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PSAT 8/9
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Test 1
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Reading Test
55 M I NU TES, 4 2 QUESTIONS

Turn to Section 1 of your answer sheet to answer the questions in this section.

Each passage or pair of passages below is followed by a number of questions. After reading
each passage or pair, choose the best answer to each question based on what is stated or
implied in the passage or passages and in any accompanying graphics (such as a table or
graph).

Questions 1-8 are based on the following passage. and her knee and she is limping. Parviz holds her
.......................................................................................................................................................................................................

This passage is adapted from the story “The Flowers of

under the arm. He takes out his handkerchief and
Shiraz” by Goli Taraghi. ©2013 by Goli Taraghi. Translation ties it around her knee. The Flowers of Shiraz smirk
©2013 by Sara Khalili. The passage is set in Tehran, Iran, in 30 and snicker out of spite and jealousy. Parviz’s bicycle
1953. The Flowers of Shiraz is a teenage dance group. is large. We put Gol-Maryam behind him. She is
Gol-Maryam is the schoolmate of the other young clumsy and shy and doesn’t know what to do with
characters in the passage. her hands. She is holding her legs out and away from
the back wheel and she won’t sit tight against Parviz.
Finally, with fear and foreboding, she agrees. She
35 I’m sure they will fall. We set off. I hear Gol-Maryam
says she will come early and leave early.
scream, but I don’t look back. We speed down the
“Maybe I'll come with my father,” she says.
incline of Baghe Ferdows. Parviz overtakes everyone.
Line “Forget it! Are you nuts? Your dad on a bicycle?
Gol-Maryam, her eyes wide with fear and her mouth
5 With us?”
open and ready to scream, is staring straight ahead.
She laughs and hangs up.
40 She has wrapped her arms tight around Parviz’s
Wednesday afternoon, right on time, she arrives
waist. The wind is blowing through her hair and
at Zafaranieh Street with her chauffeur Javad Agha.
under her skirt. The Flowers of Shiraz are still
She doesn’t have a bicycle. She dismisses Javad Agha
smirking. The narrow alley and back roads of Elahieh
10 and stands next to me like someone who has never
are filled with pleasant shadows. We stop in front of
seen a street, a car, or creatures with two legs. She is
45 Amini Garden. There is a wide stream that flows at
afraid of crossing the street, she screams and grabs
the foot of the garden walls and under the trees. The
hold of the back of my bicycle. Our group consists of
water is cool and clear. It comes from Mrs.
a few classmates, two of the Flowers of Shiraz (so far,
Fakhrodolleh’s reservoir. We take off our shoes, put
15 all girls), two of my cousins (boys), and two of the
our feet in the stream, and wash our face and hands.
neighborhood guys (Homayoun and Parviz).
50 Gol-Maryam’s face is flushed and she’s panting. She
Gol-Maryam feels out of place. She regrets having
pats some water on her face and then she, too, takes
come, but she has no way back. She is happier with
off her shoes and dips her feet in the stream.
her father. The jokes, the pranks, the screaming and
The Flowers of Shiraz splash water on each other and
20 shouting, and everything we talk about is new to her.
chase after one another. It is a pleasant game on such
She doesn’t understand our language. Worst of all,
55 a hot day. Gol-Maryam hides behind a huge tree.
she doesn’t have a bicycle. She climbs up behind me.
I think she will start crying any minute now. But no.
She fidgets. She’s scared and wants to get off. At the
She hops from behind one tree to the next and
corner, she jumps off before I have time to stop. She
splashes water on Parviz and laughs.
25 loses her balance and falls. We stop. The cousins start We ride out to Rumi Bridge and turn back. We
grumbling. Gol-Maryam has scratches on her hands 60 make plans to go to Tajrish Bridge on Friday night.

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Which choice best describes a main theme of the According to the passage, The Flowers of Shiraz
passage? mock Gol-Maryam because
A) Courage emerges when close friends are near. A) she does not know how to swim.
B) Trust is the basis upon which friendships are B) they resent and envy her.
built. C) she does not have a bicycle.
C) It is easier for one to choose what is comfortable D) they dislike her family.
instead of what the majority wants.
D) Facing one’s fears leads to new and meaningful
experiences. 5
As used in line 37, “overtakes” most nearly means
2 A) frightens.
The author includes the conversation in lines 1-6 B) passes.
(“Finally . . . hangs up”) most likely to C) surprises.
A) create a tense mood by showing that D) tricks.
Gol-Maryam’s decisions are in contrast to her
father’s advice.
B) set the scene by revealing that Gol-Maryam is 6
not comfortable with what she is about to do. As used in line 38, “eyes wide with fear” most
C) lay a foundation for the plot by explaining why strongly suggests that Gol-Maryam
Gol-Maryam is uneasy around other people. A) is worried about getting in trouble with her
D) introduce the setting to provide context for father.
Gol-Maryam’s actions. B) has a look of excitement on her face.
C) can see danger that others cannot.
3 D) is startled and anxious about what is happening.
Which choice best supports the idea that
Gol-Maryam “feels out of place” (line 17) when
she is with her schoolmates?
A) Lines 19-20 (“The jokes . . . her”)
B) Lines 23-24 (“At the corner . . . stop”)
C) Lines 25-27 (“The cousins . . . limping”)
D) Lines 53-55 (“The Flowers . . . tree”)

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7 Questions 9-16 are based on the following

