To do well in his university courses, he had to __________ a lot of his personal time.

The generation of American leaders known as “the Founders” are __________ by many scholars for their wisdom and courage.

She knew she would always __________ agree with what her mother said, so she struggled to remain unbiased

The human resources department __________ whether they should let Mary go.

Read the passage to review the vocabulary you have learned. Answer the questions that follow.

In Russia, several religions coexist, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and animism. The most common religion is Christianity, and most Christians are members of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Church has existed for over 1,000 years, surviving even the official atheism of the Soviet era and the agnosticism that may have been even more prominent at the time. During the communist years, many Russians who practiced Orthodoxy sacrificed career and educational opportunities. The tenacity of Russian Orthodoxy may explain why even nonreligious Russians are inclined to call themselves Russian Orthodox. That same staying power drives the Church today, which is run by Aleksey II of Moscow. Born Aleksey Mikhailovich Ridiger, the future patriarch was from a very pious family. As a boy, Aleksey was often taken by his parents on their annual pilgrimages, when he most certainly began contemplation of the religious way of life he was to choose. As patriarch, Aleksey is exalted in the Church governance, but he is not deified. Aleksey has published articles on Church history and peacemaking in both the ecclesiastical and secular press, broadening the Church’s image both in Russia and abroad.

1. Which sentence best expresses the essential information of this passage?

Read the passage to review the vocabulary you have learned. Answer the questions that follow.

In Russia, several religions coexist, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and animism. The most common religion is Christianity, and most Christians are members of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Church has existed for over 1,000 years, surviving even the official atheism of the Soviet era and the agnosticism that may have been even more prominent at the time. During the communist years, many Russians who practiced Orthodoxy sacrificed career and educational opportunities. The tenacity of Russian Orthodoxy may explain why even nonreligious Russians are inclined to call themselves Russian Orthodox. That same staying power drives the Church today, which is run by Aleksey II of Moscow. Born Aleksey Mikhailovich Ridiger, the future patriarch was from a very pious family. As a boy, Aleksey was often taken by his parents on their annual pilgrimages, when he most certainly began contemplation of the religious way of life he was to choose. As patriarch, Aleksey is exalted in the Church governance, but he is not deified. Aleksey has published articles on Church history and peacemaking in both the ecclesiastical and secular press, broadening the Church’s image both in Russia and abroad.

2. According to the passage, Aleksey II of Moscow is

[3] If true, though, why did cold-blooded animals such as snakes, lizards, turtles, and crocodiles survive the freezing winters and torrid summers? These animals are at the mercy of the climate to maintain a livable body temperature. It’s hard to understand why they would not be affected, whereas dinosaurs were left too crippled to cope, especially if, as some scientists believe, dinosaurs were warm-blooded. Critics also point out that the shallow seaways had retreated from and advanced on the continents numerous times during the Mesozoic, so why did the dinosaurs survive the climatic changes associated with the earlier fluctuation but not with this one? Although initially appealing, the hypothesis of a simple climatic change related to sea levels is insufficient to explain all the data.

The word “cope” in the passage is closest in meaning to?

Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution is known as one of the most important and controversial scientific theories ever published. Natural selection contributes to the basis of Darwin's Theory of Evolution. One of the core tenets of Darwin's theory is that more offspring are always produced for a species than can possibly survive. Yet, no two offspring are perfectly alike. As a result, through random mutation and genetic drift, over time offspring develop new traits and characteristics. Over time beneficial traits and characteristics that promote survival will be kept in the gene pool while those that harm survival will be selected against. Therefore, this natural selection ensures that a species gradually improves itself over an extended duration of time. On the other hand, as a species continues to 'improve' itself, it branches out to create entirely new species that are no longer capable of reproducing together.

The word 'those' in paragraph 1 refers to:

If true, though, why did cold-blooded animals such as snakes, lizards, turtles, and crocodiles survive the freezing winters and torrid summers? These animals are at the mercy of the climate to maintain a livable body temperature. It’s hard to understand why they would not be affected, whereas dinosaurs were left too crippled to cope, especially if, as some scientists believe, dinosaurs were warm-blooded. Critics also point out that the shallow seaways had retreated from and advanced on the continents numerous times during the Mesozoic, so why did the dinosaurs survive the climatic changes associated with the earlier fluctuations but not with this one? Although initially appealing, the hypothesis of a simple climatic change related to sea levels is insufficient to explain all the data.

Why does the author mention the survival of “snakes, lizards, turtles, and crocodiles”?

Dissatisfaction with conventional explanations for dinosaur extinctions led to a surprising observation that, in turn, has suggested a new hypothesis. Many plants and animals disappear abruptly from the fossil record as one moves from layers of rock documenting the end of the Cretaceous up into rocks representing the beginning of the Cenozoic (the era after the Mesozoic). Between the last layer of Cretaceous rock and the first layer of Cenozoic rock, there is often a thin layer of clay. Scientists felt that they could get an idea of how long the extinctions took by determining how long it took to deposit this one centimeter of clay and they thought they could determine the time it took to deposit the clay by determining the amount of the element iridium (Ir) it contained.

Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in paragraph ? Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

1. George developed an _____________ plan to earn the extra money he needed to start his own business.

6. If your drinking water is not _____________, it could cause serious health problems.

5. The directions to the new office were _____________, and I had no trouble finding it in time for work.

75. A synonym for vast is