Sentence Completion

GLOBAL RECRUITMENT & TRAINING CONSULTANTS

Sentence Completion

Direction: For each blank select one entry from the corresponding column of choices. Fill all blanks in the way that best completes the text.

1. It is refreshing to read a book about our planet by an author who does not allow facts to be (i)------------- by politics: well aware of the political disputes about the effects of human activities on climate and biodiversity, this author does not permit them to (ii)-------------- his comprehensive description of what we know about our biosphere. He emphasizes the enormous gaps in our knowledge, the sparseness of our observations, and the (iii) -------------, calling attention to the many aspects of planetary evolution that must be better understood before we can accurately diagnose the condition of our planet.

Blank (i) Blank (ii) Blank (iii)

2. Vain and prone to violence, Caravaggio could not handle success: the more his(i)---------------- as an artist increased, the more (ii)------------------ his life became.

Blank (i) Blank (ii)

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overshadowed

invalidated

illuminated

B

C

A plausibility of our

hypotheses

certainty of our

entitlement

superficiality of our

theories

enhance

obscure

underscore

D

E

F


3. In parts of the Arctic, the land grades into the land fast ice so ---------------- that you can walk off the coast and not know you are over the hidden sea.

Direction: Select the two answer choices that, when used to complete the sentence, fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole and produce completed sentences that are alike in meaning.

4. Although it does contain some pioneering ideas, one would hardly characterize the work as ------------------

Orthodox

Eccentric Original

Trifling

Conventional

Innovative

5. It was her view that the country’s problems had been ----------- by foreign technocrats, so that to ask for such assistance again would be counterproductive.

ameliorated

ascertained

diagnosed



A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

tumultuous

providential

dispassionate

temperance

notoriety

eminence

A

B

c

permanently

imperceptibly

irregularly

precariously

relentlessly

A

B

D

E

C


exacerbated

overlooked

worsened

Direction: For questions 6 to 10 , select one entry from the corresponding column of choices. Fill all blanks in the way that best completes the text.

6. Dominant interests often benefit most from ------------ of governmental interference in business, since they are able to take care of themselves if left alone.

7. Kagan maintains that an infant’s reactions to its first stressful experiences are part of a natural process of development, not harbingers of childhood unhappiness or ---------- signs of adolescent anxiety.



E

F

intensification

authorization

centralization

improvisation

elimination

A

B

C

D

E

prophetic

normal

monotonous

virtual

typical

A

B

C

D

E


8. An investigation that is --------- can occasionally yield new facts, even notable ones, but typically the appearance of such facts is the result of search in a definite direction.

9. it is (i) -------------------- that so many portrait paintings hang in art museums, since the subject matter seems to dictate a status closer to pictures in the family photograph album than to high art. But perhaps it is the artistic skill with which the portraits are painted that (ii) ------------- their presence in art museums.

Blank (ii) Blank (ii)

10. In stark contrast to his later (i) ------------- Simpson was largely (ii) ------------ politics during his college years, despite the fact that the campus he attended was rife with political activity.

Blank (i) Blank(ii)

Blank (Ii)



timely

un unguided

consistent

uncomplicated

subjective

A

B

C

D

E

Surprising

un understandable

irrelevant

A

B

C

challenges

un justifies

changes

devoted to

un indifferent to

Shaped by

A

B

C

activism

un apathy

affability

A

B

C


Direction: For questions 11 to 13, Select the two answer choices that, when used to complete the sentence, fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole and produce completed sentences that are alike in meaning.

11. As my eyesight began to -------------------- , I spent a lot of time writing about it - both poems and “ eye journals” - describing what I saw as I looked out through damaged eyes.

deteriorate

sharpen

improve

decline

recover

adjust

12. The judge’s standing in the legal community, though shaken by phony allegations of wrongdoing, emerged, at long last, -----------------

unqualified

undiminished

undecided

undamaged

unresolved

unprincipled

13. Modern agricultural practices have been extremely successful in increasing the productivity of major food crops, yet despite heavy use of pesticides, ---------------- losses to diseases and insect pests are sustained each year. Incongruous

reasonable



A

B

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

B

C

A

D

C


significant

considerable

equitable

fortuitous

Directions :For questions 14 to 18, select one entry for each blank from the corresponding column of choices. Fill all blanks in the way that best completes the text.

14. It comes as no surprise that societies have codes of behavior; the character of the codes, on the other hand, can often be ---------------

15. Like Bela Bartok, Ruth Crawford not only brought a composer’s acumen to the notation of folk music, she also had a marked (i) -------------- the task. This was clear in her agonizing over how far to try to represent the minute details of a performance in a written text, and this (ii) ------------- makes her work a landmark in ethnomusicology.

Blank (i) Blank (Ii)

16. Political advertising may well be the most (i) ------------- kind of advertising: political candidates are usually quite (ii) ------------, yet their campaign advertisements often hide important differences behind smoke screens of smiles and empty slogans.

Blank (i) Blank (Ii)



E

F

predictable

un unexpected

admirable

explicit

confusing

A

B

C

D

E

fastidiousness

un didacticism

iconoclasm

reverence for

un detachment from

curiosity about

A

B

C

interchangeable

un dissimilar

vocal

polemical

un effective

deceptive

A

B

C


17. Richard M.Russell said 52 percent of the nation’s growth since the second world war had (i) -------------- invention. He said, (ii) --------------- research, the government’s greatest role in assuring continuing innovation is promoting a strong, modern patent office. “unless we can (iii) ------------- original ideas, we will not have invention, “Mr.Russell said. Speculating on the state of innovation over the next century, several inventors agreed that the future lay in giving children the tools to think creatively and the motivation to invent.


18.

Statements presented as fact in a patent application are (i) ---------------- unless a good reason for doubt is found. The invention has only to be deemed “more likely than not” to work in order to receive initial approval. And, although thousands of patents are challenged in court for other reasons, no incentive exists for anyone to expend effort (ii) --------------- the science of an erroneous patent. For this reason the endless stream of (iii) ----------- devices will continue to yield occasional patents.




been at the expense of

no bearing on

come through

B

C

A evaluate

protect

disseminate

in addition to restricting

aside from supporting

far from exaggerating

D

E

F

presumed verifiable

carefully scrutinized

considered Capricious

B

C

A novel

bogus

obsolete

corroborating

advancing

debunking

D

E

F


Direction: For questions 19 to 21, select the two answer choices that, when used to complete the sentence,

fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole and produce completed sentences that are alike in meaning

19. Ever a demanding reader of the function of others, the novelist Chase was likewise often the object of ----------- analyses by his contemporaries.

exacting

copious

respectful

acerbic

scathing

meticulous

20. Her -------------- should not be confused with miserliness; as long as I have known her, she has always been willing to assist those who are in need. Stinginess

diffidence

frugality

illiberality

intolerance

thrift

21. A misconception frequently held by novice writers is that sentence structure mirrors thought: the more convoluted the structure, the more ------------ the ideas. complicated

engaged

essential

fanciful

inconsequential



A

C

D

F

B

E

A

B

C

D

EF

A

B

C

D

E

F

E


involved

Direction: For Questions 22 to 27, select one entry for each blank from the corresponding column of choice. Fill all blanks in the way that best completes the text.

22. For some time now, -------------- has been presumed not to exist: the cynical conviction that everybody has an angle is considered wisdom

23. Human nature and long distances have made exceeding the speed limit a (i) -------------- in the state, so the legislators surprised no one when, acceding to public demand, they (ii) -------------- increased penalties for speeding.


24. Serling’s account of his employer’s reckless decision making (i) ---------------- that company’s image as (ii) ----------------- bureaucracy full of wary managers.




rationality

un flexibility

diffidence

disinterestedness

insincerity

A

B

C

D

E

endorsed

un considered

rejected

controversial habit

un cherished tradition

disquieting ritual

A

B

C

belies

un exposes

overshadows

A

B

C

an injudicious

un a disorganized

a cautious


25. No other contemporary poet’s work has such a well – earned reputation for (i) -----------and there are few whose moral vision is so imperiously unsparing. Of late, however, the almost belligerent demands of his severe and densely forbidding poetry have take an improbable turn. This new collection is the poet’s fourth book in six years -an ample output even for poets of sunny disposition, let alone for one of such (ii) ______ over the previous 50 years. Yet for all his newfound (iii) ------------ his poetry is as thorny as ever.

Blank (i) Blank (ii) Bank (iii)

26.

Managers who think that strong environmental performance will (i) -------------- their company’s financial performance often (ii) -------------- claims that systems designed to help them manage environmental concerns are valuable tools. By contrast, mangers who perceive environmental performance to be (iii) ----------------- to financial success may view an environmental management system as extraneous. In either situation, and whatever their perceptions, it is a manager’s commitment to achieving environmental improvement rather than the mere presence of a system that determines environmental performance.

Bank (i) Bank (ii) Bank (iii)

27.Philosophy, unlike most other subjects, does not try to

extend our knowledge by discovering new information about the world. Instead it tries to deepen our understanding through (i) ------------- what is already closest to us - the experiences, thoughts, concepts, and activities that make up our lives but that ordinarily escape our notice precisely because they are so familiar. Philosophy begins by finding (ii) -------------- the things that are (iii) --------------



taciturnity

volubility

pellucidity

patent accessibility

un intrinsic frivolity

near impenetrability

A

B

C

penitential austerity

un intractable prolixity

impetuous prodigality

D

E

F

complementary

intrinsic

peripheral

eclipse

un bolster

degrade

A

B

C

uncritically accept

un appropriately

acknowledge

hotly dispute

D

E

F


Blank (i) Blank (ii) Bank (iii)

Direction: For questions 28 to 30 , select the two answer choices that, when used to complete the sentence, fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole and produce completed sentences that are alike in meaning.