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
passage and supplementary material.
At the end of the passage, it can reasonably be
inferred that the narrator This passage is adapted from Patrick Tucker, “The
Over-Mediated World.” ©2007 by The World Future Society.
A) is surprised by Gol-Maryam’s playfulness.
The average American spends more time using
B) is angry that Gol-Maryam is splashing Parviz.
media—an iPod, computer, radio, television,
C) realizes that Gol-Maryam was only pretending to etc.—than in any other wakeful activity, almost nine
be afraid. Line hours a day. Ubiquitous news, e-mail, and
D) feels bad that the girls had misjudged 5 entertainment are facts of modern life and, not
Gol-Maryam’s character. surprisingly, most of us feel that convenient and
consistent access to the digital world is a good thing.
But what if our new “connected age” is actually
8 pushing us further apart, making us not more
10 informed, but less so? This is the concern of
Which choice provides the best evidence for the Michael Bugeja, director of the Greenlee School of
answer to the previous question? Journalism and Communication at Iowa State
A) Line 31 (“We put . . . him”) University and author of Interpersonal Divide: The
B) Lines 42-43 (“The Flowers . . . smirking”) Search for Community in the Technological Age
15 (Oxford, 2005).
C) Line 56 (“I think . . . no”) “Family time at the dinner table used to be
D) Lines 57-58 (“She hops . . . laughs”) sacrosanct. Nutritionists and psychologists will tell
you that having dinner together uninterrupted is a
good thing. We moved from that to ‘quality time,’
20 where both parents were working. Now we’ve gone
from family time to quality time to media time, or
defining activities around media. We spend time
together by using media in proximity to one another,
in the same house or in the same car, but the media
25 itself is often separate,” says Bugeja. By way of
example, he points to the common sight of parents
driving and talking on their cell phones while their
kids sit in the backseat and watch a DVD.
“The more we use technology, the less time we
30 have to nurture our primary relationships,” says
Bugeja. “The reason is simple: Communications
systems alter value systems. We’re spending more
time communicating via social networks, ignoring
those in our immediate environment. Meanwhile,
35 television viewing devours leisure time. Of course
we’re lonely most of the day. We’re searching for
meaningful relationships in front of screens and
monitors.”
The amount of time we spend immersed in the
40 media environment affects the way we behave and
interact outside of that space. Students who have
wireless capability on their laptops feel more entitled
to log onto social networking Web sites during
lectures. The intern who has a video game loaded
45 onto his cell phone is most likely to be the one

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playing the game under the table during an While Bugeja doesn’t imagine the situation will

.............................................................................................
important meeting. The harried professional is more change quickly or easily, he does acknowledge that a
inclined to take a call in the middle of a concert, solution exists. “The key is to nurture interpersonal
during dinner, or at some other inappropriate time. 65 intelligence,” he says. “That’s the ability to know
50 Media, in its very availability, invites abuse, when, where, and for what purpose technology is
according to Bugeja. When such techno-abuses appropriate or inappropriate. I don’t believe this
become commonplace they cease to be taboo, a is a problem of the emerging generation. I think
phenomenon Bugeja refers to as “digital this is a problem of the profiteers of new media. I
displacement.” 70 believe the solution is, as it’s always been in this
55 He describes digital displacement as what country, education and information.”
happens when the demands of the real world conflict
with those of the virtual, resulting in too many
people paying too much attention to gadgets and
ignoring reality, such as drivers interfacing with
60 navigation computers instead of looking out for
pedestrians.

Time Spent (in minutes) with Media per Person per Day
400
350
Mean time (minutes)

300
250
200
150
100
50
0
t ng o es ic
TV ne di di m us
ter a Ra a M
In Re G

Adapted from Robert A. Papper et al., “Middletown Media Studies.” ©2004 by

International Digital Media & Art Association.

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9 13

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The main idea of the passage is that As used in line 35, “devours” most nearly means
A) social media are helping people replace old A) affects.
relationships with new ones. B) consumes.
B) media are causing people to interact less with C) destroys.
others in the real world.
D) overcomes.
C) social media are affecting the way in which
young people relate to adults.
D) media are helping people establish relationships 14
with people all around the world.
In the passage, Michael Bugeja indicates that
A) media are inappropriate to use except in an
10 emergency situation.
The author uses the example in lines 25-28 B) future generations will know better how to
(“By way . . . DVD”) mainly to support the assertion generate income from media.
that families today C) teachers find it useful to have students use media
A) are spending time together in less meaningful for learning in a classroom setting.
ways than they used to. D) people are focused more on media than on their
B) no longer spend time with each other in the immediate surroundings.
same house.
C) are finding positive ways to include media in the 15
time they spend together.
Which choice provides the best evidence for the
D) no longer have dinner together without the
answer to the previous question?
intrusion of technology.
A) Lines 39-41 (“The amount . . . space”)
B) Lines 50-51 (“Media . . . Bugeja”)
11
C) Lines 55-61 (“He describes . . . pedestrians”)
Which choice provides the best evidence for the D) Lines 68-69 (“I think . . . media”)
answer to the previous question?
A) Lines 17-19 (“Nutritionists . . . thing”)
B) Lines 19-20 (“We moved . . . working”) 16
C) Lines 20-22 (“Now . . . around media”) According to the graph, on average, a person spends
more time per day using the Internet than
D) Lines 35-36 (“Of course . . . day”)
A) watching television.
B) reading.
12
C) listening to the radio.
As used in line 30, “primary” most nearly means D) playing games.
A) guiding.
B) extremely basic.
C) original.
D) most important.

