READING WRITING QUESTION 1

Nóvelist Leon Forrest admired William Faulkner’s writing style. Forrest’s novel Divine Days
contains a long passage in tribute to Faulkner that is a perfect _______ of Faulkner’s style;
anyone familiar with Faulkner’s writing would see the resemblance.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A imitation
B rejection
C forgetting
D opinion
READING WRITING QUESTION 2
The following text is from Jhumpa Lahiri’s 2003 novel The Namesake. Gogol, a child, is at a
beach in Massachusetts with his father.
He watches his father raise a kite within minutes into the wind, so high that Gogol must tip his
head back in order to see, a rippling speck against the sky. The wind whips around their ears,
turning their faces cold.
As used in the text, what does the word "raise" most nearly mean?
A Praise
B Create
C Strengthen
D Lift
READING WRITING QUESTION 3
Wireless headphones and other small electronic devices sometimes use batteries that can’t be
taken out and swapped for new ones. Environmental policy researcher Jessika Richter warns
that once these internal batteries stop working, the devices become _______ and are typically
thrown away, creating harmful waste.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A useless
B valuable
C familiar
D attractive
READING WRITING QUESTION 4
Some cities track pedestrian activity to map their sidewalks, but this method often _______
sidewalks few pedestrians use, resulting in incomplete maps. Maryam Hosseini and her team
found that a computer program trained to identify sidewalks in aerial images of Boston could also
accurately identify sidewalks in aerial images of Philadelphia and even distinguished between
concrete and granite.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A neglects
B oversees
C approves
D detects
READING WRITING QUESTION 5
Categorical claims about the original function and significance of the Urfa Man—a statue of a
human figure found in what is now Turkey and dating from around 11,000 years ago—should be
treated _______. We simply do not know enough about the people of the time to say with
certainty what the statue meant to them.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A indulgently
B skeptically
C reverentially
D individually
READING WRITING QUESTION 6
Charles Fuller’s award-winning play A Soldier’s Play was produced in 1981 by the
groundbreaking Negro Ensemble Company (NEC). NEC cofounder Douglas Turner Ward, who
worked as an actor, director, and playwright, had met actor and producer Robert Hooks while
they were performing in a 1960 touring production of Lorraine Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the
Sun. Together, they envisioned a theater company that would nurture and showcase the work of
Black theater professionals. Since NEC’s founding in 1967, its workshops and performances
have given Black playwrights, including Fuller, a forum for their compelling stories.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
A To describe how Ward and Hooks’s creative partnership changed over time
B To discuss the origin and importance of the NEC
C To bring attention to a work by Charles Fuller
D To show how the play A Raisin in the Sun influenced Ward and Hooks
READING WRITING QUESTION 7
Elio Sucena and colleagues have explored how convergent evolution—a phenomenon that
occurs when the same trait evolves independently in two reproductively separate lineages—can
result from a genetic mechanism shared by both lineages. Meanwhile, Michael D. Shapiro and
colleagues have investigated how convergence occurs through different genetic mechanisms,
but the relative prevalence of convergence through shared and different genetic processes is still
poorly understood. This motivated biologists Delbert A. Green II and Cassandra G. Extavour to
evaluate both types of convergence in a single study for their 2012 paper.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
A To suggest that Green and Extavour’s conclusions would be more persuasive if they
incorporated findings from the studies by Sucena and colleagues and Shapiro and colleagues
B To argue that Green and Extavour’s study revealed a previously unrecognized issue that
evolutionary biologists need to address
C To summarize Green and Extavour’s criticism of the study by Sucena and colleagues
D To situate Green and Extavour’s study in the context of their field
READING WRITING QUESTION 8
Saeed M.Z.A. Tarabieh conducted a study of consumer attitudes toward Jordanian food and
beverage companies and found that for consumer who value environmental conservation, their
likelihood of purchasing a product decreased when their perception of the product’s risk of
causing environmental harm increased. Subsequently, other researchers conducted a study of
various demographic groups in China, investigating participants’ intentions to purchase a new
television, and found that, on average, rural residents had the highest perception among all the
demographic groups in the study of the environmental risks of the TV. Assuming that the results
of Tarabieh’s study are broadly applicable, this finding suggests that _______.
Which choice most logically completes the text?
A the new TV is more appealing to rural residents than other similar products on the market are.
B rural residents likely prioritize other factors over a product’s environmental sustainability when
making purchasing decisions.
C there is not a meaningful difference in the average likelihood of purchasing environmentally
friendly products among the demographic groups included in the study.
D rural residents might be less likely than participants in the other demographic groups to
purchase the TV.