28. The government’s implementation of a new code of ethics appeared intended to shore up the ruling party’s standing with an increasingly ------------- electorate at a time when the party is besieged by charges that it trades favors for campaign money. aloof

placid

restive

skittish

tranquil

vociferous

29. Overlarge, uneven, and ultimately disappointing, the retrospective exhibition seems too much like special pleading for a forgotten painter of real but -------------- talents. limited

partial

undiscovered

circumscribed



A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

most prosaic

somewhat hackneyed

refreshingly novel

attainment of

un rumination on

detachment from

A

B

C

essentially irrelevant

un utterly mysterious

thoroughly

Commonplace

D

E

F


prosaic

hidden

30. Newspapers report that the former executive has been trying to keep a low profile since his --------------- exit from the company. celebrated

mysterious

long-awaited

fortuitous

indecorous

unseemly

Direction: For each blank select one entry from the corresponding column of choices. Fill all blanks in the way that best completes the text. (look at the question and pick the choices that “seem best”)

31. Although it appeared to be ---------- after its stagnation and eventual cancellation in 1989, Doctor who returned to BBC in 2005 to become the longest- running science - fiction show in history.

moribund

ascendant

unflagging

defunct

sated

32. ………………….. against China’s record on environmental protection has become a ubiquitous pastime at energy summits.

inveigling

opining

needling



F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

E

D

A

B

C


fulminating

lauding

33. Queen Blanche’s brothers, Louis and Robert, were appointed ------------ to her spouse only in 1345 more than a decade after her coronation.

34. Social critic Neil Postman identified what he saw as a sort of intellectual ------------ when he wrote, “What or well feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one”

pondering

malingering

entropy

celebration

banishment

35. The doctor’s presentation at the conference gave numerous suggestions for incurring the …………………. Of the treatment while obviating damage to auxiliary structures.

diagnosis

mien

prognosis



D

E

E

D

C

B

A

A

B

C

protégés

vassals

serfs

precursors

minions

A

B

C

D

E


costs

benefits

Directions: select the two answer choices that, when used to complete the sentence, fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole and produce completed sentences that are alike in meaning

36. Richardson’s (i) --------------- handling of the (ii) --------------- scandal successfully prevented what seemed poised to become the spectacular dissipation of his coalition.


penitent fretful

adroit looming

heterogeneous ecumenical

37. The (i) --------------- forces were just barely held at bay a loyalist battalion (ii) ------------- by its allies’ reinforcements.


revolting obviated

outclassed bolstered

fascistic sapped


38. While it would be lovely if what he said were true, I’m afraid he is --------------liar

a libelous

an avowed



E

D

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B


A nullifying

an unverified

A forfeited

39. In determining the defendant’s sentencing, the jury will take into account whether he acted on---------------- motives or truly did act primarily to shield the neighborhood from the kingpin’s reprisal.

Ulterior

Criminal

Recidivist

Lucrative

Violent

40. Under the mismanagement of the Socialist party, Burma drifted into economic ------------ and isolation.

Monotony

Opulence

Nonchalance

Decrepitude

Recrimination

41. As the effects of foreign competition and a sense of threatened ------------------- reached each canton, talk of independence grew more common.



C

D

E

A

B

C

D

E

E

D

C

B

A

immunity

apotheosis

belligerence

recidivism

autonomy

A

B

C

D

E


42. He is the most hubristic individual I’ve ever met, and never declines an opportunity for -----------

Directions: select the two answer choices that, when used to complete the sentence, fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole and produce completed sentences that are alike in meaning

43. (i) …………….. by circumstance, the entrepreneur once known for his overweening (ii) ………………. Was now seen by other as the possessor of a broken spirit and timid demeanor.


unaffected pretension

humbled liberality

exalted wealth

44. Though she had made attempts towards adopting a more (i) ……………….. lifestyle, she was not above indulging her proclivities towards (ii) ………………. Dishes.


truculent odious

salutary edible

frugal delectable



A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

hedonism

augmentation

profit

aggrandizing

bluster E

A

B

C

D


45. The discovery that exposure to allergens through the mother’s diet during the last trimester could lead to complications during the first after birth (i) ---------------- the UK department of health to (ii) ---------------- dietary recommendations for expecting mothers.


prompted intuit

instigated codify

lulled officiate

46. Fearful of being seen as (i) -----------------, the Bieber Appreciation Society struggled to include (ii) ---------------- voices in its monthly newsletter.


enthusiasts propitiatory

detractors deprecatory

A claque tantamount

47. The fact that bringing together criminals and their victims for a moderated conversation has been shown to vastly reduce rates of (i) ……………. Can be explained by the fact that those who commit crimes can only do so by convincing themselves have no(ii)-----------


violence inconsistencies

recidivism aberrations

malfeasance ramifications



A

A

B

C

D

E

F

B

C

D

E

F

C

B

A D

E

F


48. The (i) -------------- of monks and abbots in eastern Christianity were typically of black cloth, indicating their spiritual indifference to matters of this world and their commitment to a (ii) ……………. Reality. In this regard, the contrast with the (iii) -------------garments of Buddhist monks is striking.


vestiges

mundane

iridescent

Habiliments

dogmatic

drab

paragons transcendent

flowing

49. On one account - criticized by many - Polanski was something of a victim, haunted by the (i) …………. Images of his wife’s murder. On another, he is a thoroughly culpable (ii) --------- following his desires for pleasure at all costs. It is perhaps the (iii)------------------ Inherent in this combination of images, even more so than the director’s talent, that is responsible for the lenience granted him by public opinion.

Blank (i) Blank (ii) Blank(iii)

macabre libertine solecism

incredible rogue ambiguity

mellifluous cad disparity50. The university president argued that top universities should not (i) -----------------

education as an academic (ii) -----------------; discouraging our brightest students from pursuing teaching careers does a disservice to the next generation of students by (iii)---------------- them of the opportunity to learn from the cream of the crop.




C

B

A D

E

F

G

H

I

A D G

E

F

H

I C

B


51. O’Neill’s Irish ………………… so disconcerted the royal visitors that they found themselves struggling in vain to continue negotiations in their normally eloquent Queen’s English.

fortitude

patois

equanimity

diffidence

consternation

52. Traditional upper class ----------------- such as fox hunting and cricket have largely given way to more egalitarian amusements over the course of the last century.



A

B

C

D

E

disdain recommendation denigrating

proscribe topic degenerating

circumvent discipline divesting

A

C

B

D

E

F

G

H

I

stereotypes

disportments

vocation

canards

\ professions

A

B

C

D

E


53. Professor Honeycutt was known as a probing questioner of her students; she always wanted to get to the ------------- of any intellectual matter.

54. Seeing their only alternative to be a (i) -------------- diplomacy unbecoming of political visionaries -as members of the national liberation organization saw themselves in those days -the militant branch veered toward a policy of (ii) ----------- aggression against their perceived ethnic rivals.


wheedling voluble

freewheeling unremitting

verdant superfluous

55. A (i) ------------- passed through the crowd of protesters prostrating themselves in prayer when Mubarak made the sudden announcement - only a fortnight after vowing not to give in to the popular demands for his departure - that he would resign his post as president of Egypt, (ii) ------------- a period of disorder and confusion.


frisson marring

murmur precipitating

panegyric diluting



A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

emotions

academics

Pith

Periphery

examination E

D

C

B

A


56. Known and feared for their (i) ------------, the Prussians became a force inspiring terror after overcoming internal fighting through Bismarck’s cunning leadership.

57. A perfectionist in all things, joseph expected to immediately become (i) -------------- and was downtrodden indeed when he remained a (ii) --------------- despite his best efforts.


A maven practitioner

A musician pundit

A virtuoso tyro

58. (i)---------------- is unlikely to serve someone surrounded by liars and (ii) -----------------


credulity fabulists

credibility thieves

sincerity quibblers



A

B

C

D

E

F

C

A

B

D

E

F

artillery

extravagance

opulence

covetousness

truculence

A

B

C

D

E


59. The idea, espoused by such heavyweights as peter singer, that each sentient being deserves fair treatment on a par with human beings clashes with the ecological insight that ------------ some members of a species is occasionally necessary to prevent the devastating effects of overpopulation.

Protecting

Culling

Murdering

Reintroducing

Depleting

60. While she was known to all her friends as quite the (ii) ……………….., her private behavior belied this (ii) ---------------- image.


sage belligerent

prevaricator pedantic

raconteur genial

61. The common opinion at the court had it that her utterances as often as not (i) ……………… attitudes unbecoming of a lady. This reputation cost her the attentions of some gentlemen, above all thanks to their fear of being bested by her (ii) ………………..


eluded subtlety

derided doggerel

evinced repartee



A

A

B

C

D

E

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F


62. While courage is an important virtue to each and his character is indeed (i) --------------, a cartoon mouse with a (ii) ---------------- for excessive violence is hardly an appropriate mascot for a Christian children’s charity.


doughty penchant

impetuous kinship

heady largess

63. The double – dealing ambassador fell under suspicion as much due to his mix of (i)----------------- and backpedaling in accomplishing his ends as to a distinctly unflattering comparison with the (ii) ----------------- straightforwardness of his Australian counterpart.


Ingenuousness occlusive

odium ostensible

legerdemain portentous

64. The most (i) ---------- puzzle lay in determining how to deliver the antisense strand to the right place at the right moment, after the virus had penetrated the cell, but before it had replicated and escaped to infect other cells, to accomplish this, the synthetic strand must be sufficiently potent to be effective and strong enough to resist rapid (ii) ---------- inside the body.


recalcitrant desiccation

abstemious degradation

monolithic pleonasm



A

B

C

D

E

F

C

B

A D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F


65. It takes only a (i) ------------- of dry shrub for an errant spark to turn into a destructive (ii) ----------------------------


surfeit conflagration

scintilla incendiary

pallet havoc

Direction: For each blank select one entry from the corresponding column of choices. Fill all blanks in the way that best completes the text.

66. The Russo – Turkish war (i) ---------------- Albanians, placing before them the (ii) -------------prospect of a division of their lands among competing powers. This, above all, served to bring Albanian nationalism surging out of its former (iii) -----------------, culminating in a successful bid for independence only a few decades later.