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Questions 17-25 are based on the following “In the cave on Andros, we expected to find

.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
passage and supplementary material. something similar, but the hydrogen sulfide layer
This passage is adapted from Charles Q. Choi, “Strange Life
45 there contained different types of bacteria,” Iliffe
Found in Underwater Caves.” ©2013 by TechMedia added. “It shows that the caves tend to have life
Network. forms that adapt to that particular habitat, and we
found that some types of the bacteria could live in
Clues to how life evolved, not only on this planet environments where no other forms of life could
but also possibly on alien worlds, might be found in 50 survive. This research shows how these bacteria have
underwater caves in the Bahamas, researchers say. evolved over millions of years and have found a way
Line The caves in question are called “blue holes,” to live under these extreme conditions.”
5 so-named because from the air, their entrances
appear circular in shape, with different shades of blue ‘Natural laboratories’
water in and around them. There are estimated to be The fact that each cave has different conditions
more than 1,000 such caves in the Bahamas, the from the others and thus a different palette of life
greatest concentration of blue holes in the world. 55 helps scientists analyze the diverse routes life might
10 “It’s really incredible to be swimming down a have taken on Earth, given slight tweaks in their
passage that no one has ever been in before, to initial brews.
experience that thrill of discovery,” said researcher “These bacterial forms of life may be similar to
Tom Iliffe, a marine biologist at Texas A&M microbes that existed on early Earth and thus
University at Galveston. “At the bottom of a cave, 60 provide a glimpse of how life evolved on this planet,”
15 there’s no telling what might be around the next Iliffe explained. “These caves are natural laboratories
corner.” where we can study life existing under conditions
Iliffe and his colleagues examined three inland analogous to what was present many millions of
blue holes in the Bahamas. They discovered that years ago.”
layers of bacteria exist in all three, but each of these 65 Specifically, “these caves have no light and
20 water-filled sinkholes had significantly different therefore no photosynthetic production of oxygen,
microbes living in them from the others. which means the dissolved oxygen levels are either
“We’re finding new forms of life that are low or nonexistent, similar to the environments that
totally unknown elsewhere on Earth,” Iliffe told probably existed on the early Earth,” Iliffe said.
OurAmazingPlanet. 70 These findings might also shed light on how life
might have developed on distant planets and moons.
Blue hole bacteria “As far as we know, no surface waters currently
25 Within each blue hole, the microbes the exist anywhere else in our solar system, but there
researchers found varied depending on the depth, might be water beneath the surface, say on Mars or
owing to how the water in them was separated into 75 moons like Europa,” Iliffe said. “These are areas of
distinct fresh- and saltwater layers as well as total darkness, and so the caves on Earth we are
oxygen-poor or virtually completely oxygen-depleted exploring might be similar.”
30 layers. The blue holes also varied from each other
due to differences such as food sources.
“We examined two caves on Abaco Island and
one on Andros Island,” Iliffe said. “One on Abaco, at
a depth of about 100 feet (30 meters), had sheets of
35 bacteria that were attached to the walls of the caves,
almost one inch (2.5 centimeters) thick. Another
cave on the same island had bacteria living within
poisonous clouds of hydrogen sulfide at the
boundary between fresh- and saltwater. These caves
40 had different forms of bacteria, with the types and
density changing as the light source from above grew
dimmer and dimmer.”

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Bacterial Cells per Milliliter in a Blue Hole
(Lucayan Caverns, Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas)

Sample location
Depth below
water surface Water Rock core at a distance into cave wall of
(m) adjacent to
cave wall 2.0 cm 4.0 cm 6.0 cm 8.0 cm

13.9
68,077 737,904 479,843 144,045 32,945
(freshwater)
14.0
(freshwater/ 88,024 1,321,295 325,611 33,458 19,756
salt water mix)
15.9
157,326 510,504 193,642 75,787 23,291
(salt water)

Adapted from S. J. Schwabe, R. Herbert, and J. L. Carew, “A Hypothesis for Biogenic Cave Formation:
A Study Conducted in the Bahamas.” ©2008 by Gerace Research Center.

17 18
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Which statement best describes the overall structure Based on the passage, Iliffe’s perspective on studying
of the passage? the blue holes is that it is
A) The author describes a discovery in underwater A) challenging to understand why the water in the
caves, and then explains why the discovery is caves has such unique properties.
important. B) perplexing to find so many strange life-forms in
B) The author presents an argument for conducting unexpected places.
additional research in underwater caves, and C) dangerous to venture into unexplored territories.
then gives evidence to support the argument.
D) exciting to explore the unknown.
C) The author presents a series of events that occurs
in underwater caves, and then describes how the
events are related. 19
D) The author describes a phenomenon found in
What does Iliffe’s use of the phrase “sheets of
underwater caves, and then explains what caused
bacteria” (lines 34-35) suggest about the blue hole?
the phenomenon.
A) There was a limited variety of bacterial forms in
the blue hole.
B) There was a great amount of bacteria in the
blue hole.
C) The bacteria in the blue hole were compressed at
deep levels.
D) The bacteria in the blue hole had multiple layers
of food supplies.

