
Choice B is incorrect because the text makes no reference to possible companions. Although the text does indicate that the
narrator sometimes used the cultural framework she acquired growing up in Japan to explain some experiences she’s had,
there is no suggestion that this was in service of making friends. And although “no one seemed to know” strongly implies
that the narrator has interacted with other people in the United States, there is no indication that these conversations
involved her discussing Japanese customs. Choice C is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that the narrator was
hesitant to ask questions. In fact, the narrator indicates that “no one seemed to know the origin” of various customs, which
provides evidence that, rather than being hesitant, she sought information from several people. Choice D is incorrect
because the text makes no reference to the physical distance between Japan and the United States. Although the narrator
indicates that the two countries differ “widely” and likens them to “two separate worlds,” these descriptions relate to cultural
aspects of the countries and the narrator’s feelings about the two countries, not the physical distance between them. | Medium | Craft_and_Structure |
a60b0004 | Scholarly discussions of gender in Shakespeare’s comedies often celebrate the rebellion of the playwright’s characters
against the rigid expectations ______ by Elizabethan society. Most of the comedies end in marriage, with characters returning
to their socially dictated gender roles after previously defying them, but there are some notable exceptions. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | interjected | committed | illustrated | prescribed | D | Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of gender roles in Shakespeare’s
comedies. As used in this context, “prescribed” would mean laid down as rules. The text indicates that the characters in the
comedies often defy gender roles that are “socially dictated” (even if most characters do return to those roles eventually)
and that scholars have been very interested in these acts of defiance. This context indicates that what the characters are
rebelling against are standards of behavior prescribed by the society of the time.
Choice A is incorrect because saying that expectations about gender were “interjected,” or suddenly inserted between other
things, wouldn’t make sense in context. There’s no suggestion in the text that the issue of gender roles was inserted between
other things or was an interruption in a larger discussion. Choice B is incorrect because the text indicates that Shakespeare
depicts characters rebelling against expectations about gender that have been “socially dictated,” not expectations that
society has “committed,” or carried out, entrusted, or promised. Choice C is incorrect because the text indicates that
Shakespeare depicts characters rebelling against expectations about gender that have been “socially dictated,” not
expectations that have been “illustrated,” or clarified with examples. Although it’s possible for expectations about gender
roles to be illustrated, there’s nothing in the text to indicate that characters in Shakespeare’s comedies rebel against
illustrations of gender expectations. | Hard | Craft_and_Structure |
59e41600 | Why are Rome’s famous concrete structures, such as the Colosseum, still standing after 2,000-plus years, when modern
concrete may not even last for fifty? Scientists ______ that the secret to Roman concrete’s durability was its unique blend of
ingredients, which included volcanic ash and seawater. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | explain | having explained | explaining | to explain | A | Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verb forms within a sentence. The main clause of a
sentence requires a finite (tensed) verb, and this choice supplies the finite present tense verb “explain” to indicate what the
scientists do.
Choice B is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The nonfinite participle “having explained” doesn’t
supply the main clause with a finite verb. Choice C is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The
nonfinite participle “explaining” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb. Choice D is incorrect because it results in
an ungrammatical sentence. The nonfinite to-infinitive “to explain” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb. | Easy | Standard_English_Conventions |
cd2ce51f | Like the 1945 play it reimagines—Federico García Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba—Marcus Gardley’s 2014 play The
House That Will Not Stand prominently features women. In both plays, the all-female cast ______ an array of female
characters, including a strong mother and several daughters dealing with individual struggles. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | engulfs | encourages | comprises | provokes | C | Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Gardley’s play. In this context,
“comprises” means constitutes or makes up the totality of, and the text indicates that The House That Will Not Stand had an
“all-female cast” that stands in some relationship to “an array of female characters” in the play. Because all cast members
are female, the characters must be played by these female cast members; therefore the cast constitutes, or comprises, the
collection of characters.
Choice A is incorrect. In this context, “engulfs” would mean encloses or overwhelms, and although it is fairly common to
describe an actor as embodying (or personifying realistically) a character, there is nothing in the text to suggest that the cast
members enclosed or overwhelmed the characters they played. Choice B is incorrect because in this context, “encourages”
would mean inspires with courage or hope. Although the text does mention “a strong mother and several daughters dealing
with individual struggles,” which might suggest that there are moments of encouragement among the characters during the
play, there is nothing to suggest that the cast members encouraged the characters they portrayed. Choice D is incorrect
because, in this context, “provokes” would mean instigates or incites to anger. Nothing in the text addresses provocation or
what it might mean for actors to provoke the characters they are playing. | Medium | Craft_and_Structure |
67667d72 | Humans were long thought to have begun occupying the Peruvian settlement of Machu Picchu between 1440 and 1450 CE.
However, a team led by anthropologist Dr. Richard Burger used accelerator mass spectrometry to uncover evidence that it
was occupied ______ 1420 CE, according to Burger, humans were likely inhabiting the area. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | earlier. In | earlier, in | earlier, which in | earlier in | A | Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is
used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“However...earlier”) and another (“In...area”). The supplementary
phrase “in 1420 CE” modifies “humans,” the subject of the third sentence.
Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between
sentences. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the
boundary between sentences. Moreover, the subordinating conjunction “which” creates a confusing and illogical sentence
that suggests that the supplementary phrase beginning with “in” modifies the previous information (“However...earlier”)
rather than the information that follows. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences
(“However...earlier” and “in...area”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction. | Medium | Standard_English_Conventions |
de2c2f57 | Text 1
The fossil record suggests that mammoths went extinct around 11 thousand years (kyr) ago. In a 2021 study of
environmental DNA (eDNA)—genetic material shed into the environment by organisms—in the Arctic, Yucheng Wang and
colleagues found mammoth eDNA in sedimentary layers formed millennia later, around 4 kyr ago. To account for this
discrepancy, Joshua H. Miller and Carl Simpson proposed that arctic temperatures could preserve a mammoth carcass on
the surface, allowing it to leach DNA into the environment, for several thousand years.
Text 2
Wang and colleagues concede that eDNA contains DNA from both living organisms and carcasses, but for DNA to leach
from remains over several millennia requires that the remains be perpetually on the surface. Scavengers and weathering in
the Arctic, however, are likely to break down surface remains well before a thousand years have passed. | Which choice best describes how Text 1 and Text 2 relate to each other? | Text 1 discusses two approaches to studying mammoth extinction without advocating for either, whereas Text 2
advocates for one approach over the other. | Text 1 presents findings by Wang and colleagues and gives another research team’s attempt to explain those findings,
whereas Text 2 provides additional detail that calls that explanation into question. | Text 1 describes Wang and colleagues’ study and a critique of their methodology, whereas Text 2 offers additional details
showing that methodology to be sound. | Text 1 argues that new research has undermined the standard view of when mammoths went extinct, whereas Text 2 | B | Choice B is the best answer. Text 1 introduces Wang and colleagues’ study and its surprising results, and then mentions
Miller and Simpson’s hypothesis as a possible way to explain them. Text 2, however, challenges Miller and Simpson’s
hypothesis by pointing out the difficulties of preserving mammoth carcasses on the surface for thousands of years:
“scavengers and weathering” are the additional details that complicate the Miller/Simpson hypothesis.
