All practice questions

In April 1860, the Pony Express began its brief but legendary run, promising to deliver mail across the American West in just ten days. The service relied on a relay system of young riders and fast horses stationed at intervals along a 1,900-mile trail. Riders would gallop from one station to the next, quickly transferring the mailbags to a fresh mount before speeding off again. Despite its fame, the Pony Express was a financial failure and operated for only nineteen months. It was officially rendered obsolete by the completion of the transcontinental telegraph line, which allowed for instantaneous communication.

The writer is considering deleting the underlined sentence from the passage. Should the sentence be kept or deleted?

The following is an excerpt from an essay about automotive safety history.

[1] __________________________________________________ During a winter trip to New York City in 1902, Mary Anderson observed a trolley driver struggling to see through the falling sleet, constantly opening the window to wipe the windshield by hand. This uncomfortable and dangerous practice inspired her to sketch a manual swinging arm with a rubber blade, operated from inside the vehicle. Though trolley companies initially rejected her invention, claiming it would distract drivers, Anderson's design laid the essential foundation for what would eventually become standard safety equipment in all modern automobiles.

Which choice most effectively introduces the paragraph by establishing its main focus?

Early motion pictures were recorded on cellulose nitrate film, a highly flammable material prone to rapid decay. Over time, these silent films deteriorate into a sticky, acidic goo or a highly combustible powder. [1] Consequently, archivists at film preservation centers work tirelessly to copy surviving silent films onto safer, modern polyester stock. However, the process is painstakingly slow and expensive, meaning many historical films are lost forever before they can be saved.

The writer is considering adding the following sentence at Point [1]:

"Cellulose nitrate was also commonly used to manufacture everyday household items, such as combs, toys, and photographic negatives."

Should the writer make this addition?

When sponge divers salvaged the remains of an ancient Roman shipwreck near the island of Antikythera in 1901, they recovered a heavily corroded bronze artifact that initially went unnoticed. The device was encrusted in organic matter and broken into fragments, causing researchers to prioritize the ship's more glamorous cargo, such as marble sculptures and bronze [1] statues. Indeed, radiographic imaging conducted decades later revealed a complex mechanism of interlocking gears, showing that the device was a highly sophisticated analog computer.

Which of the following options most effectively transitions between the two sentences while maintaining proper punctuation?

[1]
In 1964, anticipation of a gasoline shortage prompted the DuPont company to search for a new, lightweight fiber to replace the steel wire in automobile tires. Chemist Stephanie Kwolek was assigned to the project. She began analyzing long chains of molecules called polyamides, hoping to find a fiber that was both strong and lightweight.

[2]
Initially, her supervisors were skeptical, believing the cloudy mixture would damage the delicate spinneret machine. However, Kwolek persisted, and when the solution was finally spun into fibers, the results were astonishing. The new material, later named Kevlar, was five times stronger than steel on an equal-weight basis.

[3]
The breakthrough occurred when Kwolek created a liquid crystalline solution that was unusually thin and cloudy, unlike the thick, clear mixtures typically produced in her lab. Instead of discarding this seemingly defective batch, she decided to test its properties by spinning it into fiber.

[4]
Today, Kevlar is used in everything from bulletproof vests and racing sails to bicycle tires and spacecraft. Kwolek's discovery, which began as a search for a tire component, ultimately revolutionized personal safety and materials science.

For the sake of the logic and cohesion of this essay, where should Paragraph 3 be placed?

The paragraphs below are from a draft of an essay about the history of microbiology. To make the essay most logical and cohesive, in what order should the paragraphs be placed?

The following paragraphs are from an essay about the cursus publicus, the postal system of ancient Rome.

Paragraph 1
Established by Emperor Augustus, the cursus publicus was the state-sponsored transportation and postal system of the Roman Empire. Utilizing a vast network of paved roads, the system allowed the imperial government to send messages and officials rapidly across provinces. Relays of fresh horses and rest stations, known as mansiones, were positioned at regular intervals along main routes, ensuring that courier travel was highly efficient and secure.

