Reading Practice Test 6 Answers Part 1

PRACTICE TEST 6 ANSWER KEY Section 1: Section 2: Reading 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. B C C D D B A A B A C D B D B B C C B D B C A A C A 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. Section 3: Writing & Language B B A B D C D B A C B C A D D A C D A D A B D D C C 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. D B A C D B A C C C D B A B A A D D C D B A 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. A C D B B C D A C A B A C D A B D B D C B C Section 4: Math (No Calculator) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. B C A B D C D D A B 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. A D C C B 16. 15 4 or 3.75 17. 2 18. 36 5 6 or .833 5 20. 12 or .416 or .417 19. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. Math (Calculator) A B D A B C C B C A D C B D D B A 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. A C A C C B B D C B D D B 48 558 33. 7 2 or 3.5 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 16 30 0 195 15 PRACTICE TEST 6 EXPLANATIONS Section 1: Reading 1. B The passage does not criticize readers for their reading choices; in fact, the author states in lines 84–85 that readers read Wheatley’s poems frequently. Eliminate (A). The passage describes both the biographical details and complications of Wheatley’s life in lines 16–36, and Wheatley’s work and its complications in lines 70–83, which supports (B). Although the passage does mention the work of other African American authors in lines 1–15, those works are not the primary purpose of the passage. Eliminate (C). While the passage mentions good deeds performed by John Wheatley in lines 37–47, he is not discussed throughout. Eliminate (D). 2. C The passage states that Wheatley was freed in lines 58–59, so (A) is incorrect. While the passage does mention that the Wheatley family allowed Wheatley to focus on her studies in lines 37–47, it goes on to discuss many hardships that Wheatley faced in lines 57–69, so it is not accurate to describe her life in only positive terms. Therefore, (B) is not correct. The passage describes Wheatley’s poetic achievements as impressive in lines 48–56, but also points out aspects of Wheatley’s life that are complicated and not positive in lines 57–69. This evidence best supports (C). Although the passage states that Wheatley did not view her enslavement negatively in lines 71–83, it does not suggest that Wheatley did not think carefully about her opinions about her enslavement. Choice (D) is incorrect. 3. C The correct answer for question 2 describes Wheatley’s life as impressive but with troubling or confusing aspects. Although (A) refers to unhappy events from Wheatley’s life, it does not indicate that her life was impressive. Eliminate (A). Choice (B) describes Wheatley’s impressive literary achievements, but it does not describe aspects of her life that are troubling or confusing, so (B) is incorrect. Choice (C) alludes to the impressive aspects of Wheatley’s life, namely, her literary success and eventual freedom. It also describes the more troubling aspects of her life like her poverty and struggles with racism and sexism. Therefore, (C) provides support for (C) in question 2. Choice (D) describes Wheatley’s literary importance but does not give details about her life, so (D) is incorrect. 4. D While the passage states that Wheatley was sold to a wealthy family from Massachusetts in lines 22–24, it does not suggest that Wheatley gained any literary connections through the family, so (A) is incorrect. The passage does not make reference to Wheatley’s level of fame in Europe, so (B) is incorrect. In lines 84–85, the passage states that Wheatley’s popularity is even greater today than it was before, so (C) is also incorrect. The passage lists prominent people who admired Wheatley’s work in lines 48–56, and then goes on to describe aspects of Wheatley’s life that were difficult despite her literary popularity in lines 57–69. Therefore, (D) is the correct answer. 5. D The correct answer for question 4 notes that despite being admired by prominent people, Wheatley still had a difficult life. Choice (A) mentions the current popularity of Wheatley’s poems and her triumph over the odds, but the first set of lines in this answer discusses the African American tradition more generally, so (A) is not correct. Choice (B) discusses Wheatley’s enslavement and her positive opinions about it but does not discuss her popularity. Eliminate (B). Like (A), (C) refers to the current popularity of Wheatley’s poems and her triumph over the odds, but the first set of lines in the answer does not directly support the answer to question 4. Eliminate (C). Choice (D) describes the prominent figures who admired Wheatley’s work, as well as the difficult life circumstances that plagued her despite her literary fame; therefore, (D) provides the best support for the correct answer to question 4 and is the correct answer. 