Question: The spacecraft OSIRIS-REx briefly made contact with the asteroid 101955 Bennu in 2020. NASA scientist Daniella DellaGiustina reports that despite facing the unexpected obstacle of a surface mostly covered in boulders, OSIRIS-REx successfully __________ a sample of the surface, gathering pieces of it to bring back to Earth.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) attached
B) collected
C) followed
D) replaced

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft’s contact with the asteroid 101955 Bennu. In this context, “collected” means acquired and took away. The text indicates that although the boulders on the asteroid’s surface caused some unforeseen problems, OSIRIS-REx was able to gather a sample to return to Earth. This context suggests that OSIRIS-REx successfully collected a sample of 101955 Bennu.

Choice A is incorrect because in this context “attached” means connected or affixed. The text indicates that OSIRIS-REx gathered pieces of 101955 Bennu to bring to Earth; it doesn’t suggest that the spacecraft attached anything to the asteroid.

Choice C is incorrect because in this context “followed” means tracked or traveled behind and the text discusses OSIRIS-REx’s brief encounter with 101955 Bennu during which the spacecraft gathered a sample to bring to Earth. The text doesn’t suggest that the spacecraft tracked the sample, and it’s not clear what it would mean for the spacecraft to travel behind the sample it collected.

Choice D is incorrect because in this context “replaced” means put back or returned. The text indicates that OSIRIS-REx gathered pieces of 101955 Bennu to bring to Earth but doesn’t suggest that anything was returned to the asteroid.

Read a sentence before and then the blank sentence.

Question: Research conducted by planetary scientist Katarina Miljkovic suggests that the Moon’s surface may not accurately _____________ early impact events. When the Moon was still forming, its surface was softer, and asteroid or meteoroid impacts would have left less of an impression; thus, evidence of early impacts may no longer be present.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) reflect
B) receive
C) evaluate
D) mimic

Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the Moon’s surface. In this context, “reflect” means show or make apparent. The text states that because the surface of the Moon was softer when the Moon was still forming than it is now, early asteroid and meteoroid impacts “would have left less of an impression” and, as a result, evidence of them may no longer exist. This context supports the idea that the surface of the Moon may not accurately show signs of early impact events.

Choice B is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that the surface of the Moon may not accurately “receive,” or acquire or experience, early impacts from asteroids or meteoroids. The text indicates that the impacts have already occurred, and it isn’t clear how the Moon’s surface could be accurate or inaccurate in experiencing them.

Choice C is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that the surface of the Moon may not accurately “evaluate,” or determine the significance or condition of, early impacts from asteroids or meteoroids since that would suggest that it’s possible for the Moon’s surface to make a decision of any kind.

Choice D is incorrect. In this context, “mimic” would mean to deliberately simulate or closely imitate something. It wouldn’t make sense to say that the surface of the Moon may not accurately mimic early asteroids and meteoroid impacts, since that would suggest that it’s possible for the Moon to deliberately imitate something.

Work on your skimming by practicing more.

Question: Handedness, a preferential use of either the right or left hand, typically is easy to observe in humans. Because this trait is present but less ___________ in many other animals, animal-behavior researchers often employ tasks specially designed to reveal individual animals’ preferences for a certain hand or paw.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) recognizable
B) intriguing
C) significant
D) useful

Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion about handedness in animals. As used in this context, “recognizable” means apparent or identifiable. The text indicates that handedness is “easy to observe in humans,” but that animal-behavior researchers use special tasks to determine handedness in other animals. This context and the use of “less” before the blank indicate that compared with handedness in humans, handedness in other animals is less recognizable.

Choice B is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that handedness is less “intriguing,” or fascinating, in nonhuman animals than it is in humans. The text focuses on how easy it is to observe handedness in humans as compared with other animals; the text doesn’t suggest that handedness is more fascinating in humans.

Choice C is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that handedness is less “significant,” or important or meaningful, in nonhuman animals than it is in humans. The text focuses on how easy it is to observe handedness in humans as compared with other animals; the text doesn’t suggest that handedness is more significant in humans.

Choice D is incorrect because “useful,” or functional or helpful, wouldn’t make sense in context. The text focuses on the ease with which researchers can determine whether an animal or person is right- or left-handed, not on how useful handedness in nonhuman animals is compared with handedness in humans.

Work on your skimming by practicing more.

Question: It is by no means _________ to recognize the influence of Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch on Ali Banisadr’s paintings; indeed, Banisadr himself cites Bosch as an inspiration. However, some scholars have suggested that the ancient Mesopotamian poem Epic of Gilgamesh may have had a far greater impact on Banisadr’s work.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) substantial
B) satisfying
C) unimportant
D) appropriate

Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the influences on Banisadr’s work. As used in this context, “unimportant” means trivial or lacking value. “It is by no means” establishes that the word that goes in the blank is contradicted by other information; the material that follows “indeed” later in that sentence provides the contradicting information—namely, that Banisadr himself cites Bosch as an inspiration. In other words, the sentence indicates that Bosch’s influence on Banisadr is significant, and thus recognizing that influence is by no means unimportant.