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20 24

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Which choice best supports the conclusion that Based on the table, which of the following supports
different types of bacteria in the deeper layers of blue the greatest bacterial growth?
holes have adapted to varying levels of darkness? A) Salt water adjacent to the cave wall
A) Lines 25-30 (“Within . . . layers”) B) A mix of freshwater and salt water adjacent to
B) Lines 36-39 (“Another . . . saltwater”) the cave wall
C) Lines 39-42 (“These . . . dimmer”) C) A distance of 2.0 cm into the cave wall at a depth
D) Lines 53-56 (“The fact . . . Earth”) where freshwater and salt water mix
D) A distance of 8.0 cm into the cave wall at a depth
where there is only freshwater
21
As used in line 52, “extreme” most nearly means
25
A) outermost.
Which idea from the passage is supported by the
B) severe. information in the table?
C) thrilling. A) Bacteria in blue holes differ from one another
D) ultimate. due to varying food sources.
B) Bacteria have evolved over millions of years.
22 C) The density of the bacteria varies across water
depths in blue holes.
According to the passage, blue holes could help
D) The types of bacteria living in each blue hole
reveal how life may have evolved on this planet
differ significantly.
because the bacteria in the blue holes
A) can live in complete darkness.
B) can survive without food sources.
C) cannot survive without some form of air.
D) cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

23
Which choice provides the best evidence for the
answer to the previous question?
A) Lines 43-46 (“In the cave . . . added”)
B) Lines 58-61 (“These bacterial . . . explained”)
C) Lines 65-69 (“Specifically . . . said”)
D) Lines 72-75 (“As far . . . said”)

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Questions 26-34 are based on the following We have, at last, achieved our political

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
passage. emancipation. We pledge ourselves to liberate all our
This passage is adapted from Nelson Mandela’s presidential
people from the continuing bondage of poverty,
inaugural address, delivered on May 10, 1994. For many 45 deprivation, suffering, gender and other
years, Mandela led a peaceful and nonviolent campaign discrimination.
against the South African government and its policies of We succeeded to take our last steps to freedom in
racial oppression. conditions of relative peace. We commit ourselves to
the construction of a complete, just and lasting peace.
Today, all of us do, by our presence here, and by 50 We have triumphed in the effort to implant hope
our celebrations in other parts of our country and the in the breasts of the millions of our people. We enter
world, confer glory and hope to newborn liberty. into a covenant that we shall build the society in
Line Out of the experience of an extraordinary human which all South Africans, both black and white, will
5 disaster that lasted too long, must be born a society be able to walk tall, without any fear in their hearts,
of which all humanity will be proud. 55 assured of their inalienable right to human
Our daily deeds as ordinary South Africans must dignity—a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the
produce an actual South African reality that will world.
reinforce humanity’s belief in justice, strengthen its As a token of its commitment to the renewal of
10 confidence in the nobility of the human soul and our country, the new Interim Government of
sustain all our hopes for a glorious life for all. 60 National Unity will, as a matter of urgency, address
All this we owe both to ourselves and to the the issue of amnesty for various categories of our
peoples of the world who are so well represented here people who are currently serving terms of
today. imprisonment.
15 To my compatriots, I have no hesitation in saying We dedicate this day to all the heroes and
that each one of us is as intimately attached to the 65 heroines in this country and the rest of the world
soil of this beautiful country as are the famous who sacrificed in many ways and surrendered their
jacaranda trees of Pretoria and the mimosa trees of lives so that we could be free.
the bushveld. Their dreams have become reality. Freedom is
20 Each time one of us touches the soil of this land, their reward.
we feel a sense of personal renewal. The national 70 We are both humbled and elevated by the honour
mood changes as the seasons change. and privilege that you, the people of South Africa,
We are moved by a sense of joy and exhilaration have bestowed on us, as the first President of a
when the grass turns green and the flowers bloom. united, democratic, non-racial and non-sexist South
25 That spiritual and physical oneness we all share Africa, to lead our country out of the valley of
with this common homeland explains the depth of 75 darkness.
the pain we all carried in our hearts as we saw our We understand it still that there is no easy road to
country tear itself apart in a terrible conflict, and as freedom.
we saw it spurned, outlawed and isolated by the We know it well that none of us acting alone can
30 peoples of the world, precisely because it has become achieve success.
the universal base of the pernicious ideology and 80 We must therefore act together as a united people,
practice of racism and racial oppression. for national reconciliation, for nation building, for
We, the people of South Africa, feel fulfilled that the birth of a new world.
humanity has taken us back into its bosom, that we,
35 who were outlaws not so long ago, have today been
given the rare privilege to be host to the nations of
the world on our own soil. . . .
The time for the healing of the wounds has come.
The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us
40 has come.
The time to build is upon us.

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26 29

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The main purpose of the passage is to Mandela implies that for the nation to achieve its
A) convince the South African people to support a potential, it is most important that
new form of government. A) the South African people regain confidence in
B) reprimand other countries for abandoning their political system.
South Africa in a time of great need. B) the South African people live each day with
C) remember the hardships the South African integrity.
people overcame to secure freedom. C) other countries send representatives to make
D) encourage the South African people to come peace with South Africa.
together in rebuilding their nation. D) other countries recognize South Africa as a free
country.

27
30
Which choice best summarizes the passage?
A) Humankind is capable of evil under oppression Which choice provides the best evidence for the
and greatness when granted freedom. answer to the previous question?
B) It was the sacrifices of ordinary citizens that A) Lines 7-11 (“Our . . . for all”)
ended the conflict in the nation of South Africa. B) Lines 12-14 (“All . . . today”)
C) Although racial oppression wounded the C) Lines 33-37 (“We, the people . . . soil”)
country of South Africa, a new season of peace D) Lines 42-43 (“We have . . . emancipation”)
and liberty will heal it.
D) Although nations across the globe promised to
work together to put an end to racism, many 31
countries failed to respond to South Africa’s plea
As used in line 23, “moved” most nearly means
for help.
A) changed.
B) stirred.
28
C) relocated.
Mandela includes the statement in lines 4-6 most D) postponed.
likely to convey the idea that
A) time will eventually heal the wounds of South
Africa’s broken society. 32
B) extraordinary South African heroes have Mandela’s purpose for repeating the phrases “the
emerged from extraordinary hardships. time” and “has come” in lines 38-41 is most likely to
C) the best way to overcome disaster is to resist the A) suggest that building something new will cause
urge to focus on South Africa’s past. faster healing.
D) South African society must learn from its failings B) reinforce the claim that old wounds must be
in order to shape a better future. healed before people can move forward.
C) emphasize the idea that the time for action is the
present.
D) contrast the difference between times of war and
times of peace.

