SAT Official Guide Test 1 Key Answers

SECTION 1
Sample Essay - Score of 6

What motivates people to change is a relentless and innate desire for self-improvement. Rarely ever has
history seen a man or society kick back, relax, and say Well that about does it. Not much else to do here!
Within every person is the potential to achieve greatness in some form; be it athletically, mentally, spiritually.
This inherent potential demands that people continue to explore and change both their environments and
themselves throughout their lifes course. Never should a man be idle for too long. After acknowledging the
changes a man has already made to his environment, the pursuit of self-improvement will once again stir
within his soul and call him to action. This internal desire, this pursuit of challenge and perfection, does not
prohibit man from being happy with his status and achievements. On the contrary, the device serves more to
allow the man to constantly strive for greater change, newer innovation. What motivates people to change is
the ongoing need to redefine peoples lives and identities to elevate them to higher levels of eminence and
sucess.
A good example of this can be seen in clinical psychology. When patients seek therapy for difficulties that
have encumbered their daily functioning, they most often arrive for treatment voluntarily and willingly- they
consciously accept the necessity of therapy and so participate without any duress. During the course of
clinical therapy, the patients concerns, anxieties, ideas, emotions, and fears are brought to light. However,
the clinician does not try to alter the beliefs, feeling, and sentiments of his client; rather, he simply illuminates
them in order to provide the patient with an accurate view of himself. The process, of raising concerns and
ideas to the surface of conscious awareness, is known as clarification. Modern psychology is a far throw from
the psychoanalysis of Freuds time, in which psychologists attempted to interpret pre-and unconscious
feelings that had been repressed by the patient. Because clinicians only clarify, and not dissect, alter, or
interpret a clients inner desires and emotions, the client himself is responsible for instituting change. If he is
to change, he must dictate the course of therapy, and make the conscious choice to improve himself. This
widely used approach is called client centered therapy. If the clients ennui or ill feelings are due to
situational factors or internal designs (as oppose to biological changes that would qualify for a diagnosis of
psychopathology (mental disorder)), he must change them on his own accord to precipitate change within
himself. The therapist will not cure him in any way. He alone must answer the call within himself to refine
and redefine his identity and place in society. This need, of self-improvement, also initially brought him to the
therapist. He was able to recognize the disorder of his environment and acknowledge his own negative
feelings. This in turn brought him to therapy, where he was guided through a process of introspection that
ultimately enabled him to improve himself, assuage his anxieties, and rightfully continue on his lifelong
pursuit of even greater achievements.
SECTION 2
1.ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Explanation for Correct Answer D :
Choice (D) is correct. Setting means the place in which a drama occurs. If one were to insert this term into
the text, the sentence would read, The setting of Maria Irene Fornes play Muda realistic room perched on
a dirt pilechallenges conventional interpretations of stage scenery. Stage scenery is the key component of
a plays setting, and this scenery or setting is clearly unconventional.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
Choice (A) is incorrect. Appeal means attraction or interest. If one were to insert this term into the text, the
sentence would read, The appeal of Maria Irene Fornes play Muda realistic room perched on a dirt
pilechallenges conventional interpretations of stage scenery. It is not the attraction of the play that
challenges conventional interpretations; it is the setting of the play that does so.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
Choice (B) is incorrect. The plot is the plan of action of a play. If one were to insert this term into the text, the
sentence would read, The plot of Maria Irene Fornes play Muda realistic room perched on a dirt
pilechallenges conventional interpretations of stage scenery. The phrase a realistic room perched on a dirt
pile describes a setting, not a plot.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
Choice (C) is incorrect. Mood means a state of mind or feeling. If one were to insert this term into the text,
the sentence would read, The mood of Maria Irene Fornes play Muda realistic room perched on a dirt
pilechallenges conventional interpretations of stage scenery. Nothing in the sentence indicates the plays
mood.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
Choice (E) is incorrect. A rehearsal is a practice run of a show in preparation for a public performance. If one
were to insert this term into the text, the sentence would read, The rehearsal of Maria Irene Fornes play
Muda realistic room perched on a dirt pilechallenges conventional interpretations of stage scenery. It is
the setting of the play, not a practice run-through of the play, that challenges conventional interpretations of
stage scenery.
2
Explanation for Correct Answer B :
Choice (B) is correct. "Overabundance" means an amount that is more than what is needed, and "thrive"
means to grow or prosper. If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Ironically,
an affluent society that purchases much more food than it actually needs suffers because of that
overabundance, since in conditions of affluence diseases related to overeating and poor nutrition seem to
thrive." In this sentence "that overabundance" refers back to the phrase "more food than it actually needs." It
makes sense that diseases related to overeating would "thrive," or prosper, in these conditions. The
relationship between the two clauses is further signaled by the word "ironically," which means the opposite of
what would be expected. It is ironic that an overabundance of food, a condition that would appear to result in
good nutrition, actually leads to an increase in diseases related to poor nutrition.
Choice (A) is incorrect. "Lavishness" means excessive spending, and "adapt" means to change to fit new
circumstances. If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Ironically, an affluent
society that purchases much more food than it actually needs suffers because of that lavishness, since in
conditions of affluence diseases related to overeating and poor nutrition seem to adapt." Although the first
term fits in well with the overall sense of the sentence, the second term does not. Diseases are known to
"adapt" or change to fit many different circumstances; it would not be ironic or unexpected for a change to
occur in this situation.
Choice (C) is incorrect. "Corpulence" means obesity or excessive weight, and "vex" means to annoy. If one
were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Ironically, an affluent society that purchases
much more food than it actually needs suffers because of that corpulence, since in conditions of affluence
diseases related to overeating and poor nutrition seem to vex." "Corpulence" is a term that refers more
properly to people than to social conditions, and diseases are generally more likely to cause major discomfort
than minor annoyance.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
Choice (D) is incorrect. "Practicality" means usefulness or efficiency, and "awaken" means to wake up or
become active. If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Ironically, an affluent
society that purchases much more food than it actually needs suffers because of that practicality, since in
conditions of affluence diseases related to overeating and poor nutrition seem to awaken." Although the second
term could fit in well with the overall meaning of the sentence, the first term is inappropriate. Buying more food
than is necessary is not "practical" at all; it is wasteful.
Choice (E) is incorrect. "Commonness" means typical behavior, and "abound" means to be present in large
numbers. If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Ironically, an affluent
society that purchases much more food than it actually needs suffers because of that commonness, since in
conditions of affluence diseases related to overeating and poor nutrition seem to abound." Although the second
term could fit in well with the overall meaning of the sentence, the first term does not. A society that buys more
than is necessary is not a typical society; relatively few societies suffer from "overabundance."
3
Explanation for Correct Answer E :
Choice (E) is correct. "Therapeutic" means having healing or curing powers. If one were to insert this term into
the text, the sentence would read "Because of the therapeutic effects of the hot springs, tourists suffering from
various ailments flocked to the villages thermal pools." People suffering from an illness naturally try to find
ways to get better, so hot springs that are known to cure diseases or ease pain would surely attract people with
various ailments.
Choice (A) is incorrect. "Succulent" means juicy. If one were to insert this term into the text, the sentence
would read "Because of the succulent effects of the hot springs, tourists suffering from various ailments flocked
to the villages thermal pools." Springs or pools of water cannot be properly referred to as succulent. The term
"succulent" usually refers to plants or foods that are juicy, not to pools, puddles, springs, or other bodies of
water.
Choice (B) is incorrect. "Redolent" means sweet smelling. If one were to insert this term into the text, the
sentence would read "Because of the redolent effects of the hot springs, tourists suffering from various
ailments flocked to the villages thermal pools." Hot springs are rarely described as sweet smelling. However,
if such springs existed, they would not just attract tourists suffering from diseases. Healthy tourists would also
be drawn to the hot springs because of their sweet smell.
Choice (C) is incorrect. "Cerebral" means brainy or intellectual. If one were to insert this term into the text, the
sentence would read "Because of the cerebral effects of the hot springs, tourists suffering from various
ailments flocked to the villages thermal pools." Bodies of water cannot be properly referred to as cerebral.
"Cerebral" is a term used to describe people or activities.
Choice (D) is incorrect. "Mandatory" means required. If one were to insert this term into the text, the sentence
would read "Because of the mandatory effects of the hot springs, tourists suffering from various ailments
flocked to the villages thermal pools." A doctor might tell a patient that bathing in certain hot springs is
mandatory. However, the effects of the hot springs could not be properly referred to as mandatory.
4
Explanation for Correct Answer C :

Choice (C) is correct. "Provide" means to supply or make available, and an "investigation" is careful research
or an inquiry. If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "More valuable and
comprehensive than any previously proposed theory of the phenomenon, Salazars research has provided the
basis for all subsequent investigations in her field." This sentence makes the reasonable claim that Salazar's
important research has "provided the basis for," or supplied the foundation for, additional research in the same
field.
Choice (A) is incorrect. "Undermine" means to weaken, and an "advancement" is an improvement. If one were
to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "More valuable and comprehensive than any
previously proposed theory of the phenomenon, Salazars research has undermined the basis for all
subsequent advancements in her field." Although the second term could fit well into the sentence, the first term
cannot. If Salazar's research was truly valuable and comprehensive, it should have helped to advance, not
weaken, future work in the field.
Choice (B) is incorrect. "Prepare" means to make ready, and a "debacle" is a sudden disaster. If one were to
insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "More valuable and comprehensive than any
previously proposed theory of the phenomenon, Salazars research has prepared the basis for all subsequent
debacles in her field." Although the first term fits in well with the overall meaning of the sentence, the second
term does not. Salazar's research is said to be valuable and comprehensive. Thus it will not logically lead to
disasters in her field.
Choice (D) is incorrect. "Dissolve" in this context means to break apart, and an "experiment" is a test or trial
done to discover something. If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "More
valuable and comprehensive than any previously proposed theory of the phenomenon, Salazars research has
dissolved the basis for all subsequent experiments in her field." Although the second term might fit in well with
the overall meaning of the sentence, the first term does not. Salazar's research might challenge previous work,
but it cannot logically break apart the basis for future work in the field.
Choice (E) is incorrect. "Reinforce" means to strengthen, and a "misconception" is a misunderstanding. If one
were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "More valuable and comprehensive than any
previously proposed theory of the phenomenon, Salazars research has reinforced the basis for all subsequent
misconceptions in her field." The first term could well fit with the overall meaning of the sentence, but the
second term cannot. Salazar's research would not be considered valuable if it strengthened misunderstandings
in her field.
5
Explanation for Correct Answer A :
Choice (A) is correct. "Thwart" means to prevent or defeat. If one were to insert this term into the text, the
sentence would read "Dangerously high winds thwarted attempts to begin the space shuttle mission on
schedule, delaying the launch by nearly a week." The scheduled launch of the space shuttle was delayed
because high winds prevented a safe lift-off.
Choice (B) is incorrect. "Forfeit" means to give up or surrender something. If one were to insert this term into
the text, the sentence would read "Dangerously high winds forfeited attempts to begin the space shuttle
mission on schedule, delaying the launch by nearly a week." The astronauts launching the space shuttle might
"forfeit" their attempts because of high winds, but the winds cannot be said to have "forfeited," or given up, the
attempts to launch the shuttle.
Choice (C) is incorrect. "Implement" means to accomplish or carry out. If one were to insert this term into the
text, the sentence would read "Dangerously high winds implemented attempts to begin the space shuttle
mission on schedule, delaying the launch by nearly a week." The high winds did nothing to help accomplish an
on-time launch of the space shuttle. In fact, they prevented the launch from occurring on schedule.
Choice (D) is incorrect. "Discharge" means to release. If one were to insert this term into the text, the sentence
would read "Dangerously high winds discharged attempts to begin the space shuttle mission on schedule,
delaying the launch by nearly a week." The attempts to launch the space shuttle on schedule were in no way
released by the high winds; in fact, the winds prevented these attempts.
Choice (E) is incorrect. "Redouble" means to strengthen. If one were to insert this term into the text, the
sentence would read "Dangerously high winds redoubled attempts to begin the space shuttle mission on
schedule, delaying the launch by nearly a week." The high winds clearly did not strengthen the attempts to
launch the space shuttle on schedule, as the launch was actually delayed.
6
Choice (B) is correct. "Haranguing" means giving a long, critical speech, and "intemperate" means excessive.
If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "The guest speaker on Oprah Winfreys
talk show offended the audience by first haranguing them and then refusing to moderate these intemperate
remarks." A speech criticizing an audience would surely be offensive, and remarks of this type would be
properly described as "intemperate" or excessive.
Choice (A) is incorrect. "Flattering" means praising excessively, and "commendable" means worthy of praise.
If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "The guest speaker on Oprah Winfreys
talk show offended the audience by first flattering them and then refusing to moderate these commendable
remarks." The first term might fit into the sentence because flattery may offend people by its insincerity. The
second term does not make sense when inserted into the sentence, however. No audience member would be
offended by a person's refusal to moderate "commendable" remarks, especially those directed at the audience.
Choice (C) is incorrect. "Praising" means pointing out the good features of someone, and "radical" means
extreme. If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "The guest speaker on Oprah
Winfreys talk show offended the audience by first praising them and then refusing to moderate these radical
remarks." An audience that receives "praise" is unlikely to take offense, and such comments in any case cannot
be viewed as extreme.
Choice (D) is incorrect. "Enraging" means causing intense anger, and "conciliatory" means peacemaking. If
one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "The guest speaker on Oprah Winfreys
talk show offended the audience by first enraging them and then refusing to moderate these conciliatory
remarks." Remarks that cause intense anger cannot be properly referred to as "conciliatory," or peacemaking.
Choice (E) is incorrect. "Accommodating" means doing a favor for, and "indulgent" means excessively
generous. If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "The guest speaker on Oprah
Winfreys talk show offended the audience by first accommodating them and then refusing to moderate these
indulgent remarks." "Accommodating" speech is unlikely to offend an audience, and such remarks cannot be
properly referred to as "indulgent."
7
Choice (A) is correct. "Halting" means hobbling or walking with difficulty. If one were to insert this term into the
text, the sentence would read "By the end of the long, arduous hike, Chris was walking with a halting gait,
limping slowly back to the campsite." A person who is limping or struggling to walk after a tiring hike would be
properly described as walking with a "halting gait."
Choice (B) is incorrect. "Robust" means healthy or energetic. If one were to insert this term into the text, the
sentence would read "By the end of the long, arduous hike, Chris was walking with a robust gait, limping slowly
back to the campsite." A person who is limping after a difficult hike could not be said to be walking
energetically.
Choice (C) is incorrect. "Constant" means continuous or without changes in speed. If one were to insert this
term into the text, the sentence would read "By the end of the long, arduous hike, Chris was walking with a
constant gait, limping slowly back to the campsite." A "limp" is a type of walk that is irregular or unsteady. Thus
a person who is limping cannot be properly described as walking with a "constant gait."
Choice (D) is incorrect. "Prompt" means without delay. If one were to insert this term into the text, the
sentence would read "By the end of the long, arduous hike, Chris was walking with a prompt gait, limping
slowly back to the campsite." A limp is a type of walk that involves considerable delay.
Choice (E) is incorrect. "Facile" means easy or effortless. If one were to insert this term into the text, the
sentence would read "By the end of the long, arduous hike, Chris was walking with a facile gait, limping slowly
back to the campsite." Because limping involves pain or difficulty, a person who is limping cannot be properly
described as walking effortlessly.
8
Choice (D) is correct. "Histrionic" means excessively dramatic or emotional. If one were to insert this term into
the text, the sentence would read "Actors in melodramas often emphasized tense moments by being histrionic,
for example, raising their voices and pretending to swoon." Raising one's voice or pretending to faint are
examples of the exaggerated actions known as "histrionics."
Choice (A) is incorrect. "Imperious" means domineering or bossy. If one were to insert this term into the text,
the sentence would read "Actors in melodramas often emphasized tense moments by being imperious, for
example, raising their voices and pretending to swoon." Although imperious people might raise their voices
when giving orders, they would be unlikely to pretend "to swoon," or faint.
Choice (B) is incorrect. "Inscrutable" means difficult to understand. If one were to insert this term into the text,
the sentence would read "Actors in melodramas often emphasized tense moments by being inscrutable, for
example, raising their voices and pretending to swoon." The exaggerated movements described in this
sentence would make a character's emotions easier to understand, not more difficult.
Choice (C) is incorrect. "Convivial" means festive or fun-loving. If one were to insert this term into the text, the
sentence would read "Actors in melodramas often emphasized tense moments by being convivial, for example,
raising their voices and pretending to swoon." Although people in festive moods might raise their voices in joy
or laughter, they do not have a tendency to pretend to swoon.
Choice (E) is incorrect. "Solicitous" means caring about other people's needs. If one were to insert this term
into the text, the sentence would read "Actors in melodramas often emphasized tense moments by being
solicitous, for example, raising their voices and pretending to swoon." Solicitous people do not typically raise
their voices or pretend to swoon; they are much more likely simply to ask people what they would like or need.
9
Choice (E) is correct. Being able to understand sign language, to solve puzzles, to use objects as tools, to use
language, and to recognize oneself in a mirror are all things commonly associated with humans and, in fact,
things that have sometimes been thought to be uniquely human. The author of Passage 1 strongly suggests
that dolphins have those abilities, too.
Choice (A) is incorrect. The point that the author of Passage 1 is trying to make by mentioning various activities
is that these activities show a high level of intelligence. But, in and of themselves, these activities are not
strongly associated with unusual sensitivity to the environment.
Choice (B) is incorrect. The nature of the studies reported in lines 2-8 of Passage 1 makes it likely that the
studies were performed on dolphins that were in captivity. But there is no indication that the animals involved
in those studies failed to thrive.
Choice (C) is incorrect. Passage 1 focuses on activities that are thought to indicate the levelnot the typeof
intelligence that dolphins might have. Unlike the author of Passage 2, the author of Passage 1 does not seem
to think that dolphins have a unique type of intelligence.