67. Though she acknowledges that modern farming practices are more (i) ---------------- than traditional agriculture, she nonetheless argues that this difference represents no real (ii) ------------------- . perhaps more worrying, however, is her insistence that similar claims can be advanced regarding the treatment of farmers by an often (iii) ------------- social hierarchy.



A

B

C

D

E

F

rankled volatile latency

enervated minatory insularity

debased infeasible lucidityC

A

B

D

E

F

G

H

I



expensive progress iniquitous

efficient disincentive halcyon

polluting countermand stratified

68. The (i) ------------ of the word assassin is (iii) -------------- in philological circles, as the word comes from a sect of brutal killers believed to have smoked the drug hashish before going on a mission. Nevertheless, there is no shortage of scholars willing to delve into the topic, as the (iii) ------------- of the sect’s origins prior to the first crusade presents a mystery worthy of any number of dissertations.


69. Statistics often need to be (i) -------------- for their real meaning: while both the population and the amount of meat eaten annually in the nation remained (ii) -------------the growing gap between rich and poor meant that the wealthy few were eating more meat than ever, while the masses suffered from a (iii) ------------- of foodstuffs of all kinds.



A

C

B

D

E

F

G

H

I

introduction notorious suspicion

derivation unheralded opacity

connotation enigmatic certaintyC

A

B

D

E

F

G

H

I



70. Although Cage supported the expanded reliance on electronically produced ---------------, most of his early music is surprisingly --------------. His “music for Marcel Duchamp,” a prepared – piano work from 1947, never rises above mezzo – piano, offering instead ---- melody that maintains its softness throughout.


harmony deleterious A noisome

murmur auspicious an undulating

clangor subdued an erstwhileDrill: Hard Questions


71. After renouncing the significant advantages of his noble birth, he wandered from village to village as a lowly ------------- ; this, he maintained along with other members of his order, was the life best suited to one who wished to see both the miserliness and the generosity of humanity.

vagrant

mendicant

myrmidon

proselyte



A

B

C

D

C

A

B

D

E

F

G

H

I

plumbed plastic deceleration

calculated static dearth

designed demographic surfeit

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I


malefactor

72. One particular ------------------ of many grammarians is the serial comma: whether to use one or not is an issue about which they will quibble at great length and not without some pedantic pleasure.

crotchet

awl

apogee

nadir

opus

73. In contrast to American social conventions with regard to neighborly relations, in which families or individuals residing in close proximity often interact on a familiar basis, residential ---------------- counts for surprisingly little among the English.

commodiousness

amiability

reciprocity

propinquity

cordiality

74. It is quite dangerous to ------------ through the city these days, when explosions shake the buildings to their foundations without letup.



E

D

A

B

C

E

E

A

B

C

D


lumber

sidle

circumambulate

traipse

trudge

75. The aristocrat’s gifts, while (i) --------------- , served as a remainder that the power of the crown continued to be held in some esteem even in such (ii) -------------- political times.


extravagant mercurial

nugatory downtrodden

sumptuous pulchritudinous

Direction: questions 76 to 77 For each blank select one entry from the corresponding column of choices. Fill all blanks in the way that best completes the text.

76. Having built up to a (i) ------------ , the shelling stopped as suddenly as it had begun; gazing at the drooping barrels, one might be forgiven for thinking they were rendered (ii) -------------- by the pathetic sight of their (iii) ----------- targets.


Clangor sidereal ethereal

Crescendo woebegone effulgent

Euphony erroneous haggard



E

A

B

C

D

E

C

B

A D

F

C

B

A D

E

F

G

H

I


77. Despite having engineered and overseen the return of several stray dioceses that broken away under his predecessor’s (i) -------------, the bishop had a modest and open quality that (ii) --------------- the (iii) --------------- of his position.


diligence construed tenuousness

Epaulet belied audacity

Laxity derided austerity

78. The (i) ------------ of “surds” – irrational roots – with the Pythagoreans’ faith that all phenomena in the universe could be expressed through harmonious ratios of whole numbers led the cult to (ii) --------------- any mention of their existence to the uninitiated.


absurdity condone

incongruity proscribe

imperilment palliate

79. Architectural (i) ----------- like koolhaas recognized Hadid’s talents early and encouraged their development. By 1977, only a few years after their initial encounter, she had perfected her (ii) ----------- style, inspired equally by malevich’s sparse constructivism and the calligraphic training of her Arabic education. Blank (i) Blank (ii)

cognoscenti fungible

illuminati malleable

neophytes herteromorphic



A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

C

A

B

D

E

F


Direction: Questions 80 to 86 For each blank select one entry from the corresponding column of choices. Fill all blanks in the way that best completes the text.

80. Aleister Crowley, despite being given to wildly fantastic claims - he insisted, for instance, that the founding book of his religion was dictated to him by a divine being who visited his hotel room wearing sunglasses and a trench coat – had his share of (i) …………. flowers. These were likely spurred on more than dissuaded by the (ii) ---------- cast on him by the popular press, whose dubbing him “the wickedest man in the world” was, to be fair, hardly (iii) --------------given the relative harmlessness of his eccentricities.


sycophantic disadvantages glib

sordid guntlets peevish

skeptical animadversions condign

81. The Biblical portrayal of (i) -------------- times preceding the great deluge stands in contrast to the ancient Greek representation of the (ii) ----------------- past as a golden age from which humanity has slowly descended into godless chaos. Such observations can easily give rise to the notion that stories about the past are less faithful attempts at reconstruction than (iii) ----------------, expressing both our cultural fears and hopes.


flagitious proximate simulacra

dubious antediluvian equivocations



A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

B

A D

E

G

H


rustic obscure platitudes

82. Seeing a (i) --------------- disposition as perhaps the most significant of preventable illness, 12th –century physicians like Moses Maimonides aimed the bulk of their (ii) ------------ pamphlets at dietary regimens, offering advice that often appears (iii) ------------- to modern sensibilities.


phlegmatic didactic disingenuous

costive maleficent risible

bathetic tenable burgeoning

83. Uncertain whether his (i) ----------- attire could impress the suave executive --- despite her frequent affirmations of fondness for rural ----- Francis reduced himself to near (ii) ------------------------- through new wardrobe acquisitions. If only he had known that her (iii)---------------- concealed equally humble circumstances.


georgic penury geniality

natty malaise sophistry

drab lethargy grandstanding

84. (i)--------------- is unlikely to gain a reputation for reliability; Garth’s poorly disguised excuses, however, were improbably interpreted by his (ii) -----------------, hypochondriac employer as a sign of great foresight and (iii) …………………


an embezzler casuistic insipidity



C F I

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

C

B

A

F

E

D

I

H

G

A D G


a malingerer imposing sagacity

A pilferer gingerly grandstanding

85. History has (i) ------------- Mahatma Gandi to the extent that his quite considerable moral short comings ---- his (ii) ----------- misogyny, for example ------- are rarely discussed and, if mentioned at all, are seen as no more than (iii) -----------------


lionized risque malefactions

narrativized incorrigible peccadilloes

impugned waggish trespasses

86. The new film, though a chronicle of exploitation and iniquity, nevertheless is deeply concerned with notions of (i) ------------, eventually showcasing the elimination of all the protagonist’s abusers, granting the audience the (ii) ------------ they’ve been awaiting for two hours. Despite the satisfying upheaval, however, the plodding plot en route to this (iii) ------------- leaves much to be desired.


fairness catharsis extravagance

slavery relief denouement

injustice Inconclusiveness platitude

87. Although (i) --------------- is frequently used to give otherwise insubstantial work (ii) ---------- of profundity, even wallgot’s most charitable readers were known to sneer at the breadth of his references.




C

B E

F

H

I

A

C

B

D

E

F

G

H

I

C

A

B

D

E

F

G

H

I


stringency an iota

insularity A veneer

eclecticism A medley

88. He rarely bothered to (i) ------------- his lengthy tomes, but their surprising popularity with the public empowered him to avoid editorial complaints through (ii) ----------- threats to sign a contract with a different publisher.


emend Impuissant

allay peremptory

edify toothsome

89. In future discounting, subjects place a lower value – whether positive or negative – on events in the distant future than on (i) ------------ ones, explaining the common tendency to (ii) -------------- present pleasures event at the expense of a likely (iii) ------------------ of future detriments.


proleptic overestimate malady

remote rescind proliferation

proximate protract butterssing

90. She claims it is possible to deduce matters of fact from logic and, with just as little (i) ----------------- aims to derive ethical and economic truth as well. The laws of logic, on her grasp, (ii) ------------ her in proclaiming that “existence exits”, which is very much like saying that the law of thermodynamics is hot.



C

B

A

F

E

D

C

B

A

F

E

D

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I



impartiality license

warrant occlude

fallacy galvanize

DRILL: Easy questions

Direction : Select the two answer choices that, when used to complete the sentence, fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole and produce completed sentences that are alike in meaning (Two of them correct).

