Words in Context (Vocabulary)

The general store was essential to daily life in the rural United States during the 1800s because it provided the supplies that the people living in nearby communities needed. Also, the store was a _______ of information. People socializing at the general store would share news and help spread it throughout their communities.

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

A) source

B) rival

C) condition

D) waste

A) Correct – "Source" logically fits because the general store provided a place for people to exchange and spread information.

(B) Incorrect – "Rival" refers to competition, which does not make sense in the context of sharing information.

(C) Incorrect – "Condition" refers to a state or situation, which does not align with the idea of spreading news.

(D) Incorrect – "Waste" has a negative meaning, referring to something unnecessary or discarded, which does not fit the sentence.

For painter Jacob Lawrence, being _______ was an important part of the artistic process. Because he paid close attention to all the details of his Harlem neighborhood, Lawrence’s artwork captured nuances in the beauty and vitality of the Black experience during the Harlem Renaissance and the Great Migration.

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

A) skeptical

B) observant

C) critical

D) confident

A) skeptical – Incorrect because "skeptical" means doubtful, which does not fit the idea of carefully noticing details

B) observant – Correct because the passage emphasizes how Lawrence paid close attention to details in his neighborhood, making "observant" the best choice.

C) critical – Incorrect because "critical" suggests judgment rather than careful observation.

D) confident – Incorrect because confidence is not related to noticing details in an artistic process.

Former astronaut Ellen Ochoa says that although she doesn’t have a definite idea of when it might happen, she _______ that humans will someday need to be able to live in other environments than those found on Earth. This conjecture informs her interest in future research missions to the moon.

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

A) demands

B) speculates

C) doubts

D) establishes

A) demands – Incorrect because "demanding" implies authority and certainty, which is not the case in Ochoa's statement.

B) speculates – Correct because the passage indicates Ochoa is making an educated guess about the future rather than asserting a certainty.

C) doubts – Incorrect because Ochoa does not express skepticism about humans living elsewhere.

D) establishes – Incorrect because "establishes" means proving something as fact, which is not supported by the passage.

The parasitic dodder plant increases its reproductive success by flowering at the same time as the host plant it has latched onto. In 2020, Jianqiang Wu and his colleagues determined that the tiny dodder achieves this _______ with its host by absorbing and utilizing a protein the host produces when it is about to flower.

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

A) synchronization

B) hibernation

C) prediction

D) moderation

A) synchronization – Correct because the passage describes how the dodder plant aligns its flowering time with its host, which is an example of synchronization.

B) hibernation – Incorrect because hibernation refers to a state of dormancy, which is unrelated to the flowering process.

C) prediction – Incorrect because the dodder is not predicting anything; it is responding to the host’s protein.

D) moderation – Incorrect because "moderation" refers to controlling or reducing something, which does not fit the passage.

Barring major archaeological discoveries, we are unlikely to ever have _______ account of ancient Egypt under the female pharaoh Hatshepsut, as much of the evidence of her reign was deliberately destroyed by her successors

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

A) an imaginative

B) a superficial

C) an exhaustive

D) a questionable

A) an imaginative – Incorrect because an imaginative account is creative rather than factual, which is not the intended meaning.

B) a superficial – Incorrect because "superficial" means lacking depth, whereas the passage suggests a lack of complete records, not shallowness.

C) an exhaustive – Correct because the passage states that much evidence was destroyed, making a complete or "exhaustive" account unlikely.

D) a questionable – Incorrect because "questionable" suggests doubt about accuracy rather than completeness.

In the early 1800s, the Cherokee scholar Sequoyah created the first script, or writing system, for an Indigenous language in the United States. Because it represented the sounds of spoken Cherokee so accurately, his script was easy to learn and thus quickly achieved _______ use: by 1830, over 90 percent of the Cherokee people could read and write it.

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

A) widespread

B) careful

C) unintended

D) infrequent

A) Correct – The sentence states that over 90% of the Cherokee people could read and write the script, meaning it was widely used.

B) Incorrect – "Careful use" does not logically relate to the high percentage of literacy mentioned.

C) Incorrect – "Unintended" suggests accidental adoption, which contradicts the passage’s positive tone about the script’s effectiveness.

D) Incorrect – "Infrequent" contradicts the fact that it was quickly adopted by most Cherokee people.

The province of Xoconochco was situated on the Pacific coast, hundreds of kilometers southeast of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire. Because Xoconochco’s location within the empire was so _______, cacao and other trade goods produced there could reach the capital only after a long overland journey.

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

A) unobtrusive

B) concealed

C) approximate

D) peripheral

A) Incorrect – "Unobtrusive" means not noticeable, which does not describe a province’s geographic position.

B) Incorrect – "Concealed" means hidden, but the text does not suggest Xoconochco was secret or unknown.

C) Incorrect – "Approximate" does not fit logically, as it refers to closeness or estimation rather than location within an empire.

D) Correct – "Peripheral" means on the outskirts, which makes sense given the difficulty in transporting goods to the capital.

Proposals to raise the age at which retirees begin receiving government transfers of funds are generally discussed in terms of the effects on transfer recipients, but Andria Smythe has argued that delaying such transfers could _______ wealth creation among working adults by lengthening the period in which they are providing financial support to their nonworking parents.

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

A) stymie

B) compound

C) disparage

D) outstrip

A) Correct – "Stymie" means to block or hinder, which fits because delaying funds prevents wealth accumulation.

B) Incorrect – "Compound" means to increase or intensify, which contradicts the idea of blocking wealth creation.

C) Incorrect – "Disparage" means to insult, which does not fit the context.

D) Incorrect – "Outstrip" means to surpass, which does not match the meaning of hindering wealth creation.

Political blogs with conspicuous ideological alignments became an integral component of US media in the early 2000s. While some commentators lauded this development, asserting that such blogs had a welcome transparency missing from traditional news, less _______ observers countered that such blogs tended to ideological extremes that exacerbated political polarization to problematic levels.

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

A) sanguine

B) recalcitrant

C) misanthropic

D) earnest

A) Correct – "Sanguine" means optimistic, and "less sanguine" means more skeptical, which fits because these observers criticized the ideological extremes.

B) Incorrect – "Recalcitrant" means resistant to authority, which does not fit the meaning of being skeptical.

C) Incorrect – "Misanthropic" means disliking people, which does not relate to skepticism about political blogs.

D) Incorrect – "Earnest" means serious, but the contrast in the passage is about optimism vs. skepticism.

The following text is from Charlotte Forten Grimké’s 1888 poem “At Newport.”

 Oh, deep delight to watch the gladsome waves
Exultant leap upon the rugged rocks;
Ever repulsed, yet ever rushing on—
Filled with a life that will not know defeat;

To see the glorious hues of sky and sea.
The distant snowy sails, glide spirit like,
Into an unknown world, to feel the sweet
Enchantment of the sea thrill all the soul,

Clearing the clouded brain, making the heart
Leap joyous as it own bright, singing waves!

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

A) It portrays the surroundings as an imposing and intimidating scene.

B) It characterizes the sea’s waves as a relentless and enduring force.

C) It conveys the speaker’s ambivalence about the natural world.

D) It draws a contrast between the sea’s waves and the speaker’s thoughts.

A) Incorrect – The waves are described as joyful and powerful, not intimidating.

B) Correct – The phrases "Ever repulsed, yet ever rushing on" and "a life that will not know defeat" suggest the waves' persistence.

C) Incorrect – There is no sign of ambivalence (mixed feelings) in the passage.

D) Incorrect – The passage does not contrast the waves and the speaker’s emotions; rather, they are aligned.

The following text is adapted from Lewis Carroll’s 1889 satirical novel Sylvie and Bruno. A crowd has gathered outside a room belonging to the Warden, an official who reports to the Lord Chancellor.

 One man, who was more excited than the rest, flung his hat high into the air, and shouted (as well as I could make out) “Who roar for the Sub-Warden?” Everybody roared, but whether it was for the Sub-Warden, or not, did not clearly appear: some were shouting “Bread!” and some “Taxes!”, but no one seemed to know what it was they really wanted.

All this I saw from the open window of the Warden’s breakfast-saloon, looking across the shoulder of the Lord Chancellor.

“What can it all mean?” he kept repeating to himself. “I never heard such shouting before—and at this time of the morning, too! And with such unanimity!”

 Based on the text, how does the Lord Chancellor respond to the crowd?

A) He asks about the meaning of the crowd’s shouting, even though he claims to know what the crowd wants.

B) He indicates a desire to speak to the crowd, even though the crowd has asked to speak to the Sub-Warden.

C) He expresses sympathy for the crowd’s demands, even though the crowd’s shouting annoys him.

D) He describes the crowd as being united, even though the crowd clearly appears otherwise.

A) Incorrect – The Lord Chancellor repeats "What can it all mean?", showing that he is genuinely confused. He does not pretend to understand the crowd’s demands, so this choice is incorrect.

B) Incorrect – The passage never states that the Lord Chancellor wants to address the crowd. Instead, he observes the shouting from the window, which makes this choice incorrect.

C) Incorrect – There is no indication that the Lord Chancellor sympathizes with the crowd. Instead, he finds the situation surprising and confusing, which contradicts this option.

D) Correct – The Lord Chancellor calls the shouting "unanimous" (meaning united), but the text clearly shows that the crowd is shouting about different things (e.g., "Bread!" and "Taxes!"), which makes this choice the best answer.

The following text is adapted from Ida B. Wells’s 1970 autobiography A Crusade for Justice. Mr. Watts is a reference to George Frederic Watts, an English painter.

[Manchester’s] art galleries are so arranged that the name of every picture is plainly seen and one has no need of a catalogue to pick out the name and the artist. This is a convenience to the general public, which other art galleries, which shall be nameless, might copy to advantage. To her treasure of art Manchester has added Mr. Watts’ latest picture, The Good Samaritan.

 As used in the text, what does the word “arranged” most nearly mean?

A) Organized

B) Ranked

C) Scheduled

D) Discussed

A) Correct – The passage describes how paintings are displayed so their names and artists are easy to find, which means they are organized in a convenient way.

B) Incorrect – "Ranked" suggests a hierarchy or order of importance, which is not relevant here.

C) Incorrect – "Scheduled" refers to timing or planning of events, which does not fit the description of an art gallery setup.

D) Incorrect – "Discussed" would mean talked about, which is not the intended meaning.

One challenge of generating electricity from ocean waves is that wave power isn’t _______: it varies in unpredictable ways that pose technological and planning problems for electricity generation.

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

A) accidental

B) confident

C) expensive

D) consistent

A) Incorrect – "Accidental" suggests random occurrence, but the issue is unpredictability over time, not randomness.

B) Incorrect – "Confident" describes a personal quality, which does not fit the sentence.

C) Incorrect – "Expensive" refers to cost, but the passage is discussing unpredictability in energy generation.

D) Correct – "Consistent" correctly contrasts with "varies in unpredictable ways," meaning wave power is not steady or reliable.

Due to their often strange images, highly experimental syntax, and opaque subject matter, many of John Ashbery’s poems can be quite difficult to ______ and thus are the object of heated debate among scholars.

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

A) delegate

B) compose

C) interpret

D) renounce

A) Incorrect – "Delegate" means to assign a task, which does not make sense here.

B) Incorrect – "Compose" means to write or create something, but the passage discusses understanding poems, not writing them.

C) Correct – "Interpret" means to understand or analyze, which fits because Ashbery’s poems are complex and debated.

D) Incorrect – "Renounce" means to reject or give up, which does not fit the sentence’s focus on understanding poetry.