Choice (D) is incorrect. The kinds of activities that are mentioned in lines 2-8 of Passage 1 could all be done
quite seriously. They could also be done playfully or done in a mixture of these two modes. These activities,
therefore, do not specifically suggest that an animal carrying them out would be uncommonly playful.
10
Choice (B) is correct. The last sentence of Passage 1 makes a comparison of levels of intelligence, but according
to the author of Passage 2, such comparisons "may not be especially helpful" (lines 21-22). The author of
Passage 2 does not think that intelligence is a single uniform ability that different species happen to have in
different amounts. Passage 2 suggests that there are different kinds of intelligence, and that the kind of
intelligence a creature has is appropriate to that creature's way of life.
Choice (A) is incorrect. Although the author of Passage 2 might agree that intelligence is difficult to measure,
such a measurement is really beside the point. The author of Passage 2 does not think that intelligence is a
single uniform ability that different species happen to have in different amounts. Passage 2 suggests that there
are different kinds of intelligence, and that the kind of intelligence a creature has is appropriate to that
creature's way of life.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The author of Passage 2 may think that some of the studies already conducted were
wrongheaded and conceptually flawed, but there is no indication of any doubt about the objectivity of those
studies.
Choice (D) is incorrect. As far as dolphin intelligence in relation to dolphin activities is concerned, the author of
Passage 2 is only prepared to say that dolphin intelligence is appropriate "for the dolphin's way of life." The
author does not speculate about the level of intelligence required for that way of life.
Choice (E) is incorrect. The last sentence of Passage 1 talks about dolphins' awareness of their own
individuality. So it would not be sensible for the author of Passage 2 to respond to this sentence by arguing that
little is known about dophins' social behavior.
11
Choice (D) is correct. Passage 1 suggests the dolphins have "a level of intelligence that may be very near our
own" (lines 11-12). Passage 2 says that, when it comes to dolphin intelligence, "we don't know, and
comparisons may not be especially helpful" (lines 21-22). All that the author of Passage 2 is really prepared to
say is that dolphin intelligence is different.
Choice (A) is incorrect. Passage 1 does not talk about dolphin culture, and Passage 2 implies that there is no
point in comparing levels of intelligence.

Choice (B) is incorrect. Passage 1 does not say that dolphins are as intelligent as humans, but only that there
are indications of "a level of intelligence that may be very near our own." Passage 2 does not say that dolphins
outperform other animals.
Choice (C) is incorrect. While it is true that Passage 1 ranks the dolphin's intelligence above that of most other
animals, Passage 2 is not concerned with ranking dolphin intelligence. It points out what "others have argued"
(line 18) about dolphin intelligence and implies that no conclusions can be drawn: "The fact is, we don't know,
and comparisons may not be especially helpful" (lines 21-22).
Choice (E) is incorrect. The claim that dolphins have large brains is in Passage 2, not in Passage 1. Passage 2
does argue that brain size alone is not a factor in determining either the nature or extent of intelligence.
12
Choice (D) is correct. Passage 1 claims that dolphins have a high degree of intelligence, and Passage 2 says
that dolphins clearly have some measure of intelligence.
Choice (A) is incorrect. Passage 1 does attribute self-awareness to dolphins. It says "that dolphins are aware
of their own individuality." However, Passage 2 says nothing that would support this position.
Choice (B) is incorrect. Neither passage says anything about dolphins being emotional, let alone being more
emotional than other animals.
Choice (C) is incorrect. Neither passage specifically addresses dolphins' learning rate. Passage 1 rates dolphin
intelligence near that of humans, and thus implies that dolphins learn fast. Passage 2 insists that not much is
really known about dolphin intelligence, including how fast they learn.
Choice (E) is incorrect. Although Passage 1 indicates that dolphins use objects in their environment as tools,
Passage 2 neither makes nor supports such a claim.
13
Choice (E) is correct. "To draw a parallel" between two things means to show the similarities between the two.
The author shows the similarity between the way Native Americans were viewed by the Pilgrim settlers 350
years ago and the way they are viewed by many people today.
Choice (A) is incorrect. According to the passage, the general attitude toward Native American history and
culture has not become much more sophisticated (or complicated) than it was at the time of the Pilgrim settlers.
The point of referring to the Pilgrim settlers is simply to emphasize how little things have changed in this
respect. Any further reflection on how the era of the Pilgrims was different from today would be likely to distract
the reader from the main concern of the passage.
Choice (B) is incorrect. The author does suggest that Judeo-Christian beliefs may have had some role in making
it difficult for Europeans to see Native American culture in its own right. But this suggestion is not introduced
until the paragraph beginning with line 40, and even there those beliefs are presented as part of a general
"Eurocentric" standpoint that is cultural rather than specifically religious. The reference to the Pilgrim settlers
in lines 3-4 is not used to suggest anything about religion.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The author's point is that as far as understanding Native American culture and history
is concerned, very little has changed since the time of the Pilgrim settlers. There is no mention of reformers
anywhere in the passage.
Choice (D) is incorrect. No myth about early colonial life is mentioned or referred to in the passage. The
"popular myth and stereotype" (lines 79-80) that the author wants to debunk, or show to be flawed, has to do
with Native American culture and history rather than with early colonial life.
14
Choice (D) is correct. Native Americans are being regarded as "fundamentally . . . different, motivated more
often by mysticism than by ambition, charged more by unfathomable visions than by intelligence or
introspection" (lines 11-13). Here, "charged" is used in much the same way that "motivated" is used; just as
ambition motivates, visions and intelligence "charge," or inspire.
Choice (A) is incorrect. What is being contrasted in this sentence is different internal influences on behavior:
what motivates people, what "charges" them. Is it mysticism or ambition? Visions or intelligence? Being
commanded to do something is not being internally influenced to do something. So in this context, "charged"
cannot mean "commanded."
Choice (B) is incorrect. Like "motivated," "charged" is used in this context to talk about how people are
influenced or moved; they are motivated by ambition and charged by visions. "Indicated by visions" means
signaled or pointed to by visions. It does not mean influenced by visions.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The word "charged" can be used in the sense of "replenished," in the case of batteries,
for instance. But in this context, "charged," like "motivated," is being used to discuss how people are influenced
or inspired to behave as they do.
Choice (E) is incorrect. "Charged" can be used in other contexts to mean attacked. But in line 12, "charged"
means inspired. The phrase beginning with "motivated" and the phrase beginning with "charged" focus on
influences that come from inside a person. "Attacked" has to do with influences coming from outside the
person.
15
Choice (B) is correct. In the first paragraph, the author discusses certain widespread misconceptions about
differences between Native Americans and Europeans or Euro-Americans. The second paragraph begins with
the sentence, "This idea is certainly not new" (line 14). The next sentence introduces Rousseau and the "noble
savages," who Rousseau imagines as being fundamentally different from Europeans. We know from the
footnote that Rousseau was an eighteenth-century philosopher. So mentioning Rousseau shows how long
these kinds of misconceptions have been around.
Choice (A) is incorrect. Rousseau is introduced to show that cultural bias about native people is not new. But
the passage makes it clear that misconceptions about Native Americans did not originate with Rousseau. As the
first paragraph shows, the Pilgrim settlers had such misconceptions years before Rousseau.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The author discusses various widespread misconceptions about Native Americans,
including the idea that Native Americans are incomprehensible or unknowable. But none of those
misconceptions represent Native Americans as something to fear. Rousseau is presented instead as having
highly romantic ideas about "pure of heart" native people.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The main thrust of the passage is that there is very little diversity among European
intellectual traditions when it comes to Native Americans. Rousseau is presented as an example of the
centuries-old habit of seeing Native Americans as fundamentally different from Europeans or Euro-Americans.
Choice (E) is incorrect. Rousseau is considered by many to be a great thinker, but he is mentioned here merely
to show that misconceptions about native people have been around for a long time.
16
Choice (A) is correct. The author describes a European theory of Native Americans "as examples of what Stone
Age Europeans must have been like" (lines 26-27). This is the theory that the author says is "a great story, an
international crowd pleaser" (line 28). But it is also a theory that the author regards as obviously false, an
"anthropological fallacy."
Choice (B) is incorrect. The passage characterizes the theory that regards Native Americans as examples of
Stone Age Europeans as "an international crowd pleaser." The author, however, does not see it as an amusing
theory. Rather, it is presented as nave, culture-bound, and intellectually embarrassing. Nor does the author
regard it as a novelty; one of the main points of the passage is how old and widespread such theories are.

Choice (C) is incorrect. The author describes the theory that regards Native Americans as examples of Stone
Age Europeans as "an international crowd pleaser." That theory could only count as a "deception" if those who
broadcast it actually knew that it was false. But those theorists believe it to be true, so they are not practicing
a deception. Moreover, since the theory gets in the way of a genuine understanding of Native American culture
and history, it is actually harmful.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The author does regard the theory that regards Native Americans as examples of Stone
Age Europeans as an error. But the author thinks that this error gets in the way of a genuine understanding of
Native Americans, so it is not beneficial.
Choice (E) is incorrect. The story that the author describes as "an international crowd pleaser" is that Native
Americans are regarded as examples of Stone Age Europeans. But the main point of the passage is that this
misconception about Native Americans is widespread and longstanding. It does not represent a "cultural
revolution."
17
Choice (A) is correct. The author describes the theory that regards Native Americans as "examples of what
Stone Age Europeans must have been like" (lines 26-27) as a theory based on "an ancestor-descendant model"
(line 24). Although this might have been a "great story" (line 28), the author mentions a "difficulty." That
difficulty is that Native Americans had to cope and change over "the last forty thousand years or so, just like
everyone else" (lines 33-34). They could not have survived if they had remained like Stone Age peoples. So this
"difficulty" undermines the view that Native Americans are like the Stone Age ancestors of modern-day
Europeans.
Choice (B) is incorrect. According to the passage, there has been widespread general consensus about
acceptable methods of anthropological inquiry. The consensus is that only written records and archeological
evidence are legitimate. The author thinks that this consensus view is misguided. But the "difficulty" refers to
something else entirelythe fact that Native Americans have changed since the Stone Age "just like everyone
else."
Choice (C) is incorrect. The passage shows the view that Native Americans are much like Stone Age Europeans
to be a false stereotype. The "difficulty" referred to in line 29 is that Native Americans have coped and changed
since the Stone Age, just like Europeans have. The author presents this point as part of an effort to undermine
a false stereotype. Undermining the effort to get rid of the stereotype means the exact opposite.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The "difficulty" referred to in line 29 undermines the theory that Native Americans are
typical of the Stone Age ancestors of modern-day Europeans. According to the author, this theory is the result
of cultural bias. It is not based on logic and deductive reasoning.
Choice (E) is incorrect. The "difficulty" referred to in line 29 directly challenges the view that Native Americans
are "primitive" peoples stuck in the Stone Age. The author suggests that this view has largely prevented
Europeans and Euro-Americans from arriving at an objective historical account of native peoples. The author
does not discuss beliefs about early European communities.
18
Choice (C) is correct. The author explains that Native American "cultures have had to make internal sense,
their medicines have had to work consistently and practically, their philosophical explanations have had to be
reasonably satisfying and dependable, or else the ancestors of those now called Native Americans would have
truly vanished long ago." The last clause makes it clear that the lines describe characteristics "essential to the
survival of any people."
Choice (A) is incorrect. The author regards satisfying explanations, internally consistent cultures, and effective
medicines as crucial for a people's long-term survival. But there is no indication that these things are "customs
that fuel myths about a society."
Choice (B) is incorrect. Cultures that make internal sense, medicines that work, and explanations that are
satisfying are not contradictions.
Choice (D) is incorrect. According to the passage, satisfying explanations, internally consistent cultures, and
effective medicines are features of Native American societies that Western historians have ignored.
Choice (E) is incorrect. According to the passage, cultures that make internal sense, medicines that work, and
explanations that are satisfying are preconditions for long-term survival. But there is no indication in the
passage that a culture has to survive for thousands of years in order to influence other cultures.
19
Choice (A) is correct. The sentence immediately before the two sentences that begin with "They" (lines 52-53)
says that "Native Americans were perceived not so much as they were but as they had to be, from a European
viewpoint" (lines 50-52). What follows tells how Native Americans had to be perceived from that European
viewpoint: "They dealt in magic, not method. They were stuck in their past, not guided by its precedents." Thus,
these two sentences serve to express the way Europeans perceived Native Americans.
Choice (B) is incorrect. The two sentences are used by the author to express the cultural bias of the European
viewpoint, not the results of objective research of any kind.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The two sentences, "They dealt in magic, not method. They were stuck in their past, not
guided by its precedents" (lines 52-53), express Europeans' theories about Native Americans. In the passage,
there is no indication of how Native Americans viewed Europeans.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The passage says nothing about how Native Americans regarded the judgments made
about them by Europeans. Moreover, these two sentences were not intended as examples of European
criticism of Native Americans; they merely describe how Europeans thought Native Americans "had to be" (line
51).
Choice (E) is incorrect. The two sentences, "They dealt in magic, not method" and "They were stuck in their
past, not guided by its precedents" (lines 52-53), express Europeans' theories about native peoples. Since
Europeans are presented as thinking that Native Americans are like early humans, the sentences can be seen
as also expressing European theories about early humans. The author's purpose in writing those sentences,
however, is not to express any views about early humans, but to exhibit Europeans' misconceptions about
Native Americans.
20
Choice (B) is correct. In lines 66-70 the author describes Western historians as "culture-bound by their own
approach to knowledge." The problem is that the "forms of tribal record preservation available" (line 63) are
seen by Western researchers as "inexact, unreliable, and suspect" (lines 65-66). The result of this
methodological bias, according to the author, is that Western historians do not take advantage of the evidence
that is available. Thus, the author presents Western historians as disadvantaged by their overly narrow
methodology.
Choice (A) is incorrect. According to the author, archaeological evidence is one of the few sources of
information about Native American history that Western historians do value.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The author says nothing about Western historians' attitude toward prestigious
credentials. There is a suggestion that historians value the credentials that come with university training. But
for the historians described in the passage, being university-trained is basic, not prestigious.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The author does not seem to regard Western historians as especially "well meaning."
They are presented as culture-bound and suspicious of any kind of record keeping that is not "the familiar and
reassuring kinds of written documentation found in European societies" (lines 60-62).
Choice (E) is incorrect. Western historians are presented as largely continuing in the same culture-bound paths
as the historians that came before them.
21

Choice (B) is correct. The author describes the following problem: "the forms of tribal record preservation
availableoral history, tales, mnemonic devices, and religious ritualsstrike university-trained academics as
inexact, unreliable, and suspect" (lines 63-66). The result, according to the author, is that to Western
historians "an absolute void is more acceptable and rigorous than an educated guess" (lines 69-70). The
"educated guess" the author proposes would thus be based on the records available: oral histories, tales,
mnemonic devices, and religious rituals.
Choice (A) is incorrect. The author raises the alternative of an educated guess in the context of talking about
developing objective historical accounts of Native American societies. There is no mention of government
population statistics in this discussion.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The author presents the "educated guess" as an alternative to relying entirely on
archaeological evidence, which, as the passage shows, reveals relatively little about Native Americans.
Choice (D) is incorrect. "Fossil evidence" is archaeological evidence, and the "educated guess" is presented as
an alternative to relying entirely on archaeological evidence. As the passage shows, archaeological evidence
reveals relatively little about Native Americans
Choice (E) is incorrect. Studies of artifacts fall within the range of archeological evidence. The author proposes
the "educated guess" as an alternative to relying solely on archaeological evidence, which, as the passage
shows, reveals relatively little about Native Americans.
22
Choice (C) is correct. The geographical referencesthe South Pacific, Zaire, New Hampshire, Austriaare used
to make the point that people all over the world learn certain myths about Native Americans. The author is
concerned to show that virtually no students come to the subject of Native American history without some
previously learned misconceptions.
Choice (A) is incorrect. The passage says that everyone is exposed to folklore about Native Americans. But
there is nothing in the passage to indicate that Native American culture itselfas opposed to false beliefs and
stereotypes about Native American culturehas had any influence on anyone outside the United States.
Choice (B) is incorrect. The passage does not argue that academic training is becoming more uniform or
"homogenized." The author seems to think that academic training is rather uniform already.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The author does believe that Native Americans have more in common with other
peoples than is generally acknowledged. But the geographical references do not serve to emphasize this point.
They are there to stress just how widespread the myths and stereotypes about Native Americans are.

