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Question 1
Passage 1: I have always been wary of cats, and now, walking alongside a 500-pound African black-maned lion, I know why. They remind me there is something higher than I am on the food chain. Josef, the lion beside me, is trained—'the best lion in the business,' his owner says, beaming. Josef has starred in movies and posed for film animators. Josef is a big-time Hollywood cat. But Josef is not tame. No big cat ever is—a difficult fact to ignore as we climb the hills near the ranch Josef calls home. He strides with the fluidity of unfurling silk, deliberately—not an ounce of tentativeness in each footfall. 'Cats don't rent; they own,' it is said. Lions own everything in sight. Passage 2: From Cathy Newman, 'Nature's Masterwork: CATS.' ©1997 by National Geographic Society. While packs of cave bears and saber-toothed tigers may once have terrorized early humanity, most regions of our planet have since been stripped of their descendants. And due to a variety of factors, many other 'man-eating' species now face the possibility of extinction. Their disappearance from Earth is a sobering prospect, not least because of the role they play in keeping us humble. The possibility of being prey, rather than agents of planetary dominion, keeps us acutely aware of our membership within the natural world. The emotions inspired by such possibilities remind us that the world is a dangerous, yet beautiful, place.
According to the author of Passage 2, fierce animal species inspire what feeling in humans?
Your Answer: Option(s)
Correct Answer: Option(s) B
Rationale
Humility is the feeling that fierce animal species inspire in humans according to the author of Passage 2.
The author suggests that the possibility of humans being prey, rather than dominators of the planet, ensures our awareness of our place within the natural world, thereby inspiring a sense of humility.
A) Humor
The author of Passage 2 doesn't mention humor as a feeling inspired by fierce animal species. The context of the passage is more serious, discussing the role of these species in keeping humans aware of their place within the natural world.
B) Humility
In Passage 2, the author states that the possibility of humans becoming prey to fierce animal species keeps us "acutely aware of our membership within the natural world". This suggests that these species inspire a sense of humility in humans, reminding us of our vulnerability and our interconnectedness with the rest of the natural world.
C) Bravery
While it is plausible that fierce animal species could inspire bravery in some contexts, the author of Passage 2 does not mention this as a feeling they inspire. The focus is instead on the humbling effect of our potential vulnerability to these species.
D) Arrogance
The author of Passage 2 does not suggest that fierce animal species inspire arrogance in humans. On the contrary, the text asserts that our potential prey status to these species serves to humble us, reminding us of our place within the natural world.
Conclusion
The author of Passage 2 suggests that fierce animal species inspire feelings of humility in humans. This is due to the realization of our potential vulnerability and the awareness it brings of our place within the natural world. The other options — humor, bravery, and arrogance — are not feelings that the author associates with these animal species in the given passage.
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Question 2
Passage 1: I have always been wary of cats, and now, walking alongside a 500-pound African black-maned lion, I know why. They remind me there is something higher than I am on the food chain. Josef, the lion beside me, is trained—'the best lion in the business,' his owner says, beaming. Josef has starred in movies and posed for film animators. Josef is a big-time Hollywood cat. But Josef is not tame. No big cat ever is—a difficult fact to ignore as we climb the hills near the ranch Josef calls home. He strides with the fluidity of unfurling silk, deliberately—not an ounce of tentativeness in each footfall. 'Cats don't rent; they own,' it is said. Lions own everything in sight. Passage 2: From Cathy Newman, 'Nature's Masterwork: CATS.' ©1997 by National Geographic Society. While packs of cave bears and saber-toothed tigers may once have terrorized early humanity, most regions of our planet have since been stripped of their descendants. And due to a variety of factors, many other 'man-eating' species now face the possibility of extinction. Their disappearance from Earth is a sobering prospect, not least because of the role they play in keeping us humble. The possibility of being prey, rather than agents of planetary dominion, keeps us acutely aware of our membership within the natural world. The emotions inspired by such possibilities remind us that the world is a dangerous, yet beautiful, place.
Which point do both of the passages make?
Your Answer: Option(s)
Correct Answer: Option(s) A
Rationale
Both passages make the point that human beings can be prey.
The first passage explicitly mentions that the presence of a lion reminds the narrator of their place in the food chain, implying that humans can be prey. The second passage also suggests that the possibility of being prey keeps humans aware of their place in the natural world.
