Words in Context

1. Dance choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar aims to give people the opportunity to be ______ her creative process. For example, live performances of her dance HairStories, which debuted in 2001, featured videos of people across the United States talking about their hair and audience members sharing pictures of their interesting hairstyles.  

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? 

• nervous about

• completed by

• delayed by

• involved in

Answer explanation

The phrase 'involved in' logically fits the context, as it indicates that Zollar wants people to participate in her creative process. The other options do not convey this sense of engagement.

2. The following text is from Yann Martel’s 2001 novel Life of Pi. The narrator’s family owned a zoo when he was a child. It was a huge zoo, spread over numberless acres, big enough to require a train to explore it, though it seemed to get smaller as I grew older, train included.

As used in the text, what does the word “spread” most nearly mean? 

• Hidden

• Discussed

• Extended

• Coated

Answer explanation

In the text, "spread" refers to the zoo being large and occupying a vast area. The word "extended" captures this meaning best, indicating that the zoo covers a significant expanse, unlike the other options which do not fit the context.

3. Charles “Teenie” Harris was a photographer for the Pittsburgh Courier from 1936 to 1975. During his career he took over 70,000 photographs documenting everyday life in Pittsburgh’s Black communities. The Carnegie Museum of Art maintains thousands of his photographs, carefully ______ them so that audiences can continue to view them well into the future.  

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?  

• replacing

• inventing

• preserving

• counting

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'preserving' because it logically fits the context of maintaining photographs for future audiences. 'Replacing', 'inventing', and 'counting' do not convey the idea of keeping the photographs safe and accessible.

4. Biologist Jane Edgeloe and colleagues have located what is believed to be the largest individual plant in the world in the Shark Bay area of Australia. The plant is a type of seagrass called Posidonia australis, and it ______ approximately 200 square kilometers.  

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?  

• acknowledges

• produces

• spans

• advances

Answer explanation

The word 'spans' is the most logical choice as it indicates the extent or area covered by the seagrass, which is approximately 200 square kilometers. The other options do not convey this meaning accurately.

5. Visual artist Gabriela Alemán states that the bold colors of comics, pop art, and Latinx culture have always fascinated her. This passion for the rich history and colors of her Latinx community translates into the ______ artworks she produces.  

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?  

• vivid

• unknown

• definite

• reserved

Answer explanation

The word 'vivid' best fits the context, as it describes the bright and intense colors that Gabriela Alemán admires in comics, pop art, and Latinx culture, aligning with her passion for rich colors in her artworks.

6. In recommending Bao Phi’s collection Sông I Sing, a librarian noted that pieces by the spoken-word poet don’t lose their ______ nature when printed: the language has the same pleasant musical quality on the page as it does when performed by Phi.  

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? 

• scholarly

• melodic

• jarring

• personal

Answer explanation

The word 'melodic' fits best as it describes the pleasant musical quality of the language, which is emphasized in both spoken and written forms. The other options do not convey this musicality, making 'melodic' the most logical choice.

7. The Appalachian Trail is a hiking path in the eastern United States. Much of the 2,000 mile trail passes through wilderness areas. In order to ______ those areas, the United States Congress passed the National Trails System Act in 1968, ensuring that the trail would not be sold or commercially developed.  

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?  

• borrow

• postpone

• protect

• decorate

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'protect' because the context indicates that Congress aimed to safeguard the wilderness areas along the Appalachian Trail from being sold or developed, ensuring their preservation.

8. According to statistician Nassim Nicholas Taleb, the best way to predict the amount of time a nonperishable entity (such as a building or a technology) will continue to exist is to examine how long it has survived so far. In this view, an item’s age is the strongest ______ how much longer it will last.  

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? 

• uncertainty about

• indicator of

• motivation of

• criticism of

Answer explanation

The phrase 'indicator of' logically fits the context, as it suggests that an item's age serves as a measure of its potential longevity. The other options do not convey this predictive relationship effectively.

9. The following text is adapted from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1837 story “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment.” The main character, a physician, is experimenting with rehydrating a dried flower.  

At first [the rose] lay lightly on the surface of the fluid, appearing to imbibe none of its moisture. Soon, however, a singular change began to be visible. The crushed and dried petals stirred and assumed a deepening tinge of crimson, as if the flower were reviving from a deathlike slumber.  

As used in the text, what does the phrase “a singular” most nearly mean?  

• A lonely

• A disgreeable

• An acceptable

• An extraordinary

Answer explanation

In the context of the text, "a singular" refers to something unique or extraordinary. The flower's revival is not just unusual but remarkable, making "an extraordinary" the best choice among the options provided.

10. The work of molecular biophysicist Enrique M. De La Cruz is known for ______ traditional boundaries between academic disciplines. The university laboratory that De La Cruz runs includes engineers, biologists, chemists, and physicists, and the research the lab produces makes use of insights and techniques from all those fields.  

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?  

• epitomizing

• transcending

• anticipating

• reinforcing

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'transcending' because it indicates that De La Cruz's work goes beyond traditional academic boundaries, integrating multiple disciplines. This aligns with the description of his lab's collaborative research approach.