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Question According to Passage 2, humans engage in space exploration primarily because they A. Want to develop new technology B. have an innate desire to explore C. want to find new ways to connect D. have a need for additional resources

B

Nicky Clayton, professor of comparative cognition at the University of Cambridge, has uncovered hidden powers in the minds of corvids, the avian family of crows, jays, and ravens. In one study , she pitted corvids against kids in a puzzle requiring cause-and-effect reasoning: A treat or toy floats on water in a tall narrow tube, below where beaks or small fingers can reach. A jay quickly realizes that dropping pebbles into the tube raises the water level and floats the food into reach. But children younger than 8 have a hard time figured that out, if at all question According to the passage, Clayton's experiment revealed that a jay understood that A. it could manipulate the water level in order to obtain a treat B. it would only have a short period of time to eat the treat C. dropping pebbles into a tube of water would push the treat down out of its reach D. researchers would reward it with treats based on how quickly it completed tasks

A

Passage 1 In my years in the Nasa space program, nothing may have been more rewarding than the enthusiasm that space exploration engenders in young people. For many, myself included, space exploration inspires student to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Not all of them become rocket scientists, of course. They might end up as doctors, founders of software companies, or inventors of new technologies in other fields. This is an important but almost invisible benefit of our national space program that we should appreciate Exploration is at the core of the American spirit, and public support for NASA's voyages of exploration has never wavered while political support has been bipartisan. Although we live at a time of increasing partisanship and difficult budget decision, we must continue to lead the world in discovery and continue to robustly fund the space program. These explorations are small in the scope of national resources, but they are incalculably valuable in satisfying our most deep-seated needs to understand our world and our place in it Passage 2 People are hugely fascinated by space exploration-- nearly every week brings new spectacular findings. Where does this fasination come from and what contribution can space research make to research on earth? I'm convinced that this fascination with what is new is in our genes. Humankind has always been interested in what lies beyond the horizon and has always wanted to get to the bottom of things. This urge to explore literally extends beyond our earthly horizon. In space, there are an infinite number of things to discover-- and these in turn allow conclusions to be drawn about the evolution of our own planet. The approach is comparable to many areas of our own planet. Thus approach is comparable to many areas of research where, ultimately, we are trying to properly understand the processes and mechanisms that determine our lives and our environment. But space research is not always just about the ability to directly transform spectacular findings into new products. Space travel pushes the boundaries of what is technically feasible, thus driving innovation. And there is also a social element to the equation: viewing our planet from space shows that there is actually enough room on earth for all human beings. In a way, then, space travel also contributes to international understanding. Question In passage 1, the author anticipates which of the following objections to continued space exploration? A. the space program is expensive to maintain. B. Public support for space exploration is limited to young people. C. International competition in space exploration had decreased. D. Past missions have not yielded scientific discoveries.

A

Question As used in sentence 16, "furiously" most nearly means A. intensely B. viciously C. irritably D. vengefully

A

Question Within the passage as a whole, sentence 23( " then .... better") primarily serves to A. mark Ruchira's transformation from a frustrated, unskilled painter to a serene, capable one B. illustrate that Ruchira had exhausted herself in her futile attempts to improve her skills as an artist C. foreshadow the destructive consequences of Ruchira's relentless quest to become a painter D. describes how Ruchira's first painting were miraculous demonstrations of her great secret talent.

A

Question Evidence in the passages most strongly supports that the authors of passage 1 and Passage 2 would agree on which of following statements A. Space exploration helps people better understand the world they live in. B. exploring space has improved humans' ability to understand other cultures C. established new space programs is necessary for encouraging youth to pursue careers in science D. More astronomical discoveries are made per year by NASA'S space program than by other programs

A

Question The narrator's attitude towards the events described in the passage can best be characterized as A. reflective and mildy nostalgic B. objective and coldly dispassionate C. defiant and openly critical D. regretful and deeply apologetic

A

he is the poet laureate of chicago jazz and blues, a man who conveys in words as much melody and rhythm as the musicians he immortalizes in print. for more than four decadesm sterling plumpp has transformed the sounds of chicago jazz gaints-- such as von freeman and fred anderson -- into phrases that swing and dance and sway on the page read a peom by plumpp abd you can hear the rasp of freemans horn or the free flights of andersons solos questions The passages author most vividly conveys the sense that plumpps poetry is like music when he A. uses words like swings dance and sway to chacterize phrases in plumpp poems B. defines plumpp as rhe poet laureate of chicago jazz and blues C. explains how long plumpp has been writing about chicago jazz giants D. urges people to read plumpp poems and listen to the music plumpp immortalizes in print F

A

in passage 2 the third paragraph primarily serves to A. offer a viewpoint on nonnative species that sits somewhere between simberloffs and davis B. provide strong support for davis stance on the issue of nonnative species C. describes the definitive for eradicating nonnative species D. argue in favor of proposal for dealing with an invasive species of figs and florida

