PRACTICE TEST 6

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 Test 6 - Module 1 - Reading and Writing

Practice Test 6

Reading and Writing

27 QUESTIONS

DIRECTIONS
The questions in this section address a number of important reading and writing skills. Each question
includes one or more passages, which may include a table or graph. Read each passage and question
carefully, and then choose the best answer to the question based on the passage(s). All questions in
this section are multiple-choice with four answer choices. Each question has a single best answer.

The science of genomics is developing better, Look around you. Do you see art in your immediate
cheaper, and faster ways to decode our DNA, and surroundings? What qualities _______ that certain
doctors are becoming more ____________ at using this things are art? Definitions of art vary widely, but most

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information to create “personalized medicine.” Other tend to fall within general notions that have developed
researchers are learning how to turn the most over the centuries.
rudimentary human cells, “stem cells,” into specialized
tissues to help repair damaged human organs. And Which choice completes the text with the most logical
oncologists—cancer specialists—are now coming to and precise word or phrase?
understand how the human immune system can be A) decide
decoded to provide a crucial weapon against the most B) arrange
dangerous tumors. C) regulate
D) determine
Which choice completes the text with the most logical
and precise word or phrase?
A) apropos
B) adept
C) liable
D) essential

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 Test 6 - Module 1 - Reading and Writing

This text is adapted from the book chapter “The Snake venom is one of the most effective methods of
Discovery Settlement of Polynesia” by Dennis self-preservation in the animal kingdom. It is,
Kawaharada (Ⓒ1999 by University of Hawai’i). Fiji, essentially, toxic saliva composed of different
Tonga, and Samoa are islands of Polynesia. enzymes that immobilizes prey. One type of toxin,
The Polynesian migration to Hawai’i was part of known as a hemotoxin, targets the victim’s circulatory
one of the most remarkable achievements of system and muscle tissue. The other is called a
humanity: the discovery and settlement of the neurotoxin, and it affects the nervous system by
remote, widely scattered islands of the central causing heart failure or breathing difficulties. Although
Pacific. The migration began before the birth of deadly, some snake venoms have been found to have
Christ. While Europeans were sailing close to the curative properties. In fact, toxinologists,
coastlines of continents before developing herpetologists, and other scientists have used the
navigational instruments that would allow them venom of a Brazilian snake to develop a class of drugs
to venture onto the open ocean, voyagers from that is used to treat hypertension.
Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa began to settle islands in
an ocean area of over 10 million square miles. Which choice best describes the function of the last
The settlement took a thousand years to sentence in the overall structure of the text?
complete and involved finding and fixing in mind A) Explain how medicines are derived from snake
the position of islands, sometimes less than a venom
mile in diameter on which the highest landmark B) Show how evolutionarily advanced snakes are

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was a coconut tree. By the time European C) Provide evidence to support the statement
explorers entered the Pacific Ocean in the 16th made in the previous sentence
century almost all the habitable islands had been D) Suggest that Brazilian snakes have more
settled for hundreds of years. curative venom than other snakes

Which choice best describes the function of the third

sentence in the overall structure of the text?
A) To provide a contrast between the Polynesian
and European explorations of the central
Pacific in the sixteenth century, on the basis of
the number of square miles explored.
B) To provide a contrast between the earliest
navigational instruments used by Polynesian
voyagers and those used by European
explorers.
C) To provide a contrast between the design and
construction of Polynesian canoes and the
design and construction of European ships.
D) To provide a contrast between the extent of
exploration by Polynesians and by Europeans
during the same period in history.

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 Test 6 - Module 1 - Reading and Writing

Text 1
This text is adapted from an essay written by John Aldridge in 1951. Ⓒ1951 by John Aldridge. In the text, John
discussed the impact of Ernest Hemingway's writing on his generation.
But even without the legend, the chest beating, wisecracking pose that was later to seem so incredibly absurd,
his impact upon us was tremendous. The feeling he gave us was one of immense expansiveness, freedom and,
at the same time, absolute stability and control. We could follow him, imitate his cold detachment, through all
the doubts and fears of adolescence and come out pure and untouched. The words he put down seemed to us
to have been carved from the living stone of life. They conveyed exactly the taste, smell and feel of experience
as it was, as it might possibly be. And so we began unconsciously to translate our own sensations into their
terms and to impose on everything we did and felt the particular emotions they aroused in us.

