2 2

Writing and Language Test

35 M I NU TES, 4 4 QUESTIONS

Turn to Section 2 of your answer sheet to answer the questions in this section.

DIRECTIONS

Each passage below is accompanied by a number of questions. For some questions, you
will consider how the passage might be revised to improve the expression of ideas. For
other questions, you will consider how the passage might be edited to correct errors in
sentence structure, usage, or punctuation. A passage or a question may be accompanied by
one or more graphics (such as a table or graph) that you will consider as you make revising
and editing decisions.

Some questions will direct you to an underlined portion of a passage. Other questions will
direct you to a location in a passage or ask you to think about the passage as a whole.

After reading each passage, choose the answer to each question that most effectively
improves the quality of writing in the passage or that makes the passage conform to the
conventions of standard written English. Many questions include a “NO CHANGE” option.
Choose that option if you think the best choice is to leave the relevant portion of the
passage as it is.

Questions 1-11 are based on the following passage.

...................................................................................................................................

1
A) NO CHANGE
Shed Some Light on the Workplace B) healthy, and more

Studies have shown that employees are happier, C) healthier, and they are
D) healthier, being more
1 healthier, and more productive when they work in an
environment 2 in which temperatures are carefully
2
controlled. New buildings may be designed with these
Which choice provides the most appropriate
studies in mind, but many older buildings were not, introduction to the passage?
A) NO CHANGE
resulting in spaces that often depend primarily on
B) that affords them adequate amounts of natural
artificial lighting. While employers may balk at the light.
expense of reconfiguring such buildings to increase the C) that is thoroughly sealed to prevent energy loss.
D) in which they feel comfortable asking managers
amount of natural light, the investment has been shown
for special accommodations.
to be well worth it in the long run—for both employees
and employers.

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 16 CO NTI N U E

 2 2

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
For one thing, lack of exposure to natural light has a 3
significant impact on employees’ health. A study At this point, the writer is considering adding the
following sentence.
conducted in 2013 by Northwestern University in
Workers in offices with windows sleep an
Chicago showed that inadequate natural light could average of 46 minutes more per night than
workers in offices without windows.
result in eye strain, headaches, and fatigue, as well as
Should the writer make this addition here?
interference with the body’s circadian rhythms. 3
A) Yes, because it supplies quantitative data that
Circadian rhythms, which are controlled by the will be examined in the rest of the paragraph.
4 bodies biological clocks, influence body temperature, B) Yes, because it explains the nature of the bodily
functions referred to in the next sentence.
hormone release, cycles of sleep and wakefulness, and
C) No, because it interrupts the discussion of
other bodily functions. Disruptions of circadian rhythms circadian rhythms.
have been linked to sleep disorders, diabetes, depression, D) No, because it does not take into account
whether workers were exposed to sunlight
and bipolar disorder. Like any other health problems, outside the office.
these ailments can increase employee absenteeism,
which, in turn, 5 is costly for employers. Employees 4
A) NO CHANGE
who feel less than 100 percent and are sleep deprived are
B) bodies’ biological clocks’,
also less prone to work at their maximal productivity.
C) body’s biological clocks,
One company in California 6 gained a huge boost in its D) body’s biological clock’s,
employees’ morale when it moved from an artificially lit
distribution facility to one with natural illumination. 5
A) NO CHANGE
B) are
C) is being
D) have been

6
Which choice best supports the statement made in
the previous sentence?
A) NO CHANGE
B) saw a 5 percent increase in productivity
C) saved a great deal on its operational costs
D) invested large amounts of time and capital

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 17 CO NTI N U E

 2 2

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
7 Artificial light sources are also costly aside from 7
lowering worker productivity. They typically constitute In context, which choice best combines the
underlined sentences?
anywhere from 25 to 50 percent of a building’s energy
A) Aside from lowering worker productivity,
use. When a plant in Seattle, Washington, was redesigned artificial light sources are also costly, typically
constituting anywhere from 25 to 50 percent of a
for more natural light, the company was able to enjoy building’s energy use.
annual electricity cost reductions of $500,000 8 each B) The cost of artificial light sources, aside from
lowering worker productivity, typically
year. constitutes anywhere from 25 to 50 percent of a
building’s energy use.
C) Typically constituting 25 to 50 percent of a
building’s energy use, artificial light sources
lower worker productivity and are costly.
D) Artificial lights, which lower worker productivity
and are costly, typically constitute anywhere
from 25 to 50 percent of a building’s energy use.

