Central ideas, supporting detail, inference, and reading evidence from a short text or a data description. The answer must be supported by the passage rather than merely consistent with it.
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Lichens are not single organisms but partnerships: a fungus supplies structure and holds moisture, while an alga or a cyanobacterium makes food by photosynthesis. Because neither partner can hold bare rock on its own, the pairing is often the first life to reach a new lava flow, and its slow chemical action begins to break the surface into soil.Which choice best states the main idea of the text?Lichens are not single organisms but partnerships: a fungus supplies structure and holds moisture, while an alga or a cyanobacterium makes food by photosynthesis. Because neither partner can hold bare rock on its own, the pairing is often the first life to reach a new lava flow, and its slow chemical action begins to break the surface into soil.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
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Answer: A partnership lets lichens live where neither partner could survive alone, which is why they colonise bare rock first.A partnership lets lichens live where neither partner could survive alone, which is why they colonise bare rock first.
The text is built around one point: the partnership does what neither partner can. The comparison between the partners is never made, the lava flow is an example rather than the only case, and nothing is said about the speed of soil formation elsewhere.The text is built around one point: the partnership does what neither partner can. The comparison between the partners is never made, the lava flow is an example rather than the only case, and nothing is said about the speed of soil formation elsewhere.
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The ship's log for 14 March records the crew's rations halved and the carpenter set to work on the boats. The entry for 15 March is in a different hand.Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the ship's situation?The ship's log for 14 March records the crew's rations halved and the carpenter set to work on the boats. The entry for 15 March is in a different hand.
Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the ship's situation?
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Answer: Conditions had worsened enough that the crew were preparing to leave the ship.Conditions had worsened enough that the crew were preparing to leave the ship.
Halved rations and work on the boats point the same way: supplies were short and the boats were being readied. A change of hand shows only that someone else wrote the entry, which is a long way from identifying who, or from a sinking or a mutiny the log never mentions.Halved rations and work on the boats point the same way: supplies were short and the boats were being readied. A change of hand shows only that someone else wrote the entry, which is a long way from identifying who, or from a sinking or a mutiny the log never mentions.
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A researcher claims that a town's new cycle lane increased the amount of cycling rather than simply moving existing cyclists onto it. Which finding, if true, would most strongly support the claim?A researcher claims that a town's new cycle lane increased the amount of cycling rather than simply moving existing cyclists onto it. Which finding, if true, would most strongly support the claim?
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Answer: Total cycling trips across the town rose by 30 percent, with no fall on other routes.Total cycling trips across the town rose by 30 percent, with no fall on other routes.
The claim is about the total, so the evidence has to be about the total. A count on the lane alone cannot separate new cyclists from moved ones, the second choice is the rival explanation rather than a refutation of it, and enjoyment says nothing about numbers.The claim is about the total, so the evidence has to be about the total. A count on the lane alone cannot separate new cyclists from moved ones, the second choice is the rival explanation rather than a refutation of it, and enjoyment says nothing about numbers.
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A library recorded loans in four categories over one month: fiction 1,240; biography 430; science 610; poetry 180.Which claim about the loans is supported by these figures?A library recorded loans in four categories over one month: fiction 1,240; biography 430; science 610; poetry 180.
Which claim about the loans is supported by these figures?
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Answer: Fiction accounted for more than half of all loans.Fiction accounted for more than half of all loans.
The four categories total 2,460, so half is 1,230 and fiction's 1,240 is just above it. Science at 610 equals biography and poetry combined rather than exceeding them, a tenth of fiction is 124 and poetry is 180, and twice poetry is 360 rather than 430.The four categories total 2,460, so half is 1,230 and fiction's 1,240 is just above it. Science at 610 equals biography and poetry combined rather than exceeding them, a tenth of fiction is 124 and poetry is 180, and twice poetry is 360 rather than 430.