Choice (E) is incorrect. The author does not mention any differences among scholars of Native American history.
Indeed, one of the main points of the passage is that most scholars have the same false or inadequate views
about Native American history. So as the author presents it, there are no serious differences to be settled.
23
Choice (B) is correct. In this section of the passage, the author discusses how people all over the world receive
their first impressions of Native American culture from a widespread but seriously flawed mythology.
"Disillusionment" means disenchantment, or being deprived of a false belief. In the author's view, "most
students must be "disillusioned" of their "childhood fantasies"--that is, the folklore of the American West, of
"cowboy and Indian" tales--before learning the truth about Native American history and culture.
Choice (A) in incorrect. While becoming educated in the truth of Native American history and culture might
require a certain "rebelliousness" against, or resistance to, the myth of the American West that most people are
exposed to, the author is suggesting here that the process is more one of reluctantly letting go of childhood
beliefs than of reacting against them.
Choice (C ) is incorrect. While the process that the author refers to--giving up childhood beliefs--might entail
a certain amount of disappointment, it is disillusionment rather than hopelessness that the author is speaking
of here.
Choice (D) is incorrect. In this context, "inertia" means resistance to change. People who were resistant to
change or unable to change would never be able to exchange their "childhood fantasies" for the truth about
Native American history and culture and thus would be unable to undergo the process that the author sees as
necessary.
Choice (E) is incorrect. "Self-denial" means a sacrifice of one's own interests. While "most students" need,
according to the author, to sacrifice "cherished childhood fantasies" in order to be educated about Native
American history and culture, it is not their "selfhood" or their desires that they need to deny, but, rather, only
a part of the mythology they have learned in childhood.
24
Choice (A) is correct. The passage suggests that when most students begin studying the history and culture of
Native Americans, they not only have a lot to learn, they have a lot to unlearn as well. As the author states in
the last sentence: "Most students do not start from point zero, but from minus zero, and in the process are
often required to abandon cherished childhood fantasies . . ." (lines 82-84). It's not that beginning scholars
know nothing ("point zero"); rather, they have powerful and flawed preconceptions about Native Americans
("minus zero").
Choice (B) is incorrect. The author does not seem to think very highly of the quality of most current, or past,
scholarship about Native American cultures. But the expression "minus zero" in line 83 refers to the value of
the beliefs held by most beginning students of Native American history. It does not refer to the quality of
scholarship of trained historians.
Choice (C) is incorrect. Although the author of the passage would likely be considered a progressive scholar of
Native American history, the passage does not discuss the reception such scholars have received.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The passage does suggest that there are few or no written historical records of Native
Americans from the period before and during their early contact with Europeans. But the expression "minus
zero" does not occur in the context of the discussion of written records. Instead, it occurs in a discussion about
the knowledge of Native American history most students have when they begin their studies.
Choice (E) is incorrect. The expression minus zero occurs in a discussion about the knowledge of Native
American history most students have when they begin their studies. Such students are not in a position to seek
grants to conduct original research about Native American history. The passage does not discuss the
challenges facing those who do seek such grants.
SECTION 5
1
Choice (D) is correct. "Threatening" means dangerous, and fascinating means delightfully interesting. If one
were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Soon after the first visitors arrived,
increasing numbers of the residents of the remote island thought it possible that the outside world, instead of
being threatening, could be fascinating and worth exploring." The words "instead of" signal that the meaning
of the first term will contrast strongly with that of the second term. Not only does "fascinating" contrast with
"threatening," but it also fits in well with "worth exploring"; something that is fascinating is usually considered
well worth exploring.
Choice (A) is incorrect. "Insular" means like an island or isolated, and unlimited means having no restrictions.
If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Soon after the first visitors arrived,
being insular, could be unlimited and worth exploring." It is unlikely that residents of a remote island would
consider the outside world to be like an island; they would be much more likely to imagine the world that
produced the visitors as very different from their island. Moreover, given that visitors from the outside world
had already arrived on the island, residents would certainly not see the outside world as isolated.
Choice (B) is incorrect. "Friendly" means good-natured, and wicked means bad or evil. If one were to insert
these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Soon after the first visitors arrived, increasing numbers of
the residents of the remote island thought it possible that the outside world, instead of being friendly, could be
wicked and worth exploring." Things that are wicked are rarely thought of as worth exploring. If the visitors
were viewed as wicked, the island residents would most likely want to have as little as possible to do with the
places from which the visitors came.
Choice (C) is incorrect. "Amiable" means acting in a kind way toward others, and cooperative means willing
to work together. If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Soon after the first
visitors arrived, increasing numbers of the residents of the remote island thought it possible that the outside
world, instead of being amiable, could be cooperative and worth exploring." The words "amiable" and
"cooperative" both describe positive qualities and do not provide a contrast in the way that the words "instead
of" lead the reader to expect.
Choice (E) is incorrect. "Forbidding" means having a dangerous appearance, and harmful means likely to hurt.
If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Soon after the first visitors arrived,
being forbidding, could be harmful and worth exploring." People in general do not tend to consider harmful
things worth exploring, and residents of remote islands in particular would have even less motivation to leave
their islands to learn more about things likely to hurt them. Moreover, "forbidding" and "harmful" do not
contrast as the words "instead of" lead the reader to expect.
2
Choice (E) is correct. "Flattery" means excessive or insincere praise, and "sycophants" means people who seek
favor by flattering those in power. If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Her
dislike of flattery made her regard people who tried to win her approval through praise as sycophants." This
sentence makes sense because "sycophants" are, by definition, people who try to win approval or other favors
through "flattery," or insincere praise.
Choice (A) is incorrect. "Autocrats" means rulers who do not need to consult with others before making
decisions, and "dictators" means rulers with absolute power and authority. If one were to insert these terms
into the text, the sentence would read "Her dislike of autocrats made her regard people who tried to win her
approval through praise as dictators." Neither "autocrats" nor "dictators" try to win the approval of others, so
these two similar terms do not make much sense in the sentence.
Choice (B) is incorrect. "Defiance" means bold resistance to authority, and "toadies" means people who go out
of their way to assist those in power. If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read
"Her dislike of defiance made her regard people who tried to win her approval through praise as toadies."
"Toadies" is a very negative word, and a leader who disliked "defiance," or resistance, would probably not use
it to describe her supporters.
Choice (C) is incorrect. "Tyrants" means cruel rulers, and "connoisseurs" means experts. If one were to insert
these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Her dislike of tyrants made her regard people who tried to
win her approval through praise as connoisseurs." "Coinoisseurs" are not people who try to win approval
through praise, and a person's dislike for "tyrants" has no bearing on the issue of praise.
Choice (D) is incorrect. "Adulation" means excessive admiration, and "superiors" means people of a higher
rank. If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Her dislike of adulation made her
regard people who tried to win her approval through praise as superiors." It would not be logical for a person
who dislikes being admired excessively to think of people who praise them as higher in rank. Moreover, a
person who is trying to win the approval of another person is rarely that person's "superior."
3
Choice (D) is correct. Membranous means covered by a membrane, a thin layer of tissue. If one were to
insert this term into the text, the sentence would read, Some scientists speculate that a small pterosaur of the
Jurassic period known as Sordes pilosus had membranous wings that were thin, pliable, and somewhat
transparent. Membranes are often so thin as to be transparent, so it makes sense to describe membranous
wings that are thin, pliable, and somewhat transparent.
Choice (A) is incorrect. Callous means hard. If one were to insert this term into the text, the sentence would
read, Some scientists speculate that a small pterosaur of the Jurassic period known as Sordes pilosus had
callous wings that were thin, pliable, and somewhat transparent. A part of an animals body that is callous
would not also be thin and pliable.
Choice (B) is incorrect. Arable means suitable for plowing. If one were to insert this term into the text, the
sentence would read, Some scientists speculate that a small pterosaur of the Jurassic period known as Sordes
pilosus had arable wings that were thin, pliable, and somewhat transparent. Fields or other plots of land can
be called arable if farmers can use them to grow crops, but an animals wings cannot be considered arable.
Choice (C) is incorrect. Inflexible means unbending. If one were to insert this term into the text, the sentence
would read, Some scientists speculate that a small pterosaur of the Jurassic period known as Sordes pilosus
had inflexible wings that were thin, pliable, and somewhat transparent. Something that is inflexible is by
definition not pliable, or easily bent.
Choice (E) is incorrect. Viscous means sticky. If one were to insert this term into the text, the sentence would
read, Some scientists speculate that a small pterosaur of the Jurassic period known as Sordes pilosus had
viscous wings that were thin, pliable, and somewhat transparent. Animals wings tend not to be sticky because
sticky substances accumulate debris that could make flight difficult or impossible. In addition, there is nothing
in the latter part of the sentence to suggest that the missing term would be viscous.
4
Choice (E) is correct. "Heterogeneity" means formed of unlike parts. If one were to insert this term into the text,
the sentence would read "To reflect the heterogeneity of that nations spoken languages, its writers often make
use of a mixture of dialects." A mixture of dialects is a group of dialects that are not alike, and such a mixture
is properly referred to as hetereogeneous, or reflecting "heterogeneity."
Choice (A) is incorrect. "Articulation" means the way speech sounds are formed. If one were to insert this term
into the text, the sentence would read "To reflect the articulation of that nations spoken languages, its writers
often make use of a mixture of dialects." The idea of articulation is much narrower than that of dialects. Dialects
are characterized not only by differences in the production of speech sounds but also by distinctive words,
phrases, and other features.

Choice (B) is incorrect. "Intonation" means the variations in pitch in a sample of speech. If one were to insert
this term into the text, the sentence would read "To reflect the intonation of that nations spoken languages, its
writers often make use of a mixture of dialects." The idea of intonation is much more restricted than that of
dialects. "Intonation" is just one of the many features that help to define a dialect of a language.
Choice (C) is incorrect. "Spontaneity" means the tendency to act on natural feelings or impulses. If one were
to insert this term into the text, the sentence would read "To reflect the spontaneity of that nations spoken
languages, its writers often make use of a mixture of dialects." Using a mixture of dialects in written texts
would hardly guarantee that the "spontaneity" of a nation's spoken languages would be reflected, and it is not
clear that spoken languages can be properly referred to as spontaneous. Individuals sometimes speak as
dictated by their feelings at a given moment, but "spontaneity" is rarely considered a characteristic of their
dialect.
Choice (D) is incorrect. "Profundity" means depth. If one were to insert this term into the text, the sentence
would read "To reflect the profundity of that nations spoken languages, its writers often make use of a mixture
of dialects." Spoken languages are neither deep nor shallow. Sometimes certain thoughts that individuals
express are said to be profound, but such "profundity" is not a characterisitic of their dialect.
5
Choice (B) is correct. "Palliative" means making a mistake seem less serious. If one were to insert this term into
the text, the sentence would read She apologized profusely, only to discover that her self-serving excuses
failed to have a palliative effect. The words "only to discover" indicate that the woman's apology did not have
the effect she intended. But it makes sense that a person apologizing would hope for a "palliative" effect, or to
make her mistake seem less serious than it appeared.
Choice (A) is incorrect. "Reprehensible" means deserving strong disapproval. If one were to insert this term
into the text, the sentence would read She apologized profusely, only to discover that her self-serving excuses
failed to have a reprehensible effect. The words "only to discover" indicate that the woman's apology did not
have the effect she intended. It is illogical, however, for a person apologizing to desire an effect that would be
looked at in such negative terms.
Choice (C) is incorrect. "Depreciatory" means shrinking in value. If one were to insert this term into the text,
the sentence would read She apologized profusely, only to discover that her self-serving excuses failed to
have a depreciatory effect. The words "only to discover" indicate that the woman's apology did not have the
effect she intended. But the woman could not have expected her apology to have the effect of shrinking the
value of something.
Choice (D) is incorrect. "Litigious" means having a tendency to bring a lawsuit. If one were to insert this term
into the text, the sentence would read She apologized profusely, only to discover that her self-serving excuses
failed to have a litigious effect. No one who apologizes expects that the apologies would have a tendency to
bring a lawsuit. People who apologize for serious misdeeds hope that the apologies will make lawsuits less
likely.

Choice (E) is incorrect. "Compendious" means leaving nothing out. If one were to insert this term into the text,
the sentence would read She apologized profusely, only to discover that her self-serving excuses failed to
have a compendious effect. The word "compendious" is used to refer to studies, articles, or books that are
virtually complete. Excuses or apologies could possibly be considered compendious if they were lengthy and
complete. However, the effect of such excuses would never be called compendious.
6
Choice (D) is correct. The phrases listed in lines 5-6 are expressions that either make no sense at all (e.g.,
"even steven") or have no obvious connection with what they are commonly used to mean (e.g., "paint the
town red"). This is also true of the phrase "to talk through your hat," which means "to talk without knowing
what you are talking about."
Choice (A) is incorrect. "Chance" means risk or opportunity, and the phrase "to take a chance" is often used to
mean "to take a risk" or "to respond to an opportunity." Unlike the examples listed in the passage, "to take a
chance" means pretty much what it says.
Choice (B) is incorrect. "To jump for joy" means "to be extremely happy." Since children often jump up and
down when they are very happy, the phrase is easily understoodunlike the examples listed in the passage.
Choice (C) is incorrect. "To lend an ear" means "to listen to someone" or "to give someone the opportunity to
tell their troubles." This phrase is easily understood through a simple metaphorical extension of the words
"lend" and "ear." It is thus unlike the examples listed in the passage.
Choice (E) is incorrect. "To flare up" is generally used to mean "to get suddenly excited or angry." It can also
mean a sudden intensification of some condition, such as an infection. Both meanings are readily understood
from the word "flare," which refers to the action of a fire starting. Thus, the phrase is unlike the examples listed
in the passage.
7
Choice (B) is correct. According to the passage, one popular dictionary theorizes that the phrase "to be joshing"
is connected to the humorist Josh Billings. But this phrase was in use in 1845, and, as the last sentence explains,
Josh Billings was largely unknown until 1860. The last sentence thus invalidates the theory about the phrase's
origin.
Choice (A) is incorrect. The information that "Josh Billings was unknown outside his neighborhood until 1860"
is clearly not a well-known fact. If it were, it is unlikely that a popular dictionary would have offered the theory
that the phrase "to be joshing," which was used in 1845, refers to Josh Billings.

