Writing Practice Test 1
Writing Practice Test 1
Writing
Practice Test 1
1 1
Employment in all job sectors in the United 1
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
States is projected to grow by fourteen percent Which choice completes the text so that it
over the next decade, yet the expected growth conforms to the conventions of Standard
rate for librarians is predicted to be only seven English?
percent, or half of the overall rate. This trend,
combined with the increasing accessibility of A) has led
information via the Internet, ______ some to B) have
claim that librarianship is in decline as a
C) which have
profession.
D) which has
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Chicago, I expected to be impressed by its Which choice completes the text so that it
famous large paintings. For instance, I couldn’t conforms to the conventions of Standard
wait to view ______ 10-foot-wide A Sunday English?
Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte in
its full size. A) painter, Georges Seurat’s,
B) painter, Georges Seurat’s
C) painter Georges Seurat’s,
D) painter Georges Seurat’s
A) it’s tiniest;
B) its tiniest;
C) its tiniest:
D) it’s tiniest,
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
______ architectural features, furnishings, and Which choice completes the text so that it
decorations are just as true to the periods they conforms to the conventions of Standard
represent. One of my favorite rooms in the English?
whole exhibit, in fact, is an 1885 summer
kitchen. A) furnished by their
B) furnished, but their
C) furnished: their
D) furnished, whereas
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
University of California, Santa Cruz, Chris Which choice completes the text so that it
Wilmers and James Estes, ______ kelp forests conforms to the conventions of Standard
protected by sea otters can absorb as much as English?
twelve times the amount of carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere as those where sea A) suggests, that
urchins are allowed to devour the kelp. B) suggests—that
C) suggests, “that
D) suggests that
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
increasing the otter population will not Which choice completes the text so that it
automatically solve the problem of higher levels conforms to the conventions of Standard
of carbon dioxide in the air. But they suggest English?
that the presence of otters provides a good
model of how carbon can be sequestered, A) or removed; from
______ the atmosphere through the B) or removed from,
management of animal populations.
C) or, removed from,
D) or removed, from
A) at which
B) from which
C) so that
D) whereby
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Repair Café takes place in Amsterdam, the Which choice completes the text so that it
Netherlands. Participants bring all manner of conforms to the conventions of Standard
damaged articles—clothing, appliances, English?
furniture, and more—to be repaired by a staff
of volunteer specialists including tailors, A) they await
electricians, and carpenters. While ______ for B) awaiting
service, patrons can enjoy coffee and snacks
C) they waited
and mingle with their neighbors in need.
D) waiting
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Northwestern University in Chicago showed Which choice completes the text so that it
that inadequate natural light could result in conforms to the conventions of Standard
eye strain, headaches, and fatigue, as well as English?
interference with the body’s circadian
rhythms. Circadian rhythms, which are A) bodies biological clocks,
controlled by the ______ influence body B) bodies’ biological clocks’,
temperature, hormone release, cycles of sleep
C) body’s biological clocks,
and wakefulness, and other bodily functions.
D) body’s biological clock’s,
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
pipes placed in workplace roofs to capture Which choice completes the text so that it
and funnel sunlight down into a building’s conforms to the conventions of Standard
interior. Glass walls and dividers can also be English?
used to replace solid walls as a means of
distributing natural light more freely A) these are
B) they are
C) which are
D) those being
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
the first restaurant chain in the United States, Which choice completes the text so that it
______ high standards of service and quality. conforms to the conventions of Standard
The menu was modeled after those of fine English?
restaurants, so the food was leagues beyond
the abysmal fare travelers were accustomed to A) was unique for its
receiving in transit. B) were unique for their
C) was unique for their
D) were unique for its
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
travelers through the mid-twentieth century, Which choice completes the text so that it
working there was a steady and lucrative conforms to the conventions of Standard
position for women. Living independently and English?
demonstrating an intense work ______ the
Harvey Girls became known as a A) ethic;
transformative force in the American West, B) ethic:
inspiring books, documentaries, and even a
C) ethic, and
musical.
D) ethic,
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
MCP as others do, and some even respond Which choice completes the text so that it
adversely. Furthermore, some fruits, conforms to the conventions of Standard
particularly those that naturally produce a English?
large amount of ethylene, do not respond as
well to 1-MCP treatment. Take Bartlett A) pears, for instance,
______ unless they are treated with exactly B) pears, for instance:
the right amount of 1-MCP at exactly the
C) pears for instance,
right time, they will remain hard and green
until they rot, and consumers who experience D) pears. For instance,
this will be unlikely to purchase them again.
