Question: Recently, scientists looked at data collected by NASA’s InSight lander to learn more about seismic activity on Mars, known as marsquakes. The data show that the marsquakes all started from the same location on the planet. This discovery was surprising to scientists, as they expected that the marsquakes would originate from all over the planet because of the cooling of the planet’s surface. Now, scientists believe that there could be areas of active magma flows deep beneath the planet’s surface that trigger the marsquakes.
According to the text, what was surprising to scientists studying the seismic activity data from NASA’s InSight lander?
A) The surface temperature of Mars has been rising.
B) There were different types of seismic waves causing marsquakes.
C) NASA’s InSight lander collected less data than scientists had expected.
D) All the marsquakes started from the same location on the planet.

Choice D is the best answer because it presents a statement about what surprised the scientists that is supported by the text. The text states that the marsquakes described in the data from NASA’s InSight lander originated from the same location on Mars. The text goes on to say that because they had expected the opposite (that marsquakes would originate from all over the planet) this discovery surprised the scientists.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t say that the data from NASA’s InSight lander revealed surprising information about the planet’s surface temperature. Instead, the text mentions the cooling of Mars’s surface as a reason the scientists expected that Marsquakes had multiple origins. In addition, cooling would indicate that the temperature has been falling rather than rising.

Choice B is incorrect. Although the text indicates that by studying seismic activity scientists found a possible explanation for what causes marsquakes, the text doesn’t say that they discovered that marsquakes are caused by different types of seismic waves. Rather, the text states that based on the data from NASA’s InSight lander, scientists now believe that this seismic activity happens because of areas of active magma that flow below the planet’s surface.

Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t discuss the amount of data NASA’s InSight lander collected or whether scientists who studied the data found the amount to be as expected. Instead, the text focuses on what the data revealed about where on Mars the marsquakes originated.

Focus on the sense of the keyword “surprising” from the passage.

Question: Seminole/Muscogee director Sterlin Harjo blank television’s tendency to situate Native characters in the distant past: this rejection is evident in his series Reservation Dogs, which revolves around teenagers who dress in contemporary styles and whose dialogue is laced with current slang.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) repudiates
B) proclaims
C) foretells
D) recants

Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Sterlin Harjo’s approach to representing Native characters on television. As used in this context, “repudiates” means rejects or refuses to have anything to do with. The text indicates that television shows tend to depict Native characters as living long ago, but that Harjo’s series Reservation Dogs focuses on Native teenagers in the present day, representing a “rejection” of the typical approach to depicting Native characters. This context thus indicates that Harjo repudiates television’s general tendency regarding Native characters.

Choice B is incorrect because the text describes Harjo’s “rejection” of the typical approach to representing Native characters on television, so it wouldn’t make sense to say that Harjo “proclaims,” or declares or affirms, television’s general tendency regarding Native characters. Harjo is described as refusing to follow the pattern of depicting Native characters in the distant past, not as proclaiming that pattern.

Choice C is incorrect because the text describes television’s tendency to represent Native characters in the distant past as something that is already occurring, not as something that Harjo “foretells,” or predicts will happen in the future. The text is focused on Harjo’s “rejection” of this pattern, not on any predictions he may have about it.

Choice D is incorrect because saying that Harjo “recants” something would mean that he withdraws a previously held belief, and it wouldn’t make sense to say that Harjo recants television’s tendency to represent Native characters as living in the past. No beliefs previously held by Harjo are mentioned. Additionally, a tendency isn’t a belief and thus isn’t something that can be recanted.

Read the whole paragraph to find the right option.

Question: 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

Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately states the main purpose of the text. After providing a brief introduction to computer scientist Luis von Ahn, the text focuses on discussing how von Ahn’s digitization work led to the invention of a digital security test known as reCAPTCHA.

Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t address how digital scanners work.

Choice C is incorrect. Although the text mentions von Ahn’s book-digitizing project, that information is provided as a detail, not as the main purpose of the text.

Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t provide any indication of reCAPTCHA’s popularity; instead, it describes reCAPTCHA’s origin.

Check the intention in the option then skim through to find the correct option.

Question: 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 present mood, and she found something herself in its calmness, breadth, 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.

Choice D is the best answer because it best describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as a whole. The first sentence of the text establishes that Lily can be “keenly sensitive to” scenes that serve as a “fitting background” for her feelings—that is, she’s very aware of when a setting seems to reflect her mood. The next sentence, which is underlined, then demonstrates this awareness: Lily views the landscape she’s in as a large-scale reflection of her current mood, identifying with elements such as its calmness. Thus, the function of the underlined sentence is to illustrate an idea introduced in the previous sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because the underlined sentence describes the scene only in very general terms, referring to its calmness, breadth, and long stretches of land. It’s the next sentence that adds specific details about colors, light, and various trees nearby.

Choice B is incorrect because nothing in the underlined sentence suggests that Lily is experiencing an internal conflict. In fact, the sentence indicates that Lily thinks the landscape reflects her own feeling of calmness.