91. The children’s story ----------- seemingly a simple tale of animals gathering for a picnic in the forest --- took a ---------------- turn at the end, admonishing readers to always be honest.

magnanimous beneficent

didactic

garrulous

moralistic

futile

92. Floodwaters had already breached the library’s walls, but hopeful volunteers in hip boots worked tirelessly to ---------------- the damage.

mitigate

exacerbate



C

A

B

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B


abase

bolster

forestall

amalgamate

93. The candidate campaigned on a platform of across-the-aisle cooperation, but many commentators were surprised that he indeed turned out to be less --------------- than his predecessor.

irate

divisive

impulsive

political

infuriated

combative

94. When Steven got angry about politics, whether it was during an argument with his family or with just a coworker, it proved almost impossible to -------------- him.

condemn

pacify

Judge

incense

mollify

influence

95. The graduate student’s experiment yielded results as surprising as they were promising; her next step was to pursue additional data that would -------------- her findings.

undergird

buttress



C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B


gainsay

undermine

eschew

expatiate

96. There is no fundamental difference between a person who quietly ---------------- a bigoted viewpoint to a friend and one who spews chauvinist vitriol on television.

eschews

espouses

professes

denies

abnegates

arrogates

97. The ………………… behind Rachel Carson’s famous environmentalist manifesto Silence Spring was a 1957 lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture regarding aerial pesticide spraying.

stimulus

conspiracy

atrocity

impetus

catastrophe

climate98. A commentator with a more ------------- worldview would not find it so easy to divide up

the nation into good guys and bad guys.

belligerent

subtle

Philosophical



C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C


aberrant

peaceful

nuanced

99. Joyce’s Finnegan’s wake, written in a stream of consciousness style full of convoluted puns and obscure allusions, has a deserved reputation for linguistic ---------------.

elaborateness

opacity

meaninglessness

informality

uniqueness

density

100. The financial situation in many European nations is --------------- enough that even a small incident could lead to catastrophe.

calamitous

unstable

illegitimate

unsafe

precarious

cataclysmic

101. While the argument for global warning may not be ------------------ by the record low temperatures reported this year, this data not undermine the overall trend of steadily higher global temperatures.

bolstered

fortified

subverted



A

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C


defined

supplanted

subordinated

102. Steve’s debate teacher argued that pithy quips and gibes, while sometimes effective, had no place in a ------------------- argument.

polite

shallow

competitive

serious

cantankerous

substantive

103. Last year it was discovered that south park ------------- part of its inception spoof from a similar college human sketch.

amalgamated

filched

indulged

combined

poached

assumed 104. Some critics view Abstract Expressionism, which is characterized by geometric

shapes and swathes of color, as a --------------- of realist painting.

rejection

manifestation

refutation

interpretation



A

D

E

F

B

C

D

F

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D


commemoration

elucidation

105. America’s first spy, Nathan Hale, was captured by the British when he attempted to ------------------ British – controlled New York City to track enemy troop movements.

thwart

penetrate

infiltrate permeate

research conquer

106. Romantic comedies of the 1950s were characterized more by sexual --------------- than the straightforward vulgarity that characterized dialogue in today’s “rom –comes”.

conversation

blatancy

insinuation

illusion

innuendo

banter

107. Inflation isn’t dead, only -------------------; as the economy turns around, the purchasing power of the dollars is likely to fall again.

paralyzed

dormant

indigent

itinerant



E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D


problematic

latent

108. Some boxers talk about trying to access their more ----------------- selves in order to counter the fact that civilized people generally don’t punch each other in the face.

seething

barbaric irate

insidious

dynamic

primitive

109. Many people assume that creative work is less --------than manual labor, but they underestimate the difficulty of being entities self - motivated (as well as writing one’s own paychecks).

inventive

collaborative

serious

arduous



E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D


taxing

grave

110. The education debate is only getting more --------------- as politicians demonize teachers unions, and every special interest group jumps into the fray.

vehement

overt

heated problematic

tired

unavoidable

Directions : select the two answer choices that, when used to complete the sentence, fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole and produce completed sentences that are alike in meaning (Two of them correct).

Drill: 20 Medium Questions

111. While many individual religions insist on the primacy of their particular deity, syncretism advocates the ------------------- of multiple religious beliefs.

exclusion

marriage

commingling



E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D


division

communication

partitioning

112. The ambassador was invested with ------------- power by his government and hence was able to finalize the agreement personally.

tertiary

plenary

enigmatical

tyrannical

complete

dictatorial

113. Sometimes it seems that today’s politicians will exploit any opportunity to ------------- their views, no matter how sordid or partisan.

declaim

invoke

exclaim

parrot

adduce

trumpet



E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F


114. The many chapters of the organization decided that a mandatory national ---------------- would be necessary to reconcile what had become a haphazard and often chaotic set of bylaws and

Introduction

conferment

intervention

colloquium

symposium

mediation

115. Though it seems implausible that one could be a great writer without some experience of life, many famous authors have led a --------------- and solitary existence.

idiosyncratic

cloistered

harbored

enigmatic

sheltered

cryptic



A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F


116. Though he wasn’t particularly well – known as a humanitarian, his deep sense of responsibility for the suffering was real, and was only belied by an outward appearance of ------------------

concern

ambivalence

mirth

jouissance

insouciance

indifference

117. Excessive patriotism is by definition ----------------, as the apotheosizing of one country necessarily requires some amount demonization of other people.

minatory

xenophobic

unethical

bigoted

nationalistic

truculent



A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F


118. One possible explanation for the mandatory debauchery of most bachelor parties is that if the husband – to- be able to practice ------------------ in those circumstances, he must be ready for marriage.

continence

sobriety

fiat

tenacity

abstemiousness

autonomy

119. Jon Stewart’s “Rally to Restore sanity” was purportedly organized to prove that it was possible to discuss politics humorously but civilly without --------------those on the other side of the fence.

bespeaking

eulogizing

lampooning

calumniating

caricaturing

maligning120. Though practiced, very few forms of corporal punishment have been

-------------- by the military, due less to the Geneva Conventions than to the overwhelmingly negative popular response to reports of abuse.

recognized

sanctioned

endorsed

considered

caricaturing



A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F


maligning

121. The budget debate progressed well for the first few months (in spite of all the ardent and sometimes bitter squabbling), but slowly descended into a -------------- of competing interests and claims.

quagmire

tragedy

feud

morass

quarrel

conspiracy

122. The difference between similes and metaphors is subtle but, for the poet who takes his or work seriously, absolutely ------------------

synoptic

null

optional

crucial

nominal



A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F


climacteric

123. It is ------------------ reasoning to read Keynesian economics as recommending a perpetual raising of the debt ceiling, when Keynes states clearly that deficit spending must be done responsibly.

indigenous

corrupt

fraudulent

fallacious

specious

deceitful

124. In many ways, teenage rebellion can be seen as the effect of a communication gap between an older generation’s calcified language, and the protean -------------- of the new generation.

patois

defiance

volatility

insubordination

despondence

jargon



A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F


125. His cantankerous reputation was cemented by years of ---------------- at every conceivable opportunity.

imputing

grousing

assaulting

protesting

convulsing

imbibing

126. Last st.Patrick’s day, the police were called when they heard of a small -------------- in progress outside of a bar. fracas

discourse

altercation

battle

colloquy

mutiny

127. Given her sheltered upbringing and the limited breadth of experience foisted on her by economic circumstance, her work reflected a surprisingly --------------------- sensibility.



A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F


shallow

electric

profound

catholic

callow

facile

128. Many people expect documentary filmmakers to be dispassionate and objective, but Michael Moore is famous for the fact that he never misses a chance to ----against those he disagree with.

rail

advertise

fulminate

inveigle

strain

aspirate129. The movie critic was best remembered for the way he used the language of

food to describe films, like the way he praised Inarritu’s action sequences by comparing them to a ------------gazpacho.

insipid

spectacular

brilliant

Piquant

zesty

Stupefying



A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F


130. Every few years, someone manages to survive a skydive with a parachute that doesn’t open, often with only a few broken bones, some -------------- , and a gash or two.

lacerations

trauma

bruises

scratches

lesions

contusions

Drill : 20 Hard Questions

Direction : select the two answer choices that, when used to complete the sentence, fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole and produce completed sentences that are alike in meaning

131. As ------------- from japan, he was called upon to answer questions about the Japanese government’s position on various issues.

A plenipotentiary

A tyro

A legate

An anchorite



A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E


An ascetic

A sybarite

132. While the group’s street protests assumed an assertory, uncompromising tenor, once admitted to halls of power to begin formal lobbying, the group’s leadership wisely chose to ------------- the stridency of their rhetoric.

metamorphose

gild

wane

palliate

succor

damp

133. The women’s rights movement has been mostly ------------- in the middle east, but it is likely that activists will be newly galvanized by the political upheavals currently sweeping the region.

subverted

quiescent

interminable

bootless

abeyant

feckless



F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F


134. Debate rages on between proponents of corporal punishment and the death penalty and their detractors, though even the most rapid supporter agrees that punishments must be ------------- and the justice system evenhanded and thorough.

meet

clement

delimited

condign

tantamount

merciful

135. Peer – reviewed journals are a sacred cow of most scientific rationalists, but studies have shown that the premise of impartiality is ------------, as results tend to be colored by the personal proclivities and suppositions of the experiments

imbecilic

prejudicial

fatuous

chimerical

notional

vexing

136. The description of the restaurant as a garden of --------------delights is fair enough, as Chef Marcel conjures up a menu of texture and tastes that interrogates one’s very notion of what constitutes a meal.



A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F


salubrious

edacious

carnal

voluptuous

terrestrial

gustatory

137. Most of his books drone on and on for chapter, each one providing yet another example of his thesis, the ------------- of which can be found in précis form in the tome’s first few pages, and which is recapitulated from that point on.

gist

pip

pith

stub

nimbus

nut

138. In order to ascertain the efficacy of the new GRE vis – a- vis the old one, it will be necessary not only to collect, but also to ------------- detailed score reports from test takers from both groups, as only by studying the differences and similarities in results can proper inferences be drawn.



A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F


aggregate

ratiocinate

collate

juxtapose

agglomerate

interpose

139. In world war I, trenches were dug so that the soldiers could avoid the near constant ----- from the other side of the line of battle, but not even a trench could protects a battalion from grenades or aerial bombardment.

enfilades

provocations

fervency

imprecations

goadings

salvos

140. Cary Grant’s reputation as a suave and ----------- ladies man extended beyond the silver screen to his real life, where he was known to never let a woman pull out her own chair (this, of course, was well before the feminist revolution caused a difference in opinion about such behaviors).

consummate

genteel



A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B


debonair

waggish

couth

cosmopolitan141. Nonviolent communication states that the attempt to find parity in a

relationship is a fallacious principle, as any notion of fairness is entirely -------------------

Subjective

Introverted

Pragmatic

Utilitarian

IllicitPersonal

142. Education has become a kind of albatross in American politics, in that a speech with any hint of --------------- is actually more pernicious to a politician’s reputation than one with numerous signs of ignorance, or even outright stupidity.

gnosticism

erudition

patrimony

condescension

cerebrality

bloviation

143. Laurent Cantet’s Time out tells the true story of a man so obsessed retaining the ---------- of plenitude even after he is discharged from his company that he doesn’t even tell his wife and his kids about it.

corollaries

paradigms

trappings



C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C


prepossessions

appurtenances

consequences

144. What people fail to remember about Don Juan is that his astronomical number of amatory adventures were due more to his --------------- approach to seduction than any surfeit of charisma or skillfulness.