8
A) NO CHANGE
B) every year.
C) per year.
D) DELETE the underlined portion and end the
sentence with a period.

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 18 CO NTI N U E

 2 2

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Among the possibilities to reconfigure a building’s 9
lighting is the installation of full-pane windows to allow A) NO CHANGE
B) Nevertheless,
the greatest degree of sunlight to reach office interiors.
C) Alternatively,
9 Thus, businesses can install light tubes, 10 these are D) Finally,
pipes placed in workplace roofs to capture and funnel
sunlight down into a building’s interior. Glass walls and 10
dividers can also be used to replace solid walls as a means A) NO CHANGE
B) they are
11 through distributing natural light more freely.
C) which are
Considering the enormous costs of artificial lighting, D) those being
both in terms of money and productivity, investment in
such improvements should be a natural choice for 11
businesses. A) NO CHANGE
B) of
C) from
D) DELETE the underlined portion.

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 19 CO NTI N U E

 2 2
Questions 12-22 are based on the following passage.

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
12
A) NO CHANGE
Transforming the American West Through Food and B) himself or herself
Hospitality C) their selves
Just as travelers taking road trips today may need to D) oneself
take a break for food at a rest area along the highway,
settlers traversing the American West by train in the 13

mid-1800s often found 12 themselves in need of Which choice provides the most logical introduction
to the sentence?
refreshment. However, food available on rail lines was A) NO CHANGE
generally of terrible quality. 13 Despite having worked B) He had lived in New York and New Orleans, so

for railroad companies, Fred Harvey, an English-born C) To capitalize on the demand for good food,
D) DELETE the underlined portion.
14 entrepreneur. He decided to open his own restaurant
business to serve rail customers. Beginning in the 1870s,
14
he opened dozens of restaurants in rail stations and A) NO CHANGE
dining cars. These Harvey Houses, which constituted the B) entrepreneur:
first restaurant chain in the United States, 15 was unique C) entrepreneur; he
D) entrepreneur,
for its high standards of service and quality. The menu
was modeled after those of fine restaurants, so the food
15
was leagues beyond the 16 sinister fare travelers were A) NO CHANGE
accustomed to receiving in transit. B) were unique for their
C) was unique for their
D) were unique for its

16
Which choice best maintains the tone established in
the passage?
A) NO CHANGE
B) surly
C) abysmal
D) icky

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 20 CO NTI N U E

 2 2

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
His restaurants were immediately successful, but 17
Harvey was not content to follow conventional business The writer is considering deleting the previous
sentence. Should the writer make this change?
practices. 17 Although women did not traditionally
A) Yes, because it introduces information that is
work in restaurants in the nineteenth century, Harvey irrelevant at this point in the passage.
decided to try employing women as waitstaff. In 1883, he B) Yes, because it does not logically follow from the
previous paragraph.
placed an advertisement seeking educated, C) No, because it provides a logical introduction to
well-mannered, articulate young women between the the paragraph.
D) No, because it provides a specific example in
ages of 18 and 30. 18 Response to the advertisement was support of arguments made elsewhere in the
overwhelming, even tremendous, and Harvey soon passage.

replaced the male servers at his restaurants with women.