6. B Frederick Douglass is mentioned as someone who produced a slave narrative as opposed to a piece of poetry or fiction. This reference serves to contrast Douglass’s writing with the writing of those who did not write slave narratives. Therefore, (B) is correct. The passage does not describe Douglass’s life story or compare his life to Wheatley’s, so (A) is incorrect. The passage does not indicate that Douglass’s or Wheatley’s writings have been incorrectly studied or categorized in literary history, so (C) is incorrect. The passage does not describe any personal friendly connection between Douglass and Wheatley, so (D) is incorrect. 7. A In the second paragraph, the passage states that the exact circumstances are unknown, and then describes biographical details of Wheatley’s life. This indicates that the “circumstances” the author describes are related to the biographical details of Wheatley’s life. The passage also states that Wheatley scholars hypothesize that it was either modern-day Gambia or Senegal. This indicates that the specific details of Wheatley’s biography are being researched and debated by scholars and are not yet certain. This best supports (A). The passage does not discuss any unintended consequences of the actions described, so (B) is incorrect. The passage does not describe climate or weather conditions during this time, so (C) is not correct. Although the passage does refer to historical events in that the events of Wheatley’s life occurred in history, the passage seeks specific details of Wheatley’s biography instead of general historical context. Thus, (D) is incorrect. 8. A The passage states in lines 41–47 that Wheatley had a special aptitude for the subjects she studied, and that her aptitude was so great that the Wheatleys allowed her to focus on these subjects. This best supports (A). While she had an interest in poetry, that interest is not the focus of this portion of the passage, so (B) is incorrect. This passage describes the Wheatleys’ kindness toward Wheatley in allowing her to focus on her studies, so (C) is incorrect. The passage does not indicate that the Wheatleys’ decision to facilitate Wheatley’s interest in academics was strange or confusing, so (D) is incorrect. 9. B The passage describes John Wheatley as progressive in lines 37–41, stating that this term is a cruel oxymoron to us today. This indicates that there is a difference between how the term progressive was applied in Wheatley’s time and how it is understood today. This use of progressive continues in lines 65–69, which state that Wheatley was freed in a progressive state. This would lead us to believe that her circumstances would be good, according to our current definition of progressive. However, Wheatley continued to face adversity, which suggests that the term progressive was used differently in the two different periods. The author puts the word progressive in quotation marks to point out that the term was applied to situations that we might not consider progressive by our current definition. This best supports (B). The passage does not describe any of the progressive behaviors as remarkable achievements, so (A) is incorrect. The passage does indicate that some of the circumstances in progressive situations were not entirely positive, but does not state that those negative circumstances must be described positively; in fact, the passage goes on to explain that the circumstances that Wheatley faced were clearly negative. Choice (C) is incorrect. There is no quote from Wheatley’s work indicating she used the word progressive in her writing, so (D) is incorrect. 10. A In lines 84–90, the passage states that Wheatley’s story does not contain all the hallmarks of overcoming adversity that we might expect from a freed slave. This means that there are expected traits, or hallmarks, that we might expect to find in any freed slave’s story. Choice (A) matches this meaning well, as distinctive features would be features that would allow us to distinguish what type of story we were reading. Choices (B) and (C) do not provide a sense of distinguishing or marking a story, so eliminate them. Choice (D) is not better than (A), as the features mentioned are troublesome and there is no indication in the passage that hallmarks must be troublesome. Therefore, (D) is incorrect and (A) is the correct answer. 11. C While the phrase It is wholly wrong to call the measure that we have taken Government control of farming suggests that Roosevelt is responding to the fact that people have indeed called the measure that, there is no evidence that the speech has anything to do with re-election campaigning. Eliminate (A). Roosevelt asserts that some progress has been made, so the plan has not been unsuccessful; eliminate (B). Roosevelt states that there is reason to believe things are a little better, and he also asserts that the policies are wholly within the purposes for which the government was established. This is consistent with (C). Roosevelt uses we when speaking about the problems the country faces and the actions the government has taken; he is offering an explanation, not seeking indulgence, so eliminate (D). The correct answer is (C). 