All practice questions

The following is an excerpt from an essay about deep-sea exploration.

In 1977, researchers aboard the research submersible *Alvin* made a startling discovery at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean near the Galápagos Islands. They found hydrothermal vents spewing superheated, mineral-rich water into the pitch-black abyss. More surprising still was the dense community of organisms—including giant tubeworms and unique crabs—thriving around these vents in the absence of sunlight. [1] __________________________________________________ Instead of relying on photosynthesis, these organisms utilized chemosynthesis, a process in which microbes convert toxic chemicals from the vents into energy, establishing a completely new understanding of life's adaptability.

Which choice most effectively introduces the paragraph's explanation of the primary energy source for this ecosystem?

The following paragraphs are from an essay about the Cherokee silversmith Sequoyah and the development of the Cherokee writing system. For the sake of the logic and coherence of the essay, what is the most logical sequence of these paragraphs?

The following paragraphs are from an essay about the invention of a popular toy.

[1]
In 1943, marine engineer Richard James was working in a Philadelphia shipyard, attempting to develop a system of springs that could stabilize sensitive instruments on shipboard during rough seas.

[2]
After realizing the spring's potential, James spent the next two years refining the steel wire tension to optimize its walking motion. His wife, Betty, then coined the name "Slinky" after finding a dictionary definition that described the spring’s sleek, graceful movement.

[3]
The breakthrough occurred quite by accident when James knocked one of his prototype tension springs off a high shelf. Instead of falling flat, the spring "walked" down a stack of books, onto a table, and coiled itself upright on the floor.

[4]
Despite their excitement, initial sales were sluggish when the toy first hit the market. However, after a successful demonstration at a Philadelphia department store in November 1945, all 400 of their original stock sold out in ninety minutes, cementing the Slinky’s place in toy history.

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

In her seminal 1978 essay, literary theorist Sandra Gilbert examined how nineteenth-century women writers navigated a male-dominated literary landscape. [1] Gilbert argued that these authors often employed a "double-voiced discourse," layering subversive themes beneath seemingly conventional plots. This narrative strategy allowed them to appeal to mainstream publishers while simultaneously communicating a critique of patriarchal structures to receptive readers. Charlotte Brontë’s novel *Jane Eyre*, for instance, features a madwoman in the attic who serves as a dark double for the docile protagonist.

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

"Many nineteenth-century publishers were hesitant to print works that openly challenged domestic expectations of women."

Should the writer make this addition?

The following paragraph is from an essay about the history of geology.

[1] In 1912, German meteorologist Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of continental drift, suggesting that Earth’s continents were once joined in a single landmass. [2] He pointed to the matching shapes of South America and Africa as primary evidence. [3] However, most geologists rejected this idea because Wegener could not explain the mechanical force that could move entire continents. [4] Decades later, the discovery of seafloor spreading provided the missing mechanism, vindicating his hypothesis. [5] This vast supercontinent, which he named Pangaea, had supposedly broken apart millions of years ago.

To make the paragraph most logical, where should Sentence 5 be placed?

Architects and engineers have long marveled at the durability of ancient Roman concrete, which has survived for millennia under harsh marine conditions. Unlike modern concrete, which often degrades within decades, Roman concrete grows stronger over time due to a chemical reaction between volcanic ash and seawater. [1] This reaction creates a rare mineral called aluminous tobermorite, which reinforces the structure and prevents cracks from spreading. Modern researchers are studying this ancient formula to develop more sustainable and long-lasting building materials for coastal cities.

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

"Volcanic eruptions, such as the one at Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, often caused widespread destruction but left behind valuable ash deposits."

Should the writer make this addition?

Read the passage about home construction. Fill in the blank with the most precise and clear adjective that describes a firm, balanced, and unmoving structure.

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

In 1952, British biophysicist Rosalind Franklin produced Photo 51, a high-resolution X-ray diffraction image of DNA. The image that Franklin captured was shown to rival scientists James Watson and Francis Crick without her knowledge or consent. Watson and Crick used this key piece of evidence to determine the double-helix structure of the molecule.

Which of the following punctuation choices for the underlined portion is grammatically correct?

Many museums now employ advanced laser technology to clean historic paintings, a process that removes soot and varnish without damaging the underlying paint layer. Conservators must still apply traditional methods in tandem; organic solvents, delicate scalpels, and specialized pig-hair brushes.

Which of the following options is the best replacement for the underlined portion?

The writer wants to arrange the following sentences from a draft essay to logically show the progression from the mechanical problem of early typewriters to Christopher Sholes's design solution and its modern legacy. Organize the sentences in the most logical order to achieve this goal.

Paragraph 1

In the late nineteenth century, the bicycle underwent a dramatic redesign that transformed it from a niche sporting toy into a mainstream mode of transportation. Prior to this era, riders relied on the "ordinary" bicycle, which featured a giant front wheel and posed a constant risk of severe crashes. The introduction of the "safety bicycle" in 1885 changed everything. With its equal-sized wheels, chain-driven rear wheel, and pneumatic tires, it offered a stable, low-to-the-ground ride that was accessible to almost anyone.