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
depicted in well-known works of art, the Which choice completes the text so that it
image of dogs playing poker—popularized in conforms to the conventions of Standard
a series of paintings by American artist C. M. English?
______ may be the first and only one that
comes to mind. A) Coolidge,
B) Coolidge—
C) Coolidge;
D) Coolidge
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Petersburg, one of Russia’s greatest art Which choice completes the text so that it
museums, has long had a productive conforms to the conventions of Standard
partnership with a much loved animal: the cat. English?
For centuries, cats have guarded this famous
museum, ridding it of mice, rats, and other A) scared
rodents that could damage the art, not to B) scaring
mention ______ off visitors.
C) scare
D) have scared
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
David Alfaro Siqueiros was commissioned to Which choice completes the text with the
paint a mural on the second-story exterior most logical transition?
wall of a historic building in downtown Los
Angeles. Siqueiros was asked to celebrate A) Also,
tropical America in his work, which he B) However,
accordingly titled “América Tropical.” He C) Although,
painted the mural’s first two sections,
featuring images of a tropical rainforest and a D) Moreover,
Maya pyramid, during the day. ______ to
avoid scrutiny, Siqueiros painted the final
section of the mural, the centerpiece, at night.
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
maintain that organic produce is healthier Which choice completes the text with the
than conventionally grown produce because most logical transition?
it has more vitamins and minerals, this
assertion is not supported by scientific A) For instance,
research. ______ one review published in The B) However,
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
C) In addition,
provided analysis of the results of
comparative studies conducted over a span of D) Likewise,
50 years; researchers consistently found no
evidence that organic crops are more
nutritious than conventionally grown ones in
terms of their vitamin and mineral content.
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
practices her art, everybody listens. Wearing a Which choice completes the text with the
brightly colored African dress, a large turban, most logical transition?
and bracelets, the seventy-eight-year-old
Smith seems to inhabit each of the different A) Indeed,
characters she describes. Her voice changes B) Well,
with each emotion she wants to evoke. Her
gestures fit the pace of the narrative. And C) However,
though many of the stories are intended to D) At once,
make the audience laugh, Smith is fully aware
of the other values of storytelling. ______ she
identifies strongly with the griots of West
Africa—those village storytellers where they
use songs, poems, and narration to help
preserve and transmit culture and history.
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
something to keep the score from reaching Which choice completes the text with the
triple digits in the early going. There’s a rule, most logical transition?
______ that says the runner must stop when
any fielder from the other team picks up the A) therefore,
ball and holds it aloft. The rule might seem a B) instead,
good one, but the children can’t remember to
C) likewise,
hold up the ball.
D) meanwhile,
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
wore a pair of blue jeans to school, he was Which choice completes the text with the
sent home for violating the dress code. Kevin most logical transition?
and his parents believed that his
constitutional rights had been violated. The A) therefore,
United States District Court of New B) accordingly,
Hampshire agreed to hear Kevin’s case. The
C) moreover,
court determined that the school board had
failed to show that wearing jeans actually D) however,
inhibited the educational process. Certainly
the school board would be justified in
prohibiting students from wearing clothing
that was unsanitary, revealing, or obscene.
The court remained unconvinced, ______
that wearing jeans would actually impair the
learning process of Kevin or of his fellow
classmates.
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
on Earth, scientists speculate that life may Which choice completes the text with the
endure under similar conditions elsewhere, most logical transition?
perhaps in the frozen seas or the exploding
volcanoes of Jupiter’s moons, or beneath the A) Nevertheless,
barren landscape of Mars. ______ findings B) On the other hand,
suggest that life—at least on the microbial
C) However,
level—may flourish throughout the universe
in places we have yet to look. D) Indeed,
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
anonymous donor left intricately crafted paper Which choice completes the text with the
sculptures at various cultural institutions in most logical transition?
Edinburgh, Scotland. The first sculpture
discovered—at the Scottish Poetry Library— A) Therefore,
was a tiny tree formed from a book of verse. At B) Eventually,
the Scottish Storytelling Centre, a dragon
crafted from the pages of a mystery novel was C) Of course,
found nesting in a window. At the National D) However,
Museum of Scotland, a paper tail was spotted
emerging from the spine of Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle’s book The Lost World. Inside, a
dinosaur charges through shredded pages of
the open book. More creations appeared at
several libraries and museums devoted to
books and writing. ______ a total of ten
sculptures were bestowed on special
institutions, whose staff are thrilled by their
luck.