Choice (C) is incorrect. The information in the last sentence makes it seem unlikely that there was a connection
between Josh Billings and the phrase "to be joshing." But that information is presented in a neutral way; there
is nothing in the tone of the last sentence, or in the passage as a whole, to suggest an accusation.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The facts of Billings's career are not presented as puzzling. Nor is being unknown until
1860 something that should be described as an "incident."
Choice (E) is incorrect. The last sentence does not explain the origins of the phrase "to be joshing." Rather, it
gives information demonstrating that one current explanation of the phrase's origins is incorrect.
8
Choice (B) is correct. According to the passage, the study looks at Western cities beginning in the Middle Ages
and opens with a discussion of "the functions that have drawn people to cities" (line 4). It is logical that central
marketplaces played a role in drawing people to cities. Thus it is likely that a discussion of the role of central
marketplaces in the early Middle Ages would be found at the beginning of the study.
Choice (A) is incorrect. The opportunity to commit certain kinds of crimes may well draw some people to cities.
But according to the passage, the study extends back only to the Middle Ages; it is not concerned with ancient
cities. An analysis of statistics about ancient cities is thus unlikely to appear at the beginning of the study.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The study is described as beginning with the functions that have drawn people to cities,
not with the people who were drawn by those functions. So it is unlikely that the study would begin with a series
of portraits of famous people who have chosen to live in cities.
Choice (D) is incorrect. According to the passage, the study begins with functions, then moves on to spaces,
and only then discusses buildings. Although an account of the architectural challenges involved in building
large cathedrals might well appear somewhere in the study, it is unlikely to be found at the beginning.
Choice (E) is incorrect. The study is described as beginning with the Middle Ages. It is unlikely, therefore, that
an essay on ancient archaeological sites would be included in the study. These sites would have been built
much earlier than the Middle Ages.
9
Choice (C) is correct. The passage explains the author's approach toward the study. The author tells what the
study is going to be about and why the study is being approached in the way it is.

Choice (A) is incorrect. The author of the passage is also the author of the only study mentioned in the passage.
Nothing is said or implied that is critical of that study.
Choice (B) is incorrect. The passage does not refer to any expense that might be involved in conducting the
study it describes.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The study discussed in the passage might include a "depiction," or description, of an era.
But the passage is concerned primarily with how the author of the study approached the task.
Choice (E) is incorrect. The passage explains the author's approach toward the study. The author apparently
believes that this approach is interesting and worthwhile, but there is no indication that the author is defending
the decision to adopt it.
10
Choice (C) is correct. The group described in lines 4-5 is a hypothetical group of prospective buyers. They are
described as people whom artists would have "to put up with" and as people who come "to gape." Such people
can reasonably be described as intrusive. The group described in line 46 are people visiting an exhibition, and
they "stared and admired." In other words, they appeared to be appreciative.
Choice (A) is incorrect. There is no indication that the narrator thinks that the people in the first group are
uneducated. In fact, the narrator herself is about to become a member of the first group and feels
uncomfortable about it, and she probably does not consider herself uneducated. Furthermore, there is no
indication that the people in the second group have professional training. They are an anonymous group
visiting an art exhibition.
Choice (B) is incorrect. There is no reason to think that the first group slights the artist. In fact, as prospective
buyers they pay the artist the compliment of taking the artist seriously. The description of the second group
does not suggest that they are overly respectful. In fact, the narrator finds the painting so stunningly beautiful
that admiration would seem to her to be an appropriate response.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The artist's methodology is not mentioned in connection with either group. In fact,
there is no mention of any artist's methodology in the entire passage.
Choice (E) is incorrect. Although the first group is described as a group of potential buyers, the passage does
not indicate that they are acquisitive, or strongly desirous of possessing. There is no basis in the passage for
describing the second group as generous and giving. The only thing we really know about this group is that they
appreciated the beauty of the painting that had once belonged to the narrator.
11
Choice (A) is correct. The narrator imagines that Sheila Fell greatly dislikes having her works looked over by
prospective buyers while she herself is present. Since at this point in the account the narrator does not know
Sheila Fell well, this idea must come from a belief about artists in general. Lines 3 through 5 make clear that
the narrator has such a belief, and lines 4 and 5 suggest the narrator would not like displaying her own work
in front of an audience.
Choice (B) is incorrect. The sentence in line 8 expresses the belief that Sheila Fell would prefer not being there
when the narrator looked at her paintings. The sentence does not say or imply anything about how excited the
narrator is at this stage either about Sheila Fell's work or about her own.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The narrator does suggest, in lines 4 and 5, that she would not want to watch people
read her books. The narrator also talks about wishing she could look at Sheila's paintings alone and, in line 8,
about Sheila likely having the same wish. But this does not say anything about how secure or insecure she feels
in general about promoting her books.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The sentence in line 8 does not suggest that the narrator regards the attitude she
imagines Sheila Fell to have as "eccentric." Rather, at this point it is an attitude that the narrator believes
Sheila Fell shares with artists in general.
Choice (E) is incorrect. The fact that the narrator talks about artists and about Sheila Fell in a speculative vein
in the entire first paragraph suggests that she had not spent much time in the company of artists. So there is
no strong suggestion in that paragraph that the narrator enjoyed the company of artists.
12
Choice (B) is correct. The first paragraph is about the narrator's expectation that her visit to a painter's studio
would be awkward and that both painter and visitor would be ill at ease. The second paragraph says that in
reality the exact opposite happened: the painter and, in consequence, the visitor, ended up being "perfectly at
ease." So the central contrast drawn in the two paragraphs is between expectation and reality.
Choice (A) is incorrect. The central contrast that the two paragraphs draw is not the contrast between being
guided by ideals and dealing with things as one finds them. The two paragraphs contrast what the narrator
thinks a certain situation will be like and what it actually turns out to be like. The central element of
"idealism"the embracing of some standard of perfectionis absent here.
Choice (C) is incorrect. In particular, the second paragraph does not deal with any "investigation" in the sense
of a systematic examination. What the second paragraph describes is a "realization." But this realization is
achieved without the sort of active effort that the term "investigation" suggests.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The term "anticipation" is not a good choice to describe what the first paragraph is
about, because "anticipation" carries the suggestion of a pleasurable expectation, whereas in this text the
narrator looks ahead with some anxiety. As for the second paragraph, "disappointment" is simply a
misdescription. The opposite of disappointment, something like "happy surprise," better describes how the
author characterizes the situation presented in the second paragraph.
Choice (E) is incorrect. The first two paragraphs do concern themselves with the purchase of a painting. But in
these paragraphs the narrator does not touch on whether either the seller or the buyer acts generously, nor on
whether either of them has feelings of "possessiveness," or ownership.
13
Choice (C) is correct. The narrator uses the phrase "to do it justice" in the sense of "treat it as it should be
treated" and says, in effect, that the dimensions of her house and the light inside the house made it impossible
to display the painting adequately. To do the painting justice would have meant displaying it in such a way as
to highlight its superior qualities.
Choice (A) is incorrect. The narrator, in complaining about not being able to do justice to the painting, is not
talking about being unable to recognize the unique achievements of the painter. The narrator's problem lies in
being unable to display the painting in a way that would give its qualities their full due.
Choice (B) is incorrect. The narrator does not use the phrase "to do it justice" in the sense of making it
accessible to as many people as possible. In fact, the narrator shows no concern over size of audience. What
the narrator is concerned about is being unable to display the painting the way she felt it deserved.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The way the narrator uses "justice" in line 25 is not concerned with what art can do for
people in their daily lives. The underlying idea is that ownership of the sort of exceptional painting that the
author is talking about imposes certain obligations on the owner (e.g., the obligation to display the painting in
a way that does not diminish its power).
Choice (E) is incorrect. The narrators point is not that exceptional paintings should generally be displayed in
elegant surroundings. Instead, the point is that the dimensions and lighting of a display space are important,
not that the space must be elegant.
14
Choice (B) is correct. The narrator explains that selling the painting had been "a terrible mistake" because it
turned out that she missed the painting very much. She "grieved for it" (line 40). She says that she should not
have let it matter that the painting had been overwhelming, too large, and too dramatic for the space she had
available. She should have held onto the painting because of how much she loved it.
Choice (A) is incorrect. The passage does not say anything about other souvenirs of Cumberland that the
narrator had. It is likely that souvenirs of Cumberland were not very important to the narrator at the time the
painting was sold, because at that time she lived in Cumberland again.
Choice (C) is incorrect. How much the painting is worth is never brought up by the narrator. Her account of why
the sale had been a terrible mistake makes it clear that financial considerations had nothing to do with that
decision.
Choice (D) is incorrect. There is no indication in the passage that Sheila Fell had "entrusted" the painting to the
narrator. She simply sold it. In fact, the passage suggests that Sheila Fell cared very little about who bought
her paintings. Therefore, the resale of the painting by the narrator could not have been a betrayal of Sheila
Fell's trust.
Choice (E) is incorrect. The fact that the smaller Sheila Fell painting was not a satisfactory substitute for the
painting the narrator had sold does not mean that she was unable to appreciate the smaller painting on its own
terms. The passage does not speak to this point. The terrible mistake was simply selling the well-loved larger
painting in the first place.
15
Choice (C) is correct. The comparison of the sale of a painting with the "folly of a divorce" suggests that the
narrator's feelings about the painting were very strong and that she felt terrible about having sold it.
Choice (A) is incorrect. The narrator had had the painting in one house for thirty years. But the painting never
lost its special aura. In fact, when even the new house in Cumberland proved to have no suitable space for
adequately displaying the painting, the disappointment was so vivid that the painting was sold.
Choice (B) is incorrect. There is no indication that any recollections that the painting brought to mind were
misleading. In any event, the "folly" of line 41 has nothing to do with recollections that the painting reinforced.
It has to do with the narrator's failure to appreciate how attached she had become to this particular painting.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The only decision that the passage talks about at this point is the narrator's decision to
sell the painting. The point the narrator makes is that her own continued inability to do the painting justice
finally provoked her into making the wrong decision. There is no suggestion that the painting provoked her to
make a premature decision.

Choice (E) is incorrect. The passage does not mention any painful memories associated with haystacks in a
field, which is what the painting depicts. The "folly" of line 41 is linked with pain, but not the pain of certain
memories. Rather, it is the pain of hugely missing something that one has gotten rid of voluntarily.
16
Choice (E) is correct. The narrator says that for her the painting is "like a poem" in that she can "recite" the
painting from one end to the other, as one might the lines of a poem. In other words, she can call it to mind in
its entirety, detail by detail.
Choice (A) is incorrect. At the point at which the narrator compares the painting to a poem, she is concerned
with her own ability to hold onto the painting in her mind, not with sharing the pleasure she derives from the
painting.
Choice (B) is incorrect. The passage suggests that the painting might be very important to the narrator's sense
of identity, but not because the painting is "like a poem." The point of saying that the painting is "like a poem"
is merely to suggest that it is a secure mental possession, just like a poem can be.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The passage does not suggest that poems represent the narrator's longing for beautiful
objects, so it does not make sense to say that the painting is "like a poem" in this respect. The narrator's point
is that just as she cannot lose poems that she knows by heart, she will also not lose the painting, because she
knows it by heart, too.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The narrator's point about poems is not that that they make a powerful first impression
but that, with familiarity, they can imprint themselves lastingly on the mind. It is in this respect that the
painting strikes her as being "like a poem."
17
Choice (D) is correct. The narrator uses words and phrases like "grieved," "marry," "divorce," "fiercely
possessive," and "saying my good-byes." This sort of language is usually reserved for talking about one's
feelings for other human beings, and extending it to talk about one's feelings for an object puts that object on
a special plane. So using this language emphasizes that selling the picture took a heavy emotional toll.
Choice (A) is incorrect. By the time the narrator starts talking about her reaction to having sold the painting,
she stops talking about her relationship with its creator, as though it no longer mattered. None of the language
of human interaction has anything to do with the narrator's feelings about Sheila Fell.
Choice (B) is incorrect. The narrator cannot have any difficulty in maintaining the painting because by this time
in the narrative she has already sold it, so its maintenance is no longer her responsibility.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The narrator uses the word "divorce" to refer to the fact that she sold the painting. Since
the divorce, in this sense, has already occurred, she cannot still feel under any pressure to bring it about.
Choice (E) is incorrect. The closing paragraphs are about the narrator's reaction to having sold the painting, to
seeing it again in a Sheila Fell Exhibition, and to the likelihood that she was not going to see it again.
Throughout, the focus is firmly and exclusively on the painting. What the painting depictsa rural scene in
Cumberlandis not mentioned in the closing paragraphs.
18
Choice (C) is correct. The passage is focused on the narrator's emotions as a painting is purchased, then
displayed first in one home and then in another, sold, seen again at an exhibition, and finally disappears into
the inaccessibility of a private collection. The narrator is ill at ease on her way to purchase the painting. Then
she feels she is short-changing the painting through lack of an adequate display space. She sells the painting
and immediately deeply regrets having done so. She has conflicted feelings when encountering the painting
again in an exhibition, and finally consoles herself with the thought that the painting will always live on in her
mind.
Choice (A) is incorrect. The passage does suggest that the artist, in creating the painting, drew on a
background of having grown up in Cumberland, but this theme is not developed in any way.
Choice (B) is incorrect. There is no suggestion in the passage that Sheila Fell is, or was, controversial as an
artist. There is nothing in the passage that is offered in defense of her or her work.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The passage acknowledges the fact that paintings are bought and sold. But it does not
go into the economic side of art. The focus of the passage is squarely on the narrator's emotions in connection
with the painting she bought.
Choice (E) is incorrect. The narrator's focus is on her own feelings and thoughts in relation to a specific painting.
There is a part of the passage (lines 46-51) that even suggests that she begrudged other people the enjoyment
of that painting. There is nothing to suggest that the narrator is looking at that painting as a representative of
an artistic genre that she might wish others to become interested in.
19
Choice (E) is correct. The passage begins by presenting "the new light engineering" of the twentieth century
and the early airplanes that were its product, as tapping into "humanity's ancient dream of freeing itself from
gravity" (lines 25-26). The passage closes with examples of the kind of enthusiastic reaction people had to this
unprecedented feat of engineering, which they saw as a kind of poetry. Therefore, the main focus of the
passage is how early aviation captured people's imaginations.
Choice (A) is incorrect. The passage does talk about the Wright brothers: a quote from one writer shows
Wilbur's fascination with the flight of birds, and a biographer is quoted as saying that Wilbur Wright was "deeply
middle-class and unheroic" (lines 47-48). But there is no sustained effort to give an overall picture of the
personalities of either of the Wright brothers, or of any other aviation pioneers. The passage focuses much
more on the fascination other people had with the Wright brothers than on what the brothers were actually like.
Choice (B) is incorrect. The passage quotes part of a poem about flight. But this poem is from the seventeenth
century, well before the beginning of the twentieth century, when the first airplanes were created. Elsewhere,
the author of the passage says that "the new light engineering that allowed people to fly seemed to the
uninitiated a kind of poetry" (lines 37-39). But here "poetry" is used metaphorically. Nowhere is there a
discussion of any contemporary poetry whose theme is flight.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The passage does not consider what effects aviation had on people's lifestyles. Rather,
its focus is on the intellectual and emotional appeal of early aviation.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The passage makes no attempt to explain any principles of flight. It talks about the
engineering involved in developing early airplanes only in very general terms, describing it as being "about
lightness" (line 10) in contrast with the engineering of the previous century, which was "about weight and brute
power" (line 5). The focus of the passage is on the idea of flight in people's imaginations rather than on the
scientific and practical realities of flight.
20
Choice (C) is correct. The steam engine is presented as the perfect example of the engineering of the
nineteenth century. That engineering, according to the author, "was about weight and brute power" (line 5).
Choice (A) is incorrect. The passage describes the engineering that went into early airplanes as "utterly
different from that of the Industrial Revolution" (lines 2-3). The steam engine is introduced as the perfect
example of the engineering of the Industrial Revolution, so the engineering that went into the steam engine
cannot have served as a model for aviation engineers.
Choice (B) is incorrect. The impact of the Industrial Revolution on travel is never mentioned. The steam engine,
a product of the Industrial Revolution, is introduced in the passage only as a contrast to the airplane and the
new type of engineering that produced it.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The steam engine is presented as the perfect example of nineteenth-century
engineering. It is intended to illustrate the nineteenth-century preoccupation with solidity, brute power, and
durability. So the steam engine could not have been intended to illustrate anything about twentieth-century
preoccupations.
Choice (E) is incorrect. The value and efficiency of the steam engine in transportation are not considered
anywhere in the passage. The steam engine is introduced as the perfect example of a style of engineering that
focused on "weight and brute power." It is described in the passage only to provide a contrast to the
engineering that produced the early airplanes.
21
Choice (D) is correct. The author describes the Wright brothers as having started out making bicycles and as
a result knowing about "thin-wall steel tubes, wire-spoked wheels, chain drives and whatever else it took to
construct efficient machines that weighed as little as possible" (lines 13-16). Thin-wall steel tubes, wire-spoked
wheels, and chain drives are effective but were certainly not particularly sophisticated or advanced technology,
even at that time. So by calling the Wright brothers "practical engineers at the cheap end of the market" (lines
16-17), the author is emphasizing their modest technological beginnings.
Choice (A) is incorrect. There is no reference in the passage to people who hindered aviation's progress. The
Wright brothers and others who built the early airplanes may have used relatively inexpensive and
unsophisticated technology, but there is no indication that they had little concern for quality.
Choice (B) is incorrect. The passage does suggest that early airplanes were built using relatively inexpensive
materials. But nowhere in the passage is there any mention at all of the practical use of the airplane as a means
of transportation, or of the cost of flying.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The only aviators discussed in the passage are the Wright brothers. The passage makes
it extremely clear that they were widely admired. There is no mention of their being criticized in any way.
Choice (E) is incorrect. Nineteenth-century engineering is discussed only to provide a contrast with the
approach to engineering that produced the bicycle and, eventually, the airplane. No judgment is either made
or implied about the relative merits of the two approaches.
22
Choice (E) is correct. Before quoting Marvell's poem, the author talks about "humanity's ancient dream of
freeing itself from gravity" (lines 25-26) and says that before the first airplanes "the body was earthbound, but
it enclosed a soul that flew" (lines 26-27). Marvell's poem shows this deep longing to fly.
Choice (A) is incorrect. At the beginning of the paragraph containing Marvell's poem, the author states "[t]his
is the point at which engineering intersects with the imagination" (lines 24-25). The poem is used to show that
flight had long captured the imagination of people. The poem also allows the author to imply that flight
engineering was the practical result of years of imagination.
Choice (B) is incorrect. The poem expresses human longing for a solution to the mystery of flight. But since at
the time the poem was written, humans were not able to fly, the poem cannot be used to illustrate a solution
to the mystery of flight.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The passage is not concerned with either the advantages or the dangers of flight. Its
focus is on how people responded to early aviation. The poem is included to show that people had long wished
to fly.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The poem does show that people had long associated flight with beauty. But the author
cannot have intended the poem to say anything about those who analyze the mechanics of flight because there
is no mention of any such people in the passage.
23
Choice (A) is correct. The same writer who is quoted in lines 41-42 is also quoted immediately before as saying
that "machinery is our new art form" (line 40). The praise is for "the engineers whose poetry is too deep to look
poetic"that is, engineers are also poets, but they make machines rather than poemsis meant to reinforce
this idea.
Choice (B) is incorrect. Neither the writer quoted in lines 41-42 nor the author of the passage says anything to
suggest that either poetry or technology is misunderstood. The point is rather that, with "the new light
engineering," technology began to be perceived of as a kind of poetry.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The quotation in lines 41-42 makes the point that, thanks to "the new light
engineering," it became possible to see science and art as two sides of the same coin. The quotation is not
included to suggest anything about the relative importance of practicality and creativity.
Choice (D) is incorrect. It is the machines built by engineers, not their technical language, that are said to have
a poetic or lyrical quality. The quote could be paraphrased as follows: "engineers are also poets, but they make
machines rather than poems." The poetry of engineers that the quotation mentions is to be found in the
airplanes they built, not in the technical language of engineering.
Choice (E) is incorrect. To say that people have artistic pretensions is to criticize them for regarding themselves
as artists when they are not. The writer being quoted, however, considers engineers to be artists and praises
them as such.
24
Choice (B) is correct. In lines 47-48 one of Wright's biographers is quoted as saying that Wright was "deeply
middle-class and unheroic." That quotation follows a quotation from one of Wright's admirers, who called him
a poet and compared his soul to that of a mystic on an inaccessible mountain peak. In that context, the effect
of quoting the biographer's remark is to deflate the extravagant picture of Wright as a glamorous, mysterious
artist.
Choice (A) is incorrect. The biographer's remarks amount to a criticism of the thinking of some of Wright's
admirers, who were so obsessed with the glamour of flight that they failed to notice how unglamourous a
person Wright himself actually was. But the criticism is not that their thinking was unimaginative. Rather, the
criticism is that they were being too imaginative, too fanciful, and too willing to blind themselves to the truth
of things.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The passage makes it clear that Wright's contemporaries were very excited by Wright's
inventions and regarded him as something of a hero. Therefore, it seems unlikely that the generally accepted
view of Wright was as a "middle-class and unheroic" person.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The biographer's remarks were included to counter a view of Wright as mysterious and
glamorous. They are about Wright the man, not Wright the inventor. The importance of Wright's invention is
not questioned anywhere in the passage.
Choice (E) is incorrect. Pointing out that someone is "middle-class and unheroic" is not calculated to help
perpetuate, or keep alive, the legacy of that person as a scientific hero.
SECTION 7
1
ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Choice (E) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by using only one subordinating word ("when") instead
of the lengthy coordinating phrase ("and that was when") and by using straightforward active voice ("he
learned") instead of the less efficient passive voice ("he was told").
Choice (A) displays wordiness. The long coordinating phrase ("and that was when") can be reduced to one word
("when"), and the inefficient passive construction ("he was told") can be improved by using active voice ("he
learned").
Choice (B) exhibits wordiness. The coordinating phrase ("and then") can be reduced to one subordinating word
("when").