Choice A is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that recognizing Bosch’s influence on Banisadr isn’t “substantial,” or meaningful. The text states that Banisadr himself cites Bosch as an influence.

Choice B is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that it isn’t “satisfying,” or pleasing, to recognize Bosch’s influence on Banisadr. The text states that Banisadr himself cites Bosch as an influence.

Choice D is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that recognizing Bosch’s influence on Banisadr isn’t “appropriate,” or suitable. The text indicates that Banisadr himself notes that Bosch’s work has had an effect on him.

Read more and more until you become proficient in it.

Question: The following text is adapted from Susan Glaspell’s 1912 short story “‘Out There.’” An elderly shop owner is looking at a picture that he recently acquired and hopes to sell.
It did seem that the picture failed to fit in with the rest of the shop. A persuasive young fellow who claimed he was closing out his stock let the old man have it for what he called a song. It was only a little out-of-the-way store which subsisted chiefly on the framing of pictures. The old man looked around at his views of the city, his pictures of cats and dogs, his flaming bits of landscape. “Don’t belong in here,” he fumed.
And yet the old man was secretly proud of his acquisition. There was a hidden dignity in his scowling as he shuffled about pondering the least ridiculous place for the picture.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
A) To reveal the shop owner’s conflicted feelings about the new picture
B) To convey the shop owner’s resentment of the person he got the new picture from
C) To describe the items that the shop owner most highly prizes
D) To explain differences between the new picture and other pictures in the shop

Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The text begins by stating that the new picture “failed to fit in” with the other items that the shop owner has. The text goes on to illustrate that point by describing the other pictures the shop owner has, indicating that the shop owner is fuming because he doesn’t think the new picture belongs in the store. In the second paragraph, however, the text indicates that the shop owner is “secretly proud of his acquisition.” The main purpose of the text is thus to reveal the shop owner’s conflicted feelings about the new picture.

Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that the shop owner resents the young man who sold him the new picture; in fact, the text gives no indication of the owner’s feelings about the young man at all.

Choice C is incorrect. Although the text indicates that the new picture is different from the other items in the shop, there’s no suggestion that the shop owner prizes either the new picture or the pictures of the city, pets, and landscapes more than he prizes any other items.

Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t describe what the new picture looks like; rather, the text identifies some of the other kinds of images that the shop owner has and states that they’re different from the new picture without explaining how they’re different.

Work on your skimming by practicing more.

Question: The room was silent except for the soft ticking of the clock. Outside, the wind whispered through the trees, carrying with it the scent of rain. Emily sat by the window, watching the storm clouds gather on the horizon. She felt a strange sense of peace, even as the darkness deepened and the first drops of rain began to fall.
What is the mood of the passage?
A) Excitement
B) Calm
C) Fear
D) Sadness

Choice B is the best answer because the description of the “soft ticking of the clock” and “whispering wind” creates a calm and peaceful mood.

Choice A is incorrect because the passage doesn’t contain words that convey excitement.

Choice C is incorrect. The passage does not suggest fear or any sense of danger.

Choice D is incorrect because Emily feels a “strange sense of peace,” which doesn’t indicate sadness.

Look for keywords that describe sensory details (sound, sight, and feeling) to identify the mood.

Question: “We must remember that the rights we cherish today were not always guaranteed. They were won through struggle, sacrifice, and perseverance. It is our responsibility, as the beneficiaries of that struggle, to protect these rights and ensure they are extended to all people, regardless of race, gender, or religion.”
According to the speaker, what is the responsibility of current generations?
A) To fight for more rights
B) To appreciate past sacrifices
C) To preserve and extend the rights to everyone
D) To focus on economic development

Choice C is the best answer because the passage mentions the responsibility to “protect these rights and ensure they are extended to all people.”

Choice A is incorrect because the speaker focuses on protecting existing rights, not necessarily fighting for more.

Choice B is incorrect. While this is part of the message, the primary responsibility is to protect and extend rights.

Choice D is incorrect because the speech does not mention economic development.

Pay attention to phrases like “our responsibility” to understand the main argument or call to action.

Question: Many species of migratory birds have been observed to alter their flight paths in response to changes in temperature and food availability. Studies show that even a 2-degree change in average temperature can cause some species to migrate earlier in the season. Scientists are concerned about the long-term impact of climate change on migratory patterns, as shifting weather conditions may disrupt ecosystems and food chains.
Which choice best describes the structure of the passage?
A) Cause and effect
B) Chronological order
C) Problem and solution
D) Comparison

Choice A is the best answer because the passage describes how temperature changes (cause) affect bird migration (effect).

Choice B is incorrect because the passage does not present events in a time sequence.

Choice C is incorrect. Although it discusses a problem (climate change), it does not offer a solution.

