1.

Within baleen whale species, some individuals develop an accessory spleen—a

seemingly functionless formation of splenetic tissue outside the normal spleen. Given
the formation's greater prevalence among whales known to make deeper dives, some
researchers hypothesize that its role isn't ______; rather, the accessory spleen may
actively support diving mechanisms.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

A. replicable
B. predetermined
C. operative
D. latent

2. According to a US tax policy expert, state taxes are ______ other factors when
considering an interstate move. Even significant differences in state taxation have
almost no effect on most people's decisions, while differences in employment
opportunities, housing availability, and climate are strong influences.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

A. consistent with
B. representative of
C. overshadowed by
D. irrelevant to

3. The author's claim about the relationship between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens is
______, as it fails to account for several recent archaeological discoveries. To be
convincing, his argument would need to address recent finds of additional hominid
fossils, such as the latest Denisovan specimens and Homo longi.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

A. disorienting
B. tenuous
C. nuanced
D. unoriginal
4. The following text is from Georgia Douglas Johnson's 1922 poem "Benediction."

Go forth, my son,
Winged by my heart's desire!
Great reaches, yet unknown,
Await
For your possession.
I may not, if I would,
Retrace the way with you,
My pilgrimage is through,
But life is calling you!

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To express hope that a child will have the same accomplishments as his parent did
B. To suggest that raising a child involves many struggles
C. To warn a child that he will face many challenges throughout his life
D. To encourage a child to embrace the experiences life will offer

5. The following text is adapted from Indian Boyhood, a 1902 memoir by Ohiyesa
(Charles A. Eastman), a Santee Dakota writer. In the text, Ohiyesa recalls how the
women in his tribe harvested maple syrup during his childhood.

Now the women began to test the trees—moving leisurely among them, axe in hand,
and striking a single quick blow, to see if the sap would appear. The trees, like people,
have their individual characters; some were ready to yield up their life-blood, while
others were more reluctant. Now one of the birchen basins was set under each tree,
and a hardwood chip driven deep into the cut which the axe had made. From the
corners of this chip—at first drop by drop, then more freely—the sap trickled into the
little dishes.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a
whole?

A. It portrays the range of personality traits displayed by the women as they work.
B. It foregrounds the beneficial relationship between humans and maple trees.
C. It demonstrates how human behavior can be influenced by the natural environment.
D. It elaborates on an aspect of the maple trees that the women evaluate.
6. Text 1

Ecologists have long wondered how thousands of microscopic phytoplankton species

can live together near ocean surfaces competing for the same resources. According to
conventional wisdom, one species should emerge after outcompeting the rest. So why
do so many species remain? Ecologists' many efforts to explain this phenomenon still
haven't uncovered a satisfactory explanation.

Text 2

Ecologist Michael Behrenfeld and colleagues have connected phytoplankton's diversity

to their microscopic size. Because these organisms are so tiny, they are spaced
relatively far apart from each other in ocean water and, moreover, experience that water
as a relatively dense substance. This in turn makes it hard for them to move around and
interact with one another. Therefore, says Behrenfeld's team, direct competition among
phytoplankton probably happens much less than previously thought.

Based on the texts, how would Behrenfeld and colleagues (Text 2) most likely respond
to the "conventional wisdom" discussed in Text 1?

A. By arguing that it is based on a misconception about phytoplankton species

competing with one another
B. By asserting that it fails to recognize that routine replenishment of ocean nutrients
prevents competition between phytoplankton species
C. By suggesting that their own findings help clarify how phytoplankton species are able
to compete with larger organisms
D. By recommending that more ecologists focus their research on how competition
among phytoplankton species is increased with water density

7. In 2014, Amelia Quon and her team at NASA set out to build a helicopter capable of
flying on Mars. Because Mars's atmosphere is only one percent as dense as Earth's,
the air of Mars would not provide enough resistance to the rotating blades of a standard
helicopter for the aircraft to stay aloft. For five years, Quon's team tested designs in a
lab that mimicked Mars's atmospheric conditions. The craft the team ultimately designed
can fly on Mars because its blades are longer and rotate faster than those of a
helicopter of the same size built for Earth.

According to the text, why would a helicopter built for Earth be unable to fly on Mars
A. Because Mars and Earth have different atmospheric conditions
B. Because the blades of helicopters built for Earth are too large to work on Mars
C. Because the gravity of Mars is much weaker than the gravity of Earth
D. Because helicopters built for Earth are too small to handle the conditions on Mars

8. In West Africa, jalis have traditionally been keepers of information about family
histories and records of important events. They have often served as teachers and
advisers, too. New technologies may have changed some aspects of the role today, but
jalis continue to be valued for knowing and protecting their peoples' stories.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A. Even though there have been some changes in their role, jalis continue to preserve
their communities' histories.
B. Although jalis have many roles, many of them like teaching best.
C. Jalis have been entertaining the people within their communities for centuries.
D. Technology can now do some of the things jalis used to be responsible for.

9. In 1934 physicist Eugene Wigner posited the existence of a crystal consisting entirely
of electrons in a honeycomb-like structure. The so-called Wigner crystal remained
largely conjecture, however, until Feng Wang and colleagues announced in 2021 that
they had captured an image of one. The researchers trapped electrons between two
semiconductors and then cooled the apparatus, causing the electrons to settle into a
crystalline structure. By inserting an ultrathin sheet of graphene above the crystal, the
researchers obtained an impression-the first visual confirmation of the Wigner crystal.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A. Researchers have obtained the most definitive evidence to date of the existence of
the Wigner crystal.
B. Researchers have identified an innovative new method for working with unusual
crystalline structures.
C. Graphene is the most important of the components required to capture an image of a
Wigner crystal.
D. It's difficult to acquire an image of a Wigner crystal because of the crystal's
honeycomb structure.
10.

Considering a large sample of companies, economics experts Maria Guadalupe, Julie

Wulf, and Raghuram Rajan assessed the number of managers and leaders from
different departments who reported directly to a chief executive officer (CEO). According
to the researchers, the findings suggest that across the years analyzed, there was a
growing interest among CEOs in connecting with more departments in their companies.
Which choice best describes data from the graph that support the researchers'
conclusion?
A. The average numbers of managers and department leaders reporting directly to their
CEO didn't fluctuate from the 1991-1995 period to the 2001-2008 period.
B. The average number of managers reporting directly to their CEO was highest in the
1996-2001 period.
C. The average number of department leaders reporting directly to their CEO was
greater than the average number of managers reporting directly to their CEO in each of
the three periods studied.
D. The average number of department leaders reporting directly to their CEO rose over
the three periods studied.
1.D
2.C
3.B
4.D
5.D
6.A
7.A
8.A
9.A
10.D