1.

President Richard Nixon is most famous for his participation in the 1970s Watergate
political scandal, a convoluted tale of criminality and eroded ethics involving a
constellation of associates such as political operative Jeb Stuart Magruder and
Republican Party official Robert Mardian. But Nixon's legacy is complex: he has been
praised for his role in affirming the sovereignty of tribal nations, and he once made an
attempt at reforming United States health care policy that is arguably a precursor to
the Affordable Care Act, which became law during the Barack Obama administration.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. It explains how a historical figure's reputation has improved significantly

with the passage of time.

B. It argues that the seeming prominence of a historical figure is largely due to

the actions of others.

C. It catalogs the most notable achievements of a historical figure.

D. It assesses a historical figure's significance by considering both his

achievements and failings.

2. Thermal technologies have been used in the food industry for over 100 years,
providing a way of preserving food in large batches. Recent advancements in ohmic
heating were made through research in Mexico on the preservation of corn flour and
tortillas. Ohmic heating is generally considered to be an improvement over more
conventional thermal preservation methods: whereas conventional methods transfer
energy from the surface of a food to its interior, ohmic heating passes electric current
through food products to generate heat within the food itself.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. It suggests that there are possible flaws in ohmic heating technologies that
have not yet been well researched.

B. It explains why conventional heating methods are popular in commercial

applications and proposes a shift away from these methods.

C. It provides an overview of the research into ohmic heating both globally

and in a specific country.

D. It introduces ohmic heating as a food preservation technology and

identifies one of its advantages.

3. Wenheng Zhang and colleagues have explored how convergent evolution— a

phenomenon that occurs when the same trait evolves independently in two
reproductively separate lineages- can result from a genetic mechanism shared by both
lineages. Meanwhile, Kohtaro Tanaka and colleagues have investigated how
convergence occurs through different genetic mechanisms, but the relative prevalence
of convergence through shared and different genetic processes is still poorly
understood. This motivated biologists Delbert A. Green II and Cassandra G. Extavour
to evaluate both types of convergence in a single study for their 2012 paper.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To situate Green and Extavour's study in the context of their field

 B. To summarize Green and Extavour's criticism of the study by Zhang and
colleagues
C. To suggest that Green and Extavour's conclusions would be more persuasive if
they incorporated findings from the studies by Zhang and colleagues and Tanaka
and colleagues
D. To argue that Green and Extavour's study revealed a previously unrecognized
issue that evolutionary biologists need to address

4. The following text is adapted from Adib Khorram's 2018 novel Darius the Great Is Not
Okay. Darius, a teenager from the United States, is visiting his grandparents, Babou did
Mamou, in Iran. They are preparing for a holiday celebration.

I felt like a tourist.

But Babou fussed with my cap a little more, even though Mamou had already gotten it settled. He
looked me in the eye from time to time, like he was looking for something, and thought maybe-just maybe-
l had in me after all. Babou hummed to himself as he smoothed out my shoulder seams and rested his
hands on them. "I am glad you are here to see this, Darioush-jan."
Maybe I wasn't such a tourist.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To show that Babou affects the way Darius thinks of himself.

B. To emphasize that Darius has been looking forward to an event.
C. To demonstrate that neither Darius nor Babou likes to travel.
D. To suggest that Babou recently visited Darius in the United States.

5. Researchers have long hypothesized that woolly mammoths were hunted to extinction in
North America by humans using spears with grooved tips known as Clovis points. One
anthropologist set out to test this hypothesis. Using a mechanical spear-thrower, he launched
spears with Clovis points into mounds of clay-substitutes for the animals' large bodies. The
projectiles generally penetrated only a few inches into the clay, an amount insufficient to have
harmed most woolly mammoths. This led the anthropologist to conclude that hunters using
spears with Clovis points likely weren't the principal drivers of the extinction.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To argue for the significance of new findings amid an ongoing debate among researchers
B. To discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the method used in an experiment
C. To summarize two competing hypotheses and a major finding associated with each one
D. To describe an experiment whose results cast doubt on an established hypothesis