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Text 1: Rewilding a river means removing what constrains it — weirs, straightened banks, dredged channels. Left alone, a river rebuilds the meanders and gravel beds that fish spawn in.Text 2: A river straightened for two centuries no longer has the sediment supply it once had, and the gravel it needs now arrives largely from quarrying upstream. Removing the constraints is necessary. On its own it returns a river to a condition its catchment can no longer sustain.How does Text 2 respond to Text 1?Text 1: Rewilding a river means removing what constrains it — weirs, straightened banks, dredged channels. Left alone, a river rebuilds the meanders and gravel beds that fish spawn in.
Text 2: A river straightened for two centuries no longer has the sediment supply it once had, and the gravel it needs now arrives largely from quarrying upstream. Removing the constraints is necessary. On its own it returns a river to a condition its catchment can no longer sustain.
How does Text 2 respond to Text 1?
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Answer: By agreeing that the constraints should go while denying that their removal is enough on its own.By agreeing that the constraints should go while denying that their removal is enough on its own.
Text 2 calls removal "necessary" and then says it is not sufficient, which is agreement plus a limit rather than rejection. The quarrying is mentioned as the current source of gravel, not as something to end.Text 2 calls removal "necessary" and then says it is not sufficient, which is agreement plus a limit rather than rejection. The quarrying is mentioned as the current source of gravel, not as something to end.
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While writing about a 1908 photograph of a market square, a student has taken these notes:•The photograph shows 40 stalls.•A council register for 1908 lists 52 licensed traders.•The photograph was taken on a Tuesday.•The market's main day was Saturday.The student wants to explain why the photograph shows fewer stalls than the register would suggest. Which choice best uses the notes to do this?While writing about a 1908 photograph of a market square, a student has taken these notes:
- The photograph shows 40 stalls.
- A council register for 1908 lists 52 licensed traders.
- The photograph was taken on a Tuesday.
- The market's main day was Saturday.
The student wants to explain why the photograph shows fewer stalls than the register would suggest. Which choice best uses the notes to do this?
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Answer: Taken on a Tuesday rather than the market's main day of Saturday, the photograph shows only 40 of the 52 licensed traders.Taken on a Tuesday rather than the market's main day of Saturday, the photograph shows only 40 of the 52 licensed traders.
Only one choice puts the day beside the shortfall, which is what turns two facts into an explanation. The first states the discrepancy without accounting for it, and the last two report one side of it.Only one choice puts the day beside the shortfall, which is what turns two facts into an explanation. The first states the discrepancy without accounting for it, and the last two report one side of it.
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Seed banks hold seeds at -20° Celsius, a temperature at which most species stay viable for decades. Around a third of the world's tree species, though, produce seeds that die if they are dried, and drying is the step that makes freezing survivable. For those species a seed bank is not an option, and conservation has to mean living collections in the ground.Which choice is most strongly supported by the text?Seed banks hold seeds at -20° Celsius, a temperature at which most species stay viable for decades. Around a third of the world's tree species, though, produce seeds that die if they are dried, and drying is the step that makes freezing survivable. For those species a seed bank is not an option, and conservation has to mean living collections in the ground.
Which choice is most strongly supported by the text?
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Answer: Whether a species can be banked depends on a property of its seeds rather than on the bank's equipment.Whether a species can be banked depends on a property of its seeds rather than on the bank's equipment.
The obstacle described is that the seeds die on drying, which is a fact about the seeds. A third is not most, the text names drying rather than cold as the step these seeds fail, and cost is never raised.The obstacle described is that the seeds die on drying, which is a fact about the seeds. A third is not most, the text names drying rather than cold as the step these seeds fail, and cost is never raised.
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An archaeologist argues that a coastal settlement was occupied all year rather than seasonally. Which finding would most strongly support that argument?An archaeologist argues that a coastal settlement was occupied all year rather than seasonally. Which finding would most strongly support that argument?
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Answer: Animal teeth whose growth layers cover every season of the year.Animal teeth whose growth layers cover every season of the year.
Growth layers record the season an animal died in, so teeth spanning all four seasons place people there in all four. Spring fish point to one season, local charcoal to none, and a solid building can be returned to each year without being lived in continuously.Growth layers record the season an animal died in, so teeth spanning all four seasons place people there in all four. Spring fish point to one season, local charcoal to none, and a solid building can be returned to each year without being lived in continuously.
