All practice questions

During the preparation for the annual winter concert, the guest conductor reminded the lead violinist and he that they're rehearsals would require absolute focus.

Which choice best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence?

In 1931, Harry Beck, a temporary draftsperson for the London Underground, designed a revolutionary transit map. Instead of plotting the routes geographically, Beck spaced the stations evenly, using only vertical, horizontal, and 45-degree diagonal lines. The response and reaction from the public, which was extremely positive and enthusiastic, secured the map's status as a masterpiece of design.

Which of the following alternatives to the underlined portion is the most concise and grammatically correct?

The following sentences are from a paragraph about computer pioneer Grace Hopper. Arrange the sentences in the most logical order to create a cohesive paragraph, paying close attention to which sentences function as the most effective introduction and conclusion.

Climatologists have observed that the average annual precipitation of the Amazon basin is greater then the Congo basin, sustaining an incredibly dense canopy and a vast array of unique species.

Which of the following options is the correct revision for the underlined portion of the sentence?

Passage

Unlike standard Western paper, which is often made from acidic wood pulp that degrades over time, Japanese *washi* paper is crafted from the long, strong inner bark fibers of native plants like kozo and gampi. Consequently, this paper is exceptionally durable and resistant to tearing, making it an ideal tool for book conservationists.

Which choice provides the most logical transition from the preceding sentence?

The following passage contains an underlined portion.

Although the amateur astronomer spent hours calibrating the telescope, she still struggles to locate the faint nebula. She consulted several star charts, adjusted the focus, and finally spotted the celestial object. This experience taught her the value of patience in observational astronomy.

Which choice best replaces the underlined word to maintain a consistent verb tense throughout the passage?

A conservation center recently announced a major milestone in its endangered species program. In what sequence must the following segments be arranged to construct a grammatically correct second sentence that avoids misplaced and dangling modifiers?

The sentence below has a blank. Complete the sentence by writing the correct present-tense form of the verb 'to suggest' in the blank, ensuring that it maintains proper subject-verb agreement.

In the sentence below, the underlined portion may contain an error.

Restored using delicate Japanese tissue paper, the archivist preserved the map's fragile parchment for future display.

Which choice best corrects the underlined portion of the sentence?

To attract local pollinators to the community garden, the volunteers planted lavender, marigolds, and salvia, in the central flower beds.

Which choice best punctuates the underlined portion of the sentence?

The Marble and the Mallet

[1]
In the mid-nineteenth century, a sculptor named Edmonia Lewis defied societal expectations to achieve international acclaim. Born to a Native American mother and an Afro-Haitian father, Lewis was orphaned at a young age. Despite facing intense prejudice, she eventually traveled to Rome, Italy, where she joined a vibrant community of expatriate artists and sculpted in neoclassical marble. Her work drew inspiration from both her heritage and contemporary social movements, such as the abolition of slavery.

[2]
Lewis’s Rome studio became a popular stop for wealthy travelers on the Grand Tour, who marveled at her ability to breathe life into cold stone. Unlike many of her contemporaries, who hired local Italian artisans to carve their plaster models into marble, Lewis did all her carving herself. She feared that if she did not perform the labor, critics would attribute her achievements to male assistants. Consequently, her dedication to her craft resulted in striking works like *The Death of Cleopatra*, a massive, realistic sculpture that captivated audiences at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia.

[3]
For decades after her death in 1907, much of Lewis's work was lost or forgotten, and *The Death of Cleopatra* was even found in a Chicago salvage yard before being restored. Today, museums around the world display her sculptures, celebrating her pioneering role as a woman of color in the fine arts. She is remembered not just as a skilled artisan but as an artist who carved her own path through history. __________

The writer wants to conclude the passage by emphasizing Lewis's lasting legacy and the theme of overcoming adversity. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?

### The Mpemba Effect

The Mpemba effect is the observation that, under certain conditions, initially warm water freezes faster than initially cold water. Two scientists present conflicting hypotheses to explain this phenomenon.

Scientist 1

The Mpemba effect is primarily caused by evaporation. When warm water is placed in a cooling environment, it evaporates much more rapidly than cold water. This rapid evaporation has two key consequences. First, it reduces the total mass of the water sample, meaning there is less mass that must undergo the phase change to ice. Second, evaporation is an endothermic process that removes significant latent heat from the remaining liquid, which accelerates the cooling rate. Therefore, the higher initial temperature leads to a faster reduction in temperature and mass, allowing the water to freeze first.

