Module I: Reading and Writing

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Researchers and conservationists stress that biodiversity loss due to invasive species is ______For example, people can take simple steps such as washing their footwear after travel to avoid introducing potentially invasive organisms into new environments.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
1
Mark for Review
preventable
undeniable
common
concerning
It is by no means______ to recognize the influence of Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch on Ali Banisadr's paintings; indeed, Banisadr himself cites Bosch as an inspiration. However, some scholars have suggested that the ancient Mesopotamian poem Epic of Gilgamesh may have had a far greater impact on Banisadr's work.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
2
Mark for Review
substantial
satisfying
unimportant
appropriate
Astronomers are confident that the star Betelgeuse will eventually consume all the helium in its core and explode in a supernova. They are much less confident, however, about when this will happen, since that depends on internal characteristics of Betelgeuse that are largely unknown. Astrophysicist Sarafina El- Badry Nance and colleagues recently investigated whether acoustic waves in the star could be used to determine internal stellar states but concluded that this method could not sufficiently reveal Betelgeuse's internal characteristics to allow its evolutionary state to be firmly fixed.
Which choice best describes the function of the second sentence in the overall structure of the text?
3
Mark for Review
It explains how the work of Nance and colleagues was received by others in the field.
It presents the central finding reported by Nance and colleagues.
It identifies the problem that Nance and colleagues attempted to solve but did not.
It describes a serious limitation of the method used by Nance and colleagues.
The mimosa tree evolved in East Asia, where the beetle Bruchidius terrenus preys on its seeds. In 1785, mimosa trees were introduced to North America, far from any
4
Mark for Review
It states the hypothesis that Chang and colleagues had set out to investigate using mimosa trees and
terrenus. But evolutionary links between predators and their prey can persist across centuries and continents. Around 2001, terrenus was introduced in southeastern North America near where botanist Shu- Mei Chang and colleagues had been monitoring mimosa trees. Within a year, 93 percent of the trees had been attacked by the beetles.Which choice best describes the function of the third sentence in the overall structure of the text?terrenus It presents a generalization that is exemplified by the discussion of the mimosa trees and terrenus
It offers an alternative explanation for the findings of Chang and colleagues.
It provides context that clarifies why the species mentioned spread to new locations.
Text 1
When companies in the same industry propose merging with one another, they often claim that the merger will benefit consumers by increasing efficiency and therefore lowering prices. Economist Ying Fan investigated this notion in the context of the United States newspaper market. She modeled a hypothetical merger of Minneapolis- area newspapers and found that subscription prices would rise following a merger.
Text 2
Economist Dario Focardi and Fabio Panetta have argued that research on the effect of mergers on prices has focused excessively on short- term effects, which tend to be adverse for consumers. Using the case of consumer banking in Italy, they show that over the long term (several years, in their study), the efficiency gains realized by merged companies do result in economic benefits for consumers.
Based on the texts, how would Focardi and Panetta (Text 2) most likely respond to Fan's findings (Text 1)?
5
Mark for Review
They would argue that over the long term the expenses incurred by the merged newspaper company will also increase.
They would recommend that Fan compare the near-term effect of a merger on subscription prices in the Minneapolis area with the effect of a merger in another newspaper market.
They would encourage Fan to investigate whether the projected effect on subscription prices persists over an extended period.
They would claim that mergers have a different effect on consumer prices in the newspaper industry than in most other industries.
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