Question: Though not closely related, the hedgehog tenrecs of
Madagascar share basic ___________ true hedgehogs, including protective spines, pointed snouts, and small body size—traits the two groups of mammals independently developed in response to equivalent roles in their respective habitats.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) examples of
B) concerns about
C) indications of
D) similarities with

Choice D is the best answer because in context, sharing “similarities with” means having some resemblance to. The text establishes a comparison between two groups of mammals, stating that although they aren’t closely related, hedgehog tenrecs and true hedgehogs play similar roles in their habitats, a circumstance that has resulted in the independent development of some of the same physical traits. This context supports the idea that hedgehog tenrecs resemble, or share basic similarities with, true hedgehogs in some respects.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that hedgehog tenrecs are “examples of,” or representative of, true hedgehogs. The text states despite some shared physical traits, the two groups of mammals aren’t closely related; therefore, hedgehog tenrecs can’t be examples of true hedgehogs.

Choice B is incorrect because in this context, “concerns about” would mean worries about or interests in. The text focuses on the various physical traits that hedgehog tenrecs and true hedgehogs share. There’s nothing in the text to suggest why hedgehog tenrecs would be worried about true hedgehogs, or why they would be interested in them.

Choice C is incorrect because in this context, “indications of” would mean evidence of. By listing a set of traits that hedgehog tenrecs share with true hedgehogs, the text establishes a comparison between the two groups of mammals, and saying that the traits shared within one group of mammals provide evidence of another group of mammals wouldn’t be an effective way to establish the similarities between the two groups.

Work on your reading and understanding skills to answer correctly.

Question: In editor Lisa Yaszek’s introduction to her anthology The Future Is Female! More Classic Science Fiction Stories by Women, Yaszek identifies an increasing sense of _ feminist mode of writing in the 1970s, in contrast to many woman-authored science fiction stories of the 1920s to 1960s whose politics were less deliberately signaled.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) a prudently
B) an overtly
C) a cordially
D) an inadvertently

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Yaszek’s introduction to her science fiction anthology. In this context “overtly” means openly or without concealment. The text draws a contrast between the lack of “deliberately signaled” political themes in women authored science fiction from the 1920s to the 1960s and what Yaszek notes about women-authored science fiction from the 1970s. This contrast implies that the work from the 1970s did clearly reflect feminist political themes. In other words, the text indicates that unlike women who wrote science fiction in the 1920s to the 1960s, the women who wrote science fiction in the 1970s expressed overtly feminist themes.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that hedgehog tenrecs are “examples of,” or representative of, true hedgehogs. The text states despite some shared physical traits, the two groups of mammals aren’t closely related; therefore, hedgehog tenrecs can’t be examples of true hedgehogs.

Choice B is incorrect because in this context, “concerns about” would mean worries about or interests in. The text focuses on the various physical traits that hedgehog tenrecs and true hedgehogs share. There’s nothing in the text to suggest why hedgehog tenrecs would be worried about true hedgehogs, or why they would be interested in them.

Choice C is incorrect because in this context, “indications of” would mean evidence of. By listing a set of traits that hedgehog tenrecs share with true hedgehogs, the text establishes a comparison between the two groups of mammals, and says that the traits shared within one group of mammals provide evidence of another group of mammals wouldn’t be an effective way to establish the similarities between the two groups.

Work on your vocabulary, reading, and understanding skills to answer correctly.

Question: __________ the long-standing trend of overemphasizing teenagers and young adults in research on social media use, scholars have recently begun to expand their focus to include the fastest-growing cohort of social media users: senior citizens.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) Exacerbating
B) Redressing
C) Epitomizing
D) Precluding

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion about research into social media use. In context, “redressing” means remedying or compensating for. The text indicates that there is a long-standing trend of overemphasizing teenagers and young adults in studies of social media use. It goes on to say that scholars have recently broadened the kinds of social media users they study by including senior citizens. This suggests that scholars are redressing the long-standing trend of overemphasis on younger users by studying older users as well.

Choice A is incorrect because “exacerbating” means making worse or aggravating, which would not make logical sense in context. Expanding the focus of studies of social media use to include senior citizens would not make the long-standing trend of overemphasizing teenagers and young adults in studies of social media use worse; instead, it would help to remedy this trend.

Choice C is incorrect because “epitomizing” means illustrating or providing an example, which would not make logical sense in context. Expanding the groups of social media users that scholars study to include senior citizens would not provide an example of the long-standing trend of overemphasizing teenagers and young people in research on social media use.

Choice D is incorrect because “precluding” means making impossible in advance or preventing, which would not make logical sense in context. The text indicates that there is a long-standing trend of
overemphasizing teenagers and young adults in social media research. Expanding the focus of social media research to include senior citizens, as the text indicates scholars have begun to do, could help to rectify the trend, but it could not prevent the trend or make the trend impossible in advance, since the trend started long before scholars started expanding their focus.

Work on your vocabulary, reading, and understanding skills to answer correctly.

Question: The following text is adapted from James Baldwin’s 1956 novel Giovanni’s Room. The narrator is riding in a taxi down a street lined with food vendors and shoppers in Paris, France.
The multitude of Paris seems to be dressed in blue every day but Sunday, when, for the most part, they put on an unbelievably festive black. Here they were now, in blue, disputing, every inch, our passage, with their wagons, handtrucks, their bursting baskets carried at an angle steeply self-confident on the back. _{©1956 by James Baldwin}
As used in the text, what does the word “disputing” most nearly mean?
A) Arguing about
B) Disapproving of
C) Asserting possession of
D) Providing resistance to

Choice D is the best answer because as used in the text, “disputing” most nearly means providing resistance to. The narrator is in a taxi as it drives down a street lined with so many food vendors and shoppers that the narrator describes them as “the multitude of Paris,” meaning an immense group of people. The street is essentially a large open-air market, and there are so many people pushing small wagons of goods and carrying shopping baskets that “every inch” of the taxi’s progress is impeded. In other words, the people are providing resistance to the taxi’s attempt to drive down the street.

