Research Simulation Task LEAP 2025 Practice

12. Part A

In paragraph 12 of “Energy Story,” what does the word circuit mean?

• a conducter

• a balance

• a charge

• a path

12. Part B

Which sentence from “Energy Story” best supports the answer in Part A?

• A. "Each atom has a specific number of electrons, protons and neutrons.” (paragraph 8)

• B. “So, if an atom had six protons, it should also have six electrons.” (paragraph 9)

• C.“The charge is passed from atom to atom when electricity is ‘passed.’” (paragraph 12)

• D. “Most metals—like copper, aluminum or steel—are good conductors.” (paragraph 22)

13. Part A

Why does the author most likely place the information in paragraphs 1–2 at the beginning of “Energy Story”?

• A. to encourage the reader to learn how electronic devices are made

• B. to show the reader how different machines can improve our lives

• C. to draw the reader in by showing how electricity affects everyone

• D. to teach the reader how to use electricity in different settings

13. Part B

Which detail from “Energy Story” best supports the answer in Part A?

• A. “. . . walk through your school, house or apartment . . . .” (paragraph 2)

• B. “. . . how many things we use each and every day that depend on electricity.” (paragraph 2)

• C. “. . . in the same way the moon spins around the earth.” (paragraph 5)

• D. “... each person would have a bucket of water to pour from one bucket to another.” (paragraph 12)

14. Part A

Which sentence best states the central idea of paragraphs 21–22 in “Energy Story”?

• A. Materials that are insulators and conductors have a high resistance to electricity.

• B. It is more difficult for electricity to pass through insulators than conductors.

• C. Insulators and conductors are able to generate a high amount of electricity.

• D. Electrons move through rubber easier than they move through metal.

14. Part B

Which sentence from “Energy Story” best supports the answer in Part A?

• A. “Electricity is conducted through some things better than others.”

• B. “Its resistance measures how well something conducts electricity.”

• C. “Some things hold their electrons very tightly.”

• D. “Other materials have some loosely held electrons, which move through them very easily

15. Part A

Which sentence best states a central idea of “Short Circuit”?

• A. Appliances can be destroyed by a heavy flow of electrons.

• B. The flow of electrons follows a path of least resistance.

• C. Fuses are an important means to keep homes safe from electrical hazards.

• D. Circuit breakers are a tool to control the flow of electricity in homes.

15. Part B

Which detail from the article provides the best example of the central idea in Part A?

• A. “In a normal electric circuit, an electric current powers an appliance, such as a refrigerator or TV.”

• B. “Every such appliance has a certain amount of resistance to the current flow, which keeps the current from reaching very large values.”

• C. “Although houses today often contain circuit breakers rather than fuses, fuses are still around.”

• D. “. . . the wire in the fuse heats up quickly and melts, breaking the circuit and preventing a fire from breaking out.”

16. Part A

Which step of the experiment is repeated multiple times in “Short Circuit”?

• A. Use an alligator clip to attach a copper wire to a battery terminal.

• B. Attach one end of an iron wire to the other battery terminal.

• C. Use a second alligator clip to attach the other end of the copper wire to the iron wire.

• D. Shorten the distance between the second alligator clip and the battery.

16. Part B

A result occurs when the step is repeated in the experiment. Which phrase from “Short Circuit” shows the result of the repeated step that is the answer to Part A?

• A. “. . . deliberately chosen to have very low resistance.”

• B. “. . . voltage of the battery pushes electrons through the circuit . . . .”

• C. “. . . more current flows . . . .”

• D. “. . . which keeps the current from reaching very large values.”