Choice C is incorrect because the only assertion in the underlined sentence is that Lily feels that broad aspects of the landscape, such as its calmness, reflect her current mood, and that assertion isn’t expanded on in the next sentence. Instead, the next sentence describes specific details of the scene without connecting them to Lily’s feelings.

Read a sentence before and after the underlined sentence.

Question: A study by a team including finance professor Madhu Veeraraghavan suggests that exposure to sunshine during the workday can lead to overly optimistic behavior. Using data spanning from 1994 to 2010 for a set of US companies, the team compared over 29,000 annual earnings forecasts actual later reported by those companies. The team found that the greater the exposure to sunshine at work in the two weeks before a manager submitted an earnings forecast, the more the manager’s forecast exceeded what the company actually earned that year.
Which choice best states the function of the underlined sentence in the overall structure of the text?
A) To summarize the results of the team’s analysis
B) To present a specific example that illustrates the study’s findings
C) To explain part of the methodology used in the team’s study
D) To call out a challenge the team faced in conducting its analysis

Choice C is the best answer because it best describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as a whole. The first sentence presents the implications of Veeraraghavan’s team’s study: sunshine exposure during work hours can cause overly optimistic behavior. The underlined sentence then describes the data the team consulted and how they were used (comparing predictions about earnings to what the companies actually earned), and the final sentence presents what the team found in their examination of the data. Thus, the underlined sentence mainly functions to explain part of the methodology used in the team’s study.

Choice A is incorrect because the underlined sentence explains in part how the team conducted their analysis of the effect of sunshine but doesn’t address what the team found; a broad summary is instead given in the other two sentences.

Choice B is incorrect because the underlined sentence doesn’t present any specific examples from the team’s comparisons of 29,000 earnings predictions to actual earnings; it simply explains in part how the team conducted their analysis.

Choice D is incorrect because the underlined sentence simply explains in part how the team conducted their analysis; the text never mentions any challenges that the team encountered in their study.

Read a sentence before and after the underlined sentence.

Question: The following text is from Ezra Pound’s 1909 poem “Hymn III,” based on the work of Marcantonio Flaminio.
As a fragile and lovely flower unfolds its gleaming
foliage on the breast of the fostering earth, if
the dew and the rain draw it forth;
So doth my tender mind flourish, if it be fed with the
sweet dew of the fostering spirit,
Lacking this, it beginneth straightway to languish,
even as a floweret born upon dry earth, if the
dew and the rain tend it not.
Based on the text, in what way is the human mind like a flower?
A) It becomes increasingly vigorous with the passage of time.
B) It draws strength from changes in the weather.
C) It requires proper nourishment in order to thrive.
D) It perseveres despite challenging circumstances.

Choice C is the best answer because it presents a description of how the human mind is like a flower that is directly supported by the text. The text compares the needs of a “fragile and lovely flower” to those of the speaker’s “tender mind”: both need to be fed if they’re going to survive. Without such feeding, they’ll “beginneth straightway to languish,” or weaken. Thus, the text suggests that the human mind is like a flower in that they both need proper nourishment in order to thrive.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t address the passage of time or describe either the human mind or a flower as becoming increasingly vigorous.

Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that human minds or flowers draw strength from changes in weather. The references to rain in the text pertain to a flower’s need for water rather than the general effects of changing weather.

Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that the human mind or a flower will persist regardless of challenging circumstances. In fact, the text indicates that they’ll both languish right away if not given what they need.

Work on your reading skills to quickly solve this.

Question: The following text is adapted from Jack London’s 1903 novel The Call of the Wild. Buck is a sled dog living with John Thornton in Yukon, Canada.
Thornton alone held [Buck]. The rest of mankind was as nothing. Chance travellers might praise or pet him; but he was cold under it all, and from a too demonstrative man he would get up and walk away. When Thornton’s partners, Hans and Pete, arrived on the long-expected raft, Buck refused to notice them till he learned they were close to Thornton; after that he tolerated them in a passive sort of way, accepting favors from them as though he favored them by accepting.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A) Buck has become less social since he began living with Thornton.
B) Buck mistrusts humans and does his best to avoid them.
C) Buck has been especially well liked by most of Thornton’s friends.
D) Buck holds Thornton in higher regard than any other person.

Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. After establishing that Buck views most people “as nothing,” the text explains that Buck won’t acknowledge people other than Thornton unless they appear friendly toward Thornton, and even then he’s only reluctantly accepting. Thus, the text focuses on the idea that Thornton has a special status in Buck’s mind, with Buck holding him in higher regard than other people.

Choice A is incorrect because the text conveys that Buck isn’t social with people other than Thornton but doesn’t address Buck’s life or temperament before he lived with Thornton.

Choice B is incorrect because the text conveys that Buck doesn’t really care about people other than Thornton and is aloof toward them. However, there’s no indication that Buck mistrusts and avoids people generally; indeed, he accepts Thornton, who is a human.

Choice C is incorrect because the text refers to random travelers praising and petting Buck and Thornton’s partners giving Buck favors, but there’s no indication that any of these people are Thornton’s friends or that they have a particular fondness for Buck.

