5/18 Khan

"Valia" is a 1907 short story by Leonid Andreyev. In the story, the author emphasizes that the setting where the character Valia is reading is nearly silent: ______ Which quotation from "Valia" most effectively illustrates the claim? Choose 1 answer:

"Everything in the room was quiet, so quiet that the only thing to be heard was the rustling of the pages he turned."

Electra is a circa 420-410 BCE play by Sophocles, translated in 1870 by R.C. Jebb. Electra, who is in mourning for her dead father and her long-absent brother, is aware of the intensity of her grief but believes it to be justified: ______ Which quotation from Electra most effectively illustrates the claim?

"I know my own passion, it escapes me not; but, seeing that the causes are so dire, will never curb these frenzied plaints, while life is in me."

Text 1 Like the work of Ralph Ellison before her, Toni Morrison's novels feature scenes in which characters deliver sermons of such length and verbal dexterity that for a time, the text exchanges the formal parameters of fiction for those of oral literature. Given the many other echoes of Ellison in Morrison's novels, both in structure and prose style, these scenes suggest Ellison's direct influence on Morrison. Text 2 In their destabilizing effect on literary form, the sermons in Morrison's works recall those in Ellison's. Yet literature by Black Americans abounds in moments where interpolated speech erodes the division between oral and written forms that literature in English has traditionally observed. Morrison's use of the sermon is attributable not only to the influence of Ellison but also to a community-wide strategy of resistance to externally imposed literary conventions. Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely characterize the underlined claim in Text 1?

As failing to consider Ellison's and Morrison's equivalent uses of the sermon within the wider cultural context in which they wrote

Urbanization, industrialization, and the warming climate create thermal pollution (excess heat) in the shallow subsurface soil. Susanne A. Benz and colleagues analyzed thousands of sites on three continents under one scenario in which surface temperature remains at the current level and under another in which the surface reaches the maximum plausible temperature. They then categorized each site according to the percentage of local home heating needs that could be met using this excess subsurface heat. The team concluded that if surface temperature approaches the maximum plausible level, the percentage of sites where thermal pollution could feasibly contribute to meeting home heating needs will increase. Which choice best describes data in the graph that support Benz and colleagues' conclusion?

At current surface temperatures, more than 80% of the sites cannot use subsurface thermal pollution to meet any portion of local home heating needs, but at the maximum plausible surface temperature, that percentage drops below 20%

Magnetic levitation (maglev) trains are suspended above a track by powerful electromagnets, reducing friction and thus allowing for much faster speeds. Though maglev advocates in the US have long imagined these trains crisscrossing the country, their dream remains unrealized. ______ of the handful of maglev trains currently in operation, all are in Asia. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

In fact,

Space scientists Anna-Lisa Paul, Stephen M. Elardo, and Robert Ferl planted seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana in samples of lunar regolith—the surface material of the Moon—and, serving as a control group, in terrestrial soil. They found that while all the seeds germinated, the roots of the regolith-grown plants were stunted compared with those in the control group. Moreover, unlike the plants in the control group, the regolith-grown plants exhibited red pigmentation, reduced leaf size, and inhibited growth rates— indicators of stress that were corroborated by postharvest molecular analysis. Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

It discusses the findings of a study that evaluated the effects of exposing a plant species to lunar soil conditions.

Economist Marco Castillo and colleagues showed that nuisance costs—the time and effort people must spend to make donations—reduce charitable giving. Charities can mitigate this effect by compensating donors for nuisance costs, but those costs, though variable, are largely ______ donation size, so charities that compensate donors will likely favor attracting a few large donors over many small donors. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

independent of

Using satellite remote sensing, Dr. Catherine Nakalembe, director of NASA's Harvest Africa initiative, gathers important data on crop health. Nakalembe doesn't just compile the ______ she also shares her findings with African farmers, enabling them to make data-driven decisions about managing critical food crops. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

information, though;

In discussing Mary Shelley's 1818 epistolary novel Frankenstein, literary theorist Gayatri Spivak directs the reader's attention to the character of Margaret Saville. As Spivak points out, Saville is not the protagonist of Shelley's ______ as the recipient of the letters that frame the book's narrative, she's the "occasion" of it. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

novel; rather

Researchers Suchithra Rajendran and Maximilian Popfinger modeled varying levels of passenger redistribution from short-haul flights (flights of 50 to 210 minutes, from takeoff to landing) to high-speed rail trips. Planes travel faster than trains, but air travel typically requires 3 hours of lead time for security, baggage handling, and boarding that rail travel doesn't, so short-haul routes take similar amounts of time by air and by rail. However, the model suggests that as rail passenger volumes approach current capacity limits, long lead times emerge. Therefore, for rail to remain a viable alternative to short-haul flights, ______ Which choice most logically completes the text?

rail systems may need to schedule additional trains for these routes.

