Although the committee’s report was expected to be sharply critical, its conclusions were surprisingly ______, praising the agency for several recent reforms.
favorable “Although” sets up a contrast with “sharply critical,” and “praising the agency” tells you which way the report went. So the blank needs a positive word, and “favorable” is the only one.
The scientist was known for her ______: she refused to announce any result until it had been repeated by at least two independent laboratories.
caution A colon often means “here’s an explanation.” Refusing to announce results until they’re confirmed twice is careful behavior, so “caution” fits.
The novelist’s early books were (i) ______, full of long digressions and side plots, whereas her later work is notably (ii) ______.
Which pair of words correctly fills blanks (i) and (ii)?
rambling … concise “Full of long digressions” describes the early books, so blank (i) means wandering: “rambling.” “Whereas” signals that the later work is different, so blank (ii) needs the opposite: “concise.” On the real test each blank has its own three choices, and you must get both right for credit.
Despite his reputation for being ______, the senator spoke at length and with obvious enthusiasm at the town meeting.
Which two words both complete the sentence and give it the same meaning?
reticent and taciturn “Despite” means the reputation is the opposite of what happened. He spoke at length, so his reputation must be for saying little. “Reticent” and “taciturn” both mean that, and both give the sentence the same meaning.
The new manager’s policies proved ______: within a year, nearly every department reported higher output and lower costs.
Which two words both complete the sentence and give it the same meaning?
salutary and beneficial The colon introduces evidence: output went up and costs went down. So the policies had good effects. “Salutary” and “beneficial” both mean producing good effects.
For much of the twentieth century, historians of everyday life relied mainly on official records: tax rolls, court cases and census returns. These sources are valuable because they are systematic, but they record people chiefly at the moments when they dealt with the state. A farmer appears in the tax roll when he owes money, not when he plants, worries or celebrates. Partly for this reason, a growing number of historians have turned to private diaries and letters. Such documents are far less systematic, and their writers were rarely typical: in most periods, the people who kept diaries were wealthier and more literate than their neighbors. Yet the newer approach does not claim that diaries are representative. Their value, its supporters argue, lies in showing how events recorded in official sources were actually lived.
The passage is primarily concerned with
explaining why some historians have turned to private documents, and what those documents can and cannot offer The passage explains a limit of official records, says historians have turned to diaries and letters partly for that reason, and then says what diaries can’t do (represent everyone) and what they can (show how events were lived). That’s choice B.
For much of the twentieth century, historians of everyday life relied mainly on official records: tax rolls, court cases and census returns. These sources are valuable because they are systematic, but they record people chiefly at the moments when they dealt with the state. A farmer appears in the tax roll when he owes money, not when he plants, worries or celebrates. Partly for this reason, a growing number of historians have turned to private diaries and letters. Such documents are far less systematic, and their writers were rarely typical: in most periods, the people who kept diaries were wealthier and more literate than their neighbors. Yet the newer approach does not claim that diaries are representative. Their value, its supporters argue, lies in showing how events recorded in official sources were actually lived.
It can be inferred from the passage that supporters of the newer approach would most likely agree that
a diary can be useful even if its writer was not typical of his or her neighbors The last two sentences say the approach doesn’t claim diaries are representative, and that their value lies elsewhere: in showing how events were lived. So supporters think a diary is useful even when its writer was unusual.
For much of the twentieth century, historians of everyday life relied mainly on official records: tax rolls, court cases and census returns. These sources are valuable because they are systematic, but they record people chiefly at the moments when they dealt with the state. A farmer appears in the tax roll when he owes money, not when he plants, worries or celebrates. Partly for this reason, a growing number of historians have turned to private diaries and letters. Such documents are far less systematic, and their writers were rarely typical: in most periods, the people who kept diaries were wealthier and more literate than their neighbors. Yet the newer approach does not claim that diaries are representative. Their value, its supporters argue, lies in showing how events recorded in official sources were actually lived.
The sentence about the farmer and the tax roll (“A farmer appears in the tax roll…”) serves mainly to
give an example of the limitation of official records described in the previous sentence The sentence before it says official records capture people mainly when they dealt with the state. The farmer shows that in action: he shows up when he owes money, not in the rest of his life. So it’s an example of that limit.