The more you solve questions like these the better you will become at it.

Question: Organic farming is a method of growing food that tries to reduce environmental harm by using natural forms of pest control and avoiding fertilizers made with synthetic materials. Organic farms are still a small fraction of the total farms in the United States, but they have been becoming more popular.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, in 2016 California had between 2,600 and 2,800 organic farms and ____________.
Which choice most effectively uses data from the graph to complete the text?
A) Washington had between 600 and 800 organic farms.
B) New York had fewer than 800 organic farms.
C) Wisconsin and Iowa each had between 1,200 and 1,400 organic farms.
D) Pennsylvania had more than 1,200 organic farms.

Choice A is the best answer because it uses data from the graph to accurately complete the text. The graph shows the number of organic farms located in each of six US states in 2016: between 2,600 and 2,800 in California; between 1,200 and 1,400 in Wisconsin; between 1,000 and 1,200 in New York; approximately 800 in Pennsylvania; and between 600 and 800 in both Iowa and Washington. The last sentence of the text provides information about the number of organic farms in 2016, first describing the number in California. The best completion of the sentence is the choice that accurately describes the number of organic farms in 2016 in another state, which the assertion that Washington had between 600 and 800 organic farms provides.

Choice B is incorrect because it doesn’t accurately reflect the data from the graph. The graph indicates that there were between 1,000 and 1,200 organic farms in New York, not fewer than 800 organic farms.

Choice C is incorrect because it doesn’t accurately reflect the data from the graph. While the graph indicates that there were between 1,200 and 1,400 organic farms in Wisconsin in 2016, there were only between 600 and 800 in Iowa.

Choice D is incorrect because it doesn’t accurately reflect the data from the graph. The graph indicates that in 2016 there were approximately 800 organic farms in Pennsylvania, not more than 1,200.

Learn to understand charts, then start reading paragraphs and find answers.

Question: Biologist Valentina Gómez-Bahamón and her team have investigated two subspecies of the fork-tailed flycatcher bird that live in the same region in Colombia, but one subspecies migrates south for part of the year, and the other doesn’t. The researchers found that, due to slight differences in feather shape, the feathers of migratory forked-tailed flycatcher males make a sound during flight that is higher pitched than that made by the feathers of nonmigratory males. The researchers hypothesize that fork-tailed flycatcher females are attracted to the specific sound made by the males of their own subspecies, and that over time the females’ preference will drive further genetic and anatomical divergence between the subspecies.
Which finding, if true, would most directly support Gómez-Bahamón and her team’s hypothesis?
A) The feathers located on the wings of the migratory fork-tailed flycatchers have a narrower shape than those of the nonmigratory birds, which allows them to fly long distances.
B) Over several generations, the sound made by the feathers of migratory male fork-tailed flycatchers grows progressively higher pitched relative to that made by the feathers of nonmigratory males.
C) Fork-tailed flycatchers communicate different messages to each other depending on whether their feathers create high-pitched or low-pitched sounds.
D) The breeding habits of the migratory and nonmigratory fork-tailed flycatchers remained generally the same over several generations.

Choice B is the best answer because it presents a finding that, if true, would most directly support Gómez-Bahamón and her team’s hypothesis about fork-tailed flycatchers. The text indicates that although two subspecies of the birds live in the same region, the tail feathers of the migrating males make a higher-pitched sound than the tail feathers of the nonmigrating males do. Gómez-Bahamón
and her team hypothesize that female fork-tailed flycatchers are attracted to the particular sound made by the tail feathers of males of their own subspecies, which will bring about additional “genetic and anatomical divergence” between the two subspecies. If it were found that the pitch generated by the tail feathers of migrating males is getting higher over successive generations, it would indicate that the shape of the migrating subspecies’ tail feathers is diverging further from that of the nonmigrating subspecies. And if females continue to prefer the sounds of the males of their own subspecies, the females of the migrating subspecies will become acclimated to increasingly higher pitches over subsequent generations, causing further divergence between the subspecies. Thus, if it were found that migrating males’ tail feathers were producing higher pitches over time, that would support the researchers’ hypothesis.

Choice A is incorrect because the researchers’ hypothesis is that female flycatchers prefer the sounds produced by the tail feathers of males of their own subspecies, which will lead to further divergence between the two subspecies. This finding is about the shape of wing feathers and how that affects long-distance flight, whereas the hypothesis is about the shape of tail feathers and how that relates to female mate preference.

Choice C is incorrect because the researchers’ hypothesis is that female flycatchers prefer the sounds produced by the tail feathers of males of their own subspecies, which will lead to further divergence between the two subspecies. This finding focuses on how the tail feather sounds to communicate different messages, which doesn’t address differences between the subspecies or female preferences.

Choice D is incorrect because the researchers’ hypothesis is that female flycatchers prefer the sounds produced by the tail feathers of males of their own subspecies, which will lead to further divergence between the two subspecies. The finding that breeding habits haven’t changed for either subspecies does not, by itself, suggest anything about female preferences or divergence between the two subspecies.

