Text Structure & Purpose

The mimosa tree evolved in East Asia, where the beetle Bruchidius terrenus preys on its seeds. In 1785, mimosa trees were introduced to North America, far away from any B. terrenus. But evolutionary links between predators and their prey can persist across centuries and continents. Around 2001, B. terrenus was introduced in southeastern North America near where botanist Shu-Mei Chang and colleagues had been monitoring mimosa trees. Within a year, 93% of the trees had been attacked by the beetles.

Which choice best describes the function of the third sentence in the overall structure of the text?

A) It states the hypothesis that Chang and colleagues had set out to investigate using mimosa trees and B. terrenus

B) It presents a generalization that is exemplified by the discussion of the mimosa trees and B. terrenus.

C) It offers an alternative explanation for the findings of Chang and colleagues.

D) It provides context that clarifies why the species mentioned spread to new locations.

Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the third sentence within the overall structure of the text. The third sentence makes a generalization, asserting that evolutionary links between predators and prey can persist across great expanses of time and distance. This generalization is exemplified by the text's discussion of the relationship between mimosa trees and B. terrenus beetles. When mimosa trees were introduced to North America in 1785, no B. terrenus were present, so the relationship between the trees and the beetles that exists in their native East Asia was disrupted. When the beetles were introduced to North America more than 200 years later, however, they quickly attacked mimosa trees, illustrating the generalization that links between predators and prey "can persist across centuries and continents."

Choice A is incorrect because the third sentence doesn't indicate that Chang and colleagues were investigating any particular hypothesis. According to the text, Chang and colleagues were simply monitoring mimosa trees when the beetles happened to be introduced to the area.

Choice C is incorrect because the third sentence offers a generalization about the relationship between predators and prey, not an explanation for the findings of Chang and colleagues that differs from an explanation presented elsewhere in the text.

Choice D is incorrect because the third sentence doesn't discuss any particular species (either the species mentioned elsewhere in the text or any other) and doesn't help explain why species spread to new locations.

The north celestial pole (NCP)—the fixed point around which stars in the Northern Hemisphere (including the Sun) appear to rotate—is discernible only at night. Inspired by the navigational strategies of some insects and birds, researchers devised a method for locating the NCP in daytime using skylight polarization, which occurs as atmospheric particles scatter sunlight. A polarimetric camera captures images of polarization patterns, which rotate as the Sun’s position in the sky changes; temporal variances across images can then be used to determine an observer’s latitude and bearing relative to the NCP.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A) It illustrates how most navigational tools utilize the NCP, recounts how researchers discovered that certain animals are able to navigate without using the NCP, and then proposes that this discovery could be used to avoid problems in navigation associated with reliance on the NCP.

B) It presents a celestial-based method of navigation, enumerates the comparative benefits of an alternative method used by certain animals that is based on an unrelated natural occurrence, and then indicates how researchers assessed the relative accuracy of the two methods.

C) It explains how the NCP is typically located, emphasizes a key difference between how humans and certain animals use the NCP for navigation, and then suggests an alternative way of using the NCP to improve existing navigational instruments.

D) It notes an obstacle to observing an astronomical phenomenon, mentions a navigational ability of certain animals that inspired a solution to that obstacle, and then explains how researchers used an optical device to mimic that ability.

A) Incorrect – The passage is about solving a problem, not about how most navigational tools work.

B) Incorrect – The passage does not compare two separate methods but rather presents a problem and a solution inspired by animals.

C) Incorrect – While it explains how the NCP is located, the focus is on solving the issue of daytime observation.

D) Correct – The passage first identifies a problem (NCP is only visible at night), then mentions how animals navigate differently, and finally explains how scientists mimicked that ability with a tool.

Perhaps ten-year-old John was puzzling to the folk there in the Florida woods for he was an imaginative child and fond of day-dreams. The St. John River flowed a scarce three hundred feet from his back door. On its banks at this point grow numerous palms, luxuriant magnolias and bay trees. On the bosom of the stream float millions of delicately colored hyacinths. [John Redding] loved to wander down to the water’s edge, and, casting in dry twigs, watch them sail away down stream to Jacksonville, the sea, the wide world and [he] wanted to follow them.

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

A) It provides an extended description of a location that John likes to visit.

B) It reveals that some residents of John’s town are confused by his behavior.

C) It illustrates the uniqueness of John’s imagination compared to the imaginations of other children.

D) It suggests that John longs to experience a larger life outside the Florida woods.

A) Incorrect – The sentence describes John’s actions, but its main purpose is not to describe the setting in detail.
B) Incorrect – The sentence does not mention other people’s reactions or confusion.
C) Incorrect – While John is imaginative, the sentence focuses on his desire to leave, not on a comparison with other children.
D) Correct – The imagery of twigs floating downstream symbolizes John’s longing for a life beyond his small town.

Astronomers are confident that the star Betelgeuse will eventually consume all the helium in its core and explode in a supernova. They are much less confident, however, about when this will happen, since that depends on internal characteristics of Betelgeuse that are largely unknown. Astrophysicist Sarafina El-Badry Nance and colleagues recently investigated whether acoustic waves in the star could be used to determine internal stellar states but concluded that this method could not sufficiently reveal Betelgeuse’s internal characteristics to allow its evolutionary state to be firmly fixed.

Which choice best describes the function of the second sentence in the overall structure of the text?

A) It describes a serious limitation of the method used by Nance and colleagues.

B) It presents the central finding reported by Nance and colleagues.

C) It identifies the problem that Nance and colleagues attempted to solve but did not.

D) It explains how the work of Nance and colleagues was received by others in the field.

A) Incorrect – The sentence does not critique the method’s limitations; it only explains that scientists were uncertain about Betelgeuse’s internal characteristics.

B) Incorrect – The sentence introduces the problem they investigated, not the study’s final conclusion.

C) Correct – The second sentence identifies the problem (scientists do not know Betelgeuse’s internal characteristics), which Nance and colleagues then tried—but failed—to solve.

D) Incorrect – The passage does not discuss how other researchers reacted to their findings.

The following text is adapted from Pam Muñoz Ryan’s 2020 novel Mañanaland.

 In the village where Max lives, there is an old fortress called La Reina. Children in the village say that the fortress is haunted. For as long as he could remember, Max had begged Papá [his father] to take him to see La Reina and the ruins up close. He’d be a hero among his friends if he was the first boy to cross the haunted gates! Just because Papá didn’t believe in ghosts didn’t mean they weren’t there. Maybe this summer Papá would finally take him. He was almost twelve.

 Which choice best describes the overall purpose of the text?

A) To portray how proud Max’s father is of Max

B) To explain why Max doesn’t want to grow up yet

C) To criticize Max for disliking summer

D) To show how much Max wants to visit La Reina

A) Incorrect – The passage does not mention Max’s father being proud of him.

B) Incorrect – There is no indication that Max doesn’t want to grow up.

C) Incorrect – The passage does not criticize Max or discuss his feelings about summer.

D) Correct – The passage focuses on Max’s excitement and determination to visit La Reina, making this the best choice.

The following text is adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s 1912 play Pygmalion.

 Henry Higgins has just arrived at the house of his mother (Mrs. Higgins). She is expecting her friends to visit soon.

MRS. HIGGINS: I’m serious, Henry. You offend all my friends: they stop coming whenever they meet you.
HIGGINS: Nonsense! I know I have no small talk; but people don’t mind.
MRS. HIGGINS: Oh! don’t they? Small talk indeed! What about your large talk? Really, dear, you mustn’t stay.

 Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A) To describe what Henry’s mother does when she goes out with her friends

B) To show that Henry’s mother wants him to leave

C) To present a detailed account of what Henry’s home looks like

D) To explain why Henry often visits his mother

A) Incorrect – The passage does not describe Mrs. Higgins’s social outings.

B) Correct – Mrs. Higgins clearly states that Henry must leave because he offends her guests.

C) Incorrect – The passage does not describe Henry’s home.

D) Incorrect – The passage does not explain why Henry visits his mother.

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 Cynthia Kadohata’s 2004 novel Kira-Kira.

[Uncle Katsuhisa] was as loud as my father was quiet. Even when he wasn’t talking, he made a lot of noise, clearing his throat and sniffing and tapping his fingers.

 Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence?

A) It lists the kinds of topics Uncle Katsuhisa enjoys discussing.

B) It suggests that Uncle Katsuhisa dislikes meeting new people.

C) It contrasts Uncle Katsuhisa with the narrator’s father.

D) It describes a conversation between the narrator and the narrator’s father.

A) Incorrect – The sentence does not list topics; instead, it describes Uncle Katsuhisa’s loud behavior.

B) Incorrect – The sentence does not mention meeting new people.