12. D The correct answer to the previous question identifies Roosevelt’s purpose as reassuring the American public that the government’s plan is working and is a legitimate use of government power. Choice (A) provides context for Roosevelt’s speech by explaining how the first fireside chat worked; eliminate (A). Choice (B) provides details about what was happening two months ago, around the time of Roosevelt’s inauguration and so before his plan had been put into effect; eliminate (B). Choice (C) explains how Roosevelt plans to deal with the American people by being honest at all times, but that explains how he intends to talk, not what he is talking about or why. Eliminate (C). Choice (D) asserts that America is working toward a definite goal and that the policies Roosevelt has been discussing are wholly within purposes for which our American Constitutional Government was established. This supports (C) in the previous question well. Choice (D) is correct. 13. B The passage states in line 13 that The country was dying by inches. The passage then describes the reasons that the country was dying, which include factors like trade and commerce had declined to dangerously low levels. This indicates that the country was dying as a result of factors like the decline of trade and commerce, falling prices, foreclosed mortgages, and so on. These factors involve long-term trends and many various components that accumulated over time, indicating that the country was dying over time and not immediately. This means that the phrase by inches can be replaced by the phrase “not all at once,” and the correct answer must mean “not all at once.” While the factors in the country’s decline are detectable, they are not described using specific measurements, so (A) is incorrect. Choice (B) matches “not all at once” and is therefore the correct answer. Choice (C) indicates that the country was dying quickly or soon, which means the opposite of the phrase in question and is thus incorrect. Choice (D) does not have anything to do with the speed, which means it’s irrelevant. 14. D The passage states in lines 18–20 that national institutions took their actions because of their great needs, not due to any criminal activity, so (A) is incorrect. While the national institutions were negatively affected by the value of commodities, the passage does not state that those institutions should not be dependent on the value of commodities, but rather that the value had become poor. Therefore, (B) is incorrect. The passage does not refer to the economic theories behind the institutions’ decisions, so (C) is incorrect. The passage states that these institutions reacted to their negative situation by foreclosing mortgages, calling loans, refusing credit, which negatively affects those who would use mortgages, loans, or credit. This indicates that the institutions’ struggles caused unfortunate effects for investors, so (D) is supported by the passage and is the correct answer. 15. B Choice (A) refers to Roosevelt’s intent to report his activities to the American public, but it does not refer to his thoughts about the institutions, so (A) is not correct. Choice (B) describes the circumstances that the institutions operated under and their subsequent actions toward investors, so (B) supports (D) of question 14 and is the correct answer. Choice (C) describes positive economic effects but does not describe the workings of institutions, so (C) is incorrect. Choice (D) describes negative economic possibilities but does not describe the workings of institutions, so (D) is incorrect. 16. B The passage is concerned with economic challenges and initiatives, not health initiatives, so (A) is incorrect. Roosevelt describes the specific challenges faced by the citizens in lines 20–27 and states that the challenge is not theoretical, so (B) is correct. Roosevelt states that theories are not involved in this challenge, and he doesn’t mention the work of economic theorists, so (C) is not supported by the passage. The passage does not state that there is no solution to the problem, and Roosevelt goes on to state that conditions are improving in lines 28–29, so the passage does not imply that the situation cannot be resolved. Therefore, (D) is incorrect. 17. C In lines 28–33, Roosevelt discusses the improved economic conditions but states that he is not going to proclaim that everything is resolved. He does not discuss politicians, so (A) is incorrect. While he is describing current economic conditions, he does not discuss theories, so (B) is incorrect. Roosevelt describes the current conditions positively but states that he will not assure the public that everything is resolved, which suggests that progress in the future will require additional attention. This indicates that the short-term gains are not guaranteed to be long-term gains as well, which marks a difference between the short-term and the long-term, so (C) is supported by the passage. Roosevelt does not discuss bankers or farmers, so (D) is incorrect. 