Planetary scientist Briony Horgan and her colleagues have determined that as much as 25 percent of the sand on Mars is composed of impact spherules. These spherical bits of glass form when asteroids collide with the planet, ejecting bits of molten rock into the atmosphere that, after cooling and solidifying into glass, ______ back onto Mars's surface. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? Choose 1 answer:

rain

In 2015, a team led by materials scientists Anirudha Sumant and Diana Berman succeeded in reducing the coefficient of friction (COF) between two surfaces to the lowest possible level—superlubricity. A nearly frictionless (and, as its name suggests, extremely slippery) state, ______ Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

superlubricity is reached when two surfaces' COF drops below 0.01.

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: As engineered structures, many bird nests are uniquely flexible yet cohesive. A research team led by Yashraj Bhosale wanted to better understand the mechanics behind these structural properties. Bhosale's team used laboratory models that simulated the arrangement of flexible sticks into nest-like structures. The researchers analyzed the points where sticks touched one another. When pressure was applied to the model nests, the number of contact points between the sticks increased, making the structures stiffer. The student wants to present the primary aim of the research study. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Bhosale's team wanted to better understand the mechanics behind bird nests' uniquely flexible yet cohesive structural properties.

Text 1 Philosopher G.E. Moore's most influential work entails the concept of common sense. He asserts that there are certain beliefs that all people, including philosophers, know instinctively to be true, whether or not they profess otherwise: among them, that they have bodies, or that they exist in a world with other objects that have three dimensions. Moore's careful work on common sense may seem obvious but was in fact groundbreaking. Text 2 External world skepticism is a philosophical stance supposing that we cannot be sure of the existence of anything outside our own minds. During a lecture, G.E. Moore once offered a proof refuting this stance by holding out his hands and saying, "Here is one hand, and here is another." Many philosophers reflexively reject this proof (Annalisa Coliva called it "an obviously annoying failure") but have found it a challenge to articulate exactly why the proof fails. Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 1 most likely respond to proponents of the philosophical stance outlined in Text 2? Choose 1 answer:

By pointing out that Moore would assert that external world skepticism is at odds with other beliefs those proponents must unavoidably hold

With some 16,000 in attendance, the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and ______ or FESTAC '77, as the event was more commonly known—became the largest pan-African event on record. FESTAC drew people from around the world to Lagos, Nigeria, for a monthlong celebration of Black and African art, scholarship, and activism. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

Culture—

The following text is adapted from George Eliot's 1871-72 novel Middlemarch. [Mr. Brooke] had travelled in his younger years, and was held in this part of the country to have contracted a too rambling habit of mind. Mr. Brooke's conclusions were as difficult to predict as the weather. As used in the text, what does the word "contracted" most nearly mean?

Developed

The following text is adapted from Zora Neale Hurston's 1921 short story "John Redding Goes to Sea." John wants to travel far beyond the village where he lives near his mother, Matty. [John] had on several occasions attempted to reconcile his mother to the notion, but found it a difficult task. Matty always took refuge in self-pity and tears. Her son's desires were incomprehensible to her, that was all. As used in the text, what does the phrase "reconcile his mother to" most nearly mean?

Get his mother to accept

Mathematician Claude Shannon is widely regarded as a foundational figure in information theory. His most important paper, "A Mathematical Theory of Communication," published in 1948 when he was employed at Bell Labs, utilized a concept called a "binary digit" (shortened to "bit") to measure the amount of information in any signal and determine the fastest rate at which information could be transmitted while still being reliably decipherable. Robert Gallagher, one of Shannon's colleagues, said that the bit was "[Shannon's] discovery, and from it the whole communications revolution has sprung." Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

It introduces a respected researcher, describes an aspect of his work, and suggests why the work is historically significant.

