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The Sagrada Familia has stood, incomplete, as part of the Barcelona skyline since the early phases of its construction in 1882. The project, originally intended to be a cathedral in the gothic style, was begun by the bookseller Joseph Maria Bocabella under the direction of the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. Del Villar and Bocabella imagined a basilica modeled on the Gothic revival churches Bocabella had seen on trips to Italy. However, Bocabella’s ideal basilica never came to be. In 1883 del Villar resigned from the project, and 30-year old Antoni Gaudi, a young but already well-known architect from Catalonia, took over as lead architect.
Gaudi decided to depart from del Villar’s original Gothic design in favor of a more modern design. The new design was ambitious, featuring eighteen tall spires and four different facades on different sides of the basilica. But work on the new building was slow. Decades passed, and the work was still incomplete. In 1915, Gaudi - now 63 years old - abandoned all other work in favor of dedicating himself to the completion of the monumental church, but progress on the building was still slow. When pressured to speed up work on the monumental building, Gaudi was said to have replied, “My client is not in a hurry.” By the time Gaudi died in 1926, the basilica was only somewhere between 15 and 20 percent complete.
After Gaudi’s death, work stalled between 1936 and 1940 when Civil War broke out in Spain and again as World War II began, leaving the project years behind schedule. During the wars, Catalan anarchists destroyed part of the basilica and the models and designs Gaudi left for the builders, who were forced to reconstruct what plans they could, an arduous and time-consuming process. It took years for the project to get back on track; once it was, it was impossible to know whether additional construction would match Gaudi’s vision.
The Sagrada Familia, one of the most iconic structures in Barcelona, remains unfinished, a constant work-in-progress in the Barcelona skyline. Despite these setbacks, it is open to the public for both religious services and tourism, attracting over three million visitors a year. In fact, tourist entrance fees now pay for annual construction costs. 1
At this point, the author is considering adding the following sentence.
“Architects estimate that the building is now 70 percent complete and that the structure itself should be finished by 2026, one hundred years after Gaudi’s death."
Should the author make this addition here?
One of the best ways to deal with questions that give you the options Yes/Yes/No/No in the answer choices is to ignore the "yes" or "no " question and instead focus on the information that comes after the comma. Determining whether the reasoning is solid is often easier than deciding whether or not a particular sentence should be included. "Yes, because it provides a conclusion that relates to the information given earlier in the passage." correctly states that it provides a conclusion (it is the last sentence) that relates to information given in the passage (that the Sagrada Familia is still unfinished and has been behind schedule since the start). This is the correct answer.
Among the other answers, "yes, because it provides a conclusion that reminds readers of the grandeur of the Sagrada Familia" can be eliminated because there is nothing in this sentence that relates to the grandeur of the Sagrada Familia. "No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s emphasis on construction costs" can be eliminated because the paragraph doesn't talk about construction costs. And "no, because it is irrelevant to the main idea of the passage" can be eliminated because the sentence does relate to the main idea of the passage since it talks about the length of time needed to finish the project.
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For thousands of years, cooking was considered more of a practice than a science. Much of what chefs and food scientists alike knew about cooking came from conventional wisdom rather than carefully designed research. For individuals who considered cooking to be an art rather than a science, this seemed to be for the best; however, for physicist Nicholas Kurti and chemist Herve This, the lack on empirical knowledge around what we eat was not just an affront to science. It was a challenge. In 1988 the pair coined the term “molecular gastronomy,” which they defined as the investigation of the physical and chemical transformation that ingredients undergo during the course of cooking. They argued that if chefs understood these processes, they could produce dishes improved by the findings. 1
At this point, the author is considering adding the following sentence.
"The pair’s philosophy came from the Enlightenment thinkers of the 18th century, who believed that everything could be categorized and systematized."
Should the author make this addition here?