Sumptuous

Pollarded

Covent

Indiscriminate

Aleatory

Sybaritic145. Even the most far –reaching campaign finance reform proposals will fail to

attenuate the influence of ------------, which doesn’t just buy speedboats and weekends in the Bahamas, but directly relates to a politician’s capacity to run for office.

lobbying

venality

tit – for - tat

graft

lucre

payola

146. In their landmark study of Victorian literature’s relationship to feminism, Gilbert and Gubar --------------- the many ways in which 19th Century women writers created characters that fit into archetypes of “angel” and “monster”.

interrogate

interpolate

debunk



D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C


limn

explode

castigate

147. While it’s inarguably racist to imply that there is some kind of inbuilt -------------- in certain countries, it’s more reasonable to say that certain cultures are more willing to prioritize relaxation and a sense of moderation between work and play.

Obtundity

Enfeeblement

Enervation

Languor

Effeteness

Lethargy148. Autodidacts may argue that the enforced lucubration of a standard education

is -----------, but while some people are able to learn without outside guidance and strictures, most people learn better when accountable to others.

slack

prudent

lax

extraneous

unnecessary

sagacious

149. The best of sigur Ros’s music evokes --------------- landscape, as if the music had transported one to some twilit avenue in a long since abandoned city.

a caliginous

an urban

a crepuscular



D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F

A

B

C

D


a Precipitous

an avuncular

a civic

150. Some historians argue that at least in so far as the board strokes are concerned, cataclysmic events such as the Great Depression are -------------- , due to what some have termed “the inertia of history”.

Ineluctable

Incontrovertible

Interminable

Infallible

Inexorable

Unspeakable

Passage A: Japanese Swords

Historians have long recognized the traditional Japanese sword, or nihonto, as one of the finest cutting weapons ever produced, but it has even been considered a spiritual entity. The adage “the sword is the soul of the samurai” reflects the sword’s psychic importance, not only to its wielder, but also to its creator, the master smith. Not classically regarded as artists, master smiths nevertheless exerted great care in the process of creating swords, no two of which were ever forged exactly the same way. Over hundreds of hours, two types of steel were repeatedly heated, hammered, and folded together into thousands of subtle layers, yielding both a razorsharp, durable edge and a flexible, shock-absorbing blade: Commonly, though optionally, the smith physically signed the blade; moreover, each smith’s secret forging techniques left an idiosyncratic structural signature. Each unique finished product reflected the smith’s personal honor and devotion to craft, and today, the Japanese sword is valued as much for its artistic merit as for its historical significance.

1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A) Challenge the observation that the Japanese sword is highly admired by historians.(B) Introduce new information about the forging of Japanese swords(C) Identify the Japanese sword as an ephemeral work of art(D) Argue that Japanese sword makers were motivated by honor(E) Explain the value attributed to the Japanese sword



E

F

A

B

C

D

E

F


2. Each of the following is mentioned in the passage EXCEPT

(A) Every Japanese sword has a unique structure that can be tracked back to a special forging process

(B) Master smiths kept their forging methodologies secret(C) The Japanese sword was considered by some to have a spiritual quality(D) Master smiths are now considered artists by major historians(E) The Japanese sword is considered both a work of art and a historical artifact

3. The author is most likely to agree with which of the following observations?

(A) The Japanese sword is the most important handled weapon in history(B) The skill of the samurai is what made the Japanese sword so special(C) If a sword had a physical signature, other swords could be attributed to that sword’s

creator.(D) Master smiths were more concerned about the artistic merit of their blades than

about the blade’s practical qualities.(E) The Japanese sword has more historical importance than artistic importance.

4. Which of the following can be inferred about the term “structural signature” in this passage?

(A) It indicates the inscription that the smith places on the blade during the forging process.

(B) It implies the particular characteristics of a blade created by a smith’s unique forging process.

(C) It suggests that each blade can be traced back to a known master smith(D) It reflects the soul of the samurai who wielded the sword.(E) It refers to the unique curved shape of the blade.

5. The author most likely describes the forging process in order

(A) Present an explanation for a change in perception(B) Determine the historical significance of Japanese swords(C) Explain why each Japanese sword is unique(D) Compare Japanese master smiths to classical artists.(E) Review the complete process of making a Japanese sword

6. Select sentence in the passage that describes the process master smiths could use to render their creations visually unique.




7. Which of the following statements about Japanese swords is supported by the passage? Select all the apply.

There is a way to determine the creator of a given sword other than his signature on the blade.They have been viewed in terms other than the purely material.They have not always received the artistic recognition that they deserve.

Passage B: Television’s Invention

In the early years of television, Vladimir Zworkir, was considered its inventor, at least publicly. His loudest champion was his boss David Samoff, the president of RCA and the “father of television”, as he was and widely regarded. Modern historians agree that Philo Famsworth, a self-educated prodigy who was the first to transmit live images, was television’s technical inventor. But Famsworth’s contribution have gone relatively unnoticed, since it was samoff, not famsworth, who put televisions into living rooms and, even more importantly, who successfully borrowed from the radio industry the paradigms of advertiser – funded programming, a paradigm still dominate today. In contrast, Famsworth lacked business savvy and was unable to realize his dream of television as an educational tool.

Perhaps samoff simply adapted his business ideas from other industries such as newspapers, for instance, replacing the revenue from subscription and newsstand purchases with that set of television set sales, but samoff’s construct has damaged programming content. Others contend that it merely created a democratic platform allowing audiences to chose the programming they desire.

1. The primary purpose of passage is to(A) Correct public misconception about Famsworth’s role in developing early television

programs(B) Debate the influence of television on popular culture



A

B

C


(C) Challenge the correct public perception of sales Vladimir Zworykin(D) Chronicle the events that led from the development of radio to the invention of the

television(E) Describe Samoff’s influence on the public perception of television’s inception, and

debate the impact of Samoff’s paradigm

2. It can be inferred from the second paragraph of the passage that(A) Television shows produced by David Samoff and Vladimir Zworkin tended to earn

negative reviews(B) Education programs can not draw as large an audience as sports programs.(C) A number of critics feel that samoff’s initial decision to earn television revenue

through advertising has had a positive or neutral impact on content(D) Educational programs that are aired in prime time, the hours during which the

greatest number of viewers are watching television, are less likely to earn a profit than those that are aired during the daytime hours

(E) In matters of programming, the audience’s preferences should be more influential than those of the advertisers

3. According to the passage the television industry, as its inception, earned revenue from

(A) Advertising only(B) Advertising and the sale of television sets(C) Advertising and subscription(D) Subscription and the sale of television sets(E) Advertising, subscriptions, and the sale of television sets

4. The passage suggests that Farnsworth might have earned greater public notoriety for his invention if

(A) Vladimir Zworykin has been less vocal about his own contributions to the television(B) Farnsworth had been able to develop and air his own educational programs(C) Farnsworth had adapted his business ideas from the radio today(D) Srnoff had involved Farnsworth in his plans to develop, manufacture, or distribute

the television(E) Farnsworth had a better understanding of the type of programming the audience

wanted to watch most




5. Select the sentence that provides factual evidence that sarnoff’s talents were more imitative than innovative.

6. Which of the following statements is supported by the passage? Select all that apply.

The advertising – funded model of television has damaged programming content.

The technical invention of television has been overshadowed by its popularization

There is no way to definitively prove who invented the first television.

Passage C: Life on Mars

Because of the proximity and likeness of mars to earth, scientists have long speculated about the possibility of life on Mars. Roughly three centuries ago, astronomers observed Martian polar ice caps, and later scientists discovered other similarities to earth, including length of the day and axial tilt. But in 1965, photos taken by the Mariner 4 probe revealed a Mars without rivers, oceans, or signs of life. Moreover, in the 1990s, it was discovered that unlike Earth, Mars no longer possessed a substantial global magnetic field, allowing celestial radiation to reach the planet’s and surface and solar wind to eliminate much of Mars’s atmosphere over the course of several billion years.

More recent probes have investigated whether there was once liquid water on Mars. Some scientists believe that that the presence of certain geological landforms definitively resolves this question. Others posit that wind erosion or carbon dioxide oceans may be responsible for these formations. Mars rovers opportunity and spirit, which landed on Mars in 2004, have both discovered geological evidence of past water activity. These findings substantially bolster claims that there was once life on mars.

1. The author’s stance on the possibility of life on Mars can best be described as



A

B

C


(A) optimistic(B) disinterested(C) skeptical(D) simplistic(E) cynical

2. The passage is primarily concerned with which of the following?

(A) Disproving a widely accepted theory.(B) Initiating a debate about the possibility of life on Mars.(C) Presenting evidence in support of a controversial claim(D) Describing the various discoveries made concerning the possibility of life on

Mars(E) Detailing the findings of the Mars recovers opportunity and spirit.