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Railroad in the 1870s, McCoy invented a Which choice completes the text with the
device that released oil while a train was in most logical transition?
motion, substantially reducing the number of
maintenance stops and making travel more A) for example,
efficient. McCoy applied the principles of this B) subsequently,
invention to other engineering challenges.
C) regardless,
Factories in the late 1800s, ______
increasingly relied on steam engines to power D) however,
factory machines. As with trains, many of the
machines’ parts had to be oiled manually.
McCoy, recognizing the similarities between
train wheels and factory machines, designed
automated oilers for steam engines. These
innovations allowed factories to run machines
continuously, increasing factory productivity
and profits.
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
States must increase, Maynard believed, Which choice completes the text with the
______ the industry is going to meet its most logical transition?
ethical obligation to provide a wide audience
credible and accurate news. A) if
B) as soon as
C) whereas
D) until
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
cloud particles are too large and irregular to Which choice completes the text with the
diffract sunlight consistently. One particle most logical transition?
might deflect red waves at the same angle an
adjacent particle deflects green. Or, in denser A) for example,
clouds, each light wave is likely to collide with B) consequently,
a series of particles, deflecting at a different
C) furthermore,
angle every time. In both cases, the different
light waves cross paths, and the cloud appears D) however,
white.
In iridescent clouds, ______ deflection
angles don’t conflict. As sunlight passes
through the cloud, every particle deflects
distinct light waves at consistent angles, and
breathtaking colors emerge.
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
While researching a topic, a student has taken the While researching a topic, a student has taken
following notes: the following notes:
• The chemical 1-MCP (1-methylcyclopropene) • Some people buy organic food because they
has been used by fruit growers to preserve the believe organically grown crops are more
crispness and lengthen the storage life of apples nutritious and safer for consumption than their
and other fruit. conventionally grown counterparts.
• While 1-MCP keeps apples tight and crisp for • However, researchers comparing the nutritional
months, it also limits their scent production. content of organic foods with that of their
• For apples that are prized for their fruity nonorganic counterparts found very little
fragrance, this can be a problem with consumers, difference between the two.
who will reject apples lacking the expected • Evidence also undermines the claim that organic
aroma. food is safer to eat.
• Some pears, unless they are treated with exactly • While researchers have found lower levels of
the right amount of 1-MCP, will remain hard pesticide residue in organic produce than in
and green until they rot, and consumers who nonorganic produce, the pesticide residue
experience this will be unlikely to purchase them detected in conventional produce falls within
again. acceptable safety limits.
• Researchers have found that 1-MCP actually • The minute amounts of residue falling within
increases susceptibility to some pathologies in such limits have no negative impact on human
certain apple varieties, causing the flesh of the health.
apple to turn brown.
The student wants to further reinforce
The student wants a conclusion that conveys how the claim about the safety of nonorganic food.
the shortcomings of 1-MCP affect the actions of Which choice most effectively uses relevant
people in the fruit industry. Which choice most information from the notes to accomplish this
effectively uses relevant information from the goal?
notes to accomplish this goal?
A) To be labeled organic, a product must meet
A) The problem may be that consumers are overly certain standards determined and monitored
concerned with superficial qualities rather than by the US Department of Agriculture.
the actual freshness of the fruit. B) Organic food is regulated to eliminate artificial
B) Many of the improvements to fruit quality ingredients that include certain types of
researchers have discovered so far have preservatives, sweeteners, colorings, and
required trade-offs in other properties of the flavors.
fruit. C) Consumers who are concerned about ingesting
C) For now many fruit sellers must weigh the pesticide residue in conventional produce can
relative values of aroma, color, and freshness eliminate much of it by simply washing or
when deciding whether to use 1-MCP. peeling produce before eating it.
D) It must be acknowledged that 1-MCP, despite D) The Environmental Protection Agency
some inadequacies, has enabled the fruit estimates that about one-fifth of the pesticides
industry to ship and store fruit in ways that used worldwide are applied to crops in the
were impossible before. United States.
49 50
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
While researching a topic, a student has taken the While researching a topic, a student has taken
following notes: the following notes:
• In 1968, Schindler and Brunskill were • For an hour on the evening of October 30, 1938,
investigating possible causes for the large Orson Welles and other performers from the
blooms of blue-green algae that had been Mercury Theatre flooded the airwaves with
affecting bodies of water in Canada. alarming “news bulletins” about a Martian
• These algal blooms cause oxygen depletion, invasion supposedly occurring in Grover’s Mill,
which kills fish and other wildlife in the lakes. New Jersey.