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33 Questions 35-42 are based on the following

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passages.
Based on the passage, which choice most closely
describes Mandela’s perspective on freedom? Passage 1 is adapted from Lori J. Keesey, “Blacker Than
Black.” Published December 2010 on NASA’s website.
A) Freedom is a privilege people earn, not a right Passage 2 is adapted from Clifford A. Pickover, The Physics
they have from birth. Book: From the Big Bang to Quantum Resurrection, 250
B) Freedom is not easily attainable, but it is worth Milestones in the History of Physics. ©2011 by
fighting for. Clifford A. Pickover.

C) The freedom enjoyed in times of peace must be Passage 1

sacrificed in times of war. Black is black, right? Not so, according to a team
of NASA engineers now developing a
D) The freedom of a nation is more important than blacker-than-pitch material that will help scientists
the freedom of individuals. Line gather hard-to-obtain scientific measurements or
5 observe currently unseen astronomical objects, like
Earth-sized planets in orbit around other stars.
34 The nanotech-based material now being
Which of the following does Mandela suggest is most developed by a team of 10 technologists at the NASA
important to ensuring South Africa’s continued Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., is a
progress? 10 thin coating of multi-walled carbon nanotubes—tiny
hollow tubes made of pure carbon about
A) Unity among the people
10,000 times thinner than a strand of human hair.
B) Pride in the land Nanotubes have a multitude of potential uses,
C) Celebration of fallen heroes and heroines particularly in electronics and advanced materials
15 due to their unique electrical properties and
D) Investigation of past wrongs
extraordinary strength. But in this application,
NASA is interested in using the technology to help
suppress errant light that has a funny way of
ricocheting off instrument components and
20 contaminating measurements.
“This is a technology that offers a lot of payback,”
said engineer Leroy Sparr, who is assessing its
effectiveness on the Ocean Radiometer for Carbon
Assessment (ORCA), a next-generation instrument
25 that is designed to measure marine photosynthesis.
“It’s about 10 times better than black paint” typically
used by NASA instrument designers to suppress
stray light, he said.
The technology works because of its
30 super-absorption abilities. The nanotubes themselves
are packed vertically much like a shag rug. The tiny
gaps between the tubes absorb 99.5 percent of the
light that hits them. In other words, very few photons
are reflected off the carbon-nanotube coating, which
35 means that stray light cannot reflect off surfaces and
interfere with the light that scientists actually want to
measure. The human eye sees the material as black
because only a small fraction of light reflects off the
material.

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40 The team began working on the technology in than black paint! This “ultimate black” may one day

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2007. Unbeknownst to the group, the be used to more efficiently capture energy from the
New York–based Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Sun or to design more sensitive optical instruments.
also had initiated a similar effort and announced in 85 To limit reflection of light shining upon the
2008 that its researchers had developed the darkest superblack material, the researchers made the surface
45 carbon nanotube-based material ever made—more of the nanotube carpet irregular and rough. A
than three times darker than the previous record. significant portion of light is “trapped” in the tiny
“Our material isn’t quite as dark as theirs,” said gaps between the loosely packed carpet strands.
John Hagopian, the principal investigator leading the
development team. “But what we’re developing is
50 10 times blacker than current NASA paints that 35
suppress system stray light. Furthermore, it will be
robust for space applications,” he said. Based on Passage 1, what can be reasonably inferred
That is an important distinction, said Carl Stahle, about the nanotubes in NASA’s new black material?
assistant chief of technology for Goddard’s A) They are the strongest nanomaterial yet to be
55 Instrument Systems and Technology Division. Not discovered.
all technology can be used in space because of the B) They efficiently create electricity by attracting
harsh environmental conditions encountered there. energy.
“That’s the real strength of this effort,” Stahle said.
“The group is finding ways to apply new technology C) They are able to take measurements in space.
60 and fly it on our instruments.” D) They are invisible to the naked eye.
Passage 2
All manmade materials, even asphalt and
36
charcoal, reflect some amount of light—but this has
not prevented futurists from dreaming of a perfect Which choice from Passage 1 provides the best
black material that absorbs all the colors of light evidence for the answer to the previous question?
65 while reflecting nothing back. In 2008, reports began A) Lines 7-12 (“The nanotech-based . . . hair”)
to circulate about a group of U.S. scientists who had
made the “blackest black,” a superblack—the B) Lines 13-16 (“Nanotubes . . . strength”)
“darkest ever” substance known to science. The C) Lines 29-30 (“The technology . . . abilities”)
exotic material was created from carbon nanotubes D) Lines 59-60 (“The group . . . instruments”)
70 that resemble sheets of carbon, only an atom thick,
curled into a cylindrical shape. Theoretically, a
perfect black material would absorb light of any 37
wavelength shined on it at all angles.
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute The author uses the word “funny” in line 18 to most
75 and Rice University had constructed and studied a likely
microscopic carpet of the nanotubes. In some sense, A) convey that the light’s behavior is unpredictable.
we can think of the “roughness” of this carpet as
being adjusted to minimize the reflectance of light. B) suggest that the scientists’ work is humorous.
The black carpet contained tiny nanotubes that C) describe the strangeness of a new technology.
80 reflect only 0.045 percent of all light shined upon the D) criticize a new technology as insufficient.
substance. This black is more than 100 times darker