It looks like you read the first few sentences then you get the correct answer but it can give you half of the info sometimes, so always read the whole paragraph.

Question: Earth’s atmosphere is bombarded by cosmic dust originating from several sources: short-period comets (SPCs), particles from the asteroid belt (ASTs), Halley-type comets (HTCs), and Oort cloud comets (OCCs). Some of the dust’s material vaporizes in the atmosphere in a process called ablation, and the faster the particles move, the higher the rate of ablation. Astrophysicist Juan Diego Carrillo-Sánchez led a team that calculated average ablation rates for elements in the dust (such as iron and potassium) and showed that material in slower-moving SPC or AST dust has a lower rate than the same material in faster-moving HTC or OCC dust. For example, whereas the average ablation rate for iron from AST dust is 28%, the average rate for ___________.
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the example?
A) iron from SPC dust is 20%.
B) sodium from OCC dust is 100%.
C) iron from HTC dust is 90%.
D) sodium from AST dust is 75%.

Choice C is the best answer because it most effectively completes the example regarding the ablation rate of iron. The table shows the ablation rates for three elements—iron, potassium, and sodium—found in cosmic dust that comes from one of four sources. The text says that the ablation rate for a given element in slower-moving SPC or AST dust was lower than the ablation rate for that same element in faster-moving HTC or OCC dust. The text then presents the first part of an example of this pattern, describing an ablation rate of 28% for iron in AST dust. The information that iron from HTC dust had an ablation rate of 90% is therefore the most effective way to complete this example—the comparison of a relatively low ablation rate for iron in slower-moving AST dust with a relatively high ablation rate for iron in faster-moving HTC dust illustrates the tendency of ablation rates for a given element to be lower in slower-moving dust than in faster-moving dust.

Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that SPC dust, like AST dust, moves relatively slowly; a comparison of the ablation rates of iron from two slower-moving dust sources could not be an example of the difference between ablation rates in slower-moving dust and faster-moving dust, which is the pattern that the example is supposed to illustrate.

Choice B is incorrect because the example in the text is supposed to illustrate the difference in the ablation rates of the same element from slower-moving dust and faster-moving dust, and the first part of the example provides data about the ablation rate of iron, which means the second part of the example must also be about the ablation rate of iron, not the ablation rate of sodium.

Choice D is incorrect because the example in the text is supposed to illustrate the difference in the ablation rates of the same element from slower-moving dust and faster-moving dust, and the first part of the example provides data about the ablation rate of iron, which means the second part of the example must also be about the ablation rate of iron, not the ablation rate of sodium. Additionally, any ablation rate from AST dust would be ineffective in this example since AST dust is referenced in the first part of the example and thus additional data focused on AST dust would not illustrate a variation across dust types.

Focus on the chart read the paragraph then find the best suitable option.

Question: The following text is from Jane Austen’s 1811 novel Sense and Sensibility. Elinor lives with her younger sisters and her mother, Mrs. Dashwood.
Elinor, this eldest daughter, whose advice was so effectual, possessed a strength of understanding, and coolness of judgment, which qualified her, though only nineteen, to be the counsellor of her mother, and enabled her frequently to counteract, to the advantage of them all, that eagerness of mind in Mrs. Dashwood which must generally have led to imprudence. She had an excellent heart;—her disposition was affectionate, and her feelings were strong; but she knew how to govern them: it was a knowledge which her mother had yet to learn; and which one of her sisters had resolved never to be taught.
According to the text, what is true about Elinor?
A) Elinor often argues with her mother but fails to change her mind.
B) Elinor can be overly sensitive with regard to family matters.
C) Elinor thinks her mother is a bad role model.
D) Elinor is remarkably mature for her age.

Choice D is the best answer because it provides a detail about Elinor that is established in the text. The text indicates that although Elinor is “only nineteen,” she gives good advice and exhibits such a high level of understanding and judgment that she serves as “the counselor of her mother.” Thus, Elinor is mature beyond her years.

Choice A is incorrect because it isn’t supported by the text: although the text says that Elinor advises her mother and often counteracts her mother’s impulses, there’s no mention of Elinor arguing with her mother or failing to change her mother’s mind.

Choice B is incorrect because it isn’t supported by the text: although the text mentions that Elinor has strong feelings, it doesn’t indicate that she’s excessively sensitive when it comes to family issues.

Choice C is incorrect because it isn’t supported by the text: there’s no mention of what Elinor thinks about her mother and no suggestion that she thinks her mother is a bad role model. Because she’s described as having “an excellent heart,” Elinor likely doesn’t think ill of her mother.

A time-consuming question, don’t attempt it if you take time to resolve it. The lesser the rank a question has, the lower the mark it has.