18. C Note that this question contains the word EXCEPT, indicating that the correct answer will not be mentioned in the passage. In lines 28–33, Roosevelt states that the public has reason to believe that things are a little better, and then mentions several economic factors that the state of the nation is improving. Roosevelt lists that railroads are carrying more freight, so (A) is stated in the passage and therefore incorrect. Roosevelt states that Industry has picked up, which could include a rise in factory output, so (B) reflected in the passage and incorrect. Choice (C) is not stated as a factor in the economy’s growth, so (C) is the correct answer. Roosevelt lists that farm prices are better, indicating that crop prices have risen, so (D) is stated in the passage and therefore not the correct answer. 19. B In the lines 38–42, Roosevelt states that he does not want the people to resume the ruinous practice…in the hope that a kind providence will find buyers at high prices. This indicates that Roosevelt fears the people will do something ruinous (and therefore bad) and hope that something kind (and therefore good) will result. Under normal circumstances, one must do something good to get a good result, and if one does something bad and gets a good result, it’s the product not of one’s actions but of unexpected luck. This means that providence must mean “luck,” and the correct answer must match “luck.” Choices (A), (C), and (D) do not match “luck,” and thus they are not the correct answer. Choice (B) matches the meaning of providence and is the correct answer. 20. D Check each answer based on the information provided in the graph. Although the passage does refer to a “purpose,” the unemployment rate of 6.1% in 2008 is not the “all time low” rate on the graph; (A) is incorrect. Because there was not a steady decrease throughout the 1940s, (B) must also be incorrect. At no point on the graph does the unemployment rate reach zero, so it has never ended; (C) is incorrect. The graph does demonstrate that unemployment was higher in the 1930s than in later decades, so (D) is the correct answer. 21. B Cable refers to traditionists in lines 29–31; he makes a comparison between himself and traditionists of the South. Comparing himself to traditionists means he and the traditionists must be different entities, so (A) is incorrect. The blurb that precedes the passage states that Cable is defending his previous article from attacks, and he states in lines 15–19 that his article has been attacked because it has been misinterpreted. This means that (B) is supported by the passage. While Cable’s article garnered disagreement, there is no indication that he caused social unrest, so (C) is incorrect. Cable says that his original article was grossly misinterpreted , and so he is not an objective observer but rather taking a side. Therefore, (D) is incorrect. 22. C Cable states in lines 15–19 that his earlier article has been misinterpreted because of greater social errors, not because the readers intended to be unfair; therefore, (A) is incorrect. Cable does not mention the U.S. Constitution, so (B) is incorrect. Cable states in lines 5–9 that his detractors believe civil equality will create social equality, which they equate with social chaos and consider undesirable. Therefore, (C) is supported by the passage. While Cable himself brings up legal technicalities in lines 59–67, there is no indication that his opponents also cite legal technicalities; therefore, (D) is not supported by the passage and is incorrect. 23. A Choice (A) refers to those who oppose Cable’s position as believing that civil rights are equivalent to social equality. This supports (C) in question 22, which is the correct answer to that question. Choice (B) states that nothing in Cable’s paper actually suggests anything about social privileges. While this answer may seem to support (A) from question 22, Cable never asserts that people refused to read his article carefully, only that his article was misinterpreted. Eliminate (B). Choice (C) refers to the fact that no laws can bring about social equality, which may seem to connect to (D) from question 22. But this sentence does not support the argument of those who oppose civil equality; it supports Cable’s argument. Eliminate (C) as well. Choice (D) argues that the people who oppose civil rights are actually the ones who are bringing about greater social equality, though unwittingly. This does not connect to any choices from the previous question, so it cannot be correct. The answer is (A). 24. A Cable says in lines 19–23 that the misconstruction has occurred only among those whose thinking still runs in the grooves of the old traditions. Cable’s use of the word still indicates that the individuals he refers to as those hold thinking that is old, or that matches the previous mentalities of their group. Since their thinking is old, it must match the old traditions, so the phrase runs in the grooves of must mean “matches.” Therefore, the correct answer will mean “matches.” Choice (A) means the same as “matches,” so it is the correct answer. Choice (B) hints that the current thinking moves into alignment with the old traditions, not that it has matched the old traditions all along; thus, (B) is incorrect. Choices (C) and (D) both indicate that the thinking does not match the old traditions, so (C) and (D) are incorrect. 