READING WRITING QUESTION 9
Community science, which involves professional scientists collaborating with amateur science
enthusiasts to study a topic, is often an effective and engaging way to conduct research. It can
allow people to assist with conservation efforts, spark youth interest in science, and increase the
amount of data researchers can collect. This approach was essential to the success of a study
by biologist Abigail Merrill and colleagues of how butterfly color relates to flower choice, which
included findings from hundreds of students and community members in northwestern Arkansas.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
A It introduces the topic of a scientific study, describes the study’s importance, and then
presents the study’s results.
B It argues for a new approach to scientific research, comments on the public’s opinion about the
approach, and then describes how that approach was applied in a certain study.
C It describes the development of a type of scientific collaboration, shows how that type of
collaboration has been used in a particular field of study, and then suggests future collaborative
projects.
D It identifies a particular approach to research, lists some benefits of that approach, and then
mentions a study in which that approach was used.
READING WRITING QUESTION 10
Shedding light on the thermal biology of fungi, research by Radamés Cordero et al. indicates that
certain mushrooms (including Marasmius capillaris and species from the genus Russula) can
achieve a hypothermic state through evaporative cooling. Effects of this thermoregulation were
not limited to the fungi’s fruiting bodies and root-like hyphae; temperature reductions were
observed in the air immediately surrounding the mushrooms. Though slight, the reductions
inspired an air-cooling device; using approximately 400 grams of mushrooms, the team’s
prototype lowered the air temperature in a controlled environment by 10°C in forty minutes.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?
A It presents a tangential finding about thermoregulation in certain fungal species that the
experiment described later in the text was designed to explain.
B It provides empirical evidence to bolster the claim made earlier in the text that certain fungal
species maintain a hypothermic state.
C It identifies an unexpected observation that motivated the study of evaporative cooling in fungi
that is discussed earlier in the text.
D It establishes a finding central to the text’s discussion of a practical application resulting from
the team’s study of fungal thermal biology.
READING WRITING QUESTION 11 Water flowing around an obstruction creates vortices
(patterns of swirls) of varying size; by detecting the vortices, fish can determine the size and
position of the obstruction. Testing by Yuzo R. Yanagisuru, Otar Akanyeti, and James C. Liao
using models of three head shapes – narrow (low ratio of width to length), intermediate, and wide
intermediate heads would be better able than narrow-headed fish to distinguish between vortices
and general turbulence in the water. A second research team has therefore hypothesized that in
low-visibility conditions, intermediate-headed fish will be more likely than narrow-headed fish to
detect obstructions that create large vortices.
Which finding, if true, would most directly support the second research total's hypothesis?
A A study using obstructions that created large vortices in low-visibility conditions found that the
narrow-headed lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) bumped into obstructions more often than
the intermediate-headed dusky smooth-hound (Mustelus canis) did.
B A study using obstructions that created large vortices in low-visibility conditions found that the
lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), which has a relatively narrow head, bumped into more
than half of the obstructions.
C A study using obstructions that created large vortices in low-visibility conditions found that
some specimens of the intermediate-headed dusky smooth-hound (Mustelus canis) bumped into
obstructions more often than other specimens of the same fish did
READING WRITING QUESTION 12
 The SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, Georgia, has around 4,500 works of art. Digital images
of hundreds of those works have been put online through the museum’s website and the Google
Arts & Culture project. One of the images is of The Card Game, a painting by Jacob Lawrence. In
a paper, a student claims that putting a work from the museum online increases the number of
people who experience that work.
Which finding, if true, would most directly support the underlined claim?
A Many people who have been to Savannah say that the SCAD Museum of Art is worth visiting.
B Each year, more people access the online image of The Card Game than visit the SCAD
Museum of Art in person.
C The SCAD Museum of Art has several works of Jacob Lawrence.
D The Card Game has been praised by some art critics.
READING WRITING QUESTION 13
Elisabeth Potzelzberger and colleagues gathered data on 23 non-native tree species grown in
Europe. They analyzed reports from Austria, Poland, and Lithuania about the number of these
species grown in those countries as well as the numbers of insect and fungus species that
damage those trees. The researchers concluded that in only one of these countries are there
more insect species than fungus species that pose risks to these trees.
Which choice best describes data from the table that support Potzelzberger and colleagues
conclusion?
A Austria reported 51 damaging fungus species, which is a greater number of them than either
Poland or Lithuania reported.
B Poland reported 25 damaging fungus species and 105 damaging insect species, while both
Austria and Lithuania reported a greater number of damaging fungus species than insect
species.
C Austria reported 51 damaging fungus species, whereas Lithuania reported 7 damaging insect
species.