Question: Believing that living in an impractical space can heighten awareness and even improve health, conceptual artists Madeline Gins and Shusaku Arakawa designed an apartment building in Japan to be more fanciful than functional. A kitchen counter is chest-high on one side and knee-high on the other; a ceiling has a door to nowhere. The effect is disorienting but invigorating: after four years there, filmmaker Nobu Yamaoka reported significant health benefits.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A) Although inhabiting a home surrounded by fanciful features such as those designed by Gins and Arakawa can be rejuvenating, it is unsustainable.
B) Designing disorienting spaces like those in the Gins and Arakawa building is the most effective way to create a physically stimulating environment.
C) As a filmmaker, Yamaoka has long supported the designs of conceptual artists such as Gins and Arakawa.
D) Although impractical, the design of the apartment building by Gins and Arakawa may improve the well-being of the building’s residents.

Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. According to the text, conceptual artists Gins and Arakawa have designed an apartment building that is disorienting because of several unconventional elements, such as uneven kitchen counters and “a door to nowhere.” The text goes on to suggest that there may be benefits to this kind of design because filmmaker Yamaoka lived in the apartment building for four years and reported health benefits. Thus, although the design is impractical, it may improve the well-being of the apartment building’s residents.

Choice A is incorrect. Although the text mentions that Yamaoka lived in the apartment for four years, it doesn’t address how long someone can beneficially live in a home surrounded by fanciful features or whether doing so can be sustained.

Choice B is incorrect. Although the text mentions the potential benefits of living in a home with disorienting design features, it doesn’t suggest that this is the most effective method to create a physically stimulating environment.

Choice C is incorrect because the text refers to Yamaoka to support the claim that Gins and Arakawa’s apartment building design may be beneficial, but the text doesn’t indicate that Yamaoka supports the designs of other conceptual artists.

Work on your skimming skills to answer quickly and correctly.

Question: In a research paper, a student criticizes some historians of modern African politics, claiming that they have evaluated Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, primarily as a symbol rather than in terms of his actions.
Which quotation from a work by a historian would best illustrate the student’s claim?
A) “Lumumba is a difficult figure to evaluate due to the starkly conflicting opinions he inspired during his life and continues to inspire today.”
B) “The available information makes it clear that Lumumba’s political beliefs and values were largely consistent throughout his career.”
C) “Lumumba’s practical accomplishments can be passed over quickly; it is mainly as the personification of Congolese independence that he warrants scholarly attention.”
D) “Many questions remain about Lumumba’s ultimate vision for an independent Congo; without new evidence coming to light, these questions are likely to remain unanswered.”

Choice C is the best answer because it illustrates the student’s claim about some historians viewing Lumumba primarily as a symbol. This quotation argues that Lumumba “warrants” (or deserves) “scholarly attention” as a symbol and not for his “practical accomplishments”—that is, his actions as prime minister— which “can be passed over quickly,” or dismissed as being of comparatively little importance. Thus, the quotation expresses the view that the student criticizes some historians for holding.

Choice A is incorrect. Although this quotation touches on the difficulty of evaluating Lumumba’s legacy, it doesn’t address how historians of modern African politics view him as a symbol.

Choice B is incorrect. While this quotation mentions Lumumba’s political beliefs, it doesn’t discuss historians viewing him as a symbol.

Choice D is incorrect. This quotation touches on Lumumba’s vision for his country, but it doesn’t discuss historians viewing him as a symbol.

Work on your skimming skills to answer quickly and correctly.

Question: Geographer Adebayo Oluwole Eludoyin and his colleagues surveyed small-scale farmers in three locations in Ondo State, Nigeria—which has mountainous terrain in the north, an urbanized center, and coastal terrain in the south—to learn more about their practices, like the types of crops they mainly cultivated. In some regions, female
farmers were found to be especially prominent in the cultivation of specific types of crops and even constituted the majority of farmers who cultivated those crops; for instance, _____________.
Which choice most effectively uses data from the graph to complete the example?
A) most of the farmers who mainly cultivated cereals and most of the farmers who mainly cultivated non–root vegetables in south Ondo
were women.
B) more women in central Ondo mainly cultivated root crops than mainly cultivated cereals.
C) most of the farmers who mainly cultivated non–root vegetables in north and south Ondo were women.
D) a relatively equal proportion of women across the three regions of Ondo mainly cultivated cereals.

Choice C is the best answer because it uses data from the graph to effectively complete the example of Eludoyin and his colleagues’ findings concerning female farmers in some regions of Ondo State, Nigeria. The graph presents values for the percentage of Ondo State small-scale farmers who are female, by type of crop and region. The graph shows that of the farmers mainly cultivating non-root vegetables, approximately 57% in north Ondo and approximately 54% in south Ondo are female; in other words, most of those farmers are female, which exemplifies the idea that female farmers make up the majority (more than half) of the farmers cultivating specific types of crops in some regions.

Choice A is incorrect because it inaccurately cites data from the graph: the graph shows that in south Ondo, most of the farmers mainly cultivating non-root vegetables are women (approximately 54%), but that only about 35% (less than half) of the farmers mainly cultivating cereals are women.

Choice B is incorrect because it inaccurately cites data from the graph: the graph shows that more women in central Ondo mainly cultivate cereals than mainly cultivate root crops (approximately 36% and 20%, respectively). Additionally, it doesn’t effectively complete the example because the graph shows that female farmers don’t make up the majority (more than half) of the farmers for any type of crop in central Ondo.

