Module I: Reading and Writing

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Many studies have found a positive association between levels of dissolved organic carbon and mercury in bodies of fresh water undisturbed by human activity. But Stéphane Guédron, Delphine Tisserand, and colleagues did not find this correlation in an examination of freshwater bodies impacted by wastewater, leading some scientists to hypothesize that the association could be particular to undisturbed waters. However, Michael E. Berndt and Travis K. Bavin carried out a study on freshwater bodies disturbed by mining that showed similar results to the studies on undisturbed waters, suggesting that _____
Which choice most logically completes the text?
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Guédron, Tisserand, and colleagues' study used different methods to measure the concentration of mercury in fresh water than Berndt and Bavin's study did.
levels of dissolved organic carbon and mercury are both much higher in bodies of fresh water impacted by wastewater than they are in bodies of fresh water disturbed by mining.
disturbances linked to wastewater affect significantly more bodies of fresh water than disturbances linked to mining do.
the effects of wastewater on the association between levels of dissolved organic carbon and mercury should not be taken as indicative of the effects of every type of human disturbance.
Rafael Núñez and colleagues studied how members of the Yupno, an Indigenous group in Papua New Guinea, conceptualize time in both spoken language and gestures. The researchers recorded Yupno speakers explaining certain temporal words and phrases, such as kalip bishap, a past-oriented expression that translates to “past times,” and coded each speaker’s manual gestures. Previous research has found a tendency in many cultures to make temporal distinctions along imagined linear axes: for instance, Spanish speakers often refer to the left/right axis to describe events in time. Some researchers believe this tendency is universal, but Núñez and colleagues claim this is not the case.
Which finding, if true, would most directly support Núñez and colleagues’ claim?
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Yupno speakers typically use their left hand to make temporal gestures regardless of whether the gestures are past oriented or future oriented.
Some Yupno grammatical structures used when talking about time are also used in Spanish.
Future-oriented gestures used by Yupno speakers do not, on average, point in the opposite linear direction of past-oriented gestures.
Yupno speakers were observed making temporal gestures both indoors and outdoors, though with greater frequency when indoors.
The following text is adapted from Jhumpa Lahiri's 2003 novel The Namesake. Gogol is an elementary school student in Massachusetts.
In art class, his favorite hour of the week, he carves his name with paper clips into the bottoms of clay cups and bowls. He pastes uncooked pasta to cardboard, and leaves his signature in fat brush strokes below paintings.
As used in the text, what does the word "leaves" most nearly mean?

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Lifts
Allows
Switches
Writes
Several scholars of children's literature recently __________ to discuss the work of Jerry Pinkney, illustrator of such lauded books as The Talking Eggs: A Folktale from the American South. Once together, they talked about his style, influences, and themes.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

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cited
stipulated
convened
ascribed
One challenge faced by researchers studying global urbanization is that different countries have different definitions of what constitutes an urban settlement. Many countries define urban settlements based on the number of people living in them. However, countries do not all use the same number to define an urban settlement; for example, Iceland uses a minimum population of 200, while Mali uses 30,000. Other countries use a combination of population and other factors, like the number of buildings in the area. This variation makes it difficult for researchers to compare aspects of urbanization in different countries.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
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To compare the urban populations of two different countries
To explain why researchers are interested in studying global urbanization
To illustrate a problem faced by researchers studying global urbanization
To object to a method that some countries use to classify different types of settlements
In their study of fossils of the extinct arthropod Mollisonia symmetrica, Javier Ortega-Hernández, Rudy Leroseyr-Aubril, and team reported some obvious indications of M. symmetrica’s nervous system—for example, nerves extending into the animal’s body parts. Most intriguingly, they also saw signs of what might be a synanglion, a brain-like nerve mass, in the animal’s head. This is an exciting possibility: without evidence of a synanglion, we can’t tell exactly how M. symmetrica relates to mosquitoes, slipper lobsters, and other arthropods.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
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Mark for Review
To describe M. symmetrica and the way nerves extending into the animal’s body parts functioned
To question whether the fossils the team studied were actually of M. symmetrica
To discuss a significant feature that may have been found in a study of M. symmetrica fossils
To argue that M. symmetrica may have been more similar to mosquitoes than to slipper lobsters
Vertical gene transfer involves the transmission of genetic material from a parent to offspring; horizontal gene transfer, on the other hand, involves the exchange of genetic material between organisms not in a parent–offspring relationship. While horizontal gene transfer is common among prokaryotes—single-celled organisms, such as the bacteria Enterococcus cecorum and Moraxella caviae—it has rarely been observed among eukaryotes (multicellular organisms). However, new studies suggest that horizontal gene transfer is more common in eukaryotes than originally thought.
Which choice best states the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
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 It argues that two biological phenomena are more similar than they may initially appear to be.
It explains why a common perception of a biological process is flawed.
It contrasts the frequency with which a biological phenomenon has been detected in two categories of organisms.
It indicates a distinction between the mechanics of two kinds of biological processes.
High-speed rail systems—in which trains can move at great speeds—are expanding in many countries because high-speed rail can reduce the number of automobiles on the road and ultimately conserve energy. In Austria, for instance, 254 kilometers of high-speed rail lines are in operation as of 2023, and 231 kilometers are under construction.
Based on the text, why might Austria be expanding its high-speed rail system?
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High-speed rail systems are a more energy-efficient choice for residents of Austria than automobile use is.
Residents of Austria demand that high-speed rail be expanded despite the cost of doing so.
The current high-speed rail systems in Austria are getting older and need improvements.
High-speed rail systems in Austria are currently viewed more favorably than they have been in the past.
The following text is adapted from the 1895 poem "Ojistoh" by Emily Pauline Johnson, a Kanienkahagen (Mohawk) writer also known as Tekahionwake.
I am Ojistoh, I am she, the wife
Of him whose name breathes bravery and life
And courage to the tribe who calls him chief.
I am Ojistoh, his white star, and he
Is land, and lake, and sky—and soul to me.
As used in the text, what does the word "breathes" most nearly mean?
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Rejects
Imparts
Absorbs
Acquiesces
Mastering 'ajami, a Syrian art of creating intricately painted wood panels, demands a skill set that ____ innate talent: crafting the panels requires not just the ability to draw but also an understanding of traditional techniques, materials, and design elements, necessitating expertise gained through dedicated guidance from experienced artisans.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
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Mark for Review
restrains
replicates
characterizes
transcends
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