Text 2
This text is adapted from Brom Weber, “Ernest Hemingway’s Genteel Bullfight,” published in The American Novel
and the Nineteen Twenties. Ⓒ1971 by Hodder Education.
One wonders why Hemingway’s greatest works now seem unable to evoke the same sense of a tottering world
that in the 1920s established Ernest Hemingway’s reputation. These novels should be speaking to us. Our
social structure is as shaken, our philosophical despair as great, our everyday experience as unsatisfying. We
have had more war than Hemingway ever dreamed of. Our violence—physical, emotional, and intellectual—is
not inferior to that of the 1920s. Yet Hemingway’s great novels no longer seem to penetrate deeply the surface

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of existence. One begins to doubt that they ever did so significantly in the 1920s.

On which topic do the authors of the two passages most strongly disagree?
A) The economy of Hemingway’s writing
B) The incisiveness of Hemingway’s prose
C) The sincerity of Hemingway’s portrayals
D) The extent of Hemingway’s reputation

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 Test 6 - Module 1 - Reading and Writing

In fact, Hahnemann’s methodology for scientifically This passage is from Joseph Conrad, The Secret
testing potential treatments was remarkably modern. Sharer. It was originally published in 1912. The
Nevertheless, his conclusions remain extraordinarily narrator of this story is the captain of a ship about to
controversial. One of the main points of contention begin a voyage.
involves the standard homeopathic practice of heavy “Bless my soul, sir! You don’t say so!”
dilution to create the appropriate dose of a substance. My second mate was a round-cheeked, silent
Dilution of homeopathic substances happens in young man, grave beyond his years, I thought; but
stages. Hahnemann had hypothesized that shaking as our eyes happened to meet I detected a slight
the solution after each dilution would imprint the quiver on his lips. I looked down at once. It was
molecular “memory” of the original substance into the not my part to encourage sneering on board my
solution, which would allow the diluted dose to be ship. It must be said, too, that I knew very little of
effective without the possibility of overdose or my officers. In consequence of certain events of
adverse side effects. no particular significance, except to myself, I had
been appointed to the command only a fortnight
According to the text, why did Hahnemann before. Neither did I know much of the hands
hypothesize that heavily diluted substances remained forward. All these people had been together for
effective? eighteen months or so, and my position was that
A) Because shaking each dilution imprinted the of the only stranger on board. I mention this
molecular “memory” of the original substance because it has some bearing on what is to follow.

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into the solution. But what I felt most was my being a stranger to
B) Because substances that were too strong the ship; and if all the truth must be told, I was
often had no effect on the patient. somewhat of a stranger to myself. The youngest
C) Because dilution made the substance more man on board (barring the second mate), and
similar to the original disease. untried as yet by a position of the fullest
D) Because he used modern methodology for responsibility, I was willing to take the adequacy of
testing potential treatments, foregoing any the others for granted. They had simply to be
information learned in the past. equal to their tasks. But I wondered how far I
should turn out faithful to that ideal conception of
one’s own personality every man sets up for
himself secretly.

Based on the text, what is true about the captain?

A) The captain is portrayed primarily as
self-conscious and diffident.
B) The captain is portrayed primarily as rugged
and adventurous.
C) The captain is portrayed primarily as anxious
and short-tempered.
D) The captain is portrayed primarily as scholarly
yet intimidating.