25. C Cable states in lines 29–33 that the North, West, and East want the same things that the South wants. The discontent that the South is feeling is therefore not unique to an individual region, so (A) is not correct. Cable does not state that the other regions have accepted his view, so (B) is incorrect. Cable groups all four regions together to indicate that all regions agree on this particular issue; in fact, he claims that the rest of the intelligent world agrees as well, suggesting that all people agree on this matter. Therefore, (C) is supported by the passage. Cable does not suggest that any region is more intelligent than another, so (D) is incorrect. 26. A Cable describes the distinctions made by his detractors as arbitrary, cheap, and artificial in lines 39–46, indicating that their efforts are ill-advised and do not improve upon the natural system. He goes on to state that these efforts are absolutely needless because the social order will regulate itself. This means that (A) is supported by the passage. Cable states that the delicate machinery is being tampered with, so he does not praise the current state of affairs. Thus, (B) is not correct. While Cable does describe society’s features in figurative terms, his purpose in describing them is not for the sake of using figurative language, but rather for the sake of better explaining why his detractors are wrong. Therefore, (C) is incorrect. Cable describes the features of a social system, but not a government system, so (D) is incorrect. 27. B Choice (A) refers to Cable’s readers’ belief that recognition of rights would generate social chaos, which might seem like it relates to (A) of question 26. However, in the lines in question, Cable’s readers claim to be on the side of social order, while Cable says that they are violating natural social order. Therefore, (A) is not correct. Choice (B) states that Cable’s detractors are making plans that are unnecessary in a society that has a good natural order, so (B) supports (A) of question 26 and is the correct answer. Choice (C) concerns Cable’s distinction between civil rights and social privileges, which is not mentioned in the answer choices of question 26 and is thus not the correct answer. Choice (D) discusses the concept of family rights, which is not mentioned in the answer choices of question 26 and is therefore not correct. 28. B Cable speaks of his opponents in lines 52–58, stating that he does not charge any bad intention or conscious false pretense on their part. He asserts that his opponents did not have bad intentions, and he does not make any rude or mocking statements toward them, so (A) is not supported by the passage. After Cable states that his opponents had good intentions, he goes on to introduce his point about the differences between rights and social amenities, which he will continue to expound on for the remainder of the passage. Therefore, (B) is correct. Cable does not provide a summary of the previous arguments or use the same language he had been using, so (C) is incorrect. Cable does not close the argument, but rather continues discussing the matter for the remainder of the passage, so (D) is not correct. 29. A Cable states in lines 72–73 that civil relations are determined by laws, and in matters of social relations, everyone consults his own pleasure. This indicates that there is a difference between civil and social relations, and that social relations are not governed by laws. By pointing out that everyone consults his own pleasure, Cable suggests that opinions about social relations will differ from person to person, which means that individuals will make their own decisions about social relations. This means that everyone consults his own decision-making judgment to determine social relations. Therefore, a good synonym for pleasure is “decision-making judgment,” and the correct answer must match “decision-making judgment.” Choice (A) matches that synonym, so (A) is correct. Choices (B), (C), and (D) do not match “decision-making judgment,” so they are incorrect. 30. B Cable describes the difference between civil and social rights in lines 59–78. He states that there are no such things as social rights and explains that rights are connected only to civil relations. He cites specific laws regarding family relations to provide concrete examples of the difference. He also states specific rules such as All that go by personal choice are Social relations to create concrete guidelines for understanding the issue. His tone is clinical and particular, which means (B) is supported by the passage. He is not aggressive or angry, so (A) is incorrect. While Cable does not agree with his opponents, he does not focus on criticizing their side, but rather on explaining his own in legal terms, so (C) is incorrect. Cable does not agree with his opponents, so (D) is incorrect. 