3. Each of the following discoveries is mentioned in the passage EXCEPT

(A) Wind erosion and carbon dioxide oceans responsible for certain geological landforms on Mars

(B) Mars does not have a substantial global magnetic field(C) Mars does not currently have water activity(D) The length of day on mars is similar to that on earth(E) The axial tilt of Mars is similar to that of earth

4. In the first paragraph, the author most likely mentions the discovery of polar ice caps to suggest that(A) Until recently Mar’s polar ice caps were thought to consist largely of carbon

dioxide(B) Martian polar ice caps are made almost entirely of water ice(C) Mars has many similarities to earth, including the existence of polar ice caps(D) Mars has only a small fraction of the carbon dioxide found on earth and Venus(E) Conditions on the planet Mars once very different than they are at present

5. Each of the following can be inferred from the passage EXCEPT

(A) The presence of certain geological landforms is not definitive proof that there was once life on Mars




(B) It is likely that there were few significant discoveries related to the possibility of life on Mars three centuries ago

(C) The absence of a substantial global magnetic field on Mars suggests that it would be difficult to sustain life on Mars

(D) The presence of water activity on Mars is related to the possibility of life on Mars(E) The claims that there was once water on Mars has only limited and indirect

support from recent discoveries

6. It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following characteristics of a planet would imply that it might support life? Select all that apply.

A significant global magnetic field

Evidence of liquid carbon – dioxide on the planer’s surface

A size roughly approximating that of earth

7. Select the sentence in the passage that provides the evidence that there has never been life on Mars.

Passage D: Fossils

Archaeological discoveries frequently undermine accepted ideas, giving rise to new theories. Recently, a set of 3.3 – million- years-old fossils, the remains of the earliest well- preserved child ever found, were discovered in Ethiopia. Estimated to be 3 years old at death, the female child was of the Australopithecus afarensis species, a human ancestor that lived in Africa over 3 million years ago. “Her completeness, antiquity and paleo–anthropology.” Said Zeresenay Alemsedge, a noted paleo- anthropologist, opining that the discovery could reconfigure conceptions about early humans’ capacities

Previously, afarensis was believed to have abandoned arboreal habitats. However, while the mew fossil’s lower limbs support the view of an uptight stance, its gorilla – like arms suggest that afarenis was still able to swing through tress, initiating a reexamination of long – held theories of early human development. Also, the presence of a hyoid bone, a rarely preserved larnx bone that supports throat muscles, has dramatically ape – like than human – like, this fossil hyoid is the first found in such an early human – related species.

1. The organization of the passage could best be described as

(A) Discussing a controversial scientific discovery(B) Contrasting previous theories of development with current findings(C) Illustrating a contention with a specific example



A

B

C


(D) Arguing for the importance of a particular field of study(E) Refuting a popular misconception

2. The passage quote Zeresenay Alemseged in order to

(A) provide evidence to qualify the main idea of the first paragraph(B) question the claims of other scientists(C) provide evidence to support the linguistic abilities of the afarensis species(D) provide evidence that supports the significance of the find(E) provide a subjective opinion that is refuted in the second paragraph

3. Each of the following is cited as a factor in the importance of the discovery of the fossils EXCEPT

(A) The fact that remains were those of a child(B) The age of the fossils(C) The location of the discovery(D) The species of the fossils(E) The intact nature of the fossils

4. It can be inferred from the passage’s description of the discovered fossil hyoid bone that

(A) Australopithecus afarensis were cable of speech(B) The discovered hyoid bone is less primitive than the hyoid bone of apes(C) The hyoid bone is necessary for speech(D) The discovery of the hyoid bone necessitated the reexamination of prior theories(E) The hyoid bone was the most important fossil found at the site

5. According to the passage, the impact of the discovery of the hyoid bone in the field of archaeology could best be compared to which one of the following examples in another field?

(A) The discovery and analysis of cosmic rays lend support to a widely accepted theory of the origin of the universe.

(B) The original manuscript of a deceased 19th century author confirms ideas of the development of an important work of literature.

(C) The continued prosperity of a state – run economy stirs debate in the discipline of macroeconomics.

(D) Newly revealed journal entries by a prominent Civil War era politician lead to a questioning of certain accepted historical interpretations about the conflict

(E) Research into the mapping of the human genome gives rise to nascent applications of individually tailored medicines.




6. Select the sentence that most distinctly undermines an accepted paleo - anthropological theory.

7. The author of the passage suggests that which of the following is exemplified by the recent discovery? Select all that apply.

Scientist’s eagerness to embrace new discoveries

The constantly evolving nature of paleo - anthropology

The way in which new information can necessitate theories

Passage E: Polygamy

Polygamy in Africa has been a popular topic for social research over the past several decades; it has been analyzed by many distinguished minds and in various well – publicized works. In 1961, when Remi Clignet published his book Many Wives, Many powers, he was not alone in sharing the view that in Africa co-wives may be perceived as direct and indirect source of increased income and prestige. For instance, some observers argued that polygamous marriages are more able than monogamous marriage to produce many children, who can legitimately be seen as a form of wealth, as well as of “this- world” immortality connected to the transmission of family names (as opposed to “other-world” immortality in an afterlife). Moreover, polygamy is rooted in and sanctioned by many ancient traditions, both cultural and religious; therefore, some asset that polygamy can provide a stabilizing function within societies frequently under stress from both internal and external forces.

By the 1970s, such arguments had become crystallized and popular. Many other African scholars who wrote on the subject became the new champions of this philosophy. For example, in 1983 john Mbiti proclaimed that polygamy is an accepted and respectable institution serving many useful social purposes, similarly, G.K. Nukunya, in his paper “polygamy as a Symbol of status,” reiterated Mbiti’s idea that a plurality of wives is a legitimate sign of affluence and power in, African Society.

However, the colonial missionary voice provided consistent oppostition to polygamy by viewing the practice as unethical and destructive of family life. While they propagated this view with the authority of the Bible, they were convinced that Africans had to



A

B

C


be coerced into partaking in the vision of monogamy understood by the western culture. The missionary viewpoint even included, in some instances, dictating immediate divorce in the case of newly converted men who had already contracted polygamous marriages. Unfortunately, both the missionary voice and the scholarly voice did not consider the views of African women the matter important. Although there was some awareness that women regarded polygamy as both a curse and a blessing, the distanced, albeit scientific, perspective of an outside observer predominated both on the pulpit and in scholarly writings.

Contemporary research in the social sciences has begun to focus on the protagonist’s voice in the study of culture, recognizing that the views and experiences of those who take part in a given reality ought to receive close examination. This privileging of the protagonist seems appropriate, particularly given that women in Africa have often used literary productions, which feature protagonists and other “actors” undergoing ordeals and otherwise taking active part in real life, to comment on marriage, family, and gender relations.

1. Which of the following best describes the main purpose of the passage above?

(A) To discuss scholarly works that view polygamy as a sign of prestige, respect, and affluence in the African society.

(B) To trace the origins of the missionary opposition to African Polygamy.(C) To argue for imposing restriction on polygamy in the African society(D) To explore the reasons for women’s acceptance of polygamy.(E) To discuss multiple perspectives on African polygamy and contrast them with

contemporary research.

2. The third paragraph of the passage plays which of the following roles?

(A) Discuss the rationale for viewing polygamy as an indication of prestige and affluence in African society.

(B) Supports the author’s view that polygamy is unethical and destructive of family life.(C) Contrasts the views of the colonial missionary with the position of the most recent

contemporary research.(D) Describes the views on polygamy held by the colonial missionary and indicates a

flaw in this vision.(E) Demonstrates that the colonial missionary was ignorant of the scholarly research on

monogamy.




3. The passage provides each of the following, EXCEPT

(A) The year of publication of Remi Clignet’s book many wives, many powers(B) The year in which john Mbiti made a claim that polygamy is an accepted institution(C) Examples of African women’s literary productions devoted to family relations(D) Reasons for missionary opposition to polygamy(E) Current research perspectives on polygamy

4. According to the passage, the colonial missionary and the early scholarly research shared which of the following traits in their views on polygamy

(A) Both considered polygamy a sign of social status and success.(B) Neither accounted for views of local women.(C) Both attempted to limit the prevalence of polygamy(D) Both pointed our polygamy’s destructive effects on family life(E) Both exhibited a somewhat negative attitude towards polygamy.

5. Which of the following statements can most properly be inferred from the passage/

(A) Nukunya’s paper “polygamy as a symbol of Staus” was not written in 1981.(B) John Mbiti adjusted his initial view on polygamy, recognizing that the experiences of

African women should receive closer attention.(C) Remi Clignet’s book Many wives, Many powers was the first well – known scholarly

work to proclaim that polygamy can be viewed as a symbol or prestige and wealth.(D) Under the influence of the missionary opposition, polygamy was proclaimed illegal

in Africa as a practice “unethical and destructive of family life.”(E) A large proportion of the scholars writing on polygamy in the 1970s and 1980s were

of African descent.

6. Which of the following examples fit model of cultural studies cited in the final paragraph of the passage? Select all that apply.

A documentary about the modern-day slave trade that relied on interviewswith those who had been enslaved

A study pandas in confinement that made use of techniques for ascertaining the psychological state of each panda



A

B

C


An experimental theater piece about blindness in which audience members were required to wear a blindfold

7. Select the sentence in the first two paragraphs that cites a specific benefit of polygamy without mentioning the economic ramifications.

Passage F: Sweet Spot

Though most tennis players generally strive to strike the ball on the racket’s vibration node, more commonly known as the “sweet spot”, many players are unaware of the existence of a second, lesser-known location on the racket face. The center of percussion, that will also greatly diminish the strain on a player’s arm when the ball is struck.

In order to understand the physics of this second sweet spot, it is helpful to consider what would happens to a tennis racket in the moments after impact with the ball if the player’s hand were to vanish at the moment of impact. The impact of the ball would cause the racket to bounce backwards, experiencing a translational motion away from the ball. The tendency of this motion would be to jerk all parts of the racket, including the end of its handle, backward, or away from the ball. Unless the ball happened to hit the racket precisely at the racket’s center of mass, the racket would additionally experience a rotational motion around its center of mass-much as a penny that has been struck near its edge will start to spin. Whenever the ball hits the racket face, the effect of this rotational motion will be to jerk the end of the handle forward, towards the ball. Depending on where the ball strikes the racket face, one or the other of these motions will predominate.