18
Those who were hired as “Harvey Girls” joined an elite
A) NO CHANGE
group of workers, who were expected to complete a
B) Response to the advertisement was
30-day training program and follow a strict code of rules overwhelming,
C) Overwhelming, even tremendous, was the
for conduct and curfews. In the workplace, the women
response to the advertisement,
donned identical black-and-white uniforms and carried D) There was an overwhelming, even tremendous,
response to the advertisement,
out their duties with precision. Not only were such
regulations meant to ensure the efficiency of the business
19
and the safety of the workers, 19 but also helped to raise
A) NO CHANGE
people’s generally low opinion of the restaurant industry. B) but also helping
C) also helping
D) but they also helped

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 21 CO NTI N U E

 2 2
In return for the servers’ work, the position paid quite

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
20
well for the time: $17.50 a month, plus tips, meals, room Which choice most logically follows the previous
sentence?
and board, laundry service, and travel expenses. 20
A) The growth of Harvey’s business coincided with
For as long as Harvey Houses served rail travelers the expansion of the Santa Fe Railway, which
served large sections of the American West.
through the mid-twentieth century, working there was a
B) Harvey would end up opening dozens of
steady and lucrative position for women. Living restaurants and dining cars, plus 15 hotels, over
his lucrative career.
independently and demonstrating an intense work
C) These benefits enabled the Harvey Girls to save
21 ethic; the Harvey Girls became known as a money and build new and exciting lives for
themselves in the so-called Wild West.
transformative force in the American 22 West.
D) The compensation was considered excellent at
Advancing the roles of women in the restaurant industry the time, though it may not seem like much
money by today’s standards.
and the American workforce as a whole, the Harvey Girls
raised the standards for restaurants and blazed a trail in
21
the fast-changing landscape of the western territories. A) NO CHANGE
B) ethic:
C) ethic, and
D) ethic,

22
The writer is considering revising the underlined
portion of the sentence to read:
West, inspiring books, documentaries, and even
a musical.
Should the writer add this information here?
A) Yes, because it provides examples of the Harvey
Girls’ influence.
B) Yes, because it serves as a transitional point in
the paragraph.
C) No, because it should be placed earlier in the
passage.
D) No, because it contradicts the main claim of the
passage.

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 22 CO NTI N U E

 2 2

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Questions 23-33 are based on the following passage 23
and supplementary material.
Which choice most effectively combines the
underlined sentences?
How Do You Like Those Apples? A) When applied to apples, 1-MCP lengthens
storage life by three to four times, allowing
Marketed as SmartFresh, the chemical 1-MCP producers to sell their apples in the off-season,
(1-methylcyclopropene) has been used by fruit growers months after the apples have been harvested.
B) Producers are allowed to sell their apples
since 2002 in the United States and elsewhere to preserve months after they have been harvested—in the
the crispness and lengthen the storage life of apples and off-season—because 1-MCP, when applied to
apples, lengthens their storage life by three to
other fruit, which often must travel long distances before four times.
being eaten by consumers. 23 1-MCP lengthens storage C) 1-MCP lengthens storage life, when applied
to apples, by three to four times, allowing
life by three to four times when applied to apples. This producers to sell their apples months after the
apples have been harvested in the off-season.
extended life allows producers to sell their apples in the
D) Months after apples have been harvested,
off-season, months after the apples have been harvested. producers are allowed to sell their apples, in the
off-season, because 1-MCP lengthens storage life
And at a cost of about one cent per pound of apples, when applied to apples by three to four times.
1-MCP is a highly cost-effective treatment. However,
1-MCP is not a panacea for fruit producers or sellers:
there are problems and limitations associated with its use.

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 23 CO NTI N U E

 2 2

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
[1] 1-MCP works by limiting a fruit’s production of 24
ethylene, 24 it is a chemical that causes fruit to ripen and A) NO CHANGE
B) being
eventually rot. [2] While 1-MCP keeps apples 25 tight
C) that is
and crisp for months, it also limits 26 their scent D) DELETE the underlined portion.
production. [3] This may not be much of a problem with
certain kinds of apples that are not naturally very 25
fragrant, such as Granny Smith, but for apples that are A) NO CHANGE
B) firm
prized for their fruity fragrance, such as McIntosh, this
C) stiff
can be a problem with consumers, 27 that will reject
D) taut
apples lacking the expected aroma. [4] But some fruits do
not respond as well to 1-MCP as others 28 did, and 26
some even respond adversely. [5] Furthermore, some A) NO CHANGE
B) there
fruits, particularly those that naturally produce a large
C) its
D) it’s