For questions with answers that lead with "Yes/Yes/No/No," it is often easier to look at the reasoning rather than at whether or not the sentence should be included since it is easier to eliminate answer choices based on reasoning that is incorrect rather than whether the sentence belongs. "Yes, because it explains the origin of the phrase “molecular gastronomy”." can be eliminated because the sentence does not explain the origin of the phrase "molecular gastronomy". "Yes, because it reinforces a claim that is made earlier in the paragraph." can be eliminated because it does not address a claim made earlier in the paragraph. "No, because it is not relevant to the focus of the paragraph." is true - this sentence is not relevant to the main focus of the paragraph. "No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s focus on early experiments in molecular gastronomy." can be eliminated because this paragraph does not discuss earlier experiments in molecular gastronomy.
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One of the most influential niche constructors is the earthworm, an organism found almost everywhere on the planet. 1 A scientist only concerned with evolution would predict that, in order to live on land, earthworms would have to significantly change. Earthworms didn’t change their physiology a great amount, however, instead, they changed the soil to make it more like the ocean in order to survive. Land with earthworms is less compacted, is more nutrient rich, and better mixed than land without them – leading to monumental changes in the ecosystem.
The author is considering adding the following sentence.
Earthworms were originally aquatic organisms that were ill-equipped to survive on land.
Should the author make this addition?
Whenever the SAT gives you answer choices in the form of "yes/no because", you should turn your attention to the reasoning given for each answer choice since it's easier to determine whether the reason is correct than it is to determine whether or not the sentence should be included. "Yes, because it explains the prediction made in the next sentence." correctly states that the sentence explains why the prediction in the next sentence is there. "Yes, because it adds information about the roles of earthworms as niche creators." can be eliminated because the sentence does not explain the role of earthworms as niche creators. "No, because it distracts from the discussion on niche construction. " can be eliminated because it doesn't distract from the discussion of niche construction since it talks about why earthworms need to be niche constructors. "No, because the author does not further address why this fact is important." can be eliminated because the next sentence does explain why this fact is important.
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The following is an excerpt of an article from Popular Science, initially published in 2017.
Since their inception, Rorschach inkblots—named after Hermann Rorschach, the Swiss psychoanalyst who invented them—have been known to confuse the visual cortex. We tend to see what we want to see in them. And although their use in psychology has been debunked (whether you see a butterfly or a dancing clown in an image is not a reliable indication of your mental state), why we see different things at all remains a puzzle.
The idea for the new study came about because physicist Richard Taylor is developing bionic eyes to cure blindness in people who have had diseases of the retina. \[1\]
To understand why Rorschach inkblots have this enigmatic effect, Taylor and his team at the University of Oregon took lots of blots and analyzed them to see if they were fractals. Fractals are patterns that repeat themselves across different scales.
At this point, the writer is considering adding the following sentence:
“In order to do that,” said Taylor, “we have to understand what normal vision is doing.”
Should the writer make this addition here?
With “yes because ___” / “no because ___” questions, the SAT has provided us with an opportunity to eliminate on two different bases! Here, we want to determine whether the sentence in question should be added, but also understand contextually *why.* In this case, the addition would be valuable to its surrounding context, as it addresses how the study (what came before) relates to the concept of bionic eyes (the context immediately before). Both of our “no because ___” answers can be eliminated, as the addition absolutely makes sense in its context, and the option “Yes, because it helps answer why Rorschach blots look different to different people” doesn’t work because, while the study might provide some of the relevant context to this answer, the sentence in question does not. Thus, “Yes, because it provides context to how the study and bionic eyes are related” is the only viable answer choice, as it addresses the relevancy of the sentence before and the reference to the bionic eye to the rest of the passage excerpt and corresponding study.
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The following is an excerpt of the book Women and Women’s Work, initially published in 2012.
There is general agreement among today’s scientists that the scientific work of women has been historically undervalued. For example, Rosalind Franklin, a British physicist, was responsible for capturing the images that informed our modern understanding of the structures of DNA. \[1\] Her contributions were overshadowed by the work of James Watson and Francis Crick, who relied on her models in assembling their famous double-helix model, but neglected to provide her sufficient credit.
At this point, the writer is considering adding the following sentence:
DNA is a complex molecule composed of nucleotide base pairs which transmits genetic information within living cells.
Should the writer make this addition here?