Choice (C) involves wordiness. The inefficient passive construction ("it was learned by him") can be shortened
by using active voice ("he learned").
Choice (D) uses a vague pronoun. The sentence contains no noun to which the pronoun "they" can refer.
2
Choice (E) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by placing the noun "Sarah" immediately after the
introductory phrase ("Burdened with . . . pair of skis") that modifies it.
Choice (A) exhibits improper modification. The introductory phrase, "Burdened with . . . pair of skis," cannot
logically modify either the possessive form, "Sarah's," or the noun that immediately follows, "search."
Choice (B) displays improper modification. The introductory phrase, "Burdened with . . . pair of skis," cannot
logically modify either the possessive form, "Sarah's," or the noun that follows, "search."
Choice (C) involves improper modification. The introductory phrase, "Burdened with . . . pair of skis," cannot
logically modify the noun that immediately follows, "cart."
Choice (D) creates a sentence fragment. Neither the introductory phrase ("Burdened with . . . pair of skis") nor
the later dependent clause ("for which Sarah desperately searched") states a complete thought.
3
Choice (C) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by repeating the proper noun "Sam" to indicate precisely
who fell down an embankment.
Choice (A) contains an ambiguous pronoun. The pronoun "he" could refer to either James or Sam.
Choice (B) uses an ambiguous pronoun in two places. In both cases the pronoun "he" could refer to either
James or Sam.
Choice (D) has an error in tense sequence. It uses two verbs in past tense ("fell" and "stumbled") when the
second verb needs to be in past perfect tense ("had stumbled") to indicate an action that took place prior to
another action in the past.
Choice (E) contains an error in tense sequence. It uses the present perfect tense, "has stumbled," instead of
the past perfect tense, "had stumbled," which would correctly indicate an action that took place prior to another
action in the past.
4
Choice (D) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by reducing the second independent clause ("this was . . .
workers had feared") to a noun phrase so that a comma correctly links it with the noun "collapsing."
Choice (A) involves improper coordination. Two complete thoughts ("By attracting . . . from collapsing" and
"this was . . . workers had feared") are connected by only a comma.
Choice (B) exhibits illogical subordination. The connecting word "because" incorrectly suggests that the second
clause ("many workers had feared a disaster") gives the reason for the council's action.
Choice (C) uses improper coordination. Two complete thoughts ("By attracting . . . from collapsing" and "the
fear . . . would be a disaster") are connected by only a comma
Choice (E) displays improper coordination. Two complete thoughts ("By attracting . . . from collapsing" and "it
was feared . . . as a disaster") are connected by only a comma.
5
Choice (C) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by correctly completing the idiom "not only . . . but also,"
used to link grammatically equal constructions, and by repeating the preposition "by" so that two phrases ("by
the destruction" and "by the psychological effect") are parallel.
Choice (A) does not maintain parallelism in describing two effects of an earthquake. The independent clause,
"it has a psychological effect on people," is not parallel with the earlier prepositional phrase, "by the destruction
of property."
Choice (B) fails to maintain parallelism. The phrase "as well" is not the proper idiom to use with the earlier
phrase "not only,"and the prepositional phrase "in the psychological effect" is not parallel with the earlier
prepositional phrase "by the destruction."
Choice (D) exhibits a flaw in parallelism. Since the preposition "by" is not repeated, the noun phrase "the
psychological effect" does not seem to be parallel with the earlier prepositional phrase "by the destruction."
Choice (E) displays wordiness. The vague phrase "in the way of having a" can be reduced to the more efficient
and precise phrase "also by the."
6
Choice (A) is correct. The connecting word "but" properly indicates a contrast between two activities, and the
phrase "it allows" clearly introduces the result of barnstorming.
Choice (B) displays imprecise modification. The phrase "because of allowing" does not identify the cause as
clearly as the phrase "because it allows."
Choice (C) exhibits imprecise modification. The phrase "by allowing" does not identify the cause as clearly as
the phrase "because it allows."
Choice (D) involves imprecise modification. The long absolute construction ("old-fashioned barnstorming . . .
face to face") is very loosely connected to the preceding clause and does not indicate a contrast.
Choice (E) uses imprecise modification. The linking word "when" suggests a temporal relationship between the
two clauses, rather than a contrast.
7
Choice (D) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by using the noun "linguist," instead of the vague
pronoun "they," to identify the one who does fieldwork.
Choice (A) involves vague pronoun reference. The pronoun "they" does not refer to any specific noun in the
sentence.
Choice (B) exhibits vague pronoun reference. The sentence contains no noun to which the pronoun "they" can
refer.
Choice (C) displays ineffective coordination. In this case, using the conjunction "and" to link two complete
thoughts ("Linguistic research . . . fieldwork" and "the linguist . . . of a region") tells little about their logical
relationship.
Choice (E) uses two vague pronouns. The pronoun "which" apparently refers to something or some people not
named in the sentence (rather than to the noun just before it, "fieldwork"), and the pronoun "they" does not
refer to any specific noun in the sentence.
8
Choice (A) is correct. It maintains exact parallelism with two noun phrases ("sustained observation of a few
animals" and "intermittent observation of many animals").
Choice (B) fails to maintain parallelism. The clause, "many animals are observed intermittently," is not parallel
with the earlier noun phrase, "sustained observation of a few animals."
Choice (C) creates a sentence fragment. Since the long phrase introduced by "that" has no verb (only the
verbal form "providing"), it does not tell what the primatologist argued and thus leaves the thought incomplete.
Choice (D) contains an error in subject-verb agreement. The plural verb "do" agrees with an interrupting noun
("animals") but does not agree with its singular subject, "observation."
Choice (E) does not use the most effective idiom. In describing two different degrees of value, the phrase "in
contrast to" is less precise than the phrase "better . . . than."
9
Choice (D) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by using the verb "refers" (instead of the verbal form
"referring") to state a complete thought.
Choice (A) produces a sentence fragment. Since it contains no verb (only the verbal form "referring"), the
sentence does not state a complete thought.
Choice (B) creates a sentence fragment. Neither the verbal form ("referring") nor the verb in the dependent
clause ("is . . . used") can complete the thought.
Choice (C) produces a sentence fragment. Since the verb "refers" is in a dependent clause, it cannot complete
the thought.
Choice (E) does not express ideas logically. The linking verb "is" inappropriately equates a thing (the term
"doublespeak") with a time ("when language is used intentionally").
10
Choice (E) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by making the second clause dependent ("as dramatic
as . . . in the last century").
Choice (A) involves improper coordination. Two complete thoughts ("Scientists predict . . . in the next century"
and "they will be . . . in the last century") are connected by only a comma.
B. Choice (B) displays improper coordination. Two complete thoughts ("Scientists predict . . . in the next
century" and "these will be . . . in the last century") are connected by only a comma.
Choice (C) exhibits an error in coordination. Since the phrase after the semicolon has no verb (only the verbal
"being"), it does not state a complete thought and is therefore not equal in rank to the independent clause that
comes before the semicolon.
Choice (D) has an error in verb tense sequence. The verb in present tense ("is") does not correctly describe
action in the past ("the last century").
11
Choice (B) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by using the appropriate word ("because") to introduce
a dependent clause explaining why some argue for conservation.
Choice (A) involves imprecise modification. The preposition "with" loosely links the introductory phrase to the
statement that follows ("some argue . . . are unnecessary") but does not indicate the cause-effect relationship.
Choice (C) uses inappropriate word order. The phrase "of coal" precedes the phrase "billions of tons," but the
reverse order would be clearer.
Choice (D) exhibits wordiness. The phrase "By considering that there" can be reduced to one word that is more
precise, "because."
Choice (E) displays inappropriate word order. The phrase "of the coal" precedes the phrase "billions of tons,"
but the reverse order would be clearer.
12
Corrected Sentence: Beatrix Potter completely transformed the traditional animal fable, which had been
used by other writers simply to illustrate moral lessons.
The error in this sentence occurs at (C), where there is an inappropriate pronoun. There is nothing in the
sentence to which the plural pronoun "they" can logically refer.
There is no error at (A). The adverb "completely" appropriately modifies the verb "transformed."
There is no error at (B). The adjective "traditional" appropriately modifies the noun "animal fable."
There is no error at (D). The infinitive "to illustrate" appropriately introduces how "other writers" used "the
traditional animal fable."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E : There is an error in the sentence.
13
Corrected Sentence: No matter where they came from or what their previous lifestyle was, the refugees
were grateful for having been granted political asylum in the United States.
The error in the sentence is at (C), where the present-tense verb "is" differs from the past tense of the rest of
the sentence for no reason.
There is no error at (A), where the phrase "No matter" appropriately precedes the clause "where they came
from."
There is no error at (B). The conjunction "or" connects the clause "where they came from" with the beginning
of the next clause ("what").
There is no error at (D), where the adjective "grateful" appropriately follows the verb "were" in describing "the
refugees."
14
Corrected Sentence: Susan and Peter were inspired to become professional writers after hearing a famous
journalist speak about the challenges of investigative reporting.
The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where the singular "a professional writer" does not agree with the
plural subject "Susan and Peter."
There is no error at (A). The plural verb "were" agrees with its plural subject "Susan and Peter," and the
adjective "inspired" appropriately indicates what happened to Susan and Peter after they heard the speaker
(they were inspired).
There is no error at (C). The conjunction "and" combines with the gerund "hearing" to appropriately indicate
the time period covered by the action of the sentence.
There is no error at (D). The phrase "speak about" is an appropriate idiom.
15
Corrected Sentence: Cocoa was popular with Europeans before either tea or coffee, its consumption
gradually spreading from Spain and Portugal to Italy, Austria, France, and then across the channel to the
British Isles.
The error in the sentence is at (B), where the conjunction should be "or," not "and," in order to appropriately
follow the conjunction "either."
There is no error at (A), where "before" correctly tells when "cocoa was popular with Europeans."
There is no error at (C), where the adverb "gradually" tells how cocoa's consumption spread.