6. Coastal lands and sediments are constantly in motion. Breaking waves move sand along the
coast, eroding sand in one area and depositing it on an adjacent beach. Tidal cycles bring
sand onto the beach and carry it back into the surf. Rivers carry sediment to the coast and
build deltas into the open water. Storms cause deep erosion in one area and leave thick
overwash deposits in another. Plants retain sediment in wetlands and impede movement of
coastal dunes. Natural processes that change the water level also affect coastal dynamics.
Taken individually, each natural process of coastal transport is complex; taken collectively,
they create an intricate system that attempts to achieve a dynamic balance.

What is the main purpose of the text?

A. It discusses the natural processes of the coastal transport system to demonstrate that they are
individually complex and to suggest that the system they collectively create is intricate.
 B. It presents a chronological sequence of tidal effects.
C. It dynamically balances the effects of coastal tides against the larger system they collectively
create.
D. It provides evidence of the sedentary nature of the coastal transport system, implying that ships
would be at the mercy of such an intricate system.

7. In 2011 Stephen D. Simpson and colleagues published a study concluding that ocean
acidification has a strong effect on the behavior of Amphiprion percula, a species of fish.
However Simpson and colleagues' study relied on a mean sample size of only about 26 fish.
In a 2022 review of various scientists' conclusions about the impacts of ocean acidification on
fish behavior, Timothy D. Clark and colleagues caution that relying on such a relatively small
sample size can increase the potential for biased analysis. Such analysis. in turn, can
contribute to reports of exaggerated effects.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To explain how the behavior of a fish species has changed over time.

B. To note a potential concern about the findings of a scientific study.

C. To present a debate between two research teams about a study of ocean acidification.

D. To discuss an aspect of ocean acidification that is frequently discussed.

8. The following text is from Jane Austen's 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice.
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be
in want of a wife. However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first
entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families,
that he is considered the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters. 'My dear Mr.
Bennet,' said his lady to him one day, 'have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?' Mr.
Bennet replied that he had not.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A) To introduce the characters of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and set up a dialogue that explores their
differing personalities.
B) To critique societal expectations and the commodification of marriage through the ironic
portrayal of societal views on wealthy bachelors.
C) To provide a humorous take on the societal customs of early 19th century England, focusing
on marriage and wealth.
D) To establish the setting of Netherfield Park and its significance in the local community as a
symbol of social status.

9. In the late 1800s, Spanish-language newspapers flourished in cities across Texas. San Antonio
alone produced eleven newspapers in Spanish between 1890 and 1900. But El Paso surpassed
all other cities in the state. This city produced twenty-two newspapers in Spanish during that
period. El Paso is located on the border with Mexico and has always had a large population of
Spanish speakers. Thus, it is unsurprising that this city became such a rich site for Spanish-
language journalism.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
A) To compare Spanish-language newspapers published in Texas today with ones published there during
the late 1800s
B) To explain that Spanish-language newspapers thrived in Texas and especially in El Paso during the late
1800s
C) To argue that Spanish-language newspapers published in El Paso influenced the ones published in San
Antonio during the late 1800s
D) To explain why Spanish-language newspapers published in Texas were so popular in Mexico during
the late 1800s

10. Pteropods are small swimming snails with thin, delicate calcium carbonate shells.
These animals are thought to be especially vulnerable to ocean acidification due to
calcium carbonate's susceptibility to dissolution at lower pH values. Victoria L. Peck
and colleagues recently found that the periostracum (a protective coating on
pteropods' outer shells) prevents this dissolution when intact. Moreover, the team was
surprised to discover that even when the periostracum is breached, pteropods can still
mitigate damage by rebuilding the inner shell wall.

Which choice best describes the main purpose of the text?