In a study of new technology adoption, Davit Marikyan et al. examined negative disconfirmation (which occurs when experiences fall short of one's expectations) to determine whether it could lead to positive outcomes for users. The team focused on established users of "smart home" technology, which presents inherent utilization challenges but tends to attract users with high expectations, often leading to feelings of dissonance. The researchers found that many users employed cognitive mechanisms to mitigate those feelings, ultimately reversing their initial sense of disappointment. Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

Research suggests that users with high expectations for a new technology can feel content with that technology even after experiencing negative disconfirmation.

The following text is adapted from Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1905 novel A Little Princess. The little girl sat with her feet tucked under her, and leaned against her father, who held her in his arm, as she stared out of the window at the passing people with a queer old-fashioned thoughtfulness in her big eyes. She was such a little girl that one did not expect to see such a look on her small face. It would have been an old look for a child of twelve, and she was only seven. The fact was, however, that she was always dreaming and thinking odd things and could not herself remember any time when she had not been thinking things about grown-up people and the world they belonged to. She felt as if she had lived a long, long time. According to the text, what is true about the little girl?

She is mature for her age.

Quantum particles of light—photons—provide an unhackable means of transmitting encryption keys over networks, as attempts to observe particles in quantum states will invariably alter the particles ______ dismantle any information they transmit. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

and, in the process,

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: The popular wood-wide web theory posits that trees can communicate and exchange resources with one another via common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs) of fungi. Ecologist Dr. Suzanne Simard first suggested this theory in 1997. She described trees as "super-cooperators." In the 2022 study "The Decay of the Wood-Wide Web?," mycologist Dr. Justine Karst and colleagues evaluated dozens of CMN studies. They write that CMNs "have captured the interest of broad audiences. We are concerned, however, that recent claims about CMNs in forests are disconnected from evidence." The student wants to use a quotation to emphasize a potential problem with the wood-wide web theory. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal? Choose 1 answer:

After evaluating dozens of CMN studies, Karst and colleagues expressed concern that recent claims about common mycorrhizal networks are "disconnected from evidence."

With its clichéd imagery of suburban lawns and power lines, John Ashbery's 2004 poem "Ignorance of the Law Is No Excuse" may seem barren terrain for critical analysis. ______ cultural critic Lauren Berlant finds fertile ground in just its first two stanzas, devoting most of a book chapter to deciphering the "weight of the default space" Ashbery creates in this poem. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

Nonetheless,

In 1815, while in exile in Jamaica, Venezuelan revolutionary Simón Bolívar penned a letter praising England's republican government and expressing hope that Latin American nations seeking independence from Spain might achieve something similar. The letter was addressed to a local merchant, Henry Cullen; ______ though, Bolívar's goal was to persuade political leaders from England and Europe to support his cause. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

ultimately,

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is projected to maintain operation until at least 2030, but it has already revolutionized high-resolution imaging of solar-system bodies in visible and ultraviolet (UV) light wavelengths, notwithstanding that only about 6% of the bodies imaged by the HST are within the solar system. NASA researcher Cindy L. Young and colleagues assert that a new space telescope dedicated exclusively to solar-system observations would permit an extensive survey of minor solar-system bodies and long-term UV observation to discern how solar-system bodies change over time. Young and colleagues' recommendation, therefore, implies that the HST ______ Which choice most logically completes the text?

will likely continue to be used primarily to observe objects outside the solar system.

Text 1 Social psychologist Leon Festinger proposed the theory of cognitive dissonance, which states that people experience psychological discomfort when they hold contradictory beliefs, or when they behave in ways that are inconsistent with their beliefs. To reduce this discomfort, people either change their beliefs or rationalize their behavior. For example, if a person values environmental protection but drives a gas-guzzling car, they may either switch to a more eco-friendly vehicle, or justify their car choice by emphasizing its safety or reliability. Text 2 Psychologist Daryl Bem's self-perception theory challenges the assumption that people always have a clear and stable belief system that guides their actions. Instead, Bem argues that people sometimes infer their beliefs from their own behavior and the circumstances in which it occurs. For example, if a person volunteers for a charitable cause, they may not have a prior strong commitment to that cause, but rather develop a positive attitude toward it to reflect their own involvement. Based on the texts, how would Bem (Text 2) most likely respond to Festinger's theory (Text 1)?

