Topic Development
357 questions
Prior to 1931, maps of the London Underground plotted subway routes geographically, overlaying them onto a standard city map. This method resulted in congested center sections and sprawling, hard-to-read outer lines. An engineering draftsman named Harry Beck realized that passengers riding underground only needed to know the sequence of stations and where to transfer, rather than their exact geographical coordinates. His solution was a diagrammatic layout that resembled an electrical circuit, using only horizontal, vertical, and 45-degree diagonal lines. By ignoring geographical accuracy, Beck created a clean, legible map that became a design classic and the model for transit systems worldwide.
The writer is considering adding the following sentence to the paragraph:
"Beck was temporarily laid off from his job at the Signals Office during a period of staff reductions, though he continued working on the map design in his spare time."
Should the writer make this addition?
The following is an excerpt from a draft of an essay about the cosmic microwave background radiation.
[1]
__________________________________________________. In 1964, radio astronomers Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson were troubled by a persistent, low-frequency hum coming from their Holmdel horn antenna in New Jersey. They tried everything to eliminate the noise: pointing the antenna in different directions, cleaning out nesting pigeons, and cooling the receiver to near absolute zero. Yet, the hiss remained constant, day and night. Ultimately, they realized that this background noise was actually the cosmic microwave background radiation—the leftover thermal echo of the Big Bang. Their accidental discovery provided the first definitive observational evidence for the Big Bang theory, transforming our understanding of the universe’s origins.
Which choice best establishes the main topic and serves as an effective introduction to the essay?
Passage Excerpt:
In 1957, engineers Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes sealed two textured plastic sheets together, trapping pocketed air bubbles between them. The inventors initially hoped to market this novel material as a stylish, modern wallpaper. [1] It was not until 1960, when IBM began shipping its fragile new computers, that the material—rebranded as Bubble Wrap—found its true purpose as protective packaging.
Question:
The writer wants to add a sentence at Point [1] that highlights the contrast between the inventors' initial enthusiasm and the public's disappointing response to the wallpaper concept. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?
In 1957, engineers Alfred Fielding and Marc Chavannes sealed two plastic shower curtains together, trapping a grid of air bubbles in between. Initially, they attempted to market this textured material as a new type of wallpaper. [1] When that venture failed, they pitched the material as greenhouse insulation, which also met with little success. The breakthrough came in 1960, when IBM needed a reliable packaging material to protect its new computer during transit, prompting the inventors to brand their creation as Bubble Wrap.
The writer is considering adding the following sentence at Point [1]:
"Fielding and Chavannes both held advanced degrees in engineering."
Should the writer make this addition?
Passage Excerpt:
In 1843, mathematician Ada Lovelace published her extensive notes on Charles Babbage's proposed Analytical Engine. Lovelace’s notes contained what many historians consider to be the very first computer program: [underlined]an algorithm designed to calculate Bernoulli numbers[/underlined]. Despite the engine never being built, Lovelace’s vision was remarkably forward-thinking.
Question:
Which choice most effectively emphasizes the complexity and meticulous nature of Lovelace's programming work?
A writer is editing a passage about early computer science and has drafted the following paragraph:
In the early 1950s, computer pioneer Grace Hopper worked on the UNIVAC I, one of the first commercial computers. At the time, programming required writing tedious machine code, which consisted entirely of numbers. Hopper believed that programming could be simplified if programmers could write instructions in English-like statements. This led her to develop the A-0 compiler, a groundbreaking program that translated mathematical code into machine-readable instructions. [5] Computer manufacturers in the mid-twentieth century were highly competitive, seeking to secure lucrative government contracts. Although her colleagues were initially skeptical of her idea, Hopper's innovation laid the foundation for modern programming languages.
The writer is considering deleting Sentence 5 from the paragraph. Should this sentence be deleted?
In the early nineteenth century, a Cherokee silversmith named Sequoyah became convinced that written communication was the key to his people’s long-term independence. Despite widespread skepticism from his community, he spent years developing a written language. Initially, Sequoyah attempted to create a unique pictograph for every word in the Cherokee language. However, this approach proved impractical due to the thousands of distinct symbols required. Realizing that spoken words could be broken down into repeating sounds, he abandoned pictographs and instead designed a syllabary of eighty-five characters representing all the consonant-vowel combinations in the language.