D Austria and Lithuania both reported fewer damaging insect species than damaging fungus
species, whereas Poland reported 105 fungus species and only 10 insect species.
READING WRITING QUESTION 14
The bird species Myiobius barbatus (the bearded flycatcher) shares some territory in French
Guiana with Thamnomames caesius (the cinereous antshrike), which emits a loud alarm call
when it detects predators. Biologist Ari Martinez and colleagues recorded T. caesius alarm calls
and played them in the vicinity of wild M. barbatus. Finding that the birds often froze in place or
scattered into vegetation upon hearing the calls, they concluded that M. barbatus associates T.
caesius alarm calls with danger.
Which finding, if true, would most directly support Martinez and colleagues’ conclusion?
A Other bird species than M. barbatus also showed a tendency to freeze in place or scatter into
vegetation when Martinez and colleagues played T. caesius alarm calls.
B Martinez and colleagues played alarm calls from different T. caesius individuals and observed
no significant variation in the responses of M. barbatus.
C In some instances, M. barbatus froze in place or scattered into vegetation when Martinez and
colleagues approached but before they began playing sounds.
D When Martinez and colleagues played control sounds of random noise in the vicinity of M.
barbatus, the birds displayed no reaction.
READING WRITING QUESTION 15
Nora Ephron’s 1983 novel Heartburn is regularly described as autobiographical. That
characterization is apt—there are many parallels between the experiences of the novel’s
narrator, Rachel Samstat, and those of Ephron—but it should not be taken to mean that all the
people and events depicted in Heartburn are based on actual people and events. The novel is
largely pure invention, and readers who neglect this fact and instead try to identify more and
more real-life analogs thus risk _______.
Which choice most logically completes the text?
A overemphasizing the extent to which Ephron took inspiration from earlier writers.
B positing unsupportable connections between Heartburn and Ephron’s life.
C misrepresenting Heartburn as being more widely read than it actually is.
D minimizing the fact that Ephron drew on real-world material when writing Heartburn.
READING WRITING QUESTION 16
Text 1
In South Dakota, many buildings and other structures rest on soil that is expansive, meaning that
it swells or shrinks as its moisture level changes. Civil engineer Jay X. Wang has noted that the
effects of expansive soil appear slowly in the form of gradually growing cracks in foundations,
walls, and pavements. Because these effects are incremental and can generally be repaired
(though at some cost), structures in South Dakota are typically not built to resist them.
Text 2
In a 2021 study, Rubayet Bin Mostafiz and colleagues calculated that in the state of Louisiana
alone, the annual cost of damage caused by expansive soils reaches nearly $90 million. But they
note that this damage can be mitigated: building vapor barriers between structural foundations
and the soil can significantly reduce the effects of soil swelling and shrinking.
Based on the texts, how would Rubayet Bin Mostafiz and colleagues (Text 2) most likely respond
to the information presented in Text 1?
A They would suggest that engineers in South Dakota consider the cost of reinforcing the vapor
barriers between existing structural foundations and the soil.
B They would argue that engineers in South Dakota have misjudged the effectiveness of the
techniques they use to reduce the effects of expansive soil.
C They would encourage engineers in South Dakota to insert vapor barriers between new
structures’ foundations and the surrounding soil.
READING WRITING QUESTION 18
Biographer Michael Gorra notes that the novelist Henry James “lived in a world of second
thoughts,” frequently tinkering with his novels and stories after their initial publication. However,
the differences between the 1881 first edition and the 1908 edition of his novel A Portrait of a
Lady are extreme, even by James’s standards; _______ some critics regard the two editions as
two different novels altogether.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A by contrast,
B in fact,
C nevertheless,
D in other words,
READING WRITING QUESTION 19
Humans inherit specific physical traits (like having type O or type AB blood) from their parents.
_______ cats inherit specific physical traits (like having short or long fur) from their parents.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A In other words,
B As a result,
C In conclusion,
D Similarly,
READING WRITING QUESTION 20
The architects of Spain’s Modernista movement took inspiration from the natural world when
adding finishing touches to their buildings. _______ they favored plants and animal-inspired
design flourishes, like the decorative botanical panels of Castell dels Tres Dragons, a public
building by architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A Meanwhile,
B On the contrary,
C Even so,
D In particular,
READING WRITING QUESTION 21
The relationship between genomes and epigenomes reveals how cells with identical DNA
develop different _______ whereas the genome in each cell contains a complete DNA sequence,
the epigenome consists of chemical compounds that determine which traits in the sequence will
be expressed.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A functions;
B functions,
C functions and,
D functions
READING WRITING QUESTION 22
Chondrites are stony meteorites that are undifferentiated that is, their contents have not melted
and separated into distinct layers. They are hardly _______ many chondrites experience
aqueous alteration as a result of exposure to fluids, as well as fracturing, veining, and localized
melting due to collisions with other objects.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A pristine, though;
B pristine; though
C pristine, though
D pristine though,
READING WRITING QUESTION 23
Minerals can be classified by how much light passes through them. For example, all (or almost
all) light passes through kainite, which is classified as _______ only some light to pass through,
hauyne is instead classified as translucent.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A transparent and allowing
B transparent. Allowing
C transparent, allowing
D transparent allowing
READING WRITING QUESTION 24
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
• The French Republican calendar was used in France from 1793 to 1805.