Choice A is incorrect. Neither text compares two different approaches for studying mammoth extinction. Text 1 describes
one study and one hypothesis pertaining to it. Text 2 critiques that hypothesis. Choice C is incorrect. Text 1 does not
describe a critique of Wang and colleagues’ methodology, but rather an interpretation of their results by Miller and Simpson.
Text 2 does not offer additional details showing that methodology to be sound, but rather casts doubt on the Miller/Simpson
explanation. Choice D is incorrect. Both components mentioned here (the new “undermining” research and the theory for | Hard | Craft_and_Structure |
0d402146 | US traffic signals didn’t always contain the familiar three lights (red, yellow, and green). Traffic lights only ______ red and
green lights until the three-light traffic signal was developed in the 1920s. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | avoided | featured | appreciated | disregarded | B | Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of traffic signals. As used in this
context, “featured” means had as a characteristic or part. The text indicates that although US traffic signals have lights of
three different colors (red, yellow, and green), this wasn’t the case until the 1920s, when the three-light signal was first
developed. Before then, the text suggests, traffic signals had fewer lights (as indicated by the word “only” in the second
sentence). This context supports the idea that before the 1920s, traffic signals featured only red and green lights.
Choice A is incorrect because “avoided” means kept away from someone or something or prevented something from
occurring, neither of which would make sense in context. The text doesn’t discuss keeping away from someone or
something but instead focuses on what US traffic signals look like. The text states that they didn’t have lights of three
different colors until the three-light signal was developed in the 1920s. Choice C is incorrect because “appreciated” means
admired or increased in value, neither of which would make sense in context. The text focuses solely on the fact that US
traffic signals have contained lights of three colors only since the three-light signal was developed in the 1920s. The text
doesn’t mention how this characteristic or traffic signals in general are perceived or what their value is. Moreover, the blank
portion of the text describes “traffic signals,” which are lifeless objects and therefore unable to admire or increase the value
of something. Choice D is incorrect because “disregarded” means ignored or treated something as unworthy of notice,
neither of which would make sense in context. The text doesn’t discuss how people react to traffic signals; rather, it
addresses the idea that US traffic signals have contained lights of three colors only since the three-light signal was
developed in the 1920s. Moreover, the blank portion of the text describes “traffic signals,” which are lifeless objects and
therefore unable to ignore or treat something in a particular manner. | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
d75d57a0 | While many video game creators strive to make their graphics ever more ______ others look to the past, developing titles with
visuals inspired by the “8-bit” games of the 1980s and 1990s. (The term “8-bit” refers to a console whose processor could
only handle eight bits of data at once.) | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | lifelike but | lifelike | lifelike, | lifelike, but | C | Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a subordinate clause and a main clause.
This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the subordinate clause (“While…lifelike”) and the main
clause (“others look to the past”).
Choice A is incorrect because it results in an incomplete sentence with no main clause. Choice B is incorrect because it fails
to mark the boundary between the subordinate clause (“While…lifelike”) and the main clause (“others…past”). Choice D is
incorrect because it results in an incomplete sentence with no main clause. | Easy | Standard_English_Conventions |
ac9a3a26 | According to historian Vicki L. Ruiz, Mexican American women made crucial contributions to the labor movement during
World War II. At the time, food processing companies entered into contracts to supply United States armed forces with
canned goods. Increased production quotas conferred greater bargaining power on the companies’ employees, many of
whom were Mexican American women: employees insisted on more favorable benefits, and employers, who were anxious to
fulfill the contracts, complied. Thus, labor activism became a platform for Mexican American women to assert their agency. | Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole? | It elaborates on a claim about labor relations in a particular industry made earlier in the text. | It offers an example of a trend in the World War II–era economy discussed earlier in the text. | It notes a possible exception to the historical narrative of labor activism sketched earlier in the text. | It provides further details about the identities of the workers discussed earlier in the text. | A | Choice A is the best answer because it best describes how the underlined portion functions in the text as a whole. The text
says that the increased production quotas of food processing companies during World War II enabled employees to make
better bargains in exchange for their labor. The underlined portion presents an example of this increased bargaining power:
employees requested more favorable benefits, and employers complied because they were under pressure to fulfill the
demanding terms of their contracts. Thus, the underlined portion of the text elaborates on a claim about labor relations in a
particular industry (food processing) made earlier in the text.
Choice B is incorrect because there is no indication in the text that the economic factors that influenced food processing
also influenced other parts of the economy; thus, the bargaining described in the underlined portion of the text cannot be
called an example of a trend. Choice C is incorrect because the underlined portion supports the historical narrative of labor
activism in food processing that is sketched in the text, instead of noting an exception to that narrative. Choice D is incorrect
because while the underlined portion does discuss the demands that workers made in exchange for their labor, it does not
discuss the identities of the workers. | Hard | Craft_and_Structure |
31d0bd9a | The parasitic dodder plant increases its reproductive success by flowering at the same time as the host plant it has latched
onto. In 2020, Jianqiang Wu and his colleagues determined that the tiny dodder achieves this ______ with its host by
absorbing and utilizing a protein the host produces when it is about to flower. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | synchronization | hibernation | prediction | moderation | A | Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of a relationship between the dodder
plant and its host plant. As used in this context, “synchronization” means the act of things happening at the same time. The
text indicates that the dodder and its host plant flower in unison and that this synchronization occurs because the dodder
makes use of a protein produced by the host shortly before flowering.
Choice B is incorrect because referring to “hibernation,” or the state of being dormant or inactive, wouldn’t make sense in
context. The text focuses on something the dodder plant actively engages in—making use of a protein and producing
flowers. Choice C is incorrect because stating that the dodder plant and its host engage together in “prediction,” or the act of
declaring or indicating something in advance, wouldn’t make sense in context. Rather than indicating that the dodder plant
and its host plant make a prediction about flowering activity, the text suggests that the host produces a protein as part of its
regular flowering process and that the dodder then absorbs and uses that protein to flower at the same time. Choice D is
incorrect because referring to “moderation,” or the act of causing something to become less intense or extreme, wouldn’t
make sense in context. Although the text states that the dodder plant absorbs and uses a protein made by its host plant, it
doesn’t suggest that the dodder lessens the host plant’s flowering activity; the two plants simply flower in unison. | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
f4166aae | In addition to being an accomplished psychologist himself, Francis Cecil Sumner was a ______ increasing the opportunity for
Black students to study psychology, helping to found the psychology department at Howard University, a historically Black
university, in 1930. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | proponent of | supplement to | beneficiary of | distraction for | A | Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Francis Cecil Sumner. As used in
this context, “proponent of” means supporter of. The text says that Sumner helped to found the psychology department at
historically Black Howard University in 1930. This is evidence that Sumner supported increasing the opportunity for Black
students to study psychology.
