Organization, Unity, and Cohesion

Deciphering the Bronze Age

[1]
For decades, the clay tablets unearthed at the ancient palace of Knossos by archaeologist Arthur Evans remained an impenetrable mystery. Written in a script dubbed "Linear B," these inscriptions defied translation, leaving scholars to debate whether the language was Basque, Etruscan, or an early form of Greek. Evans himself fiercely maintained that Linear B could not possibly be Greek, believing it belonged to a distinct Minoan civilization that dominated the Aegean long before the rise of Mycenae. This authoritative stance discouraged many researchers from pursuing Greek linguistic leads, thereby stalling progress for nearly half a century.

[2]
The breakthrough finally came in the early 1950s through the collaborative, yet independent, efforts of Alice Kober and Michael Ventris. Kober, a classicist at Brooklyn College, meticulously recorded grammatical patterns on thousands of index cards, proving that the language was inflected—meaning that word endings changed to indicate grammatical relationships. Following her untimely death, Ventris, an architect with a passion for codes, built upon her work. By constructing a grid that mapped consonant and vowel relationships, Ventris unlocked the phonetic values of the symbols and realized, to his own surprise, that the tablets were indeed written in an archaic Greek dialect.

[3]
[ 1 ] The tablets did not contain epic poetry or grand historical narratives, as some had hoped, but were instead mundane administrative records: lists of sheep, jars of olive oil, and distributions of bronze to local smiths. Yet, in their very domesticity, these documents provided invaluable insights into the highly centralized palace economy and social hierarchy of late Bronze Age Greece.

Which of the following sentences, if added at the bracketed marker [ 1 ] in the third paragraph, would provide the most logical transition from the second paragraph and introduce the main topic of the third paragraph?

The following passage describes the reception of the potato in Europe.

[1] When Spanish conquistadors first brought the potato to Europe in the sixteenth century, the unfamiliar tuber was met with suspicion. [2] Many Europeans feared the vegetable because it was not mentioned in the Bible, and others suspected it of causing leprosy. [3] In France, the crown even went so far as to ban potato cultivation entirely in 1748. [4] Recognizing the crop's potential to combat famine, French army pharmacist Antoine-Augustin Parmentier set out to change public perception. [5] He established heavily guarded potato patches near Paris, instructing the guards to accept bribes and look the other way when locals tried to steal the "royal" plants.

To make the paragraph flow most logically, where should the following sentence be placed?

"This clever reverse-psychology campaign succeeded in generating curiosity and ultimately popularized the crop."

For decades, archaeologists assumed that the tiny, white mineral chunks scattered throughout ancient Roman concrete were simply the result of sloppy mixing [1] practices. Consequently, these 'lime clasts' actually serve a vital function: they dissolve when water enters cracks, recrystallizing to seal the damage from within.

Which of the following choices provides the most logical transition between the sentences while maintaining correct sentence structure?

For decades, scientists struggled to explain how geckos could effortlessly scale smooth vertical walls and even walk upside down on polished glass ceilings. Traditional hypotheses involving sticky secretions or microscopic suction cups were repeatedly disproven. It was not until the early $2000\text{s}$ that researchers confirmed that the gecko's grip relies on van der Waals forces—weak electromagnetic attractions between molecules. This phenomenon is facilitated by millions of microscopic hair-like structures called setae branching into even smaller spatulae, which conform so closely to the surface that they create a molecular bond. [1] However, this adhesion is not permanent; by changing the angle of their toes, geckos can instantly break these bonds to take another step.

The writer wants to add a sentence at Point [1] that provides a concrete, quantitative illustration of the immense strength of these combined molecular forces to emphasize how powerful this microscopic mechanism is. Which choice most effectively accomplishes this goal?

For centuries, stained glass windows have been used to tell stories and bring vibrant color to places of worship. During the Gothic period, medieval artists created these windows by mixing metallic oxides into molten glass. Copper was added to make red or blue glass, while cobalt yielded a deep, rich blue. [1] Modern stained glass artists often use copper foil to wrap individual pieces of glass before soldering them together. Today, these historical windows are carefully preserved, allowing modern viewers to appreciate their beauty and narrative power.