Choice D is incorrect because there is no comparison between different subjects.

When identifying structure, look for signal words like “because,” “therefore,” or “as a result,” which indicate cause-and-effect relationships.

Question: (1) The city’s transportation system has experienced a sharp increase in ridership over the past decade.
(2) However, many of the buses and trains remain outdated, and in need of significant repairs.
(3) These issues have lead to frequent delays and unreliable service, causing frustration among commuters.
In sentence 3, how should the phrase “have lead” be corrected?
A) No change
B) has lead
C) have led
D) had led

Choice C is the best answer because “Have led” is the correct past participle form of “lead.”

Choice A is incorrect because “Lead” is incorrect as it is in the present tense.

Choice B is incorrect. “Has” is singular and should not be used with a plural subject like “issues.”

Choice D is incorrect because “Had led” would imply the past perfect, which is not necessary here.

Remember that “led” is the Past Tense and Past Participle of “lead.” “Lead” is only Present Tense.

Question: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was one of the most significant legislative achievements in American history. It
(1) abolished legal racial segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Its passage was the result of years of persistent efforts by civil rights activists, whose work would
(2) continues to inspire movements for equality to this day.
Which choice provides the most accurate revision for sentence 2?
A) continues to inspire movements for equality to this day
B) continue to inspire movements for equality to this day
C) have continued to inspire movements for equality to this day
D) continuing to inspire movements for equality to this day

Choice B is the best answer because “Continue” matches the plural subject “efforts.”

Choice A is incorrect because “Continues” is incorrect because it is singular and does not match the plural subject.

Choice C is incorrect. This shifts the tense unnecessarily.

Choice D is incorrect because this is not a grammatically complete sentence.

Always ensure subject-verb agreement, especially in longer sentences with multiple Nouns. Learn Present Tense and Types of Noun.

Question: “The Bet” is an 1889 short story by Anton Chekhov. In the story, a banker is described as being very upset about something: ___________.
Which quotation from “The Bet” most effectively illustrates the claim?
A) “Then the banker cautiously broke the seals off the door and put the key in the keyhole.”
B) “It struck three o’clock, the banker listened; everyone was asleep in the house and nothing could be heard outside but the rustling of the chilled trees.”
C) “The banker, spoilt and frivolous, with millions beyond his reckoning, was delighted at the bet.”
D) “When [the banker] got home he lay on his bed, but his tears and emotion kept him for hours from sleeping.”

Choice D is the best answer because it most effectively uses a quotation from “The Bet” to illustrate the claim that the banker was very upset about something. The quotation indicates that the banker shed tears, which suggests that he was likely unhappy about something and that his emotions were so strong that they kept him from sleeping for hours. These details suggest that the banker was very upset.

Choice A is incorrect because this quotation mainly describes the banker cautiously unlocking a door; it doesn’t suggest that he was particularly upset about anything.

Choice B is incorrect because this quotation doesn’t mention whether the banker was experiencing any particularly strong negative feelings; instead, the quotation focuses on the quietness of the setting.

Choice C is incorrect because this quotation states that the banker was feeling “delighted,” not that he was upset.

You require good English to understand it.

Question: The passage of time is among the many obstacles faced by scientists who are pursuing de-extinction efforts—that is, efforts to use breeding or a mixture of cloning and genetic engineering to bring back extinct species. Specifically, researchers are concerned that the longer a species has been extinct, the less likely it is that a suitable habitat still exists for that species. Among candidate species for de-extinction, this problem would be especially concerning for the ______________.
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement?
A) passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius), which became extinct only a few years after the huia (Heteralocha acutirostris).
B) saber-toothed cat (Smilodon), which became extinct 11,000 years ago.
C) woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius), which became extinct several thousand years before the saber-toothed cat (Smilodon).
D) Caribbean monk seal (Monachus tropicalis), which became extinct in 1952.

Choice B is the best answer because it uses data from the table to complete the statement regarding a species for which the problem of finding a suitable habitat would be especially concerning. For each candidate species, the table lists its common name, scientific name, and when the species became extinct. The text explains that scientists pursuing de-extinction for the candidate species also consider the length of time that has passed since the species’ extinction, noting that the longer the animal has been extinct, the less likely it is that a suitable habitat would exist for the species today. The possibility of not having a suitable habitat would be especially concerning for the candidate species for which the most time has passed since its extinction. According to the table, this species would be the saber-toothed cat, which became extinct 11,000 years before the present.

Choice A is incorrect because it compares the time since the extinction of the passenger pigeon to the time since the extinction of the huia instead of citing the species listed in the table that has been extinct the longest (the saber-toothed cat). The text indicates that the longer a species has been extinct, the lower the chances are that a suitable habitat exists for it today. Neither the table nor the text supports the claim that the passenger pigeon is especially vulnerable to this problem.