C) Correct – The sentence contrasts Uncle Katsuhisa’s loudness with the father’s quietness, making this the best choice.

D) Incorrect – The sentence does not describe a conversation but rather Uncle Katsuhisa’s actions and mannerisms.

Wakako Yamauchi is best known for And the Soul Shall Dance, her 1977 play about a Japanese American family in Southern California. The play is based on a short story Yamauchi had published three years earlier. Adapting the story wasn’t easy. Theater relies on dialogue between characters, but the original story features little dialogue and instead describes its characters’ silent thoughts. To transform the story into a play, Yamauchi created situations where characters reveal their thoughts by speaking them aloud during conversations with each other.

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

A) It offers information about how Yamauchi adapted her short story into a play.

B) It argues that Yamauchi’s play influenced later playwrights.

C) It explains why Yamauchi’s short story is better known than the play adaptation is.

D) It describes how Yamauchi chose the actors who performed in the play.

A) Correct – The underlined sentence explains how Yamauchi transformed the short story into a play by using dialogue.

B) Incorrect – The text does not mention influence on later playwrights.

C) Incorrect – The passage does not compare the popularity of the short story and the play.

D) Incorrect – The passage does not discuss actor selection.

In response to concerns that some recent financial crises were exacerbated by consumers misunderstanding risks associated with credit cards, loans, and other financial products, policymakers in many countries have instituted risk-disclosure requirements on sellers of those products. Enrique Seira et al. investigated a variety of risk-disclosure messages sent to thousands of credit card customers and found that the messages had only small and short-lived effects on behavior. Seira et al. asserted that such effects may nevertheless be worth pursuing, given the negligible cost of messaging.

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

A) It notes a factor that led Seira et al. to not dismiss risk-disclosure messaging altogether despite their evidence of its limited utility.

B) It acknowledges a type of risk-disclosure messaging that Seira et al. may not have fully accounted for in their study.

C) It describes a consideration that explains why Seira et al. recommended risk-disclosure messaging even though its effects may be small relative to its costs.

D) It points out a circumstance that Seira et al. conceded may make risk-disclosure messaging more effective than their study suggests.

(A) Correct – The underlined portion highlights the negligible cost of risk-disclosure messaging, explaining why researchers support its use despite its limited effects.

(B) Incorrect – It does not specify a type of messaging or whether the researchers considered it, only that the cost is very low.

(C) Incorrect – It states that both cost and effects are small, not that the effects are small relative to the cost.

(D) Incorrect – It does not suggest messaging would be more effective with lower costs but that its current low cost justifies its use.

Oral histories—whether they consist of interviews or recordings of songs and stories—can offer researchers a rich view of people’s everyday experiences. For her book about coal mining communities in Kentucky during the twentieth century, Karida Brown therefore relied in part on interviews with coal miners and their families. By doing so, she gained valuable insights into her subjects’ day-to-day lives.

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

A) It provides a little-known geographical fact about Kentucky.

B) It argues that Karida Brown is an expert on United States politics.

C) It presents a major historical event that took place in the twentieth century.

D) It describes how Karida Brown benefited from incorporating oral history in her book.

A) Incorrect – The passage focuses on Brown’s research method, not Kentucky’s geography.

B) Incorrect – There is no mention of Brown’s political expertise.

C) Incorrect – The passage is not about a specific major historical event but rather research methods.

D) Correct – The underlined sentence explains how Brown’s use of oral history helped her gain insights into coal miners' lives.

The following text is from Georgia Douglas Johnson’s 1922 poem “Benediction.”:

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

 Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A) To express hope that a child will have the same accomplishments as his parent did

B) To suggest that raising a child involves many struggles

C) To warn a child that he will face many challenges throughout his life

D) To encourage a child to embrace the experiences life will offer

A) Incorrect – The poem does not emphasize accomplishments or comparison with a parent.

B) Incorrect – There is no focus on the struggles of raising a child.

C) Incorrect – The poem is not a warning about challenges but rather an encouragement.

D) Correct – The speaker tells the child to “go forth” and embrace life’s opportunities.

The following text is from Edith Wharton’s 1905 novel The House of Mirth. Lily Bart and a companion are walking through a park.

Lily had no real intimacy with nature, but she had a passion for the appropriate and could be keenly sensitive to a scene which was the fitting background of her own sensations. The landscape outspread below her seemed an enlargement of her present mood, and she found something of herself in its calmness, its breadth, its long free reaches. On the nearer slopes the sugar-maples wavered like pyres of light; lower down was a massing of grey orchards, and here and there the lingering green of an oak-grove.

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

A) It creates a detailed image of the physical setting of the scene.

B) It establishes that a character is experiencing an internal conflict.

C) It makes an assertion that the next sentence then expands on.

D) It illustrates an idea that is introduced in the previous sentence.

A) Incorrect – While it does describe the landscape, its purpose is to reflect Lily’s mood, not just provide imagery.

B) Incorrect – The passage does not indicate an internal conflict.

C) Incorrect – The underlined sentence is not an assertion but a description.

D) Correct – The underlined sentence provides details that illustrate Lily’s emotional connection to the scenery.

Individual elephants and Arctic herbivores such as caribou tend to have fixed geographic ranges throughout their lifetimes, which had prompted some researchers to speculate that the Arctic woolly mammoth, an extinct elephantid, might have exhibited similar behavior. Mammoth tusks grew in sequential layers, incorporating ingested minerals and organics, and so each ivory stratum reflects the ratio of strontium isotopes (87Sr/86Sr) in the local environment; thus, the sequence of strata shows where the animal roamed during life. Recent analysis of the strontium ratios in the strata of one Arctic woolly mammoth tusk in relation to the geographic distribution of strontium ratios in the environment shows the animal’s range begin to expand as it reached sexual maturity, only to contract again in its final 1.5 years.

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

A) It discusses a characteristic shared by certain animals in order to explain why researchers raised a possibility that turned out not to be supported by data described later in the text.

B) It illustrates a pattern of behavior among certain animals in order to present a theory about exceptions to that pattern that is weakened by a finding described later in the text.

C) It describes a similarity in the behavior of certain animals in order to show why a method described later in the text did not reveal whether another animal also showed that behavior.

D) It introduces a trait shared by certain animals in order to contextualize a hypothesis about the origin of that trait that is advanced later in the text.

A) Correct – The passage initially suggests that mammoths may have had fixed geographic ranges like elephants and caribou, but later evidence contradicts this hypothesis.

B) Incorrect – There is no focus on exceptions or a theory being weakened.

C) Incorrect – The passage does not claim that strontium isotope analysis failed to reveal movement patterns.

D) Incorrect – The passage does not propose a new hypothesis about the origin of migration behaviors.

The following text is adapted from Aphra Behn’s 1689 novel The Lucky Mistake. Atlante and Rinaldo are neighbors who have been secretly exchanging letters through Charlot, Atlante’s sister.

[Atlante] gave this letter to Charlot; who immediately ran into the balcony with it, where she still found Rinaldo in a melancholy posture, leaning his head on his hand: She showed him the letter, but was afraid to toss it to him, for fear it might fall to the ground; so he ran and fetched a long cane, which he cleft at one end, and held it while she put the letter into the cleft, and stayed not to hear what he said to it. But never was man so transported with joy, as he was at the reading of this letter; it gives him new wounds; for to the generous, nothing obliges love so much as love.

 Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A) It describes the delivery of a letter, and then portrays a character’s happiness at reading that letter.

B) It establishes that a character is desperate to receive a letter, and then explains why another character has not yet written that letter.

C) It presents a character’s concerns about delivering a letter, and then details the contents of that letter.

D) It reveals the inspiration behind a character’s letter, and then emphasizes the excitement that another character feels upon receiving that letter.

A) Correct – The text first describes the process of delivering the letter, then the recipient’s joy upon reading it.

B) Incorrect – There is no indication that Rinaldo was desperate or waiting for a response.

C) Incorrect – The passage does not include details of the letter’s contents.

D) Incorrect – The text does not focus on the inspiration for the letter.

According to historian Vicki L. Ruiz, Mexican American women made crucial contributions to the labor movement during World War II. At the time, food processing companies entered into contracts to supply United States armed forces with canned goods. Increased production quotas conferred greater bargaining power on the companies’ employees, many of whom were Mexican American women: employees insisted on more favorable benefits, and employers, who were anxious to fulfill the contracts, complied. Thus, labor activism became a platform for Mexican American women to assert their agency.

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

A) It elaborates on a claim about labor relations in a particular industry made earlier in the text.

B) It offers an example of a trend in the World War II–era economy discussed earlier in the text.

C) It notes a possible exception to the historical narrative of labor activism sketched earlier in the text.