Diego Velázquez was the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV of Spain during the seventeenth century, but his influence was hardly _______ Spain: realist and impressionist painters around the world employed his techniques and echoed elements of his style.

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

A) derived from

B) recognized in

C) confined to

D) repressed by

A) Incorrect – "Derived from" means originating from something, which does not fit because the sentence discusses the reach of Velázquez’s influence, not its origin.

B) Incorrect – "Recognized in" means acknowledged in Spain, but the sentence focuses on his influence outside of Spain.

C) Correct – "Confined to" means limited to, which fits because Velázquez’s influence extended beyond Spain.

D) Incorrect – "Repressed by" means held back by, which does not match the passage’s positive discussion of his influence.

Although science fiction was dominated mostly by white male authors when Octavia Butler, a Black woman, began writing, she did not view the genre as _______: Butler broke into the field with the publication of several short stories and her 1976 novel Patternmaster, and she later became the first science fiction writer to win a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship.

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

A) legitimate

B) impenetrable

C) compelling

D) indecipherable

A) Incorrect – "Legitimate" means valid or lawful, but the passage does not suggest Butler doubted the legitimacy of science fiction.

B) Correct – "Impenetrable" means difficult or impossible to enter, which fits because Butler successfully entered a field dominated by white men.

C) Incorrect – "Compelling" means fascinating or engaging, which does not fit the context.

D) Incorrect – "Indecipherable" means impossible to understand, which does not relate to the barriers Butler overcame.

The following text is from Anita Desai’s 2011 novella Translator Translated. While working on her translation of a novel written in Odia (a language of India) into English, the narrator looks out her window at night to clear her mind.

I tried to distract myself with these sights of the ordinary world, but in my mind it was the lines I had been translating and the lines that I had been writing that remained in the forefront. I longed for sleep to obliterate them but it eluded me. Perhaps everything would be normal again once I had sent off the manuscript, I thought, and looked forward to completing the work.

 As used in the text, what does the word “completing” most nearly mean?

A) Destroying

B) Finishing

C) Advertising

D) Rejecting

A) Incorrect – "Destroying" is too extreme and does not fit the context of submitting a manuscript.

B) Correct – "Finishing" means bringing to an end, which matches the narrator's anticipation of submitting the work.

C) Incorrect – "Advertising" means promoting something to the public, which is unrelated to finishing a translation.

D) Incorrect – "Rejecting" would imply abandoning the work, which is not supported by the text.

Predatory animals differ widely in how they _______ food for their young. Some leave dead prey nearby for their young to consume, some bring live prey to their young, and some feed their young directly from their own mouths.

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

A) avoid

B) guess

C) provide

D) describe

A) Incorrect – "Avoid" does not make sense, as the text is about giving food, not avoiding it.

B) Incorrect – "Guess" does not fit logically with how animals ensure their young are fed.

C) Correct – "Provide" means to give something, which matches the act of feeding young.

D) Incorrect – "Describe" is about explaining something verbally, which does not fit the context.

Nigerian American author Teju Cole’s ______ his two passions—photography and the written word—culminates in his 2017 book, Blind Spot, which evocatively combines his original photographs from his travels with his poetic prose.

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

A) indifference to

B) enthusiasm for

C) concern about

D) surprise at

A) Incorrect – "Indifference" means lack of interest, which contradicts the idea that Cole's book was inspired by his passions.

B) Correct – "Enthusiasm" means strong passion, which correctly conveys Cole's love for both photography and writing.

C) Incorrect – "Concern about" suggests worry or anxiety, which is unrelated.

D) Incorrect – "Surprise at" implies unexpected interest, which does not match the context.

Artist Marilyn Dingle’s intricate, coiled baskets are _______ sweetgrass and palmetto palm. Following a Gullah technique that originated in West Africa, Dingle skillfully winds a thin palm frond around a bunch of sweetgrass with the help of a “sewing bone” to create the basket’s signature look that no factory can reproduce.

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

A) indicated by

B) handmade from

C) represented by

D) collected with

A) Incorrect – "Indicated by" suggests significance or symbolism, not material composition.

B) Correct – "Handmade from" correctly describes the materials used to make the baskets.

C) Incorrect – "Represented by" suggests symbolism, which is incorrect in this context.

D) Incorrect – "Collected with" implies gathering materials, not crafting baskets.

Beginning in the 1950s, Navajo Nation legislator Annie Dodge Wauneka continuously worked to promote public health; this _______ effort involved traveling throughout the vast Navajo homeland and writing a medical dictionary for speakers of Diné bizaad, the Navajo language.

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

A) impartial

B) offhand

C) persistent

D) mandatory

A) Incorrect – "Impartial" means neutral or unbiased, which does not describe her dedicated work.

B) Incorrect – "Offhand" means casual or unplanned, which does not fit.

C) Correct – "Persistent" means determined and ongoing, which best describes Wauneka’s lifelong efforts.

D) Incorrect – "Mandatory" means required by law, which does not fit.

As Mexico’s first president from an Indigenous community, Benito Juarez became one of the most ______ figures in his country’s history: among the many significant accomplishments of his long tenure in office (1858–1872), Juarez consolidated the authority of the national government and advanced the rights of Indigenous peoples.

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

A) unpredictable

B) important

C) secretive

D) ordinary

A) Incorrect – “Unpredictable” does not match the context, as the passage discusses Juarez’s accomplishments rather than his unpredictability.

B) Correct – “Important” logically fits, as Juarez had a major historical impact.

C) Incorrect – “Secretive” does not apply, as the passage focuses on his public achievements.

D) Incorrect – “Ordinary” contradicts the passage, which highlights his extraordinary impact.

Mônica Lopes-Ferreira and others at Brazil’s Butantan Institute are studying the freshwater stingray species Potamotrygon rex to determine whether biological characteristics such as the rays’ age and sex have _______ effect on the toxicity of their venom—that is, to see if differences in these traits are associated with considerable variations in venom potency.

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

A) a disconcerting

B) an acceptable

C) an imperceptible

D) a substantial

A) Incorrect – “Disconcerting” (causing anxiety) does not fit a scientific study.

B) Incorrect – “Acceptable” does not convey the idea of measuring variation.

C) Incorrect – “Imperceptible” (barely noticeable) contradicts the passage’s goal of studying measurable differences.

D) Correct – “Substantial” (meaning significant) correctly indicates detectable variations.

Kelp forests grow underwater along the eastern Pacific Coast. These underwater forests are important to fish and other marine animals. Ocean currents can be powerful and rough, making it difficult for animals to find safe places to hide from predators. The underwater forests slow down the currents. This creates a more _______ environment with calmer waters where animals can take shelter.

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

A) tranquil

B) dangerous

C) imaginative

D) surprising

A) Correct – “Tranquil” (calm, peaceful) correctly describes the effect of kelp forests.

B) Incorrect – “Dangerous” contradicts the passage, which emphasizes protection.

C) Incorrect – “Imaginative” is unrelated to the environment’s physical state.

D) Incorrect – “Surprising” does not logically describe the environment.

The Mule Bone, a 1930 play written by Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes, is perhaps the best-known of the few examples of ______ in literature. Most writers prefer working alone, and given that working together cost Hurston and Hughes their friendship, it is not hard to see why.

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

A) characterization

B) interpretation

C) collaboration

D) commercialization

A) Incorrect – “Characterization” relates to developing characters, not authors working together.

B) Incorrect – “Interpretation” refers to understanding a work, not writing it.

C) Correct – “Collaboration” correctly refers to Hurston and Hughes working together.

D) Incorrect – “Commercialization” relates to making money, not the writing process.

Ofelia Zepeda’s contributions to the field of linguistics are _______: her many accomplishments include working as a linguistics professor and bilingual poet, authoring the first Tohono O’odham grammar book, and co-founding the American Indian Language Development Institute.

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

A) pragmatic

B) controversial

C) extensive

D) universal

A) Incorrect – “Pragmatic” means practical, which does not describe her range of achievements.

B) Incorrect – “Controversial” contradicts the positive framing of her work.

C) Correct – “Extensive” accurately reflects her broad contributions.

D) Incorrect – “Universal” suggests worldwide impact, but her work was specific to a field.

Art scholars have noted that some colors seem to be more _______ viewers than others. For example, people tend to find paintings featuring blues and greens more appealing than paintings featuring yellows and oranges.

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

A) confusing for

B) attractive to

C) corrected by

D) similar to

B) Correct – "Attractive to" logically fits the discussion about colors being more appealing to viewers.

A) Incorrect – "Confusing for" suggests that colors puzzle viewers, which is not supported by the text.

C) Incorrect – "Corrected by" implies viewers alter the colors, which is irrelevant.

D) Incorrect – "Similar to" suggests a comparison between viewers and colors, which doesn’t make sense.

Researchers and conservationists stress that biodiversity loss due to invasive species is _______. For example, people can take simple steps such as washing their footwear after travel to avoid introducing potentially invasive organisms into new environments.

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

A) preventable

B) undeniable

C) common

D) concerning

A) Correct – "Preventable" aligns with the idea that people can take steps to stop biodiversity loss.

B) Incorrect – "Undeniable" suggests biodiversity loss is a fact, but the passage is about preventing it.

C) Incorrect – "Common" discusses frequency, not prevention.

D) Incorrect – "Concerning" highlights worry but doesn’t align with the example of prevention.

The process of mechanically recycling plastics is often considered ______ because of the environmental impact and the loss of material quality that often occurs. But chemist Takunda Chazovachii has helped develop a cleaner process of chemical recycling that converts superabsorbent polymers from diapers into a desirable reusable adhesive.

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

A) resilient

B) inadequate

C) dynamic

D) satisfactory

A) Incorrect – "Resilient" suggests strength, which doesn’t fit the negative tone.

B) Correct – "Inadequate" fits because mechanical recycling has environmental downsides.

C) Incorrect – "Dynamic" suggests change, but the passage describes mechanical recycling as flawed.

D) Incorrect – "Satisfactory" implies adequacy, contradicting the passage’s negative view

In the Indigenous intercropping system known as the Three Sisters, maize, squash, and beans form an _______ web of relations: maize provides the structure on which the bean vines grow; the squash vines cover the soil, discouraging competition from weeds; and the beans aid their two “sisters” by enriching the soil with essential nitrogen.

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

A) indecipherable

B) ornamental

C) obscure

D) intricate

D) Correct – "Intricate" aligns with the complex relationships among the plants.

A) Incorrect – "Indecipherable" suggests incomprehensibility, which is not true.

B) Incorrect – "Ornamental" implies decoration rather than function.

C) Incorrect – "Obscure" suggests unknown or unclear, contradicting the detailed explanation.

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

A) Incorrect – "Replicable" means capable of being copied, which is unrelated.

B) Incorrect – "Predetermined" means decided in advance, which is not the issue.

C) Incorrect – "Operative" means functional, which contradicts the first sentence.

D) Correct – "Latent" means dormant, which fits the idea that the spleen was thought to be functionless.

The following text is from John Muir’s 1913 autobiography The Story of My Boyhood and Youth. Muir describes being on a boat. The water was so clear that it was almost invisible, and when we floated slowly out over the plants and fishes, we seemed to be miraculously sustained in the air while exploring a veritable fairyland.

 As used in the text, what does the word “clear” most nearly mean?

A) Simple

B) Understandable

C) Obvious

D) Transparent

(A) Incorrect – “Simple” can describe ideas or tasks, but here it would not make sense to say water is “simple.”

 (B) Incorrect – “Understandable” applies to ideas or meanings, not to physical properties like water.

 (C) Incorrect – “Obvious” refers to what is easy to perceive mentally or logically, not something that is visually see-through.