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 Test 6 - Module 1 - Reading and Writing

A cold wind soothed the faces of the sweaty men Microfiber synthetics have been taking the place of
huddled on the muddy field. The team stared at the natural fibers in an ever-increasing number of clothes
goal line and focused on the game-ending, because they provide the same durability and deplete
season-defining play in front of them. Dusty air filled fewer natural resources. A shirt made of microfiber
their lungs with each deep heave they mustered. synthetics is, however, three times as expensive to
produce as a natural-fiber shirt. It follows that the
Which choice best states the main idea of the text? substitution of microfiber synthetic clothes for
A) Football is a game whose players can get very natural-fiber clothes is, at this time, not recommended
dirty. from a financial standpoint.
B) The players have all worked hard to arrive at a
crucial point in the game. Which of the following statements, if true, most
C) The long fall sports season can include some seriously weakens the argument?
cold weather days. A) Microfiber synthetic shirt costs one-half the
D) Cool grass fields are ideal surfaces for price of a natural-fiber shirt to maintain.
football games. B) The production of microfiber synthetic clothes
necessitates garment factories to renovate
obsolete machinery and to hire extra workers
to operate the new machines.
C) The upkeep of natural-fiber shirts is far less

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expensive than the upkeep of any other
natural-fiber garment in current production.
D) While producers anticipate that the cost of
microfiber synthetics will remain stable, they
recognize that the advent of recycling
programs for natural fibers should bring down
the costs of natural fibers.

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 Test 6 - Module 1 - Reading and Writing

Source: National Human Genome Research Institute: genome.gov/sequenceingcosts

Since the Human Genome Project was completed in 2003, the National Human Genome Research Institute has
monitored the cost of decoding a single human-sized genome. A famous law in computer science, known as

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“Moore’s Law,” says that the cost of processing a given quantity of information should decline by 50% every two
years or so. In fact, with “second generation” sequencing techniques developed in 2008, __________________

Which choice most effectively uses data from the graph to complete the example?
A) far more people have been able to take advantage of genome decoding.
B) the cost per genome decoded has dropped well below what Moore’s Law had predicted.
C) the number of genomes decoded has dropped well below what Moore’s Law had predicted.
D) the cost per genome decoded has dropped well below that of most other medical tests.

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 Test 6 - Module 1 - Reading and Writing

Although engineers are often unfairly portrayed in the media as mere number-crunchers, we all depend on their
work every day. The safety of our drinking water, the reliability of our roads and bridges, the usability of our
smartphones are, and even the sustainability of the earth’s ecosystem all depend on the work of engineers. As
we become more dependent on technologies of all sorts, engineering fields are growing quickly. Some
engineering fields _________________

Which choice most effectively uses data from the graph to complete the text?

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A) are expected to grow by at least 5% per year for the foreseeable future.
B) will more than double in size over the next 10 years.
C) will remain stagnant over the next 10 years, while many will grow dramatically.
D) are expected to grow by over 25% in the next 10 years.

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 Test 6 - Module 1 - Reading and Writing

Working in relative obscurity, one 20th century scientist may have saved nearly 1 billion lives. His name is
Norman Borlaug, and he founded the scientific movement that we now call the Green Revolution. Borlaug
received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his work around the world to develop and distribute high-yield
varieties of wheat and rice, promote better agricultural management techniques, and modernize irrigation

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infrastructure. Largely as a result of Borlaug’s work, ________________________ between 1960 and 2014.

Which choice most effectively uses data from the graph to complete the text?
A) wheat yields throughout the world increased by over 200%
B) total wheat production throughout the world increased by over 100%
C) wheat yields per hectare in the world’s least developed countries increased by over 100%
D) total wheat production in the world’s least developed countries increased by over 200%

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 Test 6 - Module 1 - Reading and Writing

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The reason we—anatomically modern humans—won out [in our competition with the Neanderthals] lies, we
suspect, not in being brighter or better able to speak but in our very physical frailty and our resulting need to
exploit our minds. Neanderthals, stronger than us, did not need to take this route. They could survive with their
physical strength rather than tapping the potential of their brains. An analogy is with countries: the richest ones,
such as Switzerland, Finland, Singapore, and Japan, are not blessed with, but rather lack, natural resources.
Without them, they have been forced to use their brains to innovate, providing products and services ranging
from cell phones to diplomacy.