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While researching a lighthouse, a student has taken these notes:•The lighthouse was automated in 1989.•Before automation it was staffed by three keepers.•It now has no keepers.•Its light is still visible 26 miles out to sea.The student wants to make the point that automation changed who worked there without changing what the building does. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?While researching a lighthouse, a student has taken these notes:
- The lighthouse was automated in 1989.
- Before automation it was staffed by three keepers.
- It now has no keepers.
- Its light is still visible 26 miles out to sea.
The student wants to make the point that automation changed who worked there without changing what the building does. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?
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Answer: Automated in 1989, the lighthouse lost its three keepers but still shows a light visible 26 miles out to sea.Automated in 1989, the lighthouse lost its three keepers but still shows a light visible 26 miles out to sea.
Making the point requires both halves in one sentence: the staffing that ended and the function that did not. The other choices carry one half each, and a change needs two sides to be visible.Making the point requires both halves in one sentence: the staffing that ended and the function that did not. The other choices carry one half each, and a change needs two sides to be visible.
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Text 1: The mechanical reaper, introduced in the 1840s, cut the labor needed to harvest an acre of wheat by roughly four-fifths.Text 2: Machines did not empty the countryside on their own. Where new work appeared, in dairying or market gardening, populations held; where it did not, they fell. The reaper made leaving possible, and something else made it necessary.How does Text 2 use the claim made in Text 1?Text 1: The mechanical reaper, introduced in the 1840s, cut the labor needed to harvest an acre of wheat by roughly four-fifths.
Text 2: Machines did not empty the countryside on their own. Where new work appeared, in dairying or market gardening, populations held; where it did not, they fell. The reaper made leaving possible, and something else made it necessary.
How does Text 2 use the claim made in Text 1?
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Answer: It accepts the labor saving and argues that it was not by itself enough to cause depopulation.It accepts the labor saving and argues that it was not by itself enough to cause depopulation.
Text 2 never questions the figure; it says the reaper "made leaving possible" and then looks for what made it necessary. That is a claim about sufficiency, which is compatible with the reaper mattering a great deal.Text 2 never questions the figure; it says the reaper "made leaving possible" and then looks for what made it necessary. That is a claim about sufficiency, which is compatible with the reaper mattering a great deal.
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The Antikythera mechanism, recovered from a shipwreck in 1901, was cataloged for decades as a corroded lump of bronze. Imaging in the 1970s revealed at least thirty interlocking gears inside, arranged to model the motions of the sun and the moon. Nothing of comparable complexity survives from the next thousand years, which tells us less about what was built than about what happened to survive.Which choice best states the main idea of the text?The Antikythera mechanism, recovered from a shipwreck in 1901, was cataloged for decades as a corroded lump of bronze. Imaging in the 1970s revealed at least thirty interlocking gears inside, arranged to model the motions of the sun and the moon. Nothing of comparable complexity survives from the next thousand years, which tells us less about what was built than about what happened to survive.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
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Answer: One surviving object can reveal a level of skill that the gap after it does not disprove.One surviving object can reveal a level of skill that the gap after it does not disprove.
The last sentence is the argument: the thousand-year silence is evidence about survival, not about capability. The text never compares ancient and modern astronomy, and it says nothing was found of comparable complexity, which is not the same as saying nothing was made.The last sentence is the argument: the thousand-year silence is evidence about survival, not about capability. The text never compares ancient and modern astronomy, and it says nothing was found of comparable complexity, which is not the same as saying nothing was made.
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A cinema recorded attendance at four screenings of the same film: 210, 165, 240 and 185.Which claim about the screenings is supported by these figures?A cinema recorded attendance at four screenings of the same film: 210, 165, 240 and 185.
Which claim about the screenings is supported by these figures?
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Answer: The four screenings drew 800 people in total.The four screenings drew 800 people in total.