Choice B is incorrect because the phrase “supplement to,” or addition to, wouldn’t make sense in context. The text discusses
Sumner’s efforts to increase the number of Black psychology students, but it doesn’t make sense to describe him as an
addition to his efforts. Choice C is incorrect because Sumner was already an accomplished psychologist himself when he
helped to found the Howard University psychology department. While Black students were the beneficiaries of his efforts—
that is, they received help because of his efforts—it wouldn’t make sense in this context to describe Sumner as a “beneficiary
of” opportunities, because he was the one doing the helping. Choice D is incorrect because founding a psychology
department at Howard University wouldn’t be a “distraction for” Sumner’s aim to increase the opportunity for Black students
to study psychology—that is, it wouldn’t be something that draws Sumner’s attention away from that goal, but rather the
opposite. | Medium | Craft_and_Structure |
ca47273b | Biologist Jane Edgeloe and colleagues have located what is believed to be the largest individual plant in the world in the
Shark Bay area of Australia. The plant is a type of seagrass called Posidonia australis, and it ______ approximately 200 square
kilometers. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | acknowledges | produces | spans | advances | C | Choice C is the best answer. “Spans” means “extends over a distance of” or “encompasses.” Since we’re talking about the
world’s largest plant, it makes sense to say that it “spans” about 200 square kilometers.
Choice A is incorrect. “Acknowledges” means “recognizes” or “admits the truth of.” Either way, it doesn’t make sense here: a
plant can’t “acknowledge” a distance. Choice B is incorrect. “Produces” can mean “makes,” “causes,” or “presents.” But none
of those definitions make sense here: a plant can’t make, cause, or present a distance. Choice D is incorrect. This doesn’t fit
the logic of the text. “Advances” means “moves forward” or “progresses.” But the plant isn’t necessarily moving forward.
Rather, the text suggests that it already covers a distance of 200 square kilometers. | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
5a278f24 | The work of molecular biophysicist Enrique M. De La Cruz is known for ______ traditional boundaries between academic
disciplines. The university laboratory that De La Cruz runs includes engineers, biologists, chemists, and physicists, and the
research the lab produces makes use of insights and techniques from all those fields. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | epitomizing | transcending | anticipating | reinforcing | B | Choice B is the best answer. Based on the text, we’re looking for a word that means something similar to "mak[ing] use of
insights and techniques from all those fields." "Transcending" means "going beyond," so "transcending traditional boundaries"
would mean crossing into all those various fields of research, which is exactly the meaning we want.
Choice A is incorrect. This isn’t a logical word choice. Based on the text, we’re looking for a word that means something
similar to "mak[ing] use of insights and techniques from all those fields." To "epitomize" means to "be a perfect example of,"
so "epitomizing traditional boundaries" would mean the opposite of what we want: keeping the fields of research separate.
Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t a logical word choice. Based on the text, we’re looking for a word that means something
similar to "mak[ing] use of insights and techniques from all those fields." "Anticipating" means "expecting" or "waiting for,"
and would result in a confusing sentence with an unclear meaning. Choice D is incorrect. This isn’t a logical word choice.
Based on the text, we’re looking for a word that means something similar to "mak[ing] use of insights and techniques from
all those fields." "Reinforcing traditional boundaries" would mean the opposite: keeping the fields of research separate. | Medium | Craft_and_Structure |
a06c434d | The work of Kiowa painter T.C. Cannon derives its power in part from the tension among his ______ influences: classic
European portraiture, with its realistic treatment of faces; the American pop art movement, with its vivid colors; and flatstyle,
the intertribal painting style that rejects the effect of depth typically achieved through shading and perspective. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | complementary | unknown | disparate | interchangeable | C | Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the artistic styles that have
influenced Cannon’s work. As used in this context, “disparate” means distinct or dissimilar. The text indicates that a tension
exists among the styles that have influenced Cannon’s work and goes on to describe how those styles differ: classic
European portraiture favors realism, American pop art uses vivid colors, and intertribal flatstyle rejects the use of shading
and perspective to achieve depth. This context suggests that the styles that have influenced Cannon’s work are disparate.
Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that there is a tension among the influences on Cannon’s artwork, so it
wouldn’t make sense to say that the influences are “complementary,” or that they complete one another or make up for one
another’s deficiencies. Choice B is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to characterize Cannon’s influences as
“unknown,” or not familiar; it’s clear that the influences are known because the text goes on to list them. Choice D is incorrect
because the text indicates that there is a tension among the influences on Cannon’s work, not that they are
“interchangeable,” or capable of being used in one another’s place. | Hard | Craft_and_Structure |
91fbd59d | Award-winning cinematographer James Wong Howe was known for his innovative filming techniques. While filming a boxing
match for the movie Body and Soul ______ Howe had a handheld camera operator wear roller skates. This allowed the
operator to move smoothly around actors in a boxing ring, creating an immersive experience for viewers. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | (1947), and | (1947), | (1947) and | (1947) | B | Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a supplementary element and a main
clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the supplementary phrase (“While...1947”), which
indicates when the action occurred, and the main clause (“Howe had a handheld camera operator wear roller skates”).
Choice A is incorrect because a comma paired with the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary
between the supplementary element (“While…1947”) and the main clause (“Howe…skates”). Choice C is incorrect because
the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to join the supplementary element (“While…1947”) and the main clause
(“Howe…skates”). Choice D is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the supplementary element and the
main clause with appropriate punctuation. | Easy | Standard_English_Conventions |
df46a2ee | The following text is from Joseph Conrad’s 1907 novel The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale. Mr. Verloc is navigating the London
streets on his way to a meeting.
Before reaching Knightsbridge, Mr. Verloc took a turn to the left out of the busy main thoroughfare, uproarious with the traffic
of swaying omnibuses and trotting vans, in the almost silent, swift flow of hansoms [horse-drawn carriages]. Under his hat,
worn with a slight backward tilt, his hair had been carefully brushed into respectful sleekness; for his business was with an
Embassy. And Mr. Verloc, steady like a rock—a soft kind of rock—marched now along a street which could with every
propriety be described as private. | Which choice best describes the function of the underlined phrase in the text as a whole? | It qualifies an earlier description of Mr. Verloc. | It emphasizes an internal struggle Mr. Verloc experiences. | It contrasts Mr. Verloc with his surroundings. | It reveals a private opinion Mr. Verloc holds. | A | Choice A is the best answer. The underline phrase qualifies (meaning adds limits or conditions to) the description of Mr.
Verloc as “steady like a rock,” adding that he is a “soft” rock.
Choice B is incorrect. In fact, the passage never mentions Mr. Verloc experiencing any internal struggles. Choice C is
incorrect. The underlined phrase doesn’t contrast Mr. Verloc with his surroundings, but is instead modifying the description
of him as a rock. Choice D is incorrect. The underlined phrase doesn’t reveal a private opinion Mr. Verloc holds: instead, it
further describes his character for the reader. | Medium | Craft_and_Structure |
29c9be28 | To survive when water is scarce, embryos inside African turquoise killifish eggs ______ a dormant state known as diapause.