He would encourage Festinger to consider whether people's beliefs are actually the cause or the effect of their behavior.

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: Inka Cola is a popular soft drink in Peru. It was created in 1935 by British immigrant Joseph Robinson Lindley. Inka Cola has a unique, sweet flavor often compared to bubblegum. It is often referred to as "the golden Kola" because of its yellow color. In Peru, Inka Cola often outsells Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola is the best-selling soft drink in the world. The student wants to emphasize Inka Cola's prominence in Peru. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal? Choose 1 answer:

In Peru, Inka Cola is so popular that it often outsells Coca-Cola, the best-selling soft drink in the world.

In a heated debate in biogeography, the field is divided between dispersalists and vicariancists. ______ there are those who argue that dispersal is the most crucial determining factor in a species' distribution, and those who insist that vicariance (separation due to geographic barriers) is. Biogeographer Isabel Sanmartín counts herself among neither. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition? Choose 1 answer:

That is,

When one looks at the dark craggy vistas in Hitoshi Fugo's evocative photo series, one's mind might wander off to the cratered surfaces of faraway planets. ______ it's the series' title, Flying Frying Pan, that brings one back to Earth, reminding the viewer that each photo is actually a close-up view of a familiar household object: a frying pan. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

Ultimately.

In paleontology, the term "Elvis taxon" gets applied to a newly identified living species that was once presumed to be extinct. Like an Elvis impersonator who might bear a striking resemblance to the late musical icon Elvis Presley himself, an Elvis taxon is not the real thing, ______ is a misidentified look-alike. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

however. It

A sociology student is reading an essay on the median age of first marriage in Western countries throughout the twentieth century. The author of the essay cites factors common to these countries that the author believes caused an increase in the median age of first marriage, such as new technologies that shortened the time needed for domestic chores, making two-person households less necessary and living alone more viable. The student asserts that beyond these factors there must be additional ones specific to particular Western countries that influenced the increase of age at first marriage. Which choice most effectively uses data from the graph that support the student's assertion?

Between 1970 and 2000, the median age of first marriage rose more sharply for men in England and Wales than it did for men in the United States.

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: Some powerful works of literature have so influenced readers that new legislation has been passed as a result. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (1789) is the autobiography of a man who endured slavery on both sides of the Atlantic. Equiano's book contributed to the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807. The Jungle (1906) is a fictional work by Upton Sinclair that describes unsanitary conditions in US meatpacking plants. Sinclair's book contributed to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906. The student wants to emphasize a difference between the two books. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Although both are powerful works of literature that contributed to new legislation, Equiano's book is an autobiography, while Sinclair's is fictional.

The following text is adapted from María Cristina Mena's 1914 short story "The Vine-Leaf." It is a saying in the capital of Mexico that Dr. Malsufrido carries more family secrets under his hat than any archbishop. The doctor's hat is, appropriately enough, uncommonly capacious, rising very high, and sinking so low that it seems to be supported by his ears and eyebrows, and it has a furry look, as if it had been brushed the wrong way, which is perhaps what happens to it if it is ever brushed at all. When the doctor takes it off, the family secrets do not fly out like a flock of parrots, but remain nicely bottled up beneath a dome of old and highly polished ivory. Based on the text, how do people in the capital of Mexico most likely regard Dr. Malsufrido?

Few feel concerned that he will divulge their confidences.

Works of moral philosophy, such as Plato's Republic or Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, are partly concerned with how to live a morally good life. But philosopher Jonathan Barnes argues that works that present a method of living such a life without also supplying a motive are inherently useful only to those already wishing to be morally good—those with no desire for moral goodness will not choose to follow their rules. However, some works of moral philosophy attempt to describe what constitutes a morally good life while also proposing reasons for living one. Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text? Choose 1 answer:

It provides a characterization about a field of thought by noting two works in it and then details a way in which some works in that field are more comprehensive than others.

In the 1980s, many musicians and journalists in the English-speaking world began to draw attention to music from around the globe—such as mbaqanga from South Africa and quan họ from Vietnam—that can't be easily categorized according to British or North American popular music genres, typically referring to such music as "world music." While some scholars have welcomed this development for bringing diverse musical forms to prominence in countries where they'd previously been overlooked, musicologist Su Zheng claims that the concept of world music homogenizes highly distinct traditions by reducing them all to a single category. Which finding about mbaqanga and quan họ, if true, would most directly support Zheng's claim? Choose 1 answer:

Mbaqanga and quan họ developed independently of each other and have little in common musically.