210 + 165 + 240 + 185 = 800. Attendance fell between the first and second screenings, two of the four drew fewer than 200, and twice the smallest figure is 330, which is more than the largest.210 + 165 + 240 + 185 = 800. Attendance fell between the first and second screenings, two of the four drew fewer than 200, and twice the smallest figure is 330, which is more than the largest.
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While researching a canal restoration, a student has taken these notes:•The canal closed to traffic in 1944.•Restoration began in 1998.•11 of the canal's 17 locks have been rebuilt.•Volunteers have given about 90,000 hours.The student wants to convey that the work is substantial but unfinished. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?While researching a canal restoration, a student has taken these notes:
- The canal closed to traffic in 1944.
- Restoration began in 1998.
- 11 of the canal's 17 locks have been rebuilt.
- Volunteers have given about 90,000 hours.
The student wants to convey that the work is substantial but unfinished. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?
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Answer: Some 90,000 volunteer hours since 1998 have rebuilt 11 of the canal's 17 locks.Some 90,000 volunteer hours since 1998 have rebuilt 11 of the canal's 17 locks.
"Substantial but unfinished" needs the effort and the fraction in the same sentence: 90,000 hours is the scale and 11 of 17 is the shortfall. The last choice carries the shortfall alone and the third the scale alone."Substantial but unfinished" needs the effort and the fraction in the same sentence: 90,000 hours is the scale and 11 of 17 is the shortfall. The last choice carries the shortfall alone and the third the scale alone.
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Text 1: Every language studied closely turns out to have some way of marking that the speaker did not witness what they are reporting.Text 2: The generalisation rests on the phrase "some way of marking". English has no grammatical evidential, and the words it uses instead — apparently, reportedly, I gather — are optional in a way a grammatical marker is not. Stretch the category far enough and the claim stops being one that evidence could contradict.The objection in Text 2 is best described asText 1: Every language studied closely turns out to have some way of marking that the speaker did not witness what they are reporting.
Text 2: The generalisation rests on the phrase "some way of marking". English has no grammatical evidential, and the words it uses instead — apparently, reportedly, I gather — are optional in a way a grammatical marker is not. Stretch the category far enough and the claim stops being one that evidence could contradict.
The objection in Text 2 is best described as
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Answer: a challenge to how broadly the key term has been defined.a challenge to how broadly the key term has been defined.
Text 2 quotes the phrase it is objecting to and says that widening it far enough makes the claim untestable. It explicitly grants that English has words for the job, so it is not denying the practice, and it does not rank the two devices.Text 2 quotes the phrase it is objecting to and says that widening it far enough makes the claim untestable. It explicitly grants that English has words for the job, so it is not denying the practice, and it does not rank the two devices.
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The bakery's accounts for 1911 record flour bought in April at twice the January price, with a note in the margin reading "shortfall — see Whitby". No entry for Whitby appears anywhere else in the ledger.Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the April purchase?The bakery's accounts for 1911 record flour bought in April at twice the January price, with a note in the margin reading "shortfall — see Whitby". No entry for Whitby appears anywhere else in the ledger.
Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the April purchase?
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Answer: It was connected to a supply problem that the ledger does not otherwise explain.It was connected to a supply problem that the ledger does not otherwise explain.
A doubled price and the word "shortfall" point to supply, and the missing Whitby entry is what makes the explanation incomplete rather than absent. The ledger says nothing about closure, about who Whitby was, or about prices anywhere else.A doubled price and the word "shortfall" point to supply, and the missing Whitby entry is what makes the explanation incomplete rather than absent. The ledger says nothing about closure, about who Whitby was, or about prices anywhere else.
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A historian argues that a village's medieval market was busier than its surviving buildings would suggest. Which finding, if true, would most strongly support that argument?A historian argues that a village's medieval market was busier than its surviving buildings would suggest. Which finding, if true, would most strongly support that argument?
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Answer: Coin finds from the village outnumber those from three larger neighboring settlements combined.Coin finds from the village outnumber those from three larger neighboring settlements combined.