There is no error at (D), where "and then across" appropriately describes the spread of cocoa's consumption.
16
Corrected Sentence: To become a world figure-skating champion like Kristi Yamaguchi, one must be so
dedicated that one will practice six hours a day.
The error in the sentence is at (C), where the person shifts from "one" to "you" for no reason.
There is no error at (A), where "To become" appropriately begins the infinitive phrase "To become a world
figure-skating champion."
There is no error at (B), where "must be" acts appropriately as a verb for the subject "one."
There is no error at (D). The verb "will practice" is consistent in tense with the rest of the sentence.
17
Corrected Sentence: Each time Caroline turns on her computer, she has to enter a company code, then her
initials, and then a password before she can begin working.
The error in the sentence is at (B), where the third item in the series is different in form from the first two items.
The first two items following "to enter" are noun phrases ("a company code," "her initials"), so the third item
should also be just a noun phrase ("a password," not "enters a password").
There is no error at (A), where the verb "has" agrees with its subject and is consistent in tense with the
sentence.
There is no error at (C), where "before" appropriately tells when "she can begin working."
There is no error at (D), where "begin working" completes the verb phrase that starts with "can."
18
Corrected Sentence: A talented and versatile artist, Twyla Tharp has been a dancer, choreographer, and
collaborator on various productions.
The error in the sentence is at (D), where the third item in the series is not parallel with the other two. Since
the first two items are nouns ("dancer," "choreographer"), the third item should also be a noun
("collaborator").
There is no error at (A), where the appositive phrase "A talented and versatile artist" appropriately modifies the
noun "Twyla Tharp."
There is no error at (B), where the verb "has been" agrees with its subject and is consistent in tense with the
sentence.
There is no error at (C), where the noun phrase "a dancer" appropriately completes, the verb phrase "has
been."
19
Corrected Sentence: The scientific writings of Edward O. Wilson, Stephen Jay Gould, and Richard Dawkins,
which have continued the discussion of genetic issues raised by Charles Darwin, are familiar to many high
school and college students.
The error in the sentence is at (B), where the singular verb "has continued" does not agree with its plural
subject, "scientific writings."
There is no error at (A). The pronoun "which" appropriately refers to the noun "scientific writings."
There is no error at (C). The pronoun "which" appropriately refers to the noun "scientific writings."
There is no error at (D). The plural verb "are" agrees with its subject, "scientific writings."
20

Corrected Sentence: Conflicts between land developers and conservationists have repeatedly arisen,
causing Congress to reconsider legislation that prohibits building within habitats of endangered species.
The error in the sentence is at (A), where the verb "have" calls for the present perfect form "arisen," not
"arose."
There is no error at (B). The verb "causing" appropriately begins the verb phrase "causing Congress to
reconsider legislation."
There is no error at (C). The clause "that prohibits" appropriately connects the noun "legislation" to the gerund
phrase "building...species."
There is no error at (D). The phrase "within habitats" appropriately explains where "building" is prohibited.
21
Corrected Sentence: Surely one of the most far-reaching changes in the nineteenth century was the change
from working at home to working in the factory.
The error in the sentence is at (B), where the future tense verb "will be" is mistakenly used to refer to the past
("the nineteenth century").
There is no error at (A), where the adverb "surely" appropriately modifies the rest of the sentence.
There is no error at (C), where the prepositional phrase "at home" modifies "working."
There is no error at (D), where the phrase "to working" contrasts with the earlier "from working" and where "in"
appropriately begins the prepositional phrase "in the factory."
22
Corrected Sentence: Howard Gardner, an observer of Chinese elementary education, has questioned the
view that requiring young children to copy models prevents them from becoming creative artists later in life.

The error in the sentence is at (D), where the singular noun "a creative artist" does not agree with the plural
noun it complements, "young children."
There is no error at (A). "Observer of" appropriately begins a description of Howard Gardner.
There is no error at (B). The infinitive verb "to copy" completes the verb "requiring."
There is no error at (C). The verb "prevents" agrees with its subject ("requiring young children to copy models")
and is consistent in tense with the rest of the sentence.
23
Corrected Sentence: The governor's aides are convinced that the announcement of the investigation,
coming just days before the filing deadline, was calculated to discourage the governor from running for
reelection.
The error in the sentence is at (C), where the plural verb "were" does not agree with its singular subject, "the
announcement of the investigation."
There is no error at (A), where the verb "are convinced" agrees with its subject and is consistent in tense with
the sentence.
There is no error at (B), where the phrase "just days" appropriately modifies the verb "coming."
There is no error at (D), where the phrase "from running" completes the verb "to discourage."
24
Corrected Sentence: Although the new device was the most cleverly designed bird feeder that Ms. Rodriguez
had ever owned, it could not keep squirrels from stealing the birdseed.
The error in the sentence is at (B), where an adverb ("cleverly") is needed to modify the adjective "designed."

There is no error at (A). The conjunction "although" appropriately begins the dependent clause
"Although...owned."
There is no error at (C). "Ever owned" completes the verb phrase that begins with "had."
There is no error at (D). "From" appropriately follows and completes the verb "keep."
25
Corrected Sentence: Whatever price the company finally sets for the fuel will probably be determined as
much by politics as by a realistic appraisal of the market.
Explanation for Correct Answer E : There is no error in this sentence.
There is no error at (A), where "finally sets" acts appropriately as a verb phrase for the subject "the company."
There is no error at (B), where "will probably be" acts appropriately as a verb phrase for the subject "the fuel."
There is no error at (C), where "as much by" appropriately begins the phrase "as much by politics."
There is no error at (D), where "appraisal" completes the noun phrase "a realistic appraisal" and "of" begins the
prepositional phrase "of the market."
26
Corrected Sentence: Air pollution caused by industrial fumes has been studied for years, but only recently
have the harmful effects of noise pollution become known.
The error in the sentence is at (C), where the singular verb "has" does not agree with its plural subject
"effects."
There is no error at (A). The verb "has been studied" agrees with its subject, and its tense is appropriate in the
context of this sentence.
There is no error at (B). The conjunction "but" signals a contrast in ideas between the two ideas that it joins
together.
There is no error at (D). The verb "become" is in the appropriate tense (present perfect tense).
27
Corrected Sentence: The historian argued that we ought to learn more about the process by which
individuals like Sam Houston were identified by others as leaders.
Explanation for Correct Answer E : There is no error in this sentence.
There is no error at (A), where "we" is an appropriate subject in the sentence for the verb "ought."
There is no error at (B), where "more" is the object of the verb "learn" and "about" begins the prepositional
phrase "about the process."
There is no error at (C), where "were identified" acts appropriately as a passive verb followed by the
preposition "by."
There is no error at (D), where the phrase "as leaders" describes the way in which people such as Sam Houston
"were identified."
28
Corrected Sentence: Quick to take advantage of Melanie Johnson's preoccupation with the history of the
Johnson family, the genealogist proposed investigating that history--for a large fee.
The error in this sentence occurs at (C), where an incorrect idiom is used. The preposition "in" is used where
"with" would be more idiomatic.
There is no error at (A). The adjective "quick" appropriately modifies the noun "genealogist."
There is no error at (B). The verb "take" combines with the noun "advantage" to form an appropriate idiom.
There is no error at (D). The relative pronoun "that" refers appropriately to the noun "the history of the Johnson
family."
29
Corrected Sentence: Unlike most other fifteenth-century rulers, Portuguese kings could count on the support
of the aristocracy in any overseas ventures.
The error in this sentence occurs at (A), where there is an improper idiom. The phrase Contrasting with is
unidiomatic in this context. Instead, Unlike is needed to properly set up the comparison between Portuguese
kings and most other fifteenth-century rulers.
There is no error at (B). The adjective phrase "most other" appropriately modifies the noun phrase
"fifteenth-century rulers."
There is no error at (C). The verb phrase "could count on" agrees with its subject and is consistent in tense with
the sentence.
There is no error at (D). "In any" appropriately begins the prepositional phrase "in any overseas ventures."
30
Choice (D) is correct. The phrase "that are arising" is not needed to modify "statements" because there is
already a modifying phrase, "made by candidates."
Choice (A) is unsatisfactory because "people" is the subject of the sentence.
Choice (B) is unsatisfactory because "complain" should be in the present tense. Every other sentence in the
passage uses the present tense.
Choice (C) is unsatisfactory because it duplicates the problem of the original; "made by candidates" is the only
phrase needed to modify "statements."
Choice (E) is unsatisfactory because it creates redundancy: "during" and "during the course of" mean precisely
the same thing.
31
Choice (D) is correct. It properly identifies the people whose "goal" is being discussed ("political candidates"),
and it describes the goal with an appropriate infinitive phrase ("to win elections").
Choice (A) is unsatisfactory because the words "their" and "them" have an unclear referent; they seem to refer
to the "candidates" mentioned two sentences previously. Moreover, it makes no sense to describe a "goal" with
a phrase starting with "if."
Choice (B) is unsatisfactory because it duplicates both problems of the original: the unclear referent and the
improper expression of the "goal."
Choice (C) is unsatisfactory because it makes no sense to describe a "goal" with a phrase starting with "when."
Choice (E) is unsatisfactory because it is unclear to whom the phrase "this person" refers.
32
Choice (A) is correct. "It" in sentence 9 refers to "run[ning]a campaign aimed at smearing the opponent,"
which is best characterized as a strategy.
Choice (B) is unsatisfactory because there is no indication that the strategy "It" refers to results from a lack of
planning.
Choice (C) is unsatisfactory because "It" refers to sleazy campagning, not to complaints about sleazy
campaigning. Complaints are not mentioned in paragraph 2.
Choice (D) is unsatisfactory because there is no indication in paragraph 2 that the strategy "It" refers to is lying
about an opponent.
Choice (E) is unsatisfactory because there is no reference to a promise or promises anywhere in paragraph 2.
33
Choice (B) is correct. The sentence contains unnecessary information about the author and an out-of-place
reference to candidates' character. Deleting sentence 6 would improve the passage.
Choice (A) is unsatisfactory because the sentence interrupts the flow of the passage with irrelevant
information.
Choice (C) is unsatisfactory because the information presented in the sentence is not a consequence of any
information given previously. The previous sentence refers to a candidate's results, not to character.
Choice (D) is unsatisfactory because it adds an unnecessary phrase to an unnecessary sentence.
Choice (E) is unsatisfactory because the sentence contains irrelevant information; rephrasing the same
information would not fix the problem.
34
Choice (D) is correct. Changing "they say it's because" to "saying that" addresses the coordination problem of
the original. The resulting dependent clause ("saying thatnewsworthy") properly describes the media's
justification.
Choice (A) is unsatisfactory because the sentence uses improper coordination. Two complete thoughts ("The
media report the lies" and "they say it isnewsworthy") are joined by only a comma.
Choice (B) is unsatisfactory because sentence 15 refers to the "vicious circle" involving the media, an idea that
is introduced in this sentence.
Choice (C) is unsatisfactory because changing the verb does not fix the coordination problem: two complete
thoughts are joined by only a comma.
Choice (E) is unsatisfactory because changing this phrase does not change the fact that two complete thoughts
("The media report the lies" and "they say...it is news") are joined by only a comma.
35
Choice (E) is correct. "This practice" refers to the specific type of negative campaigningattacking a
candidate's character, often with lies, and counting on the media to spread the informationthat is the main
focus of the passage, and the tone of the sentence is consistent with that of the passage as a whole.
Choice (A) is unsatisfactory because the "bright side" of the smear tactics discussed in the passage is never
mentioned.
Choice (B) is unsatisfactory because the passage does not mention any "restrictions."
Choice (C) is unsatisfactory because, while "the media should refuse to participate in it" is a logical thought to
follow sentence 15, the phrase "in conclusion" suggests that this thought will sum up the entire passage. The
media's role is only relevant at the end of the third paragraph, however, so the final sentence only concludes
a three-sentence discussion.
Choice (D) is unsatisfactory because the passage does not discuss the cost of political campaigns.
SECTION 8
1
Choice (C) is correct. "Prey" means victim. If one were to insert this term into the text, the sentence would read
"A swindlers prey is usually a gullible person who is unable to resist the swindlers traps." A "swindler" is a con
man or crook. People who are cheated by a swindler are victims.
Choice (A) is incorrect. "Peer" means equal. If one were to insert this term into the text, the sentence would
read "A swindlers peer is usually a gullible person who is unable to resist the swindlers traps." A "swindler" is
a con man or crook, and someone who is a swindler's equal would be another swindler. Such a person would
not be described as gullible.
Choice (B) is incorrect. "Ally" means a person who joins with another for a common purpose. If one were to
insert this term into the text, the sentence would read "A swindlers ally is usually a gullible person who is
unable to resist the swindlers traps." A "swindler" is a con man or crook, and a swindler's "ally" would be one
of the swindler's partners. Such a person would understand how the swindler tricks people and would thus be
unlikely to be caught in the swindler's traps.
Choice (D) is incorrect. "Nemesis" means successful rival. If one were to insert this term into the text, the
sentence would read "A swindlers nemesis is usually a gullible person who is unable to resist the swindlers
traps." A "swindler" is a con man or crook, and the successful rival of a swindler would not be described as
"usually a gullible person."
Choice (E) is incorrect. "Superior" means a person in a higher position. If one were to insert this term into the
text, the sentence would read "A swindlers superior is usually a gullible person who is unable to resist the
swindlers traps." A "swindler" is a con man or crook. A swindler's "superior" would be someone with an
advantage in power or intelligence over the swindler, and such a person would be unlikely to become a victim
of the swindler.
2
Choice (C) is correct. "Expand" means to increase, and "variety" means an assortment of different things. If
one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Improvements in refrigeration and
transportation in the nineteenth century expanded the variety of available food for many families in the United
States." Improvements naturally involve positive changes, and increasing the types of things that are available
to people is obviously a change for the better. This sentence therefore makes sense.
Choice (A) is incorrect. "Slow" means to move at a reduced speed, and "distribution" means handing something
out. If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Improvements in refrigeration
and transportation in the nineteenth century slowed the distribution of available food for many families in the
United States." Changes in transportation that resulted in "slowing" the handing out of available food could not
be reasonably called improvements.
Choice (B) is incorrect. "Accelerate" means to speed up, and "perishability" means the tendency to spoil. If one
were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Improvements in refrigeration and
transportation in the nineteenth century accelerated the perishability of available food for many families in the
United States." It is illogical to say that improvements in refrigeration would make food spoil faster.
Choice (D) is incorrect. "Lower" means to decrease, and "amount" means number or quantity. If one were to
insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Improvements in refrigeration and transportation in
the nineteenth century lowered the amount of available food for many families in the United States." It is
illogical to claim that improvements in refrigeration and transportation would decrease the quantity of available
food.
Choice (E) is incorrect. "Create" means to make, and "dearth" means a severe lack of. If one were to insert
these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Improvements in refrigeration and transportation in the
nineteenth century created the dearth of available food for many families in the United States." One would not
expect a severe lack of available food to be a result of improvements in refrigeration and transportation.
3