31. D Note that this question contains the word EXCEPT, indicating that the correct answer will not be mentioned in the passage. Cable describes the difference between civil and social rights in lines 59–78. He states that The one is all of right, it makes no difference who we are; the “one” is the former of the two types of relations he discusses, which is civil relations. Therefore, his definition of civil rights extends to all people regardless of who they are. Thus, (A) is in the passage and is not the correct answer. Cable states that For the one we make laws, and as before, the “one” is the former of the pair he discusses, meaning civil rights. Therefore, civil rights can be determined by law, so (B) is in the passage and is not the correct answer. Cable states that social relations go by personal choice, meaning that they are not governed by the same laws as civil rights. Thus, Cable’s definition of civil rights includes nothing about social interaction, so (C) is in the passage and is not the correct answer. Cable specifies that interactions based on personal choice are Social relations, meaning that they are not counted among civil rights. Therefore, (D) is not part of the definition of civil rights, and is thus the correct answer. 32. C The passage mentions primate ancestors to set up a direct contrast with modern humans. Choice (C) is correct because this paragraph discusses how humans walk on two limbs instead of four. Eliminate (A) since no mention is made about written history. Choice (B) is also incorrect since monkeys are not mentioned in this paragraph. Eliminate (D) since this question is not answered until later in the passage. 33. D The second sentence of the second paragraph states that the advanced intelligence of the early human ancestors meant that they had more uses for their two free limbs, so (D) is a good match, as the paragraph later uses carrying groceries as an example. Choice (A) is incorrect because no mention of strength is given. Eliminate (B) because it’s nonsensical; the author is not suggesting any animals that walk on four legs go grocery shopping. Eliminate (C) because no criticism is offered. Choice (D) is the correct answer. 34. B Cross out the word manually and use the context in this sentence to come up with your own word or phrase that would be a good replacement. The passage states that early human hands evolved to have more dexterity than feet, so a good replacement would be something involving use of the hands. The correct answer is (B). 35. A The author states that Human evolution, in this sense, can be seen as the evolution of human handiness, so find an answer choice that links these two ideas. Choice (A) is a good fit, so keep it. Choice (B) is incorrect because it’s too extreme to say that early humans’ hands were useless. Choice (C) is also incorrect, as the 4- to 7-million year range marks how long humans have diverged from primate ancestors, not how long our dexterity took to evolve. Choice (D) is never suggested, so eliminate it. Choice (A) is the correct answer. 36. C Choice (A) introduces the topic of bipedalism rather than handiness. Since this does not support any of the choices from question 35, eliminate it. Choice (B) refers to handiness and its accompanying capacity for greater tool use than is possible using feet. This does not support any of the choices from question 35 directly. Although (D) from question 35 does compare hands and feet, it is in regards to writing rather than other tools. Eliminate (B). Choice (C) states that the increase in humans’ use of hands occurred along with an increase in human intelligence. This directly supports (A) from question 35. Although (C) also does reference writing with hands versus feet, these lines do not support (D) in question 35 because the lines clearly state an association between handiness and intelligence. And although (D) might seem to support (C) from question 35, it does not. Choice (D) states that the split from the nearest human ancestors took 4 to 7 million years, not the development of handiness. The correct answer is (C). 37. B Cross out the word brook and use the context in this sentence to come up with your own word or phrase that would be a good replacement. This sentence is suggesting that it’s illogical to think that humans just one day decided to walk on two legs, so reason would not permit such a connection. Replace brook with “permit.” Choice (B) is correct. Be careful with (A), which is a trap answer; though it is a synonym for one meaning of brook, it is not the meaning needed here. 38. C The third paragraph of this passage suggests that energy is the reason humans walk on two limbs as opposed to other animals. This contrasts the information in the first passage, so find the answer choice that matches this information. The author does not question putting monkeys on treadmills, so eliminate (A). Choice (B) is also incorrect because the author never criticizes the author of Passage 1, so get rid of it. Choice (C) is a good fit because the paragraph offers another explanation for bipedalism. Choice (D) is out of scope, so eliminate it. Choice (C) is the correct answer. 