In this section of the test, many of the questions will focus on the best way to “fix” or improve a passage in some way. All sentences and sentence parts in the passages will be marked by a number, and the questions will refer to those numbers. Some of these questions will relate to grammar, spelling, and punctuation, as covered in Chapter Four:
Vocabulary, Spelling, and Grammar Review. Others will ask you to rearrange or edit existing passages to improve their structure, for
instance, by selecting the best location to add a sentence or by choosing a sentence to remove because it is unnecessary. The correct answer choice will maintain the passage’s structure and purpose.
Take a look at the paragraph below and answer the question that follows.
1Ecology—the study of the relationships among organisms, and between organisms and their environment—is a relatively new branch of science. 2The name itself was coined by a German
biologist, Ernst Haeckel, in 1866. 3Haeckel postulated the living world is a community where each species has a distinctive role to play. 4Haeckel had another major theory that was widely
accepted at the time, but has since lost support from the scientific community. 5One of the major focuses of ecological study today is fieldwork analyzing relationships within an ecosystem, or a
collection of communities, such as a tropical rainforest or a coral reef. 6The results of such studies have provided conservationists and wildlife managers with important new insights, though many questions remain unanswered.
Which sentence provides unnecessary or irrelevant information and should be removed?
(A) Sentence 2 (B) Sentence 3 (C) Sentence 4 (D) Sentence 6
Looking at the paragraph, you can see that it gives information about the meaning, history, and modern-day focus of a certain topic (ecology). As discussed earlier, writing that primarily imparts information is expository writing—and indeed, this passage is a piece of expository writing about ecology and its origins. Therefore, any sentence that is not about ecology and its origins is irrelevant. The only sentence that is not about ecology or its origins is sentence 4, which mentions another theory put forth by the biologist Ernst Haeckel. This sentence is irrelevant and should be removed; therefore, choice (C) is the correct answer.
Now that you have read the lessons and strategies for the Writing section, see how much you have learned by answering the following review questions.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
Questions 1–2 are based on the following passage.
1Most people think the Hula-Hoop was a fad born in the 1950s, but in fact people were doing much the same thing with circular hoops made from grapevines and stiff grasses all over the ancient world. 2More than 3,000 years ago, children in Egypt played with large hoops of dried grapevines.
3The toy was propelled along the ground with a stick or swung around at the waist. 4The word hula became associated with the toy in the early 1800s when British sailors visited the Hawaiian Islands and noted the similarity between hooping and hula dancing. 5In 1957, an Australian company began making wood rings for sale in retail stores. 6The item attracted the attention of Wham-O, a fledgling California toy
manufacturer. 7The plastic Hula-Hoop was introduced in 1958 and was an instant hit.
1. Where should the following sentence be added?
During the fourteenth century, a “hooping” craze swept England and was as popular among adults as kids.
(A) After sentence 2.
(B) After sentence 3.
(C) After sentence 4.
(D) After sentence 5.
2. Which of the following best describes how the information in the paragraph is presented?
(A) In order of importance.
(B) By geographic region.
(C) In chronological order.
(D) By comparing and contrasting.
Questions 3–4 are based on the following passage.
1Migration of animal populations from one region to another is called faunal interchange. 2Concentrations of species across regional
boundaries vary, however, prompting zoologists to classify routes along which penetrations of new regions occur. 3A corridor, like the vast stretch of land from Alaska to the southeastern United States, is equivalent to a path of least resistance. 4Relative ease of migration often results in the presence of related species along the entire length of a corridor; bear populations, unknown in South America, occur throughout the North American corridor. 5However, fossils show that bears were present in South America hundreds of thousands of years ago. 6A desert or other barrier creates a filter route, allowing only a segment of a faunal group to pass. 7A sweepstakes route presents so formidable a barrier that
penetration is unlikely. 8It differs from other routes, which may be crossed by species with sufficient adaptive capability. 9As the name suggests, negotiation of a sweepstakes route depends almost exclusively on chance, rather than on physical attributes and adaptability.
3. Which sentence contains unnecessary or irrelevant information and should be removed?
(A) Sentence 2.
(B) Sentence 4.
(C) Sentence 5.
(D) Sentence 8.
4. What is the main purpose of this passage?
(A) To inform.
(B) To persuade.
(C) To entertain.
(D) To describe.
Questions 5–6 are based on the following passage.
1A pioneering figure in modern sociology, French social theorist Emile Durkheim examined the role of societal cohesion on emotional well- being. 2Believing scientific methods should be applied to the study of society, Durkheim studied the level of integration of various social
formations and the impact that such cohesion had on individuals within a group. 3He postulated that social groups with high levels of integration serve to buffer their members from frustrations and tragedies that could otherwise lead to desperation and self-destruction. 4Integration, in
Durkheim’s view, generally arises through shared activities and values.
5Durkheim distinguished between mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity in classifying integrated groups. 6Mechanical solidarity
dominates in groups in which individual differences are minimized and group devotion to a common aim is high. 7Durkheim identified
mechanical solidarity among groups with little division of labor and high rates of cultural similarity, such as among more traditional and
geographically isolated groups. 8Organic solidarity, in contrast, prevails in groups with high levels of individual differences, such as those with a highly specialized division of labor. 9In such groups, individual differences are a powerful source of connection, rather than of division. 10Because people engage in highly differentiated ways of life, they are by necessity interdependent. 11In these societies, there is greater freedom from some external controls, but such freedom occurs in concert with the
interdependence of individuals, not in conflict with it.
12Durkheim realized societies may take many forms and consequently that group allegiance can manifest itself in a variety of ways. 13I myself have witnessed this in my own life experiences. 14In both types of
societies outlined above, however, Durkheim stressed that adherence to a common set of assumptions about the world was a necessary
prerequisite for maintaining group integrity and avoiding social decay.