Paragraph 2
[1] Indeed, access to this elite network was strictly limited to those carrying an official imperial pass, the diploma. Because the system was funded by heavy taxes levied on local provincial communities rather than the treasury, the Roman administration carefully guarded its use to prevent exhaustion of local resources. Unauthorized travelers who attempted to use the stations faced severe penalties.

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

To optimize the acoustics of the newly constructed concert hall, the sound engineer analyzed the performance of various wall panels. During the sound test, she measured the rich, clear, reverberations, but she discovered that the high-frequency notes decayed much too quickly. Consequently, she recommended installing diffusers along the rear wall to balance the sound.

Which choice best punctuates the underlined portion of the sentence?

[1]
In the winter of 1902, Mary Anderson visited New York City and saw a streetcar driver struggling to see through a snow-covered window. The driver had to constantly open the window and reach outside to wipe the glass, exposing himself and the passengers to the freezing wind.

[2]
After building a prototype, she finalized a design that featured a hand-operated lever controlling a rubber blade. This blade could sweep across the glass and then return to its starting position when not in use.

[3]
She received a patent for this window-cleaning device in 1903. While major manufacturing companies initially rejected the idea as a distraction, the windshield wiper eventually became standard equipment on automobiles worldwide.

[4]
Back home in Alabama, Anderson immediately set to work to resolve this travel safety issue. She envisioned a device that could be operated from inside the vehicle to keep the glass clear of rain and snow.

For the sake of the logic and cohesion of this essay, where should Paragraph 4 be placed?

In 1952, computer pioneer Grace Hopper developed the first compiler, a revolutionary program that translated English-like commands into machine-readable code. Prior to this invention, programming required writing tedious strings of numbers or symbols, a task prone to human error and restricted to a small group of mathematicians. By allowing programmers to write in a language closer to human speech, Hopper’s compiler democratized software development and laid the groundwork for modern programming languages. [4]

Which choice best concludes the paragraph at [4] by emphasizing the long-term impact of Hopper’s compiler on the field of computer science?

[1]
In the 1930s, Chester Carlson, a patent attorney in New York, grew frustrated by the tedious process of copying documents. The options at the time were limited to photographic copying, which was expensive and slow, or manually retyping pages. Determined to find a more efficient method, Carlson began conducting chemical experiments in his kitchen, seeking a dry, clean way to reproduce text.

[2]
His breakthrough came in October 1938 when he successfully transferred the date "10-22-38" onto a glass slide using static electricity and a light-sensitive powder. Carlson called his invention "electrophotography." He believed the process would revolutionize office work, but major corporations were uninterested in what they saw as an unrefined, impractical prototype.

[3]
It was not until 1946 that the Haloid Company, a small photographic paper manufacturer, agreed to license Carlson's technology. Together with researchers at the Battelle Memorial Institute, they refined the process and renamed it "xerography," derived from the Greek words for "dry writing." In 1959, the company, renamed Xerox, released the first commercial automatic office copier, transforming the business world forever.

[4]
To protect his new design from being stolen by competitors, Carlson immediately applied for a patent. This legal safeguard, which he secured in 1940, ensured that he would retain control over the technology during the years he spent searching for a commercial partner.

To make the essay flow most logically, where should Paragraph 4 be placed?

Many people assume that the daguerreotype was an immediate commercial success due to its novelty. [1] In addition, the high cost of the equipment and the toxic chemicals involved deterred many amateur photographers.

Which choice most effectively establishes the logical relationship between the two sentences?

For decades, the scientific community believed the ocean floor was a featureless, flat expanse. In the early 1950s, geologist Marie Tharp began drafting detailed, hand-drawn maps of the Atlantic Ocean's bathymetry using sonar data collected by her colleague, Bruce Heezen. Because women were not permitted on research ships at the time, Tharp analyzed the data in her office, meticulously plotting the coordinates. [1] In doing so, she discovered a massive, continuous V-shaped valley running down the center of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This discovery provided crucial evidence supporting the theory of continental drift, which was highly controversial at the time.

The writer wants to insert a sentence at Point [1] that emphasizes the tedious and painstaking nature of Tharp’s work before she made her groundbreaking discovery. Which choice most effectively accomplishes this goal?

