All practice questions

Given the following paragraph:

[1] __________________. In 1943, Cousteau and engineer Émile Gagnan co-invented the Aqua-Lung, an open-circuit scuba technology. This revolutionary device allowed divers to breathe underwater without being tethered to a surface air supply. Armed with this new freedom, Cousteau spent decades filming underwater documentaries, bringing the mysteries of the deep ocean into the living rooms of millions of viewers worldwide.

Which choice provides the most effective introduction to the paragraph?

Translating the Machine

[1]
In 1947, Grace Hopper, a mathematician and pioneer in computer programming, was working on the Harvard Mark II computer when she and her team discovered a literal bug—a moth trapped in a relay, impeding the machine’s operation. While this incident popularized the term "debugging," Hopper's most significant contribution was yet to come. She envisioned a future where programming was accessible, proposing that computers could be programmed using English-like statements rather than binary code.

[2]
At the time, the computing establishment was highly skeptical. Many believed that computers were purely mathematical instruments capable only of arithmetic, and that writing programs in natural language was an impossibility. Undeterred, Hopper joined the Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation in 1949 and began developing the first compiler, a program that would translate human-readable source code into machine language. By 1952, her compiler, known as the A-0, was operational, paving the way for modern programming languages like COBOL.

[3]
Hopper’s work revolutionized how humans interacted with machines. Instead of writing tedious strings of octal or binary code, programmers could write instructions using mathematical symbols and English words. The compiler would then do the translation. This shift not only democratized programming by making it accessible to non-mathematicians but also dramatically increased efficiency and reduced errors, laying the groundwork for the software industry.

Suppose the writer's goal had been to write an essay that describes how Grace Hopper's invention of the compiler overcame early skepticism to fundamentally change computer programming. Is the statement that the passage successfully fulfills this goal true or false?

[1] In the winter of 1902, during a visit to New York City, Mary Anderson observed a trolley driver struggling to keep the windshield clear of freezing sleet. [2] The driver had to open the front window, lean out into the icy wind, or even stop the trolley entirely to wipe the glass by hand. [3] Recognizing a clear need, Anderson sketched a design for a hand-operated rubber squeegee blade that could be controlled via a lever inside the vehicle. [4] She was granted a patent for her window-cleaning device in 1903. [5] Early twentieth-century trolleys and automobiles operated at much slower speeds than modern vehicles do. [6] Unfortunately, automotive manufacturers of the era failed to see the commercial value in her design, mistakenly believing that the motion of the blades would distract drivers.

The writer is considering deleting Sentence 5 from the paragraph. Should the sentence be kept or deleted?

Identify the punctuation mark that should fill the blank to ensure the sentence is grammatically correct and consistent.

While mapping the outer edges of the galaxy, the astrophysicists recorded several highly, unusual, rapidly pulsating, signals; and they immediately cross-referenced the coordinates with existing stellar databases.

Which of the following is the best choice for the underlined portion?

[1] In the mid-twentieth century, geologist Marie Tharp set out to map the ocean floor, utilizing sonar data to draft the first comprehensive three-dimensional representation of the seabed. [2] Barred from research vessels due to her gender, Tharp relied entirely on depth profiles collected by her colleague Bruce Heezen. [3] By painstakingly plotting these profiles by hand, she identified a deep, continuous V-shaped valley slicing through the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. [4] Initially, Heezen dismissed Tharp's drawings as "girl talk," fearing that the existence of a central rift valley would lend credibility to the then-marginalized theory of continental drift. [5] It was not until independent photographic evidence of the rift was obtained that Heezen and the scientific establishment accepted Tharp's map as accurate.

The writer is considering adding the following sentence to the paragraph (placed after Sentence 4):

"Continental drift, first proposed by Alfred Wegener in 1912, suggested that Earth's continents had once been joined as a single landmass before drifting apart."

Should the writer make this addition?

Ancient Roman builders created a highly durable concrete by mixing two key ingredients: volcanic ash and slaked lime.

Which choice best punctuates the underlined portion of the sentence?

A writer is editing a draft of an essay about the botanist Ynes Mexia.

[1] In her mid-fifties, Ynes Mexia began her career as a botanical collector, embarking on rugged expeditions across the Americas that would redefine the field. [2] Unlike many of her contemporaries who remained in laboratories, Mexia traveled deep into remote wildernesses, including the dense rainforests of the Amazon, to locate rare specimens. [3] Her efforts yielded an astonishing number of discoveries that significantly expanded botanical databases. [4] She was known for her meticulous preparation of plant samples, which she dried and categorized under harsh conditions.

The writer wants to revise sentence [3] to provide the most specific and concrete evidence to support the claim that Mexia's work significantly expanded scientific knowledge of plants. Which of the following sentences best accomplishes this goal?

Although the botanist identified the rare, fragile wildflower, she did not pick it, instead she photographed the specimen for her research journal.

Which choice best punctuates the underlined portion of the sentence?

Type the punctuation mark that belongs in the blank to join the two independent clauses.