Choice C is incorrect because the text states that the longer a species has been extinct, the less likely it is that there would be a suitable habitat available for the species today. So, the problem would be especially concerning for the saber-toothed cat, which became extinct several thousand years before the woolly mammoth did—not the other way around.

Choice D is incorrect because the text states that the longer a species has been extinct, the lower the chances are that a suitable habitat would be available for that species today. According to the table, the Caribbean monk seal became extinct in 1952, which is the most recent extinction listed for a candidate species in the table.

Skim the paragraph or here look for the sentence, then find the detail that is the most relatable to it. In this case, you are asked for the oldest extinct species.

Question: Under normal atmospheric pressure at Earth’s surface, water molecules form a tetrahedral network stabilized by hydrogen bonds between adjacent molecules. Extreme high pressure, such as can be found in deep ocean waters, destabilizes these bonds and compresses water’s structure, allowing water molecules within organisms to permeate proteins and impede crucial biological functions; yet deep-sea organisms known as piezophiles have adapted to extreme pressure. Studies have found a positive correlation between the depths that various piezophiles inhabit and concentrations of a compound called trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO)
in their muscle tissues, which has led a team of researchers to hypothesize that TMAO reduces water’s compressibility.
Which finding, if true, would most directly support the researchers’ hypothesis?
A) Water molecules are found to be impervious to TMAO even when the water molecules’ tetrahedral configuration has been distorted by
high pressure.
B) Examination of TMAO’s molecular structure shows that TMAO molecules retain their shape even as pressure increases.
C) A positive correlation is found between concentrations of TMAO and the rate at which water’s molecular structure compresses as
pressure increases.
D) Analysis of water’s molecular structure under high pressure reveals that hydrogen bonds are more stable when TMAO is present than when it is not.

Choice D is the best answer because it presents a finding that, if true, would support the researchers’ hypothesis that TMAO reduces water’s compressibility. The text explains that at great depths in the ocean, extreme pressure compresses the molecular structure of water by destabilizing the hydrogen bonds between adjacent molecules, thereby allowing water to penetrate proteins and harm the associated organisms. However, deep-sea organisms called piezophiles have adapted to live at these depths and previous studies show a positive correlation between the depth at which a piezophile species lives and the species’ level of the compound TMAO. Because this hypothesis links TMAO levels with reduced compressibility of water’s tetrahedral molecular structure, a finding that TMAO helps maintain the hydrogen bonds between water molecules under high pressure would strongly support that hypothesis.

Choice A is incorrect. Although the researchers’ hypothesis suggests a relationship between TMAO and water molecules’ tetrahedral molecular structure, that relationship involves TMAO helping maintain water’s tetrahedral molecular structure under high pressure; as presented in the text, the hypothesis doesn’t contend that water molecules are impervious to, or incapable of being penetrated by, TMAO.

Choice B is incorrect because the text discusses how the molecular structure of water, not TMAO, is compressed under extreme pressure and never addresses how TMAO might be affected by such pressure.

Choice C is incorrect because the researchers’ hypothesis holds that water under extreme pressure is more resistant, not less, to being compressed when TMAO concentrations are higher. Moreover, the positive correlation mentioned in the text is between TMAO concentrations and the depths at which piezophiles live, not between concentrations of TMAO and the rate at which water’s molecular structure compresses as pressure increases.

Work on your skimming skills.

Question: The Cretaceous pterosaur Tupandactylus navigans is known for having an anomalously oversized head crest. Until an almost complete fossil skeleton was found in Brazil, paleontologists had been able to study only skull specimens from T. navigans, though it was presumed that, like other pterosaurs, the species’s primary form of locomotion was powered flight. Examining the fuller skeleton in 2016, Victor Beccari and his team determined that T. navigans had long hind legs, short wings, and an unusually long neck—characteristics that, combined with the creature’s large-crested head, would have made
sustained flight difficult and walking upright relatively comfortable. Based on these findings the team suggests that T. navigans likely ______________.
Which choice most logically completes the text?
A) flew for longer distances than did other pterosaur species that had oversized head crests.
B) had longer wings than other pterosaur species considered to have been comfortable walking.
C) had a smaller head than researchers expected based on the earlier T. navigans skull specimens.
D) flew for shorter distances and spent more time walking than researchers previously thought.

Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the Cretaceous pterosaur Tupandactylus navigans. The text first describes what paleontologists initially speculated to be true of T. navigans based on observing only fossilized skulls of the pterosaur rather than complete skeletons—namely, that T. navigans had an oversized head crest and that, like other pterosaurs, its main mode of movement must have been flight. The text goes on to describe what researcher Victor Beccari and his team concluded based on studying a nearly complete fossilized skeleton of T. navigans, which provided additional information that fossilized skulls alone could not. Beccari and colleagues determined that T. navigans had long hind legs, short wings, and an unusually long neck, in addition to the oversized head crest previously observed by paleontologists. Taken together, these characteristics would have made sustained flight difficult and upright walking comfortable, which would make T. navigans different from other pterosaurs that moved mainly through flight. Thus, Beccari and colleagues suggest that previously held speculations of paleontologists are inaccurate: that instead of moving mainly through powered flight, T. navigans likely flew for shorter distances and spent more time walking than researchers previously thought.

