Reading 4 “Four Stages of Planetary Development”
40. C “The planet Earth has passed through four-stages of planetary development.” This introductory sentence provides the thesis for the passage. Choice A is not correct because the four stages are explained in the following paragraphs. Choice B is not correct because the Earth and all the terrestrial planets have passed through the same stages. Choice D is not correct because exploration is not mentioned in the passage.
41. A “A meteorite hitting Earth at high velocity converts most of its [the meteorite’s] energy of motion into heat.” The pronoun “its” does not refer to Choices B, C, or D.
42. A The Earth may have been liquid paraphrases “Earth was probably molten,” and the heat collected faster than it dissipated paraphrases “this heat would have accumulated much more rapidly than it could leak away.” In addition, the formation took place quickly paraphrases “If Earth formed rapidly.”
43. B In this passage, broken into small parts describes the word “pulverized.” Context comes from the reference to “battered.”
44. D In this passage, the phrase most important describes the word “dominant.” Context comes
from the contrast with the phrase “still occasionally” earlier in the sentence.
45. B Because radioactive decay “releases heaf and “helped melt Earth,” it must be concluded that radioactive matter generates intense heat. Choice A is not correct because all traces of early lava flooding caused by radioactive heating have been destroyed. Choice C is probably true, but the relative importance of the stages is not mentioned in the passage. Choice D is not correct because the heating, not the flooding, is caused by radioactive decay.
46. B “… water fell as rain, filling the deepest basins to produce the first oceans.” Choices A, C, and D are true, but they do not describe how the oceans formed.
47. B “… this process [the presence of living matter] seems to be totally missing from other worlds in our solar system.” Choice A is not correct because the author does not express doubt in her opinion. Choice C is not correct because she gives her opinion in the final sentence. Choice D is not correct because she states that living matter is “totally missing.”
46. A According to the passage, cratering is the second stage and flooding is the third stage. Choice B is not correct because slow surface evolution is the fourth stage, after flooding. Choice C is not correct because differentiation is the first stage, which comes before, not after cratering. Choice D is not correct because it is not a stage, although it is an important process.
49. B “No one is sure how the presence of living matter [which is peculiar to Earth] has affected the evolution of Earth.” Choice A is mentioned in paragraph 1, sentence 1. Choice C is mentioned in paragraph 1, sentence 2. Choice D is mentioned in paragraph 3, sentence 5.
50. A In this passage different is a synonym for “peculiar.” Context comes from the word “Nevertheless,” which signals a contrast with the previous sentences that show similarities between Earth and the other planets.
51. D Addition is a transitional device that connects the insert sentence with the previous sentence.
The reference to the way that the “mountains” and “continents” are “changing” in the previous sentence introduces the way that “air and water erode the surface and wear away geological features [like mountains and continents]” in the insert sentence. Choices A and B are not correct because they refer to flooding, not to the processes in slow surface evolution such as erosion. Choice C is not correct because the sentence does not include a reference to erosion and cannot introduce an additional sentence about erosion.
52. E, F, B summarizes the passage. Choice A is not correct because the stages are the same.
Choice C is true, but it is a minor point that refers to major point E. Choice D is true, but it is a minor point that refers to major point F.
Reading 5 “Speech and Writing”
53. D “When linguists study language, therefore, they take the spoken language as their best source of data and their object of description. . . .” Because they use the spoken language, researchers must prefer speech samples. Choice A is not correct because when researchers study Latin, they must make an exception [use written samples]. Choices B and C are not mentioned in the passage.
54. A “… the majority of the Earth’s inhabitants are illiterate.” Choice B is not correct because illiterate populations are quite capable of spoken communication. Choice C is not correct because the majority of the Earth’s inhabitants in the modem world are illiterate. Choice D is not correct because it is not mentioned in the passage.
55. D Both simple and complex writing systems paraphrases “Writing systems [that] vary in complexity,” and require direct instruction paraphrases “must all be taught.”
56. B In this passage, the phrase come close to is a synonym for “approximate.” Context comes from the words “imperfectly” and “ideals” in the same sentence.
57. B In this passage, thought is a synonym for “deliberation.” Context comes from the contrast with “spontaneous and simultaneous formulation of ideas” later in the sentence.
58. C “… the association of writing with the standard variety is not a necessary one, as evidenced by the attempts of writers to transcribe faithfully the speech of their characters.” Choice A is not correct because the speech of their characters is transcribed [written down]. Choice B is not correct because the examples are transcriptions of speech, not writing styles. Choice D is not correct because examples of the two varieties are not provided and could not be contrasted.
59. B In this passage, temporary is a synonym for “transient.” Context comes from the contrast with writing, which tends to “last.”
60. D “Writing could also change if it were made to follow the changes of speech. The fact that people at various times try to carry out spelling reforms amply illustrates this possibility [writing could change to follow the changes in speech].” Choice A is not correct because examples of British and American spelling are different. Choice B is not correct because pronunciation in British and American English is not compared. Choice C is not correct because spelling changes because of pronunciation, but pronunciation does not change because of spelling.
61. A “The fact that people at various times try to carry out spelling reforms amply illustrates this possibility [writing could also change].” The phrase “this possibility” does not refer to Choices B, C, or D.
62. C “Despite all this evidence, it is a widely held misconception that writing is more perfect than
speech.” This statement expresses the author’s opinion, which is developed in an essay with argument and persuasion. Choice A is not correct because the history of writing begins many years later than that of speech. Choice B is not correct because the author says that “the association of writing with the standard variety is not a necessary one.” Choice D is not correct because the author points out that “Writing could also change if it were made to follow the changes of speech.”
63. C The author organizes the passage as a persuasive argument by explaining the reasons why speech is primary and then demonstrating why people have the “misconception” that writing is more perfect than speech. Choices A, B, and D are included as part of the argument.
64. C Reference is a transitional device that connects the insert sentence with the previous sentence. The Sumerians in the insert sentence refers to “Sumer” in the previous sentence.
65. Speech: B, C, E, I Writing: D, F, G Not used: A, H