• The two scientists hypothesized that phosphates • They were performing a radio play adapted
were responsible for the growth of blue-green from The War of the Worlds, a science fiction
algae. novel by H. G. Wells.
• The research, conducted at Lake 226, • The next day, a front-page headline in the New
demonstrated a clear correlation between York Times declared, “Radio Listeners in Panic,
introducing phosphates and the growth of blue- Taking War Drama as Fact.”
green algae. • Legend became that Welles’s broadcast had as
• Legislators in Canada passed laws banning many as twelve million people fearing that
phosphates in laundry detergents, which had Martians had invaded Earth.
been entering the water supply. The student wants to add a supporting detail to
The student wants to add a second policy outcome indicate that the story was widely reported. Which
of the research described. Which choice most choice most effectively uses relevant information
effectively uses relevant information from the from the notes to accomplish this goal?
notes to accomplish this goal?
A) The Times article claimed that people had fled
A) Lake 226 continued to develop blooms of blue- their homes and that police stations had been
green algae for eight consecutive years after the swamped with calls.
experiment took place. B) Other newspapers also ran stories claiming that
B) In the United States, many individual states the broadcast had incited mass hysteria.
have also adopted legislation to eliminate, or at C) In 2013, many newspapers and magazines
least reduce, phosphorous content in laundry featured articles about the seventy-fifth
detergents. anniversary of the broadcast.
C) In 1974, Schindler initiated a study of the D) The Times was then and is now one of the
effects of acid rain, using Lake 226 to examine United States’ most popular news sources.
how sulfuric acid altered aquatic ecosystems.
D) Aerial photos of the lakes taken before and
during algal blooms helped convey the effects
of phosphates in water to the public.
51 52
...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
While researching a topic, a student has taken the While researching a topic, a student has taken
following notes: the following notes:
• When Harry Gordon Selfridge, a junior partner • Flavorists are professional chemists who
at the flourishing Chicago department store specialize in the art of mixing chemicals to
Marshall Field’s, traveled to London in 1906, he create food flavoring.
noted a significant gap in the city’s retail market:
• They are tasked with giving a tantalizing taste to
There were no department stores.
everything from soup to juice to chewing gum,
• Selfridge moved to England shortly thereafter, often to imitate a flavor found in nature at a
opened a store that would modernize British fraction of the cost of using the actual
shopping, and promised the pleasures of ingredient.
shopping as well as those of sightseeing.
• Most flavorists earn a bachelor’s degree in
• He invited famed French aviator Louis Blériot to chemistry or a related field.
the store’s grand opening, convinced Blériot to
• There are fewer than 500 flavorists in the world,
loan the plane to him, and had it transported to
all of them committed to keeping their recipes
London; the plane was displayed in the center of
secret.
the store for four days, drawing crowds of over
150,000 people. • Though flavorists spend most of their days in
lab coats, they are nonetheless artists, using
• In addition to holding widely publicized events,
creativity and expertise to turn a myriad of
Selfridge created a sense of theatricality through
lavish window displays. He used windows to tell ingredients into a unified and distinct product.
stories that included elaborate backdrops and The student wants to indicates the broader
props as well as merchandise. implications of flavorists' work. Which choice
• Selfridge once remarked that his department most effectively uses relevant information from
store was the third-biggest attraction in London. the notes to accomplish this goal?
The student wants a conclusion that reflects the A) The modern food industry, with its seemingly
details emphasized in the notes. Which choice infinite variety of tastes and aromas, stands
most effectively uses relevant information from upon this meeting of chemistry and human
the notes to accomplish this goal? perception.
A) Selfridge had made a wise decision in leaving B) Many flavorists report high job satisfaction,
Marshall Field’s. though the industry can be quite competitive
because of the small number of jobs.
B) Selfridge transformed the culture of shopping
in England from a dull necessity into a C) Aspiring flavorists can look forward to more
recreational activity undertaken for pleasure job opportunities: the US Bureau of Labor
and escape. Statistics predicts an 11 percent growth in food
science employment between 2012 and 2022.
C) Selfridge's store ultimately changed the culture
of shopping in England, as did an abundance D) Though rewarding, flavoring is not an easy job,
of newly wealthy consumers, beneficiaries of as demonstrated by the large amount of
England’s ongoing Industrial Revolution. training it requires.