The writer is considering adding the following sentence to the end of the paragraph:
"Within a few years of the syllabary’s completion, the Cherokee Nation established a bilingual newspaper and achieved a literacy rate higher than that of neighboring communities."
Should the writer make this addition?
Passage Excerpt:
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is located deep within a mountain on a remote Arctic island. [1] The facility secures millions of crop seeds from around the world, safeguarding global biodiversity against catastrophic loss.
The writer wants to add a phrase at the beginning of the second sentence (replacing '[1]') to highlight the vault's geological stability and natural security. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?
Passage Excerpt:
In 1931, Harry Beck, a temporary draftsman for the London Underground, designed a revolutionary schematic diagram of the transit system. Rather than attempting to show geographical accuracy, Beck created a map that resembled a simplified circuit diagram, with straight lines and clean angles. [1] This design prioritized clarity and utility for commuters navigating the growing network.
The writer wants to add a sentence at Point [1] that provides a specific, concrete detail illustrating how Beck's map simplified the actual geography of London for commuters. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?
A writer is editing a passage about the history of eating utensils and has drafted the following paragraph:
For centuries, Western Europeans ate their meals using only knives, spoons, and their fingers. When the Byzantine princess Maria Argyropoulina arrived in Venice in 1004 to marry the Doge's son, she brought with her a set of golden, two-pronged forks, which she used to eat her food. [1] The Venetian clergy, however, condemned the implement as an insult to God, declaring that human hands were the only tools fit to touch the food created by the heavens. Consequently, forks did not gain widespread acceptance in Italy for another several centuries.
The writer is considering adding the following sentence at Point [1]:
Princess Maria was also known for her elaborate silk gowns and gold jewelry.
Should the writer make this addition at Point [1]?
Passage Excerpt:
In response to the growing national highway system, graphic designers developed FHWA Series fonts. These sans-serif typefaces were specifically engineered to improve legibility for drivers traveling at high speeds. [1]
The writer wants to add a sentence at Point [1] that provides a specific, concrete illustration of how the design of the characters achieved maximum readability. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?
The following is a paragraph from an essay about the origin of the word "silhouette":
In mid-eighteenth-century France, traditional painted portraits were a luxury reserved solely for the wealthy aristocracy. For the emerging middle class, a much cheaper alternative arose: the profile portrait, created by tracing the shadow of a subject’s face onto black paper and cutting it out. These inexpensive cutouts were named "silhouettes" after Étienne de Silhouette, a French finance minister whose brief tenure in 1759 was marked by severe economic austerity measures. Because Silhouette advocated for extreme penny-pinching and cut his own pension to save state funds, his name became synonymous with anything cheap, minimal, or cut short. Consequently, the term "silhouette" was applied derisively to these simple paper cutouts to suggest they were the portraits of a cheapskate, though the art form eventually outlived its negative connotations.
The writer is considering adding the following sentence to the end of the paragraph:
"Silhouette later retired to his estate in Bry-sur-Marne, where he lived quietly until his death in 1767."
Should the writer make this addition?
Passage Excerpt:
In 1856, while attempting to synthesize quinine to treat malaria, eighteen-year-old chemist William Henry Perkin accidentally created mauveine, the world’s first synthetic organic dye. At the time, purple clothing was a status symbol affordable only by the extremely wealthy because natural purple dyes were harvested from rare sea snails. [1]
The writer wants to add a sentence at point [1] that contrasts the traditional difficulty of obtaining purple dye with the ease and affordability introduced by Perkin's synthetic alternative. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?