 (D) Correct – “Clear” in this sentence describes how the water was “almost invisible,” which means it was see-through. This matches the meaning “transparent.”

At the turn of the twentieth century, Black residents of Richmond, Virginia, had few formal options for banking and other financial services. To ______ this situation, Maggie Lena Walker chartered the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank in 1903. The bank went on to provide home loans and savings opportunities to thousands of Black families over the following decades.

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

A) prolong

B) rectify

C) retain

D) highlight

A) Incorrect – “Prolong” means to extend, which would worsen the problem rather than fix it.

B) Correct – “Rectify” means to correct or remedy a situation, which fits the context since Walker established the bank to fix the lack of financial services.

C) Incorrect – “Retain” means to keep, which does not address the need for improvement.

D) Incorrect – “Highlight” means to emphasize, but Walker took concrete action rather than merely drawing attention to the problem.

The results of randomized clinical trials testing the efficacy of common medical interventions sometimes fail to ______ conclusions that practitioners reach based on their real-world observations of patients. While there are several possible reasons for this, one is that practitioners may overlook confounding variables that account for the results they attribute to the interventions in question.

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

A) circumvent

B) corroborate

C) disseminate

D) implement

A) Incorrect – “Circumvent” means to bypass, which does not logically relate to the idea of confirming conclusions.

B) Correct – “Corroborate” means to confirm or support with evidence. The text indicates that clinical trials sometimes fail to confirm (corroborate) the conclusions that practitioners derive from real-world observations.

C) Incorrect – “Disseminate” means to spread widely, which is not relevant to the act of confirming conclusions.

D) Incorrect – “Implement” means to put into practice, which does not address the idea of verifying or supporting conclusions.

Diadromous fish migrate between freshwater and marine biomes during their life cycle. The migration’s obligate nature is why diadromous fish can be ______ those that are merely euryhaline (able to tolerate high salinity): the euryhaline blackchin tilapia can survive high salinity, but its life cycle does not involve relocation to a different biome, as does that of the diadromous wild salmon.

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

A) demarcated from

B) reconstituted as

C) conflated with

D) derived from

A) Correct – “Demarcated from” means set apart or distinguished from. The text contrasts diadromous fish (which migrate) with euryhaline fish (which do not), so they can be clearly distinguished from one another.

B) Incorrect – “Reconstituted as” means formed again, which is not relevant to the context.

C) Incorrect – “Conflated with” means merged or combined, which contradicts the text’s emphasis on the distinction between the two types of fish.

D) Incorrect – “Derived from” implies origin, which is not the focus of the comparison regarding migration behavior.

Taking photographs in the mid-1800s was complicated and expensive, but this changed with the 1854 invention of the carte de visite, a small photo that cost little to make. Carte de visite photos helped to _______ photography: they made it easy and enjoyable for everyday people to have their pictures taken, and people at the time loved exchanging these small photos with friends and family.

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

A) weaken

B) praise

C) popularize

D) isolate

A) Incorrect – “Weaken” contradicts the passage, which explains that carte de visite photos made photography more accessible and widely used, not weaker.

B) Incorrect – “Praise” refers to expressing admiration, but the sentence is about how carte de visite photos changed photography, not how people spoke about it.

C) Correct – “Popularize” means to make something widely accessible and appreciated, which aligns with the passage’s explanation that carte de visite photos made photography easier and more enjoyable for everyday people.

D) Incorrect – “Isolate” means to separate or limit access, but the passage states that carte de visite photos expanded photography’s reach rather than restricting it.

Painter Alma W. Thomas was fascinated by the colors and shapes found in nature. The flowers and trees in the garden at her home in Washington, DC, _______ her work. For example, Thomas’s use of broken brushstrokes was inspired by the way that light would shine through the leaves of a tree in front of her house.

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

A) restricted

B) announced

C) distracted

D) influenced

A) Incorrect – “Restricted” means to limit, but the passage states that nature contributed to Thomas’s work, not that it held her back.

B) Incorrect – “Announced” means to make something known publicly, but plants in a garden cannot announce a painter’s work.

C) Incorrect – “Distracted” means taking attention away, but the passage shows that nature helped Thomas’s art, rather than diverting her focus.

D) Correct – “Influenced” means to affect or shape something, which fits the passage’s explanation that Thomas’s brushstrokes were inspired by the light shining through the trees.

In the 1990s, conservationists began planting more than 500,000 native trees in the habitat of the Azores bullfinch to boost the bird’s numbers. This approach was apparently _______: the Azores bullfinch’s population size increased from as few as 100 birds at the end of the 1980s to around 1,300 in 2023.

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

A) amusing

B) costly

C) successful

D) disastrous

A) Incorrect – “Amusing” means entertaining, but the passage presents conservation efforts as serious and impactful.

B) Incorrect – “Costly” refers to financial impact, but the passage does not discuss the cost of the conservation efforts.

C) Correct – “Successful” means achieving a goal, which fits the passage’s explanation that the conservation effort led to a significant increase in the bird population.

D) Incorrect – “Disastrous” suggests failure, but the passage states that the bird population grew significantly, indicating success.

The recently observed gamma-ray burst GRB 230307A lasted for 200 seconds, _______ for a burst generated by the merger of neutron stars. Bursts caused by neutron mergers typically last fewer than 2 seconds.

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

A) a coincidence

B) a reprieve

C) an incident

D) an oddity

A) Incorrect – “A coincidence” suggests a random occurrence, but the passage emphasizes that the burst’s duration was unusual rather than randomly related.

B) Incorrect – “A reprieve” means a temporary relief or delay, which does not logically describe the duration of a gamma-ray burst.

C) Incorrect – “An incident” refers to an event, but the missing word describes the duration, not just the fact that the burst happened.

D) Correct – “An oddity” means something unusual, which fits the passage’s explanation that this burst lasted far longer than typical neutron star bursts.

In 1776, the United States sent Benjamin Franklin to France to try to win the country’s support in the United States’ fight for independence from Great Britain. Franklin was very popular in France. This _______ surely helped him to convince France to assist the United States.

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

A) thoughtfulness

B) esteem

C) controversy

D) sincerity

A) Incorrect – “Thoughtfulness” refers to careful reasoning or kindness, but the passage states that Franklin’s popularity, not his personality, helped him.

B) Correct – “Esteem” means high regard, which fits the passage’s explanation that Franklin was highly regarded in France, which contributed to his success.

C) Incorrect – “Controversy” means dispute, but the passage states Franklin was popular, not controversial.

D) Incorrect – “Sincerity” refers to honesty, but the passage emphasizes Franklin’s popularity, not his personal sincerity.

In the early 1800s, the Cherokee scholar Sequoyah created the first script, or writing system, for an Indigenous language in the United States. Because it represented the sounds of spoken Cherokee so accurately, his script was easy to learn and thus quickly achieved ________ use: by 1830, over 90 percent of the Cherokee people could read and write it.

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

A) widespread

B) careful

C) unintended

D) infrequent

Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text's discussion of the writing system created by Sequoyah. In this context, "widespread" means widely accepted or practiced. The text indicates that because Sequoyah’s script accurately represented the spoken sounds of the Cherokee language and was easy to learn, nearly all Cherokee people were able to read and write it soon after it was created. This context demonstrates that the script was widely used by the Cherokee people.

Choice B is incorrect. In this context, "careful" would mean exercised with care and attentive concern. Although the work of creating a writing system likely involved great care, the text indicates that the system was "easy to learn," which conflicts with the idea that using this system requires a noteworthy amount of care.

Choice C is incorrect because in this context "unintended" means not deliberate. The idea that using Sequoyah’s script was unintentionally difficult conflicts directly with the claim that it was easy to learn and used by "over 90% of the Cherokee people" by 1830.

Choice D is incorrect because, in this context, "infrequent" means rare or not occurring often, which conflicts directly with the claim that "over 90% of the Cherokee people" were using Sequoyah’s script by 1830.

Like the 1945 play it reimagines—Federico García Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba—Marcus Gardley’s 2014 play The House That Will Not Stand prominently features women. In both plays, the all-female cast ________ an array of female characters, including a strong mother and several daughters dealing with individual struggles.

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

A) engulfs

B) encourages

C) comprises

D) provokes

Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text's discussion of Gardley’s play. In this context, "comprises" means constitutes or makes up the totality of, and the text indicates that The House That Will Not Stand had an "all-female cast" that stands in some relationship to "an array of female characters" in the play. Because all cast members are female, the characters must be played by these female cast members; therefore, the cast constitutes, or comprises, the collection of characters.

Choice A is incorrect. In this context, "engulfs" would mean encloses or overwhelms, and although it is fairly common to describe an actor as embodying (or personifying realistically) a character, there is nothing in the text to suggest that the cast members enclosed or overwhelmed the characters they played.

Choice B is incorrect because in this context, "encourages" would mean inspires with courage or hope. Although the text does mention "a strong mother and several daughters dealing with individual struggles," which might suggest that there are moments of encouragement among the characters during the play, there is nothing to suggest that the cast members encouraged the characters they portrayed.

Choice D is incorrect because, in this context, "provokes" would mean instigates or incites to anger. Nothing in the text addresses provocation or what it might mean for actors to provoke the characters they are playing.

During a 2014 archaeological dig in Spain, Vicente Lull and his team uncovered the skeleton of a woman from El Aljear, an Early Bronze Age society, buried with valuable objects signaling a high position of power. This finding may persuade researchers who have argued that Bronze Age societies were ruled by men to _______ that women may have also held leadership roles.

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

A) waive

B) concede

C) refute

D) require

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text's discussion of the significance of the 2014 archaeological finding at El Aljar. In this context, "concede" means to admit something is true after first resisting that admission. The text indicates that some researchers believe "Bronze Age societies were ruled by men." But the Bronze Age burial of a woman at El Aljar included "valuable objects signaling a high position of power," which would raise the possibility that "women may have also held leadership roles." Thus, the text is calling into question the notion that only men were leaders in these societies and speculating that people holding these views may reconsider their opinion.

Choice A is incorrect because "waive" means to refrain from insisting that something, such as a right or a requirement, be observed; the word isn't used, however, in contexts where someone acknowledges that an opinion they hold may be invalid, as is the case in the text.

Choice C is incorrect. According to the text, the finding from the El Aljar burial site undermines the view that Bronze Age societies were exclusively ruled by men. However, "refute" means to demonstrate that something is false and would not make sense in context. Lull and team's finding supports the view that women may have also held leadership roles, not that they did not participate in such roles.

Choice D is incorrect because in this context, "require" means to demand or specify as mandatory. However, it would not make sense for contemporary researchers to demand that Bronze Age "women may have also held leadership roles."

The following text is adapted from Oscar Wilde’s 1895 play The Importance of Being Earnest.

CECILY: Have we got to part?
ALGERNON: I am afraid so. It’s a very painful parting.
CECILY: It is always painful to part from people whom one has known for a very brief space of time. The absence of old friends one can endure with equanimity. But even a momentary separation from anyone to whom one has just been introduced is almost unbearable.

As used in the text, what does the word "endure" most nearly mean?

A) Regret

B) Persist

C) Tolerate

D) Encourage

Choice C is the best answer because as used in the text, "endure" most nearly means tolerate. In the text, Cecily and Algernon discuss parting, or saying goodbye. Cecily remarks on the deep pain of saying goodbye to people whom one has only known briefly and then comments on the empty, calm steadiness, one experiences when separated from old friends. The text sets up an ironic contrast: one can easily tolerate, or put up with, the absence of close friends, but even a very short separation from a new acquaintance is unbearable.