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 1 1
38 41

.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
As used in line 51, “suppress” most nearly means The authors of Passage 1 and Passage 2 would most
A) conceal. likely agree that
B) eliminate. A) scientists need to work harder to discover more
new technologies.
C) censor.
B) materials that resemble human-made objects are
D) overpower. the most effective for measuring space.
C) superblack nanotubes have the potential to help
39 in fields other than space exploration.
D) any type of new scientific discovery requires
The last paragraph of Passage 2 serves mainly to
years of hard work.
A) reveal how the material’s new properties were
discovered.
B) reinforce the author's point about the complexity 42
of nanotechnology. Which choice from Passage 2 provides the best
C) emphasize the significance of the innovation. evidence for the answer to the previous question?
D) summarize the scientists’ research. A) Lines 61-65 (“All . . . back”)
B) Lines 74-76 (“Researchers . . . nanotubes”)
40 C) Lines 79-81 (“The black . . . substance”)
D) Lines 82-84 (“This . . . instruments”)
What main purpose do Passages 1 and 2 share?
A) To convince readers of the importance of space
exploration
B) To explain to readers the processes used in the
development of nanomaterials
C) To describe a recent advance in one area of
nanotechnology
D) To show the need for partnership among the
different branches of science

STOP
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No Test Material On This Page
 2 2
Writing and Language Test
30 M I NU TES, 4 0 Q UESTIONS

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

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

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

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

Questions 1-10 are based on the following passage. 1

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

A) NO CHANGE
The Shipment to Jefferson B) collected; during
In 1805, United States President Thomas Jefferson C) collected, it was during
D) collected during
received a shipment that he had been eagerly
anticipating. It included four boxes, two trunks, and three
cages. Inside these containers were hundreds of items
that explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark had
1 collected. During their exploration of the nation’s
westernmost territories. Opening the containers,

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 2 2
Jefferson found such items as pressed plants, soil, bones, 2

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
and even live animals. The collection also 2 included in A) NO CHANGE
B) included, along with the plants, soil, bones, and
addition to the plants, soil, bones, and animals objects
animals,
that Lewis and Clark had acquired through their dealings C) included, besides the plants, soil, bones, and
animals,
with American Indian tribes. 3
D) included
One goal of Lewis and Clark’s journey, which
extended from St. Louis, Missouri, all the way to the
3
Pacific Ocean, 4 were forging relationships with the At this point, the writer is considering adding the
American Indian tribes who lived in those areas. During following sentence.
The Jefferson administration had purchased
827,000 square miles of land west of the
Mississippi from France for about 15 million
dollars.
Should the writer make this addition here?
A) Yes, because it provides details that support the
previous sentence’s claim about acquiring
objects.
B) Yes, because it helps explain why Lewis and
Clark’s journey was historically important.
C) No, because it contains information that repeats
what has already been stated.
D) No, because it interrupts the discussion of Lewis
and Clark’s collection with a poorly integrated
detail.

4
A) NO CHANGE
B) was
C) are
D) is

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 2 2
their travels, Lewis and Clark encountered over fifty 5

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
5 tribes. With each interaction, Lewis and Clark The writer is considering revising the underlined
portion to the following.
exchanged gifts with the tribe members as a gesture of
tribes, including the Sioux, Mandan, Shoshone,
respect and indication of their willingness to trade. and Nez Perce.
[1] The gifts from Lewis and Clark to the tribes Should the writer make this revision?
included 6 weapons, kettles for cooking, and medicine. A) Yes, because it provides additional relevant
information about Lewis and Clark’s encounters
[2] In exchange, the tribe members gave them feather with American Indian tribes.
and quill garments, pipes, and canoes, among other B) Yes, because it gives details that tell more about
Lewis and Clark’s daily life on the journey.
7 objects they gave them. [3] One notable gift in the
C) No, because it provides information that is
collection was a Mandan buffalo robe. [4] Lewis and unrelated to the paragraph’s point about the
American Indian tribes.
Clark included a note in the shipment explaining that the
D) No, because it doesn’t fully explain why the
robe represented a legendary battle involving the Mandan tribes would exchange gifts with Lewis and
Clark.
tribe. [5] Jefferson designated these gifts as “tokens of
friendship.” 8
6
A) NO CHANGE
B) weapons; kettles for cooking and
C) weapons, kettles for cooking; and
D) weapons, kettles for cooking, and,

7
A) NO CHANGE
B) stuff they gave.
C) objects.
D) stuff.

8
To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 2
should be placed
A) where it is now.
B) after sentence 3.
C) after sentence 4.
D) after sentence 5.

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 2 2
Jefferson had a deep interest in the objects Lewis and 9

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Clark had shipped to him. In the entrance hall of his Which sentence, if added here, would most
effectively introduce the topic of the paragraph?
home, Monticello, he displayed the artifacts that Lewis
A) Jefferson hoped to sell many of the items in
and Clark had sent him, including the Mandan robe. hopes of paying off the national debt of the
United States.
9 Jefferson donated some of the items to different
B) One original item from the Jefferson shipment
museums and kept others at Monticello, but over the still displayed at Monticello is the set of elk
antlers Lewis and Clark sent.
years many of the items were lost, destroyed, or stolen.
C) Unfortunately, the contents of the shipment,
However, modern artists have been able to re-create the including the Indian artifacts, have not been
preserved intact.
Monticello exhibit by fabricating artifacts such 10 as:
D) Other artifacts that Jefferson displayed at his
weaponry, paintings, hide robes, and a replica of the home were items from Egypt and maps from all
over the world.
famous Mandan buffalo robe.