A writer is editing an essay about inventor Walter Hunt and has drafted the following paragraph:
In 1849, inventor Walter Hunt was twisting a piece of brass wire at his desk, trying to figure out a way to pay off a fifteen-dollar debt. Within three hours, he had designed the first modern safety pin, featuring a clasp that covered the sharp point and a circular loop at the bend to act as a spring. Hunt quickly patented his invention and sold the rights for four hundred dollars, which easily cleared his debt but left him with none of the subsequent millions the product would generate. Over his lifetime, Hunt also designed a sewing machine and a street-sweeping vehicle, though he rarely capitalized on his creations.
The writer is considering adding the following sentence to the paragraph:
'Brass wire was relatively cheap and easy to acquire in nineteenth-century New York.'
Should the writer make this addition?
In 1968, 3M chemist Spencer Silver set out to develop a super-strong adhesive for the aerospace industry. [X] Silver spent years promoting his discovery to colleagues, but it was not until a coworker used it to anchor bookmarks in a hymnal that the Post-it Note was born.
The writer wants to replace the bracketed marker [X] with a sentence that emphasizes both the unexpected outcome of Silver's research and the specific characteristics of his new substance. Which choice best fulfills this goal?
Passage Excerpt:
In 1945, engineer Percy Spencer was working on active radar sets when he noticed that a chocolate bar in his pocket had suddenly melted. Intrigued by this phenomenon, Spencer decided to investigate the heating effect of magnetrons. He placed various foods near the radar equipment, including popping corn, which quickly began to pop and scatter across the lab. [X] Realizing that microwave energy could cook food rapidly, Spencer and his employer, Raytheon, filed a patent for the first commercial microwave oven.
The writer wants to add a sentence at point [X] to emphasize that the food Spencer tested became increasingly complex as his experiments progressed. Given that all the choices are true, which choice best accomplishes this goal?
A writer is editing an essay about the history of the crossword puzzle and has drafted the following paragraph:
Arthur Wynne, an editor at the New York World, was tasked in 1913 with creating a new game for the newspaper’s Sunday fun section. Remembering a game called "magic squares" from his childhood in England, Wynne designed a diamond-shaped grid with blank spaces and clues to help readers fill in the letters. He called his creation a "Word-Cross." The game was an instant success, prompting readers to write in for more puzzles, which eventually led to the standardized crossword puzzles we solve today.
The writer is considering adding the following sentence to the paragraph (placed after the sentence "He called his creation a 'Word-Cross.'"):
"Wynne's father, a local metalworker, had also taught him how to play chess and checkers during their family travels."
Should the writer make this addition?
Passage Excerpt:
During the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge in the 1930s, the US War Department lobbied for the bridge to be painted with yellow and black stripes to ensure visibility for passing military ships. However, consulting architect Irving Morrow disagreed. He argued that the steel primer coat—a vibrant, reddish-orange—blended with the surrounding landscape while remaining highly visible in the bay's frequent fog.
The writer wants to choose a phrase for the underlined portion that emphasizes how the color of the bridge harmonizes specifically with the natural, changing hues of the local terrain and water. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?
A writer is editing a passage about the Wright brothers' early aviation experiments and has drafted the following paragraph:
In the autumn of 1901, Wilbur and Orville Wright realized that existing aerodynamic data was highly inaccurate, threatening to stall their aviation experiments. To resolve this, they constructed a wind tunnel in their bicycle shop. [1] The tunnel was a simple wooden box, six feet long and sixteen inches square, equipped with a fan driven by a two-horsepower gasoline engine. Inside, they tested sheet-metal lift balances, which they fabricated out of bicycle spokes and scrap metal. Through these rigorous trials, they collected the precise data necessary to design their successful 1902 glider.
The writer is considering adding the following sentence at Point [1]:
'The brothers also sold and repaired bicycles to fund their aviation research.'
Should the writer make this addition at Point [1]?
Passage Excerpt:
In 1947, while working on the Harvard Mark II computer, computer scientist Grace Hopper and her team encountered a sudden system error. Upon examining the machine's hardware, they discovered a moth trapped in one of the electromagnetic relays. They carefully removed the insect and taped it into their logbook, [underlined portion], to document the unusual breakdown.
The writer wants to edit the underlined portion to emphasize the historic significance of this event as the origin of the computer programming term "debugging." Which choice best accomplishes this goal?