Coins are the residue of trade, and finding more of them than in larger places is evidence of activity out of proportion to size, which is exactly the claim. A rebuilt church, a rival market and an entry in a survey are all consistent with an ordinary village.Coins are the residue of trade, and finding more of them than in larger places is evidence of activity out of proportion to size, which is exactly the claim. A rebuilt church, a rival market and an entry in a survey are all consistent with an ordinary village.
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For most of the twentieth century the accepted account of how birds navigate was magnetic: they were thought to read the earth's field. That explanation survives, but it has been joined by others. Birds also use the position of the setting sun, the pattern of polarised light at dusk, remembered landmarks and, in some species, smell. What looked like one mechanism is now understood as several running at once, which is why removing any single one rarely stops a bird arriving.Which choice best states the main idea of the text?For most of the twentieth century the accepted account of how birds navigate was magnetic: they were thought to read the earth's field. That explanation survives, but it has been joined by others. Birds also use the position of the setting sun, the pattern of polarised light at dusk, remembered landmarks and, in some species, smell. What looked like one mechanism is now understood as several running at once, which is why removing any single one rarely stops a bird arriving.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
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Answer: Navigation in birds relies on several mechanisms working together rather than one.Navigation in birds relies on several mechanisms working together rather than one.
The last sentence states it directly, and the resilience it describes is the evidence. The magnetic account is said to survive rather than to have failed, no sense is ranked above the others, and redundancy is the opposite of the last claim.The last sentence states it directly, and the resilience it describes is the evidence. The magnetic account is said to survive rather than to have failed, no sense is ranked above the others, and redundancy is the opposite of the last claim.
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While researching a village school, a student has taken these notes:•The school opened in 1874.•It had 96 pupils in 1900.•It has 41 pupils now.•It is the only school within nine miles.The student wants to explain why the school stays open despite falling numbers. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?While researching a village school, a student has taken these notes:
- The school opened in 1874.
- It had 96 pupils in 1900.
- It has 41 pupils now.
- It is the only school within nine miles.
The student wants to explain why the school stays open despite falling numbers. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?
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Answer: Though numbers have fallen from 96 to 41, it remains the only school within nine miles.Though numbers have fallen from 96 to 41, it remains the only school within nine miles.
The explanation lies in the note the other choices leave out: distance. Falling numbers alone would be a reason to close, and it is the absence of an alternative that answers the question asked.The explanation lies in the note the other choices leave out: distance. Falling numbers alone would be a reason to close, and it is the absence of an alternative that answers the question asked.
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Text 1: Handwriting is disappearing from schools, and with it a motor skill that research links to letter recognition in young children.Text 2: The studies here are about children first learning letters, aged four to six. Extending them to a fifteen-year-old typing an essay is a leap the evidence does not license.How does Text 2 respond to Text 1?Text 1: Handwriting is disappearing from schools, and with it a motor skill that research links to letter recognition in young children.
Text 2: The studies here are about children first learning letters, aged four to six. Extending them to a fifteen-year-old typing an essay is a leap the evidence does not license.
How does Text 2 respond to Text 1?
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Answer: By accepting the finding and disputing the ages it is being applied to.By accepting the finding and disputing the ages it is being applied to.
Text 2 describes what the studies are about without questioning what they found, then objects to the range over which the finding is being stretched. It offers no new study and makes no comparison of the two skills.Text 2 describes what the studies are about without questioning what they found, then objects to the range over which the finding is being stretched. It offers no new study and makes no comparison of the two skills.
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A charity recorded donations across four quarters: 8,400 pounds, 6,200 pounds, 9,100 pounds and 12,300 pounds.Which claim about the donations is supported by these figures?A charity recorded donations across four quarters: 8,400 pounds, 6,200 pounds, 9,100 pounds and 12,300 pounds.
Which claim about the donations is supported by these figures?
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Answer: The four quarters raised 36,000 pounds in total.The four quarters raised 36,000 pounds in total.
8,400 + 6,200 + 9,100 + 12,300 = 36,000. Donations fell between the first and second quarters, the second raised under 7,000, and twice the worst quarter is 12,400 — just above the best, which makes that claim false by 100 pounds.8,400 + 6,200 + 9,100 + 12,300 = 36,000. Donations fell between the first and second quarters, the second raised under 7,000, and twice the worst quarter is 12,400 — just above the best, which makes that claim false by 100 pounds.