With questions that ask about adding sentences, answers can be eliminated on two bases—incorrect decision, and incorrect reasoning. We need to decide whether the sentence should be added as well as why or why not. In this example, we can eliminate the “Yes” choice that mentions the “complexity of DNA’s structure,” as this is not the point of the paragraph. We can also eliminate the other “Yes” choice, as the molecular structure of DNA has no connection to why Watson and Crick didn’t credit Franklin. Similarly, the “No” choice which suggests the sentence “undermines the paragraph’s claim about Franklin’s contributions” is incorrect, as the details of DNA’s structure are unrelated to the claim about her work. The correct choice is “No, because it distracts from the paragraph’s point that women’s scientific work is undervalued,” as it correctly identifies the paragraph’s point and notes that the details in the sentence have little relevance to the paragraph as a whole.
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The following is an excerpt of an article from Energy & Environmental Science, initially published in 2015.
It wasn’t evident from Stecker’s investigations that “fracking”—shortened from hydraulic fracturing—was correlated with unusual seismic activity. “In assembling our data, we drew from seismometers in the vicinity of more than 400 fracking sites worldwide, including almost 200 in the United States,” Stecker said. \[1\] “We found no significant uptick in seismic activity near fracking sites, much to our surprise,” Stecker said. She also noted, however, that earthquakes aren’t the only potential danger of fracking. “There are claims about groundwater contamination and air pollution that have yet to be sufficiently investigated,” she warned.
At this point, the writer is considering adding the following sentence:
Seismometers are a tool used to measure large underground movements, like those caused by earthquakes and volcanic activity.
Should the writer make this addition here?
With questions that ask about adding sentences, answers can be eliminated on two bases—incorrect decision, and incorrect reasoning. We need to decide whether the sentence should be added as well as why or why not. In this example, we can eliminate the “No” choice which mentions the “steps involved in fracking,” as these aren’t mentioned at any point in the paragraph. We can also eliminate the remaining “No” answer, as an explanation of seismometers doesn’t contradict Stecker’s description of her data collection methods, which relied on seismometers. Furthermore, we can eliminate the “Yes” answer which posits that the description “supports Stecker’s claim that fracturing often causes earthquakes,” as this is the opposite of Stecker’s claim. The correct choice is “Yes, because it helps to explain a technical term used in the paragraph,” as it correctly states that the sentence defines the term “seismometer” with which readers might otherwise be unfamiliar.
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The following is an excerpt from the book J.D. Salinger: Beneath the Stories, initially published in 2006.
Salinger was responsible for, among other works, the collections Franny and Zooey and Nine Stories and the widely acclaimed novel The Catcher and the Rye. \[1\] Despite his notoriety during his lifetime, however, Salinger avoided contact with the outside world whenever possible. His retreat from the public eye began in 1951, soon after the publication of The Catcher in the Rye, and continued until his death in 2010. During those decades, he gave only a handful of interviews, including one published in 1971 usually described as his “last interview.”
At this point, the writer is considering adding the following sentence:
It features Holden Caulfield, a teenager who recounts the story of his expulsion from a Pennsylvania boarding school.
Should the writer make this addition here?
With questions that ask about adding sentences, answers can be eliminated on two bases—incorrect decision, and incorrect reasoning. We need to decide whether the sentence should be added as well as why or why not. In this example, we can eliminate the “Yes” answer which mentions “details about Salinger’s own adolescence,” as the sentence describes a character Salinger created, not the author himself. We can also eliminate the remaining “Yes” answer, as a description of the premise of The Catcher in the Rye doesn’t help to show that Salinger was famous. We can also eliminate the “No” answer which mentions “parallels drawn between Salinger and his characters,” as such parallels are entirely absent from the paragraph. The correct choice is “No, because it blurs the paragraph’s focus on Salinger’s reclusive nature,” which correctly notes that details of The Catcher in the Rye are irrelevant to a paragraph which discusses Salinger’s personal life.
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The following is an excerpt of an article from American Theatre, initially published in 2012.