A

(1) My name is Ben. (2) In the summer of 1985 I was fifteen years old. (3) My brother, Reggie, was fourteen. (4) As for when we got out, we got out that morning, hour and half flat, having beat the traffic. (5) Over the course of a summer, you heard a lot of different strategies of how to beat the traffic. (6) There were those who ditched the office early on Friday afternoon, causally letting their co-workers know the reason for their departure in order to enjoy a little low-pressure envy. (7) Others headed back to the city late Sunday evening, choking ever last pulse of joy from the weekend with cocoa-buttered hands. (8) They stopped to grab a bite and watched the slow red surge outside the restaurant window while dragging clam strips through tartar sauce-- soon, soon, not yet-- until the coast was clear. (9) My father's method was easy and brutal-- hit the road at five in the moring so that we were the only living souls on the Long Island Expressway, making a break for it in the haunted dark. (10) Every so often my mother said, "There's no trafiic," as if it were a miracle. (11) Well, it wasn't really dark, June sunsires are up and at 'em, but I always remember those drives that way-- memory has a palette and broad brush. (12) Perhaps I remember it that way because my eyes were closed most of the time. (13) The trick of those early-morning jaunts was to wake up just enough to haul a bag of clothes down into the car, nestle in, and then retreat back into sleep. (14) Any unnecessary movement might exile you from the realm of half sleep and into the bleary half awake , so my brother and I did a zombie march slow and mute until we hit the backseat, where we turned into our separate nooks, sniffing upholstery, butt to butt, more or less looking like a Rorschach test. (15) What do you see in this picture? (16) Two brothers going off in different directions (17) We had recently ceased to be twins. (18) We were born ten months apart and until I went to high school we came as a matched set, more Siamese than fraternal or identical, defined by an uncanny inseparability. (19) Joined not at the hip or spleen or nervous system but at that more important place-- that spot on your self where you meet the world. (20) There was something in the human DNA that compelled people to say "Benji 'n' Reggie, Benji 'n' Reggie" in a singsong way, as if we were cartoon characters or mascots of some twenty-five-cent candy Question which choice best summarizes the passage? A. A narrator questions why his parents made him get up so early to beat the city's summer vacation traffic. B. A narrator recalls his family departure from the city during a summer when he and his brother were drifting apart. C. A narrator explains why he and his family chose to leave the city on summer weekends D. A narrator tries to understand why his younger brother no longer wants to spend time with him.

B

Question Which choice best describes the relationship between the two passages? A. passage 1 argues for funding space exploration programs, while Passage 2 refutes the arguments for funding such programs B. Passage 1 argues that space exploration should continue to be funded, while Passage 2 focuses more broadly on ways space exploration contributes to research and life on earth. C. Passage 1 discusses the need for space education programs for young children, while Passage 2 outlines training needs in some space-related professions D. Passage 1 advocated for the expansion of space exploration programs, while Passage 2 argues that there are more urgently needed research opportunities on Earth.

B

The ballerina Maria Tallchieft was born in Oklahoma in 1925 to an Osage father and a Scottish American mother. Tallchief, along with several other Oklahoma ballerinas of Native American descent, began her rise to prominence in the dance world in the 1940s. Russian ballet was widely admired at that time, so many dancers in the United States were adopting Russian stage names. When friends suggested Maria go by the name Tallchieva, she maintained her last name and continued to closely identify with her osage lineage, although she did go by "Maria" instead of her given name, Elizabeth. After training in Los Angeles. Tallchief began her brilliant career working mostly with the New York Ballet and the legendary Choreographer George Ballanchine. She quickly rose in the status to prima ballerina. Some credit her performance as the Sugarplum Fairly in the Nutcracker as the catalyst for the balllet's immense popularity. Today, Tallchief is legend, remembered as a dazzling dancer and one of the foremost prima ballerinas in the United States Question the primary purpose of the passage is to A. describe the historical significance of ballet in the united states B. provide biographical information about a noteworthy person in the arts C. consider the origin of the name-changing trend that was once widespread D. argue that one ballerina's performance is responsible for the popularity of the ballet

B

Which choice most effectively summarizes the passage A. a psychologist describes how people orient themselves by using local points of refernece B. three theories about the psychology of spatial orientation are briefy described C. two outdated therories about spatial orientation are dismissed in favor a new theory D. the author argues that people can best improves their spatial prientation by looking at maps

B

an _____ musican by the time she made her debut in the United States in 1922, Julia Myra Hess had already established herself as one of England's premier concert pianists A. adequate B. accomplished C. amateur D. eclectic.

B

question based on the information in the two passages on which od the following points about nonnative species are davis and simberloff A. the scientific community is being strategic in the way it combats nonnative species B. some nonnative species can cause harm to the native ecosystems they inhabit C. scientist can easily determine whether a nonnative species will cause problem to a enviroment D. Buckthorn poses less of an environment threat that zebra mussels do.