Choice A is incorrect because Beccari and his team determined, based on their examination of a nearly complete skeleton, that T. navigans would have found “sustained flight difficult,” which would differentiate it from most other pterosaurs that moved mainly through flight. Therefore, Beccari’s team would not suggest that T. navigans flew for longer distances than did other pterosaur species with large head crests.

Choice B is incorrect because the fossilized skeleton studied by Beccari and colleagues was notable for its short wings, and because no indication in the text is made that other pterosaurs were thought
by paleontologists to be comfortable walking. Therefore, Beccari’s team would not suggest that T. navigans had longer wings than other pterosaur species considered to have been comfortable walking.

Choice C is incorrect because the text indicates that Beccari and his team agree with the paleontologists mentioned earlier in the text that T. navigans had a large-crested head. Therefore, Beccari’s team would not suggest that T. navigans had a smaller head than researchers
previously expected.

Mostly, the underlined blank at the end of the sentence asks for the conclusion. So work on your skimming skills then summarise it.

Question: Consumer psychologists have theorized that the likelihood that people who identify as ethical consumers—meaning that they strive to purchase goods and services with positive or neutral social and ecological effects—will purchase a given product positively correlates with their perception of that product’s effects. In a recent study of the attitudes of self-identified ethical consumers toward purchasing a specific mobile phone coming to market, researchers found that, on average, study participants in their twenties rated the phone’s social and ecological effects much less positively than did
participants in other age groups. All other things being equal, if consumer psychologists’ theory is correct, this finding suggests that _________________.
Which choice most logically completes the text?
A) the phone is less appealing to ethical consumers in their twenties than other similar phones on the market are.
B) ethical consumers in their twenties are less likely to purchase the phone than ethical consumers in other age groups are.
C) there is not a meaningful difference in the likelihood of purchasing the phone among ethical consumers in different age groups.
D) ethical consumers in their twenties are more likely than ethical consumers in other age groups to consider a phone’s social and ecological effects when deciding whether to purchase that phone.

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of a study involving ethical consumers. According to the text, ethical consumers are people who strive to purchase goods and services with positive or neutral effects on society and the environment. The text explains that consumer psychologists believe these consumers are more likely to purchase a product if its effects correspond better to their values. The text then introduces a study of ethical consumers’ attitudes toward a specific mobile phone, indicating that participants in their twenties had a less positive attitude toward the phone’s effects on society and the environment than participants in other age groups did. The text indicates that readers should assume there are no other differences between the participants in their twenties and those in other age groups. If the consumer psychologists’ theory is correct, as the text proposes, then the study’s finding suggests that ethical consumers in their twenties are less likely to purchase the phone than ethical consumers in other age groups are.

Choice A is incorrect because the text mentions only the mobile phone used in the study and therefore provides no basis to compare participants’ attitudes toward that phone with their attitudes toward any other phone.

Choice C is incorrect because the study’s finding suggests the contrary. The text indicates that study participants in their twenties had a less positive attitude toward the phone’s social and environmental effects than study participants in other age groups did. If the consumer psychologists’ theory is true, as the text proposes, then the study’s finding suggests that ethical consumers in their twenties are meaningfully less likely to purchase the phone than ethical consumers in other age groups are.

Choice D is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that ethical consumers in their twenties are more likely than ethical consumers in other age groups to consider a phone’s social and ecological effects when deciding whether to purchase it. Rather, the text’s discussion of people who identify as ethical consumers suggests that they all consider the social and ecological effects of products, regardless of age.

Mostly, the underlined blank at the end of the sentence asks for the conclusion. So work on your skimming skills then summarise it.

Question: The Younger Dryas was a period of extreme cooling from 11,700 to 12,900 years ago in the Northern Hemisphere. Some scientists argue that a comet fragment hitting Earth brought about the cooling. Others disagree, partly because there is no known crater from such an impact that dates to the beginning of the period. In 2015, a team led by Kurt Kjær detected a 19-mile-wide crater beneath a glacier in Greenland. The scientists who believe an impact caused the Younger Dryas claim that this discovery supports their view. However, Kjær’s team hasn’t yet been able to determine the age of the crater. Therefore, the team suggests that _____________.
Which choice most logically completes the text?
A) it can’t be concluded that the impact that made the crater was connected to the beginning of the Younger Dryas.
B) it can’t be determined whether a comet fragment could make a crater as large as 19 miles wide.
C) scientists have ignored the possibility that something other than a comet fragment could have made the crater.
D) the scientists who believe an impact caused the Younger Dryas have made incorrect assumptions about when the period began.

Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of a crater’s connection to the start of the Younger Dryas. According to the text, some scientists believe that a comet fragment hitting Earth caused the cooling of the Younger Dryas period to come about. The text then indicates that a team of scientists found a crater in Greenland, which some believe supports the theory of a comet fragment hitting Earth to initiate the Younger Dryas. However, the text also notes that the team was unable to determine the age of the crater. If the age of the crater can’t be determined, then its connection to the Younger Dryas period can’t be confirmed either. Thus, it can’t be concluded that the impact that made the crater was connected to the beginning of the Younger Dryas.

Choice B is incorrect because though the text suggests that the age of the comet crater found by a team of scientists is uncertain, it doesn’t address whether a comet fragment can make a crater as large as 19 miles wide. The text doesn’t consider the size of comet fragments and how they relate to the size of craters they might make.

Choice C is incorrect because the debate in the text centers on the age of the crater found, not the cause of the crater. The text doesn’t indicate uncertainty about what caused the discovered crater.

Choice D is incorrect because the text suggests that the age of the crater found by the team of scientists is uncertain, not that the dates of the Younger Dryas are uncertain or incorrect. The text states that “the Younger Dryas was a period of extreme cooling from 11,700 to 12,900 years ago” but doesn’t indicate any debate about the timing of the period.

You must read and understand the whole paragraph, cause you need to choose an option that gives the conclusion.

Question: In 2016 biological anthropologist Heather F. Smith and her team investigated the evolution of the appendix, an intestinal organ that is present in some mammals, including humans, but is generally thought to have no function. Studying 533 mammal species, the team found that the appendix has emerged independently across multiple lineages in separate instances and, significantly, hasn’t disappeared after emerging in specific lineages. Moreover, the team determined that species with the organ tend to have higher concentrations of lymphoid tissue, which supports immune responses, in the cecum, the organ the appendix is attached to. Therefore, the team hypothesized that the appendix likely _____________.
Which choice most logically completes the text?
A) was once present in many nonmammal species but has since disappeared from those lineages.
B) has been preserved in certain mammal species because it benefits their immune systems.
C) will emerge in a greater number of mammal species because it may serve a necessary function in the immune system.
D) produced higher concentrations of lymphoid tissue in mammals in the past than it does currently.

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Smith and colleagues’ investigation of the evolution and biological role of the appendix. The text indicates that the team found several instances of the appendix emerging and not disappearing in the lineages of various mammal species the team examined. Furthermore, the text states that species that possess an appendix also tend to have relatively high amounts of lymphoid
tissue—a type of tissue that supports immune system function. Taken together, these details strongly support the hypothesis that the appendix has persisted in some species because it has a function that contributes to effective immune responses in those species.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t address any nonmammalian species.

Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t make predictions
about the evolutionary future of the species Smith and colleagues examined, and although the implication of the text is that the appendix likely does serve a function for the immune system, nothing in the text indicates that the appendix will become more widespread in the future.

Choice D is incorrect. Although the text does suggest an association between having an appendix and relatively high concentrations of lymphoid tissue, it doesn’t claim that the appendix causes the
tissue to grow, nor does it address the relative production of the tissue at different periods of time.

You must read and understand the whole paragraph, cause you need to choose an option that gives the conclusion.

Question: In 1937, Chinese American screen actor Anna May Wong, who had portrayed numerous villains and secondary characters but never a heroine, finally got a starring role in Paramount Pictures’ Daughter of Shanghai, a film that ____________“expanded the range of possibilities for Asian images on screen.”
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) critic, Stina Chyn, claims
B) critic, Stina Chyn, claims,
C) critic Stina Chyn claims
D) critic Stina Chyn, claims,

Choice C is the best answer. The conventions being tested are punctuation use between titles and proper nouns and between verbs and integrated quotations. No punctuation is needed to set off the proper noun “Stina Chyn” from the title that describes Chyn, “critic.” Because “Stina Chyn” is essential information identifying the “critic,” no punctuation is necessary. Further, no punctuation is needed between the verb “claims” and the following quotation because the quotation is integrated into the structure of the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed before or after the proper noun “Stina Chyn.” Setting the critic’s name off with commas suggests that it could be removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case.

Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed before or after the proper noun “Stina Chyn.” Setting the critic’s name off with commas suggests that it could be removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case. Additionally, no punctuation is needed between “claims” and the integrated quotation.

Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the verb “claims” and its subject, “critic Stina Chyn.” Additionally, no punctuation is needed between the verb “claims” and the integrated quotation.

You should work on your punctuation.

Question: In 1637, the price of tulips skyrocketed in Amsterdam, with single bulbs of rare varieties selling for up to the equivalent of $200,000 in today’s US dollars. Some historians ______________ that this “tulip mania” was the first historical instance of an asset bubble, which occurs when investors drive prices to highs not supported by actual demand.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) claiming
B) claim
C) having claimed
D) to claim

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of finite and nonfinite verb forms within a sentence. A main clause requires a finite verb to perform the action of the subject (in this case, “some historians”), and this choice supplies the finite present tense verb “claim” to indicate what some historians do.