Choice (A) is correct. "Comparison" means to consider the similarities between two things, and "inevitable"
means unavoidable. If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Although Eudora
Welty and William Faulkner wrote in distinctively different styles, comparison between the two is inevitable
because they both lived in and wrote about Mississippi." The word "although" signals that the second part of the
sentence will contradict the first. Given that Welty and Faulkner are very different, one would not expect them
to be studied for their similarities, thus a "comparison" between the two fits the logic of the sentence. Moreover,
the information provided at the end of the sentence, that Welty and Faulkner are both from Mississippi,
explains why this unlikely "comparison" is in fact unavoidable.
Choice (B) is incorrect. "Cooperation" means working together, and "destructive" means likely to destroy. If
one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Although Eudora Welty and William
Faulkner wrote in distinctively different styles, cooperation between the two is destructive because they both
lived in and wrote about Mississippi." There is no reason to believe that anything would have been destroyed
if Welty and Faulkner had worked together. "Cooperation" between people is typically helpful, not
"destructive."
Choice (C) is incorrect. "Discord" means disagreement, and "legendary" in this context means so well known
that people tell stories about it. If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read
"Although Eudora Welty and William Faulkner wrote in distinctively different styles, discord between the two is
legendary because they both lived in and wrote about Mississippi." The word "although" signals that the second
part of the sentence will contradict the first. However, disagreement between writers who write in different
styles is not particularly unexpected.
Choice (D) is incorrect. "Similarity" means being alike, and "unlikely" means not probable. If one were to insert
these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Although Eudora Welty and William Faulkner wrote in
distinctively different styles, similarity between the two is unlikely because they both lived in and wrote about
Mississippi." It is not sensible to say that "similarity" is "unlikely" between two people who lived in and wrote
about the same state. Two writers who lived in and wrote about Mississippi would be relatively alike.
Choice (E) is incorrect. "Rivalry" means a competition, and "redundant" means repeating something
unnecessarily. If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Although Eudora Welty
and William Faulkner wrote in distinctively different styles, rivalry between the two is redundant because they
both lived in and wrote about Mississippi." A competition between two people would not be referred to as
"redundant." If a competition between two people is repeated, one would assume that the repetition of the
competition is in some way necessary.
4
Choice (B) is correct. "Demonstrative" means showing feelings openly. If one were to insert this term into the
text, the sentence would read "Cito Gaston, one of the least demonstrative baseball managers, surprised
reporters by weeping openly after his team won the play-offs." This sentence makes sense because a person
who is not "demonstrative" would be unlikely to show his feelings. Observers would therefore be surprised to
see that person weeping.
Choice (A) is incorrect. "Somber" in this context means gloomy and sad. If one were to insert this term into the
text, the sentence would read "Cito Gaston, one of the least somber baseball managers, surprised reporters by
weeping openly after his team won the play-offs." If Cito Gaston were one of the least gloomy baseball
managers, the reporters would not be surprised at all to see him openly expressing his joy at winning.
Choice (C) is incorrect. "Insufferable" means intolerable or extremely annoying. If one were to insert this term
into the text, the sentence would read "Cito Gaston, one of the least insufferable baseball managers, surprised
reporters by weeping openly after his team won the play-offs." It makes no sense to say that Cito Gaston, one
of the least annoying baseball managers, surprised reporters by his display of happiness. This implies that the
manager's display annoyed the reporters, which is illogical.
Choice (D) is incorrect. "Bountiful" means generous. If one were to insert this term into the text, the sentence
would read "Cito Gaston, one of the least bountiful baseball managers, surprised reporters by weeping openly
after his team won the play-offs." There is no logical connection between thinking of a person as not generous
and seeing that person display happiness.
Choice (E) is incorrect. "Wistful" means thoughtful and sad. If one were to insert this term into the text, the
sentence would read "Cito Gaston, one of the least wistful baseball managers, surprised reporters by weeping
openly after his team won the play-offs." A person described as "one of the least wistful baseball managers"
would have a reputation for being happy, so a display of happiness upon winning would not surprise anyone.
5
Choice (E) is correct. "Opacity" means being impossible to see through or, in this context, extremely difficult to
understand. If one were to insert this term into the text, the sentence would read "That critics writing is so
obscure and dense that upon first reading, one finds its opacity hard to penetrate." This sentence makes sense
because a piece of writing that is obscure and dense would be very difficult to understand upon first reading it.
Choice (A) is incorrect. "Brevity" means being very short. If one were to insert this term into the text, the
sentence would read "That critics writing is so obscure and dense that upon first reading, one finds its brevity
hard to penetrate." There is no logical connection between writing that is obscure and dense and writing
featuring "brevity," or few words.
Choice (B) is incorrect. "Rigidity" means being stiff. If one were to insert this term into the text, the sentence
would read "That critics writing is so obscure and dense that upon first reading, one finds its rigidity hard to
penetrate." Though obscurity, density, and stiffness are all negative qualities of writing, they are not connected
in the way the sentence portrays. Writing that is obscure and dense would not necessarily be stiff.
Choice (C) is incorrect. "Floridity" means being flowery. If one were to insert this term into the text, the
sentence would read "That critics writing is so obscure and dense that upon first reading, one finds its floridity
hard to penetrate." Flowery writing may have many unnecessary words or an inappropriate tone, but it is not
necessarily dense or obscure.

Choice (D) is incorrect. "Harmony" means being orderly and pleasing. If one were to insert this term into the
text, the sentence would read "That critics writing is so obscure and dense that upon first reading, one finds
its harmony hard to penetrate." When a piece of writing is described as obscure or dense, it is because the
reader considers it to be poorly ordered and definitely not pleasing.
6
Choice (C) is correct. "Negligible" means insignificant or minimal. If one were to insert this term into the text,
the sentence would read "Oil companies seeking permission to drill in Alaskan wildlife refuge areas argued that,
for animals, the effects of previous drilling in comparable areas have been negligible." This sentence makes
sense because it is in the self-interest of oil companies to argue that drilling has an insignificant effect on
wildlife.
Choice (A) is incorrect. "Irrepressible" means impossible to control. If one were to insert this term into the text,
for animals, the effects of previous drilling in comparable areas have been irrepressible." It is in the
self-interest of oil companies to show that the past effects of drilling on wildlife are insignificant, and are thus
no barrier to further drilling. If the oil companies showed that the effects of previous drilling were impossible to
control, they would be arguing against their own position.
Choice (B) is incorrect. "Counterproductive" means producing a result that is the opposite of the desired one.
If one were to insert this term into the text, the sentence would read "Oil companies seeking permission to drill
in Alaskan wildlife refuge areas argued that, for animals, the effects of previous drilling in comparable areas
have been counterproductive." If the oil companies were to show that the effects of previous drilling on animals
were the opposite of the desired result (which was, presumably, to keep them safe), then the oil companies
would be offering a very unconvincing argument.
Choice (D) is incorrect. "Momentous" means having great importance. If one were to insert this term into the
text, the sentence would read "Oil companies seeking permission to drill in Alaskan wildlife refuge areas argued
that, for animals, the effects of previous drilling in comparable areas have been momentous." Arguing that the
effects of the drilling on animals were very important provides some information, but not the type of detail
needed for the sentence to make sense. Although momentous effects could be important in positive ways, the
sentence does not make it clear such effects were not in fact important for negative reasons. Oil companies
would be more likely to argue that their drilling had little effect on animals.
Choice (E) is incorrect. "Magnanimous" means extremely generous. If one were to insert this term into the text,
for animals, the effects of previous drilling in comparable areas have been magnanimous." People who do
wonderful things for others are often said to be "magnanimous." The effects of drilling, however, cannot
properly be described in this way.
7

Choice (B) is correct. Jerry feels insecure enough about his background to lie about it. The narrator of Passage
2 feels insecure enough about his background to think that the Hodgkinsons might stop socializing with him
once they realize what background he came from.
Choice (A) is incorrect. Although it is true that Jerry wants to advance socially and is prepared to lie in order to
improve his social position, the narrator of Passage 2 is of two minds about advancing socially. He says that the
idea of moving upward socially aroused in him "a characteristic disapproval and distaste" (lines 61-62), and
that he was "by no means attracted by everything" (lines 62-63) he saw in "well-off people's lives" (line 63).
Choice (C) is incorrect. Far from being unsuccessful in deceiving others, Jerry tells lies that are always believed.
The narrator of Passage 2, by contrast, is not interested in deceiving others. Quite specifically, he wants to
avoid acting in ways that might be seen as attempts to "pass." So with him, the question of whether he
succeeds in deceiving others does not actually arise.
Choice (D) is incorrect. Jerry is not at all determined to remain genuine. On the contrary, he seems determined
to be as deceitful as he needs to be to realize his social ambitions. The narrator of Passage 2 is more nearly
determined to remain genuine, but even he accepts the momentary need to accept the hospitality of "well-off
people" and to keep his criticism of them secret.
Choice (E) is incorrect. Passage 2 does not mention any friends that its narrator may have. The Hodgkinsons
are clearly not friends but merely social acquaintances. So Passage 2 does not touch on the issue of what
influence the lifestyles of the narrator's friends may have had on him. With Passage 1, things are slightly
different. The narrator of that passage is presented as a friend of Jerry's. It is possible that the narrator's
lifestyle had some influence on Jerry. The passage does not, however, address this point.
8
Choice (A) is correct. The narrator of Passage 1 describes Jerry as having realized his ambition, to be accepted
as "a wealthy Bostonian, from a family of some distinction" (lines 26-27). Jerry can count on this acceptance
only as long as he stays in Africa, and the narrator does in fact say that Jerry wants to stay in Africa. The fact
that he gained this acceptance through carefully calibrated lies does not seem to bother Jerry. Apparently, he
is satisfied. The narrator of Passage 2 is not satisfied: his current circumstances make him feel "like a
hypocrite" (line 65).
Choice (B) is incorrect. Jerry seems fully able to distinguish fantasy from reality. His careful lies attest to that.
The narrator of Passage 2 does not deal in fantasies. Sometimes he is slow to catch on to the truth, but that is
not because he cannot distinguish fantasy from reality.
Choice (C) is incorrect. Jerry and the narrator of Passage 2 might both be willing to devote time and energy to
philanthropic concerns, but this side of them is not mentioned in either passage. The "adventuring in
philanthropy" (line 27) that Passage 1 mentions is part of the fictional identity that Jerry has created for himself,
just as his family of distinction and his prospects of inheriting his father's business are.
Choice (D) is incorrect. Jerry does not refuse to accept the labels and judgments of others. Rather, he spends
considerable energy and ingenuity on shaping those labels and judgments through cleverly calculated lies.
Choice (E) is incorrect. The narrator of Passage 1 gives no indication that Jerry is eager to befriend people of
all social and economic classes. On the contrary, the narrator characterizes Jerry as someone who is highly
"class-conscious."
9
Choice (D) is correct. The narrator, by carefully limiting a judgment about Jerry to a particular time in the past,
strongly suggests that there were other, later times when he thought about Jerry differently.
Choice (A) is incorrect. The first sentence does not imply that the truth can be damaging. What the first
sentence does imply is that, depending on a liar's imagination, lies can differ in how damaging they are.
Choice (B) is incorrect. The first sentence says bluntly, "Jerry was deceitful," and the continuation of the
sentence does nothing to change that judgment.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The first sentence does not go into the matter of Jerry's background at all.
Choice (E) is incorrect. The first sentence carries an implication that at some point the narrator realized that
Jerry was having a negative effect on others, but it does not carry any implications about whether Jerry was
aware of this.
10
Choice (E) is correct. The narrator says that Jerry's lies were "such modest calculations" that Jerry was always
believed. In other words, Jerry was so restrained in his lying that people did not suspect that they were being
told lies. The word "moderate" could have been substituted for "modest" to capture the magnitude of Jerry's
lies.
Choice (A) is incorrect. The word "shy" would be appropriate if "modest" in the passage had described
something about Jerry's demeanor. But "modest" is used to indicate something about the extent of Jerry's lies.

Choice (B) is incorrect. The sense of "self-conscious" that is most closely related to a sense of "modest" is
uncomfortably conscious of oneself as an object of the observation of others. This sense is not the appropriate
one here, because the more uncomfortable someone is when lying, the less likely that person is to be believed,
and the point about Jerry is that he was always believed.
Choice (C) is incorrect. If "secretive" is taken to describe how Jerry arrived at his lies ("secretive calculations"),
it seems to apply to all lies, whether they end up being taken as the truth or not, because for there to be a lie
there has to be an intent to deceive. Secretive would not be precise enough to describe the particular type of
lies Jerry usually tells.
Choice (D) is incorrect. "Decent" is a good match for "modest" when it comes to describing someone's mode of
dressing. But this meaning is not relevant here. The point being made is that Jerry calibrated his lies so skillfully
that they did not arouse suspicion or disbelief. There is nothing decent about Jerry's lies.
11
Choice (A) is correct. The narrator, by locating Jerry's lying in "our insignificant place," indicates that these lies
are not being told at a crossroads of history with potentially momentous consequences. As important as these
lies are to Jerry, they are unlikely to have wider significance.
Choice (B) is incorrect. The phrase "in our insignificant place" suggests that Jerry's lies are unlikely to have
wide repercussions. It does not suggest anything about how commonplace Jerry's kinds of lies are in Africa, nor
does it suggest anything about Jerry's awareness of how common it is for people in Africa to lie in just the way
he did.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The reference to "our insignificant place" has nothing to do with whether Jerry was able
to distinguish between reality and fantasy. There is independent evidence in Passage 1 that Jerry was quite
able to distinguish between reality and fantasy. To calibrate exactly what lies he could safely get away with, he
had to be able to tell how great the distance was between the fantasy he was creating and reality. The "modest
calculations" mentioned in line 6 had to be anchored in reality.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The narrator does not in any way touch on the subject of his own reputation.
Choice (E) is incorrect. The narrator does call the way Jerry behaves "a bizarre spectacle" (line 15), but this is
not the same as saying that the behavior is "silly." In any event, however, the judgment that lies like Jerry's are
a "bizarre spectacle" is independent of whether the place where such lies are told is insignificant or not.
12

