Question: The author could add credibility to their opinion if they asked which of the following professionals to provide their input?
Answer Options:
A. A beard oil salesperson
B. A top-rated celebrity barber
C. A retired massage therapist
D. A nailcare specialist
Answer: B. A top-rated celebrity barber 26
Question: Which of the following questions would help determine a counterargument to the primary argument offered in the passage?
Answer Options:
A. How are mustaches better than beards?
B. Who are the best barbers for beard maintenance?
C. When did mustaches first appear?
D. What effect does fashion have on facial hair?
Answer: A. How are mustaches better than beards? 27
Question: Which of the following pairs of search terms entered into a search engine with the phrase “Groundhog Day” is likely to produce information about the origin of Groundhog Day?
Answer Options:
A. Habitat and diet
B. Weather and farming
C. History and folklore
D. Holiday and festivities
Answer: C. History and folklore 28
Question: Which of the following evidence from the passage supports the inference that Groundhog Day is an entertaining tradition?
Answer Options:
A. On February 2 of each year, the United States observes the unusual holiday of Groundhog Day, a day of hope that winter is over and spring is beginning.
B. This tradition has been officially observed in the U.S. since the 1800s and is believed to have developed from European folk traditions.
C. Legend has it that on Groundhog Day, the official weather forecasting groundhog awakens from hibernation and comes out of his burrow to look for his shadow.
D. Over the years, these events have come to include a scavenger hunt, a talent show, and a ball.
Answer: D. Over the years, these events have come to include a scavenger hunt, a talent show, and a ball. 29
Question: What source would be most useful in determining the reliability of Punxsutawney Phil’s predictions over a number of years?
Answer Options:
A. An encyclopedia entry on mammals in the northeast U.S.
B. A historical survey of customs in Pennsylvania
C. A record of weather patterns in the last decade
D. A memoir from a member of the Groundhog Club
Answer: C. A record of weather patterns in the last decade 30
Question: Which of the following conclusions can be taken from the passage?
Answer Options:
A. The cookies made from this recipe would be good to serve at a large party.
B. The cookies made with this recipe may have been handed down in a family.
C. The cookies made with this recipe would be good to send to college students.
D. The cookies made with this recipe are especially good for midnight snacks.
Answer: B. The cookies made with this recipe may have been handed down in a family. 31
Question: Which of the following statements about the passage is true?
Answer Options:
A. Beating egg whites means stirring them vigorously.
B. Folding in peanut butter must be done with an electric appliance.
C. These cookies can be cooked in a microwave oven.
D. These cookies should be cooled on a baking rack.
Answer: A. Beating egg whites means stirring them vigorously. 32
Question: The jurors for the trial were randomly selected from a pool. In which of the following sentences does the word “pool” have the same meaning as in the sentence above?
Answer Options:
A. The pool of available workers diminished during the summer.
B. The group planned to meet at nine o’clock at the pool hall.
C. The children had to pool their money to buy ice cream.
D. They looked nervously at the pool of oil under the car.
Answer: A. The pool of available workers diminished during the summer. 33
Question: A first text is a Renaissance-era ode poem celebrating human potential and progress through the Dark Ages, and the second text is a contemporary science-fiction short story exploring the dangers of artificial intelligence surpassing human intelligence. Which of the following best contrasts the central themes of the two texts?
Answer Options:
A. The poem and the story both suggest a return to more traditional methods as a means of solving current problems.
B. The Renaissance poem underscores human growth, while the science-fiction story warns against overreliance on technology.
C. The poem extols virtues from future civilizations, while the story discusses potential moral decay due to past behavior.
D. The Renaissance poem highlights nature’s beauty, whereas the science-fiction story promotes technological aesthetics.
Answer: B. The Renaissance poem underscores human growth, while the science-fiction story warns against overreliance on technology. 34
Question: Which of the following is evidence to support the claim that movie theater attendance is waning because of access to affordable streaming services?
Answer Options:
A. During the lockdown stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020, movie theaters around the globe shuttered their doors, resulting in millions of financial losses.
B. New research indicates that there is an inverse correlation between the popularity of streaming services and the amount of in-theater movie tickets purchased.
C. A study completed by researchers found that people spent over 30 hours a month on entertainment, with 15 hours being dedicated to viewing streaming services.
D. A cohort of individuals reported that the more streaming services they subscribed to, the more likely they were to spend over $100 per month at a movie theater.
Answer: B. New research indicates that there is an inverse correlation between the popularity of streaming services and the amount of in-theater movie tickets purchased. 35
Question: A high school football team arrives to practice one day to find that all of their equipment is missing. The coach wants to make sure he has considered every possibility before he alerts the principal. Which of the following pieces of evidence would be relevant to help explain what happened to the equipment?
Answer Options:
A. The school board has instituted budget cuts to the football program.
B. Many of the players’ parents have raised concerns over the potential for head injuries in contact football.
C. The football team often exchanges pranks with their biggest rival, a high school team from the next town.
D. The equipment has failed a recent safety inspection.
Answer: D. The equipment has failed a recent safety inspection. 36
Question: Which of the following criteria would best determine the credibility of a source when evaluating an argument about environmental policy?
Answer Options:
A. The use of persuasive language in the source’s presentation
B. The source’s affiliation with an environmental advocacy group
C. The popularity of the source among the general public
D. The author’s educational background in environmental science
Answer: D. The author’s educational background in environmental science 37