Choice A is incorrect because the nonfinite participle “claiming” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.

Choice C is incorrect because the nonfinite participle “having claimed” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.

Choice D is incorrect because the nonfinite to-infinitive “to claim” doesn’t supply the main clause with a finite verb.

You should learn Gerund, Infinitive, Participles, and Tenses to answer correctly.

Question: Researchers studying magnetosensation have determined why some soil-dwelling roundworms in the Southern Hemisphere move in the opposite direction of Earth’s magnetic field when searching for __________ in the Northern Hemisphere, the magnetic field points down, into the ground, but in the Southern Hemisphere, it points up, toward the surface and away from worms’ food sources.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) food:
B) food,
C) food while
D) food

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is colon use within a sentence. A colon used in this way introduces information that illustrates or explains information that has come before it. In this case, the colon introduces the following explanation of why some roundworms in the Southern Hemisphere move in the opposite direction of Earth’s magnetic field.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to join two long independent clauses (“Researchers…food” and “in…sources”) such as these.

Choice C is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two clauses (“Researchers…food” and “in…sources”) are fused without punctuation. Furthermore, the conjunction “while” fails to indicate that what follows is an explanation of why some roundworms in the Southern Hemisphere move in the opposite direction of Earth’s magnetic field.

Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two clauses (“Researchers… food” and “in…sources”) are fused without punctuation and/or conjunction.

A common is for tiny pauses and a semi-colon is for pauses. Learn Punctuation.

Question: Scientists believe that, unlike most other species of barnacle, turtle barnacles (Chelonibia testudinari) can dissolve the cement-like secretions they use to attach _________ to a sea turtle shell, enabling the barnacles to move short distances across the shell’s surface.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) it
B) themselves
C) them
D) itself

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is pronoun-antecedent agreement. The plural reflexive pronoun “themselves” agrees in number with the plural antecedent “turtle barnacles,” correctly indicating what is attached to a sea turtle shell.

Choice A is incorrect because the singular pronoun “it” doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent “turtle barnacles.”

Choice C is incorrect because it results in an unclear and confusing sentence. In this context, it’s unclear what the plural pronoun “them” refers to.

Choice D is incorrect because the singular reflexive pronoun “itself” doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent “turtle barnacles.”

Learn Pronouns for better understanding.

Question: The classic children’s board game Chutes and Ladders is a version of an ancient Nepalese game, Paramapada Sopanapata. In both games, players encounter “good” or “bad” spaces while traveling along a path; landing on one of the good spaces ____________ a player to skip ahead and arrive closer to the end goal.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) allows
B) are allowing
C) have allowed
D) allow

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb “allows” agrees in number with the singular subject “landing.”

Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb “are allowing” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “landing.”

Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb “have allowed” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “landing.”

Choice D is incorrect because the plural verb “allow” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “landing.”

Check a sentence before or the blanked sentence to check “Is it present or past?” Learn Present Tense to understand better.

Question: Sociologist Alton Okinaka sits on the review board tasked with adding new sites to the Hawai‘i Register of Historic Places, which includes Pi‘ilanihale Heiau and the ‘Ōpaeka‘a Road Bridge. Okinaka doesn’t make such decisions ___________ all historical designations must be approved by a group of nine other experts from the fields of architecture, archaeology, history, and Hawaiian culture.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) single-handedly, however;
B) single-handedly; however,
C) single-handedly, however,
D) single-handedly however

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary word or phrase between two main clauses. This choice correctly uses a comma to separate the supplementary adverb “however” from the preceding main clause (“Okinaka doesn’t…single-handedly”) and a semicolon to join the next main clause (“all…culture”) to the rest of the sentence. Further,
placing the semicolon after “however” correctly indicates that the information in the preceding main clause (Okinaka doesn’t make such decisions singlehandedly) is contrary to what might be assumed from the information in the previous sentence (Okinaka sits on the review board that adds new sites to the Hawaii Register of Historic Places).

Choice B is incorrect because placing the semicolon after “single-handedly” and the comma after “however” illogically indicates that the information in the next main clause (all historical designations must be approved by a group of experts) is contrary to the information in the previous clause (Okinaka doesn’t make such decisions single-handedly).

Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Commas can’t be used in this way to punctuate a supplementary word or phrase between two main clauses.

Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

A comma is for tiny pauses and a semi-colon is for pauses. Read the paragraph by implying pauses practically then you will understand it better.

Question: In 1968, US Congressman John Conyers introduced a bill to establish a national holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The bill didn’t make it to a vote, but Conyers was determined. He teamed up with Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to be elected to Congress, and they resubmitted the bill every session for the next fifteen years. ____________ in 1983, the bill passed.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Instead,
B) Likewise,
C) Finally,
D) Additionally,

Choice C is the best answer. “Finally” logically signals that the bill passing—following many attempts between 1968 and 1983—is the final, concluding event in the sequence described in the previous sentences.