Choice A is incorrect. Although in some contexts, “disputing” can mean arguing, the narrator doesn’t portray the shoppers and vendors as arguing with the driver of the taxi or, indeed, arguing at all.

Choice B is incorrect. Although in some contexts, “disputing” can mean expressing disapproval, the narrator doesn’t suggest that the shoppers and vendors necessarily disapprove of the taxi’s attempt to drive down the street. Instead, their combined presence along the street has the effect of impeding the taxi’s progress.

Choice C is incorrect because, as the narrator explains, both the multitude of people and the taxi are using a public space (a street) at the same time. The narrator doesn’t go so far as to suggest that the people feel that they, and not the taxi, possess exclusive access to the street.

Don’t just guess the answer based on the meaning of the underlined word! Read the paragraph to better understand its meaning.

Question: While recent scholarship has undermined claims that the works of twelfth-century Islamic philosopher Ibn Rushd were _______________ other Muslim philosophers of his time, it is indisputable that his location in the Muslim-ruled area of what is now Spain meant that his works were primarily available thousands of miles west of the era’s center of Islamic thought.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) controversial among
B) antagonistic toward
C) imitated by
D) inconsequential to

Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the twelfth-century Islamic philosopher Ibn Rushd. As used in this context, “inconsequential to” means not significant to. According to the text, Ibn Rushd’s works were primarily available in Spain, where he lived, far from central areas of the Muslim world, a fact that could support the conclusion that his influence on Muslim contemporaries was limited. The text implies, however, that recent scholarship has shown that his works still had an impact on other Muslim philosophers of his time. This context supports the idea that his works weren’t inconsequential to Islamic thought in this period.

Choice A is incorrect because the issue under consideration in the text is whether other Muslim philosophers of Ibn Rushd’s time had access to his works, not whether his works were “controversial among,” or causing dispute among, other philosophers.

Choice B is incorrect. The text implies that other Muslim philosophers of Ibn Rushd’s era were aware of his works, not that they were “antagonistic toward,” or hostile toward, them. There is no suggestion that Ibn Rushd’s writings elicited hostility from his contemporaries.

Choice C is incorrect because in this context, “imitated by” would mean followed as a model by. Although the text implies that Ibn Rushd’s works were at least somewhat available in regions that were at the center of Islamic thought during the period, it doesn’t specifically address in what ways his works influenced contemporary Muslim philosophers. Thus, the text doesn’t support the idea that other philosophers modeled their own works after Ibn Rushd’s works.

Work on your vocabulary, reading, and understanding skills to answer correctly.

Question: On painter William H. Johnson’s return to the United States in 1938 after a decade in Europe, his style underwent an abrupt transformation. Turning away from landscapes painted in an expressionist style—a style that often involves using fluid, distorted
shapes and thick, textured brushstrokes to express the artist’s subjective experience of reality—Johnson began painting portraits of Black Americans in a bold new way. Evocative of African sculpture and
American and Scandinavian folk art, these portraits feature flat, deliberately oversimplified figures in a vibrant but limited color palette.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
A) It elaborates on the previous sentence’s statement about a transitional moment in Johnson’s artistic career.
B) It provides information about Johnson’s travels in support of a claim about his artistic influences, which is advanced in the following
sentence.
C) It recounts a moment in Johnson’s personal life that enabled the success of his subsequent career, which is summarized in the following sentence.
D) It presents evidence that calls into question the previous sentence’s characterization of Johnson’s artistic development.

Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole. The first sentence of the text indicates that Johnson returned to the US in 1938 at which time his painting style suddenly changed. The second sentence is underlined and gives more detail about this stylistic change, noting that his earlier work consisted largely of landscapes in an expressionist style and his new works were highly stylized portraits of Black Americans. In other words, the function of the underlined sentence is to elaborate on a transitional moment in Johnson’s painting career.

Choice B is incorrect. Although the text does mention that Johnson spent a decade in Europe, it does not discuss what other travel Johnson might have done. Furthermore, although the text mentions African, American, and Scandinavian artistic elements in Johnson’s work, it does not indicate that he traveled to different locations to learn about these practices.

Choice C is incorrect because the text does not focus on Johnson’s personal life nor does it address how successful his career was in general.

Choice D is incorrect because, rather than call it into question, the underlined sentence continues the discussion of Johnson’s career by adding further relevant detail of Johnson’s artistic transformation.

Don’t just read the underlined sentence, but the rest of it to answer accurately.

Question: When classical pianist Martha Argerich performs, it appears as if the music is coming to her spontaneously. She’s highly skilled technically, but because of how freely she plays and her willingness to
take risks, she seems relaxed and natural. Her apparent ease, however, is due to a tremendous amount of preparation. Despite Argerich’s
experience and virtuosity, she never takes for granted that she knows a piece of music. Instead, she approaches the music as if encountering it for the first time and tries to understand it anew.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
A) To provide details about how Argerich identifies which pieces of music she will perform
B) To assert that Argerich’s performances look effortless because of how she prepares for them
C) To discuss the kinds of music Argerich feels most comfortable encountering for the first time
D) To describe the unique way that Argerich approaches music she hasn’t performed before

Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text, which is to establish that pianist Martha Argerich’s performances appear easy because of her work to prepare for them. The text begins by stating that Argerich plays in such a way that it looks like the music is coming to her naturally in the moment, without planning. It goes on to point out that despite her skill and experience, Argerich works tirelessly and treats each piece of music as if it is new each time she performs it, and that it is this preparation that causes her playing to appear relaxed and natural. These details establish that the purpose of the text is to assert that Argerich’s performances look effortless because of how she prepares for them.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t address how Argerich selects the music she’ll perform; instead, it describes how she approaches a piece of music in preparation for a performance.

Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t discuss kinds of music beyond stating that Argerich is a classical pianist, and it doesn’t mention Argerich actually encountering any music for the first time; it
indicates only that she approaches a piece of music she is going to perform as if she has never played it before.

Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t mention music that Argerich is actually performing for the first time, only that Argerich approaches the pieces she performs as if they are new each time;
further, the text doesn’t characterize this approach as unique, or something only Argerich does.

Read the paragraph then find the relevant answer based on the question.

Question: The following text is adapted from Herman Melville’s 1855 novel Israel Potter. Israel is a young man wandering through New England during the late eighteenth century.
He hired himself out for three months; at the end of that time to receive for his wages two hundred acres of land lying in New Hampshire. […] His employer proving false to the contract in the matter of the land, and there being no law in the country to force him to fulfil it, Israel—who, however brave-hearted, and even much of a dare-devil upon a pinch, seems nevertheless to have evinced, throughout many parts of his career, a singular patience and mildness—was obliged to look round for other means of livelihood than clearing out a farm for himself in the wilderness.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?
A) It implies that Israel treasures a particular characteristic of his personality when that characteristic should usually be regarded as a
flaw.
B) It suggests that if not for a certain aspect of his character, Israel might not have been as easily thwarted in his ambition to establish a farm.
C) It shows why Israel would not have been able to undertake the enormous amount of labor necessary to run a farm even if he had owned the necessary property.
D) It explains why, when the situation requires it, Israel is able to undertake courageous acts that others would generally avoid.

Choice B is the best answer because it best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole. The text describes the failed attempt of Israel Potter to establish a farm in New England during the late eighteenth century: according to his contract, he was to receive two hundred acres in exchange for three months’ work, but his employer then refused to fulfill the bargain and Israel had no recourse to law to obtain the land he was owed. Israel was therefore forced to find another means of supporting himself. To explain why Israel was particularly susceptible to his employer’s dishonesty, the underlined portion states that though Israel was “brave-hearted, and even much of a dare-devil upon a pinch,” he also possessed “a singular patience and mildness.” In other words, Israel could be courageous in certain circumstances, but he was usually meek and disinclined to argument, from which it is reasonable to infer that Israel was often taken advantage of. Thus, the underlined portion suggests that if not for a certain aspect of his character, Israel might not have been as easily thwarted in his ambition to establish a farm.

Choice A is incorrect because although the underlined portion describes aspects of Israel’s personality, it does not address how he feels about his own personality.

Choice C is incorrect because the underlined portion addresses Israel’s occasional courage and frequent meekness but does not address whether he would have the skills and resolve necessary to operate a farm if he owned sufficient property.

Choice D is incorrect. Though the underlined portion does indicate that Israel could be courageous in certain circumstances, it does not say that he undertook acts of courage that others avoided, but rather that he was habitually meek. Even if the underlined portion did say that Israel was more courageous than most, this would not explain why he found himself under the circumstances described in the text—that is, as a consequence of his meek nature, cheated of the property to which he had a right.

Read a sentence before and after the underlined sentence to find the correct answer.

Question:
Text 1
In 1954 George Balanchine choreographed a production of The Nutcracker, a ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It has since become a tradition for hundreds of dance companies in North America to
stage The Nutcracker each year. But the show is stuck in the past, with an old-fashioned story and references, so it should no longer be produced. Ballet needs to create new traditions if it wants to stay
relevant to contemporary audiences.
Text 2
The Nutcracker is outdated, but it should be kept because it’s a holiday favorite and provides substantial income for some dance companies. Although it can be behind the times, there are creative ways to update the show. For example, Debbie Allen successfully modernized the story. Her show Hot Chocolate Nutcracker combines ballet, tap, hip-hop, and other styles, and it has been gaining in
popularity since it opened in 2009.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the underlined claim in Text 1?
A) By questioning the idea that the story of The Nutcracker is stuck in the past and by rejecting the suggestion that contemporary audiences
would enjoy an updated version
B) By agreeing that contemporary audiences have largely stopped going to see performances of The Nutcracker because it’s so old-fashioned
C) By pointing out that most dance companies could increase their incomes by offering modernized versions of The Nutcracker
D) By suggesting that dance companies should consider offering revised versions of The Nutcracker instead of completely rejecting the
show

Choice D is the best answer because it reflects how the author of Text 2 would most likely respond to the underlined claim in Text 1. Text 1 begins by noting the success of The Nutcracker but then claims that the ballet is “stuck in the past” and should “no longer be produced.” Text 2 begins by conceding that The Nutcracker is indeed outdated but argues that it should continue to be performed, states that the show can be updated to include more contemporary dance styles, and provides an example of one such modernized version, Hot Chocolate Nutcracker. Hence, the author of Text 2 would most likely respond to the underlined claim in Text 1 by suggesting that dance companies should consider offering revised versions of The Nutcracker instead of completely rejecting the show.

Choice A is incorrect because the author of Text 2 advocates for using creative ways to update the ballet discussed in Text 1 and therefore wouldn’t respond to the underlined claim by rejecting the suggestion that contemporary audiences would enjoy an updated version.

Choice B is incorrect because although the authors of both texts claim that a particular ballet is outdated, neither text suggests that contemporary audiences have largely stopped attending productions of the show. On the contrary, Text 2 states that that ballet is a holiday favorite and generates substantial income for some dance companies.

Choice C is incorrect because although Text 2 provides an example of a contemporized version of the ballet discussed in Text 1, the text doesn’t suggest that offering modernized versions is a way to increase income for most dance companies. Rather, the author of Text 2 suggests that offering modernized versions is a way to make the ballet discussed in Text 1 feel less outdated.

A time-consuming question, guess the answer if you want to save time for later questions. It has 9th rank which means it does not contain many marks. The higher the rank the more marks you get.

Question: To understand how Paleolithic artists navigated dark
caves, archaeologist M^a Ángeles Medina-Alcaide and her team tested different lighting methods in a cave in Spain using replicas of artifacts found in European caves with art. They used three different Paleolithic
light sources—torches, animal-fat lamps, and fireplaces—determining that each likely had a specific purpose. For instance, the team learned that the animal-fat lamps were less useful than torches while walking because the lamps didn’t illuminate the cave floor.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A) Medina-Alcaide and her team’s study demonstrated that fireplaces were essential to the creators of Paleolithic cave art.
B) Medina-Alcaide and her team discovered that Paleolithic cave artists in Spain used animal-fat lamps more often than they used torches.
C) Medina-Alcaide and her team were reluctant to draw many conclusions from their study because of the difficulty they had replicating light sources based on known artifacts.
D) Medina-Alcaide and her team tested Paleolithic light sources and learned some details about how Paleolithic artists traveled within dark caves.

Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. The text indicates that archaeologist Mª Ángeles Medina-Alcaide and her team used replicas of Paleolithic light sources to understand how Paleolithic artists moved through dark caves. The researchers learned, for example, that torches were more helpful for moving through caves than animal-fat lamps were. Thus, the main idea of the text is that Medina-Alcaide and her team tested Paleolithic light sources and learned some details about how Paleolithic artists traveled within dark caves.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t address the usefulness of fireplaces for Paleolithic cave artists; it only mentions fireplaces briefly as one of the three lighting methods the researchers tested.

Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t discuss how often Paleolithic cave artists used each kind of light source tested. Although the text does compare animal-fat lamps with another lighting method, the point of that comparison is that animal-fat lamps were less useful than torches when walking, not that one method was used more often than another.

Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t discuss either how difficult it was for Medina-Alcaide and her team to replicate light sources or how the team felt about drawing conclusions from their study. Instead, the text reveals that the team was able to conclude that each light source likely had a distinct purpose.

Work on your skimming skills to find answers quickly.

Question: A student is using the table as part of a social studies class presentation on the US auto industry in the early twentieth century. The student notes that, according to the table, from 1910 to 1925 ________________.
Which choice most effectively uses data from the
table to complete the statement?
A) the number of cars produced increased but the number of companies producing cars decreased.
B) both the number of cars produced and the number of companies producing cars remained unchanged.
C) the number of cars produced decreased but the number of companies producing cars remained unchanged.
D) both the number of cars produced and the number of companies producing cars increased.

Choice A is the best answer because it most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement about the US auto industry in the early twentieth century. The table shows the number of cars produced annually and number of companies producing cars in the United States between 1910 and 1925 in increments of five years. According to the table, the number of cars produced consistently increased from one increment to the next, going from 123,990 cars in 1910 to 3,185,881 cars in 1925. At the same time, the table shows that the number of companies producing cars consistently decreased, going from 320 companies in 1910 to only 80 companies in 1925. Thus, the table shows that the number of cars produced increased from 1910 to 1925, even as the number of companies producing cars decreased.

Choice B is incorrect because the table indicates that the number of companies producing cars consistently decreased from 1910 to 1925, going from 320 companies to only 80 companies.

Choice C is incorrect because the table indicates that the number of cars produced consistently increased from 1910 to 1925, going from 123,990 cars to 3,185,881 cars, instead of decreasing; moreover, the table shows that the number of companies producing cars from 1910 to 1925 declined from 320 to 80 instead of remaining unchanged.

Choice D is incorrect. The table shows that the number of cars produced in the US increased, going from 123,990 in 1910 to 3,185,881 in 1925, instead of remaining unchanged, and the table also shows that the number of companies producing cars decreased from 320 to 80 instead of remaining unchanged.

Read the table and then the paragraph to find the most suitable answer.

Question: External shopping cues are a type of marketing that uses obvious messaging—a display featuring a new product, for example, or a “buy one, get one free” offer—to entice consumers to make spontaneous purchases. In a study, data scientist Sam K. Hui and
colleagues found that this effect can also be achieved with a less obvious cue: rearranging a store’s layout. The researchers explain that trying to find items in new locations causes shoppers to move through more of the store, exposing them to more products and increasing the likelihood that they’ll buy an item they hadn’t planned on purchasing.
Which response from a survey given to shoppers who made a purchase at a retail store best supports the researchers’ explanation?
A) “I needed to buy some cleaning supplies, but they weren’t in their regular place. While I was looking for them, I saw this interesting notebook and decided to buy it, too.”
B) “I didn’t buy everything on my shopping list today. I couldn’t find a couple of the items in the store, even though I looked all over for them.”
C) “The store sent me a coupon for a new brand of soup, so I came here to find out what kinds of soup that brand offers. I decided to buy a few cans because I had the coupon.”
D) “This store is larger than one that’s closer to where I live, and it carries more products. I came here to buy some things that the other store doesn’t always have.”

Choice A is the best answer because it best supports the researchers’ explanation of the results of rearranging a store’s layout. According to the text, Sam K. Hui and colleagues found that rearranging a store’s layout can encourage customers to make spontaneous purchases. The text states that the researchers explain that a change in layout causes shoppers to hunt for items’ new locations, which exposes the shoppers to more products and increases the likelihood that they’ll make an unplanned purchase. This quotation from a surveyed shopper indicates that the shopper spontaneously purchased a notebook while looking for cleaning supplies that weren’t in their usual place. The quotation therefore supports the researchers’ explanation that rearranging a store’s layout can lead shoppers to make unanticipated purchases.

Choice B is incorrect because it doesn’t support the researchers’ explanation that rearranging a store’s layout can lead shoppers to make unanticipated purchases. Instead of attributing an unplanned purchase to a change in layout, the quotation notes that the shopper searched for but couldn’t find some items, and as a result the shopper purchased less, not more, than what was anticipated.

Choice C is incorrect because the quotation attributes what was purchased to coupons that the shopper received, not to a new store layout. Thus, the quotation doesn’t support the researchers’ explanation that rearranging a store’s layout can lead shoppers to make unanticipated purchases.

Choice D is incorrect because the quotation attributes what was purchased to the size and stock of the store, not to a new store layout. The shopper simply purchased products that the shopper wanted in a particular store because other stores didn’t carry those products, so the quotation doesn’t support the researchers’ explanation that rearranging a store’s layout can lead shoppers to make spontaneous purchases.

Work on your skimming skills to find answers quickly.