To better understand the burrowing habits of Alpheus bellulus (the tiger pistol shrimp), some studies have used resin casting to obtain precise measurements of the shrimps' burrows. Resin casting involves completely filling an empty burrow with a liquid plastic that hardens to create a three-dimensional model; however, recovering the model inevitably requires destroying the burrow. In their 2022 study, Miyu Umehara and colleagues discovered that an x-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner can accurately record a burrow's measurements both at a moment in time and throughout the entire burrow-building process, something that's impossible with resin casting because ______ Which choice most logically completes the text?

it does not allow for multiple castings of the same burrow over time.

When they were first discovered in Australia in 1798, duck-billed, beaver-tailed platypuses so defied categorization that one scientist assigned them the name Ornithorhynchus paradoxus: "paradoxical bird-snout." The animal, which lays eggs but also nurses ______ young with milk, has since been classified as belonging to the monotremes group. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

its

Laura Mulvey has theorized that in narrative film, shots issuing from a protagonist's point of view compel viewers to identify with the character. Such identification is heightened by "invisible editing," or editing so inconspicuous that it renders cuts between shots almost unnoticeable. Conversely, Mulvey proposes that conspicuous editing or an absence of point-of-view shots would induce a more critical stance toward a protagonist. Consider, for example, the attic scene in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, a conspicuously edited sequence of tens of shots, few of which correspond to the protagonist's point of view. According to Mulvey's logic, this scene should affect viewers by ______ Which choice most logically completes the text?

lessening their identification with the protagonist, if not alienating them from the character altogether.

Ecologist Veronika Bókony and colleagues investigated within-species competition among common toads (Bufo bufo), a species that secretes various unpleasant-tasting toxins called bufadienolides in response to threats. The researchers tested B. bufo tadpoles' responses to different levels of competition by creating ponds with different tadpole population densities but a fixed amount of food. Based on analysis of the tadpoles after three weeks, the researchers concluded that increased competition drove bufadienolide production at the expense of growth. Which choice uses data from the table to most effectively support the researchers' conclusion?

Tadpoles in the low and medium population density conditions had substantially lower average bufadienolide concentrations but had greater average body masses than those in the high population density condition.

Rejecting the premise that the literary magazine Ebony and Topaz (1927) should present a unified vision of Black American identity, editor Charles S. Johnson fostered his contributors' diverse perspectives by promoting their authorial autonomy. Johnson's self-effacement diverged from the editorial stances of W.E.B. Du Bois and Alain Locke, whose decisions for their publications were more ______. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

dogmatic

Some bacteria have developed mechanisms for resisting antibiotics. Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria, ______ produce an enzyme called beta-lactamase, which can cleave the beta-lactam ring in certain antibiotics (such as penicillin and cephalosporins) and deactivate them. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

for example,

A second-generation Japanese American, Wataru Misaka ______ in World War II (1941-45) and won two amateur national basketball championships at the University of Utah when he joined the New York Knicks for the 1947-48 season, becoming the first non-white basketball player in the US's top professional league. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

had already served

In a 2016 study, Eastern Washington University psychologist Amani El-Alayli found that, among the study participants who experienced frisson (a physiological response akin to goosebumps or getting the chills) while listening to music, there was one personality trait that they scored particularly ______ openness to experience. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

high on:

Optical tweezers are specialized scientific tools—particularly useful in biology and medicine—that use high-powered beams of light to trap and manipulate minuscule particles for study. Use of the tool has led to several scientific and medical breakthroughs over the last few decades, but the particles are often under prolonged exposure to the intense heat of the light beams. To overcome the risk of overheating, and thereby damage, researchers sometimes attach nano-sized glass beads to particles, allowing the light to focus on the beads instead of the particles. Based on the text, what is one advantage of attaching glass beads to particles when using optical tweezers?

It facilitates the maneuvering of particles without directly heating the particles themselves.