Choice A is incorrect because “instead” illogically signals that the bill passing is an alternative to one of the events described in the previous sentences. It is the final event in the sequence.

Choice B is incorrect because “likewise” illogically signals that the bill passing is similar to one of the events described in the previous sentences. Instead, it is the final event in the sequence.

Choice D is incorrect because “additionally” illogically signals that the bill passing is merely another event described along with the events of the previous sentences. Instead, it is the final, concluding event in the sequence.

Read the paragraph to understand better which word is the most suitable.

Question: Geoscientists have long considered Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano to be Earth’s largest shield volcano by volume, measuring approximately 74,000 cubic kilometers. ______________ according to a 2020 study by local geoscientist Michael Garcia, Hawaii’s Pūhāhonu shield volcano is significantly larger, boasting a volume of about 148,000 cubic kilometers.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Secondly,
B) Consequently,
C) Moreover,
D) However,

Choice D is the best answer. “However” logically signals that this sentence, which indicates that the Pūhāhonu volcano may be larger than the Mauna Loa volcano, offers a contrast to or refutation of the previous assumption that Mauna Loa is the largest shield volcano.

Choice A is incorrect because “secondly” illogically signals that this sentence merely offers an additional or secondary point concerning the previous assumption that Mauna Loa is the largest shield volcano. Instead, the sentence offers a contrast to or refutation of that assumption.

Choice B is incorrect because “consequently” illogically signals that this sentence offers a result or consequence of the previous assumption that Mauna Loa is the largest shield volcano. Instead, the sentence offers a contrast to or refutation of that assumption.

Choice C is incorrect because “moreover” illogically signals that this sentence merely adds to the previous assumption that Mauna Loa is the largest shield volcano. Instead, the sentence offers a contrast to or refutation of that assumption.

Read the paragraph to understand better which word is the most suitable. Don’t just the sentence before the blank sentence, read the whole paragraph to get a better grasp.

Question: Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was a prominent classical music composer from England who toured the US three times in the early 1900s. The child of a West African father and an English mother, Coleridge-Taylor emphasized his mixed-race ancestry. For example, he referred to himself as Anglo-African. ____________ he incorporated the sounds of traditional African music into his classical music compositions.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) In addition,
B) Actually,
C) However,
D) Regardless,

Choice A is the best answer. “In addition” logically signals that the detail in this sentence—that Coleridge-Taylor included traditional African music in his classical compositions—adds to the information in the previous sentence. Specifically, the previous sentence indicates one way in which Coleridge-Taylor emphasized his mixed-race ancestry, and the claim that follows indicates a second, additional way.

Choice B is incorrect because “actually” illogically signals that the detail in this sentence is surprising in light of the information in the previous sentence. Instead, the detail adds to the information, indicating a second, additional way in which Coleridge-Taylor emphasized his mixed-race ancestry.

Choice C is incorrect because “however” illogically signals that the detail in this sentence contrasts with the information in the previous sentence. Instead, the detail adds to the information, indicating a second, additional way in which Coleridge-Taylor emphasized his mixed-race ancestry.

Choice D is incorrect because “regardless” illogically signals that the detail in this sentence is true despite the information in the previous sentence. Instead, the detail adds to the information, indicating a second, additional way in which Coleridge-Taylor emphasized his mixed-race ancestry.

Read the paragraph to understand better which word is the most suitable.

Question: In 2019, researcher Patricia Jurado Gonzalez and food historian Nawal Nasrallah prepared a stew from a 4,000-year-old recipe found on a Mesopotamian clay tablet. When they tasted the dish, known as pašrūtum (“unwinding”), they found that it had a mild taste and inspired a sense of calm. ____________ the researchers, knowing that dishes were sometimes named after their intended effects, theorized that the dish’s name, “unwinding,” referred to its function: to help ancient diners relax.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Therefore,
B) Alternately,
C) Nevertheless,
D) Likewise,

Choice A is the best answer. “Therefore” logically signals that the action described in this sentence—the researchers theorizing that the dish was named for its effect on diners—is a result or consequence of the previous observation that the dish had a calming effect.

Choice B is incorrect because “alternately” illogically signals that the action described in this sentence offers an alternative or contrast to the previous observation that the dish had a calming effect. Instead, the action is a result or consequence of that observation.

Choice C is incorrect because “nevertheless” illogically signals that the action described in this sentence occurs despite the previous observation that the dish had a calming effect. Instead, the action is a result or consequence of that observation.

Choice D is incorrect because “likewise” illogically signals that this sentence merely adds a second, similar detail to the previous observation that the dish had a calming effect. Instead, this sentence describes an action that is a result or consequence of that observation.

Read the paragraph to understand better which word is the most suitable.