Choice D is incorrect because it doesn’t effectively complete the example; it simply states that a relatively equal proportion of women across the three regions mainly cultivate cereals, which doesn’t address the value for that proportion and thus doesn’t show that a majority (more than half) of the farmers cultivating certain crops are female.

Read the graph and then the paragraph to find the most suitable option.

Question: Given that stars and planets initially form from the same gas and dust in space, some astronomers have posited that host stars (such as the Sun) and their planets (such as those in our solar system) are composed of the same materials, with the planets containing equal or smaller quantities of the materials that make up the host star. This idea is also supported by evidence that rocky planets in our solar system are composed of some of the same materials as the Sun.
Which finding, if true, would most directly weaken the astronomers’ claim?
A) Most stars are made of hydrogen and helium, but when cooled they are revealed to contain small amounts of iron and silicate.
B) A nearby host star is observed to contain the same proportion of hydrogen and helium as that of the Sun.
C) Evidence emerges that the amount of iron in some rocky planets is considerably higher than the amount in their host star.
D) The method for determining the composition of rocky planets is discovered to be less effective when used to analyze other kinds of planets.

Choice C is the best answer because it presents a finding that, if true, would weaken the astronomers’ claim about the makeup of host stars and their planets. The text explains that because stars and planets begin forming from the same gas and dust, astronomers believe planets should be composed of the same materials as their host stars, but in equal or smaller quantities. The finding that the amount of iron in some rocky planets is much higher than the amount in their host star would weaken the astronomers’ claim because it would show that some planets contain the same material as their host star, but in higher quantities.

Choice A is incorrect because a finding only about the makeup of stars, whether they’ve cooled or not, would provide no information about the makeup of planets. Thus, it wouldn’t have any bearing on the claim that planets and their host stars are composed of the same materials in differing quantities.

Choice B is incorrect because a finding about two host stars having similar proportions of certain materials wouldn’t provide any information about the makeup of planets. Thus, it wouldn’t be relevant to the claim that planets and their host stars are composed of the same materials in differing quantities.

Choice D is incorrect because the text indicates that the astronomers’ claim is based on a fact—that stars and planets begin forming from the same gas and dust in space—which would remain true regardless of the effectiveness of a method for analysis of compositions. The text does cite analysis of rocky planets in our solar system and the Sun, but only as a single piece of evidence that is consistent with the claim and not as the source of the claim; the finding that the method used for that analysis is less effective in other scenarios wouldn’t weaken a claim that’s based on knowledge of how stars and planets initially form.

Focus on “weaken the astronomers’ claim” in the paragraph or something similar to it.

Question: The Boston Saloon was one of the most popular African American–owned establishments in nineteenth-century Nevada. _____________ by businessman William A.G. Brown, the saloon was known to offer elegant accommodations and an inclusive environment.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) Created
B) Creates
C) Creating
D) Create

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verb forms within a sentence. The nonfinite past participle “created” is correctly used to form a supplementary element that modifies the noun phrase “the saloon,” identifying who established the Boston Saloon.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The finite present tense verb “creates” can’t be used in this way to form a supplementary element to modify the noun phrase “the saloon.”

Choice C is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The nonfinite present participle “creating” can’t be used in this way to form a supplementary element to modify the noun phrase “the saloon.”

Choice D is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The finite present tense verb “create” can’t be used in this way to form a supplementary element to modify the noun phrase “the saloon.”

You should learn Gerund, Infinitive, Participles, and Tense to solve questions like this.

Question: Louise Bennett (1919–2006), also known as “Miss Lou,” was an influential Jamaican poet and folklorist. Her innovative poems _ the use of Jamaican Creole (a spoken language) in literature.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) popularized;
B) popularized,
C) popularized
D) popularized:

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a verb and an object. No punctuation is needed between the verb “popularized” and its object “the use of Jamaican Creole.” The object helps complete the idea of the verb—in this case, it explains what Louise Bennett popularized—and any punctuation between the two results in an ungrammatical sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the verb and its object.

Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the verb and its object.

Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the verb and its object.

You should learn Punctuation.

Question: “He was just the man for such a place, and it was just the place for such a man.” This line is from Frederick Douglass’s autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845). It’s an example of antimetabole, a writing technique that _____________ emphasis by repeating a statement in a reversed order.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) create
B) are creating
C) have created
D) creates

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb “creates” agrees in number with the singular subject “technique.”

Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb “create” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “technique.”

Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb “are creating” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “technique.”

Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb “have created” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “technique.”

The paragraph and the blank sentence are in the Present Tense. Learn Tense, the correct answer is in Present Simple Tense.

Question: Researchers Amit Kumar and Nicholas Epley investigated how _ In a series of experiments conducted in 2022, they found that people performing small acts of kindness underestimated the positive effect their actions had on others.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) do people perceive acts of kindness.
B) do people perceive acts of kindness?
C) people perceive acts of kindness?
D) people perceive acts of kindness.