39. A Use POE to find an answer choice that is consistent with the information in the passage. Choice (A) is a good fit because paragraph 3 states that chimpanzees are humans’ closest living ancestor but that energy use explains why humans walk on two legs whereas chimpanzees will sometimes walk on four. The author of Passage 2 doesn’t reject Darwin’s theory but just says it’s incomplete, so eliminate (B). Eliminate (C) since that’s the opinion of the author of Passage 1. Choice (D) is also incorrect because this issue is not resolved. Choice (A) is correct. 40. D Choice (A) references the issues with Darwin’s theory. This appears to support (B) from question 39. However, (B) from question 39 is too extreme; it states that the author rejects Darwin’s theory when it is stated later in the passage that Darwin’s theory is not necessarily wrong. Eliminate (A). Choice (B) does not relate to any of the choices from question 39, as it clearly states that the cause of bipedalism is unknown. Eliminate (B). Choice (C) appears to support (D) from question 39, but this line merely references a study done in 2007; it does not state that the debate surrounding human bipedalism was solved in that year. Eliminate (C) as well. Choice (D) clearly supports (A) from question 39, as that line contains humans’ closest living ancestor. Choice (D) is the correct answer. 41. D Use POE to compare information from both passages. Choice (A) is incorrect because neither author suggests this, so eliminate it. Eliminate (B) as well because this information is contradicted in Passage 2. Passage 2 says nothing about grocery shopping, so eliminate (C). This leaves (D), which is supported by both passages, as it’s the main thesis of Darwin and the author of Passage 1. The author of Passage 2 says that this argument is incomplete, but not necessarily incorrect. The answer is (D). 42. A Use POE to find an answer choice consistent with the information in the passage. Choice (A) works because Passage 1 uses the analogy of grocery store shopping, and Passage 2 cites that Three researchers studied the various perambulatory habits of chimpanzees (humans’ closest living ancestor) and humans. Choice (B) is incorrect since Passage 1 never dismisses scientific research. Eliminate (C) because Passage 1 never introduces scientific research. Eliminate (D) as well because the author of Passage 2 doesn’t dismiss any research after Darwin’s, and he calls Darwin’s theory incomplete. Choice (A) is correct. 43. C In lines 1–3, the author opens with an assertion about the link between a mother and child and raises the issue of new research that expands our understanding of that link. The author does not acknowledge the reader’s personal experiences with the topic, so (A) is not correct. The author does not suggest that the idea of the closeness of mothers and children is incorrect; in fact, the author goes on to describe a physical connection even deeper than anyone thought. Therefore, (B) is incorrect. The author goes on to add new information to the topic, so (C) is correct. The author does not discuss fathers, so (D) is incorrect. 44. D While the author argues in lines 35–37 that our understanding of our bodies as unique beings is a misconception, this is not where the author’s argument starts. Moreover, the author does not offer a specific solution to this misconception, but ends with statements that are merely “possible,” as in lines 72–85. Therefore, (A) is not supported by the passage and is incorrect. The author does not present his own original research, so (B) is incorrect. While the author does mention new research in line 2 and describes that research elsewhere in the passage, he does not claim this research is inconsistent, so (C) is not correct. The author begins in lines 1–8 with information that is accepted as true, and then in lines 25–27 introduces new information related to that truth and then, in the last two paragraphs, discusses some aspects that are still unknown about the new information. Therefore, (D) is supported by the passage and the correct answer. 45. A The author’s overall focus in the passage is on the exchange of cells between unique individuals, and (A) summarizes the information provided. It is well supported by the passage. Choice (B) is not supported by the passage, which notes that there were fewer fetal-derived cells in women with Alzheimer’s. While the author does state that the reasons for the results found in the new study were unclear, the primary purpose of the passage is to relate information about microchimerism, not to comment on the nature of scientific research generally, so (C) is incorrect. The passage adds to the understanding of the profound link between mother and child; because the new information does not contradict the idea that the bond is deep, (D) is incorrect. The correct answer is (A). 