Paragraph 2

[1] Historically confined by strict chaperone rules and heavy Victorian garments, women found a newfound sense of freedom in cycling. Activist Susan B. Anthony famously declared that the bicycle had "done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world." The demand for mobility led directly to the rational dress movement, which replaced heavy petticoats with bloomers and shorter skirts, permanently altering women's fashion and social roles in public spaces.

Which choice, if inserted at [1], provides the most effective transition from the preceding paragraph to the paragraph that follows?

Passage Excerpt:
Although many people think of vanilla as a basic or simple flavor, the process of cultivating vanilla beans is incredibly labor-intensive. Each orchid flower blooms for only a single day, during which it must be hand-pollinated by skilled workers using a thin wooden splinter. After pollination, the green pods must grow on the vine for nine months before they can be harvested.

The writer wants to add a sentence at this point that highlights the extreme precision and care required during the curing stage of vanilla production. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?

[1] For centuries, the dry climate of the library of Saint Catherine's Monastery in Egypt preserved layers of hidden writing on parchment pages known as palimpsests. [2] To reuse the expensive animal hides, medieval scribes frequently scraped away older texts, such as translations of ancient Greek medical treatises, before writing new prayers over them. [3] Modern conservationists, however, have begun employing multispectral imaging to photograph these pages under various wavelengths of light, exposing the faint traces of iron-gall ink left behind by the original authors. [4] These manuscripts are kept in highly controlled environments where temperature and humidity are regulated to prevent the parchment from warping. [5] By combining these digital images, researchers have successfully reconstructed lost works, providing scholars with unprecedented access to classical philosophy.

The writer is considering deleting Sentence 4 from the preceding paragraph. Should the sentence be kept or deleted?

Passage Excerpt:

In 1969, as the Apollo 11 spacecraft soared toward the moon, its onboard computer experienced an unexpected overload. Fortunately, the system did not crash, thanks to the pioneering work of software engineer Margaret Hamilton. Hamilton had designed the software to prioritize critical tasks, such as radar operations, over lower-priority functions. She spent years developing the code. This priority scheduling system prevented a potential disaster, allowing the lunar module to land safely.

Given that all the choices are true, which one best replaces the bolded text to emphasize the rigorous testing and simulated missions Hamilton conducted to ensure the software would work under pressure?

Read the passage below and select the choice that best replaces the underlined portion to eliminate redundancy.

"The astronaut looked out the window and saw the Earth, which was a round sphere floating in the dark void of space."

Which of the following options best eliminates the redundant phrasing while maintaining correct grammar?

A student is writing an essay about the history of everyday inventions. Read the paragraph and answer the question that follows.

During a freezing winter ride on a New York City streetcar in 1902, Mary Anderson noticed a recurring problem. The driver had to keep the front window open to wipe away the accumulating sleet, which chilled the passengers [1] inside. Instead, she began sketching a design for a hand-operated squeegee that could clear the glass from within the vehicle.

Which option for the underlined portion marked [1] establishes the correct logical connection and uses proper punctuation?

In 1886, Josephine Cochrane, a wealthy socialite frustrated by her servants chipping her fine china during hand-washing, patented the first commercially successful automatic dishwasher. Unlike previous inventors who used manual scrubbers, Cochrane designed a machine that utilized high water pressure to clean dishes. [1] She founded a company to manufacture her invention, which initially marketed the machine primarily to restaurants and hotels due to its large size and high cost. It was not until the mid-twentieth century that smaller, consumer-friendly models became standard in residential kitchens.

The writer is considering adding the following sentence at point [1]:
"Cochrane’s husband, William, was a successful local politician and merchant who assisted in financing her initial prototype."

Should the writer make this addition?

The writer wants to organize the following sentences to logically describe the step-by-step process of how leafcutter ants cultivate their food source. Arrange the sentences to achieve this goal, starting with the initial gathering of materials and ending with the final consumption.

In 1977, NASA launched the twin Voyager spacecraft, each carrying a copper phonograph record plated in gold. A committee chaired by Carl Sagan assembled a diverse collection of sights and sounds to convey a story of our world to any extraterrestrial travelers who might encounter the probes.

The committee faced a daunting challenge, however, in deciding how to represent human biology and civilization without relying on written language. To address this, they included a series of diagrams encoded in analog signals that could be converted into images. These diagrams depicted anatomical drawings of humans, the structure of DNA, and our solar system's location relative to distant pulsars. [Sentence 15] The final selection of images sought to present a hopeful, peaceful portrait of Earth, deliberately omitting depictions of war, disease, or poverty.

The writer wants to insert a sentence at [Sentence 15] that transitions from the technical description of the scientific diagrams to the emotional or philosophical purpose of the record's visual gallery. Which choice most effectively accomplishes this goal?

In the early twentieth century, leprosy was considered a terminal and highly debilitating disease, with patients often exiled to isolated colonies. At the College of Hawaii, young chemist Alice Ball undertook the challenge of finding an effective treatment. She focused on chaulmoogra oil, a natural substance that had shown therapeutic promise but was extremely difficult for the body to absorb. Ball successfully developed a chemical method to isolate the active ethyl esters from the oil, creating the first water-soluble, injectable treatment for the disease. [1]

The writer wants to add a concluding sentence at point [1] that wraps up the discussion of Ball's scientific achievement and highlights its immediate impact on patients. Which of the following sentences best accomplishes this goal?