10
A) NO CHANGE
B) as
C) as;
D) as—

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 2 2
Questions 11-20 are based on the following passage. 11

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Which sentence provides the best transition to the
Learning about Lemurs next paragraph?
A) NO CHANGE
Lemurs, a type of primate whose ancestors came to
B) Scientists are studying why the lemurs left the
the island of Madagascar roughly 65 million years ago, African mainland in order to understand the
animals’ cognitive evolution.
have lived there ever since in isolation from other
C) Scientists are excited to discover the cognitive
primates. Those other primates, who stayed behind on abilities of both lemurs and simian primates.
the African mainland, evolved into the simian group: D) Scientists have studied the cognitive abilities of
simian primates to gain a better understanding
monkeys and apes. 11 Scientists have compared the of lemurs and their isolated evolution.
cognitive traits of lemurs to those of the simian primates
to gain a better understanding of primate evolution. 12

According to psychologist Laurie Santos, who studies The writer is considering revising the paragraph to
remove the quotation from Santos. Assuming that
modern primates to determine when certain cognitive the revision would result in a complete sentence,
should the quotation be kept or deleted?
abilities evolved, “Lemurs are our best living model of the
A) Kept, because it fully explains the scientific
earliest primate mind.” Earlier research had suggested process Santos used.
that lemurs’ learning capacities were less sophisticated B) Kept, because it helps explain why lemurs have
been viewed as valuable research subjects.
than those of apes and monkeys. Neuroscientist Elizabeth C) Deleted, because it blurs the focus of the
Brannon’s initial research, however, gave scientists new paragraph by giving information that is not
necessary at that point.
insight into lemur intelligence. 12 D) Deleted, because it does not support the
paragraph's main point about the relationship
between lemurs and simian primates.

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 2 2
Both Santos and Brannon have observed behaviors 13

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
that suggest lemurs are skilled with ordered A) NO CHANGE
B) sequences a
13 sequences—a high-level cognitive trait known to be
C) sequences, and a
present in simian primates. 14 Lemurs, it seems, appear
D) sequences. A
to have quantitative abilities similar to those of apes and
monkeys, even though they diverged from 15 there 14
ancestors so long ago. This information suggests that A) NO CHANGE
B) Lemurs, apparently,
those cognitive traits were present in the primate
C) Lemurs, evidently,
ancestors.
D) Lemurs

15
A) NO CHANGE
B) their
C) they’re
D) they are

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 2 2
[1] In one set of trials at Brannon’s cognitive 16

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
neuroscience lab, lemurs watched a researcher place A) NO CHANGE
B) he or she
grapes one by one into an opaque bucket. [2] Brannon
C) it
and her team observed that the amount of time the
D) you
lemurs spent searching for the fruit depended on whether
16 they thought there should be more grapes left in the 17
bucket. [3] 17 For halves of those trials, the researcher A) NO CHANGE
B) Four halves
put some of the grapes into a false bottom inside the
C) For have
bucket. [4] Santos has conducted similar experiments
D) For half
with lemurs. [5] Both scientists concluded that the lemurs
have quantitative reasoning skills. [6] They based their 18
findings on the way the lemurs seemed to keep track of To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 3
should be placed
the objects they were shown. [7] They observed the same
A) where it is now.
type of reaction when a numerical outcome was different B) after sentence 1.
from what the lemurs had expected. 18 C) after sentence 5.
Scientists 19 daydream that future research will D) after sentence 6.

show whether lemurs have additional characteristics of

high-level cognition, such as social behaviors or the 19
A) NO CHANGE
ability to use language. 20 As the work of Santos and
B) pine away for future research to
Brannon shows, lemurs appear to be a key link to C) hope that future research will
understanding the origin of primate cognition. D) search with desire for future research to

20
A) NO CHANGE
B) Because of the work of Santos and Brannon,
C) Nonetheless, the work of Santos and Brannon
shows that
D) As an example of the work of Santos and
Brannon,

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 2 2
Questions 21-30 are based on the following passage 21

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
and supplementary material.
A) NO CHANGE
B) while allowing
Connecting in the Twenty-First Century C) that allows
Videoconferencing is a technology 21 allowing for D) allowed by

people in different locations to hold face-to-face

meetings. With videoconferencing, people can see and 22
A) NO CHANGE
talk to each other on computer or television screens
B) States in the early 1970s,
almost as if they were in the same room. Although this C) States, in the early 1970s
technology first became available for commercial use in D) States in the early 1970s

the United 22 States, in the early 1970s, it took several

decades for videoconferencing to become a practical 23
Which choice most effectively combines the
substitute for business travel. Videoconferencing
sentences at the underlined portion?
programs have significantly changed the business A) world that made
23 world. They have made it faster and easier for B) world, although they make
C) world, which makes
colleagues in different locations to hold discussions and
D) world by making
share information.
Getting to and from out-of-town meetings can be
24
expensive and exhausting. The good news is that by A) NO CHANGE
making a relatively small investment in B) heavy
C) significant
videoconferencing technologies, most companies can
D) weighty
save a 24 distinguished amount of money and time.
According to a report by the Carbon Disclosure Project, a
25
business with $1 billion or more in annual revenue could A) NO CHANGE
save nearly 900 business trips in the first year by B) First of all, the report
C) The report also
equipping four rooms as centers for videoconference
D) As mentioned previously, the report
meetings. 25 The report, however, projects that a
company could start making money back on its
investment in as little as fifteen months.