Question: The 2021 exhibition This Is the Day at Arkansas’s Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art featured works dealing with expressions of faith and spirituality in the Black community. The museum’s 2022 exhibition The Dirty South, meanwhile, focused on Black culture in the American South from 1920 to 2020, with a particular focus on the intersections between visual arts and music. Together, these exhibitions don’t merely highlight the diversity of the
Black experience in the US; they also showcase the diverse media through which artists have depicted and engaged with that experience.
Which statement about the exhibitions, if true, would most directly support the underlined claim?
A) Between them, This Is the Day and The Dirty South included drawings, paintings, photographs, sculptures, textiles, videos,
costumes, and music.
B) This Is the Day included works by fewer than two dozen artists, whereas The Dirty South included works by more than 80 artists.
C) This Is the Day exclusively included works in the permanent collection of the museum, whereas The Dirty South included works from multiple sources outside the museum.
D) Between them, This Is the Day and The Dirty South included works depicting more than 300 years of Black experience in the United States.

Choice A is the best answer because it presents a statement that, if true, would support the claim that the two exhibitions This Is the Day and The Dirty South showcase the diverse media artists have used to represent the Black experience in the US. The text describes the thematic focus of the two exhibitions: religious and spiritual expressions in the Black community and the connections between
visual arts and music in Black culture in the American South between 1920 and 2020. If these exhibits included works created with many different materials and means of artistic expression (such as paint, textiles, sculptural stone, and musical forms), they would display how artists have portrayed and responded to the Black experience in the US as well as the variety of media that these artists have used
to do so.

Choice B is incorrect because it focuses on the number of artists whose works were included in the exhibitions, not on the means of expression that these artists have used. Therefore, the statement wouldn’t address the claim that the exhibits showcased the different media artists have used to represent the Black experience in the US.

Choice C is incorrect because it focuses on how the works that were included in the exhibitions were sourced, not on the means of expression the artists whose works were featured have used. Therefore, the statement wouldn’t address the claim that the exhibits showcased the different media artists have used to represent the Black experience in the US.

Choice D is incorrect. Although the statement focuses on similarities in the themes of the two exhibitions—that is, they both concern the Black experience in the US—it doesn’t mention the media that artists whose works were featured in the exhibitions have used to portray and respond to this experience.

Work on your skimming skills to find answers quickly. Don’t just read the underlined sentence and choose the option, skim the complete paragraph.

Question: To investigate potential cognitive benefits of taking leave from work, psychologist Jan Packer and colleagues conducted a six-month study of Australian university staff members who took no
leave from work during the study, took 2–4 days of leave, or took 1–5 weeks of leave. Tests of attentiveness were administered to participants three times during the study: at random for the no-leave
staff, and for the rest, one week before their leave, one week following their return to work, and one week after the second test administration. After analyzing the results, the researchers concluded that longer leave times might not confer a greater cognitive benefit than shorter leave times do.
Which choice best describes data from the graph that support the researchers’ conclusion?
A) In the second test administration, participants who took 2–4 days of leave had higher average attentiveness scores than did those who took no leave, but in the third test administration, those who took no leave had higher average scores than those who took 1–5 weeks of leave.
B) In the first test administration, participants who took 2–4 days of leave had lower average attentiveness scores than did those who took
1–5 weeks of leave and those who took no leave.
C) In both the second and third test administrations, participants who took 2–4 days of leave had higher average attentiveness scores
than did participants who took 1–5 weeks of leave.
D) In the second and third test administrations, participants who took 2–4 days of leave had higher average attentiveness scores than did
those who took no leave.

Choice C is the best answer because it describes data from the graph that support Jan Packer and colleagues’ conclusion about the effect of leave time on the attentiveness of university employees. According to the text, the researchers’ study design included a group of employees who took no leave, a group who took 2–4 days of leave, and a group who took 1–5 weeks of leave. The participants who took leave were tested for attentiveness one week before their leave (the first test administration), one week after their return to work (the second test administration), and two weeks after their return (the third test administration). The participants who took no leave were tested three times at random. The graph shows that at one week after their return to work, participants who took only 2–4 days of leave had an average attentiveness score of between 540 and 600, while participants who took 1–5 weeks of leave had an average score of between 480 and 540. At two weeks after their return to work, those who took only 2–4 days of leave had an average score of between 480 and 540, while those who took 1–5 weeks of leave had an average score of approximately 480. In other words, the graph shows that on both post-leave testing dates, participants with longer leave times had lower average attentiveness scores than those with shorter leave times. Since attentiveness is an indicator of cognitive functioning, these data confirm Packer and colleagues’ conclusion that longer leave times might not confer a greater cognitive benefit than shorter leave times do.

Choice A is incorrect. The graph does show that in the second test administration, participants who took 2– 4 days of leave had higher average attentiveness scores than did those who took no leave and also shows that in the third test administration, those who took no leave had higher average scores than those who took 1–5 weeks of leave. But neither of these findings has a direct bearing on the researchers’ conclusion, which concerns a comparison of participants who took 2–4 days of leave with those who took 1–5 weeks, rather than a comparison of either group with participants who took no leave.

Choice B is incorrect. Although the graph does show that in the first test administration, participants who took 2–4 days of leave had lower average attentiveness scores than did those who took 1–5 weeks of leave and those who took no leave, this test administration occurred before any participants went on leave; therefore, these results have no bearing on the researchers’ conclusion about how the
amount of leave taken by participants affected their cognitive functioning.

Choice D is incorrect. Although the graph does show that in the second and third test administrations, participants who took 2–4 days of leave had higher average attentiveness scores than did those who took no leave, the researchers’ conclusion is about the effects of short leave compared with the effects of long leave, not the effects of short leave compared with the effects of no leave. These results are therefore irrelevant to the conclusion.

Study the graph then read the paragraph to find the relevant answer based on it.