A. To present findings that suggest that a concern about the effects of ocean
acidification on pteropod shells may be unwarranted

B. To address some of the ways ocean acidification has altered pteropod

behavior over time

C. To call for additional research on biological mechanisms that improve

pteropod survival rates

D. To discuss a conclusion drawn in a study of calcium carbonate's role in

protecting the periostracum of pteropods

11. Zurich has high pedestrian traffic, but simply replicating a feature of Zurich
associated
with walkability-e.g., its high number of street crossings-may be insufficient to
induce increased walking in other cities. As urbanist Mariela Alfonzo argues, our
understanding of individuals' decision-making about whether to walk is insufficiently
robust: some studies emphasize the role of demographic characteristics, others the
role of neighborhood type, and so on, but walking decisions are made in complex
contexts in which multiple conditions and needs inform individuals' choices.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To present a claim about how individuals' decision-making about walking

can be improved

B. To discuss the difficulty of identifying a reliable way to increase walking in

any given city

C. To describe the effect of a high number of street crossings on any given

city's walkability
 D. To explain why it is challenging to compare the amount of pedestrian traffic
in different cities

12. The following text is from María Amparo Ruiz de Burton's 1885
novel The Squatter and the Don. In the novel, Clarence and Mercedes
develop a romantic relationship.
Mercedes, being not quite seventeen, her grief at parting from
Clarence was wild, vehement and all-absorbing. But she had been
trained to obedience, and her battles with the spirit always took
place after she carefully locked her bedroom door. Then Clarence
was wildly apostrophized, and a torrent of tears relieved the
overcharged, aching heart.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. It conveys how Mercedes handles her intense feelings

about being separated from Clarence.

B. It emphasizes Mercedes's extreme willfulness.

C. It provides background explaining Clarence's feelings

toward Mercedes.

D. It suggests that the magnitude of Mercedes's feelings are

unusual for her age.

13. Can field mustard plants grow on Mars? Can pea plants? You might
think the answer to these questions is obviously no, but researchers
in the Netherlands recently showed that the seeds of many common
plant species can germinate in soil designed to simulate Martian
conditions, as long as water is supplied. In fact, some species actually
did better in Martian soil than in Earth soil: 30 percent of field
mustard seeds sprouted when planted in simulated Martian soil,
compared with 4 percent that did when planted in soil from their
home planet.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To answer long-standing questions about how Martian soil

conditions can be simulated on Earth

B. To explain an important study of differences in the

composition of Martian soil and the composition of Earth
soil

C. To discuss an unexpected result about the role of water in

plants grown in simulated Martian soil

D. To present a surprising finding about plants grown in soil

intended to be similar to Martian soil
 14. During Rome's republican period, which ended in the first century BCE, libraries
were
predominantly owned by wealthy individuals who tightly controlled access to their
book collections. The first public library became available in Rome in 28 BCE and was
soon followed by one commissioned by Emperor Augustus. As modern scholar Fabio
Fernandes notes, however, these two traditions aren't as distinct as they seem, as both
the emperor and the private library owners viewed their libraries as extensions of
their personal patronage, just on vastly differing scales.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To assert that private and early public libraries in ancient Rome had an
essential similarity

B. To give a brief overview of public access to libraries throughout Rome's

republican period

C. To contend that early imperial leaders in Rome wielded too much influence
over libraries

D. To call into question the notion that private Roman libraries disappeared
during the first century BCE

15. The following text is from George Marion McClellan's 1895 poem "Eternity."
My spirit swoons, and all my senses cry
For Ocean's breast and covering of the sky.
Rock me to sleep, ye waves, and outward bound,
Just let me drift far out from toil and care,
Where lapping of the waves shall be the sound,
Which mingled with the winds that gently bear
Me on between a peaceful sea and sky,
To make my soothing slumberous lullaby.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To contrast the demands of the speaker's everyday life with the serenity of
being rocked to sleep by the ocean

B. To illustrate the increasing intensity of the speaker's desire to escape

ongoing hardship by gliding on the ocean

C. To convey the speaker's longing for the ocean to impart a sense of inner
tranquility

D. To justify the speaker's qualms about being transported by the ocean to a

quiet destination