Choice A is incorrect. Nothing in the text suggests that Cecily associates regret, or a feeling of sorrow, with the absence of old friends. Rather, the text sets up an ironic contrast between the feeling of sadness one feels when separated from old friends and the unbearable pain of being separated from new acquaintances.

Choice B is incorrect because although the sentence suggests that "endure" can mean persist, or proceed stubbornly, it doesn't have that meaning in this context because what is being endured is the absence of old friends. Whereas one can easily persist despite the absence of someone else, one cannot persist in the absence itself.

Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn't convey the idea that Cecily encourages or urges, as "endure" means to tolerate the separation.

In addition to being an accomplished psychologist himself, Francis Cecil Sumner was a __________ in increasing the opportunity for Black students to study psychology, helping to found the psychology department at Howard University, a historically Black university, in 1930.

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

A) proponent of

B) supplement to

C) beneficiary of

D) distraction for

Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Francis Cecil Sumner. As used in this context, “proponent of” means supporter of. The text says that Sumner helped to found the psychology department at historically Black Howard University in 1930. This is evidence that Sumner supported increasing the opportunity for Black students to study psychology.

Choice B is incorrect because the phrase "supplement to," or addition to, wouldn’t make sense in context. The text discusses Sumner’s efforts to increase the number of Black psychology students, but it doesn’t make sense to describe him as an addition to his efforts.

Choice C is incorrect because Sumner was already an accomplished psychologist himself when he helped to found the Howard University psychology department. While Black students were the beneficiaries of his efforts—that is, they received help because of his efforts—it wouldn’t make sense in this context to describe Sumner as a “beneficiary of” opportunities, because he was the one doing the helping.

Choice D is incorrect because founding a psychology department at Howard University wouldn’t be a “distraction for” Sumner’s aim to increase the opportunity for Black students to study psychology—that is, it wouldn’t be something that draws Sumner’s attention away from that goal, but rather the opposite.

For her 2021 art installation Anthem, Wu Tsang joined forces with singer and composer Beverly Glenn-Copeland to produce a piece that critics found truly transforming a museum rotunda into a dynamic exhibit by projecting filmed images of Glenn-Copeland onto a massive 84-foot curtain and filling the space with the sounds of his and other voices singing.

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

A) restrained

B) inventive

C) inexplicable

D) mystifying

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the art installation Anthem. In this context, “inventive” means characterized by invention and creativity. The text explains that critics’ responses to the installation involved praise for Tsang’s creative transformation of a space into a dynamic exhibit with huge images and lots of sound. This context conveys that the critics found the piece particularly creative.

Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that critics praised the installation for being dynamic and including huge images and lots of sound, and it wouldn’t make sense to describe such an exhibit as “restrained,” or limited and not extravagant or showy.

Choice C is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that critics found the installation “inexplicable,” or incapable of being explained or interpreted, since the critics were able to explain their praise for the installation’s transformation of a space with huge images and lots of sound.

Choice D is incorrect because the text focuses on the idea that critics praised Tsang for creatively transforming a space into a dynamic exhibit, not that they found the installation “mystifying,” or bewildering and hard to understand. Nothing in the text suggests that the critics couldn’t understand the piece.

Scholarly discussions of gender in Shakespeare’s comedies often celebrate the rebellion of the playwright’s characters against the rigid expectations __________ by Elizabethan society. Most of the comedies end in marriage, with characters returning to their socially dictated gender roles after previously defying them, but there are some notable exceptions.

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

A) interjected

B) committed

C) illustrated

D) prescribed

Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of gender roles in Shakespeare’s comedies. As used in this context, “prescribed” would mean laid down as rules. The text indicates that the characters in the comedies often defy gender roles that are "socially dictated" (even if most characters do return to those roles eventually) and that scholars have been very interested in these acts of defiance. This context indicates that what the characters are rebelling against are standards of behavior prescribed by the society of the time.

Choice A is incorrect because saying that expectations about gender were "interjected," or suddenly inserted between other things, wouldn’t make sense in context. There’s no suggestion in the text that the issue of gender roles was inserted between other things or was an interruption in a larger discussion.

Choice B is incorrect because the text indicates that Shakespeare depicts characters rebelling against expectations about gender that have been “socially dictated,” not expectations that society has “committed,” or carried out, entrusted, or promised.

Choice C is incorrect because the text indicates that Shakespeare depicts characters rebelling against expectations about gender that have been “socially dictated,” not expectations that have been “illustrated,” or clarified with examples. Although it’s possible for expectations about gender roles to be illustrated, there’s nothing in the text to indicate that characters in Shakespeare’s comedies rebel against illustrations of gender expectations.

The work of Kiowa painter T.C. Cannon derives its power in part from the tension among his __________ influences: classic European portraiture, with its realistic treatment of faces; the American pop art movement, with its vivid colors; and flatstyle, the intertribal painting style that rejects the effect of depth typically achieved through shading and perspective.

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

A) complementary

B) unknown

C) disparate

D) interchangeable

Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the artistic styles that have influenced Cannon’s work. As used in this context, “disparate” means distinct or dissimilar. The text indicates that the tension exists among the styles that have influenced Cannon’s work and goes on to describe how those styles differ: classic European portraiture favors realistic European portrait styles, the American pop art uses vivid colors, and flatstyle, the intertribal painting style that rejects the effect of depth typically achieved through shading and perspective. This context suggests that the influences on his work are disparate.

Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that there is tension among the influences in Cannon’s artwork, so it wouldn’t make sense to say that they are “complementary,” or that they are one and make another one or make one work better by coincidence.

Choice B is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that the influences on Cannon’s artwork are “unknown,” or not familiar, because the text discusses these influences clearly.

Choice D is incorrect because the text focuses on the idea that the influences on Cannon’s work are disparate, not that they are “interchangeable,” or capable of being used in one another’s place.

Artist Marilyn Dingle’s intricate, coiled baskets are ______ sweetgrass and palmetto palm.
Following a Gullah technique that originated in West Africa, Dingle skillfully winds a thin palm frond around a bunch of sweetgrass with the help of a “sewing bone” to create the basket’s signature look that no factory can reproduce.

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

A) indicated by

B) handmade from

C) represented by

D) collected with

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Marilyn Dingle’s baskets. In this context, to say that Dingle’s baskets are “handmade from” particular plants means that Dingle creates baskets herself using those plants but without using machines. The text says that Dingle “skillfully winds” parts of palmetto palm plants around sweetgrass plants to make baskets with an appearance that “no factory can reproduce.” This context suggests that Dingle’s baskets are handmade from sweetgrass and palmetto palm.

Choice A is incorrect because the text describes how Dingle uses sweetgrass and palmetto palm to create her baskets, not how her baskets are “indicated by,” or signified by, sweetgrass and palmetto palm.

Choice C is incorrect. Although Dingle’s baskets are described as being made using sweetgrass and palm, there’s nothing in the text to suggest that the baskets are “represented by,” or exemplified or portrayed by, sweetgrass and palmetto palm. Instead, the focus of the text is on Dingle’s use of sweetgrass and palmetto palm and the impossibility of replicating the appearance of her baskets using machines.

Choice D is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that Dingle’s baskets are “collected with,” or brought together in a group with, sweetgrass and palmetto palm. Instead, the text describes how Dingle uses those plants to make her baskets.

Some researchers believe that the genes that enable groundhogs and certain other mammals to hibernate through the winter by slowing their breathing and heart rates and lowering their body temperature may be ______ in humans: present yet having essentially no effect on our bodily processes.

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

A) decisive

B) lacking

C) variable

D) dormant

Choice D is the best answer because it logically completes the text’s discussion about genes related to hibernation. In this context, “dormant” means inactive. The text explains that the same genes that enable certain nonhuman mammal species to hibernate during the winter by altering their bodily processes are also found in our species, but have “essentially no effect” on humans’ bodily processes. In other words, these genes don’t function in humans.

Choice A is incorrect because in this context, “decisive” means has the power to affect the outcome of something, but the text states that genes related to hibernation are instead inactive in humans — that is, the genes don’t affect humans’ bodily processes, although they are present in their bodies.

Choice B is incorrect because, in this context, “lacking” means missing, but the text states that the genes are present in humans, though inactive.

Choice C is incorrect because “variable” means characterized by the ability to change, but the text indicates that these genes don’t change in their effect on humans’ bodily processes; instead, the genes are consistently inactive in humans.

Diego Velázquez was the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV of Spain during the seventeenth century, but his influence was hardly ______ Spain: realist and impressionist painters around the world employed his techniques and echoed elements of his style.

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

A) derived from

B) recognized in

C) confined to

D) repressed by

Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the discussion of the artist Diego Velázquez’s influence outside Spain. As used in this context, “confined to” means restricted to. The text says that Velázquez was the leading artist in the Spanish court during the seventeenth century, but it also notes that other painters around the world were influenced by his techniques and style. Thus, Velázquez’s influence was hardly (or almost not) confined to, or restricted to, Spain.

Choice A is incorrect because if Velázquez was a leading artist in Spain, it doesn’t make logical sense to claim that his influence was hardly (or almost not) derived from, or obtained from, Spain. Moreover, the other painters around the world who employed Velázquez’s techniques would by definition be influenced by Spanish style.

Choice B is incorrect because if Velázquez was a leading artist in the court of King Philip IV of Spain, then his influence must have been widely recognized, or acknowledged, rather than being hardly (or almost not) recognized.

Choice D is incorrect because the text gives no indication that deliberately limiting Velázquez’s influence outside Spain was ever considered by anyone. Thus, even if it is true that his influence was not repressed or restrained, it doesn’t make logical sense to say so in this context.

Although science fiction was dominated mostly by white male authors when Octavia Butler, a Black woman, began writing, she did not view the genre as ______: Butler broke into the field with the publication of several short stories and her 1976 novel Patternmaster, and she later became the first science fiction writer to win a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship.

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

A) legitimate

B) impenetrable

C) compelling

D) indecipherable

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the discussion of Octavia Butler’s career. In this context, “impenetrable” means impossible to enter. The text indicates that the field of science fiction was dominated by white males when Butler, a Black woman, started writing, but she published several science fiction short stories and a novel and later won a prestigious award; that is, Butler pursued science fiction writing and had success. This context suggests that Butler didn’t view the genre as impossible to enter.

Choice A is incorrect. In this context, “legitimate” would mean genuinely good or valid. Nothing in the text suggests that Butler didn’t think the science fiction genre was good or valid; in fact, it indicates that she pursued and made a successful career of publishing work in that field.

Choice C is incorrect. In this context, “compelling” would mean attracting or demanding attention. The text indicates that Butler chose to write science fiction, so it wouldn’t make sense to say that she didn’t see the field as drawing her attention.

Choice D is incorrect. To say that Butler didn’t consider science fiction “indecipherable,” or impossible to understand, would suggest that Butler did understand it. However, the text doesn’t address Butler’s ability to interpret works in the genre; rather, it focuses on Butler’s successful pursuit of writing science fiction.

The following text is adapted from Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1844 short story "Drowne's Wooden Image." Drowne, a young man, is carving a wooden figure to decorate the front of a ship. Day by day, the work assumed greater precision, and settled its irregular and misty outline into distincter grace and beauty. The general design was now obvious to the common eye.

As used in the text, what does the word “assumed” most nearly mean?

A) Acquired

B) Acknowledged

C) Imitated

D) Speculated

Choice A is the best answer because as used in the text, “assumed” most nearly means acquired, or came to possess. The text portrays a character named Drowne carving a figure out of wood. At first “irregular and misty,” or haphazard and indistinct, the figure's outline gradually showed “distincter grace and beauty” until the general design of the carved object was now obvious to the common eye or plainly recognizable to anyone. In other words, as Drowne continued to carve, the wooden object came to possess, or acquired, greater precision, changing from an indistinct outline or shape into a graceful, beautiful, and clearly recognizable form.