The writer is considering deleting Sentence 1 from the paragraph. Should the sentence be kept or deleted?

The writer wants to arrange the following sentences to logically trace how a highly classified military surveillance technology unexpectedly became an invaluable tool for marine biologists. What is the most logical order for these sentences?

The following paragraphs are from a draft of an essay about the London Underground map. Arrange the paragraphs in the most logical order to create a cohesive essay.

Each spring, maple syrup producers in New England harvest sap from sugar maple trees. To do this, they drill small holes into the tree trunks and insert metal or plastic taps called spiles. Sap, which is mostly water with a low sugar content, drips slowly from these spiles into hanging buckets or plastic tubing. *Sugar maple trees can grow up to eighty feet tall and live for over three hundred years.* This harvested sap is then collected and boiled in large pans inside a sugarhouse. Boiling evaporates the excess water, concentrating the sugars until it becomes the thick, sweet syrup enjoyed on pancakes and waffles.

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

[1] In 1911, the Italian archaeologist Luigi Pernier discovered the Phaistos Disc in the ruins of a Minoan palace in Crete. [2] The clay disc, covered on both sides with a spiral of stamped symbols, remains one of archaeology’s most famous undeciphered mysteries. [3] Many scholars have tried to decode the 242 signs, which feature representations of human figures, animals, and plants. [4] Some researchers suggest the disc records a sacred hymn, while others argue it is a legal document or a board game. [5] Because the symbols are stamped rather than hand-carved, the disc represents an early precursor to movable type printing, developed thousands of years before Johannes Gutenberg's press.

Given the passage above, the writer is considering adding the following sentence to the end of the paragraph:

"Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in fifteenth-century Germany revolutionized the dissemination of knowledge across Europe."

Should the writer make this addition?

Passage:
In 1957, engineers Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes sealed two plastic shower curtains together, trapping pockets of air between them. They hoped this textured material would become a popular new home wallpaper. [1] Therefore, consumers showed little interest in decorating their walls with plastic sheets. The inventors did not despair; instead, they successfully marketed their product as 'Bubble Wrap' for protective packaging.

Question:
Which choice provides the most logical transition at [1]?

The following passage is about the early history of color photography:

In the early 1900s, chemist and photographer Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky embarked on a monumental project to document the vast Russian Empire. Recognizing that traditional black-and-white photography failed to capture the vibrant cultures and diverse landscapes of the region, he developed a specialized camera. This camera rapidly exposed three black-and-white glass plates through red, green, and blue filters. By projecting these plates using three corresponding light sources, he reconstructed full-color images. [1] The Tsar, Nicholas II, was so impressed by a demonstration of these images that he provided Prokudin-Gorsky with a specially equipped railroad car darkroom and the necessary travel permits to document the empire.

The writer wants to add a sentence at Point [1] that highlights the groundbreaking nature of Prokudin-Gorsky’s technological achievement before explaining the Tsar's reaction. Which choice most effectively fulfills this goal?

[1] At the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza, the pyramid known as El Castillo displays a remarkable acoustic phenomenon. [2] When a visitor claps their hands at the base of the staircase, the echo returning from the temple at the summit sounds uncannily like the chirp of the resplendent quetzal, a bird sacred to the Maya. [3] Some archaeologists argue that this acoustic effect was intentional, engineered by Mayan architects to evoke the voice of their deities during ceremonies. [4] The quetzal was highly valued for its vibrant green tail feathers, which were used to make elaborate headdresses for royalty. [5] Skeptics, however, maintain that the chirp is merely an accidental byproduct of the staircase's stair-step geometry.

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

Paragraph 1

In the early nineteenth century, the proposal to build a 363-mile canal connecting the Hudson River to Lake Erie was widely mocked as an impossibility. Critics dubbed the project "Clinton's Folly," mocking New York Governor DeWitt Clinton's ambitious plan to cut through dense forests, swampy wilderness, and solid rock. Skeptics argued that the young nation lacked the engineering expertise and financial resources to complete such a monumental undertaking.