The following paragraphs are from an essay about the history of cartography.

Paragraph 1
Early modern cartographers relied on highly artistic, hand-drawn maps that blended geography with folklore, often filling unexplored ocean territories with drawings of mythical sea monsters. These maps served not only as navigational aids but also as status symbols for wealthy merchants and monarchs who commissioned them. However, as trade routes expanded across the Atlantic and Pacific, sailors demanded maps that prioritized mathematical precision over aesthetic embellishment.

Paragraph 2
[1] This projection preserved straight lines of constant bearing, allowing sailors to chart courses by drawing a single straight line across the map. Despite distorting the relative size of landmasses near the poles, the map revolutionized maritime navigation and became the standard for sea travel.

Which choice provides the most effective transition from the preceding paragraph to the paragraph that follows?

Every Saturday morning before dawn, Clara opens her bakery to prepare fresh sourdough bread. She mixes flour, water, and wild yeast in a large wooden bowl, kneading the dough until it is smooth and elastic. After letting it rise for several hours, she shapes the loaves and places them into the hot stone oven.

The writer wants to replace the underlined portion with a phrase that most effectively emphasizes the physical effort Clara puts into making the bread. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?

Consider the following draft of a passage about marine biology:

[1] __________________________________________________ [2] In December 1938, Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer, a curious museum curator in East London, South Africa, received a call from a local trawler captain who had brought in an unusual catch. Amid the pile of sharks and rays, she noticed a strange, five-foot-long fish with thick, iridescent blue scales and lobe-like fins that resembled limbs. Sensing its importance, she brought the specimen to her museum and contacted ichthyologist J.L.B. Smith. Smith famously identified the fish as a coelacanth, a primitive species previously known only from fossils dating back to the Cretaceous period.

This 'living fossil' provided biologists with a rare opportunity to study a creature whose anatomy had remained virtually unchanged for millions of years. Its lobe-like fins, which contain bones arranged similarly to those in land vertebrates, offered a direct physical link between ancient fish and the first tetrapods that crawled onto land. The discovery not only filled a massive gap in the fossil record but also prompted scientists to reconsider how species adapt over vast spans of geological time.

Which choice, if added at [1], provides the most effective introduction to the passage by establishing its central thesis?

The following passage is an excerpt from a science essay.

Tardigrades, microscopic animals famous for their extreme durability, can survive the vacuum of outer space. These organisms, which are also known as water bears enter a state of cryptobiosis when environmental conditions become too harsh. In this dormant state, they can survive without water for decades.

Which choice best punctuates the underlined portion of the sentence?

The following passage is an excerpt from an essay about urban forestry.

In urban development, the Miyawaki method has emerged as a highly effective approach to cultivating dense, biodiverse pocket forests in small city spaces. Inspired by natural ecosystems, botanist Akira Miyawaki pioneered a system where native saplings are planted closely together, forcing them to compete for sunlight and grow up to ten times faster than conventional plantings. Consequently, these mini-forests can become self-sustaining within just three years, providing rapid ecological benefits to crowded municipal areas.

Which choice best establishes the logical relationship between the fast growth of the saplings and the forest's ability to sustain itself?

Read the following passage from an essay on art history:

In the late nineteenth century, the French printmaker Jules Chéret revolutionized advertising by introducing vibrant, large-scale lithographic posters. His work was characterized by a distinct aesthetic; dynamic figures, bold primary colors, and hand-lettered typography.

Which of the following choices best replaces the underlined portion of the sentence?

[1] The giant panda's diet consists almost entirely of bamboo, which is notoriously low in nutrients. [2] To get enough energy, a panda must spend up to twelve hours a day eating this tough plant. [3] However, because bamboo is so fibrous, the panda's digestive system can only process a small fraction of what is consumed. [4] As a result, pandas must conserve their energy by resting frequently throughout the day.

The writer wants to add the following sentence to the paragraph:

"This constant eating requires the panda to chew nearly continuously during its waking hours."

To make the paragraph most logical, after which sentence should this sentence be placed?