Module I: Reading and Writing

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Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza argued as part of his rejection of dualism that all things, living or not, have the inclination to continue to exist and enhance themselves, a property he named "conatus." All things, he believed, had the tendency to ____ and would only cease to be if acted upon by outside forces.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
1
Mark for Review
resist change
deteriorate gradually
persist in being
avoid external influences
Many species demonstrate rescue behavior, a behavior in which an individual will help another in distress without any obvious benefit to the helper. In fact, this behavior ____ a recent study of Australian magpies when some birds in the study helped other birds remove the trackers that researchers had placed upon them, making it more difficult for the researchers to obtain data.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
2
Mark for Review
was confirmed by
was undermined by
contradicted
had no relation to

Dutch artist M.C Escher's work uses ____ to engage viewers by employing mathematical and intuitive processes to create images of objects that at first appear normal but on closer inspection are, in fact, impossible.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

3
Mark for Review
simplicity
optical illusions
realism
bright colors
Typically, pure water is not considered particularly ____, but a team of scientists led by Richard Zare has discovered how microdroplets of water can turn into caustic hydrogen peroxide. When microdroplets of water hit a solid surface, an electric charge jumps between the water and the solid, producing hydroxyl radicals that, in turn, combine with remaining oxygen to form hydrogen peroxide.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
4
Mark for Review
reactive
stable
transparent
abundant
The Beat Generation, a literary subculture movement featured in works such as Allen Ginsberg's Howl (1956) and William S. Burroughs's Naked Lunch (1959), was characterized by its ____ the traditional values of the 1950s. The movement's central message of nonconformity would be criticized by American literary critic Manuel Luis Martinez, who believed that the Beat Generation's lack of attention to the politics of individualism undermined the movement's goals.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
5
Mark for Review
endorsement of
indifference to
rejection of
misunderstanding of
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