A) That human beings can be prey
Both passages make this point clear. In the first passage, the author feels wary around the lion, indicating the inherent fear that stems from recognizing humans can be prey. In the second passage, the author states that the possibility of being prey keeps us aware of our membership within the natural world, further reinforcing this point.
B) That human beings have a duty to protect large predatory animals
Neither passage suggests that humans have a duty to protect large predatory animals. While the second passage mentions the prospect of extinction for these species, it does not specifically argue that humans have a responsibility to prevent this.
C) That large predatory animals are vanishing from the planet
Only the second passage suggests that large predatory animals are facing extinction. The first passage does not address the topic of these animals' survival on a global scale, focusing instead on a personal encounter with a lion.
D) That big cats can never be tamed
While the first passage does state that no big cat is ever truly tame, this idea is not echoed or addressed in the second passage. As such, it cannot be said that both passages make this point.
Conclusion
The shared point between both passages is the idea that humans can be prey. This is explicitly mentioned in both texts, making it the only statement that is mutually addressed. The other options, while relevant to one passage or the other, do not hold true for both texts and are thus incorrect.
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Question 3
The phenomenon of simultaneous discovery—what science historians call 'multiples'—turns out to be extremely common. One of the first comprehensive lists of multiples was put together in 1922 by William Ogburn and Dorothy Thomas; they found 148 major scientific discoveries that fit the multiples pattern. Working independently, both Newton and Leibniz discovered calculus. Three mathematicians 'invented' decimal fractions. For Ogburn and Thomas, the sheer number of multiples could mean only one thing: scientific discoveries must, in some sense, be inevitable. They must be in the air, products of the intellectual climate of a specific time and place.
Unlike Passage 2, Passage 1 makes use of:
Your Answer: Option(s)
Correct Answer: Option(s) C
Rationale
Passage 1 makes use of a personal ane\cdote.
The author of Passage 1 shares a personal experience of walking alongside a lion named Josef, expressing their feelings and observations in a narrative form. This is characteristic of a personal ane\cdote, which is a short recount of a relevant or interesting personal experience or event.
A) Scientific observation
Scientific observation involves systematic data collection, often with the goal of testing a hypothesis or theory. Passage 1 does not contain any elements of scientific observation—it does not systematically collect or analyze data to test a theory. Rather, it recounts a personal experience with a lion, which is an ane\cdotal form of evidence.
B) Historical allusion
Historical allusion involves a reference to a historical event, person, or period. Passage 1 does not make any such references. It is centered on the author's personal encounter with a lion and does not allude to any historical events or figures.
C) Personal ane\cdote
Personal ane\cdotes are brief stories or accounts of individual experiences. Passage 1 is based around the author's personal experience of walking with a lion named Josef. The author narrates their feelings, observations, and the behaviors of the lion, which are all characteristics of a personal ane\cdote.
D) Logical reasoning
Logical reasoning involves the use of structured thought processes to draw conclusions or make deductions. Passage 1 leans more towards narrative storytelling rather than following a clear, logical argument or line of reasoning. It is more focused on describing a personal experience than presenting a logical argument.
Conclusion
Passage 1 is characterized by the use of a personal ane\cdote as the author shares a personal experience with a lion. The passage does not exhibit scientific observation, historical allusion, or logical reasoning. While the narrative is insightful and descriptive, it is based on personal experience rather than systematic data collection, reference to historical events, or structured argumentation. Therefore, the correct answer is C) Personal ane\cdote.
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Question 4
The act of producing art can be anything but romantic. To escape the blank page—the only thing on Earth as passive as yourself—you cast about for distractions, half-convinced that avoiding your project will somehow shower a mystical growth hormone on your ideas. Yet for some artists, such as William Carlos Williams, life and art were more than each other’s palate cleansers. The poet-doctor saw his dual vocations as mysteriously fused. 'They are two parts of a whole,' he contended in his 1967 autobiography. 'It is not two jobs at all... one rests the man when the other fatigues him.' As a physician, Williams developed an antenna for the 'inarticulate poems' emanating from his patients, even as he resolved to 'use the material I knew' from practicing medicine in his writing. What, then, is the real relationship between art and trade—agonistic or complementary? The question, which suggests something like a creative sanctum shimmering a few meters above the room in which you punch a clock or schedule a meeting, assumes that aesthetic experience is categorically different from everyday experience, and that muse-fueled invention floats apart from earthier forms of productivity.