In this state, embryonic development is paused for as long as two years—longer than the life span of an adult killifish. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | enter | to enter | having entered | entering | A | Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is finite and nonfinite verb forms within a sentence. A main clause
requires a finite verb to perform the action of the subject (in this case, “embryos”), and this choice supplies the clause with
the finite present tense verb “enter” to indicate how the embryos achieve diapause.
Choice B is incorrect because the nonfinite to-infinitive “to enter” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb. Choice C
is incorrect because the nonfinite participle “having entered” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb. Choice D is
incorrect because the nonfinite participle “entering” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb. | Easy | Standard_English_Conventions |
f4fd123c | The African Games Co-production Market, one of over 180 annual international conferences supporting video game
development, ______ the growth of the African gaming industry by helping start-up studios in Africa find partners. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | promote | are promoting | promotes | have promoted | C | Choice C is the best answer. The subject of the sentence is “The African Games Co-production Market.” That’s one market,
so it’s a singular noun, which means it needs a singular verb. “Promotes” is the only singular verb among the choices.
Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a subject-verb agreement error. The subject “The African Games Co-production
Market” is singular, but the verb “promote” is plural. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a subject-verb agreement error.
The subject “The African Games Co-production Market” is singular, but the verb “are promoting” is plural. Choice D is
incorrect. This choice creates a subject-verb agreement error. The subject “The African Games Co-production Market” is
singular, but the verb “have promoted” is plural. | Easy | Standard_English_Conventions |
b4d29611 | Michelene Pesantubbee, a historian and citizen of the Choctaw Nation, has identified a dilemma inherent to research on the
status of women in her tribe during the 1600s and 1700s: the primary sources from that era, travel narratives and other
accounts by male European colonizers, underestimate the degree of power conferred on Choctaw women by their traditional
roles in political, civic, and ceremonial life. Pesantubbee argues that the Choctaw oral tradition and findings from
archaeological sites in the tribe’s homeland supplement the written record by providing crucial insights into those roles. | Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text? | It details the shortcomings of certain historical sources, then argues that research should avoid those sources
altogether. | It describes a problem that arises in research on a particular topic, then sketches a historian’s approach to addressing
that problem. | It lists the advantages of a particular research method, then acknowledges a historian’s criticism of that method. | It characterizes a particular topic as especially challenging to research, then suggests a related topic for historians to | B | Choice B is the best answer. The text begins by stating a problem with research on the status of Choctaw women in the
1600s and 1700s: written primary sources underestimate the power they had in their traditional roles. Then it presents one
historian’s solution: looking to oral tradition and archeological findings for more insight into these roles.
Choice A is incorrect. This isn’t the overall structure. The text never says that research should avoid written primary sources,
just that research should also use oral tradition and archeological sites as sources. Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t the
overall structure. The text never mentions the advantages of using written primary sources. Choice D is incorrect. This isn’t
the overall structure. The text never says that the status of Choctaw women during the 1600s and 1700s is too challenging
to research. And it doesn’t mention any other topics to research instead. | Medium | Craft_and_Structure |
fff4c7f4 | American poet Emily Dickinson wrote many of her poems on scraps of paper, but she also took steps to collect these works.
From 1858 to around 1864, for example, she copied more than 800 of ______ into forty homemade booklets (known as
fascicles). | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | them | this | that | it | A | Choice A is the best answer. The pronoun "them" agrees with the plural antecedents "poems" and "works."
Choice B is incorrect. "This" is a singular pronoun, but its antecedents, "poems" and "works," are plural. Choice C is incorrect.
"That" is a singular pronoun, but its antecedents, "poems" and "works," are plural. Choice D is incorrect. "It" is a singular
pronoun, but its antecedents, "poems" and "works," are plural. | Easy | Standard_English_Conventions |
e38b3e4f | The radiation that ______ during the decay of radioactive atomic nuclei is known as gamma radiation. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | occurs | have occurred | occur | are occurring | A | Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "occurs" agrees in
number with the singular subject "radiation."
Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb "have occurred" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "radiation."
Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb "occur" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "radiation." Choice D
is incorrect because the plural verb "are occurring" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "radiation." | Easy | Standard_English_Conventions |
1fbf276a | Interruptions in the supply chain for microchips used in personal electronics have challenged an economist’s assertion that
retailers can expect robust growth in sales of those devices in the coming months. The delays are unlikely to ______ her
projection entirely but will almost certainly extend its time frame. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | dispute | withdraw | underscore | invalidate | D | Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the economist’s claim about sales
of personal electronic devices. In this context, “invalidate” most nearly means nullify or make invalid. The text indicates that
interruptions in the supply of microchips for personal electronics “have challenged” the economist’s claim that sales of
personal electronics will show strong growth in the coming months. The text goes on to clarify the effect of the delays on the
economist’s projection, stating that the delays are very likely to extend the time frame over which the projected growth in
sales will occur. This context suggests that the delays are unlikely to invalidate the economist’s projection entirely—the
delays will probably alter the time frame of the projection, not nullify it or make it invalid.
Choice A is incorrect because saying that the delays are unlikely to “dispute,” or argue against, the economist’s projection
wouldn’t make sense. Since the delays are an inanimate circumstance, they couldn’t argue against a prediction about the
sales of personal electronics. Choice B is incorrect because saying that the delays are unlikely to “withdraw,” or remove from
consideration, the economist’s projection wouldn’t make sense. Although the economist could withdraw her projection
because of the delays, the delays themselves couldn’t withdraw her projection since they’re an inanimate circumstance and
thus can’t choose to remove something from consideration. Choice C is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to
suggest that the delays will “underscore,” or emphasize, the economist’s projection. Instead, the text suggests that the
delays are likely to extend the time frame of the economist’s projection but not to undermine the projection entirely. | Medium | Craft_and_Structure |
2c50ed1a | Text 1
Literary scholars have struggled with the vastness of Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka’s collective works of drama (spanning
over 20 plays in total). It is best, however, to understand Soyinka’s body of work as a dramatist chronologically. Soyinka’s
progression as a playwright can be considered to fall into three periods, with each one representing a particular thematic and
stylistic cohesion: the 1960s, the two decades between 1970 and 1990, and lastly, from roughly 1990 onwards.
Text 2
It is tempting to impose a linear sense of order on the expanse of Wole Soyinka’s body of work as a dramatist. However,
critics who have considered Soyinka’s plays to fit neatly into three phases overlook potential commonalities in Soyinka’s
work that span across these phases. Additionally, this view may discount significant differences in the styles and content of
plays written around the same time. | Which choice best describes a difference in how the author of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 view the study of Soyinka’s
works of drama? | While the author of Text 1 believes that thinking about Soyinka’s works of theater in phases is useful, the author of Text 2
views such an approach as limiting. | Although the author of Text 1 claims that Soyinka’s style as a dramatist has evolved over time, the author of Text 2
argues that Soyinka’s style has remained consistent throughout his career. | The author of Text 1 considers Soyinka’s plays to showcase his strongest writing, whereas the author of Text 2 believes
that Soyinka’s poetry is where he is most skilled. | The author of Text 1 argues that Soyinka’s early plays were his most politically charged, whereas the author of Text 2 | A | Choice A is the best answer. The author of Text 1 states that Soyinka’s progression as a playwright can be considered to fall
into three periods, implying that this is a helpful way to understand his works. The author of Text 2, on the other hand,
challenges this view and says that it overlooks potential commonalities and differences in Soyinka’s work across what Text 1
calls distinctive stylistic phases.
