Writing Passage 1

Question 24

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Answer explanation

The writer should keep the underlined part of the sentence because it gives the reader a precise understanding of the size of a tiny house and how it compares to a conventional house. Because the writer is developing the idea of tiny houses by describing their features, the writer should include this underlined description to help the audience better understand the idea

Question 25

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Answer explanation

On the surface, the sentence could be perceived as providing commentary on the information in sentence 5, but the total value of housing in the United States is not relevant to the comparison between the prices of traditional houses and the prices of tiny houses, which is the main focus of this paragraph. This sentence therefore does not contribute to the paragraph’s line of reasoning and should be deleted.

Question 26

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Answer explanation

To clarify the previous sentence’s point about the hidden costs of tiny homes, the writer should use this version of the underlined text. It clearly states how buying or renting land for a tiny house can be more costly than the tiny house itself. Thus, this version serves as evidence to support the writer’s argument.

Question 27

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Answer explanation

This version of the underlined text expresses the meaning of the original text regarding the two ways in which many cities are unwelcoming to tiny homes. This content is expressed concisely without introducing ambiguity or distortion.

Question 28

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Answer explanation

By placing quotation marks around the word “greener,” the writer signals that an informal or nonstandard meaning of the word is being used. This use of punctuation helps clarify the intended meaning of the word as “better for planet Earth and its inhabitants” than traditional housing.

Question 29

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Answer explanation

This version of the underlined text offers a rebuttal to the argument that tiny homes are a “greener” housing alternative. By pointing out that dense housing is more environmentally friendly than individual tiny houses because it shares heat, power, and water, the writer provides a contrasting perspective to the idea that tiny homes are greener.

Question 30

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Answer explanation

This version of the concluding sentence draws a logical conclusion that the goals of the tiny house movement, making housing affordable and making housing environmentally friendly, are better served by promoting dense forms of housing than by promoting tiny houses. The entire passage shows why the goals of the movement are not effectively advanced by tiny houses, and sentence 13 proposes that dense housing is an effective alternative to tiny houses. This conclusion builds on all of this information to form a logical ending.

Question 31

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Answer explanation

Because word choice can reveal writers’ biases and affect their credibility with an audience, the writer should change the phrase “fanatical tiny house proponents.” This phrase reflects a negative bias toward tiny house advocates by suggesting that they’re overzealous about the tiny home movement. The writer should use more neutral language to avoid showing bias.