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The rebuilding of the bridge in 1902 is usually dated from the council minutes, which record the decision in March of that year. The masons' account book, though, shows stone being cut the previous November, and a bill for scaffolding was settled in January. The minutes record when the decision became official, not when the work began — a distinction that matters wherever committees are the only surviving source.Which choice best states the main idea of the text?The rebuilding of the bridge in 1902 is usually dated from the council minutes, which record the decision in March of that year. The masons' account book, though, shows stone being cut the previous November, and a bill for scaffolding was settled in January. The minutes record when the decision became official, not when the work began — a distinction that matters wherever committees are the only surviving source.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
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Answer: A record of a decision can postdate the work it authorises, so minutes can mislead about timing.A record of a decision can postdate the work it authorises, so minutes can mislead about timing.
The final sentence generalises the point: the minutes are accurate about what they record and misleading about what they are used for. Nothing suggests falsification, and the rebuilding is not in doubt — only its start date.The final sentence generalises the point: the minutes are accurate about what they record and misleading about what they are used for. Nothing suggests falsification, and the rebuilding is not in doubt — only its start date.
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While researching a peat bog, a student has taken these notes:•Drainage ditches were cut across the bog in the 1960s.•Blocking those ditches began in 2015.•The water table has risen by 22 cm since.•Sphagnum moss now covers 40 percent of the site, up from 5 percent.The student wants to show that one intervention produced two connected effects. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?While researching a peat bog, a student has taken these notes:
- Drainage ditches were cut across the bog in the 1960s.
- Blocking those ditches began in 2015.
- The water table has risen by 22 cm since.
- Sphagnum moss now covers 40 percent of the site, up from 5 percent.
The student wants to show that one intervention produced two connected effects. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?
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Answer: Blocking the 1960s ditches has lifted the water table by 22 cm, and moss cover has gone from 5 to 40 percent.Blocking the 1960s ditches has lifted the water table by 22 cm, and moss cover has gone from 5 to 40 percent.
Two connected effects need the cause and both effects in one sentence, which only one choice manages. The others give the cause alone or one effect alone, and neither shape can show a connection.Two connected effects need the cause and both effects in one sentence, which only one choice manages. The others give the cause alone or one effect alone, and neither shape can show a connection.
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Text 1: Open-plan offices were sold on collaboration. The measured result was the opposite: face-to-face interaction fell by about 70 percent when two firms moved to open plan, and email rose.Text 2: Both firms moved during the same eighteen months in which the whole sector shifted to messaging. Attributing the fall to the floor plan needs a comparison group that kept its walls, and neither study had one.The objection in Text 2 is best described asText 1: Open-plan offices were sold on collaboration. The measured result was the opposite: face-to-face interaction fell by about 70 percent when two firms moved to open plan, and email rose.
Text 2: Both firms moved during the same eighteen months in which the whole sector shifted to messaging. Attributing the fall to the floor plan needs a comparison group that kept its walls, and neither study had one.
The objection in Text 2 is best described as
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Answer: a challenge to whether the floor plan caused the change.a challenge to whether the floor plan caused the change.
Text 2 accepts the measurement and names a rival explanation that moved at the same time, then says the study cannot separate them. It does not claim open plan works, and it takes no view on which medium is better.Text 2 accepts the measurement and names a rival explanation that moved at the same time, then says the study cannot separate them. It does not claim open plan works, and it takes no view on which medium is better.
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A lighthouse keeper's journal for February 1889 records the weather twice a day without fail. The entries stop on the 14th and resume on the 22nd in the same hand, with no explanation. The relief boat's log shows it reached the rock on the 21st.Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about that week?A lighthouse keeper's journal for February 1889 records the weather twice a day without fail. The entries stop on the 14th and resume on the 22nd in the same hand, with no explanation. The relief boat's log shows it reached the rock on the 21st.
Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about that week?