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 2 2
Once they are fully utilizing videoconferencing 26

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
technology, most companies 26 were very pleased with A) NO CHANGE
B) has been
the results. To better understand business 27 executive’s
C) was
attitudes about using videoconferencing technology,
D) are
Forbes magazine conducted a survey in 2009. Of the 760
business executives who responded, 92 percent reported 27
that videoconferencing saves time, and 28 88 percent A) NO CHANGE
B) executives’ attitudes
responded that videoconferencing saves money. In
C) executives attitude’s
addition, 29 some of the respondents reported that they
D) executives attitudes’
prefer videoconferences because they increase
productivity. 28
Which choice most accurately represents the data in
the chart?
A) NO CHANGE
B) executives noted that videoconferencing reduced
their budgets by 88 percent.
C) another 88 percent agreed that
videoconferencing is more convenient.
D) executives use videoconferencing for 88 percent
of their meetings.

29
Which choice most accurately and precisely provides
specific data from the chart?
A) NO CHANGE
B) 55 percent of respondents
C) other executives surveyed
D) 55 executives

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 2 2
Responses of 760 Business Executives to Questions 30

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
about Why They Prefer Videoconferences A) NO CHANGE
92% B) Therefore,
saves time C) For this very reason,
D) At the same time,
88%
saves money

76%
more flexibility in location and training

55%
increases productivity

49%
ability to archive sessions for later viewing

32%
easier to follow data-heavy presentations

16%
less peer pressure

8%
other

0% 50% 100%
Adapted from Jeff Koyen, “Business Meetings.” ©2009 by Forbes Insights.

Videoconferencing helps companies to bridge

geographical divides and save time, not to mention the
wear and tear on employees who have to travel long
distances for meetings. 30 Rather, it also preserves the
irreplaceable value of a face-to-face relationship in
today’s global business world.

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 2 2
Questions 31-40 are based on the following passage. 31

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
A) NO CHANGE
“It’s Showtime!” B) blowing on
C) blowing: on
There was a brisk wind 31 blowing, on November
D) blowing, on,
21, 1934, as a fifteen-year-old Ella Fitzgerald made her
way down 125th Street in New York City’s Harlem
32
district. Up ahead, Ella could see the Apollo Theater’s A) NO CHANGE
prominent neon sign. The light blazing from its white B) During the age

background and purple letters flooded the night sky. C) For the era
D) At the moment
32 At the age of legal racial segregation, the Apollo
Theater was one of the few settings in which hopeful
33
African American performers could show off their talent. A) NO CHANGE
At that time, if you were white and hoped to become an B) they
entertainer, you went to Broadway, but if you were black, C) you
D) he or she
like Ella, 33 she went to amateur night at the Apollo.
Ella knew that winning the amateur night talent show
34
could launch her career, as it had launched the careers of
At this point, the writer is considering adding the
so many entertainers before her. 34 following sentence.
To this day, amateur night at the Apollo remains
an institution, one that has been instrumental in
promoting the careers of such famous talents as
Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder.
Should the writer make this addition here?
A) Yes, because it reinforces the paragraph’s point
about the Apollo’s significance.
B) Yes, because it adds a historical detail to remind
the reader that the passage is nonfiction.
C) No, because it blurs the paragraph’s focus on
explaining racial segregation.
D) No, because it is irrelevant to the passage’s focus
on how Fitzgerald got her start as an entertainer.

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 2 2
As Ella walked toward the theater’s door, she stared 35

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
aghast at the long line of people waiting to take their A) NO CHANGE
B) people, who would choose the evening’s winner,
seats. These were the 35 people, who would choose the
C) people who would choose the evening’s winner
evening’s winner by the volume of their applause. 36
D) people who would choose the evening’s winner,
From backstage, Ella watched as a pair of dancers
dazzled the audience. Her heart sank as she realized her 36
dance routine couldn’t compete with this performance. It Which choice, if added here, would most effectively
explain why Ella might be nervous?
was her turn next to perform, but Ella was so petrified
A) Ella knew that audiences at amateur night were
that she could barely force herself to walk out onto the notoriously tough on the entertainers.
stage. B) Most entertainers simply ignored the audience’s
reaction and kept on performing.
[1] After Ella was introduced, she heard people in the C) Even now the audience at the Apollo is not shy
audience wondering what she was going to do. [2] Then, about voicing its opinions about the performers.
D) Ella had often sat in those seats and wondered
she made a sudden decision to sing instead of dance. when it would be her turn to be on stage.
[3] She began shakily, and after a few sour notes of “The
Object of My Affection” stumbled out of her mouth, Ella 37
stopped short. [4] With this song, Ella’s bold, singular A) NO CHANGE
B) to show they thought she was a great singer.
voice brought the house down. [5] She tried again, but
C) because they wanted to hear more from her.
this time she went with a song called “Judi.” [6] As she D) DELETE the underlined portion and end the
finished, a wave of applause swept over her. [7] The sentence with a period.

audience demanded an encore 37 because they wanted

38
her to sing again. 38
To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 5
should be placed
A) where it is now.
B) after sentence 2.
C) after sentence 3.
D) after sentence 6.

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 2 2
The appearance Ella made at the Apollo Theater that 39

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
night 39 undertook her career. She was invited to sing A) NO CHANGE
B) ignited
with a well-known swing band and eventually started a
C) caused
solo career. She became one of the top international jazz
D) introduced
performers and won many awards for her
recordings. 40 40
The writer wants to conclude with a thought that
emphasizes the idea of Ella Fitzgerald as an
important entertainer. Which sentence, if added
here, would best accomplish this goal?
A) Ella Fitzgerald always knew that the Apollo
would be the key to achieving her dream.
B) To many, Ella Fitzgerald is still “the first lady of
song.”
C) Though it wasn’t her original plan, Ella
Fitzgerald’s choice to sing was the right one.
D) Ella Fitzgerald would always remember that first
night at the Apollo.

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

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