D) It provides further details about the identities of the workers discussed earlier in the text.

A) Correct – The underlined portion builds on the discussion of labor activism by explaining how increased production quotas empowered workers.

B) Incorrect – The passage focuses on a specific labor movement, not a broad economic trend.

C) Incorrect – The text does not present an exception to the broader narrative.

D) Incorrect – The passage already states the workers were Mexican American women, so the underlined portion does not add new details about them.

In 2007, computer scientist Luis von Ahn was working on converting printed books into a digital format. He found that some words were distorted enough that digital scanners couldn’t recognize them, but most humans could easily read them. Based on that finding, von Ahn invented a simple security test to keep automated “bots” out of websites. The first version of the reCAPTCHA test asked users to type one known word and one of the many words scanners couldn’t recognize. Correct answers proved the users were humans and added data to the book-digitizing project.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A) To discuss von Ahn’s invention of reCAPTCHA

B) To explain how digital scanners work

C) To call attention to von Ahn’s book-digitizing project

D) To indicate how popular reCAPTCHA is

A) Correct – The passage focuses on von Ahn’s discovery and how it led to the creation of reCAPTCHA, making this the best choice.

B) Incorrect – The passage only briefly mentions digital scanners’ limitations; it does not explain how they work.

C) Incorrect – The book-digitizing project is mentioned, but it is a supporting detail, not the main focus.

D) Incorrect – There is no mention of reCAPTCHA’s popularity, only its development.

The following text is adapted from Gwendolyn Bennett’s 1926 poem Street Lamps in Early Spring.

Night wears a garment
All velvet soft, all violet blue...
And over her face she draws a veil
As shimmering fine as floating dew...
And here and there
In the black of her hair
The subtle hands of Night
Move slowly with their gem-starred light.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A) It presents alternating descriptions of night in a rural area and in a city.

B) It sketches an image of nightfall, then an image of sunrise.

C) It makes an extended comparison of night to a human being.

D) It portrays how night changes from one season of the year to the next.

A) Incorrect – The poem does not mention different locations or contrast rural and urban settings.

B) Incorrect – There is no mention of sunrise; the focus remains on the imagery of night.

C) Correct – The poem describes night as if it were a person wearing a garment, veil, and hair adorned with stars, making this an extended metaphor.

D) Incorrect – The poem does not discuss seasonal changes, only a static image of nighttime.

The following text is adapted from Jane Austen’s 1814 novel Mansfield Park. The speaker, Tom, is considering staging a play at home with a group of his friends and family.

"We mean nothing but a little amusement among ourselves, just to vary the scene, and exercise our powers in something new. We want no audience, no publicity. We may be trusted, I think, in choosing some play most perfectly unexceptionable; and I can conceive no greater harm or danger to any of us in conversing in the elegant written language of some respectable author than in chattering in words of our own."

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A) To offer Tom’s assurance that the play will be inoffensive and involve only a small number of people

B) To clarify that the play will not be performed in the manner Tom had originally intended

C) To elaborate on the idea that the people around Tom lack the skills to successfully stage a play

D) To assert that Tom believes the group performing the play will be able to successfully promote it

A) Correct – Tom reassures others that the play is just for amusement, won’t have an audience, and won’t be controversial.

B) Incorrect – There’s no indication that Tom had different original plans that changed.

C) Incorrect – Tom does not suggest that the performers lack skill; he emphasizes that they will use refined language.

D) Incorrect – Tom explicitly states they do not want an audience or publicity.

The following text is from Joan Didion’s memoir The Year of Magical Thinking. In the text, the author discusses her home life.

“[I]n California we heated our houses by building fires. We built fires even on summer evenings, because the fog came in. Fires said we were home, we had drawn the circle, we were safe through the night.”
©2005 by Joan Didion

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

A) It illustrates that a fire provides comfort beyond physical warmth.

B) It summarizes the information that came before it in the text.

C) It explains that the house remains cold even in summer.

D) It suggests that the author feels comfortable in her home with or without a fire.

A) Correct – This option best captures the function of the underlined portion. It shows that fires, beyond providing physical warmth, symbolize a feeling of safety and belonging—emphasizing emotional comfort.

B) Incorrect – The underlined portion does more than summarize; it conveys an emotional meaning that extends beyond the mere recapitulation of earlier details.

C) Incorrect – Although the text mentions summer evenings (when houses might be cooler due to fog), the focus of the underlined portion is on the comforting symbolism of fire, not on coldness.

D) Incorrect – The text indicates that the fire is essential to the feeling of being “home,” not that the author would be equally comfortable without it.

The majority of plastics today wind up in landfills or are, at best, recycled into materials with limited applications. To address this problem, chemist Guoliang Liu and colleagues designed a reactor that melts polyethylene and polypropylene—two widely used plastics—into a wax. The wax can then be transformed into a surfactant (a chemical compound usable as a detergent). With this promising method, plastic waste could be turned into a range of useful cleaning products.

Which choice best states the function of the underlined portion in the text?

A) It clarifies the meaning of a scientific term.

B) It describes an environmental concern.

C) It explains the significance of a scientific discovery.

D) It identifies a result that confused the team.

A) Correct – The parenthetical underlined portion defines “surfactant” as a chemical compound usable as a detergent, thereby clarifying the term for the reader.

B) Incorrect – Although the text addresses an environmental issue, the underlined portion’s role is solely to provide a definition.

C) Incorrect – The passage’s significance lies in the innovative recycling method, not in the definition of the term “surfactant.”

D) Incorrect – There is no indication of confusion; the phrase simply explains a scientific term.

The following text is from H.D.’s 1916 poem: 

“Mid-Day.” In the poem, the speaker is on a path in
an outdoor setting
A slight wind shakes the seed-pods—
my thoughts are spent
as the black seeds.
My thoughts tear me,
I dread their fever.
I am scattered in its whirl.
I am scattered like
the hot shrivelled seeds.

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

A) It illustrates a change in the natural environment that the speaker implies is responsible for the growing misgivings described in the text.

B) It establishes an example of consistency in the natural landscape that the speaker then contrasts with the unpredictability of human emotions.

C) It presents an observation of an occurrence in the natural world that the speaker then expands on to convey a sense of a turbulent interior state.

D) It evokes the ordinariness of an event in nature to suggest that the critical self-evaluation the speaker engages in is a common pursuit.

A) Incorrect – The natural event is not presented as the cause of the speaker’s misgivings but as a metaphor reflecting internal turmoil.

B) Incorrect – The passage does not contrast a consistent natural scene with human emotions; rather, it uses the natural image to mirror the speaker’s turbulent state.

C) Correct – The underlined portion observes the natural occurrence (seedpods shaking) and then uses that image to expand on the speaker’s inner emotional chaos.

D) Incorrect – The text does not imply that self-evaluation is common; it focuses on the intensity and turbulence of the speaker’s thoughts.

In 2023, literary scholar Jeremy Douglass cautioned technology investors and enthusiasts who predict that newer media will ultimately displace conventional books. Douglass observed that the concept of an “interactive” text is much older than technologists assume, extending back to the first time readers scratched notes into a text’s margins. In addition, newer media—such as video games—haven’t replaced older forms of entertainment, such as comic books, but rather exist alongside them. Douglass believes that rather than supplanting books, technology is simply making new forms of expression possible.

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

A) It challenges the stance of the investors and enthusiasts who are mentioned earlier in the text.

B) It explains the basis for the claim made by the technologists mentioned in the text.

C) It suggests that academics are better suited than investors to see the potential uses of contemporary interactive texts.

D) It provides a historical anecdote about the technological challenges involved in reading the earliest interactive texts.

A) Correct – The underlined portion challenges the investors’ and enthusiasts’ prediction by providing historical context that shows interactive texts have a long history, thus disputing the claim that books will be displaced.

B) Incorrect – It does not explain the technologists’ claim but instead refutes it by offering evidence of interactive text’s longstanding presence.

C) Incorrect – There is no mention or comparison of academic versus investor insight; the focus is solely on refuting the displacement prediction.

D) Incorrect – The text does not provide an anecdote about technological challenges; it focuses on historical context to challenge a prediction.

In the 1950s, scientists didn’t know much about the ocean floor. Many scientists at the time believed that the ocean floor was mostly flat. But geologist Marie Tharp and her research partner, Bruce Heezen, proved that this idea was wrong. Using sonar data collected from the Atlantic Ocean, Tharp and Heezen showed that the floor was filled with canyons, mountains, and valleys.

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

A) It identifies a scientific belief that Tharp and Heezen showed to be wrong.

B) It describes the design of Tharp and Heezen’s experiment.