The modern musical, as enjoyed by millions of yearly theatregoers in New York, London, and across the world, has its foundations in the work of composers Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. Their musical Oklahoma!, premiering on Broadway in 1943, is often cited as the first real entry in the “Golden Age” of musical theater. \[1\] Oklahoma! was celebrated by critics and audiences alike for its libretto, or “book,” which served to weave its songs together into a coherent story. The duo went on to write nearly a dozen more “book” musicals, most of which were critical and commercial successes.
At this point, the writer is considering adding the following sentence:
Previous musicals had typically featured many popular songs with little connection to one another.
Should the writer make this addition here?
With questions that ask about adding sentences, answers can be eliminated on two bases—incorrect decision, and incorrect reasoning. We need to decide whether the sentence should be added as well as why or why not. In this example, the “No” choice which mentions “modern musicals” can be eliminated, as they are by no means the paragraph’s focus, even if they are mentioned in the introductory sentence. The remaining “No” choice, which describes the writers as the “first duo to write a musical,” is also incorrect, as this is not a claim made elsewhere in the paragraph. The “Yes” answer which mentions that the writers were “overrated” has, similarly, no basis in textual evidence, as the writers are described as being critically successful, but there is no suggestion that this praise was unearned. Accordingly, the remaining “Yes” answer, which claims that the sentence shows what makes Oklahoma! unique, is accurate, as the sentence explains what musicals were like before Oklahoma!’s innovations.
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The following is an excerpt from the book Psychology Explained: Breaking Down the Brain, initially published in 2009.
Confirmation bias is the tendency by which people interpret new information in a way that supports previously held beliefs. Psychologists have examined the phenomenon in a wide variety of contexts. \[1\] In one experiment, researchers presented subjects with self-described “strong” or “very strong” political beliefs with a series of claims about a particularly contentious politician. Half of the claims were positive, supporting the politician, while half were negative, condemning the politician. Later, when quizzed about the claims they had heard, subjects were far better at recalling those claims which aligned with their existing opinion on the politician, while they were seldom able to recall the others.
At this point, the writer is considering adding the following sentence:
Confirmation bias is believed to arise at or near adolescence, although it has not been rigorously studied in children.
Should the writer make this addition here?
With questions that ask about adding sentences, answers can be eliminated on two bases—incorrect decision, and incorrect reasoning. We need to decide whether the sentence should be added as well as why or why not. In this example, the “Yes” choice which states that “confirmation bias cannot be studied in an experimental setting” can be eliminated, as the example which follows provides an explicit experimental demonstration of the phenomenon. The remaining “Yes” choice can also be eliminated, as the sentence makes a claim about the ages at which the phenomenon arises, but there is no discussion of why this might make it interesting to psychologists. The “No” choice which mentions “methods to counteract confirmation bias” mischaracterizes the paragraph, which provides an example of a study on the phenomenon, but does not make any suggestions about means to counteract it. The remaining “No” choice, however, is correct, as the detail provided in the sentence is, indeed, irrelevant to the discussion which follows, wherein age is never mentioned.
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Evolutionary biologists have long believed that Canis lupus familiaris, the modern dog, is a direct evolutionary descendant of Canis lupus, the gray wolf. Recent developments in genomic sequencing have helped substantiate this belief, as the genetic differences which distinguish dogs from wolves can now be catalogued and studied at the smallest possible scale. \[1\] Data extrapolated from genomic sequencing now suggests that dogs were domesticated approximately 15,000 years ago.
At this point, the writer is considering adding the following sentence:
Archaeological evidence has long indicated that dogs, as we know them today, have existed for at least 14,000 years.
Should the writer make this addition here?
With questions that ask about adding sentences, answers can be eliminated on two bases—incorrect decision, and incorrect reasoning. We need to decide whether the sentence should be added as well as why or why not. In this example, the “No” choice which mentions the “steps involved in genomic sequencing” is incorrect, as discussion of the details of the process is entirely absent from the paragraph. The remaining “No” answer, which alludes to a claim that dogs and wolves have “negligible genetic differences,” has no basis in evidence, as the paragraph mentions that these differences exist, but does not suggest that they are negligible. The “Yes” choice which mentions an explanation for why “humans were not involved in the domestication of wolves” can also be thrown out, as the information presented in the sentence has no connection to this claim, and the paragraph makes no mention of domestication. Accordingly, the “Yes” choice with which we’re left is correct, as it correctly identifies how the detail of “archaeological evidence” connects to the claim about genomic sequencing data which follows.