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is end-of-sentence punctuation. This choice correctly uses a period to punctuate a declarative sentence that asks an indirect question (“Researchers Amit Kumar and Nicholas Epley investigated how people perceive acts of kindness”).

Choice A is incorrect. The structure of the sentence requires a declarative clause at the end of the sentence that states what Kumar and Epley did, not an interrogative clause that asks a direct question, such as “how do people perceive acts of kindness.”

Choice B is incorrect. The structure of the sentence requires a declarative clause at the end of the sentence that states what Kumar and Epley did, not an interrogative clause that asks a direct question, such as “how do people perceive acts of kindness?”

Choice C is incorrect. It’s unconventional to use a question mark in this way to punctuate a declarative sentence that asks an indirect question, such as “Researchers…kindness.”

The paragraph and the blank sentence are in the Present Tense. Learn Tense, the correct answer is in Present Simple Tense. You should also learn Punctuation.

Question: In a painting titled “The Milkmaid” by Johannes Vermeer, the artist prominently features a bread basket, milk pitcher, and bowl. Such quotidian objects, depicted in exquisite detail by Vermeer, a
painter celebrated for his naturalism, _____________ the daily minutiae of a seventeenth-century Dutch household.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) was revealing
B) has revealed
C) reveals
D) reveal

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The plural verb “reveal” agrees in number with the plural subject “objects.”

Choice A is incorrect because the singular verb “was revealing” doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject “objects.”

Choice B is incorrect because the singular verb “has revealed” doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject “objects.”

Choice C is incorrect because the singular verb “reveals” doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject “objects.”

The paragraph and the blank sentence are in the Present Tense. Learn Tense, the correct answer is in Present Simple Tense.

Question: Jamaican British artist Willard Wigan is known for his remarkable _ so small that they are best viewed through a microscope, Wigan’s sculptures are made from tiny natural materials, such as spiderweb strands.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) microsculptures creations
B) microsculptures, creations
C) microsculptures. Creations
D) microsculptures and creations

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between sentences. In this choice, the period is used to correctly mark the boundary between one sentence (“Jamaican…microsculptures”) and another (“Creations…strands”). The noun phrase beginning with “creations” modifies the subject of the next sentence, “Wigan’s sculptures.”

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences (“Jamaican…microsculptures” and “Creations…strands”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences.

Choice D is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to join sentences.

You should learn Punctuation and Conjunction.

Question: Consider the mechanics of the pinhole camera: light
passes through a small hole, resulting in a focused projected image. A ray diagram reveals how this ______________ the hole’s small size restricts light to a single ray, all light passing through the hole can only arrive at a single destination, eliminating diffraction and
ensuring a clear image.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) works because
B) works. Because
C) works, it’s because
D) works: it’s because

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is used to correctly mark the boundary between one sentence (“A ray…works”) and another (“Because…image”).

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two sentences (“A ray…works” and “Because…image”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between sentences.

Choice D is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Since the contraction “it’s” creates a main clause, the comma after “single ray” can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between two main clauses (“it’s…ray” and “all light…image”).

You should learn Punctuation and Conjunction.

Question: In the search for extraterrestrial life, astrobiologists Stuart Bartlett and Michael L. Wong propose that scientists avoid using the term “life.” ______________ researchers should use another word: “lyfe.” This new term, they argue, could be used to draw distinctions between the known characteristics of life on Earth and the potentially differing characteristics of lyfe on other planets.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Previously,
B) Regardless,
C) There,
D) Instead,

Choice D is the best answer. “Instead” logically signals that the idea in this sentence—that researchers should use the word “lyfe”—is an alternative to the idea mentioned in the previous sentence (scientists’ use of the word “life”).

Choice A is incorrect because “previously” illogically signals that the idea in this sentence occurs before the action in the first sentence. Instead, the use of “lyfe” is an alternative to the previously mentioned use of “life.”

Choice B is incorrect because “regardless” illogically signals that the idea in this sentence is true despite the information in the first sentence. Instead, the use of “lyfe” is an alternative to the previously mentioned use of “life.”

Choice C is incorrect because “there” illogically signals that the idea in this sentence occurs in a place mentioned in the previous sentence. Instead, the use of “lyfe” is an alternative to the previously mentioned use of “life.”

You should learn Conjunction and Adverb.

Question: Before it unveiled a massive new gallery in 2009, the
Art Institute of Chicago was only able to display about 5% of its art collection. ____________ the museum is able to display close to 30% of its collection.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) Additionally,
B) For example,
C) Nevertheless,
D) Today,

Choice D is the best answer. “Today” logically signals that the information in the sentence—that the museum is able to display close to 30% of its collection—is true of the Art Institute of Chicago as it exists in the present day after the previously mentioned unveiling of the massive new gallery in 2009.

Choice A is incorrect because “additionally” illogically signals that the information in the sentence is merely an additional fact related to the information about the museum before the new gallery opened. Instead, the sentence is about the museum in the present day after the new gallery opened.