C) It emphasizes a disagreement between Tharp and Heezen.

D) It presents data to support a claim that Tharp and Heezen made.

A) Correct – It accurately describes how the underlined sentence functions in the passage. The sentence presents the belief held by many scientists at the time (that the ocean floor was flat), and the rest of the passage explains how Tharp and Heezen’s research disproved this idea.

B) Incorrect – The underlined sentence does not describe how Tharp and Heezen conducted their research. It states what many scientists previously thought, not the methods used to challenge that belief.

C) Incorrect – There is no mention of a disagreement between Tharp and Heezen. The passage presents them as partners, not opponents.

D) Incorrect – The underlined sentence states a belief, not data. Data would be specific sonar findings, but this sentence just explains what scientists thought before the research.

In the early days of television in the 1940s, many people thought that US television programs would rely on the financial support of ad agencies and commercial sponsors, much like radio did. But advertisers hesitated to jump into a new space, particularly at a time when the manufacturing of new television sets was stalled due to the US’s involvement in World War II.
Broadcasters, like the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), needed to persuade advertisers to support their programming despite not knowing whether there would be a robust television audience to begin with.

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

A) It compares the beginnings of radio programming with the beginnings of television programming in the United States.

B) It identifies a specific reason behind some advertisers’ hesitance to support television.

C) It describes how broadcasters attempted to convince advertisers to support television.

D) It explains why a type of television programming was popular at the time.

A) Incorrect – While the passage mentions that television was expected to be financed like radio, the underlined phrase does not make a direct comparison between the two industries. Instead, it explains why advertisers were hesitant.

B) Correct – The underlined phrase explains why advertisers were hesitant to invest in television. It states that World War II delayed the production of television sets, creating uncertainty about whether a strong audience would exist. This directly identifies a reason for advertiser hesitation.

C) Incorrect – The underlined phrase does not discuss how broadcasters persuaded advertisers. Instead, it explains why advertisers were hesitant in the first place.

D) Incorrect – The passage does not discuss specific types of television programming or their popularity. The underlined phrase focuses on advertiser hesitation, not television content.

The Bayeux Tapestry, from eleventh-century France, depicts 75 scenes over 250 feet of fabric. It was likely produced by workers embroidering in sections and then joining the resulting panels together. It’s plausible that the workshop that produced the tapestry had never produced one so large, and some researchers claim that a close examination of the joins—the places where the panels are stitched together—suggests that the workers developed and refined their joining process over the course of production. For example, the first join the workers completed exhibits a clear misalignment of the borders of the two panels, whereas the later joins are virtually invisible.

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

A) It identifies the people and events depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry.

B) It supports an argument about the workers who produced the Bayeux Tapestry.

C) It compares the Bayeux Tapestry with other tapestries from eleventh-century France.

D) It describes how researchers determined where the Bayeux Tapestry was produced.

A) Incorrect – The underlined sentence discusses the physical construction of the tapestry—specifically, how the workers refined their technique for joining panels. It does not mention any people or events depicted in the tapestry.

B) Correct – The text makes an argument that the workers who produced the Bayeux Tapestry improved their technique over time, which suggests they had not previously made a tapestry of this size. The underlined sentence provides evidence for this argument by noting that early panel joins were misaligned, while later ones were nearly seamless.

C) Incorrect – The underlined sentence only discusses the Bayeux Tapestry itself, comparing its early and later joins. It does not compare the tapestry to other tapestries from eleventh-century France.

D) Incorrect – The passage states that the Bayeux Tapestry was made in France, but the underlined sentence does not discuss how researchers determined its place of origin. Instead, it focuses on how the joins of the panels indicate the workers refined their technique over time.

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 its 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.

Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole. The text presents the speaker’s experience of viewing the sea. In the underlined portion, the speaker focuses on the idea that the waves hitting rocks on the shore are a relentless and enduring force; they are constantly pushed back ("ever repulsed") but always return ("ever rushing on"), as though they have an energy that can't be overcome ("a life that will not know defeat").

Choice A is incorrect. Although the underlined portion characterizes the waves as a relentless force (always "repulsed" but still "rushing on" and never being defeated), the speaker doesn't suggest that the surroundings are intimidating. Instead, the speaker presents the scene in a positive way, describing the "deep delight" of the "gladsome," or cheerful, waves and feeling "the heart / Leap joyous" while viewing the sea.

Choice C is incorrect because the underlined portion doesn’t suggest that the speaker is ambivalent, or has mixed feelings about, the natural world. Instead, it presents a single view of one part of the immediate surroundings: the speaker characterizes the sea’s waves as an unstoppable force, since they are constantly pushed back but always return ("ever repulsed, yet ever rushing on").

Choice D is incorrect. Although the text later suggests the speaker’s view of her own thoughts by referring to a "clouded brain" and a heart that leaps joyously, this reference neither occurs within the underlined portion nor establishes a clear contrast with the relentless determination of the waves. The underlined portion addresses only the speaker’s view of the waves and doesn’t suggest what her own thoughts might be.

The following text is adapted from Aphra Behn’s 1689 novel The Lucky Mistake. Atlante and Rinaldo are neighbors who have been secretly exchanging letters through Charlot, Atlante’s sister.

[Atlante] gave this letter to Charlot: who
immediately ran into the balcony with it, where
she still found Rinaldo in a melancholy posture,
leaning his head on his hand: She showed him
the letter, but was afraid to toss it to him, for
fear it might fall to the ground; so he ran and
fetched a long cane, which he cleft at one end,
and held it while she put the letter into the cleft,
and stayed not to hear what he said to it. But
never was man so transported with joy, as he
was at the reading of this letter; it gives him new
wounds; for to the generous, nothing obliges
love so much as love.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A) It describes the delivery of a letter, and then portrays a character’s happiness at reading that letter.

B) It establishes that a character is desperate to receive a letter, and then explains why another character has not yet written that letter.

C) It presents a character’s concerns about delivering a letter, and then details the contents of that letter.

D) It reveals the inspiration behind a character’s letter, and then emphasizes the excitement that another character feels upon receiving that letter.

Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the overall structure of the text. The narrator begins by explaining how Charlot carefully delivers Atlante’s letter to Rinaldo, and then relates that Rinaldo feels “transported with joy” after reading the letter. Therefore, the overall structure of the text is best described as a description of the delivery of a letter followed by the portrayal of a character’s happiness after reading the letter.

Choice B is incorrect because the text indicates that the letter has been written; there’s no explanation why another character hasn’t written one. In addition, the text’s description of Rinaldo “in a melancholy posture” suggests that he’s sad and thoughtful, not that he’s desperate to receive the letter.

Choice C is incorrect. Although the text describes Rinaldo’s reaction to the letter, it doesn’t begin by discussing Atlante’s inspiration for writing the letter. Instead, the text begins by discussing the delivery of the letter.

Choice D is incorrect because it doesn't reflect the structure described in the text. The text does not focus on the inspiration behind the letter (i.e., why Atlante wrote the letter). Instead, it starts by discussing the delivery of the letter and how Rinaldo reacts to it, specifically feeling "transported with joy" upon reading it. The text emphasizes Rinaldo's emotional response to the letter, not the motivation behind Atlante writing it.

The following text is from Walt Whitman's 1860 poem "Calamus 24."

I HEAR it is charged against me that I seek to destroy institutions;
But really I am neither for nor against institutions—
(What indeed have I in common with them?— Or what with the destruction of them?)
Only I will establish in the Mannahatta [Manhattan] and in every city of These States, inland and seaboard,
And in the fields and woods, and above every keel [ship] little or large, that dents the water,
Without edifices, or rules, or trustees, or any argument,
The institution of the dear love of comrades.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A) The speaker questions an increasingly prevalent attitude, then summarizes his worldview.

B) The speaker regrets his isolation from others, then predicts a profound change in society.

C) The speaker concedes his personal shortcomings, then boasts of his many achievements.

D) The speaker addresses a criticism leveled against him, then announces a grand ambition of his.

Choice D is the best answer because it best describes the overall structure of the text. The speaker begins by stating that he has heard that others are accusing him of seeking to destroy institutions. The speaker then addresses this criticism by stating that he is "neither for nor against institutions." Instead, the speaker states that his ultimate goal is to instill "the institution of the dear love of comrades" everywhere in the country. Therefore, the overall structure of the text is best described as an address of criticism followed by an announcement of a grand ambition.

Choice A is incorrect. While the speaker does address an opinion of him that he believes to be untrue, he doesn’t indicate that this attitude has become increasingly prevalent. The speaker also concludes by explaining his goal for the future rather than his current worldview.

Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t portray the speaker as isolated or regretful, and the speaker gestures toward a hope for societal change but doesn’t offer an explicit prediction that it will happen.