However, there is one point of impact, known as the center of percussion, which causes neither motion to predominate; if a ball were to strike this point, the impact would not impact any motion to the end of the handle. The reason for this lack of motion is that the force on the upper part of the hand would be equal and opposite to the force on the lower




part of the hand, resulting in no net force on the tennis players’ hand or forearm. The center of percussion constitutes second sweet spot because a tennis player’s wrist typically is placed next to the end of the racket’s handle. When the player strikes the ball at the center of percussion, her wrist is jerked neither forward nor backward, and she experiences a relatively smooth, comfortable tennis stroke.

The manner in which a tennis player can detect the center of percussion on a given tennis racket follows from the nature of this second sweet spot. The center of percussion can be located via simple trail and error by holding the end of a tennis racket between your finger and thumb and throwing a ball onto the strings.If the handle jumps out of your hand, than the ball has missed the center of percussion.

1. What is the primary message the author is trying to convey?

(A) A proposal for an improvement to the design of tennis rackets.(B) An examination of the different between the two types of sweet spot.(C) A definition of the translational and rotational forces acting on a tennis racket.(D) A description of the ideal are in which to strike every ball.(E) An explanation of a lesser-known area on a tennis racket that dampens unwanted

vibration.

2. According to the passage, all of the following are true of the forces acting upon a tennis racket striking a ball EXCEPT

(A) The only way to eliminate the jolt that accompanies most strokes is to hit the ball on the center of percussion

(B) The impact of the ball striking the racket can strain a tennis player’s arm(C) There are at least two different forces acting upon the racket(D) The end of the handle of the racket will jerk forward after striking the ball strikes

the racket’s center of mass(E) The racket will rebound after it strikes the ball

3. What is the primary function served by paragraph two in the context of the entire passage?

(A) To establish the main idea of the passage.(B) To provide an explanation of the mechanics of the phenomenon discussed in the

passage.(C) To introduce a counterargument that elucidates the main idea of the passage.(D) To provide an example of the primary subject described in the passage.(E) To explain why the main idea of the passage would be useful for tennis players.




4. The author mentions “ a penny that has been struck near its edge” in order to

(A) Show how the center of mass causes the racket to spin(B) Argue that a pennv spins in the exact way that a tennis racket spins(C) Explain how translational motion works.(D) Provide an illustration of a concept(E) Demonstrate that pennies and tennis rackets do not spin in the same way

5. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?

(A) If a player holds the tennis racket anywhere other than the end of the handle, the player will experience a jolting sensation.

(B) The primary sweet spot is more effective at damping vibration than the secondary sweet spot.

(C) Striking a tennis ball at a spot other than the center of percussion can result in a jarring feeling

(D) Striking a tennis ball repeatedly at spots other than a sweet spot leads to “tennis elbow”.

(E) If a player lets go of the racket at the moment of impact, the simultaneous forward and backward impetus causes the racket to drop straight to the ground.

6. Select the sentence in the second or third paragraph that describes the physics of the center of percussion’s perceived “sweetness.”

7. It can be inferred that a tennis ball that strikes a racket’s center of percussion will do which of the following. Select all that apply.

Cause at least some strain on the arm of the player swinging the racket

Not cause the wrist

Allow for a cleaner stroke than a ball striking a racket’s primary sweet spot



A

B

C


Passage G: Chaos Theory

Around 1960, mathematician Edward Lorenz found unexpected behavior in apparently simple equations representing atmospheric air flows. Whenever he reran his model with the same inputs, different outputs resulted- although the model lacked any random elements. Lorenz realized that tiny rounding errors in his analog computer mushroomed overtime, leading to erratic results. His findings marked a seminal moment in the development of chaos theory, which, despite its name, has little to do with randomness.

To understand how unpredictability can arise from deterministic equations, which do not involve chance outcomes, consider the non-chaotic system of two poppy seeds placed in a round bowl. As the seeds roll to the bowl’s center, a position known as a point attractor, the distance between the seeds shrinks. If instead, the bowl is flipped over. Two seeds placed on top will roll away from each other. Such a system, while still not technically chaotic, enlarges initial differences in position.

Chaotic systems, such as a machine mixing bread dough, are characterized by both attraction and repulsion. As the dough is stretched, folded, and pressed back together, any poppy seeds sprinkled in are intermixed seemingly at random. But this randomness is illusory. In fact, the poppy seeds are captured by “strange attractors”, staggeringly complex pathways whose tangles appear accidental but are in fact determined by the system’s fundamental equations.

During the dough – kneading process, two poppy seeds positioned next to each other eventually go their separate ways. Any early divergence or measurement error is




repeatedly amplified by the mixing until the position of any seed becomes effectively unpredictable. It is this “sensitive depends on initial condition” and not true randomness that generates unpredictability in chaotic systems, of which one example may be earth’s weather. According to the popular interpretation of the “butterfly Effect”, a butterfly flapping its wings causes hurricanes. A better understanding is that the butterfly causes uncertainty about the precise state of the air. This microscopic uncertainty grows until it encompasses even hurricanes. Few meteorologists believe that we will ever be able to predict rain or shine for a particular day years in the future.

1. The main purpose of this passage is to

(A) Explain complicated aspects of certain physical systems(B) Trace the historical development of a scientific theory(C) Distinguish a mathematical pattern from its opposite(D) Describe the spread of a technical model from one field of study to others(E) Contrast possible causes of weather phenomena

2. In the example discussed in the passage, what is true about poppy seeds in bread dough, once the dough has been thoroughly mixed?

(A) They have been individually stretched and folded over, like miniature versions of the entire dough.

(B) They are scattered in random clumps throughout the dough.(C) They are accidentally caught in tangled objects called strange attractors.(D) They are bound to regularly dispersed patterns of point attractors.(E) They are in positions dictated by the underlying equations that govern the mixing

process.

3. According to the passage, the rounding errors in Lorenz’s model

(A) Indicated that the model was programmed in a fundamentally faulty way(B) Were deliberately included to represent tiny fluctuations in atmospheric air currents(C) Were imperceptibly small at first, but tended to grow(D) Were at least partially expected, given the complexity of the actual atmosphere(E) Shrank to insignificant levels during each trial of the model

4. The passage mentions each of the following as an example or potential example of a chaotic or non-chaotic system EXCEPT

(A) A dough-mixing machine(B) Atmospheric weather patterns




(C) Poppy seeds placed on top of an unside-down bowl(D) Poppy seeds placed in a right-side-up bowl(E) Fluctuating butterfly flight patterns

5. It can be inferred from the passage that which of the following pairs of items would most likely follow typical pathways within a chaotic system?

(A) Two particles ejected in random directions from the same decaying atomic nucleus.(B) Two stickers affixed to a balloon that expands and contracts over and again.(C) Two avalanches sliding down opposite sides of the same mountain(D) Two baseballs placed into an active tumble dryer.(E) Two coins flipped into a large bowl.

6. The author implies which of the following about weather system’s select all that apply.

They illustrate the same fundamental phenomenon as Lorenz’s rounding errors.

They are too complicated to ever be predicted with total accuracy.

They are governed mostly by seemingly trvial events, such as the flapping of a butterfly’s wings.

7. Select the sentence in the second or third paragraph that illustrates why “chaos theory” might be called a misnomer.



A

B

C


ANSWERS KEY

1. (Choice A), (Choice E), (Choice I).2. (Choice C), (Choice D)3. (Choice B)4. (Choice C), (Choice F).5. (Choice D), (Choice F).6. (Choice E)7. (Choice A)8. (Choice B)9. (Choice A), (Choice E)10. (Choice A), (Choice E)11. (Choice A), (Choice D)12. (Choice B), (Choice D)13. (Choice C), (Choice D)14. (Choice B)15. (Choice A), (Choice D)16. (Choice C), (Choice E)17. (Choice C), (Choice E), (Choice H)18. (Choice A), (Choice F), (Choice H)19. (Choice A), (Choice F)20. (Choice C), (Choice F)




21. (Choice A), (Choice F)22. (Choice D)23. (Choice B), (Choice F)24. (Choice A), (Choice F)25. (Choice C), (Choice D), (Choice H)26. (Choice B), (Choice D), (Choice I)27. (Choice B), (Choice E), (Choice G)28. (Choice C), (Choice D)29. (Choice A), (Choice D)30. (Choice E), (Choice F).31. (Choice D)32. (Choice D)33. (Choice B)34. (Choice C)35. (Choice E)36. (Choice B), (Choice E)37. (Choice A), (Choice E)38. (Choice B)39. (Choice A)40. (Choice D)41. (Choice E)42. (Choice E)43. (Choice B), (Choice D)44. (Choice B), (Choice F)45. (Choice A), (Choice E)46. (Choice C), (Choice E)47. (Choice B), (Choice F)48. (Choice B), (Choice F), (Choice G)49. (Choice A), (Choice D), (Choice H)50. (Choice A), (Choice F), (Choice I)51. (Choice B)52. (Choice B)53. (Choice C)54. (Choice A), (Choice E)55. (Choice A), (Choice E)56. (Choice E)57. (Choice C), (Choice F)58. (Choice A), (Choice D)




59. (Choice B)60. (Choice C), (Choice F)61. (Choice C), (Choice F)62. (Choice A), (Choice D)63. (Choice C), (Choice E)64. (Choice A), (Choice D)65. (Choice B), (Choice D)66. (Choice A), (Choice E), (Choice G)67. (Choice B), (Choice D), (Choice G)68. (Choice B), (Choice D), (Choice H)69. (Choice A), (Choice E), (Choice H)70. (Choice C), (Choice F), (Choice H)71. (Choice B)72. (Choice A)73. (Choice D)74. (Choice D)75. (Choice B), (Choice D)76. (Choice B), (Choice E),(Choice I)77. (Choice C), (Choice E), (Choice I)78. (Choice B), (Choice E)79. (Choice A), (Choice F )80. (Choice A), (Choice F), (Choice I)81. (Choice A), (Choice E), (Choice G)82. (Choice B), (Choice D), (Choice H)83. (Choice A), (Choice D), (Choice I)84. (Choice B), (Choice F), (Choice H)85. (Choice A), (Choice E), (Choice H)86. (Choice A), (Choice D), (Choice H)87. (Choice C), (Choice E)88. (Choice A), (Choice E )89. (Choice C), (Choice F ), (Choice H )90. (Choice B ), (Choice D)91. (Choice C ), (Choice E)92. (Choice B ), (Choice D)93. (Choice B ), (Choice F)94. (Choice B ), (Choice E)95. (Choice A ), (Choice B)96. (Choice B ), (Choice C)