Choice B is incorrect. Although in some contexts “assumed” can mean acknowledged, or recognized, it doesn’t have that meaning in this context because an inanimate object like the wooden figure can't acknowledge its own precision.

Choice C is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that the wooden figure merely imitated, or mimicked, precision. Rather, the text suggests that as Drowne carved his wooden figure, it gradually became more precise.

Choice D is incorrect. Although in some contexts “assumed” can mean speculated, or supposed based on incomplete information, it doesn’t have that meaning in this context because an inanimate object like the wooden figure can’t speculate about its own precision.

For painter Jacob Lawrence, being ______ was an important part of the artistic process. Because he paid close attention to all the details of his Harlem neighborhood, Lawrence’s artwork captured nuances in the beauty and vitality of the Black experience during the Harlem Renaissance and the Great Migration.

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

A) skeptical

B) observant

C) critical

D) confident

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text's discussion of Jacob Lawrence's artistic process. In this context, "observant" means watchful and perceptive. The text emphasizes that the "close attention" Lawrence paid to "all the details" of his neighborhood allowed him to reflect subtle elements of "the beauty and vitality of the Black experience" in his artwork. This context indicates that being observant of his surroundings was an important part of Lawrence's work as an artist.

Choice A is incorrect because the text gives no indication that Lawrence was "skeptical," or had an attitude of doubt in general or about particular things, let alone that skepticism was important to him as an artist. Rather than indicating that he was skeptical, the text focuses on how Lawrence paid careful attention to everything around him and reflected his observations in his artwork.

Choice C is incorrect because the text gives no indication that Lawrence was "critical," which in this context would mean inclined to criticize harshly or unfairly. Rather than indicating that Lawrence found fault in things, the text suggests that he paid careful attention to everything around him and that his artwork reflects this careful attention.

Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn't suggest that Lawrence was "confident," or self-assured. Rather than addressing how Lawrence felt about himself and how that feeling affected his artistic process, the text emphasizes the careful attention Lawrence paid to everything around him—attention that allowed him to capture subtle elements of a particular place and time in his artwork.

Particle physicists like Ayana Holloway Arce and Aida El-Khadra spend much of their time ______ what is invisible to the naked eye: using sophisticated technology, they closely examine the behavior of subatomic particles, the smallest detectable parts of matter.

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

A) selecting

B) inspecting

C) creating

D) deciding

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the work of particle physicists. In this context, "inspecting" means viewing closely in order to examine. The text indicates that as particle physicists, Arce and El-Khadra’s work involves using advanced technology to "closely examine" subatomic particles. In other words, they use technology to inspect small parts of matter that can’t be seen by the naked eye.

Choice A is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that Arce and El-Khadra spend time "selecting," or choosing, subatomic particles for some purpose; the text simply states that the particle physicists use advanced technology to see and study the behavior of those tiny parts of matter.

Choice C is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that Arce and El-Khadra spend time "creating" subatomic particles, or bringing them into existence; the text simply says that particle physicists use advanced technology to see and study the behavior of those tiny parts of matter.

Choice D is incorrect. "Deciding" would mean making a final choice or judgment about something. It wouldn't make sense to say that particle physicists get to choose what is and isn't visible to the naked eye, especially when the text presents it as fact that subatomic particles are "the smallest detectable parts of matter" and would therefore be invisible. The text focuses on Arce and El-Khadra’s close observation of those particles, not on any decisions they might make.

Beginning in the 1950s, Navajo Nation legislator Annie Dodge Wauneka continuously worked to promote public health; this ______ effort involved traveling throughout the vast Navajo homeland and writing a medical dictionary for speakers of Diné bizaad, the Navajo language.

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

A) impartial

B) offhand

C) persistent

D) mandatory

Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text's discussion of Annie Dodge Wauneka’s work as a Navajo Nation legislator. As used in this context, "persistent" means existing continuously. The text states that Wauneka "continuously" worked to promote public health, traveling extensively and authoring a medical dictionary; this indicates Wauneka’s effort was persistent.

Choice A is incorrect because describing Wauneka's effort related to public health as "impartial," or not partial or biased and treating all things equally, wouldn't make sense in context. The text suggests that Wauneka’s continuous work was partial in one way, as she focused specifically on promoting public health throughout the Navajo homeland and to speakers of the Navajo language.

Choice B is incorrect because the text emphasizes that Wauneka’s effort to promote public health as a Navajo Nation legislator was continuous and extensive, involving wide travels and the authoring of a medical dictionary.

Choice D is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that Wauneka’s effort was "mandatory," or required by law or rule, even though Wauneka was a Navajo Nation legislator. Rather than suggesting that Wauneka’s effort was required for any reason, the text emphasizes the continuous and extensive nature of her work.

The process of mechanically recycling plastics is often considered ______ because of the environmental impact and the loss of material quality that often occurs. But chemist Takunda Chazovachii has helped develop a cleaner process of chemical recycling that converts superabsorbent polymers from diapers into a desirable reusable adhesive.

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

A) resilient

B) inadequate

C) dynamic

D) satisfactory

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion about recycling plastics. In this context, "inadequate" means not satisfactory. The text indicates that the mechanical plastic-recycling process affects the environment and causes "the loss of material quality." The text contrasts this with Chazovachii's chemical plastic-recycling process, which is cleaner and produces a desirable product. The text’s emphasis on the negative aspects of mechanical recycling suggests that it is inadequate in terms of its environmental impact and the quality the process yields.

Choice A is incorrect because the text is discussing the process of mechanically recycling plastics, which is not "resilient," as the text doesn't indicate any ability to withstand difficulties or challenges.

Choice C is incorrect because "dynamic" would suggest that the process has changed in some way. Although the text mentions that the chemical process has recently changed, it doesn't suggest that the mechanical process itself has changed or is prone to change.

Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that the mechanical process is "satisfactory," meaning acceptable or good enough. Rather, it emphasizes the shortcomings of the mechanical process and provides no evidence that it would be considered satisfactory.

Novelist N. K. Jemisin declines to ______ the conventions of the science fiction genre in which she writes, and she has suggested that her readers appreciate her work precisely because of this willingness to thwart expectations and avoid formulaic plots and themes.

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

A) question

B) react to

C) perceive

D) conform to

Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text's discussion of Jemisin's writing. In this context, "conform to" means to act in accordance with something. The text suggests that in her science fiction writing, Jemisin’s willingness to go against expectations and not use plots and themes that seem to follow a formula reflects how she treats the standard practices of the genre. This context conveys that Jemisin chooses not to act in accordance with those conventions.

Choice A is incorrect. In this context, "question" would mean doubt or object to. The text indicates that Jemisin is willing to go against expectations and not use formulaic plots and themes in her science fiction writing, suggesting that she may actually object to those conventions of the genre, not that she chooses not to question them.

Choice B is incorrect because the text indicates that in her science fiction writing, Jemisin is willing to go against expectations and not use formulaic plots and themes. Rather than suggesting that Jemisin chooses not to react to or act in response to the standard practices of the genre, this context suggests that she is acting in response to such conventions by deliberately avoiding them.

Choice C is incorrect. In this context, "perceive" would mean become aware of or understand. The text indicates that in her science fiction writing, Jemisin is willing to go against expectations and not use formulaic plots and themes. This context conveys that Jemisin is aware of and deliberately avoids those conventions of the genre, not that she chooses not to be aware of them.

In 1929 the Atlantic Monthly published several articles based on newly discovered letters allegedly exchanged between President Abraham Lincoln and a woman named Ann Rutledge. Historians were unable to ______ the authenticity of the letters, however, and quickly dismissed them as a hoax.

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

A) validate

B) interpret

C) relate

D) accommodate

Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of letters allegedly exchanged between President Lincoln and Rutledge. In this context, "validate" means to confirm that something is real or correct. According to the text, it was alleged, or claimed, that the newly discovered letters had been written by Lincoln and Rutledge. The text also indicates that historians ultimately decided the letters were a hoax, or fraudulent. This context suggests that the historians couldn’t confirm that the letters were authentic.

Choice B is incorrect. The text focuses on the authenticity of the letters, which were claimed to have been written by Lincoln and Rutledge and were then quickly dismissed as fraudulent by historians. Rather than conveying that the historians simply weren’t able to "interpret" or explain in an understandable way the letters' authenticity, the text suggests that the historians decided the letters lacked authenticity altogether.

Choice C is incorrect. The text states that the historians quickly dismissed the letters claimed to have been written by Lincoln and Rutledge as fraudulent; this suggests that, rather than being unable to "relate" or tell others about the letters’ authenticity, the historians were able to share what they’d decided about the letters.

Choice D is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to suggest that the historians couldn’t "accommodate," or give consideration to, the authenticity of the letters claimed to have been written by Lincoln and Rutledge; the text states that the historians decided that the letters were fraudulent, which indicates that they did consider whether the letters were authentic.

The spacecraft OSIRIS-REx briefly made contact with the asteroid 101955 Bennu in 2020. NASA scientist Daniella DellaGiustina reports that despite facing the unexpected obstacle of a surface mostly covered in boulders, OSIRIS-REx successfully _______ a sample of the surface, gathering pieces of it to bring back to Earth. The spacecraft OSIRIS-REx briefly made contact with the asteroid 101955 Bennu in 2020. NASA scientist Daniella DellaGiustina reports that despite facing the unexpected obstacle of a surface mostly covered in boulders, OSIRIS-REx successfully _______ a sample of the surface, gathering pieces of it to bring back to Earth.

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

A) attached

B) collected

C) followed

D) replaced

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text's discussion of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft's contact with the asteroid 101955 Bennu. In this context, “collected” means acquired and took away. The text indicates that although the boulders on the asteroid's surface caused some unforeseen problems, OSIRIS-REx was able to gather a sample to return to Earth. This context suggests that OSIRIS-REx successfully collected a sample of 101955 Bennu.

Choice A is incorrect because in this context “attached” means connected or affixed. The text indicates that OSIRIS-REx gathered pieces of 101955 Bennu to bring to Earth; it doesn’t suggest that the spacecraft attached anything to the asteroid. 

Choice C is incorrect because in this context “followed” means tracked or traveled behind, and the text discusses OSIRIS-REx’s brief encounter with 101955 Bennu during which the spacecraft gathered a sample to bring to Earth. The text doesn’t suggest that the spacecraft tracked the sample, and it’s not clear what it would mean for the spacecraft to travel behind the sample it collected.
 
Choice D is incorrect because in this context “replaced” means put back or returned. The text indicates that OSIRIS-REx gathered pieces of 101955 Bennu to bring to Earth but doesn’t suggest that anything was returned to the asteroid.

Research conducted by planetary scientist Katarina Miljkovic suggests that the Moon’s surface may not accurately ________ early impact events. When the Moon was still forming, its surface was softer, and asteroid or meteoroid impacts would have left less of an impression; thus, evidence of early impacts may no longer be present. 

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

A) reflect

B) receive

C) evaluate

D) mimic

Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the Moon’s surface. In this context, “reflect” means show or make apparent. The text states that because the surface of the Moon was softer when the Moon was still forming than it is now, early asteroid and meteoroid impacts “would have left less of an impression” and, as a result, evidence of them may no longer exist. This context supports the idea that the surface of the Moon may not accurately show signs of early impact events.

Choice B is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that the surface of the Moon may not accurately “receive,” or acquire or experience, early impacts from asteroids or meteoroids. The text indicates that the impacts have already occurred, and it isn’t clear how the Moon’s surface could be accurate or inaccurate in experiencing them. 