Choice C is incorrect because the speaker addresses a criticism of him that he believes to be false; he doesn’t admit any personal shortcomings. Moreover, the speaker concludes by stating a goal he has rather than showcasing his achievements.

The following text is from the 1923 poem “Black Finger” by Angelina Weld Grimké, a Black American writer. A cypress is a type of evergreen tree.

I have just seen a most beautiful thing,
Slim and still,
Against a gold, gold sky,
A straight black cypress,
Sensitive,
Exquisite,
A black finger
Pointing upwards.
Why, beautiful still finger, are you black?
And why are you pointing upwards?

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A) The speaker assesses a natural phenomenon, then questions the accuracy of her assessment.

B) The speaker describes a distinctive sight in nature, then ponders what meaning to attribute to that sight.

C) The speaker presents an outdoor scene, then considers a human behavior occurring within that scene.

D) The speaker examines her surroundings, then speculates about their influence on her emotional state.

Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the overall structure of the text. First, the speaker describes observing a “most beautiful” sight: a tree (“black cypress”) standing out from the golden sky behind it, looking like a person’s finger “pointing upwards” and appearing “sensitive” and “exquisite.” Then the speaker wonders about the image’s meaning, asking why the finger is black and why it’s pointing upward. Thus, the text moves from the speaker’s description of a distinctive sight in nature to her pondering about what meaning to attribute to that sight.

Choice A is incorrect because the speaker assesses a natural sight—a “black cypress” tree standing “against a gold, gold sky” like a pointed finger—but doesn’t question the accuracy of her own assessment. Although she wonders why the finger, which is really a tree, is black and why it’s pointing, the speaker doesn’t suggest that her belief that the tree resembles a finger is wrong. 

Choice C is incorrect because the speaker describes seeing a “black cypress” tree standing “against a gold, gold sky” like a pointed finger, she wonders about that natural image (asking why the finger, which is really a tree, is black and why it’s pointing) and doesn’t give any indication that any people are present in the scene. 

Choice D is incorrect. Although the speaker examines and wonders about the thing in her surroundings—a “black cypress” tree standing “against a gold, gold sky” like a pointed finger—she doesn’t address her own emotional state or consider how it’s affected by her surroundings.

“The Young Girl” is a 1920 short story by Katherine Mansfield. In the story, the narrator takes an unnamed seventeen-year-old girl and her younger brother out for a meal. In describing the teenager, Mansfield frequently contrasts the character’s pleasant appearance with her unpleasant attitude, as when Mansfield writes of the teenager, __________.

Which quotation from “The Young Girl” most effectively illustrates the claim?

A) “I heard her murmur, ‘I can’t bear flowers on a table.’ They had evidently been giving her intense pain, for she positively closed her eyes as I moved them away.”

B) “While we waited she took out a little, gold powder-box with a mirror in the lid, shook the poor little puff as though she loathed it, and dabbed her lovely nose.”

C) “I saw, after that, she couldn’t stand this place a moment longer, and, indeed, she jumped up and turned away while I went through the vulgar act of paying for the tea.”

D) “She didn’t even take her gloves off. She lowered her eyes and drummed on the table. When a faint violin sounded she winced and bit her lip again. Silence.”

Choice B is the best answer because it most effectively illustrates the claim in the text that in describing the teenaged girl, Mansfield contrasts the character’s pleasant appearance with her unpleasant attitude. In the quotation, Mansfield describes the teenager as having a “lovely nose” (a compliment about her appearance) but also as treating her makeup puff “as though she loathed it” (a judgment suggesting her unpleasant attitude).

Choice A is incorrect because the teenager’s reaction to the flowers doesn’t make it clear that she has an unpleasant attitude, and nothing in the quotation indicates that any part of her appearance is pleasant. 

Choice C is incorrect because the quotation suggests that the teenager has an unpleasant attitude (being upset with the location and leaving the table before the narrator has paid for the meal) but doesn’t give any indication that she has a pleasant appearance. 

Choice D is incorrect because the quotation suggests that the teenager may have an unpleasant attitude (lowering her eyes, wincing, and sitting in silence) but doesn’t give any indication that any part of her appearance is pleasant.

King Lear is a circa 1606 play by William Shakespeare. In the play, the character of King Lear attempts to test his three daughters' devotion to him. He later expresses regret for his actions, as is evident when he _______

Which choice most effectively uses a quotation from King Lear to illustrate the claim?

A) says of himself, "I am a man / more sinned against than sinning."

B) says during a growing storm, "This tempest will not give me leave to ponder / O’th’ things would hurt me more."

C) says to himself while striking his head, "Beat at this gate that let thy folly in! / And thy dear judgment out!"

D) says of himself, "I will do such things... / What they are yet, I know not; but they shall be / The terrors of the earth!"

Choice C is the best answer because it most effectively uses a quotation from King Lear to illustrate the claim that King Lear expresses regret for his actions. In the quotation, Lear describes striking himself on the head—the same act he’s engaged in as he speaks, and one that suggests he’s deeply upset with himself. Referring to himself in the second person (with “thou”), the character exclaims, “Beat at this gate that let thy folly in! / And thy dear judgement out!” Lear refers metaphorically to his own mind as a gate that has allowed folly, or poor judgment, to enter and good judgment to escape. This suggests that Lear regrets his attempts to test his three daughters’ devotion to him, regarding those attempts as examples of the folly that has entered the gate of his mind.

Choice A is incorrect because this quotation doesn’t express King Lear’s sense of regret over his own actions; instead, it expresses his belief that the harm that others have done to him (or the extent to which they have “sinned against” him) outweighs whatever harm he himself has caused by “sinning.” 

Choice B is incorrect because this quotation doesn’t express King Lear’s sense of regret over his own actions; instead, it expresses his thoughts about an approaching storm (“this tempest”), which he believes “will not give [him] leave to ponder,” or time to consider, the harm that he will continue to experience (“things” that “would hurt him more”). 

Choice D is incorrect because this quotation expresses King Lear’s vow to commit terrible actions or “things” that shall be “the terrors of the earth” rather than lamenting the actions that he’s already taken.

Many of William Shakespeare’s tragedies address broad themes that still appeal to today’s audiences. For instance, Romeo and Juliet, which is set in the Italy of Shakespeare’s time, tackles the themes of parents versus children and love versus hate, and the play continues to be read and produced widely around the world. But understanding Shakespeare’s so-called history plays can require a knowledge of several centuries of English history. Consequently, ____________

Which choice most logically completes the text?

A) many theatergoers and readers today are likely to find Shakespeare’s history plays less engaging than the tragedies.

B) some of Shakespeare’s tragedies are more relevant to today’s audiences than twentieth-century plays.

C) Romeo and Juliet is the most thematically accessible of all Shakespeare’s tragedies.

D) Shakespeare’s history plays tend to prefer Shakespeare’s history plays to his other works.

Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the relative appeal of different kinds of plays by Shakespeare to today’s audiences. According to the text, Shakespeare’s tragedies address broad themes that continue to appeal to today’s audiences. Indeed, the text suggests that these themes are timeless, as illustrated by the example of Romeo and Juliet, which the text states is still read and widely performed despite being set in the Italy of Shakespeare’s time. In contrast, the text indicates that audiences and readers may need to be familiar with several centuries of English history in order to understand Shakespeare’s history plays. Because many theatergoers and readers are unlikely to possess extensive historical knowledge, it follows that they are likely to find Shakespeare’s history plays less engaging than his more accessible tragedies.

Choice B is incorrect because the text never introduces a comparison between Shakespeare’s tragedies and twentieth-century plays, since twentieth-century plays aren’t mentioned, there’s no basis in the text for the idea that some of Shakespeare’s tragedies are more relevant than twentieth-century plays to today’s audiences. 

Choice C is incorrect. Although the text indicates that Romeo and Juliet is more accessible to today’s audiences, it doesn’t suggest that Romeo and Juliet is more accessible than Shakespeare’s other tragedies. Rather, the text presents Romeo and Juliet as an example to support the idea that Shakespeare’s tragedies hold continued appeal for today’s readers and theatergoers. 

Choice D is incorrect. Although experts in English history would likely possess the knowledge needed to understand Shakespeare’s history plays, the text never mentions such experts or suggests that they would enjoy his history plays more than Shakespeare’s other works.

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:

• The Atlantic Monthly magazine was first published in 1857.
• The magazine focused on politics, art, and literature.
• In 2019, historian Cathryn Halverson published the book Faraway Women and the Atlantic Monthly.
• Its subject is female authors whose autobiographies appeared in the magazine in the early 1900s.
• One of the authors discussed is Juanita Harrison.