Paragraph 2

[1] _________ The canal reduced shipping costs by up to ninety percent and turned New York City into the nation's premier commercial port. Towns along the canal route grew into bustling cities almost overnight. The success of the project sparked a nationwide canal-building boom, proving that the daring engineering feat was not a folly at all, but a vital artery for a growing nation.

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

The writer is considering deleting the following sentence from the passage:

'Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed plants because they are the only food source for the caterpillars.'

If the passage focuses on the migratory patterns of monarch butterflies, should the writer make this deletion?

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

The thorny devil, a lizard native to the Australian outback, can absorb water through its skin using a network of microscopic grooves between its scales. Additionally, this moisture is transported directly to the lizard's mouth by capillary action, allowing the creature to drink simply by standing on damp sand.

Which choice provides the most logical transition from the first sentence to the second sentence?

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

[1] In 1948, Bernard Silver, a graduate student at Drexel Institute of Technology, overheard a supermarket executive asking a dean to develop a system to automatically capture product information at checkout. [2] Silver mentioned this challenge to his friend Norman Joseph Woodland, who became obsessed with the problem. [3] Woodland's initial idea was to use ink that glowed under ultraviolet light. [4] He then realized that a pattern of thin and thick lines, inspired by Morse code, could represent numbers.

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

"This ultraviolet ink, however, proved to be both unstable and expensive, forcing them to abandon the concept."

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

The writer wants to organize the sentences below to logically trace the cause-and-effect sequence of the trophic cascade in Yellowstone National Park following the reintroduction of wolves. Arrange the sentences in the most logical order.

Passage:

Monarch butterflies migrate thousands of miles south to Mexico every autumn. [2] <underline>Consequently</underline>, they do not possess a map or GPS; they must rely on environmental cues like temperature and daylight to navigate the long journey.

Which choice most effectively transitions from the first sentence to the second sentence?

The following paragraph contains numbered sentences.

[1] In 1998, a medieval prayer book known as the Archimedes Palimpsest was purchased at auction, opening a window into lost ancient Greek mathematics. [2] Centuries earlier, in the thirteenth century, scribes had scraped away the original text of several treatises by Archimedes to reuse the valuable parchment for religious texts. [3] Modern conservationists, however, faced the daunting task of reading the erased, underlying writing without damaging the fragile leaves. [4] By illuminating the parchment under different wavelengths of light, scientists captured a series of high-resolution digital photographs. [5] Computer algorithms then processed these digital images, enhancing the contrast between the two overlapping layers of writing.

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

'This technique, known as multispectral imaging, allowed them to document the erased text hidden beneath the medieval ink.'

To make the paragraph flow in the most logical order, where should the writer place this sentence?

The following paragraphs are from a draft of an essay about the discovery of pulsars.

[1]
In the summer of 1967, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, a postgraduate student at Cambridge University, was analyzing miles of paper chart recordings from a newly constructed radio telescope. The telescope had been designed to study quasars, but Bell Burnell was looking for anything unusual in the massive amounts of data generated.

[2]
To investigate further, she used a high-speed recorder that could capture detail on a much shorter time scale. This faster recording revealed that the signals were actually incredibly regular pulses, occurring every 1.33 seconds.

[3]
Initially, some team members wondered if the signals were artificial transmissions from an extraterrestrial civilization, jokingly naming the source "LGM-1" for "Little Green Men." However, when Bell Burnell located a second, similarly pulsating source in a completely different part of the sky, it became clear that this was a natural, albeit entirely new, astronomical phenomenon: a pulsar.

[4]
While scanning the charts, she noticed a strange "scruff" of signals that did not look like the random interference typical of radio noise. The mysterious signals recurred at the exact same location in the sky, suggesting they originated from deep space rather than a terrestrial transmitter.

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