Question: It may seem that the optimal strategy for an animal pursuing prey or escaping predators is to move at maximal speed, but the energy expense of exploiting full speed capacity can disfavor such a strategy even in escape contexts, as evidenced by the fact that ________________.
Which choice most effectively uses data from the graph to complete the text?
A) most lizard species use about the same percentage of their maximal speed when escaping predation as they do when pursuing
prey.
B) multiple lizard species move at an average of less than 90% of their maximal speed while escaping predation.
C) more lizard species use, on average, 90%–100% of their maximal speed while escaping predation than use any other percentage of their maximal speed.
D) at least 4 lizard species use, on average, less than 100% of their maximal speed while pursuing prey.

Choice B is the best answer because it describes data from the graph that complete the text’s discussion of lizard species’ use of maximal speed when escaping predators. According to the text, moving at maximal speed (the highest speed possible) requires so much energy that it is not always an effective strategy for animals, even when they are escaping predators. The graph displays data on the average percent of maximal speed used by lizard species while either escaping predators or pursuing prey. The graph categorizes the data for both pursuing and escaping by the number of species using 30%–39% of maximal speed, 40%–49% of maximal speed, 50%–59% of maximal speed, 60%–69% of maximal speed, 70%–79% of maximal speed, 80%–89% of maximal speed, and 90%–100% of maximal speed, respectively. In the graph, there is at least one species in each of the following percent categories for maximal speed while escaping predators: 50%– 59%, 60%–69%, 70%–79%, and 80%–89%. Thus, the data in the graph show that multiple lizard species move at an average of less than 90% of their maximal speed while escaping predation.

Choice A is incorrect because the data in the graph isn’t organized in such a way that a comparison of the percentage of maximal speed used when escaping predation with the percentage used when pursuing prey is possible at the level of individual species.

Choice C is incorrect. It is true that in the graph, the percent category with the largest number of species using maximal speed while escaping predators is 90%–100% (8 species total). However, these data don’t complete the text, which is concerned instead with how animals are discouraged from using maximal speed even when escaping predators because of the amount of energy required to use it.

Choice D is incorrect because these data from the graph pertain to maximal speed while pursuing prey and therefore don’t complete the text’s discussion of lizard species’ use of maximal speed when escaping predators.

Study the graph then read the paragraph to find the relevant answer based on it.

Question: Art collectives, like the United States-and Vietnam-based collective The Propeller Group or Cuba’s Los Carpinteros, are groups of artists who agree to work together: perhaps for stylistic reasons, or to advance certain shared political ideals, or to help mitigate the costs of supplies and studio space. Regardless of the reasons, art collectives usually involve some collaboration among the artists. Based on a recent series of interviews with various art collectives, an arts journalist claims that this can be difficult for artists who are often used to having sole control over their work.
Which quotation from the interviews best illustrates the journalist’s claim?
A) “The first collective I joined included many amazingly talented artists, and we enjoyed each other’s company, but because we had a hard time sharing credit and responsibility for our work, the collective didn’t last.”
B) “We work together, but that doesn’t mean that individual projects are equally the work of all of us. Many of our projects are primarily the responsibility of whoever originally proposed the work to the group.”
C) “Having worked as a member of a collective for several years, it’s sometimes hard to recall what it was like to work alone without the collective’s support. But that support encourages my individual expression rather than limits it.”
D) “Sometimes an artist from outside the collective will choose to collaborate with us on a project, but all of those projects fit within the larger themes of the work the collective does on its own.”

Choice A is the best answer because it presents the quotation that best illustrates the journalist’s claim. By indicating that a collective didn’t continue because it was hard to share credit and responsibilities within the group even though the company was enjoyable, the quotation shows that working collaboratively can be difficult for artists who are used to having complete control over their work.

Choice B is incorrect because the quotation indicates that members of a collective are able to collaborate together and have agreed on a fair way to manage their responsibilities; this doesn’t demonstrate the challenge of sharing control among members of a collective.

Choice C is incorrect because the quotation highlights the support and encouragement of individual expression an artist experiences due to working in a collective; these positive aspects don’t demonstrate the challenge of sharing control among members of a collective.

Choice D is incorrect because the quotation doesn’t address any challenges of sharing control among members of a collective; it simply indicates that artists sometimes choose to work with collectives without having to be a member. Therefore, the quotation doesn’t illustrate the journalist’s claim.

Create a balance between time and marks of question. You need to have good reading skills for this.

Question: Mycorrhizal fungi in soil benefits many plants, substantially increasing the mass of some. A student conducted an experiment to illustrate this effect. The student chose three plant species for the experiment, including two that are mycorrhizal hosts (species known to benefit from mycorrhizal fungi) and one nonmycorrhizal species (a species that doesn’t benefit from and may even be harmed by mycorrhizal fungi). The student then grew several plants from each species both in soil containing mycorrhizal fungi and in soil that had been treated to kill mycorrhizal and other fungi. After several weeks, the student measured the plants’ average mass and was surprised to discover that ___________.
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement?
A) broccoli grown in soil containing mycorrhizal fungi had a slightly higher average mass than broccoli grown in soil that had been treated to kill fungi.
B) corn grown in soil containing mycorrhizal fungi had a higher average mass than broccoli grown in soil containing mycorrhizal fungi.
C) marigolds grown in soil containing mycorrhizal fungi had a much higher average mass than marigolds grown in soil that had been treated to kill fungi.
D) corn had the highest average mass of all three species grown in soil that had been treated to kill fungi, while marigolds had the lowest.

Choice A is the best answer because it most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement. The text explains that mycorrhizal hosts are plants that benefit from the presence of mycorrhizal fungi in the soil and that some such plants produce more mass when grown in the presence of these fungi, while for nonmycorrhizal species the fungi either have no effect or may be harmful. The experiment included two mycorrhizal hosts (corn and marigold) and one nonmycorrhizal species (broccoli). Given the claim in the text that nonmycorrhizal species will see either no difference or a decrease in mass when exposed to mycorrhizal fungi, the student would likely have been surprised by the higher average mass for broccoli grown in the presence of the fungi than the broccoli grown in the soil treated to kill fungi.

Choice B is incorrect. Although this choice accurately describes the corn data from the table, the fact that the mycorrhizal host corn is more massive in the presence of the fungi likely fits with what the student expected and would therefore not be surprising.