B

Question Based on the passage, which of rhe following best characterizes the outlook of Ruchira's parents on their daughter's interest in painting A. They vocally objected to it B. they admired her commitment to it C. they were unaware of it D. they reluctantly accepted it

C

Question In the passage, the narrator describes the drives out of the city most nearly as. A. stressful occurrences due to the traffic-clogged highway B. moments of triumph for his mother and father C. dreamlike events that he was only partially awake for D. dreary chores that he and his brother resented deeply.

C

The passages references to crytograms codes and sos calls in the first paragraph primiary serves to A. provide an example that illustrates how one particular plant species releass an herbal scent to attract species of insect B. create a sense of excitement about the recent discovery that as many as 30,000 varities of plants emit volatile organic compounds C. develop an extended metaphor that compares plants communication system used by humans D. establish a contrast between the way communicate distress signals to their neighbors and the way they communicate warnings to their predators

C

When biologist Mark A. Davis talks about exotic species, he eventually comes to LTL, his shorthand for learn to love them, flying. in the face of the coventional wisdon among among biologist that exoctic species are harmful to native ecosystems. Davis and a small cohort of biologist espouse a heretical viewpoint: Exotic species are here to stay, so get used to them, and forget about riooing out the fast-spreading shrub, buckthorn, on a large scale or throwing Asian carp on the bank to die If the newcomers are only changing the ecosystem but"not causing significant harm then altering ones perspective is certainly much less costly than any other sort of mangement program davis writes in his recently published book invansion biology its amazing how extensive the indoctrination has been nonnative species are bad--- we've got to get rid of them says davis chairmen of the biology department at macalester college in st paul minnesota Boy if you want nature to stop, your going to have to be miserable Davis and his like minded colleagues contend that the ridid attitudes, and militaristic metaphors, that characterize the debate about exotic species make for poor science and policy-making passage 2 off the top pf his head, dan simberloff, professor of ecology and evolution at the university of tennessee, can run through a list of devastating invasive species from brazillian pepper in florida to gray squirrels in the u.k to zebra mussels clogging water pipes in the great lakes he says that davis arguement that not all exotics are invasive is impractical a number of introduced species have been innocuous for decades and they ca suddenly explode and become problematic, he says he point to the example of ornamental figs in florida, which arrived in the early 1900s. confined to backyard suntile their pollinating wasp showed up 25 years ago , figs have now invaded other ecologist have talen more nuanced view of the invasive question. the extent of their harm may have been overstated says princeton davids wilcove who first tallied up the threat of invasive species and I think thats fair question to raise question which chice best describes the relationship between passage 1 and passage 2 A. passage 1 introduces the new approach to a problem that us futher supported in passage 2 B. passage 1 decribes a long-standing debate that passages 2 seeks to resolve C. passage 2 presents responce to assertion that passage 1 makes about an issue D passage 2 offers a plan of action to address a concern that passage 1 raises

C

chicago based artist elsa munoz paintings that depict diverse subject matter from meitative portraits to moody landscapes are united by her use of stylistic realm, instilling a sense of masterfully balance beauty and tension into each scene. munoz bases her painting on her own photographic material in order to seize a temporary moment with its light or a certain pose and prolong the intial sense of a subject by painting it as realistically as possible question based on the passage the author attitude toward munoz painting can be characterized as one of A. lighthearted amusement B. critical dismissal C. respectful admiration D. bored dissatisfaction

C

the giant squid (architeuthis) _____ photographers for decades, but the deep-sea creature was finally located and photographed for the first time in 2005 A. intrigued B. flummoxed C. eluded D. exhausted

C

though he cannot be credited with inventing the form, Francessco Petrarca (1304-1374), known as petrarch, is most closely associated with "the italian Sonnet" as modern readers know it today; in fact, its alternate name is the petrarchan sonnet. Like the english or shakespearean sonnet the italian sonnet consists of fourteen line. unlike the former, however, the latter is arranged into two stanzas: an octet (eight lines) followed by a sestet (six lines). Typically the octet presents a problem or describes a situation, such as the poet's inability to gain the love of someone adored from afar; the sestet, then, tries to resolve this dilemma and might focus on how the lover is resigned to this inability to capture the love interest's attention. Petrarch, for instance, addressed many of his best-known sonnets to an unattainable love interest called laura question the passage indicates that one difference between the italian sonnet and the english sonnet is that the A. total number of line s in each type of sonnet varies B. english sonnet is limited to two stanzas, whereas the italian sonnet may have as many as eight C. italian sonnet is comprosed of two stanzas, while the english sonnet is not D. italian sonnet generally docuses on unrequited love, but the english sonnet usually celebrates requited love

