Reading Comprehension Quiz

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

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

• It presents the central finding reported by Nance and colleagues.

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

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

According to the text, what is true about Elinor?

• Elinor often argues with her mother but fails to change her mind.

• Elinor can be overly sensitive with regard to family matters.

• Elinor thinks her mother is a bad role model.

• Elinor is remarkably mature for her age.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

• Although inhabiting a home surrounded by fanciful features such as those designed by Gins and Arakawa can be rejuvenating, it is unsustainable.

• Designing disorienting spaces like those in the Gins and Arakawa building is the most effective way to create a physically stimulating environment.

• As a filmmaker, Yamaoka has long supported the designs of conceptual artists such as Gins and Arakawa.

• Although impractical, the design of the apartment building by Gins and Arakawa may improve the well-being of the building's residents.

In a research paper, a student criticizes some historians of modern African politics, claiming that they have evaluated Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, primarily as a symbol rather than in terms of his actions. Which quotation from a work by a historian would best illustrate the student's claim?

• Lumumba is a difficult figure to evaluate due to the starkly conflicting opinions he inspired during his life and continues to inspire today.

• The available information makes it clear that Lumumba’s political beliefs and values were largely consistent throughout his career.

• Lumumba’s practical accomplishments can be passed over quickly; it is mainly as the personification of Congolese independence that he warrants scholarly attention.

• Many questions remain about Lumumba’s ultimate vision for an independent Congo; with new evidence coming to light, these questions are likely to remain unanswered.

In the twentieth century, ethnographers made a concerted effort to collect Mexican American folklore, but they did not always agree about that folklore’s origins. Scholars such as Aurelio Espinosa claimed that Mexican American folklore derived largely from the folklore of Spain, which ruled Mexico and what is now the southwestern United States from the sixteenth to early nineteenth centuries. Scholars such as Américo Paredes, by contrast, argued that while some Spanish influence is undeniable, Mexican American folklore is mainly the product of the ongoing interactions of various cultures in Mexico and the United States. Which finding, if true, would most directly support Paredes’s argument?

• The folklore that the ethnographers collected included several songs written in the form of a décima, a type of poem originating in late sixteenth-century Spain.

• Much of the folklore that the ethnographers collected had similar elements from region to region.

• Most of the folklore that the ethnographers collected was previously unknown to scholars.

• Most of the folklore that the ethnographers collected consisted of corridos—ballads about history and social life—of a clearly recent origin.

They replaced the protein ELF3 in the plants with a similar protein found in another species (stiff brome) that, unlike A. thaliana, displays no acceleration in flowering with increased temperature. A comparison of unmodified A. thaliana plants with the altered plants showed no difference in flowering at 22° Celsius, but at 27° Celsius, the unmodified plants exhibited accelerated flowering while the altered ones did not, which suggests that __________. Which choice most logically completes the text?

• temperature-sensitive accelerated flowering is unique to A. thaliana.

• A. thaliana increases ELF3 production as temperatures rise.

• ELF3 enables A. thaliana to respond to increased temperatures.

• temperatures of at least 22° Celsius are required for A. thaliana to flower.

A member of the Cherokee Nation, Mary Golda Ross is renowned for her contributions to NASA’s Planetary Flight Handbook, which ______ detailed mathematical guidance for missions to Mars and Venus. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

• provided

• having provided

• to provide

• providing

Journalists have dubbed Gil Scott-Heron the “godfather of rap,” a title that has appeared in hundreds of articles about him since the 1990s. Scott Heron himself resisted the godfather ______ feeling that it didn’t encapsulate his devotion to the broader African American blues music tradition as well as “bluesologist,” the moniker he preferred. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

• nickname, however

• nickname, however;

• nickname, however,

• nickname; however,

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? "From afar, African American fiber artist Bisa Butler's portraits look like paintings, their depictions of human faces, bodies, and clothing so intricate that it seems only a fine brush could have rendered them. When viewed up close, however, the portraits reveal themselves to be _______ stitching barely visible among the thousands of pieces of printed, microcut fabric."

• quilts, and the

• quilts, the

• quilts; the

• quilts. The

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition? "Most conifers (trees belonging to the phylum Coniferophyta) are evergreen. That is, they keep their green leaves or needles year-round. However, not all conifer species are evergreen. Larch trees, _______ lose their needles every fall."

• for instance,

• nevertheless,

• meanwhile,

• in addition,