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With increasing frequency, those who hope to work professionally in computer science are forgoing the traditional route to a career in tech—enrolling at a university in hopes eventually of securing an internship—in favor of a more modern approach. \[1\] Much instructional material for computer science is available for free online, and several websites have emerged offering accelerated courses in coding at a fraction of the cost of a university education. A growing number of those hired by tech giants like Google and Facebook each year have no “formal” background in computer science, but nonetheless perform at or above the level of their college-educated coworkers.
At this point, the writer is considering adding the following sentence:
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has one of the best computer science programs in the country, offering concentrations in a number of specific technical areas.
Should the writer make this addition here?
With questions that ask about adding sentences, answers can be eliminated on two bases—incorrect decision, and incorrect reasoning. We need to decide whether the sentence should be added as well as why or why not. In this example, the “Yes” choice which mentions “modern trends in technology” can be eliminated, as the paragraph focuses on trends in the path to a career in technology, but makes no mention of trends in technology itself. The remaining “Yes” choice which claims that the detail explains “Google and Facebook” employing graduates misunderstands a supporting detail in the paragraph, which actually claims that tech giants have begun hiring those without university educations with more frequency. The “No” choice which mentions a claim that “universities should be free” is entirely unsupported, as the paragraph does not advocate for free college, but rather explains that free alternatives to college are becoming increasingly popular. The remaining “No” choice correctly notes that the detail in the sentence is irrelevant and unnecessary to the paragraph’s claim about alternatives to a university education.
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This passage is adapted from Jane Austen, Mansfield Park. Originally published 1814. Fanny has recently moved to live with her relatives at Mansfield Park.
They were a remarkably fine family, the sons very well-looking, the daughters decidedly handsome, and all of them well-grown and forward of their age, which produced as striking a difference between the cousins in person, as education had given to their address; and no one would have supposed the girls so nearly of an age as they really were. There were in fact but two years between the youngest and Fanny. Julia Bertram was only twelve, and Maria but a year older.
As used in line 43, "address" most nearly means
For any vocabulary in context question, you should first look at the context of the sentence and determine what word or idea would best replace the word you are being asked about. The paragraph is describing the Bertram sisters and talking about the relative development of the Bertrams and Fanny. The paragraph compares their "person," referring to their appearances, and their "address." This obviously has to do with something about the girls, whether about how they act, dress, or look. The only answer that could refer to an aspect of a person's actions is "speech," as the other answer choices do not logically describe an aspect of a person's character or appearance.
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The following passage and corresponding figure are from Emilie Reas. "How the brain learns to read: development of the “word form area”", PLOS Neuro Community, 2018.
Earlier studies have shown that the ventral visual cortex supports recognition of an array of visual stimuli, including objects, faces, and places. Within this area, a subregion in the left hemisphere known as the “visual word form area” (VWFA) shows a particular selectivity for written words. However, this region is characteristically plastic. It’s been proposed that stimuli compete for representation in this malleable area, such that “winner takes all” depending on the strongest input. That is, how a site is ultimately mapped is dependent on what it’s used for in early childhood. But this idea has yet to be confirmed, and the evolution of specialized brain areas for reading in children is still poorly understood.
As used in the highlighted line, “plastic” most nearly means
As with any vocabulary in context question, you should look to understand the context of the sentence and then to choose the answer choice that best completes the idea presented. In the sentence itself, you're only told that the area is "characteristically plastic". However, in the next paragraph, you are told that the region is "malleable," indicating that plastic must be a synonym for malleable. The only answer that matches this is, "adaptable".
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This passage is adapted from Adam K. Fetterman and Kai Sassenberg, “The Reputational Consequences of Failed Replications and Wrongness Admission among Scientists", first published in December 2015 by PLOS ONE.