Choice C is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that the surface of the Moon may not accurately “evaluate,” or determine the significance or condition of, early impacts from asteroids or meteoroids, since that would suggest that it’s possible for the Moon’s surface to make a decision of any kind. 

Choice D is incorrect. In this context, “mimic” would mean to deliberately simulate or closely imitate something. It wouldn’t make sense to say that the surface of the Moon may not accurately mimic early asteroid and meteoroid impacts, since that would suggest that it’s possible for the Moon to deliberately imitate something.

Handedness, a preferential use of either the right or left hand, is typically easy to observe in humans. Because this trait is present but less _______ in many other animals, animal-behavior researchers often employ tasks specially designed to reveal individual animals’ preferences for a certain hand or paw.

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

A) recognizable

B) intriguing

C) significant

D) useful

Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text's discussion about handedness in animals. As used in this context, “recognizable” means apparent or identifiable. The text indicates that handedness is “easy to observe in humans,” but that animal-behavior researchers use special tasks to determine handedness in other animals. This context and the use of “less” before the blank indicate that compared with handedness in humans, handedness in other animals is less recognizable.

Choice B is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that handedness is less “intriguing,” or fascinating, in nonhuman animals than it is in humans. The text focuses on how easy it is to observe handedness in humans as compared with other animals; the text doesn’t suggest that handedness is more fascinating in humans.

Choice C is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that handedness is less “significant,” or important or meaningful, in nonhuman animals than it is in humans. The text focuses on how easy it is to observe handedness in humans as compared with other animals; the text doesn’t suggest that handedness is more significant in humans.

Choice D is incorrect because “useful,” or functional or helpful, wouldn’t make sense in context. The text focuses on the ease with which researchers can determine whether an animal or person is right- or left-handed, not on how useful handedness in nonhuman animals is compared with handedness in humans.

It is by no means _______ to recognize the influence of Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch on Ali Banisadr’s paintings; indeed, Banisadr himself cites Bosch as an inspiration. However, some scholars have suggested that the ancient Mesopotamian poem Epic of Gilgamesh may have had a far greater impact on Banisadr’s work. 

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

A) substantial

B) satisfying

C) unimportant

D) appropriate

Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text's discussion of the influences on Banisadr's work. As used in this context, “unimportant” means trivial or lacking value. “It is by no means” establishes that the word that goes in the blank is contradicted by other information; the material that follows “indeed” later in that sentence provides the contradicting information—namely, that Banisadr himself cites Bosch as an inspiration. In other words, the sentence indicates that Bosch’s influence on Banisadr is significant, and thus recognizing that influence is by no means unimportant.

Choice A is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that recognizing Bosch’s influence on Banisadr isn’t “substantial,” or meaningful. The text states that Banisadr himself cites Bosch as an influence.

Choice B is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that it isn’t “satisfying,” or pleasing, to recognize Bosch’s influence on Banisadr. The text states that Banisadr himself cites Bosch as an influence.

Choice D is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that recognizing Bosch’s influence on Banisadr isn’t “appropriate,” or suitable. The text indicates that Banisadr himself notes that Bosch’s work has had an effect on him.

The fashion resale market, in which consumers purchase secondhand clothing from stores and online sellers, generated nearly $30 billion globally in 2019. Expecting to see continued growth, some analysts __________ that revenues will more than double by 2028.

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

A) produced

B) denied

C) worried

D) predicted

Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the fashion resale market’s continued growth. As used in this context, "predicted" means forecast, or indicated that something would happen in the future. The text indicates that the fashion resale market made a lot of money in 2019 and that some analysts expected the market to continue to grow. This context suggests that the analysts believed that the fashion resale market was going to make more money than it had already made, with the analysts indicating that revenues would more than double by 2028.

Choice A is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context to say that some analysts "produced," or manufactured or brought about, the increase in future revenues of the fashion resale market. The analysts themselves couldn’t have brought about the future revenue growth, since, as the text suggests, they were merely in the position of drawing conclusions about future fashion resale market revenue based on 2019 revenue. 

Choice B is incorrect because the text indicates that some analysts expected the fashion resale market to continue to grow in the future, not that they "denied," or rejected, this notion. Nothing in the text supports the idea that these analysts thought the revenues wouldn’t grow. 

Choice C is incorrect because the text indicates that some analysts expected the fashion resale market to continue to grow in the future, not that they "worried," or felt concerned, that revenue would significantly increase by 2028. Nothing in the text suggests that the analysts felt concerned about the increase; rather, the text suggests that the increase would represent a favorable outcome, since it would mean that the fashion resale market grew to generate even more revenue.

Particle physicists like Ayana Holloway Arce and Aida El-Khadra spend much of their time ______ what is invisible to the naked eye: using sophisticated technology, they closely examine the behavior of subatomic particles, the smallest detectable parts of matter.

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

A) selecting

B) inspecting

C) creating

D) deciding

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the work of particle physicists. In this context, “inspecting” means viewing closely in order to examine. The text indicates that as particle physicists, Arce and El-Khadra’s work involves using advanced technology to “closely examine” subatomic particles. In other words, they use technology to inspect small parts of matter that can’t be seen by the naked eye.

Choice A is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that Arce and El-Khadra spend time “selecting,” or choosing, subatomic particles for some purpose; the text simply states that the particle physicists use advanced technology to see and study the behavior of those tiny parts of matter. 

Choice C is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that Arce and El-Khadra spend time “creating” subatomic particles, or bringing them into existence; the text simply states that the particle physicists use advanced technology to see and study the behavior of those tiny parts of matter. 

Choice D is incorrect. In this context, “deciding” would mean making a final choice or judgment about something. It wouldn’t make sense to say that particle physicists get to choose what is and isn’t visible to the naked eye, especially when the text presents it as fact that subatomic particles are “the smallest detectable parts of matter” and would therefore be invisible. The text focuses on Arce and El-Khadra’s close observation of those particles, not on any decisions they might make.

Anthropologist Kristian J. Carlson and colleagues examined the fossilized clavicle and shoulder bones of a 3.6-million-year-old early hominin known as “Little Foot.” They found that these bones were ______ the clavicle and shoulder bones of modern apes that are frequent climbers, such as gorillas and chimpanzees, suggesting that Little Foot had adapted to life in the trees.

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

A) surpassed by

B) comparable to

C) independent of

D) obtained from

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the fossilized bones of the hominin known as Little Foot. As used in this context, “comparable to” would mean similar to. The text indicates that the relationship between the fossilized clavicle and shoulder bones of Little Foot and the clavicle and shoulder bones of “frequent climbers,” such as chimpanzees and gorillas, suggests that Little Foot had adapted to moving around in trees. This context suggests that the relationship between the fossilized bones of Little Foot and the bones of chimpanzees and gorillas is one of similarity—the Little Foot fossils are likely comparable to the modern ape bones.

Choice A is incorrect because if the fossilized bones of Little Foot were “surpassed by,” or exceeded by or made inferior to, the bones of modern apes that are frequent climbers, it wouldn’t suggest, as the text says, that Little Foot was adapted to moving around in trees. If anything, learning that Little Foot’s clavicle and shoulder bones were surpassed by those of chimpanzees and gorillas would suggest that Little Foot was poorly adapted to climbing. 

Choice C is incorrect because if Little Foot’s fossilized clavicle and shoulder bones were “independent of,” or not influenced by or affiliated with, the bones of modern apes that climb often, it would suggest, as the text says, that Little Foot was adapted to moving around in trees. 

Choice D is incorrect because the text indicates that Little Foot’s fossilized bones date to 3.6 million years ago, so they couldn’t have been “obtained from,” or acquired from, the bones of modern apes.

Rydra Wong, the protagonist of Samuel R. Delany’s 1966 novel Babel-17, is a poet, an occupation which, in Delany’s work, is not ______: nearly a dozen of the characters that populate his novels are poets or writers.

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

A) infallible

B) atypical

C) lucrative

D) tedious

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Samuel R. Delany’s character Rydra Wong. As used in this context, “atypical” would mean unrepresentative or not common. The text indicates that Wong is one of “nearly a dozen” characters in Delany’s novels who are poets or writers. This context suggests that the occupation isn’t atypical for Delany, not that the occupation isn’t infallible, or problematic. 

Choice A is incorrect because “infallible” means to be accurate or without fault, which wouldn’t make sense in context. The text focuses on the fact that Delany has written many characters who are poets and writers. 

Choice C is incorrect because “lucrative” means to be profitable, which wouldn’t make sense in context. If writing poets characters weren’t profitable, it would be logical to explain this by citing that Delany gave many of his characters the same occupation.

Choice D is incorrect because “tedious” means boring, which wouldn’t make sense in context. The text focuses on the fact that Delany has written many characters who are poets and writers. This context suggests that the occupation isn’t atypical for Delany, not that the occupation isn’t tedious.

For a 2020 exhibition, photographer and neurobiologist Okunola Jeyifous ______ a series of new images based on a series of alphabet posters from the 1970s known as the “Black ABCs,” which featured Black children from Chicago. Jeyifous photographed the now-adult models and layered the photos over magnified images of the models' cells, resulting in what he called “micro and macro portraiture.”

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

A) validated

B) created

C) challenged

D) restored

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically and precisely completes the text’s discussion of Jeyifo’s series of images for the 2020 exhibition. In this context, “created” means produced. The text explains that Jeyifo, a photographer and neurobiologist, photographed adults who had appeared as children in posters from the 1970s, then combined those photographs with magnified images of the adults’ cells—a process that resulted in what he called “micro and macro portraiture.” This context suggests that Jeyifo drew on his dual interests in photography and neurobiology to produce the images for display in the exhibition.

Choice A is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text suggests that Jeyifo’s “validated,” or corroborated, the series of images. The text describes Jeyifo’s process for composing the images, but doesn’t describe Jeyifo making an effort to evaluate the images for their artistic or scientific legitimacy. 

Choice C is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that Jeyifo’s “challenged,” or disputed, an aspect of the images; rather, the focus of the text is on the inspiration behind the images and the method Jeyifo used to achieve them. 

Choice D is incorrect because the text indicates that Jeyifo made the images himself using a combination of photography and magnified pictures of cells, not that he “restored,” or reconditioned, the images from a deteriorated state.

In addition to being an accomplished psychologist himself, Francis Cecil Sumner was a __________ increasing the opportunity for Black students to study psychology, helping to found the psychology department at Howard University, a historically Black university, in 1930.

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

A) proponent of

B) supplement to

C) beneficiary of

D) distraction for

Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Francis Cecil Sumner. As used in this context, “proponent” means supporter of. The text says that Sumner helped to found the psychology department at historically Black Howard University in 1930. This is evidence that Sumner supported increasing the opportunity for Black students to study psychology.

Choice B is incorrect because the phrase “supplement to,” or addition to, wouldn’t make sense in context. The text discusses Sumner’s efforts to increase the number of Black psychology students, but it doesn’t make sense to describe him as an addition to his efforts. 

Choice C is incorrect because Sumner was already an accomplished psychologist himself when he helped to found the Howard University psychology department. While Black students were the beneficiaries of his efforts—that is, they received help because of his efforts—it wouldn’t make sense in this context to describe Sumner as a “beneficiary of” opportunities, because he was the one doing the helping.
 
Choice D is incorrect because founding a psychology department at Howard University wouldn’t be a “distraction” for Sumner’s aim to increase the opportunity for Black students to study psychology—that is, it wouldn’t be something that draws Sumner’s attention away from that goal, but rather the opposite.

Whether the reign of a French monarch such as Hugh Capet or Henry I was historically consequential or relatively uneventful, its trajectory was shaped by questions of legitimacy and therefore cannot be understood without a corollary understanding of the factors that allowed the monarch to __________ his right to hold the throne.