Choice C is incorrect. Although this choice accurately describes the marigold data from the table, the fact that the mycorrhizal host marigold is more massive in the presence of the fungi is likely what the student expected and thus would not be surprising.

Choice D is incorrect because it does not accurately represent the data in the table—when grown in soil treated to kill fungi, corn had an average mass of 3.8 g while broccoli had an average mass of 7g—and because making comparisons among the plants in the no-fungi condition, by itself, does not provide a basis to compare the average mass of mycorrhizal hosts and nonmycorrhizal species grown in the presence of the fungi with those grown in the soil treated to kill fungi.

Check the table the match the most relevant detail from the paragraph.

Question: Several artworks found among the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii depict a female figure fishing with a cupid nearby. Some scholars have asserted that the figure is the goddess Venus, since she is known to have been linked with cupids in Roman culture, but University of Leicester archaeologist Carla Brain suggests that cupids may have also been associated with fishing generally. The fact that a cupid is shown near the female figure, therefore, __________.
Which choice most logically completes the text?
A) is not conclusive evidence that the figure is Venus.
B) suggests that Venus was often depicted fishing.
C) eliminates the possibility that the figure is Venus.
D) would be difficult to account for if the figure is not Venus.

Choice A is the best answer because it presents the conclusion that most logically completes the text’s discussion about the significance of the cupid found at Pompeii. The text indicates that the cupid is near a statue of a female figure who is fishing, and it goes on to indicate that because Venus is associated with cupids, some scholars believe the female figure to be the goddess Venus. But the text then says that, according to archaeologist Carla Brain, cupids may have also been associated with the activity of fishing, which, if true, would suggest that the mere appearance of a cupid near a female figure engaged in fishing does not indicate with certainty that the figure is Venus (that is, the cupid might be associated with fishing, and the figure might be anyone at all).

Choice B is incorrect because the text says nothing about how often Venus was depicted fishing in Roman art: it only implies that in certain instances a female figure may or may not be Venus.

Choice C is incorrect because Carla Brain’s proposed explanation for the presence of the cupids makes no reference to the female figure, and so the possibility that the figure in the artworks is in fact Venus cannot be definitively eliminated.

Choice D is incorrect because there is nothing in the text to suggest that the only reasonable way to interpret the figure is as Venus.

Work on your skimming skills to answer it quickly.

Question: Literary agents estimate that more than half of all nonfiction books credited to a celebrity or other public figure are in fact written by ghostwriters, professional authors who are paid to write other ___________ but whose names never appear on book covers.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) people’s stories
B) peoples story’s
C) peoples stories
D) people’s story’s

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of plural and possessive nouns. The plural possessive noun “people’s” and the plural noun “stories” correctly indicate that there are multiple stories from multiple people.

Choice B is incorrect because the context requires the plural possessive noun “people’s” and the plural noun “stories,” not the plural noun “peoples” and the singular possessive noun “story’s.”

Choice C is incorrect because the context requires the plural possessive noun “people’s,” not the plural noun “peoples.”

Choice D is incorrect because the context requires the plural noun “stories,” not the singular possessive noun “story’s.”

You should learn Possessive Nouns for this.

Question: Like other amphibians, the wood frog (Rana sylvatica) is unable to generate its own heat, so during periods of subfreezing temperatures, it _______________ by producing large amounts of glucose, a sugar that helps prevent damaging ice from forming inside its cells.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) had survived
B) survived
C) would survive
D) survives

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense. In this choice, the present tense verb “survives” correctly indicates that the wood frog regularly survives subfreezing temperatures by producing large amounts of glucose.

Choice A is incorrect because the past perfect verb “had survived” doesn’t indicate that the wood frog regularly survives subfreezing temperatures by producing large amounts of glucose.

Choice B is incorrect because the past tense verb “survived” doesn’t indicate that the wood frog regularly survives subfreezing temperatures by producing large amounts of glucose.

Choice C is incorrect because the conditional verb “would survive” doesn’t indicate that the wood frog regularly survives subfreezing temperatures by producing large amounts of glucose.

The paragraph and the blank sentence are in the Present Tense. Learn Tense, the correct answer is in Present Simple Tense.

Question: In her analysis of Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth (1905), scholar Candace Waid observes that the novel depicts the upper classes of New York society as “consumed by the appetite of a soulless ___________ an apt assessment given that The House of Mirth is set during the Gilded Age, a period marked by rapid industrialization, economic greed, and widening wealth disparities.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) materialism”; and
B) materialism” and
C) materialism,”
D) materialism”

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a main clause and a supplementary noun phrase. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause (“scholar…materialism”) and the supplementary noun phrase (“an apt assessment”) that describes Waid’s observation about how The House of Mirth depicts the upper classes of New York society.

Choice A is incorrect because a semicolon and the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between a main clause and a supplementary noun phrase.

Choice B is incorrect. Joining the main clause (“scholar…materialism”) and the following noun phrase with the conjunction “and” results in a confusing and illogical sentence that suggests that the novel depicts the upper classes of New York society as “an apt assessment,” which doesn’t make sense in this context.

Choice D is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause and the supplementary noun phrase with appropriate punctuation.

You should learn the Types of Sentences, Conjunction, and Punctuation.

Question: To humans, it does not appear that the golden orb-weaver spider uses camouflage to capture its ___________ the brightly colored arachnid seems to wait conspicuously in the center of its large circular web for insects to approach. Researcher Po Peng of the University of Melbourne has explained that the spider’s distinctive coloration may in fact be part of its appeal.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) prey, rather,
B) prey rather,
C) prey, rather;
D) prey; rather,

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. The semicolon is correctly used to join the first main clause (“To humans…prey”) and the second main clause (“rather…approach”). Further, the comma after the adverb “rather” is correctly used to separate the adverb from the main clause (“the brightly…approach”) it modifies, logically indicating that the information in this clause (how the spider’s behavior appears to humans) is contrary to the information in the previous clause (how the spider’s behavior does not appear to humans).

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses.