Botanists were shocked in 1994 when they discovered a small grove of Wollemi pines in a remote Australian canyon. The prehistoric trees, which were previously thought to have been extinct for millions of years, survived in deep sandstone gorges. Conservationists immediately began a propagation program to safeguard the species.

Which of the following is the best punctuation for the underlined portion of the sentence?

Beneath the streets of London lies a complex web of tunnels that represents one of the greatest engineering feats of the nineteenth century: the London Underground. In the 1840s, London was experiencing unprecedented growth, leading to extreme congestion on its narrow roads. Horse-drawn carriages, omnibuses, and pedestrians clogged the city center, making travel slow and chaotic. Charles Pearson, a city solicitor, proposed a radical solution—an underground railway to transport passengers between the city's main railway termini.

Construction on the Metropolitan Railway began in 1860 using the 'cut-and-cover' method. Workers dug a trench along existing roads, built brick arches over the tracks, and then repaved the street above. The line officially opened on January 10, 1863, utilizing steam locomotives that ran on coal, which often filled the tunnels with smoke. Despite the initial concerns about air quality and safety, the railway was an immediate success, carrying tens of thousands of passengers on its opening day.

This pioneering venture proved that subterranean transit was not only possible but also highly profitable. The success of the Metropolitan Railway paved the way for the expansion of underground transit systems in cities around the world, transforming urban planning and the daily commutes of millions.

Suppose the writer’s goal had been to write an essay that details the physical construction process and the initial public reception of the world's first underground passenger railway. The essay successfully accomplishes this goal.

While visiting New York City in the winter of 1903, Mary Anderson noticed that streetcar drivers had to open their windows in the freezing rain to clear sleet from their windshields. She sketched a design for a hand-operated swinging arm with a rubber blade that could be controlled from inside the cabin. She was granted a patent for her device later that year, though manufacturing companies initially showed little interest. Today, windshield wipers are standard equipment on almost all motorized vehicles.

The writer is considering adding the following sentence to the end of the paragraph:

'During her trip to New York, Anderson also visited several popular art museums and historical landmarks.'

Should the writer make this addition?

The following passage is an excerpt from a history of Mayan archaeology.

For decades, Mayan scholars believed that the hieroglyphs carved into stone stelae recorded only mythical stories and astronomical tables. In 1960, Tatiana Proskouriakoff published a breakthrough study of the glyphs at Piedras Negras. She demonstrated that the monument inscriptions, which were carved at regular intervals of five hotuns, actually detailed the births, accessions, and victories of historical rulers.

Which choice best punctuates the underlined portion of the sentence?

The following passage is an excerpt from a biography of a historic figure.

When the chief engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge fell ill in 1872, his wife Emily Warren Roebling stepped in to manage the daily operations of the monumental project. The engineers who drafted the daily blueprints, which were critical to the project, met with Emily Roebling every morning to receive instructions. Ultimately, her dedication ensured the successful completion of what was then the longest suspension bridge in the world.

Which of the following is the most effective punctuation for the underlined portion of the passage?

The following passage is an excerpt from an essay on the history of science.

In the mid-twentieth century, the scientific community remained skeptical of plate tectonics. Marie Tharp, a pioneering cartographer, created the ocean map that proved the theory of continental drift. Her meticulous work revealed the dramatic topography of the ocean floor, transforming geology forever.

Which choice is the correct punctuation for the underlined portion of the sentence?

To successfully harvest natural vanilla, farmers must execute a tedious task, they must hand-pollinate each orchid blossom during a narrow morning window.

Which choice most effectively punctuates the underlined portion of the sentence?

Sea otters are among the few marine mammals known to use tools. To crack open the hard shells of prey like clams and mussels, an otter will float on its back, place a flat rock on its chest, and hammer the shellfish against the rock. _Many people enjoy visiting aquariums to watch sea otters swim and play._ This tool-use behavior is not just a clever trick; it is a vital survival skill passed down from mothers to their pups.

The writer is considering deleting the underlined sentence. Should the writer make this deletion?

To determine the age of the ancient timber, the dendrochronologists extracted several thin cylindrical, core samples, and they examined the growth rings under a high-powered microscope.

Which choice best punctuates the underlined portion of the sentence?

In the mid-twentieth century, scholars of Maya hieroglyphic writing widely believed that the inscriptions on stone monuments, or stelae, were purely astronomical calendars and mystical calculations. The prevailing view, championed by leading Mayanist J. Eric S. Thompson, held that the Maya were a peaceful, time-obsessed people whose writing did not record historical events or individuals. However, Tatiana Proskouriakoff, an architect and archaeologist, challenged this consensus through meticulous spatial and temporal analysis of the stelae at Piedras Negras. By plotting the dates inscribed on consecutive monuments, she discovered that the timespans between key dates corresponded perfectly to the natural length of a human life. Proskouriakoff proposed that these monuments actually commemorated the lifespans, accessions, and military victories of historical rulers.

The writer wants to conclude the passage with a sentence that reinforces the significance of Proskouriakoff's discovery and ties back to the paragraph's discussion of Maya writing. Which of the following sentences best accomplishes this goal?