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

A) reciprocate

B) annotate

C) buttress

D) disengage

Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the legitimacy of the reigns of French monarchs such as Hugh Capet and Henry I. As used in this context, “buttress” means to strengthen or defend. The text indicates that regardless of whether a French monarch’s reign was significant or uneventful, each monarch faced questions about his right to the throne. The text goes on to say that in order to understand the path of a French monarch’s reign, it’s important to understand what contributed to the monarch’s ability to “hold the throne.” This context suggests that French monarchs such as Hugh Capet and Henry I had to buttress, or defend, their right to the throne.

Choice A is incorrect. Saying that a monarch who is faced with questions about the legitimacy of his reign was able to “reciprocate” his right to the French throne would mean that he either returned his right to the throne or that he responded in kind to the challenge. Neither of these meanings would make sense in context because the text focuses on people who did reign as French monarchs and defended their right to do so. 

Choice B is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context, because monarchs were writing notes about their right to the throne; instead, the text suggests that the monarchs were writing notes about their right to the throne. 

Choice D is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context to discuss factors that enabled a monarch to “disengage,” or withdraw his right to the French throne. The text focuses on an examination of people who reigned as French monarchs, not on people who didn’t choose to rule.

The following text is from the 1913 story “The King’s Coin” by Emily Pauline Johnson, a Kanienkahagen (Mohawk) writer also known as Tekahionwake. Fox-Foot, a young Ojibwe man, is guiding a group of fur traders who are traveling by canoe and suspects that they are being followed.

At supper time, Fox-Foot would allow no fire to be built, no landing to be made, no trace of their passing to be left. They ate canned meat and marmalade, drank again of the stream, and pushed on, until just at dusk they reached the edge of a long, still lake, with shores of granite and dense fir forest.

As used in the text, what does the word “trace” most nearly mean?

A) Evidence

B) Blemish

C) Amount

D) Sketch

Choice A is the best answer because the text indicates that Fox-Foot doesn’t let the group build a fire or create a canoe landing when it’s time for supper. This context suggests that he doesn’t want anyone who might be following the group to see any sign of them or their activities. In other words, Fox-Foot doesn’t want there to be any trace, or evidence, of the group’s movements (“their passing”) through the area.

Choice B is incorrect because the text conveys that Fox-Foot doesn’t want the group to be detected, not that he doesn’t want their presence to create a blemish, or a spoiling flaw, in the area; human activity could disturb a natural environment, but the context emphasizes that Fox-Foot is instead focused on avoiding giving any sign of the group’s movements through a place (“their passing”) to anyone who might be following them.

Choice C is incorrect because the text focuses on Fox-Foot’s desire to avoid detection by those who might be following the group. This context conveys that Fox-Foot doesn’t want to create any signs or evidence of the group moving through a place (“their passing”), not that he doesn’t want to leave behind some quantity of their presence; indeed, it isn’t clear what an amount of a group’s movement would be.

Choice D is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that the group has a sketch, or rough drawing, of their movements through that area (“their passing”) that might be left behind. Rather, the context emphasizes that Fox-Foot is focused on ensuring that the group doesn’t give any kind of indication of their presence, as he wants to avoid detection by anyone who might be following the group.

Many ancient sculptures of people’s heads are missing their noses. This is because the nose is the most ______ part of a sculpture of a person’s head. It is delicate and sticks out from the rest of the sculpture, making it especially easy to break.

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

A) recognizable

B) fragile

C) common

D) sophisticated

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of noses on ancient sculptures. In this context, “fragile” means weak or delicate. This matches the text’s description of noses on ancient sculptures, which are often missing from sculptures’ heads because they are “especially easy to break.” Therefore, this context indicates that noses on ancient sculptures are the most fragile part of the sculptures’ heads.

Choice A is incorrect. In this context, “recognizable” would mean identifiable, and since the text indicates that noses are often missing from ancient statues, they therefore cannot be the most recognizable part of the statue.

Choice C is incorrect because the text indicates that many ancient statues are missing noses, so noses wouldn’t be “common,” or frequent, aspects of ancient statues; they would conversely be uncommon.

Choice D is incorrect because the text only indicates that noses on ancient statues often stick out and end up missing from the heads, which doesn’t relate to the noses being “sophisticated,” or knowledgeable or refined.

K.D. Leka and colleagues found that the Sun’s corona provides an advanced indication of solar flares—intense eruptions of electromagnetic radiation that emanate from active regions in the Sun’s photosphere and can interfere with telecommunications on Earth. Preceding a flare, the corona temporarily exhibits increased brightness above the region where the flare is ______.

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

A) antecedent

B) impending

C) innocuous

D) perpetual

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of advanced indications of solar flares. In this context, the word “impending” means imminent or approaching. The text mentions a study by Leka and colleagues that found that the Sun’s corona provides an advanced indication of solar flares. The text then points out why such an advanced indication would be useful—solar flares can interfere with communications on Earth—and concludes by describing the characteristic of the corona that gives warning of a solar flare. The text indicates that this characteristic— increased brightness in a particular region of the corona—comes before the appearance of the flare. Therefore, in context, the best answer would indicate that the flare is approaching or impending.

Choice A is incorrect. The best answer would be one that indicates that the increased brightness of the Sun’s corona precedes the appearance of the flare. But if the flare were “antecedent,” or previous, then the flare would instead precede the appearance of the increased brightness of the corona, a statement that is logically inconsistent.

Choice C is incorrect. The word “innocuous,” or harmless, does not logically complete the text; since solar flares can interfere with communications on Earth, they cannot reasonably be described as innocuous.

Choice D is incorrect. If the solar flares have an advanced indication of their appearance, then there must therefore be a time before the appearance of the flares when they do not exist. But the word “perpetual,” or never-ending, would in context indicate that the flare exists at the same time as the advance indication provided by the Sun’s corona, which would not make logical sense.

To demonstrate that the integrity of underground metal pipes can be assessed without unearthing the pipes, engineer Aroba Saleem and colleagues ______ the tendency of some metals’ internal magnetic fields to alter under stress: the team showed that such alterations can be measured from a distance and can reveal concentrations of stress in the pipes.

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

A) hypothesized

B) discounted

C) redefined

D) exploited

Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of using magnetism to detect stress in buried metal pipes. In this context, “exploited” means made productive use of. The text indicates that the magnetic fields of some metals change under stress and that Saleem and colleagues showed that it is possible to measure those changes from a distance, thereby demonstrating that the integrity of underground metal pipes can be evaluated without unearthing them. This context indicates that Saleem and colleagues made productive use of, or exploited, this tendency of the metals’ magnetic fields.

Choice A is incorrect because in this context, “hypothesized” would mean made a tentative assumption to be evaluated in a study or experiment. Although Saleem and colleagues may have had one or more hypotheses for these experiments, the text presents the information about the tendency of some metals’ magnetic fields to change under stress as a known fact that the researchers made productive use of, not as a hypothesis to be evaluated.

Choice B is incorrect because, in this context, “discounted” would mean downplayed or ignored, but the text does not suggest that Saleem and colleagues minimized or ignored the tendency of the magnetic fields of some metals to change under stress. Rather, the text indicates that the researchers made use of this tendency as the basis for Saleem and colleagues’ method of assessing the pipes’ integrity.

Choice C is incorrect because nothing in the text indicates that Saleem and colleagues “redefined,” or reevaluated or reformulated, the tendency of some metals’ magnetic fields to change under stress. Instead, the text indicates that the researchers made use of the text's tendency to demonstrate that it is possible to evaluate the integrity of underground pipes without unearthing them.

Despite the generalizations about human behavior they have produced, many studies of behavioral psychology have used highly unrepresentative subject pools: students at the colleges and universities where the researchers are employed. To ______ this situation, it is necessary to actively recruit subjects from diverse backgrounds and locations.

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

A) sanction

B) ameliorate

C) rationalize

D) postulate

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of behavioral psychology studies. In this context, “ameliorate” means to help remedy or improve. The text states that many behavioral psychology studies are flawed because the subjects used are “highly unrepresentative.” It then suggests that researchers should recruit subjects from “diverse backgrounds and locations” in order to help address the issue of unrepresentative subject pools. This would help ameliorate the problems outlined in the text.

Choice A is incorrect. In this context, “sanction” would have two meanings: to give official approval for something or to enact a penalty, neither of which makes sense in the text. The text describes a situation known to be problematic in behavioral psychology studies and then presents a potential remedy to that situation.

Choice C is incorrect because the text indicates that the situation is officially recognized but does not suggest that the situation needs to be “rationalized,” or explained away. The text presents a situation and its potential remedy.

Choice D is incorrect because the text is not attempting to “postulate,” or suggest a claim or theory, related to the situation described in the text, but is rather presenting a potential remedy for the situation.

The following text is adapted from Elizabeth von Arnim’s 1922 novel The Enchanted April. Mrs. Wilkins and her friend Rose are traveling in Italy.

"I'm going to have one of these gorgeous oranges," said Mrs. Wilkins, staying where she was and reaching across to a black bowl piled with them. "Rose, how can you resist them. Look—have this one. Do have this beauty—"And she held out a big one.
As used in the text, what does the phrase "reaching across to" most nearly mean?

A) Joining with

B) Gaining on

C) Stretching toward

D) Arriving at

Choice C is the best answer because, as used in the text, "reaching across to" most nearly means stretching toward. The text begins with Mrs. Wilkins stating that she wants to have one of the oranges that she's admiring. The text then indicates that Mrs. Wilkins, staying where she is, holds out a big orange to her friend. This context suggests that when the text describes Mrs. Wilkins as reaching across to the bowl of oranges, it means that she is stretching toward the bowl.

Choice A is incorrect because the text never suggests that Mrs. Wilkins is joining or becoming attached to the bowl of oranges. Rather, the text indicates that she is stretching toward the bowl so she can pick out oranges for herself and her friend Rose to eat.

Choice B is incorrect because the text never suggests that Mrs. Wilkins is gaining on, or overtaking in a competition or race, the bowl of oranges.

Choice D is incorrect because the text states that Mrs. Wilkins is arriving at the bowl of oranges, but in fact, the text states that Mrs. Wilkins stays where she is when reaching across to the bowl, meaning that she remains at a distance from it.

A team of paleontologists has found a rich fossil deposit near Gulgong, Australia. The fossils are so well preserved that the team has been able to ______________ detailed information about the life forms that left them behind, such as color patterns and how they interacted with other species.

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

A) Occupy

B) Hoard

C) Reserve

D) Obtain

Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the fossil deposit. In this context, “obtain” means gain or acquire. According to the text, a team of paleontologists has found fossils that are very well preserved. For this reason, the text suggests, the paleontologists have been able to gain detailed information from these fossils, such as the color patterns of the life forms that left them behind.

Choice A is incorrect because “occupy” means engage or inhabit, neither of which would make sense in context. It’s unclear what it would mean for detailed information revealed by fossils to be engaged or inhabited.

Choice B is incorrect because the text gives no indication that the paleontologists wanted to “hoard,” or collect and hide, the detailed information revealed by the well-preserved fossils.

Choice C is incorrect because the text gives no indication that the paleontologists wanted to “reserve,” or withhold, the detailed information revealed by the well-preserved fossils.

According to a team of neuroeconomists from the University of Zurich, ease of decision making may be linked to communication between two brain regions, the prefrontal cortex and the parietal cortex. Individuals tend to be more decisive if the information flow between the regions is intensified, whereas they make choices more slowly when information flow is __________.