It may seem strange that others consider it less likely that questionable research practices, for example, were used when a scientist admits that they were wrong. However, it does make sense from the standpoint that wrongness admission seems to indicate honesty. Therefore, if one is honest in one domain, they are likely honest in other domains. Moreover, the refusal to admit might indicate to others that the original scientist is trying to cover something up. The lack of significance of most of the interactions in our study suggests that it even seems as if scientists might already realize this. Therefore, we can generally suggest that scientists admit they are wrong, but only when the evidence suggests they should.
As used in the highlighted line, “domain” most nearly means
As with other vocabulary in context questions, the key here is to look at the context of the sentence and then figure out which answer choice would best replace the word in question. In this case, the author is arguing that if someone appears to be honest in one area they may be seen as being honest in other areas as well. "Kingdom" and "value" are obviously outside the scope of the idea of "area"."Field and "context", "field" would seem to imply field of study, which is too specific for this sentence. The more general "context" is a better fit and more closely matches the idea of "area" that you are trying to account for.
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The following is an excerpt from Agnes Grey, an autobiographical novel by Anne Bronte that follows the life of a governess working in wealthy British households in the 19th century.
To avoid trouble and confusion, I have taken my pupils one by one, and discussed their various qualities; but this can give no adequate idea of being worried by the whole three together; when, as was often the case, all were determined to ‘be naughty, and to tease Miss Grey, and put her in a passion.’
Sometimes, on such occasions, the thought has suddenly occurred to me—’If they could see me now!’ meaning, of course, my friends at home; and the idea of how they would pity me has made me pity myself—so greatly that I have had the utmost difficulty to restrain my tears: but I have restrained them, till my little tormentors were gone to dessert, or cleared off to bed (my only prospects of deliverance), and then, in all the bliss of solitude, I have given myself up to the luxury of an unrestricted burst of weeping. But this was a weakness I did not often indulge: my employments were too numerous, my leisure moments too precious, to admit of much time being given to fruitless lamentations.
As used in the highlighted sentence, “admit of” most nearly means
With vocabulary in context questions, we need to focus on the context first and foremost. In the sentence, if we were to take out the phrase “admit of,” and replace it with something else, “allow” (or tolerate!) would be the best fit. So, “tolerate” is our correct answer. Contextually, it doesn’t make sense to say that she was too busy to “want” to spend time feeling sorry for herself, or “necessitate” doing so. Finally, “forbid” certainly doesn’t make sense contextually, as she isn’t “too busy to forbid herself from crying,” - she’s attempting *not to* cry because she is too busy to afford to be able to do so. Keep in mind, vocabulary in context is a context question, not a vocabulary memorization question, so our job is generally to take common terms and find the meaning of those terms that best matches with the context.
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The passage is excerpted from Ngonghala CN, et. al’s “Poverty, Disease, and the Ecology of Complex Systems” © 2014 Ngonghala et al.
The modern economics literature on poverty traps, however, is strikingly silent about the role of feedbacks from biophysical and biosocial processes. Two overwhelming characteristics of under-developed economies and the poorest, mostly rural, subpopulations in those countries are (i) the dominant role of resource-dependent primary production—from soils, fisheries, forests, and wildlife—as the root source of income and (ii) the high rates of morbidity and mortality due to parasitic and infectious diseases. For basic subsistence, the extremely poor rely on human capital that is directly generated from their ability to obtain resources, and thus critically influenced by climate and soil that determine the success of food production. These resources in turn influence the nutrition and health of individuals, but can also be influenced by a variety of other biophysical processes. For example, infectious and parasitic diseases effectively steal human resources for their own survival and transmission. Yet scientists rarely integrate even the most rudimentary frameworks for understanding these ecological processes into models of economic growth and poverty.