The student wants to introduce Cathryn Halverson’s book to an audience already familiar with the Atlantic Monthly. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A) Cathryn Halverson’s Faraway Women and the Atlantic Monthly discusses female authors whose autobiographies appeared in the magazine in the early 1900s.

B) A magazine called the Atlantic Monthly, referred to in Cathryn Halverson’s book title, was first published in 1857.

C) Faraway Women and the Atlantic Monthly features contributors to the Atlantic Monthly, first published in 1857 as a magazine focusing on politics, art, and literature.

D) An author discussed by Cathryn Halverson is Juanita Harrison, whose autobiography appeared in the Atlantic Monthly in the early 1900s.

Choice A is the best answer. The sentence effectively introduces Cathryn Halverson’s book to an audience already familiar with the Atlantic Monthly, noting the title of Halverson’s book and describing its content without providing background information about the Atlantic Monthly.

Choice B is incorrect. The sentence introduces the Atlantic Monthly and mentions that it’s referred to in Cathryn Halverson’s book; it doesn’t effectively introduce Halverson’s book. 

Choice C is incorrect. The sentence assumes the audience is unfamiliar with the Atlantic Monthly, providing background information about the magazine; it doesn’t effectively introduce Halverson’s book to an audience already familiar with the Atlantic Monthly. 

Choice D is incorrect. While the sentence assumes that the audience is familiar with the Atlantic Monthly, it doesn’t effectively introduce Cathryn Halverson’s book.

The following text is adapted from Jean Webster’s 1912 novel Daddy-Long-Legs. The narrator is a young college student writing letters detailing her weekly experiences.

[The college is] organizing the Freshman basketball team and there’s just a chance that I shall make it. I’m little, of course, but terribly quick and wiry and tough. While the others are hopping about in the air, I can dodge under their feet and grab the ball.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A) To compare basketball with other sports

B) To provide details of how to play basketball

C) To state how players will be chosen for the basketball team

D) To explain why the narrator thinks she might make the basketball team

Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. In the first sentence of the text, the narrator states that she thinks there’s a chance she will become part of the basketball team at her college. She goes on to explain that she is “quick” and “tough.” Based on these characteristics, she thinks she has a chance to join the team. Thus, the main purpose of the text is to explain why the narrator thinks she might make the basketball team.

Choice A is incorrect because the text focuses solely on basketball and doesn’t mention any other kinds of sports.

Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t describe aspects of the game of basketball. Instead, it provides the narrator’s reasoning for thinking that she might make her school basketball team.

Choice C is incorrect. Although the narrator explains why she thinks she will be chosen for the basketball team at her school, the text doesn’t go into the general decision-making process or the requirements for being picked for the team.

In the late 1800s, Spanish-language newspapers flourished in cities across Texas. San Antonio alone produced eleven newspapers in Spanish between 1890 and 1900. But El Paso surpassed all other cities in the state. This city produced twenty-two newspapers in Spanish during that period. El Paso is located on the border with Mexico and has always had a large population of Spanish speakers. Thus, it is unsurprising that this city became such a rich site for Spanish-language journalism.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A) To compare Spanish-language newspapers published in Texas today with ones published there during the late 1800s

B) To explain that Spanish-language newspapers thrived in Texas and especially in El Paso during the late 1800s

C) To argue that Spanish-language newspapers published in El Paso influenced the ones published in San Antonio during the late 1800s

D) To explain why Spanish-language newspapers published in Texas were so popular in Mexico during the late 1800s

Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The text begins by stating that there were many Spanish-language newspapers in cities across Texas in the late 1800s, including San Antonio as a city which produced eleven such newspapers. The text then goes on to note that in El Paso, there were twenty-two newspapers published in Spanish in the late 1800s, more than any other Texas city. The text then concludes by explaining that the reason for El Paso’s large number of Spanish-language newspapers was likely El Paso’s location near Mexico and its large population of Spanish speakers. Therefore, the main purpose of the text is to explain that Spanish-language newspapers thrived in Texas cities, especially in El Paso, in the late 1800s.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t discuss Spanish-language newspapers published in Texas today, let alone compare them with newspapers that were published in the 1800s.

Choice C is incorrect. Although the text characterizes El Paso as a particularly rich site for Spanish-language journalism in the late 1800s, the text doesn’t discuss whether newspapers published in El Paso influenced the newspapers published in other cities across Texas, including San Antonio.

Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t mention whether Spanish-language newspapers published in Texas were widely read in Mexico. The text only focuses on the popularity of Spanish-language newspapers within Texas, and especially in El Paso.

Chile’s Atacama Desert is one of the driest places on Earth. Mary Beth Wilhelm and other astrobiologists search for life, or its remains, in this harsh place because the desert closely mirrors the extreme environment on Mars. The algae and bacteria found in Atacama’s driest regions may offer clues about Martian life. By studying how these and other microorganisms survive such extreme conditions on Earth, Wilhelm’s team hopes to determine whether similar life might have existed on Mars and to develop the best tools to look for evidence of it.

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

A) To contrast the conditions in the Atacama Desert with those on Mars

B) To explain why many life-forms cannot survive in the Atacama Desert

C) To indicate why astrobiologists choose to conduct research in the Atacama Desert

D) To describe certain limitations to conducting scientific study in the Atacama Desert

Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole. The first sentence describes a unique location on Earth, the Atacama Desert. The next sentence, which is the underlined sentence, states that the reason why astrobiologists study life, or its remains, in this unique location is that Atacama is a harsh environment that closely resembles the extreme environment of Mars. The remainder of the text explains that the researchers hope their work in Atacama will support inquiry into life on Mars. Thus, the underlined portion functions mainly to indicate why astrobiologists choose to conduct research in the Atacama Desert.

Choice A is incorrect because the text aims to show the differences between Atacama and Mars, and the phrase "closely mirrors" in the underlined sentence indicates that the extreme environment in the Atacama Desert is similar to, not different from, that on Mars. This similarity is why, according to the underlined sentence, astrobiologists conduct research in Atacama.

Choice B is incorrect because the underlined sentence doesn’t address forms of life that are unable to survive the harsh environment of the Atacama Desert. Instead, the sentence explains that the similarity between the environments of Atacama and Mars is the reason why astrobiologists search for life, or its remains, in Atacama.

Choice D is incorrect because the underlined sentence doesn't suggest that the scientific research in the Atacama Desert is limited in any way; instead, the sentence explains that the similarity between the environments of Atacama and Mars is the reason why astrobiologists search for life, or its remains, in Atacama.

More than 60% of journeys in Mexico City occur via public transit, but simply reproducing a feature of the city’s transit system—e.g., its low fares—is unlikely to induce a significant increase in another city’s transit ridership. As Erick Guerra et al. have shown, transportation mode choice in urban areas of Mexico is the product of a complex mix of factors, including population density, the spatial distribution of jobs, and demographic characteristics of individuals. System features do affect ridership, of course, but there is an irreducibly contextual dimension of transportation mode choice.

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

A) It presents an objection to the argument of Guerra et al. about transportation mode choice in urban areas of Mexico.

B) It explains why it is challenging to influence transit ridership solely by altering characteristics of a transit system.

C) It illustrates the claim that a characteristic associated with high transit ridership in Mexico City is not associated with high transit ridership elsewhere.

D) It substantiates the assertion that population density, the spatial distribution of jobs, and demographic characteristics are important factors in transportation mode choice.

Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined portion functions in the text as a whole. The first sentence explains that reproducing the high ridership of Mexico City’s public transit system in other cities by implementing some of its features, such as its low fares, is unlikely to induce a significant increase in those cities’ transit ridership. The following sentence introduces a study by Guerra et al., whose findings—namely that choice of transportation mode in urban centers in Mexico is influenced by a variety of local contextual factors—support this claim. The first part of the last sentence concedes that features of transportation systems likely do have some effect on ridership numbers, but the underlined portion reiterates the study’s conclusion by stating that there is an “irreducibly contextual dimension” to people’s choice to use public transportation: that is, there is a complex mix of local contextual factors—including population density, spatial distribution of jobs, and demographics—which influence over an urban center’s transit ridership in unique to each location, and it is unlikely that simple changes to transit system characteristics could negate the influence of those contextual factors. Thus, the underlined portion explains why it is challenging to influence transit ridership solely by changing some of a transit system’s characteristics.

Choice A is incorrect. Rather than objecting to the argument of Guerra et al., the underlined portion reiterates their argument by stating that there is an “irreducibly contextual dimension” involved in transportation mode choice; in other words, transportation mode choice in urban areas of Mexico is strongly dependent on contextual factors that are unique to each urban area.

Choice C is incorrect because the underlined portion does not illustrate a claim, but instead restates the findings of the study of Guerra et al.

Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t discuss how Spanish-language newspapers in El Paso influenced the ones published in other cities like San Antonio during the late 1800s.

Changes to vegetation cover and other human activities influence carbon and nitrogen levels in soil, though how deep these effects extend is unclear. Hypothesizing that differences in land use lead to differences in carbon and nitrogen levels that are not restricted to the topsoil layer (0–30 cm deep), Chukwuebuka Okolo and colleagues sampled soils across multiple land-use types (e.g., grazing land, cropland, forest) within each of several Ethiopian locations. They found, though, that across land-use types, carbon and nitrogen decreased to comparably low levels beyond depths of 30 cm.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A) It describes a phenomenon that scientists do not fully understand, explains a research team’s hypothesis about that phenomenon, and then describes a finding that led the team to refine the hypothesis.

B) It introduces an unresolved scientific question, presents a research team’s hypothesis pertaining to that question, and then describes an observation made by the team that conflicts with that hypothesis.

C) It discusses a process that scientists are somewhat unclear about, introduces competing hypotheses about that process, and then explains how a research team concluded that one of those hypotheses is likely correct.

D) It explains a hypothesis that has been the subject of scientific debate, discusses how a research team tested that hypothesis, and then presents data the team collected that validates the hypothesis.

Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the overall structure of the text. The text begins by explaining that human activities influence carbon and nitrogen levels in soil, but how deep these effects extend is unclear. Next, the text summarizes Okolo and colleagues' hypothesis regarding this question—which is that the differences in carbon and nitrogen levels associated with different types of land use would also be observed to test this hypothesis. Finally, the text states that the researchers found that at depths below the topsoil layer—carbon and nitrogen decreased to similarly low levels across all land-use types, a finding that conflicts with the team’s hypothesis presented earlier in the text. Thus, the text introduces an unresolved scientific question, presents a research team’s hypothesis pertaining to that question, and then describes an observation made by the team that conflicted with their hypothesis.

Choice A is incorrect. Although the text introduces a phenomenon (the fact that human activities influence carbon and nitrogen levels in the soil) that isn’t fully understood by scientists and explains a research team’s hypothesis about the phenomenon, the text doesn’t describe how the team refined their hypothesis when a research finding contradicted it.

Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t describe how a process is studied; it presents an unresolved scientific question and presents a hypothesis that Okolo and colleagues tested to answer that question.

Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t begin by explaining a hypothesis that has been debated; instead, it presents a question that scientists have been unable to answer and then introduces a hypothesis formulated by Okolo and colleagues. While the text does explain how Okolo’s team tested their hypothesis, the text goes on to explain that the data conflicted with their hypothesis, not that the data validated or supported their hypothesis.

The following text is adapted from Jerome K. Jerome’s 1889 novel Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog). The narrator is traveling by boat with Harris and another friend.

[Harris] told us anecdotes of how he had gone across the [English] Channel when it was so rough that the passengers had to be tied into their [beds], and he and the captain were the only two living souls on board who were not ill. Sometimes it was he and the second mate who were not ill; but it was generally he and one other man. If not he and another man, then it was he by himself.

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

A) It indicates the reason for Harris’s eagerness to resume traveling.

B) It hints at Harris’s feeling that during an earlier boat trip, others didn’t include him in activities.

C) It emphasizes that Harris always boasts about his own constitution when speaking of a previous boat trip.

D) It reveals that although Harris claims to prefer solitary activities when traveling, he actually enjoys having company.

Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as a whole. In the text, Harris tells stories about his previous boat trip across the English Channel, when conditions were so rough that others onboard became seasick. According to the text, Harris's accounts vary somewhat but generally involve him and only one other man not growing ill. The underlined sentence then adds that if it was “not [Harris] and another man” who didn’t develop seasickness, “then it was [Harris] by himself.” That is, some versions of the story even involve Harris being the only person onboard who resisted seasickness. Therefore, the underlined sentence emphasizes that Harris always boasts about his own constitution, or physical well-being, when speaking of a previous boat trip.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t portray Harris as being eager to resume traveling; instead, it shows Harris boasting of how he didn’t become seasick on a previous boat trip when most or all of the other people onboard did. 

Choice B is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that Harris felt excluded from activities during an earlier boat trip. The text suggests that Harris experienced isolation during that trip because others onboard had grown ill, not because Harris had wanted to join certain activities but felt left out. 

Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t portray Harris as either enjoying company or claiming to prefer solitude. The text suggests that Harris experienced some degree of isolation during a previous boat trip, but the reason provided by the text has nothing to do with a preference for either solitude or the opposite; rather, the reason, according to Harris, is that most or all of the other people onboard were sick.

Several studies have found negligible electoral consequences for governments that impose fiscal austerity measures, yet some European governments recently suffered electorally due to their austerity programs, Evelyn Huebscher and colleagues attribute this incongruity to governments’ tendency—not followed in the recent European cases—to implement austerity programs strategically to avoid electoral costs (e.g., setting spending cuts to take effect only after the next election), which has obscured the inherent political risks of austerity measures in the election data scholars have examined.

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

A) It explains a discrepancy between what has been observed in study settings and what has been observed in real-world settings, that the text goes on to assert is attributable to the studies not using real-world data.

B) It identifies a conflict between research findings and recent events that the text goes on to suggest is a consequence of a complicating factor in the data used to generate those findings.

C) It presents a long-standing divergence in research findings that the text goes on to say is due to different groups of researchers using data that derive from different electoral circumstances.

D) It describes a recent exception to a general pattern in research findings that the text goes on to explain is a result of researchers underestimating the significance of inconsistencies in the data they’ve analyzed.

Choice B is the best answer because it best describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as a whole. The underlined sentence explains that contrary to what several studies would suggest, recent European governments recently suffered electorally due to their austerity programs. The text goes on to indicate that the researchers generated their findings from data that didn’t reveal the true political risk of austerity measures because the data were based on cases in which governments had set austerity programs to take effect after the next election, a practice the European governments that recently suffered electorally didn’t adhere to, thus introducing a complicating factor resulting in a conflict between the research findings and recent events.

Choice A is incorrect because the underlined sentence doesn’t indicate that the discrepancy described in the text is between observations made in study settings and observations made in real-world settings. Rather, the underlined sentence indicates that the outcome of recent events is contrary to what would be expected based on the findings of several studies. Additionally, there is nothing in the text to suggest that the studies mentioned did not use real-world data; instead, the text indicates that the data used was generated under potentially different circumstances than the recent events. 

Choice C is incorrect because the underlined sentence doesn’t present a long-standing divergence in research findings but rather a discrepancy between past research findings and recent events that the text goes on to attribute to researchers’ use of data that didn’t reveal the true political risk of austerity measures. 

Choice D is incorrect because while the underlined sentence notes that there have been some recent exceptions to a general pattern observed in several research studies, it does not go on to attribute this exception to the researchers underestimating inconsistencies in the data. Rather, the text goes on to attribute this to a circumstance (fiscal austerity measures being implemented before an election rather than after), which adds a complicating factor into the data not accounted for in past studies.

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 world 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 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.

Astronomers are confident that the star Betelgeuse will eventually consume all the helium in its core and explode in a supernova. They are much less confident, however, about when this will happen, since that depends on internal characteristics of Betelgeuse that are largely unknown. Astrophysicist Sarafina El-Bardy Nance and colleagues recently investigated whether acoustic waves in the star could be used to determine internal stellar states, but concluded that this method could not sufficiently reveal Betelgeuse's internal characteristics to allow its evolutionary state to be firmly fixed. 
 
Which choice best describes the function of the second sentence in the overall structure of the text?

A) It explains how the work of Nance and colleagues was received by others in the field

B) It presents the central finding reported by Nance and colleagues

C) It identifies the problem that Nance and colleagues attempted to solve but did not

D) It describes a serious limitation of the method used by Nance and colleagues

Choice C is the best answer because it best describes how the second sentence functions in the text as a whole. The first sentence establishes something astronomers believe with some certainty: that Betelgeuse will explode in a supernova. The second sentence then introduces a problem: astronomers aren't certain when Betelgeuse will explode because they don't have enough information about the star's internal characteristics. Finally, the first sentence indicates that researchers Sarafina El-Bardy Nance and colleagues investigated a possible method of obtaining the necessary information about Betelgeuse's internal characteristics, though they found that the method wouldn't be sufficient. Thus, the function of the second sentence is to identify the problem that Nance and colleagues attempted to solve but didn't

Choice A is incorrect because the second sentence doesn't indicate how other astronomers or astrophysicists responded to the work done by Nance and colleagues; the text doesn't address this information at all.

