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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 skill.

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.

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.

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.