This gap in the literature represents a major missed opportunity to advance our understanding of coupled ecological-economic systems. Through feedbacks between lower-level localized behavior and the higher-level processes that they drive, ecological systems are known to demonstrate complex emergent properties that can be sensitive to initial conditions. A large range of ecological systems—as revealed in processes like desertification, soil degradation, coral reef bleaching, and epidemic disease—have been characterized by multiple stable states, with direct consequences for the livelihoods of the poor. These multiple stable states, which arise from nonlinear positive feedbacks, imply sensitivity to initial conditions.
As used in the highlighted line, “emergent” most nearly means
If we look to the context of the sentence in this example and fill-in-the-blank with our own new word in the sentence, “through feedbacks between lower-level localized behavior and the higher-level processes that they drive, ecological systems are known to demonstrate complex emergent properties that can be sensitive to initial conditions,” The word you would most likely choose on your own given the context is either “new” or “emerging.” So, we need an answer that maintains that meaning. “Unchanging” can be eliminated because the context shows that there is a change from initial conditions. “Essential” does not fit in with the context as nothing indicates they are important or required. “Urgent” is tricky, as it seems on the surface to be a synonym of “emergent” (emergency/urgent), but makes no sense when inserted into the sentence. ‘Developing” works perfectly when you place it in the sentence, as it is similar to “new” and “emerging” and creates a logical meaning.
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The passage is adapted from Ngonghala CN, et. al’s “Poverty, Disease, and the Ecology of Complex Systems” © 2014 Ngonghala et al.
In his landmark treatise, An Essay on the Principle of Population, Reverend Thomas Robert Malthus argued that population growth will necessarily exceed the growth rate of the means of subsistence, making poverty inevitable. The system of feedbacks that Malthus posited creates a situation similar to what social scientists now term a “poverty trap”: i.e., a self-reinforcing mechanism that causes poverty to persist. Malthus’s erroneous assumptions, which did not account for rapid technological progress, rendered his core prediction wrong: the world has enjoyed unprecedented economic development in the ensuing two centuries due to technology-driven productivity growth.
As used in the highlighted line, “posited” most nearly means
If we look to fill-in-the-blanks in our existing context, “The system of feedbacks that Malthus posited creates a situation similar to what social scientists now term a “poverty trap”: i.e., a self-reinforcing mechanism that causes poverty to persist,” the most likely word you would pick on your own here is either “developed” or “theorized.” Looking at the answer choices, “challenged” and “undermined” are both the opposite of what is required by the context. “Replicated” would be correct if he was replicating someone else’s work, but the evidence in the context of the paragraph is that this system was his own creation. “Conceived” nicely matches “developed” and “theorized” and is thus our correct choice.
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The following is an excerpt from Night and Day, a novel by Virginia Woolf that was first published in 1919. The novel tells the story of two main female characters in London in the early 20th century.
It was a Sunday evening in October, and in common with many other young ladies of her class, Katharine Hilbery was pouring out tea. Perhaps a fifth part of her mind was thus occupied, and the remaining parts leapt over the little barrier of day which interposed between Monday morning and this rather subdued moment, and played with the things one does voluntarily and normally in the daylight. But although she was silent, she was evidently mistress of a situation which was familiar enough to her, and inclined to let it take its way for the six hundredth time, perhaps, without bringing into play any of her unoccupied faculties. A single glance was enough to show that Mrs. Hilbery was so rich in the gifts which make tea-parties of elderly distinguished people successful, that she scarcely needed any help from her daughter, provided that the tiresome business of teacups and bread and butter was discharged for her.
As used in the highlighted line, “mistress” most nearly means
If we look to the context, we can see that Katharine Hilbery is hosting a group of people and pouring tea. So, when the sentence in question uses the term “mistress,” the passage intends to say that she is “in charge of” the situation unfolding before her. This aligns most directly with “manager.” It would not make sense in context to say that she was an admirer or supporter of the situation, nor is she precisely the “victim” of the situation at hand. It’s important to keep in mind when tackling vocabulary in context questions that vocabulary in context is a context question, not a memorization question, so our job is generally to take common terms and find the meaning of those terms that best matches the context.
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The following is an excerpt from Night and Day, a novel by Virginia Woolf that was first published in 1919. The novel tells the story of two main female characters in London in the early 20th century.