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Answer: Something stopped the keeper writing that week, and the entries resumed as the relief arrived.Something stopped the keeper writing that week, and the entries resumed as the relief arrived.
The same hand rules out a replacement, and pages torn out would not resume mid-month in sequence. What the records support is a gap in the writing that ends when help arrives — which is a smaller claim than any explanation of why.The same hand rules out a replacement, and pages torn out would not resume mid-month in sequence. What the records support is a gap in the writing that ends when help arrives — which is a smaller claim than any explanation of why.
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Coral reefs occupy less than a quarter of one percent of the ocean floor and support roughly a quarter of all marine species. That concentration is why bleaching events are reported as catastrophes rather than as losses proportionate to the area affected: the area is not what is being lost.Which choice best states the main idea of the text?Coral reefs occupy less than a quarter of one percent of the ocean floor and support roughly a quarter of all marine species. That concentration is why bleaching events are reported as catastrophes rather than as losses proportionate to the area affected: the area is not what is being lost.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
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Answer: A reef's importance is out of all proportion to the space it occupies.A reef's importance is out of all proportion to the space it occupies.
The text sets a tiny area against a quarter of all species and says the area is not the thing at stake. The last choice is one of the two facts rather than the point they are put together to make.The text sets a tiny area against a quarter of all species and says the area is not the thing at stake. The last choice is one of the two facts rather than the point they are put together to make.
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The 1841 census lists the household as five: a weaver, his wife and three children under ten. The 1851 census lists the same address with eleven occupants across three surnames, and the weaver is described as a lodging-house keeper.Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the household?The 1841 census lists the household as five: a weaver, his wife and three children under ten. The 1851 census lists the same address with eleven occupants across three surnames, and the weaver is described as a lodging-house keeper.
Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the household?
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Answer: The house had changed from a family home into a business taking in lodgers.The house had changed from a family home into a business taking in lodgers.
Three surnames at one address, eleven occupants and a new occupation for the same man point the same way. The weaver appears in the later census, so he had not died, and nothing indicates what became of the children.Three surnames at one address, eleven occupants and a new occupation for the same man point the same way. The weaver appears in the later census, so he had not died, and nothing indicates what became of the children.
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A researcher claims that a bird species is arriving earlier each spring because of warming. Which finding, if true, would most strongly support that claim?A researcher claims that a bird species is arriving earlier each spring because of warming. Which finding, if true, would most strongly support that claim?
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Answer: Across 40 sites, arrival has moved earlier in step with local spring temperature, and moved least where temperature changed least.Across 40 sites, arrival has moved earlier in step with local spring temperature, and moved least where temperature changed least.
The claim links two changes, so the evidence has to link them too. The first two choices each establish one half and leave the connection unmade, and abundance is a different measure altogether.The claim links two changes, so the evidence has to link them too. The first two choices each establish one half and leave the connection unmade, and abundance is a different measure altogether.
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A school recorded absences across four terms: 310, 275, 340 and 295.Which claim about the absences is supported by these figures?A school recorded absences across four terms: 310, 275, 340 and 295.
Which claim about the absences is supported by these figures?
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Answer: The four terms totalled 1,220 absences.The four terms totalled 1,220 absences.
310 + 275 + 340 + 295 = 1,220. Absences rose between the second and third terms, two terms fell below 300, and 25 percent above 275 is 343.75, which is more than the highest figure of 340.310 + 275 + 340 + 295 = 1,220. Absences rose between the second and third terms, two terms fell below 300, and 25 percent above 275 is 343.75, which is more than the highest figure of 340.
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Text 1: Wikipedia's accuracy on scientific topics has repeatedly matched that of traditional encyclopaedias in blind comparisons.Text 2: Those comparisons sample the articles a researcher would think to check — established topics with many editors. The articles where errors persist are the ones nobody is watching, and by construction they are not in the sample.How does Text 2 respond to Text 1?Text 1: Wikipedia's accuracy on scientific topics has repeatedly matched that of traditional encyclopaedias in blind comparisons.
Text 2: Those comparisons sample the articles a researcher would think to check — established topics with many editors. The articles where errors persist are the ones nobody is watching, and by construction they are not in the sample.