C

(1) He'd moved close to the wall and was standing very still. (2) It took her a moment to figure out that he was examining her brushstrokes. (3) (But only artists did that. (4) Was he a closet artist, too?) (5) Finally moved back and let out a long, incredulous breath, and it struck her that she had been holding hers as well. (6) "Tell me about your work," he said. (7) This was hard. (8) She had started painting two years ago, and had never talked to anyone about it. (9) Even her parents didn't know. (10) When they came for dinner, she removed the canvass from the wall and hid them in her closet. (11) She sprayed the room with eucalyptus Mist and lit incense sticks so they wouldn't smell the turpentine. (12) The act of pianting was the first really ricky thing she has done in her life. (13) Being at the gallery, she knew how different her work was from everthing in there, or in rhe glossy art journals. (14) Her technique was crude--she hadn't taken classes and didn't work every evening and painted furiously (17) She worked late into the night, light-headed with the effort to remember. (18) She stopped inviting people over. (19) She made excuses when her friends wanted her to go out. (20) She had to force herself to return their calls, and often she didn't. (21) She ruined canvas after canvas, slashed them in frustration and threw them into the Dumpster behind the building. (22) She wept till she saw a blurry brightness, like sunspots, wherever she looked. (23) then, miraculously, she got better. (24) sometimes now, at 2:00 or 3:00, her back muscles tight and burning, a stillness would rise around her, warm and vaporous. (25) Held within it, she would hear , word for word, the stories her grandmother used to tell Question Which of the following best describes what is happening in sentence 5 when Biren releases "a long, incredulous breath" and Ruchira notices" that she has been holding hers as well"? A. Biren is shocked by the artwork, and Ruchira is suprised by this unexpected response B. Biren is bored by the display, and Ruchira is disappointed in his reaction C. Biren discoveres Ruchira's secret, and Ruchira is upset it has been discovered D. Biren admired the artwork, and Ruchira realizes she has been nervous about his reaction

D

Question In sentence 20, the narrator refers to cartoon characters and mascots mainly to A. humorously describes the way he and his brother were moving in the early morning hours of their departure from the city. B. depict the imagined version of a story as he recounts it years after the events took place C explain why he and his brother would rather have been watching television then going on a long car trip D. Illustrate how people preceived him and his brother as a pair rather than individuals

D

The passage characterizes khufus motivation to build the build the great pyramid of giza as being driven primaily by A. religious commitment B. artistic ambition C. a feeling of patriotism D. a sense of competition

D

Vast quantities of water might lurk unseen deep within the hot, thousand-degree confines of Earth. In 2009, Canadian geochemist Graham Pearson and his graduate student John McNiell were analyzing pile of diamonds that formed at least 325 miles underground hundreds of millions of years ago after emerging through a volcanic explosion, the diamonds were found in 2008 at the edge of the amazon rainforset. mcneil and pearson were studying them to look for clues about the evolution and orgin of the mantle, the thickest of earth 's inner layers. after shining a laser into hundreds of diamonds, probing their composition, mcniell sppotted something he hadn't seen before: a speck pf mineral called ringwoodite. Though thought to be plentiful in the planet's deep, high pressure interior , scientist had previously seen the mineral only in meteorites, or synthesized in labs Within that speck of ringwoodite, it turned out, was something stranger; a tiny bit of water, trapped and distributed microscopically in the mineral during its formation. person completed a detail analysis of the diamond in 2014, confirming the water's discovery questions the passage implies that the discovery of water within ringwoodite is significant because it A. confirms pearson and mcneills original hypothesis about the origin of earths mantle B. roves that the structure of earth's mantle is similar to that of meteorites C. means that scientists have discovered a way to synthesize D. indicates that there may be more water in earth's mantle than scientists previously thought

D

deborah gordon, biologist at stanford university, studies ant colonies in the arizona dessert to find how they manage to accomplish complex task with no language and no hierarchical leadership system she has found out the ants use simple interactions that can be combined to carry out much more complex task. gordon calls this network the anternt and believes the way it works could help us understand how information spreads, from how data is transferred over the internet to the workings of our brains questions Which of the following best describes what the anternet means as it is used in the passage A. A rating system gordan created to measure the level of complexity of the task ants understake B. the neural paths in ant brains that gordon found were responsible for forager ant behavior C. the heirarchical leadeshio system that gordon identified among the ants she studies in arizona D. a term gordon uses to refer to the network of interactions ants uses to complete complex tasks

D

which of the following conculsion can mostly logically be drawn from davis claims as they presented in passage 1 A. many nonnative species die out quickly before they can do any harm to a native ecosystem B. POLICIES SHOULD IMPOSE STIFF PENALTIES C. once established ecosystems usually do not change significantly, unless nonnative species are introduced D. nonnative species management programs should consider more effective ways to se resources to protect the environment

D