In context, the second quotation in Passage 1 ('Cats... own') serves to:
Your Answer: Option(s)
Correct Answer: Option(s) B
Rationale
The quotation in Passage 1 ('Cats... own') serves to reinforce an observation by using a metaphor.
The phrase is used metaphorically to emphasize the author's observation of the cat's confident, dominant behavior. It supports the author's earlier statement about the lion's deliberate and fearless stride, thereby reinforcing the notion of the lion's ownership of its surroundings.
A) Present an alternative view of a troubling situation
This is incorrect as the quotation does not present an alternative viewpoint. Instead, it continues the same theme of the lion's dominance and control, which the author has been describing throughout Passage 1.
B) Reinforce an observation by using a metaphor
This is the correct answer. The saying 'Cats don't rent; they own' is a metaphor that reinforces the author's observation of the lion's dominant and confident behavior.
C) Warn the reader of an existing danger
This choice is not accurate, as the quotation does not warn the reader of a danger. Instead, it serves to underline the author's observation of the lion's dominance.
D) Cite an authority to support a point
This is incorrect because the quotation does not cite an authority or reference an expert opinion. It is a metaphorical saying used to emphasize the lion's dominant behavior.
Conclusion
The phrase 'Cats don't rent; they own' is used metaphorically in Passage 1 to reinforce the author's observation of the lion's behavior. The quotation highlights the lion's dominance and ownership of its surroundings, supporting the author's description of the lion's confident stride and presence. The other options are incorrect as they do not accurately describe the purpose of the quotation in the context of the passage.
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Question 5
Some scholars believe that the frequent use of repetition in Native American ceremonial texts was a result of their oral nature and helped make the works easy to remember. Native American scholar Paula Gunn Allen argues that this factor must be peripheral, however, because people in societies without writing traditionally developed finely tuned memories. Native American children learned early to remember complicated instructions and long stories by heart. For a person who couldn’t run to a bookshelf to look up information, reliance on memory became very important in everyday life. Such highly developed memory is not likely to fail on ceremonial occasions.
Which of the following, if true, would best serve to challenge Ogburn and Thomas's belief that the discovery of calculus is an example of the 'phenomenon' mentioned in the first sentence?
Your Answer: Option(s)
Correct Answer: Option(s) C
Rationale
Finding a previously unknown letter between Newton and Leibniz discussing calculus that predated its commonly assumed discovery challenges Ogburn and Thomas's belief that the discovery of calculus is an example of the 'phenomenon' mentioned in the first sentence.
The assumption of Ogburn and Thomas is that scientific discoveries are inevitable and emerge simultaneously from multiple independent sources. If a correspondence existed between Newton and Leibniz discussing calculus before its acknowledged discovery, it would imply a shared knowledge or collaboration, thereby negating the notion of simultaneous independent discovery.
A) Uncovering the existence of a journal that Newton kept while working with calculus
Uncovering a journal that Newton kept while working with calculus does not challenge the notion of simultaneous discovery. This journal would merely provide additional evidence to support Newton's independent work on calculus, and would not necessarily indicate any level of collaboration or shared knowledge between Newton and Leibniz.
B) Learning that scientists other than Newton and Leibniz had also made substantial progress on calculus
If other scientists were also making substantial progress on calculus, it would actually reinforce Ogburn and Thomas's theory of simultaneous independent discovery. It would highlight that the intellectual climate was ripe for the discovery of calculus, not challenge the idea.
C) Finding a previously unknown letter between Newton and Leibniz discussing calculus that predated its commonly assumed discovery
Discovering a letter that predates the commonly assumed discovery date of calculus and shows a conversation about it between Newton and Leibniz suggests that their work was not entirely independent, contradicting the concept of simultaneous independent discovery. This would directly challenge Ogburn and Thomas's theory.
D) Identifying a minor error in Newton's original mathematical calculations
Identifying a minor error in Newton's original mathematical calculations does not challenge the idea of simultaneous independent discovery. The error could be a result of Newton's personal mistakes and has no bearing on whether Newton and Leibniz independently discovered calculus at the same time.
Conclusion
The belief of Ogburn and Thomas that scientific discoveries are generally simultaneous and independent is directly challenged by evidence suggesting a shared understanding or cooperation between discoverers. In the case of calculus, the discovery of a letter discussing the subject between Newton and Leibniz before the acknowledged discovery date would imply a level of collaboration, contradicting the concept of independent simultaneous discovery. The other options either don't challenge or actively support the theory of simultaneous independent discovery.
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