Disco remains one of the most ridiculed popular music genres of the late twentieth century. But as scholars have argued, the genre is far less superficial than many people believe. Take the case of disco icon Donna Summer: she may have been associated with popular songs about love and heartbreak (subjects hardly unique to disco, by the way), but like many Black women singers before her, much of her music also reflects concerns about community and identity. These concerns are present in many of the genre's greatest songs, and they generally don't require much digging to reveal. What does the text most strongly suggest about the disco genre?

It has been unfairly dismissed for the inclusion of subject matter that is also found in other musical genres.

The following text is adapted from Herman Melville's 1857 novel The Confidence-Man. Humphry Davy was a prominent British chemist and inventor. Years ago, a grave American savant, being in London, observed at an evening party there, a certain coxcombical fellow, as he thought, an absurd ribbon in his lapel, and full of smart [banter], whisking about to the admiration of as many as were disposed to admire. Great was the savant's disdain; but, chancing ere long to find himself in a corner with the jackanapes, got into conversation with him, when he was somewhat ill-prepared for the good sense of the jackanapes, but was altogether thrown aback, upon subsequently being [informed that he was] no less a personage than Sir Humphry Davy. Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

It presents an account of a misunderstanding.

In Jane Austen's novel Mansfield Park, an almost imperceptible smile from potential suitor Henry Crawford causes the protagonist Fanny Price to blush; her embarrassment grows when she suspects that he is aware of it. This moment—in which Fanny not only infers Henry's mental state through his gestures, but also infers that he is drawing inferences about her mental state—illustrates what literary scholar George Butte calls "deep intersubjectivity," a technique for representing interactions between consciousnesses through which Austen's novels derive much of their social and psychological drama. Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

It provides a synopsis of an interaction in an Austen novel that illustrates a literary concept discussed in the following sentence.

The beaver is a keystone species in North America, where it evolved in symbiosis with the aspen tree. Beavers were introduced to Patagonia (a region encompassing the southernmost tip of South America) in 1946, where they encountered an abundance of Nothofagus trees, a type of southern beech. From this, it was discovered that the evolutionary symbiosis that the beaver has with the aspen tree does not preclude it from forming new relationships with different tree species. Within a few years, the beavers had changed the ecosystem in Patagonia by utilizing Nothofagus trees much in the same way they interact with Aspens in North America. Which choice best describes the function of the third sentence in the overall structure of the text?

It states a generalization that is exemplified by the discussion of the beavers and Nothofagus trees.

Scholars have accepted The Two Noble Kinsmen as coauthored by Shakespeare since the 1970s: it appears in all major one-volume editions of Shakespeare's complete works. Though scholars disagree about who wrote what exactly, it is generally held that on the basis of style, Shakespeare wrote all of the first act and most of the last, while John Fletcher authored most of the three middle acts. Based on the texts, both Sykes in Text 1 and the scholars in Text 2 would most likely agree with which statement?

John fletcher's writing has a unique, readily identifiable style.

To assess the impact of invasive species on ecosystems in Africa, Benis N. Egoh and colleagues reviewed government reports from those nations about how invasive species are undermining ecosystem services (aspects of the ecosystem on which residents depend). The services were sorted into three categories: provisioning (material resources from the ecosystem), regulating (natural processes such as cleaning the air or water), and cultural (nonmaterial benefits of ecosystems). Egoh and her team assert that countries in each region reported effects on provisioning services and that provisioning services represent the majority of the reported services. Which choice best describes data from the table that support Egoh and colleagues' assertion?

None of the percentages shown for provisioning services are lower than 33%, and the overall percentage shown for provisioning services is 75%.

In a recent study, researchers grew rice in chambers with varying levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) to simulate different atmospheric conditions. They found that as CO2 levels increased, the nutritional content of the rice changed. Specifically, the rice contained less protein, iron, and zinc, but contained more carbohydrates. One potential explanation for these findings is that, since CO2 is an important input to photosynthesis, the elevated carbon dioxide levels could be spurring the plants to photosynthesize more rapidly. This in turn could lead to increased carbohydrate production at the expense of other nutrients like protein, iron, and zinc. Which finding from the study, if true, would most directly weaken the potential explanation?

Rice plants consumed carbon dioxide at nearly identical rates, regardless of variations in atmospheric CO2 levels.