Which choice best describes the data from the graph that support the main argument of the text?
A) Hominid species have existed for over 2,000,000 years.
B) H. neanderthals had a long vocal chamber.
C) H. sapiens and H. neanderthalensis both existed in the period between 100,000 and 40,000 years ago.
D) H. sapiens and H. neanderthalensis had a common ancestor.

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 Test 6 - Module 1 - Reading and Writing

The last members of a now-extinct species of a In an effort to produce a manuscript that is error-free,
European wild deer called the giant deer lived in a professional copy editor will correct the original
Ireland about 16,000 years ago. Prehistoric cave author’s facts, grammar, and spelling, carefully
paintings in France depict this animal as having a double-checking ______ prior to publishing.
large hump on its back. Fossils of this animal,
however, do not show any hump. Nevertheless, there Which choice completes the text so that it conforms
is no reason to conclude that the cave paintings are to the conventions of Standard English?
therefore inaccurate in this regard, since __________ A) it
B) one
Which choice most logically completes the text? C) them
A) some prehistoric cave paintings in France also D) some
depict other animals as having a hump.
B) fossils of the giant deer are much more
common in Ireland than in France.
C) animal humps are composed of fatty tissue,
which does not fossilize.
D) the cave paintings of the giant deer were
painted well before 16,000 years ago. What is education? Is it a program of institutionally
approved performances, or a collection of

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self-directed experiences? Such questions absorbed
Maria Montessori throughout her life. Born in 1870 in
____________________________ as a child. As a teenager,
she told her parents that she wanted to study
In The Hidden Treasures of Black ASL, author Carolyn engineering, despite its reputation for being
McCaskill documents the differing signs, facial unladylike.
expressions, and grammar that ________ Black
American Sign Language a separate, authentic dialect Which choice completes the text so that it conforms
of American Sign Language for the thousands of to the conventions of Standard English?
Black Americans who use it today. A) Chiaravalle Italy, Montessori showed a strong
independent will even
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms B) Chiaravalle, Italy. Montessori showed a strong
to the conventions of Standard English? independent will, even
A) made C) Chiaravalle, Italy, Montessori showed a strong,
B) making independent will, even
C) makes D) Chiaravalle, Italy; Montessori showed a strong,
D) make independent will even

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 Test 6 - Module 1 - Reading and Writing

By the age of 20, Maria Montessori had changed her Inspired by his acquaintance with Bertha von Suttner,
mind and decided to pursue an even less traditional the European peace activist, Alfred Nobel designated
path: medicine. Despite suffering ridicule and the Nobel Peace Prize the fifth and final of his annual
isolation, ________________________ one of the first awards. Now administered by a committee in Norway,
female physicians in Italy. the 2022 Peace Prize was shared by the Ukrainian
organization, Center for Civil Liberties, the Russian
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms organization, Memorial, and Belorussian human rights
to the conventions of Standard English? advocate Ales Bialiatski. In announcing the award, the
A) Montessori’s medical studies at the University committee recognized ______ continued efforts to
of Rome were completed and she became protect the fundamental rights of citizens.
B) Montessori completed her medical studies at
the University of Rome by becoming Which choice completes the text so that it conforms
C) Montessori’s medical studies were completed, to the conventions of Standard English?
at the University of Rome, and thus she A) their
became B) they’re
D) Montessori completed her medical studies at C) its
the University of Rome and became D) his

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In 1907 Maria Montessori opened the Casa dei
Bambini, or “Children’s House,” a daycare center for
In 1933, the totalitarian regimes in Italy and Germany
closed all Montessori schools and declared them
impoverished children in which she could test her subversive. Even outside of Europe, __________ divided.
theory that __________________. She personalized a Many eminent scholars, inventors, and politicians—
curriculum for each child rather than providing a among them Alexander Graham Bell, Helen Keller,
standardized course of study. Thomas Edison, Mahatma Gandhi, and Woodrow
Wilson—greeted her ideas with enthusiasm.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms
to the conventions of Standard English? Which choice completes the text so that it conforms
A) children’s minds each learn according to to the conventions of Standard English?
they’re own schedule A) the response to Montessori’s ideas were
B) each child’s mind learns according to its own B) the response to Montessori’s ideas was
schedule C) Montessori’s ideas had a response that was
C) childrens’ minds learn according to its own D) Montessori’s ideas response was
schedule
D) children’s minds each learn according to their
own schedule