Scientist 2

The Mpemba effect is primarily caused by differences in dissolved gas concentration. Heating water decreases the solubility of gases, driving out dissolved carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) and oxygen ($O_2$). Water with lower concentrations of dissolved gases has a higher thermal conductivity and a slightly higher freezing point than water saturated with gases. Cold water, which retains a high concentration of dissolved gases, has its freezing point depressed and experiences reduced heat transfer. Consequently, pre-heated water freezes faster because it contains fewer dissolved gases, which enhances heat transfer and prevents freezing point depression.

According to the explanation provided by Scientist 2, pre-heated water is able to freeze faster than cold water primarily because heating the water:

Two paleontologists present differing hypotheses regarding the evolutionary origin of avian flight in theropod dinosaurs.

Viewpoint 1 (Arboreal Hypothesis)
Avian flight evolved from tree-dwelling (arboreal) ancestors. These small theropod dinosaurs leaped between branches and utilized feathered forelimbs to glide. Over time, selective pressure favored longer glides, leading to the evolution of powered, flapping flight. Under this model, early flight adaptations were primarily aerodynamic structures optimized for air-to-ground movement, and the claws of these organisms were adapted for climbing and grasping tree bark.

Viewpoint 2 (Cursorial Hypothesis)
Avian flight evolved from ground-dwelling (cursorial) bipeds. These active, running theropods used their feathered forelimbs for non-flight behaviors, such as capturing prey, maintaining stability, or running up steep inclines. Over time, these flapping motions generated aerodynamic forces (traction and lift) that allowed them to transition into powered flight. Under this model, early flight adaptations arose from ground-based locomotion, and their hind limbs remained optimized for running on flat ground.

A summary of the differences between the two viewpoints is shown below:

Based on the provided viewpoints, is the following statement true or false?
'A finding that early proto-birds had ankle joints and claws optimized for high-speed terrestrial running, but lacked the grasping capability required to perch on branches, would support the predictions of Viewpoint 2 rather than Viewpoint 1.'

Consider the following sentence from an academic essay about a collaborative engineering project:

"Between the senior engineers and she, their collaborative efforts successfully resolved the critical software glitch before the rocket's launch."

Which choice best completes the sentence, maintaining correct pronoun case and person?

To ensure the introductory phrase 'By heating and cooling the cocoa butter crystals to precise temperatures' modifies the correct subject, complete the sentence by filling in the blank with the appropriate noun phrase: either 'the chocolatier' or 'a glossy finish'.

The intricate tunnel network constructed by leafcutter ants serves as a highly organized underground city. Within this subterranean system, a complex division of labor, which includes specialized roles for workers of different sizes, ensure that the colony functions efficiently.

Which choice best corrects the underlined word to maintain proper subject-verb agreement?

The following sentence compares the physical characteristics of two whale species. Complete the sentence by determining the correct comparative form of the adjective 'large' and the correct comparative conjunction. Which words correctly fill the blanks?

### Late-Pleistocene Megafauna Extinction

During the late Pleistocene epoch, approximately $12,000$ years ago, many species of large mammals (megafauna) in North America, such as mammoths and saber-toothed cats, went extinct. Two scientists present different viewpoints regarding the primary cause of these extinctions.

**Scientist $1$**
The extinctions were primarily caused by rapid climate change at the end of the last glacial period. As temperatures rose and glaciers retreated, vegetation patterns shifted dramatically. Megafauna species, adapted to specific cooler habitats and plants, could not migrate or adapt quickly enough to the new ecological conditions, leading to starvation and population collapse. Humans played a negligible role, as megafaunal populations were already in steep decline before human populations became widespread.

**Scientist $2$**
The extinctions were primarily caused by human overhunting, a phenomenon known as the 'blitzkrieg' hypothesis. As humans migrated into North America via the Bering land bridge, they encountered large mammals that had no evolutionary fear of humans. Using advanced projectile weapons, human hunters rapidly depleted megafaunal populations. The extinctions occurred within a few centuries of human arrival, too quickly to be explained by gradual climate shifts, which these species had survived during previous interglacial periods.

Based on Scientist $1$'s viewpoint, which of the following changes was the primary cause of the megafaunal extinctions?

To ensure proper usage of the frequently confused words 'discreet' and 'discrete', which word belongs in each blank of the sentence below?

In 1964, radio astronomers Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson were troubled by a persistent background hiss in their satellite antenna. They went to great lengths to eliminate potential sources of interference, even cleaning the horn antenna of nesting pigeons; consequently, the mysterious static remained. Eventually, this noise was identified as the cosmic microwave background radiation, a discovery that provided crucial evidence for the Big Bang theory.

Which of the following choices best completes the underlined portion of the passage?