97. (Choice A ), (Choice D)98. (Choice B ), (Choice F)99. (Choice D), (Choice F)100. (Choice B ), (Choice E)

101. (Choice A ), (Choice B)

102. (Choice D), (Choice F)

103. (Choice B ), (Choice E)

104. (Choice A ), (Choice C)

105. (Choice B ), (Choice C)

106. (Choice C ), (Choice E)

107. (Choice B ), (Choice F)

108. (Choice B ), (Choice F)

109. (Choice D), (Choice E)

110. (Choice A), (Choice C)



113. (Choice A ), (Choice F)



116. (Choice E), (Choice F)

117. (Choice B ), (Choice D)

118. (Choice A ), (Choice E)

119. (Choice D ), (Choice F)


121. (Choice A ), (Choice D)

122. (Choice D ), (Choice F)

123. (Choice D ), (Choice E)

124. (Choice A ), (Choice F)


126. (Choice A ), (Choice C)




130. (Choice C), (Choice F)



133. (Choice B), (Choice E)

134. (Choice A), (Choice D)





136. (Choice B), (Choice F)


138. (Choice C), (Choice D)

139. (Choice A), (Choice F)


141. (Choice A), (Choice F)


143. (Choice C), (Choice F)



146. (Choice A), (Choice D)




150. (Choice A), (Choice E)

Answer key to passage A:1. (Choice E)2. (Choice D)3. (Choice C)4. (Choice B)5. (Choice C)6. -------7. (A) correct (B) correct (c) correct

Answer key to passage B:1. (choice E)2. (Choice C)3. (Choice B)4. (Choice D)5. Correct answer is the second –to-last sentence of the first paragraph.6. (Choice B)

Answer key to passage C:

1. (Choice B)2. (Choice D)




3. (Choice A)4. (Choice C)5. (Choice E)6. (Choice A),(Choice C)

Answer key to passage D:

1. (Choice C)2. (Choice D)3. (Choice C)4. (Choice D)5. (Choice D)6. ------------7. (Choice C)

Answer key to passage E:

1. (Choice E)2. (Choice D)3. (Choice C)4. (Choice B)5. (Choice A)6. (Choice A), (Choice B)

Answer key to passage F:

1. (Choice E)2. (Choice A)3. (Choice B)4. (Choice D)5. (Choice C)6. Correct sentence is he second sentence of third paragraph.7. (Choice A),(Choice B),(Choice C)

Answer key to passage G:




1. (Choice A)2. (Choice E)3. (Choice C)4. (Choice E)5. (Choice D)6. (Choice A)7. ------------

Questions 1 to 3 are based on the following reading passage H.

Reviving the practice of using elements of popular music in classical composition, an approach that had been in hibernation in the United States during the 1960s, composer Philip Glass (born 1937) embraced the ethos of popular music without imitating it. Glass based two symphonies on music by rock musicians David Bowie and Brain Eno, but (line 4) the symphonies’ sound is distinctively his. Popular elements do not appear out of place in Glass’s classical music, which from its early days has shared certain harmonies and rhythms with rock music. Yet this use of popular elements has not made Glass a composer of popular music. His music is not a version of popular music packaged to attract classical listeners; it is high for listeners steeped in rock rather than the classics. ( line 9)

Select only one answer choice.

1. The passage addresses which of the following issues related to Glass’s use of popular elements in his classical compositions?

How it is regarded by listeners who prefer rock to the classics

How it has affected the commercial success of Glass’s music

Whether it has contributed to a revival of interest among other composers in using popular elements in their compositions



A

B

C


Whether it has had a detrimental effect on Glass’s reputation as a composer of classical music

Whether it has caused certain of Glass’s works to be derivative in quality

Consider each of the three choices separately and select all that apply.

2. The passage suggests that Glass’s work displays which of the following qualities?

A return to the use of popular music in classical compositions

An attempted to elevate rock music to an artistic status more closely approximating that of classical music

A long-standing tendency to incorporate elements from elements from two apparently disparate musical styles

3. Select the sentence that distinguishes two ways of integrating rock and classical music.

For each of questions 4 to 12, select one answer choice unless otherwise instructed.

4. A person who agrees to serve as mediator between two warring factions at the request of both abandons by so agreeing the right to take sides later. To take sides at a later point would be to suggest that the earlier presumptive impartiality was a sham.

The passage above emphasizes which of the following points about mediators?

They should try to form no opinions of their own about any issue that is related to the dispute. They should not agree to serve unless they are committed to maintaining a stance of impartiality.They should not agree to serve unless they are equally acceptable to all parties to a dispute.They should feel free to take sides in the dispute right from the start, provided that they make their biases publicity known.They should reserve the right to abandon their impartiality so as not to be open to the charge of having been deceitful.



D

E

A

B

C

A

B

C

D

E


Questions 5 to 8 are based on the following reading passage.

Was Felix Mendelssohn (1809 – 1847) a great composer? On its face, the question seems absurd. One of the most gifted prodigies in the history of music, he produced his first masterpiece at sixteen. From then on, he was recognized as an artist of preternatural abilities, not only as a composer but also as a pianist and conductor. But mendelssohn’s enduring popularity has often been at odds- sometimes quite sharply – with his critical standing. Despite general acknowledgment of his genius, there has been a noticeable reluctance to rank him with, say, schumann or Brahms. As Haggin put it, Mendelssohn, as a composer, was a “minor master...Working on a small scale of emotion and texture.”

5. Select a sentence in the passage whose function is to indicate the range of Mendelssohn’s musical talents.

6. The passage suggests that anyone attempting to evaluate Mendelssohn’s career must confront which of the following dichotomies?

The tension between Mendelssohn’s career as a composer and his career as a pianist and conductorThe contrast between Mendelssohn’s popularity and that of Schumann and Brahms The discrepancy between Mendelssohn’s popularity and his standing among criticsThe inconsistency between Mendelssohn’s reputation during his lifetime and his lifetime and reputation since his deathThe gap between Mendelssohn’s prodigious musical beginnings and his decline in later years

7. It can be inferred that the “reluctance” mentioned in the passage is being ascribed to

Most composers since Mendelssohn

Schumann and Brahms



A

B

C

D

E

A

B

C


The music-listening public

Music critics generally

Haggin exclusively

8. The author mentions Schumann and Brahms primarily in order to

Provide examples of composers who are often compared with Mendelssohn

Identify certain composers who are more popular than Mendelssohn

Identify composers whom Mendelssohn influenced

Establish the milieu in which Mendelssohn worked

Establish a standard of comparison for Mendelssohn as a composer

Questions 9 and 10 are based on the following reading passage.

While most scholarship on women’s employment in the United States recognizes that the second World War (1939-1945) dramatically changed the role of women in the workforce, these studies also acknowledge that few women remained in manufacturing jobs once men returned from the war. But in agriculture, unlike other industries where women were viewed as temporary workers, women’s employment did not end with the war. Instead, the expansion of agriculture and a steady decrease in the number of male farmworkers combined to cause the industry to hire more women in the postwar years. Consequently, the 1950s saw a growing number of women engaged in farm labor, even though rhetoric in the popular media called for the return of women to domestic life.

9. It can be inferred from the passage that the manufacturing and agricultural sectors in the United States following the Second world war differed in which of the following respects?

The rate of expansion in each sector



D

E

A

B

C

D

E

A


The percentage of employee in each sector who were men

The trend in the wages of men employed in each sector

The attitude of the popular media toward the employment of women in each sector

The extent to which women in each sector were satisfied with their jobs

10. Which of the following statements about women’s employment in United states during and after the second world war is most clearly supported by the passage?

Most women who joined the workforce during the Second World War wanted to return to domestic life when the war ended.

The great majority of women who joined the workforce during the Second World War were employed in manufacturing jobs

The end of the Second World War was followed by a large-scale transfer of women workers from manufacturing to agriculture.

The increase in women’s employment that accompanied the Second World War was longer lasting in agriculture than it was in manufacturing

The popular media were more forceful in calling for women to join the workforce during the Second World War than in calling for women to return to domestic life after the war.



B

C

D

E

A

B

C

D

E


Questions 11 and 12 are based on the following reading passage.

Since the Hawaiian Islands have never been connected to other land masses, the great variety of plants in Hawaii must be a result of the long-distance dispersal of seeds, a process that requires both a method of transport and an equivalence between the ecology of the source area and that of the recipient area.

There is (line 5) some dispute about the method of transport involved. Some biologists argue that ocean and air currents are responsible for the transport of plant seeds to Hawaii. Yet the results of flotation experiments and the low temperatures of air currents cast doubt on these hypotheses. More probable is bird transport, either externally, by accidental attachments of the seeds to feathers, or internally by the swallowing of fruit and (line 9) subsequent excretion of the seeds. While it is likely that fewer varieties of plant seeds have reached Hawaii externally than internally, more varieties are known to be adapted to external than to internal transport.

11. The author of the passage is primarily concerned with




Discussing different approaches biologists have taken to testing theories about the distribution of plants in Hawaii

Discussing different theories about the transport of plant seeds to Hawaii

Discussing the extent to which air currents are responsible for the dispersal of plant seeds to Hawaii

resolving a dispute about the adaptability of plant seeds to bird transport

resolving a dispute about the ability of birds to carry plant seeds long distances

12. The



A

B

C

D

E













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