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 Test 6 - Module 1 - Reading and Writing

Many healthcare providers are moving toward the As the Montessori method was gaining a foothold,
“team-based” model, whereby physicians can better Europe was undergoing dramatic social and political
focus on their specialities while relying on trained change. In the 25 years after their founding,
professionals to provide other necessary services. Montessori schools were regarded as a remedy to the
Team-based medicine allows medical practitioners to educational problems associated with rapid urban
best utilize their particular skills, _______ sharing the population growth throughout Europe. ______ fascism
successes and struggles of the team. began to proliferate in the 1930s throughout Spain,
Italy, and Germany, child-centered education came to
Which choice completes the text with the most logical be seen as a threat to the power of the state.
transition?
A) still Which choice completes the text with the most logical
B) while at the same time transition?
C) while A) So as
D) although B) When
C) However, as
D) Furthermore, as

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When we look at the moon, we see a spherical object.
But do “spheres” really exist? This may seem to be a
silly question, because it’s not hard to understand the Even within a single English-speaking country there
definition of a sphere: “the set of all points in space are many different dialects of English. In the United
that are a fixed distance (called the radius) from a States,__________, distinct regional dialects include
fixed point (called the center).” We see examples of those spoken in Boston, the Mid-Atlantic, Southern
“spherical” objects all the time, don’t we? ______, states, the Upper Midwest, and California.
nothing that we can observe in our physical world
corresponds perfectly to this mathematical definition Which choice completes the text with the most logical
of a sphere. transition?
A) consequently
Which choice completes the text with the most logical B) additionally
transition? C) by contrast
A) First, D) for instance
B) So
C) While
D) In fact,

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 Test 6 - Module 1 - Reading and Writing

While researching a topic, a student has taken the While researching a topic, a student has taken the
following notes: following notes:
● Rice and beans offer an example of ● The octobass is a type of three-stringed
complementary amino acid pairing. instrument first crafted in 1850.
● Beans, which are legumes, are high in the ● It stands nearly 12 feet tall.
amino acid lysine. ● Tubas were invented in the 1830s.
● Rice, a type of grain, is low in lysine. ● “Big Carl” is a tuba crafted roughly 100 years
● Vegetables and rice form another ago, though the exact year of its creation is
complementary pairing involving the amino unknown.
acid methionine. ● It stands 8 feet tall and features 60 feet of
● Rice is high in methionine. brass piping.
● Vegetables are low in methionine. ● For several decades in the 20th century, Big
The student wants to explain the amino acid levels in Carl was on display at Carl Fischer’s music
rice. Which choice most effectively uses relevant store in Manhattan.
information from the notes to accomplish this goal? The student wants to compare the age of an octobass
A) Rice is lower in lysine and higher in with the age of Big Carl. Which choice most effectively
methionine in its amino acid composition uses relevant information from the notes to
compared to other protein sources. accomplish this goal?
B) Lysine and methionine are amino acids that A) While the octobass is a three-stringed

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can be found in common foods. instrument, the similarly massive Big Carl is a
C) Dietary staples such as rice, beans, and tuba scaled to unusual proportions.
vegetables can be paired based on amino acid B) Unlike an octobass, Big Carl features 60 feet
composition. of brass piping.
D) Beans generally have high lysine levels, while C) In 1850, the first octobass was constructed;
grains generally have low lysine levels. Big Carl is younger by at least half a century.
D) The octobass is a three-stringed instrument
that originated in the 1850s while tubas
originated in the 1830s.

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

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