Choice B is incorrect. This choice overstates the central claim of Text 2. The author of Text 2 argues against the
chronological progression supported in Text 1, but does not go so far as to say that Soyinka’s style remained consistent. In
fact, Text 2 points out “significant differences in styles and content” among Soyinka’s plays. Choice C is incorrect. Neither of
the texts mention Soyinka’s poetry, nor do they rank his dramatic writing relative to his other work. Choice D is incorrect. | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
ca50de52 | “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. | A | Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the underlined question in the text as a
whole. The text begins with the underlined question, “How lifelike are they?” The text then explains that many computer
animators pose this question about the environments and lighting that they create for animated films, striving for realistic
animation of those components even if the characters themselves aren’t portrayed in realistic terms. The focus of the text
then shifts to describe how some animators strive to create environments and lighting that reflect the film’s unique stories
rather than making them appear realistic. Therefore, the function of the underlined question is to reflect a primary goal that
many computer animators have for certain components of the animations they produce.
Choice B is incorrect because, as the text makes clear, the underlined question is one posed by computer animators who
wish to create realistic backgrounds and lighting effects, not by those who, instead, wish to create effects that reflect films’
unique stories and aren’t necessarily realistic; this latter group of animators is discussed later in the text. Choice C is
incorrect. As the text explains, many computer animators strive for realistic environments and lighting, while others do not;
this difference of approach relates to whether these components should be realistic, not to how realism can be achieved
using current technology, and the text never suggests that animators are uncertain how to achieve it. Choice D is incorrect
because the underlined question pertains to the perspective of computer animators, not the audience, and the text never
considers audience’s reactions to characters in animated films. | Hard | Craft_and_Structure |
d073983d | Known for her massive photorealistic paintings of African American figures floating or swimming in pools, Calida Garcia
______ was the logical choice to design the book cover for Ta-Nehisi Coates’s The Water Dancer, a novel about an African
American man who can travel great distances through water. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | Rawles— | Rawles: | Rawles, | Rawles | D | Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a subject and a verb. When, as in this case,
a subject (“Calida Garcia Rawles”) is immediately followed by a verb (“was”), no punctuation is needed.
Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice B is incorrect because no
punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between
the subject and the verb. | Medium | Standard_English_Conventions |
333b2b65 | While one requires oxygen and one does ______ and anaerobic respiration are both forms of cellular respiration—that is, they
are processes by which cells break down glucose to use as energy. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | not aerobic | not. Aerobic | not, aerobic | not; aerobic | C | Choice C is the best answer. A comma is the appropriate way to link the dependent clause “While...not” and the independent
clause that follows.
Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. “While...not” is a dependent clause, which must be
separated from the independent clause that follows with some sort of punctuation. Choice B is incorrect. This choice
creates a sentence fragment. “While one requires oxygen and one does not” isn’t an independent clause, so it can’t stand
alone as a complete sentence. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “While one requires oxygen and
one does not” isn’t an independent clause, so it can’t be linked to the clause that follows with a semicolon. | Easy | Standard_English_Conventions |
a3761c7e | Physicist Joseph Weber performed ______ work in gravitational wave research in the 1960s and 1970s, conducting key
experiments that scientists later used as the basis for their own investigations that led to the first verified detection of a
gravitational wave in 2015. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | foundational | supplementary | repetitive | ineffective | A | Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of physicist Joseph Webster’s
research on gravitational waves. In this context “foundational” means the basis on which something else develops. The text
indicates that Webster’s experiments in the 1960s and 1970s were earlier than, and “key” to, the work of later scientists in
the field; thus, Webster’s work was foundational to the later scientists’ experiments and the eventual detection of a
gravitational wave in 2015.
Choice B is incorrect because the text does not suggest that Webster’s work was supplementary, or an additional element of
an existing, larger project, but rather it was “the basis for” later experiments. Choice C is incorrect because the text does not
assert that Webster’s work was repetitive, or involved doing something the same way many times. Rather, the text indicates
that Webster’s work formed the basis for later investigations in the field of gravitational wave research. Choice D is incorrect
because the text does not state that Webster’s work was ineffective, or failed to produce the desired outcome. Rather, the
text strongly implies that Webster’s work was productive and extremely important to later work in the field of gravitational
wave research. | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
d8d1ecaa | Business researcher Melanie Brucks and colleagues found that remote video conference meetings may be less conducive to
brainstorming than in-person meetings are. The researchers suspect that video meeting participants are focused on staring
at the speaker on the screen and don’t allow their eyes or mind to wander as much, which may ultimately ______ creativity. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | recommend | criticize | impede | construct | C | Choice C is the best answer. The first sentence tells us that video meetings are “less conducive to” (meaning less good for)
brainstorming. This suggests that the video meeting participants’ focus is bad for their creativity. “Impede” means “delay” or
“prevent,” which works perfectly in this context.
Choice A is incorrect. This choice is too positive to fit the context. The first sentence tells us that video meetings are “less
conducive to” (meaning less good for) brainstorming. This suggests that the video meeting participants’ focus is bad for
their creativity. Choice B is incorrect. This choice doesn’t make sense. The participants’ intense focus on the screen is the
subject of the missing verb. It wouldn’t make sense to say that their over-focusing “criticizes” their creativity. Choice D is
incorrect. “Construct” means “build” or “make,” which is too positive to fit the context. The first sentence tells us that video
meetings are “less conducive to” (meaning less good for) brainstorming. This suggests that the video meeting participants’
focus is bad for their creativity. | Medium | Craft_and_Structure |
590f0ad2 | Industrial activity is often assumed to be a threat to wildlife, but that isn’t always so. Consider the silver-studded blue
butterfly (Plebejus argus): as forest growth has reduced grasslands in northern Germany, many of these butterflies have left
meadow habitats and are now thriving in active limestone quarries. In a survey of multiple active quarries and patches of
maintained grassland, an ecologist found silver-studded blue butterflies in 100% of the quarries but only 57% of the
grassland patches. Moreover, butterfly populations in the quarries were four times larger than those in the meadows. | Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole? | It challenges a common assumption about the species under investigation in the research referred to in the text. | It introduces discussion of a specific example that supports the general claim made in the previous sentence. | It suggests that a certain species should be included in additional studies like the one mentioned later in the text. | It provides a definition for an unfamiliar term that is central to the main argument in the text. | B | Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined portion functions in the text as a
whole. The first sentence presents the general claim that industrial activity is not always a threat to wildlife. The underlined
portion of the sentence that follows suggests that the silver-studded blue butterfly is an example of wildlife thriving in areas
of industrial activity: active limestone quarries. Thus, the function of the underlined portion is to introduce a specific example
in support of the general claim in the previous sentence.