It was a Sunday evening in October, and in common with many other young ladies of her class, Katharine Hilbery was pouring out tea. Perhaps a fifth part of her mind was thus occupied, and the remaining parts leapt over the little barrier of day which interposed between Monday morning and this rather subdued moment, and played with the things one does voluntarily and normally in the daylight. But although she was silent, she was evidently mistress of a situation which was familiar enough to her, and inclined to let it take its way for the six hundredth time, perhaps, without bringing into play any of her unoccupied faculties. A single glance was enough to show that Mrs. Hilbery was so rich in the gifts which make tea-parties of elderly distinguished people successful, that she scarcely needed any help from her daughter, provided that the tiresome business of teacups and bread and butter was discharged for her.
Considering that the little party had been seated round the tea-table for less than twenty minutes, the animation observable on their faces, and the amount of sound they were producing collectively, were very creditable to the hostess. It suddenly came into Katharine’s mind that if some one opened the door at this moment he would think that they were enjoying themselves; he would think, “What an extremely nice house to come into!” and instinctively she laughed, and said something to increase the noise, for the credit of the house presumably, since she herself had not been feeling exhilarated. At the very same moment, rather to her amusement, the door was flung open, and a young man entered the room. Katharine, as she shook hands with him, asked him, in her own mind, “Now, do you think we’re enjoying ourselves enormously?”... “Mr. Denham, mother,” she said aloud, for she saw that her mother had forgotten his name.
As used in the highlighted line, “faculties” most nearly means
In this example, we’ll need to be careful to assess the meaning of the term in its context. While “faculties” might sometimes be associated with the term “teachers,” - this term definitely doesn’t fit the meaning at play in the given context. The sentence in question is attempting to say that the task at hand seemed at this point to be routine to Katharine, and that it didn’t require her to apply her “talents.” So, if we would fill in the blank on our own using the term “talents,” the only answer that matches this option is “abilities.” It’s important that we ensure that the chosen answer doesn’t just express “a” meaning of the term in question - we need the meaning that fits the context and maintains the given meaning.
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The following is an excerpt from “Human Life and Migration - an Origin Story,” (2020)
It is now commonly accepted that human life originated in East Africa. There is less agreement as to whether the humans that left Africa in a final exodus as recently as 100,000 years ago replaced all other hominids (thus becoming ancestors to everyone now alive) or humans evolved independently in geographically separated regions. Recently, the replacement scenario, as it is sometimes called, has been lent support from genetic research.
Genetic investigations into the origins of human life most often focus on mitochondrial DNA. As opposed to nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA is transmitted only from the mother. This allows for the tracing of mutations that arise independently of changes that occur because of the combining of the mother’s and father’s DNA. As useful as this is, the high mutation rate of mitochondrial DNA allows scientists a look at only relatively recent prehistory. Nuclear DNA, on the other hand, has a low mutation rate, making it ideal for looking into the more distant past. Studying the nuclear DNA of fossils now shows a substantial decrease in population size in Europe and Asia approximately 50—80 thousand years ago. No such decrease happened in Africa. This supports the idea that migrants from Africa replaced all previous humans, and did not interbreed with earlier migrants.
Other research shows less genetic diversity the farther human populations are located from Africa. This difference in diversity, which continues to the present day, also supports the hypothesis that modern human life came from Africa and gradually spread throughout the world. It is worth noting that there is no discontinuity in the decrease of diversity as one travels from Africa; this points to less distinct ethnic and racial divisions than is popularly thought to be the case.
As used in the highlighted portion, “tracing” most nearly means
In this example, the context suggests that transmittal of mitochondrial DNA from the mother allows the origins of mutations to be “traced.” If we were to fill in the blank with another term that maintains this context, “tracking” aligns well, as it maintains the meaning that the origins of the mutations can be kept track of. While “tracing” can mean outlining or sketching in other contexts, it would be completely illogical here. Keep in mind with vocabulary in context, it’s important that we ensure that the chosen answer doesn’t just express “a” meaning of the term in question - we need the meaning that fits the context and maintains the given meaning.
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