5. Which sentence contains unnecessary or irrelevant information and should be removed?
(A) Sentence 2.
(B) Sentence 6.
(C) Sentence 9.
(D) Sentence 13.
6. What is the main function of the second paragraph?
(A) To explain Durkheim’s theories of societal integration.
(B) To compare and contrast mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity.
(C) To argue that Durkheim’s theories are scientifically significant.
(D) To present the problem of societal integration and offer a solution.
Questions 7–10 are based on the following passage.
1It is possible to date a book by examining the paper it is printed on.
2After the mid-19th century, machine-made paper, constructed from wood pulp instead of rags, became the standard material for publishers.
3Machine-made paper is more acidic and more brittle than hand- made paper. Particularly brittle paper may provide clues to the date of publication. 4Paper made during specific eras may be more brittle and fragile than paper made during the years immediately before and after.
5For example, paper made in the United States during World War II—
when conservation efforts impacted paper production—has discolored to a shade of dark yellow-brown and is so brittle it must be handled very gingerly to prevent cracking. 6Books were first stored horizontally with their front covers facing up, then vertically with the fore-edge facing out, before the now-familiar spine-out arrangement became common.
7The amount and type of chemicals applied to the paper help establish its manufacture date. 8Handmade and early machine-made paper was treated before it was printed so its fibers would not absorb the ink. 9This treatment, called sizing, was made from gelatin and was used to render the surface ready to be printed. 10Freshly made paper was dipped in a vat of sizing for centuries, until German papermakers found that adding alum and rosin to the raw mixture of fibers yielded paper that was sufficiently resistant to ink. 11Other chemical treatments that may be applied to paper include bleaching and coating for illustration.
7. Where should the following sentence be added?
Beginning in the fourteenth century, paper was made by hand from undyed linen or hemp rags.
(A) Before sentence 2.
(B) Before sentence 6.
(C) Before sentence 9.
(D) Before sentence 11.
8. What is the main function of the third paragraph?
(A) To compare and contrast different types of sizing.
(B) To describe how the presence of chemicals can help date paper.
(C) To show a cause-and-effect relationship between paper’s content and brittleness.
(D) To present a problem associated with paper and present a solution to that problem.
9. Which sentence contains unnecessary or irrelevant information and should be removed?
(A) Sentence 2.
(B) Sentence 6.
(C) Sentence 9.
(D) Sentence 11.
10. What is the main purpose of this passage?
(A) To entertain.
(B) To describe.
(C) To inform.
(D) To persuade.
REVIEW ANSWERS
1. (B) Looking at the paragraph, you can see that the details are arranged chronologically,
beginning with the oldest and ending with the most recent. This makes it easy to figure out where the new sentence should be placed: Between the information on ancient Egypt and the information about British sailors in the 1800s. However, sentence 3 must directly follow sentence 2 to maintain a logical structure. This means that the new sentence must be placed after sentence 3.
2. (C) The details included in the paragraph are presented in chronological order, beginning with the oldest events and ending with the most recent. The use of dates in many of the sentences is a good indicator that you are looking at something arranged by time.
3. (C) The paragraph describes several routes along which animals migrate; most of the sentences address this topic. The sentence about bears living in South America in prehistoric times does not relate to the repeated idea of migration routes, so it is unnecessary and should be removed.
4. (A) This paragraph contains a variety of detailed information about migration routes, which suggests that its purpose is to inform. Expository writing is meant to inform, and you already know that expository writing passages are the most common type. To confirm the hypothesis that this is an expository passage, consider the other possible purposes of the passage one by one. The paragraph does not seem to be aimed at persuading (B) or entertaining (C) the reader. While the information in the paragraph might be considered descriptive in a general sense, it does not include sensory details that would paint a mental picture for the reader (D).
5. (D) This question is a little tricky. Although personal observation and opinion might be
appropriate and relevant in some reading passages, sentence 13 does not fit with the rest of the passage and its neutral, informational tone; therefore, it is unnecessary and should be removed. Statements of personal opinion are commonly found in persuasive writing and even narrative writing, but are usually avoided in expository passages such as this one.
6. (B) To determine the function of the second paragraph, take a look at the details that it
presents. The paragraph describes both mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity, and it identifies their differences. The paragraph even uses the phrase “in contrast,” which is a great clue that you are reading a compare/contrast text structure. Although the paragraph does explain some of Durkheim’s theories of societal integration (A), this answer option applies more broadly to the passage as a whole, not specifically to the second paragraph.
This passage is neutral and informational, not argumentative or persuasive (C). The passage does not present social integration as a problem (D).
7. (A) The passage begins by introducing the possibility that paper can be used to determine the age of a book. The second sentence describes papermaking since the mid-nineteenth century. Because the new sentence refers to a time period prior to this (the fourteenth century), it should be inserted before sentence 2.
8. (B) The third paragraph discusses chemical processes used in paper production over time, and
the first sentence describes the paragraph’s thesis: Chemicals found in the paper can be used to estimate its manufacture date. Although the paragraph mentions different types of sizing, it does not compare or contrast them (A), nor does it show a cause-and-effect relationship between content and brittleness (C); brittleness is discussed in paragraph 2.
The passage likewise does not present a problem and solution associated with paper (D).
9. (B) This passage is concerned with paper and its manufacture. Although sentence 6 also addresses customs associated with books over time, it is concerned with changes in the way books are shelved rather than the makeup of their paper, so it is not relevant to the rest of the passage.
10. (C) Although this passage describes some of its topics (such as yellow-brown pages that crack upon handling), it does not principally provide a sensory experience for the reader. It principally focuses on details of paper history and manufacture. This passage is intended to inform.