Choice A is incorrect. Although the first sentence indicates that “industrial activity is often assumed” to harm wildlife, in the
case of the silver-studded blue butterfly the text mentions neither an assumption about this species nor any challenge to
such an assumption. Choice C is incorrect because the text mentions only one study: the “survey.” Additional studies are not
mentioned in the text. Choice D is incorrect because neither the underlined portion nor any other portion of the text provides
a definition for any of the terms used in the text’s argument. | Medium | Craft_and_Structure |
3daf126e | A model created by biologist Luis Valente predicts that the rate of speciation—the rate at which new species form—on an
isolated island located approximately 5,000 kilometers from the nearest mainland ______ triple the rate of speciation on an
island only 500 kilometers from the mainland. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | being | to be | to have been | will be | D | Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is finite and nonfinite verb forms within a sentence. Relative
clauses, such as the one beginning with “that,” require a finite verb, a verb that can function as the main verb of a clause. This
choice correctly supplies the clause with the finite future tense verb “will be.”
Choice A is incorrect because the nonfinite participle “being” doesn’t supply the clause with a finite verb. Choice B is
incorrect because the nonfinite to-infinitive “to be” doesn’t supply the clause with a finite verb. Choice C is incorrect because
the nonfinite to-infinitive “to have been” doesn’t supply the clause with a finite verb. | Hard | Standard_English_Conventions |
fce80a36 | In 2008 a complete set of ancient pessoi (glass game pieces) was uncovered from beneath a paving stone in modern-day
Israel. Due to their small size, pessoi were easily misplaced, making a whole set a rare find. This has led some experts to
suggest that the set may have been buried intentionally; however, without clear evidence, archaeologists are left to ______
what happened. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | speculate about | dismiss | expand on | catalog | A | Choice A is the best answer. "Speculate" means "to form a theory or guess without any clear evidence." This makes sense
because, due to the lack of "clear evidence," the archaeologists can only guess how the pessoi set might have come to be
there.
Choice B is incorrect. "Dismiss" can mean "send away" or "treat as unworthy of consideration." The text implies that the
archaeologists are trying to figure out the truth—they wouldn’t "dismiss" what really happened. Choice C is incorrect. "Expand
on" means "give more details about," but there aren’t any details to give. Without any "clear evidence," the archaeologists can’t
give any more details. Choice D is incorrect. "Catalog" means "carefully record" or "make a list of." However, there’s no "clear
evidence," so there’s no real information to "catalog." | Medium | Craft_and_Structure |
b92c13fa | According to statistician Nassim Nicholas Taleb, the best way to predict the amount of time a nonperishable entity (such as
a building or a technology) will continue to exist is to examine how long it has survived so far. In this view, an item’s age is
the strongest ______ how much longer it will last. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | uncertainty about | indicator of | motivation for | criticism of | B | Choice B is the best answer. “Indicator” means “something that shows or suggests,” which matches Taleb’s argument that an
item’s age can suggest how much longer it will last.
Choice A is incorrect. The passage tells us that examining an item’s age is the best way to predict how much longer it will
last. Therefore, according to Taleb’s theory, an item’s age should add more certainty about how much longer it will last.
Choice C is incorrect. A “motivation” is “a reason for doing.” Items don’t have feelings and motivations, so it wouldn’t make
sense to say that their age is a motivation for how much longer they will last. Choice D is incorrect. “Criticism” can mean
“describing faults or problems” or “an analysis of an artistic work.” Neither of these definitions makes sense here. An item’s
age can’t criticize how much longer it will last. | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
12bd5b75 | With its towering, six-spired exterior of granitelike quartz monzonite, the Salt Lake Temple is one of the most instantly
recognizable structures in the state of Utah. However, many people do not know that ______ built over the course of forty
years, with construction beginning in 1853 and ending in 1893. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | it was | one was | they were | both were | A | Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is pronoun-antecedent agreement. The singular pronoun "it" agrees
in number with the singular antecedent "the Salt Lake Temple."
Choice B is incorrect because the singular pronoun "one" is ambiguous in this context; the resulting sentence leaves unclear
whether there is only one Salt Lake temple or multiple. Choice C is incorrect because the plural pronoun "they" doesn’t agree
in number with the singular antecedent "the Salt Lake Temple." Choice D is incorrect because the plural pronoun "both"
doesn’t agree in number with the singular antecedent "the Salt Lake Temple." | Easy | Standard_English_Conventions |
fcc328c6 | Streams and rivers carry soil and rocks from one location to another. But there is another way for these geological materials
to move. Scientists call this process “aeolian transport.” In aeolian transport, winds move small particles of soil or rock over
potentially great distances. Geologist Melisa Diaz and her team studied dust in Antarctica to find out if it was moved by
aeolian transport. They discovered that the dust matched geological material in Australia. Aeolian transport had carried it
from one continent to another, across thousands of miles of open ocean. | Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole? | It presents Melisa Diaz’s remarks about difficulties that her team encountered. | It introduces a scientific term that is used in the discussion that follows. | It emphasizes the surprising nature of the findings that are presented. | It explains the difference between two kinds of geological material. | B | Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a
whole. The first two sentences introduce the idea that soil and rocks can be moved from one location to another by
something other than rivers and streams. The underlined sentence then states that the term used by scientists to refer to
this process is “aeolian transport.” The discussion that follows explains what aeolian transport is (the movement of small
geological materials over potentially great distances by the wind) and describes an example of a study that found that dust
particles had been moved by aeolian transport from Australia to Antarctica. Thus, the underlined portion introduces a
scientific term that is used in the discussion that follows.
Choice A is incorrect because the underlined portion of the text doesn’t present any remarks from Melisa Diaz, nor does it
suggest that Diaz and her team encountered difficulties in their study. Instead, the phrase in quotation marks in the
underlined portion simply presents a term that is used by scientists to refer to a specific process discussed in the
text. Choice C is incorrect because nothing in either the underlined portion or the text as a whole suggests that the findings
of the study presented in the text were surprising or unexpected. In fact, the text suggests that Diaz and her team wanted to
see if aeolian transport could explain the appearance of certain geological materials in Antarctica, and their findings did
indeed confirm the involvement of aeolian transport. Choice D is incorrect. Although the first sentence of the text mentions
soil and rocks, which are two different kinds of geological material, the underlined portion doesn’t refer to these materials,
nor does it explain the difference between them. Rather, the underlined portion introduces the scientific term “aeolian
transport,” which is used in the discussion that follows. | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
db4e3819 | Midway through her 1968 jazz album A Monastic Trio, Alice Coltrane switches instruments, swapping the piano for the harp.
With the same fluid style that Coltrane was famous for on piano, she ______ her fingers across the harp strings and creates a
radiant sound. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | sweep | are sweeping | were sweeping | sweeps | D | Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "sweeps" agrees in
number with the singular subject "she," which refers to Alice Coltrane.
Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb "sweep" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "she." Choice B is
incorrect because the plural verb "are sweeping" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "she." Choice C is
incorrect because the plural verb "were sweeping" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "she." | Easy | Standard_English_Conventions |
a756aa95 | The province of Xoconochco was situated on the Pacific coast, hundreds of kilometers southeast of Tenochtitlan, the capital
of the Aztec Empire. Because Xoconochco’s location within the empire was so ______, cacao and other trade goods
produced there could reach the capital only after a long overland journey. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | unobtrusive | concealed | approximate | peripheral | D | Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the location of the province of
Xoconochco within the Aztec Empire. As used in this context, “peripheral” means situated toward the outer bounds rather
than the center. The text indicates that Xoconochco was located on a coast, hundreds of kilometers away from the capital of
the Aztec Empire. The text also states that trade between the province and the capital required “a long overland journey.”
This context suggests that Xoconochco was situated toward an edge of the empire’s territory rather than near its center.
Choice A is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context to refer to Xoconochco’s location within the Aztec Empire as
“unobtrusive,” or not blatant or undesirably prominent; it’s not clear how a province’s physical location would or wouldn’t be
blatant. Instead of focusing on how noticeable Xoconochco’s location was, the text emphasizes the province’s distance from
the capital of the empire, pointing out that because of this distance trade between the two required “a long overland journey.”
Choice B is incorrect because the text indicates that the province of Xoconochco was located on a coast far from the capital
of the Aztec Empire, not that it was “concealed,” or kept out of sight or hidden from view. Nothing in the text suggests that
Xoconochco was actually hidden such that people couldn’t see it, and being hidden wouldn’t necessarily result in trade
between the province and the capital requiring “a long overland journey.” Choice C is incorrect because to say that
Xoconochco’s location within the Aztec Empire was “approximate” would mean that the location either wasn’t precisely
correct or was close to some other location. Neither of these meanings would make sense in context because the text
indicates that Xoconochco’s location is known and that it was far from the empire’s capital, so there’s no reason to
characterize the location as either not precisely correct or close to another location. | Hard | Craft_and_Structure |
a1e0c981 | In her book The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts, author Maxine Hong Kingston examines themes
______ childhood, womanhood, and Chinese American identity by intertwining autobiography and mythology. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | of: | of | of— | of, | B | Choice B is the best answer. “Themes of childhood” is one noun phrase, with “themes of” implicitly carrying over to the other
items on the list (“themes of childhood, [themes of] womanhood, and [themes of] Chinese American identity”).
Choice A is incorrect. This choice inappropriately breaks up the introduction of a list. Also, “In her book…themes of” is not an
independent clause, thanks to the dangling “of” at the end, so it can’t precede a colon. Choice C is incorrect. This choice
inappropriately breaks up the introduction of a list. Also, “In her book…themes of” is not an independent clause, thanks to the
dangling “of” at the end, so it can’t precede a single dash. Choice D is incorrect. This choice inappropriately breaks up the
introduction of a list. “Themes of” implicitly carries over to each item on the list (“themes of childhood, [themes of]
womanhood, and [themes of] Chinese American identity”), so we don’t want to use a comma to separate it. | Easy | Standard_English_Conventions |
aa7fc89b | The following text is adapted from Susan Glaspell’s 1912 short story “‘Out There.’” An elderly shop owner is looking at a
picture that he recently acquired and hopes to sell.
It did seem that the picture failed to fit in with the rest of the shop. A persuasive young fellow who claimed he was closing
out his stock let the old man have it for what he called a song. It was only a little out-of-the-way store which subsisted
chiefly on the framing of pictures. The old man looked around at his views of the city, his pictures of cats and dogs, his
flaming bits of landscape. “Don’t belong in here,” he fumed.
And yet the old man was secretly proud of his acquisition. There was a hidden dignity in his scowling as he shuffled about
pondering the least ridiculous place for the picture. | Which choice best states the main purpose of the text? | To reveal the shop owner’s conflicted feelings about the new picture | To convey the shop owner’s resentment of the person he got the new picture from | To describe the items that the shop owner most highly prizes | To explain differences between the new picture and other pictures in the shop | A | Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The text begins by stating
that the new picture “failed to fit in” with the other items that the shop owner has. The text goes on to illustrate that point by
describing the other pictures the shop owner has, indicating that the shop owner is fuming because he doesn’t think the new
picture belongs in the store. In the second paragraph, however, the text indicates that the shop owner is “secretly proud of
his acquisition.” The main purpose of the text is thus to reveal the shop owner’s conflicted feelings about the new picture.
Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that the shop owner resents the young man who sold him the new
picture; in fact, the text gives no indication of the owner’s feelings about the young man at all. Choice C is incorrect. Although
the text indicates that the new picture is different from the other items in the shop, there’s no suggestion that the shop owner
prizes either the new picture or the pictures of the city, pets, and landscapes more than he prizes any other items. Choice D
is incorrect because the text doesn’t describe what the new picture looks like; rather, the text identifies some of the other
kinds of images that the shop owner has and states that they’re different from the new picture without explaining how
they’re different. | Medium | Craft_and_Structure |
5336f2e4 | The following text is adapted from Zora Neale Hurston’s 1921 short story “John Redding Goes to Sea.” John is a child who
lives in a town in the woods.
Perhaps ten-year-old John was puzzling to the folk there in the Florida woods for he was an imaginative child and fond of
day-dreams. The St. John River flowed a scarce three hundred feet from his back door. On its banks at this point grow
numerous palms, luxuriant magnolias and bay trees. On the bosom of the stream float millions of delicately colored
hyacinths. [John Redding] loved to wander down to the water’s edge, and, casting in dry twigs, watch them sail away down
stream to Jacksonville, the sea, the wide world and [he] wanted to follow them. | Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole? | It provides an extended description of a location that John likes to visit. | It reveals that some residents of John’s town are confused by his behavior. | It illustrates the uniqueness of John’s imagination compared to the imaginations of other children. | It suggests that John longs to experience a larger life outside the Florida woods. | D | Choice D is the best answer because it accurately describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as a whole.
The text establishes that John has a strong imagination and then goes on to describe the St. John River near John’s home in
the Florida woods. The underlined sentence depicts John sending twigs sailing down the river while he imagines them
reaching “Jacksonville, the sea, the wide world,” where he wishes he could follow. This suggests that John longs to expand
his life experiences beyond the Florida woods.
Choice A is incorrect because the second and third sentences of the text provide an extended description of the riverbank
where John likes to go, whereas the underlined sentence describes what John does at that location. Choice B is incorrect
because the first sentence of the text suggests that John’s behavior “was puzzling” to others around him, whereas the
underlined sentence concerns the content of John’s imaginings. Choice C is incorrect because the underlined sentence
elaborates on John’s imagination but doesn’t mention any other children to whom John could be compared. | Hard | Craft_and_Structure |
571cf537 | The author’s claim about the relationship between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens is ______, as it fails to account for several
recent archaeological discoveries. To be convincing, his argument would need to address recent finds of additional hominid
fossils, such as the latest Denisovan specimens and Homo longi. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | disorienting | tenuous | nuanced | unoriginal | B | Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the author’s claim about the
relationship between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. As used in this context, “tenuous” means lacking substance. The end
of the first sentence states that the author’s claim didn’t consider certain key pieces of evidence—“recent archaeological
discoveries”—and is therefore weak.