Choice (A) is correct. Passage 1 indicates that Jerry wanted to stay in Africa because after telling lies about
himself for a while he did not wish to be confronted with the truth, and in Africa no one could dispute the social
status he had claimed for himself.
Choice (B) is incorrect. Jerry's lies were related to social status, and the passage says that Jerry "was always
believed." So Passage 1 gives every indication that in Africa Jerry was given "the social acceptance that he
craved."
Choice (C) is incorrect. Passage 1 suggests that he was treated with more respect in Africa, where he was able
to pass himself off as "a wealthy Bostonian," than in America, where the truth of his more humble background
had to be faced.
Choice (D) is incorrect. Passage 1 does not specifically talk about how Jerry felt about family and social
obligations. It suggests, though, that Jerry would not have objected to the social obligations of a person who
belonged to the social class he was pretending to be a member of.
Choice (E) is incorrect. Passage 1 does not suggest that Jerry placed any significant value on being free to have
friends from a variety of social backgrounds. He is described as ambitious, as being concerned with his social
position, and as wishing to be seen as "a wealthy Bostonian, from a family of some distinction" (lines 26-27).
This suggests, in fact, that he might have been interested in befriending people from carefully selected
backgrounds only.
13
Choice (D) is correct. Jerry's attitude to social class is simple and unchanging: he wants to rise from his own
modest social class to the social class of "a wealthy Bostonian, from a family of some distinction" (lines 26-27).
The narrator of Passage 2, on the other hand, finds that he must abandon the idea that he belongs to the social
class of his childhood. At the same time he realizes that he does not feel at home in the middle class, either,
even though middle-class people seem ready to accept him as one of their own. His attitude toward social class
has become seriously conflicted.
Choice (A) is incorrect. The narrator of Passage 2 does not say anything about returning to the United States.
Choice (B) is incorrect. The narrator of Passage 2 finds that he has advanced into the middle class without
particularly trying to. He has not truly accepted this advancement, but he does not think it is impossible, or
even difficult, to obtain.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The narrator of Passage 2 does not say anything to support the idea that he has
rediscovered his love for his childhood home. He calls himself a child from the slums but observes that as a
grown-up he seemed to be a stranger there.
Choice (E) is incorrect. Passage 2 gives no indication that the narrator ever lied about his background. He
worries that his British hosts may not have the right idea about that background but, if so, the reason would be
"their ignorance of American types," not any lies he told.
14
Choice (D) is correct. The narrator shifts from feeling anxious that he might betray himself to a determination
to show his real self, and no longer to be guarded about what he said or did. The point was that he wanted to
make sure that he was not accepted by his hosts only because they were unable to see who he really was.
Choice (A) is incorrect. The narrator is puzzled about his hosts' motivation for including him in dinner parties,
and he then decides to try to correct any misperceptions on their part. But this is not a shift from suspicion to
mistrust. The motives that the narrator imagines his hosts having are boredom and ignorance, not the kinds of
motives that would make him suspicious or distrustful.
Choice (B) is incorrect. There is no evidence of any "estrangement," because there is no evidence of any earlier
easy familiarity. There is polite distance, but this distance remains. No "sense of camaraderie" develops even
after the narrator has concluded that his hosts like him.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The narrator does not end up feeling "despondent," or hopeless. Rather, he notes with
interest that his hosts' behavior towards him does not change, and he continues to speculate about why they
accepted him.
Choice (E) is incorrect. The narrator has all along been aware of, and accepted, the social status he was born
into. What he worries about is the possibility that his hosts may not realize what this social status is, and that
he may not have given them clear enough clues to this social status in the way he has been acting.
15
Choice (E) is correct. The narrator suggests that there are hosts whose lives are boring and who depend on
their guests to inject some "vitality" into their existence. This is the sense in which they "feast on any new
stranger."
Choice (A) is incorrect. The statement in lines 44-45 makes it likely that the narrator thinks that some hosts
rely on their guests for gossip. There is nothing in that statement to suggest that it works the other way around,
that is, that guests rely on their hosts for gossip. So the hosts would have no reason to resent their guests for
relying on them for gossip.
Choice (B) is incorrect. The types of people that the statement in lines 44-45 is about are "bored, dried-up
people" who invite new guests to entertain and divert them. The narrator does not say anything about whether
such people are concerned about the impression that they make on their guests.
Choice (C) is incorrect. Neither in lines 44-45 nor anywhere else in the passage is there any suggestion that one
of the things that hosts do to guests is make them feel inferior. Thus, there is also no suggestion that hosts get
satisfaction from doing this.
Choice (D) is incorrect. Hosts who "feast on any new stranger" seem to be tacitly admitting that they find their
own lives dull.
16
Choice (E) is correct. The claim that the Hodgkinsons "were in the world and led stimulating lives" is meant to
indicate that they were not "bored, dried-up people who needed to feast on any new stranger" (lines 44-45).
In other words, their lives were already supplied with the kinds of thingsnews, conversations, discussions,
etc.that might otherwise have had to be provided by interesting guests.
Choice (A) is incorrect. Being "in the world" and "leading stimulating lives" are linked by the narrator, and both
are contrasted with being bored. "Mundane" can be used as a contrast to "spiritual." But to describe people as
being "preoccupied with the mundane aspects of life" is not to say that they are preoccupied with worldly rather
than spiritual matters. Rather, it says that they think mainly of boring, ordinary things the very opposite of
leading a stimulating life.
Choice (B) is incorrect. The phrase "in the world" indicates roughly the opposite of being reclusive and
withdrawn. Although "in the world" could possibly be related to the knowledge of social conventions, the author
is using the phrase here to indicate that the Hodgkinsons did not need someone else to provide them with
stimulating ideas and activites present in the world.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The phrase "in the world" does not mean the same thing as "worldly." When someone
is described as "worldly," there is a strong suggestion that the person does not greatly value spiritual pursuits.
Describing someone as being "in the world," on the other hand, is compatible with believing the person to have
a high regard for spiritual matters. Spiritual matters can be valued without shutting oneself off from the world.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The qualities of being "stylish" and "urbane" (or polished in manner) are strongly
associated with being "in the world." But "ruthlessness" is not strongly associated with being "in the world."
People who are "in the world" may be ruthless or they may be extremely considerate, just as people who are
"in the world" may be very tall or very short. Ruthlessness is simply a completely independent quality.
17
Choice (C) is correct. The word "anxious" indicates that the narrator is conflicted about the conclusion he has
drawn. Part of his hosts' liking him is that they accept him as one of their own. But this acceptance comes at
a time when the narrator is not ready to think of himself as belonging to the middle class. So the conclusion that
his hosts like him as one of their own makes the narrator feel "anxious," or ill at ease.
Choice (A) is incorrect. A conclusion like "they simply liked me" (line 47) does not betray the sort of extreme
concern for getting every last detail right that the term "meticulous" suggests.
Choice (B) is incorrect. If a conclusion can be called impatient for having been drawn prematurely, then
"impatient" misdescribes this particular conclusion. The narrator has sifted through a number of possibilities
and does not draw this particular conclusion until he feels that there is no other choice.
Choice (D) is incorrect. Although the narrator felt uneasy about the conclusion he reached, there is no evidence
that he was frightened by it.
Choice (E) is incorrect. Even supposing that an eager conclusion is not that one is eager to do something but
is a conclusion that is eagerly arrived at, this cannot be the intended sense in this context. It is clear that the
narrator draws this conclusion reluctantly, not eagerly. He says that he "finally had to come to the anxious
conclusion . . . " He drew that conclusion because he saw no other choice, not because he very much wanted
to draw it.
18
Choice (A) is correct. Jerry creates an identity for himself that is partly based on lies he tells about himself.
Passage 1 suggests that after some time these lies seemed like fact, that they took hold, that they really
became a part of Jerry's identity. The narrator of Passage 2 owes some of his sense of who he is to external
factors: his university education, for example, but also "the accepting eyes of those a class above" (line 58)
him. Other factors are internal: his feeling that he is still "a child from the slums," (lines 49-50) as well as his
disapproval of and distaste for "middle-class comfort" (line 54).
Choice (B) is incorrect. "Ancestral background" suggests something broader than place of birth. But neither
passage describes the type of family that the two menJerry and the narrator of Passage 2are from.
Choice (C) is incorrect. Passage 1 does not say that Jerry was completely free in choosing his identity. Even he
was constrained by the need to make his lies about himself believable. Others, therefore, imposed limits on the
identity he could choose for himself. Passage 2 gives others an important role in determining a person's identity.
The narrator realizes that acceptance into the middle class by people who are members of it is part of what it
means to belong to the middle class. But the narrator also makes clear that he will not actually be a member
of the middle class unless he fully embraces membership in that class.
Choice (D) is incorrect. The place Jerry grew up in is characterized as lower-class, and the place that the
narrator of Passage 2 is from is called a slum. In both cases, there is a suggestion of physically unattractive
surroundings. Both passages grant that place of birth has a significant impact on a person's identity. Neither
passage "de-emphasizes" the part that the physical surroundings may play, though neither passage highlights
it.
Choice (E) is incorrect. For example, the last sentence of Passage 2 is a striking example of considering the
psychological effect (the narrator felt "like a hypocrite") of denying parts of one's identity. What the narrator
regards as a denial of part of his identity is accepting certain people's hospitality and refraining from criticizing
them.
19
Choice (E) is correct. Both Jerry and the narrator of Passage 2 live abroad. Jerry's rejection of his actual status
in American society is crucial to his manufactured identity. But the identity he makes up for himself is itself
based on status in American society. The narrator of Passage 2 also sees his identify in terms of his status in
American society. He struggles with his sense of self because his status in American society is not securely
settled. Thus, both passages illustrate the generalization that Americans living abroad consider their American
social status an important part of their identity.
Choice (A) is incorrect. For both Jerry and the narrator of Passage 2, social position plays a central role in their
lives. Charm and personality are not central concerns. In fact, the narrator of Passage 2 is reluctant to conclude
that his hosts might simply like him.
Choice (B) is incorrect. Neither Jerry nor the narrator of Passage 2 is portrayed as very wealthy, but it is clear
that both are very much concerned with social position. Furthermore, the wealthy family with whom the
narrator of Passage 2 lives seems unconcerned with the narrator's lower social position.
Choice (C) is incorrect. The idea that a society without class distinctions is possible is not raised in either
narrative and is most definitely not associated with either Jerry or with the narrator of Passage 2.
Choice (D) is incorrect. No account is offered for why either Jerry or the narrator of Passage 2 is living abroad.
It is, however, clear that it is not to escape all confinement by social class. Jerry does want to escape his own
social class, but social class is crucial to the new identity that he builds for himself. The narrator of Passage 2
is unhappy that his social-class membership is so unsettled, but what he seems to want is a social class that he
can feel at home in, not to be free from social class altogether.
SECTION 10
1

Choice (D) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by using the verb "came" (rather than the verbal form
"coming"), thereby stating a complete thought.
Choice (A) creates a sentence fragment. Since the entire phrase contains no verb (only the verbal form
"coming"), the sentence does not state a complete thought.
Choice (B) exhibits wordiness. The pronoun "they" unnecessarily repeats the sentence's subject, "Some."
Choice (C) displays wordiness. The pronoun "they" unnecessarily repeats the sentence's subject, "Some."
Choice (E) produces a sentence fragment. The verb "came" does not complete the thought because it is part of
a dependent clause ("which came from unsolicited donations").
2
Choice (E) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by clearly indicating that "the medical directors" are not
also "patients."
Choice (A) involves improper modification. "The medical directors" are not "patients" as the sentence suggests.
Choice (B) involves an ineffective passive construction. The phrase "The belief of . . . is that you" would be
expressed more effectively by using an active construction ("The medical directors . . . believe that you").
Choice (C) involves wordiness and awkward phrasing. There is no need to repeat "you" twice or to refer to the
plural "patients" as "you."
Choice (D) is a sentence fragment. There is no main verb to complete the thought.
3
Choice (E) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by clearly indicating who was "lecturing at the
university."
Choice (A) involves improper modification. "Read the poetry" could not logically have been "lecturing at the
university."
Choice (B) involves improper modification. It illogically suggests that "the poetry of Margaret Atwood" was
"lecturing at the university."
Choice (C) displays improper modification. "Her audience" could not logically have been "lecturing at the
university."
Choice (D) exhibits improper modification. "Margaret Atwood's poetry" could not have been "lecturing at the
university."
4
Choice (C) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by clarifying relationships among the actors in the
sentence ("Lois" and "Bontemps").
Choice (A) involves an error in pronoun reference. There is nothing in the sentence to which the pronoun "her"
can logically refer.
Choice (B) involves an inappropriate pronoun. It is not clear to what the pronoun "this" is meant to refer.
Choice (D) is awkward and wordy. The phrase "as a result" should simply be "because," and the awkward "of
Bontemps' being" could simply be "Bontemps is."
Choice (E) includes unnecessary words. The words "as" and "an" should be deleted.
5
Choice (A) is correct. The plural verbs "begin" and "culminate" agree with the plural subject "The five
autobiographical volumes."

Choice (B) is a sentence fragment. There is no main verb to complete the thought.
Choice (C) involves errors in verb form. "Have begun" should be "begin," and "culminating" should be
"culminate."
Choice (D) is a sentence fragment. There is no main verb to complete the thought.
Choice (E) exhibits inappropriate verb forms. The present tense ("begin" and "culminate") should be used
throughout.
6
Choice (B) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by consistently using verbs in past tense ("could . . .
continue" and "could rely") to describe two actions in the past.
Choice (A) involves incorrect tense sequence. The verb in present tense, "can rely," is not consistent with the
earlier verb in past tense, "could . . . continue."
Choice (C) displays wordiness. Four words ("would be able to") can be reduced to one ("could") without any
loss of meaning.
Choice (D) exhibits incorrect tense sequence. The verb in present tense, "can rely," is not consistent with the
earlier verb in past tense, "could . . . continue."
Choice (E) repeats a word that is not needed. The noun "strength" appears twice even though the pronoun
"own" is a more appropriate alternative in the second case.
7
Choice (B) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by eliminating the unnecessary words "it is" and "who."
Choice (A) involves wordiness. The phrase "it is" and the pronoun "who" make the sentence structure more
complex but add no meaning.

Choice (C) displays wordiness. The weak passive construction ("are checked . . . by the quality control
specialist") requires more words than the preferable active construction ("the quality control specialist
checks").
Choice (D) fails to maintain parallelism. It links an adjective, "small," with an adverb, "randomly," but the
adverb cannot modify the noun phrase, "samples of dough."
Choice (E) exhibits wordiness. The phrase "is the one checking" can be reduced to one word, "checks," without
any loss of meaning.
8
Choice (E) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by removing unnecessary words.
Choice (A) involves awkward phrasing. It would be more appropriate to say "its toll in human misery is
greater."
Choice (B) involves unclear pronoun reference. It is not clear whether the pronoun "it" refers to "surface
mining" or "deep mining."
Choice (C) involves unclear pronoun reference. It is not clear to what the pronoun "it" is meant to refer.
Choice (D) leaves out important words. The possessive pronoun "its" is necessary to indicate that "the toll in
human misery" is greater where surface mining is involved.
9
Choice (A) is correct. The phrase, "in some areas as much as thirty inches annually," specifies, without any
excess words, the amount of water collected.
Choice (B) involves improper modification. The verbal phrase "having thirty inches per year" apparently
modifies the noun "areas" and thus seems to indicate the total amount of water in those areas, not the amount
collected by trees.
Choice (C) exhibits wordiness. Since the phrase "per year" means the same as the adverb "annually," both are
not needed.
Choice (D) displays wordiness. The phrase "collecting the equal of" is not needed.
Choice (E) involves improper modification. The dependent clause ("which in some areas amounts to thirty
inches collected annually") follows the noun "fog," not the noun it should modify, "water."
10
Choice (C) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by placing the noun phrase "wild truffles" immediately
after the introductory phrase ("Prized for their rarity") that modifies it.
Choice (A) involves improper modification. The introductory phrase, "Prized for their rarity," cannot logically
modify the noun that immediately follows, "gourmets."
Choice (B) displays improper modification. The introductory phrase, "Prized as rare," cannot logically modify
the noun that immediately follows, "gourmets."
Choice (D) contains an inappropriate idiom. Using the preposition "for" between the nouns "fortune" and
"gourmets" suggests that the gourmets will receive large amounts of money rather than spend it.
Choice (E) creates a sentence fragment. Since the only verb ("will spend") is part of a dependent clause ("who
will spend . . . common mushrooms") that verb cannot state a complete thought.
11
Choice (D) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by making the singular verb, "shows," agree with its
singular subject, "evidence" (not with the plural interrupting nouns, "surveys and interviews").
Choice (A) has an error in subject-verb agreement. The plural verb "show" agrees with interrupting nouns
("surveys and interviews") but not with its singular subject, "evidence."
Choice (B) contains an error in subject-verb agreement. The plural verb "show" agrees with interrupting nouns
("surveys and interviews") but not with its singular subject, "evidence."

Choice (C) involves an inappropriate idiom. Between the noun phrase "high school friendships" and the verbal
phrase "to last," the verbal form "tending" is less effective than the verb "tend."
Choice (E) includes an error in subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "tends" agrees with the interrupting
noun ("school") but not with its plural subject, "friendships."
12
Choice (B) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by using the singular noun "duo" to designate one
singing group with two members (Steve and Rick).
Choice (A) has an error in noun agreement. Since Steve and Rick would join together to form one singing group,
the plural noun "duos" is incorrect.
Choice (C) contains an error in noun agreement. Since Steve and Rick would join together to form one singing
group, the plural noun "duos" is incorrect.
Choice (D) displays wordiness. The phrase "that they would become" can be reduced to two words, "to
become."
Choice (E) uses an inappropriate idiom. After the noun "determination," the phrase "to become" is more
idiomatic than the phrase "of becoming."
13
Choice (C) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by using a semicolon to connect two complete thoughts
("Before reading . . . the sports section" and "my brother . . . comics first").
Choice (A) uses improper coordination. Two complete thoughts ("Before reading . . . the sports section" and
"my brother . . . comics first") are connected by only a comma.
Choice (B) displays wordiness. The pronoun "he" unnecessarily repeats the noun "brother."
Choice (D) involves imprecise modification. The preposition "with" indicates only that one action accompanies
another; it does not suggest the contrast between the actions of brother and sister.
Choice (E) exhibits an error in coordination. The phrase after the semicolon has no verb (only the verbal
"reading"), so it does not state a complete thought.
14
Choice (D) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by using the word "although" to subordinate the first
clause ("Jacob Lawrence . . . modern urban life") and clearly indicate its contrasting relationship with the later
independent clause ("his celebrated painting . . . Harriet Tubman").
Choice (A) involves ineffective coordination. The conjunction "and" links two complete thoughts ("Jacob
Lawrence . . . modern urban life" and "his celebrated painting . . . Harriet Tubman"), but it does not indicate
their contrasting relationship.
Choice (B) exhibits improper coordination. Two complete thoughts ("Jacob Lawrence . . . modern urban life"
and "his celebrated painting . . . Harriet Tubman") are connected by only a comma.
Choice (C) displays improper coordination. There should be a semicolon before "however," which introduces
the second independent clause in the sentence. As is, two complete thoughts ("Jacob Lawrence . . . modern
urban life" and "his celebrated painting . . . Harriet Tubman") are incorrectly joined by a comma.
Choice (E) uses an inappropriate idiom. In introducing the first clause, the phrase "Inasmuch as" incorrectly
implies a cause or a degree rather than a contrast.

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SECTION 1

Sample Essay - Score of 6

Explanation for Correct Answer C :

Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :

Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :

Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :

Explanation for Correct Answer B :

Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :

Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :

Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :

Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :

Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :

Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :

Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :

Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :

ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS

Explanation for Correct Answer D :

Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :

Explanation for Correct Answer A :

Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :

Explanation for Correct Answer B :

Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :

Explanation for Correct Answer A :

ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS

Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :

Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :

Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :

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