Choice B is incorrect because the second sentence introduces the general problem that Nance and colleagues hoped to solve, not the central finding they ultimately reported. It is the third sentence that presents Nance and colleagues' conclusion that a potential method for determining internal stellar states would be insufficient.

Choice D is incorrect because the second sentence introduces the general problem Nance and colleagues hoped to solve, not a serious limitation of how Nance and colleagues tried to solve it. It is the third sentence that introduces Nance and colleagues, but no serious limitation of their approach to studying a method of determining internal stellar states is described.

The mimosa tree evolved in East Asia, where the beetle Bruchidius terrenus preys on its seeds. In 1785, mimosa trees were introduced to North America, far away from any B. terrenus. But evolutionary links between predators and their prey can persist across centuries and continents. Around 2001, B. terrenus was introduced in southeastern North America near where botanist Shu-Mei Chang and colleagues had been monitoring mimosa trees. Within a year, 93% of the trees had been attacked by the beetles.

Which choice best describes the function of the third sentence in the overall structure of the text?

A) It states the hypothesis that Chang and colleagues had set out to investigate using mimosa trees and B. terrenus

B) It presents a generalization that is exemplified by the discussion of the mimosa trees and B. terrenus.

C) It offers an alternative explanation for the findings of Chang and colleagues. 

D) It provides context that clarifies why the species mentioned spread to new locations.

Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the third sentence within the overall structure of the text. The third sentence makes a generalization, asserting that evolutionary links between predators and prey can persist across great expanses of time and distance. This generalization is exemplified by the text's discussion of the relationship between mimosa trees and B. terrenus beetles. When mimosa trees were introduced to North America in 1785, no B. terrenus were present, so the relationship between the trees and the beetles that exists in their native East Asia was disrupted. When the beetles were introduced to North America more than 200 years later, however, they quickly attacked mimosa trees, illustrating the generalization that links between predators and prey "can persist across centuries and continents."

Choice A is incorrect because the third sentence doesn't indicate that Chang and colleagues were investigating any particular hypothesis. According to the text, Chang and colleagues were simply monitoring mimosa trees when the beetles happened to be introduced to the area. 

Choice C is incorrect because the third sentence offers a generalization about the relationship between predators and prey, not an explanation for the findings of Chang and colleagues that differs from an explanation presented elsewhere in the text.

Choice D is incorrect because the third sentence doesn't discuss any particular species (either the species mentioned elsewhere in the text or any other) and doesn't help explain why species spread to new locations.

On painter William H. Johnson’s return to the United States in 1938 after a decade in Europe, his style underwent an abrupt transformation. Turning away from landscapes painted in an expressionist style—a style that often involves using fluid, distorted shapes and thick, textured brushstrokes to express the artist’s subjective experience of reality—Johnson began painting portraits of Black Americans in a bold new way. Evocative of African sculpture and American and Scandinavian folk art, these portraits feature flat, deliberately oversimplified figures in a vibrant but limited color palette.

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

A) It elaborates on the previous sentence’s statement about a transitional moment in Johnson’s artistic career.

B) It provides information about Johnson’s travels in support of a claim about his artistic influences, which is advanced in the following sentence.

C) It recounts a moment in Johnson’s personal life that enabled the success of his subsequent career, which is summarized in the following sentence.

D) It presents evidence that calls into question the previous sentence’s characterization of Johnson’s artistic development.

A) Correct – The underlined sentence offers specific detail that explains what Johnson moved away from (expressionist landscapes) and what he transitioned toward (portraits of Black Americans). This elaborates on the stylistic transformation mentioned in the first sentence.

B) Incorrect – While the passage references Europe and styles evoking African and folk art, the sentence doesn't focus on travel or trace the influence from specific geographic experiences.

C) Incorrect – The passage is not about Johnson’s personal life or career success; it’s about his stylistic evolution.

D) Incorrect – The sentence supports and expands on the previous idea rather than undermining it.

When classical pianist Martha Argerich performs, it appears as if the music is coming to her spontaneously. She’s highly skilled technically, but because of how freely she plays and her willingness to take risks, she seems relaxed and natural. Her apparent ease, however, is due to a tremendous amount of preparation. Despite Argerich’s experience and virtuosity, she never takes for granted that she knows a piece of music. Instead, she approaches the music as if encountering it for the first time and tries to understand it anew.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A) To provide details about how Argerich identifies which pieces of music she will perform

B) To assert that Argerich’s performances look effortless because of how she prepares for them

C) To discuss the kinds of music Argerich feels most comfortable encountering for the first time

D) To describe the unique way that Argerich approaches music she hasn’t performed before

A) Incorrect – The passage doesn’t discuss how she chooses music.

B) Correct – The main purpose is to highlight the contrast between Argerich’s effortless appearance onstage and the deep preparation that makes it possible.

C) Incorrect – There is no focus on specific genres or preferences; the point is how she treats any piece.

D) Incorrect – While the passage does describe her mindset, the focus isn’t on her being unique, but rather the reason she appears so relaxed: preparation.

The following text is adapted from Herman Melville’s 1855 novel Israel Potter. Israel is a young man wandering through New England during the late eighteenth century.

He hired himself out for three months; at the end of that time to receive for his wages two hundred acres of land lying in New Hampshire. [...] His employer proving false to the contract in the matter of the land, and there being no law in the country to force him to fulfil it, Israel—who, however brave-hearted, and even much of a dare-devil upon a pinch, seems nevertheless to have evinced, throughout many parts of his career, a singular patience and mildness—was obliged to look round for other means of livelihood than clearing out a farm for himself in the wilderness.

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

A) It implies that Israel treasures a particular characteristic of his personality when that characteristic should usually be regarded as a flaw.

B) It suggests that if not for a certain aspect of his character, Israel might not have been as easily thwarted in his ambition to establish a farm.

C) It shows why Israel would not have been able to undertake the enormous amount of labor necessary to run a farm even if he had owned the necessary property.

D) It explains why, when the situation requires it, Israel is able to undertake courageous acts that others would generally avoid.

A) Incorrect – The narrator comments on Israel’s nature, not how Israel values or judges it.

B) Correct – The contrast shows that Israel's usual passivity (patience and mildness) may have made him vulnerable to being cheated.

C) Incorrect – The underlined portion doesn’t mention Israel’s physical ability to run a farm.

D) Incorrect – The point isn’t that he acts heroically but that he tends to be too mild to resist wrongdoing.

The people of medieval Europe have traditionally been seen as uninterested in cleanliness and hygiene, but modern research has shown that this is largely a myth. According to historian Eleanor Janega, most medieval towns in Europe had at least one public bathhouse, which often offered both full-immersion baths and—more affordably—steam baths. While such amenities were available mainly to town dwellers, regular bathing in rivers and streams or daily sponge baths at home were common practices throughout medieval Europe.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion?

A) It asserts that in medieval Europe steam baths were more popular in rural areas than in urban ones.

B) It describes a limitation of earlier historians’ studies of medieval European bathing habits.

C) It concedes that not all people in medieval Europe had access to public bathhouses.

D) It explains why Janega decided to study the popularity of public bathhouses in medieval Europe.

A) Incorrect – It does not compare popularity but access, and implies rural areas lacked such amenities.

B) Incorrect – The underlined part talks about a historical reality, not the limitations of historical study.

C) Correct – It acknowledges a limitation of access, serving as a concession in the argument.

D) Incorrect – The text does not mention Janega’s reasons for her study.

Scholarly accounts of the Chicano movement—a movement that advocated for the social, political, and cultural empowerment of Mexican Americans and reached its zenith in the 1960s and 1970s—tend to focus on the most militant, outspoken figures in the movement, making it seem uniformly radical. Geographer Juan Herrera has shown, however, that if we shift our focus toward the way the movement manifested in comparatively low-profile neighborhood institutions and projects, we see participants espousing an array of political orientations and approaches to community activism.

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

A) It presents a trend in scholarship on the Chicano movement that the text claims has been reevaluated by researchers in light of Herrera’s work on the movement’s participants.

B) It identifies an aspect of the Chicano movement that the text implies was overemphasized by scholars due to their own political orientations.

C) It describes a common approach to studying the Chicano movement that, according to the text, obscures the ideological diversity of the movement’s participants.

D) It summarizes the conventional method for analyzing the Chicano movement, which the text suggests creates a misleading impression of the effectiveness of neighborhood institutions and projects.

A) Incorrect – The text only references Herrera's work, not a broad scholarly reevaluation.

B) Incorrect – There’s no mention of scholars’ personal political orientations.

C) Correct – It points out that the standard approach oversimplifies the movement’s diversity.

D) Incorrect – It misrepresents the focus as about “effectiveness,” which the text doesn’t mention.