Choice A is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context to refer to the author’s claim as “disorienting,” or confusing.
The text suggests that the author’s claim is insubstantial, not that it’s difficult to grasp. Choice C is incorrect because
referring to the claim as “nuanced,” or subtle, wouldn’t make sense in context. According to the text, the claim is incomplete
because it didn’t consider certain key information about recent archaeological finds; it doesn’t suggest that what’s in the
claim lacks precision. Choice D is incorrect because saying that the claim is “unoriginal,” or imitative, wouldn’t make sense in
context. The text faults the claim because it doesn’t consider certain key information about recent archaeological finds; it
doesn’t suggest that the author’s claim lacks originality. | Hard | Craft_and_Structure |
4bed4658 | In order to prevent nonnative fish species from moving freely between the Mediterranean and Red Seas, marine biologist
Bella Galil has proposed that a saline lock system be installed along the Suez Canal in Egypt’s Great Bitter Lakes. The lock
would increase the salinity of the lakes and ______ a natural barrier of water most marine creatures would be unable to cross. | Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? | creates | create | creating | created | B | Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of non-finite (untensed) verb forms in a sentence. The
modal “would,” which indicates the future from a perspective in the past, should be accompanied by a non-finite plain form
verb. In this choice, the non-finite plain form verb “create” is used correctly in conjunction with the non-finite plain form verb
“increase” to describe what the lock would do.
Choice A is incorrect because the finite present tense verb “creates” can’t be used in this way with the modal “would” to
describe what the lock would do. Choice C is incorrect because the present participle “creating” can’t be used in this way
with the modal “would” to describe what the lock would do. Choice D is incorrect because the finite past tense verb “created”
can’t be used in this way with the modal “would” to describe what the lock would do. | Easy | Standard_English_Conventions |
f7d58b53 | Like other tribal nations, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation is self-governing; its National Council generates laws regulating
aspects of community life such as land use and healthcare, while the principal chief and cabinet officials ______ those laws
by devising policies and administering services in accordance with them. | Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? | implement | presume | improvise | mimic | A | Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of self-government among the
Muscogee (Creek) Nation. In this context, “implement” means to carry out or put into effect. The text states that the National
Council generates laws, while the principal chief and cabinet officials are responsible for “devising policies and administering
services in accordance with” those laws. This context suggests that the principal chief and cabinet officials implement the
laws: they put the laws into effect by creating policies and administering services that accord with those laws.
Choice B is incorrect because “presume” in this context would mean to assume based on incomplete information, and the
text does not suggest that the principal chief and cabinet officials either made assumptions about the content of the laws or
had incomplete information about them. Choice C is incorrect because in this context “improvise” would mean to create
something without preparation, and the text does not suggest that the principal chief and cabinet officials create policies
and administer services without advance preparation. Choice D is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that the
principal chief and cabinet officials “mimic,” or imitate, the laws generated by the National Council. To mimic laws would
mean to generate new laws that are imitations of existing laws, but the text indicates that the National Council, not the
principal chief and cabinet officials, is responsible for generating laws. Instead of generating laws, the principal chief and
cabinet officials put laws into effect by “devising policies and administering services in accordance with” the laws. | Easy | Craft_and_Structure |
aa5897b8 | In Jane Austen’s novel Mansfield Park, an almost imperceptible smile from potential suitor Henry Crawford causes the
protagonist Fanny Price to blush; her embarrassment grows when she suspects that he is aware of it. This moment—in
which Fanny not only infers Henry’s mental state through his gestures, but also infers that he is drawing inferences about her
mental state—illustrates what literary scholar George Butte calls “deep intersubjectivity,” a technique for representing
interactions between consciousnesses through which Austen’s novels derive much of their social and psychological drama. | Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole? | It states a claim about Austen’s skill at representing psychological complexity that is reinforced by an example presented
in the following sentence. | It advances an interpretation of an Austen protagonist who is contrasted with protagonists from other Austen novels
cited in the following sentence. | It describes a recurring theme in Austen’s novels that is the focus of a literary scholar’s analysis summarized in the
following sentence. | It provides a synopsis of an interaction in an Austen novel that illustrates a literary concept discussed in the following | D | Choice D is the best answer. The underlined sentence provides a concrete example to ground readers’ understanding of the
“deep intersubjectivity” described in the next sentence as central to Austen’s work.
Choice A is incorrect. There is no evaluation made of Austen’s skill in this sentence, and no examples are given in the
following sentence. This choice essentially flips the paragraph: it’s this first sentence that provides an example. Choice B is
incorrect. There are no other Austen protagonists mentioned in this passage, so this couldn’t be the answer. Choice C is
incorrect. The underlined sentence doesn’t identify any “recurring theme,” but instead simply describes one interaction from
one book. This interaction exemplifies the literary technique of “deep intersubjectivity” that is introduced in the next
sentence. | Hard | Craft_and_Structure |
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Dataset Card for SAT Reading and Writing Dataset
This dataset card aims to be a base template for the SAT Reading and Writing Dataset, optimized for use with Hugging Face's datasets library.
Dataset Details
Dataset Description
This dataset contains SAT Reading and Writing assessment questions sourced from the College Board's SAT Suite Question Bank, intended for use in training and evaluating Language Models like LLMs.
- Curated by: College Board
- License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
Dataset Sources
- Repository: College Board SAT Suite Question Bank
Uses
Direct Use
The dataset can be used for SAT exam preparation and educational purposes. It is suitable for training and evaluating Language Models for SAT-style reading comprehension and writing tasks.
Dataset Structure
The dataset contains questions with passages, choices, correct answers, and rationales, making it ideal for training and evaluating Language Models on SAT-style reading comprehension and writing tasks.
Dataset Creation
Curation Rationale
The dataset was created to provide a resource for students preparing for the SAT exam and for researchers and developers working on Natural Language Processing tasks related to standardized testing.
Source Data
Data Collection and Processing
The questions were extracted from the College Board SAT Suite Question Bank using automated scraping and filtering processes.
Who are the source data producers?
The College Board is the producer of the source data.
Bias, Risks, and Limitations
Users should be aware of the limitations of using this dataset for predicting SAT scores and should use it in conjunction with other resources for a comprehensive SAT preparation.
Recommendations
Users should use this dataset as a supplementary resource for SAT exam preparation and as a benchmark for evaluating the performance of Language Models on SAT-style reading comprehension and writing tasks.
Citation
APA: College Board. SAT Reading and Writing Dataset. Retrieved from College Board SAT Suite Question Bank
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Size of downloaded dataset files:
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Number of rows:
397
Models trained or fine-tuned on betterMateusz/SAT_Writting_Reading_Assessment_Question_Bank