Many plants that grow in nutrient-poor soils have formed partnerships with fungi. The fungi’s thin threads spread through the soil far beyond the plant’s own roots and pass water and minerals, especially phosphorus, to the plant. In return, the plant supplies the fungi with sugars made by photosynthesis. Gardeners sometimes assume that adding fertilizer can only help such plants. Experiments suggest otherwise. When phosphorus is plentiful, many plants send less sugar to their fungal partners, and the partnership weakens. A plant that has been heavily fertilized may therefore cope less well if the extra nutrients later run out.
The author mentions what gardeners sometimes assume mainly in order to
introduce a view that the experiments described next call into question Right after the gardeners’ assumption, the passage says “Experiments suggest otherwise.” The assumption is set up so the author can show evidence against it.
Many plants that grow in nutrient-poor soils have formed partnerships with fungi. The fungi’s thin threads spread through the soil far beyond the plant’s own roots and pass water and minerals, especially phosphorus, to the plant. In return, the plant supplies the fungi with sugars made by photosynthesis. Gardeners sometimes assume that adding fertilizer can only help such plants. Experiments suggest otherwise. When phosphorus is plentiful, many plants send less sugar to their fungal partners, and the partnership weakens. A plant that has been heavily fertilized may therefore cope less well if the extra nutrients later run out.
Based on the passage, which of the following is most likely true of a plant that grows in phosphorus-poor soil and has a strong fungal partner?
It gets some of its phosphorus through the fungi’s threads. The passage says the fungi’s threads pass water and minerals, “especially phosphorus,” to the plant. So a plant in poor soil with a strong partner is getting some of its phosphorus that way.
x is a positive integer.
Quantity A: x²
Quantity B: 2x
The relationship cannot be determined from the information given. Try values. If x = 1, A is 1 and B is 2, so B is greater. If x = 2, both are 4. If x = 3, A is 9 and B is 6. The relationship changes, so it can’t be determined.
An item’s original price is p dollars, where p > 0. The price is raised by 20 percent, and then the new price is lowered by 20 percent.
Quantity A: the final price
Quantity B: p
Quantity B is greater. Raising by 20% multiplies by 1.2, and lowering by 20% multiplies by 0.8. 1.2 × 0.8 = 0.96, so the final price is 0.96p, which is less than p whenever p is positive.
Quantity A: the area of a circle with radius 3
Quantity B: 28
Quantity A is greater. The area is πr² = 9π. Since π is about 3.14, 9π is about 28.27, which is greater than 28.
What is the remainder when 2¹⁰ is divided by 7?
2 2¹⁰ = 1,024. 7 × 146 = 1,022, and 1,024 − 1,022 = 2. You can also use the cycle: 2³ = 8 leaves remainder 1, so 2⁹ leaves 1 and 2¹⁰ leaves 2.
In a jar, the ratio of red marbles to blue marbles is 3 to 5. After 6 more red marbles are added, the ratio of red to blue is 3 to 4. How many blue marbles are in the jar?
40 Call the red marbles 3k and the blue 5k. After adding 6 red, (3k + 6) / 5k = 3/4. Cross-multiply: 12k + 24 = 15k, so k = 8. Blue = 5 × 8 = 40.
If x + y = 10 and x − y = 4, what is the value of xy?
21 Add the two equations: 2x = 14, so x = 7. Then y = 10 − 7 = 3. So xy = 7 × 3 = 21.
If x² − 2x − 15 = 0 and x < 0, what is the value of 2x + 1?
−5 Factor: x² − 2x − 15 = (x − 5)(x + 3), so x = 5 or x = −3. Since x < 0, x = −3, and 2x + 1 = −6 + 1 = −5.
A rectangle has a diagonal of length 10 and one side of length 6. What is the area of the rectangle?
48 The diagonal splits the rectangle into two right triangles. By the Pythagorean theorem, the other side is √(10² − 6²) = √64 = 8. Area = 6 × 8 = 48.
The average (arithmetic mean) of five numbers is 12. When a sixth number is added, the average of the six numbers is 13. What is the sixth number?
18 The five numbers add up to 5 × 12 = 60. The six numbers add up to 6 × 13 = 78. So the sixth number is 78 − 60 = 18.
A bag contains 4 red balls and 6 green balls. Two balls are drawn at random, one after the other, without replacement. What is the probability that both balls are red?
2/15 The first ball is red with probability 4/10. If it is, 3 of the remaining 9 balls are red, so the second is red with probability 3/9. Multiply: 4/10 × 3/9 = 12/90 = 2/15.
United States · Admission test