• Each calendar week had ten days, two of which were called quintidi and decadi.
• Each quintidi was given a unique name in honor of an animal.
• Each decadi was given a unique name in honor of an agricultural tool.
• Bélier, a quintidi in the month of Thermidor, was named after the ram.
• Crible, a decadi in the month of Nivôse, was named after the sieve.
The student wants to emphasize a difference between quintidi and decadi. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A One quintidi during the month of Thermidor was named after an animal, the ram.
B Each quintidi in the calendar honored an animal, such as the ram, whereas each decadi
honored an agricultural tool, such as the sieve.
C There were ten days in each week of the French Republican calendar, and two of these days
were called quintidi and decadi.
D Each decadi was named after an agricultural tool; for example, a decadi during the month of
Nivôse was named after the sieve.
READING WRITING QUESTION 25 While researching a topic, a student has taken the following
notes:
• The French Republican calendar replaced the Gregorian calendar in France from 1793 to 1805.
• Both calendars are divided into twelve months.
• The timelines for the months don’t match.
• The third month of the French Republican calendar, Frimaire, begins during November; the
eleventh month of the Gregorian calendar.
• The fourth month of the French Republican calendar, Nivôse, begins during December; the
twelfth month of the Gregorian calendar.
The student wants to emphasize a difference between the French Republican and Gregorian
calendars. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish
this goal?
A Used in France from 1793 to 1805, the French Republican calendar includes the months of
Frimaire and Nivôse (the third and fourth months of the year).
B The timelines for the months of the two calendars don’t match; for example, the third month of
the French Republican calendar begins during the eleventh month of the Gregorian calendar.
C The French Republican calendar, which replaced the Gregorian calendar in France from 1793
to 1805, has twelve months, including the months of Frimaire and Nivôse.
D The eleventh and twelfth months of the Gregorian calendar are November and December,
respectively.
READING WRITING QUESTION 26 While researching a topic, a student has taken the following
notes:
• Louis Ballard was a classical composer and citizen of the Quapaw Tribe.
• He sought to synthesize Western classical music with elements of various Native musical
traditions.
• Ballard’s composition Incident at Wounded Knee incorporates a Pueblo log drum, a traditional
Native instrument.
• Ethnomusicologist Tara Browner writes that Ballard’s classical music “relies on Indigenous
instruments, rhythms, forms,...and other musical elements.”
The student wants to connect the quotation from Browner to a specific composition. Which
choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A Browner notes that Ballard’s music “relies on Indigenous instruments, rhythms, forms,...and
other musical elements,” further indicating that it synthesizes Western classical music with
elements of various Native musical traditions.
B Consistent with Browner’s observation that Ballard’s music “relies on Indigenous instruments,
rhythms, forms,...and other musical elements,” Incident at Wounded Knee incorporates a Pueblo
log drum.
C Browner’s writing discusses Ballard, the classical music composer responsible for Incident at
Wounded Knee.
D Discussing Ballard’s body of work, Browner observes that it relies on elements of various
Native musical traditions.
READING WRITING QUESTION 27
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
• Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) is a band from the United States that was created in 1996.
• The band’s sound combines the genres of hard rock and classical music, with an epic assembly
of nearly fifty musicians that includes over a dozen singers.
• Musicians are regularly invited to perform with TSO on tour.
• Electric violinist Mark Wood toured with TSO from 1999 to 2008.
• Guitarist Bill Hudson toured with TSO in 2015.
Which choice most effectively uses information from the given sentences to emphasize the role
Mark Wood played when performing with TSO?
A Musicians Mark Wood and Bill Hudson both toured with the genre-bending band TSO.
B It was from 1999 to 2008 that electric violinist Mark Wood performed with TSO.
C From electric violinist Mark Wood to guitarist Bill Hudson, musicians of all backgrounds have
taken the opportunity to perform with TSO.
D From 1999 to 2008, Mark Wood performed with TSO as a touring electric violinist.