27
A) NO CHANGE
B) they
C) which
D) who

28
A) NO CHANGE
B) do,
C) have,
D) will,

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 24 CO NTI N U E

 2 2
amount of ethylene, do not respond as well to 1-MCP 29

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
treatment. [6] Take Bartlett 29 pears, for instance, unless A) NO CHANGE
B) pears, for instance:
they are treated with exactly the right amount of 1-MCP
C) pears for instance,
at exactly the right time, they will remain hard and green
D) pears. For instance,
until they rot, and consumers who experience this will be
unlikely to purchase them again. 30 30
To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 4
should be placed
A) where it is now.
B) after sentence 1.
C) after sentence 2.
D) after sentence 5.

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 25 CO NTI N U E

 2 2
Finally, researchers have found that 1-MCP actually 31

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
increases susceptibility to some pathologies in certain Which choice offers an accurate interpretation of
the data in the graph?
apple varieties. For example, Empire apples are prone to a
A) NO CHANGE
condition that causes the flesh of the apple to turn brown. B) slightly more browning than
Traditionally, apple producers have dealt with this C) twice as much browning as
problem by leaving the apples in the open air for three D) substantially less browning than

weeks before storing them in a controlled atmosphere

32
with tightly regulated temperature, humidity, and carbon
Which choice offers an accurate interpretation of
dioxide levels. As the graph shows, the flesh of untreated the data in the graph?
Empire apples that are first stored in the open air A) NO CHANGE
B) roughly half of their flesh turns brown,
undergoes 31 roughly five percent less browning than
regardless of whether the apples are first stored
the flesh of untreated Empire apples that are immediately in the open air.
C) their flesh browns when they are put directly
put into storage in a controlled environment. However,
into a controlled atmosphere but not when they
when Empire apples are treated with 1-MCP, 32 their are first stored in the open air.
D) their flesh turns brown when they are first stored
flesh turns brown when the apples are first stored in the
in the open air, though not as quickly as the
open air, though not under other conditions. Although apple flesh in an untreated group does.

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 26 CO NTI N U E

 2 2

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
researchers continue to search for the right combination 33
of factors that will keep fruits fresh and attractive, 33 the The writer wants a conclusion that conveys how the
shortcomings of 1-MCP presented in the passage
problem may be that consumers are overly concerned affect the actions of people in the fruit industry.
Which choice best accomplishes this goal?
with superficial qualities rather than the actual freshness
A) NO CHANGE
of the fruit.
B) many of the improvements to fruit quality they
have discovered so far have required trade-offs
Results of Treatment to Control in other properties of the fruit.
Browning of Empire Apples C) for now many fruit sellers must weigh the
relative values of aroma, color, and freshness
60 untreated 1-MCP
Percentage of flesh browning

when deciding whether to use 1-MCP.

50 D) it must be acknowledged that 1-MCP, despite
some inadequacies, has enabled the fruit
40
industry to ship and store fruit in ways that
30 were impossible before.

20
10
0
apples placed apples placed in
immediately controlled atmosphere
in controlled after three weeks
atmosphere in open air
Adapted from Hannah J. James, Jacqueline F. Nock, and Chris B. Watkins,
“The Failure of Postharvest Treatments to Control Firm Flesh Browning in
Empire Apples.” ©2010 by The New York State Horticultural Society.

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 27 CO NTI N U E

 2 2
Questions 34-44 are based on the following passage.