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

Choice C is incorrect. Placing the comma between the first main clause “To humans…prey” and the adverb “rather” illogically indicates that the information in the first main clause is contrary to what came before, which doesn’t make sense in this context.

You should work on Punctuation.

Question: In Death Valley National Park’s Racetrack Playa, a flat, dry lakebed, are 162 rocks—some weighing less than a pound but others almost 700 pounds—that move periodically from place to place, seemingly of their own volition. Racetrack-like trails in the _____________ mysterious migration.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) playas sediment mark the rock’s
B) playa’s sediment mark the rocks
C) playa’s sediment mark the rocks’
D) playas’ sediment mark the rocks’

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of plural and possessive nouns. The singular possessive noun “playa’s” and the plural possessive noun “rocks’” correctly indicates that the sediment is that of one playa (the Racetrack Playa) and that there are multiple rocks that have mysteriously migrated across the sediment.

Choice A is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun “playa’s” and the plural possessive noun “rocks’,” not the plural noun “playas” and the singular possessive noun “rock’s.”

Choice B is incorrect because the context requires the plural possessive noun “rocks’,” not the plural noun “rocks.”

Choice D is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun “playa’s,” not the plural possessive noun “playas’.”

You should learn Possessive Nouns and punctuation.

Question: In crafting her fantasy fiction, Nigerian-born British author Helen Oyeyemi has drawn inspiration from the classic nineteenth-century fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. Her 2014 novel Boy, Snow, Bird, for instance, is a complex retelling of the story of Snow White, while her 2019 novel ___________ offers a delicious twist on the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) Gingerbread—
B) Gingerbread,
C) Gingerbread
D) Gingerbread:

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a subject and a verb. When, as in this case, a subject (“her 2019 novel Gingerbread”) is immediately followed by a verb (“offers”), no punctuation is needed.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb.

Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb.

Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb.

As you can notice, a great of punctuation questions are here, you must work on your punctuation skills.

Question: While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
• NASA uses rovers, large remote vehicles with wheels, to explore the surface of Mars.
• NASA’s rovers can’t explore regions inaccessible to wheeled vehicles.
• Rovers are also heavy, making them difficult to land on the planet’s surface.
• Microprobes, robotic probes that weigh as little as 50 milligrams, could be deployed virtually anywhere on the surface of Mars.
• Microprobes have been proposed as an alternative to rovers.
The student wants to explain an advantage of microprobes. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A) Despite being heavy, NASA’s rovers can land successfully on the surface of Mars.
B) Microprobes, which weigh as little as 50 milligrams, could explore areas of Mars that are inaccessible to NASA’s heavy, wheeled rovers.
C) NASA currently uses its rovers on Mars, but microprobes have been proposed as an alternative.
D) Though they are different sizes, both microprobes and rovers can be used to explore the surface of Mars.

Choice B is the best answer. The sentence explains an advantage of microprobes, noting that because microprobes weigh as little as 50 milligrams, they can explore areas inaccessible to rovers.

Choice A is incorrect. The sentence indicates that rovers can land successfully on Mars despite their weight; it doesn’t explain an advantage of microprobes.

Choice C is incorrect. While the sentence mentions that microprobes have been proposed as an alternative to rovers, it doesn’t explain an advantage of microprobes.

Choice D is incorrect. The sentence emphasizes a similarity between microprobes and rovers; it doesn’t explain an advantage of microprobes.

High level of reading and understanding, you read all and sum up the best suitable option.

Question: Historians agree that the jazz pianist Jelly Roll Morton was exaggerating when he claimed to have invented jazz music. No one can deny, ___________ that Morton’s innovative compositions and remarkable improvisational skills helped shape jazz as a genre during its early years.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) therefore,
B) in the second place,
C) in other words,
D) though,

Choice D is the best answer. “Though” logically signals that the claim in the sentence—that Morton’s improvisational skills helped shape jazz as a genre during its early years (“No one can deny” it)—is true despite the previous information about Morton’s exaggerated claim to have invented jazz.

Choice A is incorrect because “therefore” illogically signals that the claim in the sentence is a result of the previous information about Morton’s claim to have invented jazz. Instead, the sentence states that Morton helped to shape jazz—even if his claim was an exaggeration.

Choice B is incorrect because “in the second place” illogically signals that the claim in the sentence is a second, separate point in addition to Morton’s claim to have invented jazz. Instead, the sentence states that Morton helped to shape jazz—even if his claim was an exaggeration.

Choice C is incorrect because “in other words” illogically signals that the claim in the sentence is merely a paraphrase or restatement of the previous information about Morton’s claim to have invented jazz. Instead, the sentence states that Morton helped to shape jazz—even if his claim was an exaggeration.

You should learn the Types of Sentences and Conjunction.

Question: According to Duverger’s law, countries with single-ballot majoritarian elections for single-member districts tend to polarize into two-party systems, wherein dueling political parties consistently dominate the political system. ___________ countries with proportional-representation electoral systems tend to support multi-partyism, under which power gets distributed among many political parties.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Subsequently,
B) Conversely,
C) For instance,
D) In other words,

Choice B is the best answer. “Conversely” logically signals that the information in this sentence—that countries with proportional-representation electoral systems tend toward multi-partyism—which contrasts with the previous information about countries with single-ballot majoritarian elections, which tend to have two-party systems.

Choice A is incorrect because “subsequently” illogically signals that the information in this sentence about countries with proportional representation electoral systems occurs later in a chronological sequence of events than the information in the previous sentence. Instead, it contrasts with the previous information.

Choice C is incorrect because “for instance” illogically signals that the information in this sentence about countries with proportional representation electoral systems is an example supporting the previous statement about countries with single-ballot majoritarian elections. Instead, it contrasts with the previous statement.

Choice D is incorrect because “in other words” illogically signals that the information in this sentence about countries with proportional representation electoral systems is a paraphrase or restatement of the previous information about countries with single-ballot majoritarian elections. Instead, it contrasts with the previous information.

Skim the paragraph and focus on your vocabulary for better understanding.