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

A) reduced

B) evaluated

C) determined

D) acquired

Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text's discussion of how the flow of information between two regions of the brain may affect the ease of people's decision making. In this context, "reduced" means "decreased." The text presents the finding from a team of neuroeconomists that decision making may be connected to communication between the prefrontal cortex and the parietal cortex. In presenting this finding, the text suggests a contrast between people who tend to be more decisive and people who make decisions more slowly. According to the text, people tend to be more decisive when the flow of information between the two brain regions is intensified or strengthened. On the other hand, this context suggests that people make choices more slowly when the flow of information between the two brain regions is decreased.

Choice B is incorrect because "evaluated" means assessed, which wouldn’t make sense in context. According to the text, people tend to be more decisive when the flow of information between two brain regions is intensified or strengthened. This suggests that people's ease of decision making varies based on the rate of information traveling between the regions, not based on an effort to assess the information. 

Choice C is incorrect because "determined" means judged or influenced, neither of which would make sense in context. According to the text, people tend to be more decisive when the flow of information between two brain regions is intensified or strengthened. This suggests that people's ease of decision making varies based on the rate of information traveling between the regions, not based on an effort to judge or influence the information. 

Choice D is incorrect because "acquired" means developed or attained, neither of which would make sense in context. According to the text, people tend to be more decisive when the flow of information between two brain regions is intensified or strengthened.

The War of 1812 has __________ place in historical memory in Britain, partly because it is overshadowed by the much larger concurrent conflict against Napoleonic France and partly because it essentially maintained the geopolitical status quo for Britain: the country neither gained nor lost significant territory or position as a result of its participation in the war.

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

A) a tenuous

B) an enduring

C) a contentious

D) a conspicuous

Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the significance of the War of 1812 in British historical memory. In this context, "tenuous" means vulnerable or uncertain. The text indicates that the War of 1812 was both smaller, and less prominent, than the conflict with France, and resulted in no significant geopolitical changes. These details imply that the War of 1812 is less likely than other British historical events to be remembered, giving the War of 1812 a tenuous place in British historical memory.

Choice B is incorrect because this context “enduring” would mean lasting or durable, but the text describes the War of 1812 as being overshadowed by, and smaller than, the simultaneous conflict with France. This seems to conflict with the notion that the War of 1812 has an enduring place in British historical memory. 

Choice C is incorrect because in this context "contentious" would mean likely to cause disagreement, and while there likely are contentious issues related to the War of 1812, nothing in the text discusses or implies any such disagreement. 

Choice D is incorrect because in this context "conspicuous" would mean obvious, but the text describes the War of 1812 as being overshadowed by, and smaller than, the simultaneous conflict with France. Rather than suggesting that the War of 1812 has a conspicuous place in British historical memory, these descriptions suggest that it is not particularly obvious.

Claims about the original significance of Minoan bull-leaping rituals—depicted in paintings and sculptures from the second millennium BCE—are difficult to successfully __________. We know so little about the people archaeologists call the Minoans that assertions about what bull-leaping meant to them will almost inevitably rely on significant speculation and guesswork.

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

A) imagine

B) summarize

C) defend

D) adjust

Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Minoan bull-leaping rituals. In this context, “defend” means support in the face of argument. The overall focus of the text is on the difficulty of determining what bull-leaping rituals meant to the Minoans, about whom the text indicates, we know very little. The text states that because of this scarcity of information, assertions about the meaning of the rituals, which took place a very long time ago (in the second millennium BCE), are highly likely to be based on speculation and guesswork. This context suggests that claims about the meaning of the rituals are difficult to successfully support or defend.

Choice A is incorrect because “imagine” in this context would mean form a mental image of something. Although it’s possible to imagine what Minoan bull-leaping rituals might have looked like, the focus of the text isn’t on how the rituals looked but rather on claims about them, which the text suggests are difficult to support because very little is known about the Minoans. 

Choice B is incorrect because “summarize” in this context would mean recap or outline, neither of which makes sense. The text indicates that claims about the significance of Minoan bull-leaping rituals will inevitably rely on speculation and guesswork because very little is known about the Minoans. This suggests that claims about the Minoan rituals are difficult to support in the face of argument, not that they’re difficult to recap or outline. 

Choice D is incorrect because “adjust” in this context would mean modify or correct. Although a claim about a ritual’s meaning could be modified or corrected based on newly discovered evidence, the text doesn’t focus on any specific claims made about the significance of Minoan bull-leaping rituals. Rather, the text focuses on the feasibility of making valid claims about the rituals in general, suggesting that the scarcity of information about the Minoans makes it difficult to support any claims about the rituals.

Researchers have struggled to pinpoint specific causes for hiccups, which happen when a person’s diaphragm contracts _________. However, neuroscientist Kimberley Whitehead has found that these uncontrollable contractions may play an important role in helping infants regulate their breathing.

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

A) involuntarily

B) beneficially

C) strenuously

D) smoothly

Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of diaphragm contractions and hiccups. In this context, "involuntarily" means done without any control, or by reflex. The text explains that when a person’s diaphragm repeatedly contracts and results in hiccups (which may be beneficial for infants), those muscle contractions are "uncontrollable." This context indicates that the diaphragm contractions occur without the person’s control.

Choice B is incorrect because it wouldn’t support the logical relationship established in the text’s discussion of diaphragm contractions and hiccups. The text indicates that although specific causes for hiccups haven’t been identified, it may be the case that the muscle contractions that occur have an important purpose in infants. It wouldn’t make sense to say that even though the contractions occur "beneficially," or with a good or helpful effect, they might play a positive role in infants’ breathing regulation.

Choice C is incorrect because the text indicates that the diaphragm contractions that result in hiccups are “uncontrollable.” Because those muscle contractions are described as happening automatically and without the person’s control, it wouldn’t make sense to describe them as occurring “strenuously,” or in a way that requires great effort or energy.

Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t describe the quality of the diaphragm contractions that result in hiccups beyond stating that they are "uncontrollable." Nothing in the text indicates that those muscle contractions occur "smoothly," or evenly and continuously.

The parasitic dodder plant increases its reproductive success by flowering at the same time as the host plant it has latched onto. In 2020, Jianqiang Wu and his colleagues determined that the tiny dodder achieves this ________ with its host by absorbing and utilizing a protein the host produces when it is about to flower.

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

A) synchronization

B) hibernation

C) prediction

D) moderation

Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of a relationship between the dodder plant and its host plant. As used in this context, “synchronization” means the act of things happening at the same time. The text indicates that the dodder and its host plant flower in unison and that this synchronization occurs because the dodder makes use of a protein produced by the host shortly before flowering.

Choice B is incorrect because referring to “hibernation,” or the state of being dormant or inactive, wouldn’t make sense in context. The text focuses on something the dodder plant actively engages in—making use of a protein produced by the host.

Choice C is incorrect because saying that the dodder plant and its host engage together in "prediction," or the act of declaring or anticipating something in advance, wouldn’t make sense in context. Rather, the text indicates that the dodder and its host plant make a prediction about flowering activity, but they don’t engage in a prediction.

Choice D is incorrect because referring to “moderation,” or the act of causing something to become less intense or extreme, wouldn’t make sense in context. Although the text states that the dodder plant and its host use a protein made by its host plant, it doesn’t indicate that the purpose of this relationship is moderation.

Ofelia Zepeda’s contributions to the field of linguistics are ________: her many accomplishments include working as a linguistics professor and bilingual poet, authoring the first Tohono O’odham grammar book, and co-founding the American Indian Language Development Institute.

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

A) pragmatic

B) controversial

C) extensive

D) universal

Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of how Ofelia Zepeda has contributed to the field of linguistics. As used in this context, “extensive” means having a wide or considerable extent. The text indicates that Zepeda’s many accomplishments in linguistics are varied, including teaching linguistics, writing poetry in more than one language, creating a grammar book, and cofounding a language institute. This context supports the idea that Zepeda’s contributions to the field are extensive.

Choice A is incorrect because the sentence presents Zepeda’s accomplishments as examples to support the claim made in the first part of the sentence. It wouldn’t make sense to say that achievements as a professor, poet and author, and co-founder of a language institute demonstrate that Zepeda’s contributions in her field are "pragmatic," or related to practical matters and not involving intellectual or artistic matters.

Choice B is incorrect because the sentence presents Zepeda’s accomplishments as examples to support the claim made in the first part of the sentence. There’s no reason to believe that the positive achievements listed demonstrate that Zepeda’s contributions in her field are "controversial," or have caused disputes and opposing viewpoints.

Choice D is incorrect because in this context, “universal” would mean including or covering everything in a group. The sentence presents Zepeda’s accomplishments as examples to support the claim made in the first part of the sentence, and it wouldn’t make sense to say that these specific achievements—particularly as the author of a grammar book specific to the Tohono O’odham language—demonstrate that Zepeda’s contributions relate to everything in the field of linguistics.

In the Indigenous intercropping system known as the Three Sisters, maize, squash, and beans form an ________ web of relations: maize provides the structure on which the bean vines grow; the squash vines cover the soil, discouraging competition from weeds; and the beans aid their two “sisters” by enriching the soil with essential nitrogen.

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

A) indecipherable

B) ornamental

C) obscure

D) intricate

Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the Three Sisters intercropping system. As used in this context, “intricate” would mean made up of many complex, varied elements. The text indicates that in the Three Sisters system, maize, squash, and beans form a “web of relations” in which the crops interact in various ways. The text’s description of these interactions—the bean vines growing on the maize stalks, the squash vines keeping weeds away, and the beans aiding the maize and squash—provides context suggesting that this “web of relations” is intricate.

Choice A is incorrect because describing the relationship among the Three Sisters system as “indecipherable,” or impossible to comprehend, would make no sense in context. Although the text says the crops in the system are interrelated, it describes these interactions as well understood, not impossible to comprehend.

Choice B is incorrect because saying the relationship is “ornamental,” or merely serving a decorative purpose, would make no sense in context. Although the text says the Three Sisters system serves the practical purpose of growing crops together, it doesn’t suggest that the relationship between the crops is ornamental.

Choice C is incorrect because describing the relationship among the crops as “obscure,” or poorly understood, would not make sense in context. The text describes the relationship between the crops as well understood, not unclear.

In editor Lisa Yaszek’s introduction to her anthology The Future Is Female! More Classic Science Fiction Stories by Women, Yaszek identifies an increasing sense of _______ feminist mode of writing in the
1970s, in contrast to many woman-authored science fiction stories of the 1920s to 1960s whose politics were less deliberately signaled.

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

A) a prudently

B) an overtly

C) a cordially

D) an inadvertently 

(A) Incorrect – "Prudently" (cautiously) might describe earlier decades, but the question contrasts the 1970s with them, so this doesn’t logically fit.

(B) Correct – "Overtly" means openly or explicitly, which matches the intended contrast in the sentence: the 1970s saw more deliberate and visible feminist themes.

(C) Incorrect – "Cordially" means politely or in a friendly manner, which is unrelated to how clearly feminist themes were expressed.

(D) Incorrect – "Inadvertently" means unintentionally, but the sentence describes an increase in deliberate, not accidental, feminist expression.

Though not closely related, the hedgehog tenrecs of Madagascar share basic _______ true hedgehogs, including protective spines, pointed snouts, and small body size—traits the two groups of mammals independently developed in response to equivalent roles in their respective habitats.

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

(A) examples of

(B) concerns about

(C) indications of

(D) similarities with

(A) Incorrect – "Examples of" implies that hedgehog tenrecs are types or subsets of true hedgehogs, which contradicts the statement that they are "not closely related."

(B) Incorrect – "Concerns about" would suggest emotional or intellectual interest or worry, which doesn't fit the context of physical traits.