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
34
A) NO CHANGE
More than One Way to Dress a Cat B) Gothic. Works
C) Gothic; these works
From Michelangelo’s David to Vincent van Gogh’s
D) Gothic, works
series of self-portraits to Grant Wood’s iconic image of
a farming couple in American 34 Gothic. These works by
35
human artists have favored representations of members A) NO CHANGE
of their own species to those of other species. Indeed, B) Coolidge—
when we think about animals depicted in well-known C) Coolidge;
D) Coolidge
works of art, the image of dogs playing
poker—popularized in a series of paintings by American
36
artist C. M. 35 Coolidge, may be the first and only one A) NO CHANGE
that comes to mind. Yet some of the earliest known B) portraying
works of art, including paintings and drawings tens of C) portray
D) has portrayed
thousands of years old found on cave walls in Spain and
France, 36 portrays animals. Nor has artistic homage to
37
our fellow creatures entirely died out in the millennia
The writer wants to link the first paragraph with the
since, 37 despite the many years that have passed ideas that follow. Which choice best accomplishes
this goal?
between then and now.
A) NO CHANGE
B) with special attention being paid to domestic
animals such as cats.
C) even though most paintings in museums are of
people, not animals.
D) as the example of one museum in Russia shows.

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 28 CO NTI N U E

 2 2
[1] The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg,

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
38
one of Russia’s greatest art museums, has long had a A) NO CHANGE
B) scaring
productive partnership with a much loved animal: the
C) scare
cat. [2] For centuries, cats have guarded this famous
D) have scared
museum, ridding it of mice, rats, and other rodents that
could damage the art, not to mention 38 scared off 39
visitors. [3] Peter the Great introduced the first cat to the To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 5
should be placed
Hermitage in the early eighteenth century. [4] Later
A) where it is now.
Catherine the Great declared the cats to be official
B) after sentence 1.
guardians of the galleries. [5] Continuing the tradition, C) after sentence 3.
Peter’s daughter Elizaveta introduced the best and D) after sentence 6.

strongest cats in Russia to the Hermitage. [6] Today, the

museum holds a yearly festival honoring these faithful
workers. 39

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 29 CO NTI N U E

 2 2

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
These cats are so cherished by the museum that 40
officials recently 40 decreed original paintings to be A) NO CHANGE
B) commissioned
made of six of them. In each, a cat is depicted upright in a
C) forced
humanlike pose and clothed in imperial-era Russian
D) licensed
attire. The person chosen for this 41 task, digital artist,
Eldar Zakirov painted the cats in the style traditionally 41
used by portrait artists, in so doing 42 presenting the A) NO CHANGE
B) task, digital artist, Eldar Zakirov,
cats as noble individuals worthy of respect. One portrait,
C) task digital artist Eldar Zakirov,
The Hermitage Court Chamber Herald Cat, includes an
D) task, digital artist Eldar Zakirov,

42
Which choice most effectively sets up the examples
that follow?
A) NO CHANGE
B) managing to capture unique characteristics of
each cat.
C) commenting on the absurdity of dressing up cats
in royal robes.
D) indicating that the cats were very talented mouse
catchers.

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 30 CO NTI N U E

 2 2
aristocratic tilt of feline ears as well as a stately sweep of

.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
43
tail emerging from the stiff scarlet and gold of royal court At this point, the writer is considering adding the
following sentence.
dress. The wise, thoughtful green eyes of the subject of
The museum occupies six historic buildings,
The Hermitage Court Outrunner Cat mimic those of a including the Winter Palace, a former residence
trusted royal advisor. 43 Some may find it peculiar to of Russian emperors.
Should the writer make this addition here?
observe cats portrayed in formal court poses, but these
A) Yes, because it shows the link between
felines, by 44 mastering the art of killing mice and rats, Peter the Great and the cat paintings.
are benefactors of the museum as important as any B) Yes, because it helps explain why Russian art
celebrates animals.
human.
C) No, because it fails to indicate why the
Winter Palace became an art museum.
D) No, because it provides background information
that is irrelevant to the paragraph.

44
A) NO CHANGE
B) acting as the lead predator in the museum’s
ecosystem,
C) hunting down and killing all the mice and rats
one by one,
D) protecting the museum’s priceless artworks from
destructive rodents,

STOP
If you finish before time is called, you may check your work on this section only.
Do not turn to any other section.

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 31