Choice B is incorrect because “for example” illogically signals that the information in the sentence exemplifies the previous information about the museum before the new gallery opened. Instead, the sentence is about the museum in the present day after the new gallery opened.

Choice C is incorrect because “nevertheless” illogically signals that the information in the sentence is true despite the previous information about the museum before the new gallery opened. Instead, the
sentence is about the museum in the present day after the new gallery opened.

You should learn Conjunction and Adverb.

Question: Working together with the Navajo Nation Department of Water Resources, Dr. Lani Tsinnajinnie analyzed data about snowpack levels in the Chuska Mountains. She found that the snowpack
(the amount of snow on the ground) was deepest in early March at lower elevations. At higher elevations, _______________ the snowpack was deepest in mid-March.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A) in other words,
B) for instance,
C) on the other hand,
D) in summary,

Choice C is the best answer. “On the other hand” logically signals that the information in the sentence—that the snowpack at higher elevations in the Chuska Mountains was deepest in mid-March—contrasts with the previous information about the snowpack at lower elevations being deepest in early March.

Choice A is incorrect because “in other words” illogically signals that information in the sentence is merely a paraphrase or restatement of the previous information about the snowpack at lower elevations. Instead, the information about the snowpack at higher elevations contrasts with that information.

Choice B is incorrect because “for instance” illogically signals that the information in the sentence exemplifies the previous information about the snowpack at lower elevations. Instead, the information about the snowpack at higher elevations contrasts with that information.

Choice D is incorrect because “in summary” illogically signals that the information in the sentence summarizes the previous information about the snowpack at lower elevations. Instead, the information
about the snowpack at higher elevations contrasts with that information.

You should learn Conjunction and Adverb.

Question: While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
• Ulaanbaatar is the capital of Mongolia.
• The city’s population is 907,802.
• Ulaanbaatar contains 31.98 percent of Mongolia’s population.
• Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam.
• The city’s population is 7,781,631.
• Hanoi contains 8.14 percent of Vietnam’s population.
Which choice most effectively uses information from the given sentences to emphasize the relative sizes of the two capitals’ populations?
A) Mongolia’s capital is Ulaanbaatar, which has 907,802 people, and Vietnam’s capital is Hanoi, which has 7,781,631 people.
B) The populations of the capitals of Mongolia and Vietnam are 907,802 (Ulaanbaatar) and 7,781,631 (Hanoi), respectively.
C) Even though Hanoi (population 7,781,631) is larger than Ulaanbaatar (population 907,802), Ulaanbaatar accounts for more of its country’s population.
D) Comparing Vietnam and Mongolia, 7,781,631 is 8.14 percent of Vietnam’s population, and 907,802 is 31.98 percent of Mongolia’s.

Choice C is the best answer. The sentence emphasizes the relative sizes of the capital cities’ populations, noting that even though Hanoi has more people overall, Ulaanbaatar accounts for a larger percentage of the people in its country.

Choice A is incorrect. While the sentence indicates the population size of each capital, it fails to emphasize their sizes relative to each other or their countries’ overall population sizes.

Choice B is incorrect. While the sentence indicates the population size of each capital, it fails to emphasize their sizes relative to each other or to their countries’ overall population sizes.

Choice D is incorrect. The sentence emphasizes the population sizes of the two countries; it fails to mention the capitals.

The higher the rank of the question – the higher marks it contains. Use your English to summarise the points of the paragraph and choose relevant options.

Question: While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
• One of history’s greatest libraries was the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, Iraq.
• It was founded in the eighth century with the goal of preserving all the world’s knowledge.
• Scholars at the House of Wisdom collected ancient and contemporary texts from Greece, India, and elsewhere and translated them into Arabic.
• Writings included those of the Greek philosopher Aristotle and the Indian mathematician Aryabhata.
• The House of Wisdom used Chinese papermaking technology to create paper versions to be studied and shared.
The student wants to explain how the House of Wisdom preserved the world’s knowledge. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A) The House of Wisdom was known for bringing together knowledge from around the world, including from Greece, India, and China.
B) Founded in Iraq in the eighth century, the House of Wisdom employed many scholars as translators.
C) Writings from the Greek philosopher Aristotle and the Indian mathematician Aryabhata were preserved at the House of Wisdom.
D) The House of Wisdom collected writings from different countries and created paper versions in Arabic to be studied and shared.

Choice D is the best answer. The sentence explains how the House of Wisdom preserved the world’s knowledge, noting that the library collected, translated, and printed writings from different countries.

Choice A is incorrect. While the sentence indicates that the House of Wisdom was known for bringing together knowledge from around the world, it doesn’t explain how the library preserved this knowledge.

Choice B is incorrect. The sentence makes a generalization about the scholars who were employed by the House of Wisdom; it doesn’t explain how the library reserved the world’s knowledge.

Choice C is incorrect. The sentence identifies two authors whose writings were preserved at the House of Wisdom; it doesn’t explain how the library preserved the world’s knowledge.

The higher the rank of the question – the higher marks it contains. Use your English to summarise the points of the paragraph and choose the relevant option.