46. D If we are accustomed to thinking of ourselves as singular, and the foreign cells within us belie that notion, then autonomous must mean something like “operating without being affected by others.” Additionally, the previous paragraph mentions that these foreign cells may affect our functioning and that’s a fact we’d find surprising. Choice (B) is incorrect, as reliant is the opposite of the sort of word needed. Choices (A), (C), and (D) are very similar in meaning, but only (D) can have the sense of operating entirely without outside interference, so (D) is the correct answer. 47. A In lines 25–34, the author states that women who had Alzheimer’s disease are less likely to have male cells in their brains. This suggests that male cells may help protect women’s brains from disorders like Alzheimer’s. This means that (A) is supported by the passage. The author suggests that foreign cells may spark immune disorders in lines 16–18, but the author does not state that cells may make women less likely to have immune disorders, so (B) is incorrect. The author never mentions aggression or physical strength, so (C) is not correct. The author does not state that women with male cells in their brains will live with men for a long time, so (D) is not correct. 48. B Choice (A) contains information on immune disorders, which seems to support (B) from question 47. However, this line is from a part of the passage that is discussing cells in general, not male cells specifically. This means that (B) from question 47 is not correct, and (A) can be eliminated. Choice (B) discusses the fact that dormant male cells were less common in the brains of women who had Alzheimer’s disease, which would imply that women with more of these cells would be less likely to have that disease. This supports (A) from question 47. Choice (C) discusses the discovery of the dormant male cells, but does not directly relate to any choice from question 47, so it can be eliminated. The same is true of (D); it discusses how microchimerism occurs but does not relate directly to any choice from question 47. The correct answer is (B). 49. D The author does not discuss disorders that cause people to avoid strangers, so (A) is incorrect. The author does not discuss children’s ability to help their parents through difficult times, so (B) is not correct. The author states that our bodies harbor cells from other people in lines 36–37, but this does not mean that individuals are not unique in any way, so (C) is not supported by the passage. The author states that our bodies contain cells from other people, so the concept of total individuality, having only our own unique cells, may not match the evidence of other people’s cells in our bodies. Therefore, (D) is supported by the passage and the correct answer. 50. D The author does not discuss the mother’s genetic makeup or the theory that the mother’s transmission of her genes constitutes cell exchange, so (A) is incorrect. The author does not discuss siblings being present for each other’s illnesses, so (B) is incorrect. The author references memory disorders (Alzheimer’s) but does not discuss siblings’ experience of memory disorders, so (C) is not supported by the passage. The author states in lines 78–81 that cells from an older child may remain in the mother’s body and pass to the younger sibling during the younger child’s gestation. Therefore, (D) is correct. 51. C Choice (A) explains the fact that a woman could not produce her own male cells. Since this has nothing to do with non-twin siblings as were asked about in question 50, eliminate (A). Choice (B) references Alzheimer’s disease, which may seem to relate to either (B) or (C) from question 50. However, this choice also does not mention anything about non-twin siblings, so eliminate it as well. Choice (C) does state that even non-twin siblings may swap cells while developing separately within the same mother, which strongly supports (D) from question 50. Choice (D) is concentrated on cell competition between grandmother and child cells within a mother, but not between non-twin siblings. The answer is (C). 52. C The correct answer will be supported by both the graph and the passage, so check the answer choices against both one at a time. Choice (A) states that the mother’s cells would be found in her infant, but the graphic clearly shows that brain cells come from fetal origin, not mother origin. Eliminate (A). The graphic does not contain any information about amounts of cells, only the origin from which they are produced, so (B) should be eliminated as well. Choice (C) is supported by both the graphic, which shows that brain cells come from fetal origin, and the passage, which clearly states that fetal cells have been found in the brain of the mother. Choice (D) does note that there are fewer areas of cell origin in mothers than fetuses, and the passage does mention immune disorders. However, (D) is in no way proven by either the graphic or the passage based on the information provided. The correct answer is (C).