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: In 1978, Sámi activists staged protests to block the construction of a dam on the Alta River in Norway. The dam would disrupt Sámi fishing and reindeer herding. The dam was ultimately built, but the Alta conflict had a lasting impact. It brought international attention to the issue of Sámi rights. It led to a set of 2005 legal protections establishing Sámi rights to lands, waters, and resources. The student wants to make and support a generalization about the Alta conflict. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

The Alta conflict had a lasting impact, resulting in international attention and legal protections for Sámi rights to lands, waters, and resources.

Text 1 Despite its beautiful prose, The Guns of August, Barbara Tuchman's 1962 analysis of the start of World War I, has certain weaknesses as a work of history. It fails to address events in Eastern Europe just before the outbreak of hostilities, thereby giving the impression that Germany was the war's principal instigator. Had Tuchman consulted secondary works available to her by scholars such as Luigi Albertini, she would not have neglected the influence of events in Eastern Europe on Germany's actions. Text 2 Barbara Tuchman's The Guns of August is an engrossing if dated introduction to World War I. Tuchman's analysis of primary documents is laudable, but her main thesis that European powers committed themselves to a catastrophic outcome by refusing to deviate from military plans developed prior to the conflict is implausibly reductive. Which choice best describes a difference in how the authors of Text 1 and Text 2 view Barbara Tuchman's The Guns of August?

The author of Text 1 believes that the scope of Tuchman's research led her to an incorrect interpretation, while the author of Text 2 believes that Tuchman's central argument is overly simplistic.

For centuries, the widespread acknowledgment of the involvement of the cerebellum—a dense brain structure in vertebrates—in coordinating motor control in humans has hindered recognition of other possible functions of the structure. Neuroscience research from the last two decades now suggests that the cerebellum regulates emotion and social behavior, and recent research by Ilaria Carta and colleagues has identified a pathway connecting the cerebellum to a center for motivation and reward processing known as the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

The cerebellum has primarily been thought to regulate motor functioning, but in recent years neuroscience researchers have been uncovering additional functions.

The most recent iteration of the immersive theater experience Sleep No More, which premiered in New York City in 2011, transforms its performance space—a five-story warehouse—into a 1930s-era hotel. Audience members, who wander through the labyrinthine venue at their own pace and follow the actors as they play out simultaneous, interweaving narrative loops, confront the impossibility of experiencing the production in its entirety. The play's refusal of narrative coherence thus hinges on the sense of spatial fragmentation that the venue's immense and intricate layout generates. What does the text most strongly suggest about Sleep No More's use of its performance space? Choose 1 answer:

The production's dependence on a particular performance environment would likely make it difficult to reproduce exactly in a different theatrical space

In the United States, firms often seek incentives from municipal governments to expand to those municipalities. A team of political scientists hypothesized that municipalities are much more likely to respond to firms and offer incentives if expansions can be announced in time to benefit local elected officials than if they can't. The team contacted officials in thousands of municipalities, inquiring about incentives for a firm looking to expand and indicating that the firm would announce its expansion on a date either just before or just after the next election. Which choice best describes data from the graph that weaken the team's hypothesis?

The proportion of municipalities that responded to the inquiry or offered incentives didn't substantially differ across the announcement timing conditions.

The following text is adapted from Countee Cullen's 1926 poem "Thoughts in a Zoo." They in their cruel traps, and we in ours,Survey each other's rage, and pass the hoursCommiserating each the other's woe,To mitigate his own pain's fiery glow.Man could but little proffer in exchangeSave that his cages have a larger range.That lion with his lordly, untamed heartHas in some man his human counterpart,Some lofty soul in dreams and visions wrapped,But in the stifling flesh securely trapped. Based on the text, what challenge do humans sometimes experience?

They have aspirations that cannot be fulfilled because of certain limitations.

Archaeologists have held that the Casarabe culture, which emerged in the southwestern Amazon basin in the first millennium CE, was characterized by a sparse, widely distributed population and little intervention in the surrounding wilderness. Recently, however, archaeologist Heiko Prümers and colleagues conducted a study of the region using remote-sensing technology that enabled them to create three-dimensional images of the jungle-covered landscape from above, and the researchers concluded that the Casarabe people developed a form of urbanism in the Amazon basin. Which finding about the remote-sensing images, if true, would most directly support Prümers and colleagues' conclusion?

They show shapes consistent with monumental platforms and dense central settlements linked to smaller settlements by a system of canals and roadways.

"Gestures" in painting are typically thought of as bold, expressive brushstrokes. In the 1970s, American painter Jack Whitten built a 12-foot (3.7-meter) tool he named the "developer" to apply paint to an entire canvas in one motion, resulting in his series of "slab" paintings from that decade. Whitten described this process as making an entire painting in "one gesture," signaling a clear departure from the prevalence of gestures in his work from the 1960s. Some art historians claim this shift represents "removing gesture" from the process. Therefore, regardless of whether using the developer constitutes a gesture, both Whitten and these art historians likely agree that ______ Which choice most logically completes the text?

Whitten's work from the 1960s exhibits many more gestures than his work from the 1970s does.

The Analects is the most influential collection of sayings and teachings attributed to Confucius, the founder of Confucianism. Compiled by his disciples over the centuries following his death in 479 BCE, the Analects shows remarkable internal consistency and coherence in its themes and principles, such as filial piety, ritual, humaneness, and loyalty. Moreover, many of the anecdotes in the Analects match those found in other historical texts that record the words and deeds of Confucius. However, some passages refer to events and ideas that emerged much later in Chinese history, such as the unification of the empire by Qin Shi Huang in 221 BCE, and reveal the influence of other philosophical schools, such as Legalism and Daoism, which arose after Confucius's time. Therefore, scholars have concluded that while its core reflects the original teachings of Confucius, the Analects ______ Which choice most logically completes the text?

also reflects the changing historical and intellectual circumstances of its compilers.

Investigating whether shared false visual memories—specific but inaccurate and widely held recollections of images such as product logos—are caused by people's previous ______ incorrect renditions of the images, researchers Deepasri Prasad and Wilma Bainbridge found that, in fact, such memories are often not explained by familiarity with erroneous versions of the images. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

exposure to

In botany, the term "resurrection plant" refers to any species of plant that seems to come back to life after appearing fully withered and dead. Resurrection plants do not truly return from the dead, ______ are simply exhibiting an adaptation that allows them to survive in very dry conditions for extended periods. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

however. They

Seismologists Kaiqing Yuan and Barbara Romanowicz have proposed that the magma fueling Iceland's more than 30 active volcano systems emerges from deep within Earth. The great depths involved—nearly 3,000 km—mark Iceland's volcanoes as extreme outliers; ______ many of Earth's volcanoes are fed by shallow pockets of magma found less than 15 km below the surface. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

indeed,

As a poet, essayist, and novelist, Ocean Vuong's work often explores ______ themes, including memory and trauma. His debut novel, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, is presented as a series of deeply personal letters written by a son to his mother and was described by The New Yorker as "[brimming] with longing and tenderness." Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

intimate

Tides can deposit large quantities of dead vegetation within a salt marsh, smothering healthy plants and leaving a salt panne—a depression devoid of plants that tends to trap standing water—in the marsh's interior. Ecologist Kathryn Beheshti and colleagues found that burrowing crabs living within these pannes improve drainage by loosening the soil, leading the pannes to shrink as marsh plants move back in. At salt marsh edges, however, crab-induced soil loosening can promote marsh loss by accelerating erosion, suggesting that the burrowing action of crabs ______ Which choice most logically completes the text?

may promote increases in marsh plants or decreases in marsh plants, depending on the crabs' location.

In the early 20th century, Constantin Brancusi's sculpture Bird in Space sparked considerable debate about the definition of art. Tax authorities argued in court that the abstract sculpture, which featured a long, sleek form without any identifiable features, should not be classified as art. Brancusi ultimately won the case, but the legal battle highlighted the ______ dividing line between "art" and "manufactured object". Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

tenuous

During the Bourbon Restoration in France (1814-1830), the right to vote required in part that a person paid at least 300 francs in direct taxes to the government. The four most common taxes (the quatre vieilles) were levied on real estate (both land and buildings); the doors and windows in taxpayer homes; the rental values of homes; and the businesses of artisans and merchants. (Foreign investments were either exempt from taxation or taxed lightly.) Although relatively few people paid the tax on real estate, it was the main means of voter qualification and accounted for over two-thirds of government receipts during this period, suggesting that during the Bourbon Restoration ______ Which choice most logically completes the text?

those people who had the right to vote most likely had substantial holdings of French real estate.