How does Text 2 respond to Text 1?
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Answer: By arguing that the comparisons are drawn from an unrepresentative part of the site.By arguing that the comparisons are drawn from an unrepresentative part of the site.
"By construction they are not in the sample" is a claim about how the comparison was assembled, not about what it found. Text 2 grants the results and denies that they generalise."By construction they are not in the sample" is a claim about how the comparison was assembled, not about what it found. Text 2 grants the results and denies that they generalise.
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While writing about a closed footbridge, a student has taken these notes:•The bridge closed for repair in March.•The detour adds 1.2 km to the journey.•Around 400 people crossed daily before the closure.•Repairs are due to finish in October.The student wants to convey the cumulative cost of the closure to the people affected. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?While writing about a closed footbridge, a student has taken these notes:
- The bridge closed for repair in March.
- The detour adds 1.2 km to the journey.
- Around 400 people crossed daily before the closure.
- Repairs are due to finish in October.
The student wants to convey the cumulative cost of the closure to the people affected. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?
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Answer: For seven months, 400 crossings a day have each become 1.2 km longer.For seven months, 400 crossings a day have each become 1.2 km longer.
A cumulative cost needs the three quantities multiplied together in the reader's head: how long, how many people, how much further. Each other choice supplies one of the three and leaves the total invisible.A cumulative cost needs the three quantities multiplied together in the reader's head: how long, how many people, how much further. Each other choice supplies one of the three and leaves the total invisible.
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Sediment cores from the lake show a sharp layer of charcoal at a depth corresponding to about 1200 CE. Directly above it, pollen from cereal crops appears for the first time and tree pollen falls by two thirds.Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the site?Sediment cores from the lake show a sharp layer of charcoal at a depth corresponding to about 1200 CE. Directly above it, pollen from cereal crops appears for the first time and tree pollen falls by two thirds.
Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the site?
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Answer: Around 1200 CE the woodland was cleared and the land was put to arable use.Around 1200 CE the woodland was cleared and the land was put to arable use.
Burning, a collapse in tree pollen and the first appearance of cereals, in that order and at that depth, is the signature of clearance for farming. A natural fire would not be followed by crops, and cereals appearing for the first time rules out centuries of earlier farming.Burning, a collapse in tree pollen and the first appearance of cereals, in that order and at that depth, is the signature of clearance for farming. A natural fire would not be followed by crops, and cereals appearing for the first time rules out centuries of earlier farming.
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A curator argues that a portrait long attributed to a workshop was painted by the master himself. Which finding, if true, would most strongly support that argument?A curator argues that a portrait long attributed to a workshop was painted by the master himself. Which finding, if true, would most strongly support that argument?
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Answer: Underdrawing beneath the paint shows the freehand corrections found in the master's signed works and absent from workshop copies.Underdrawing beneath the paint shows the freehand corrections found in the master's signed works and absent from workshop copies.
Only one choice distinguishes the master from the workshop, which is what the argument needs. Oak panels, a workshop commission and a contemporary frame are all equally consistent with the attribution the curator is disputing.Only one choice distinguishes the master from the workshop, which is what the argument needs. Oak panels, a workshop commission and a contemporary frame are all equally consistent with the attribution the curator is disputing.
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The word "quarantine" comes from the forty days Venetian officials required arriving ships to wait during outbreaks of plague. Forty was not a medical figure. It was drawn from religious tradition, and it happened to exceed the incubation period of the disease, which nobody at the time could have known. The measure worked, and the reasoning behind it was wrong.Which choice best states the main idea of the text?The word "quarantine" comes from the forty days Venetian officials required arriving ships to wait during outbreaks of plague. Forty was not a medical figure. It was drawn from religious tradition, and it happened to exceed the incubation period of the disease, which nobody at the time could have known. The measure worked, and the reasoning behind it was wrong.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
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Answer: A measure can be effective for reasons its designers did not understand.A measure can be effective for reasons its designers did not understand.
The last sentence states it: the measure worked and the reasoning was wrong. The text says explicitly that nobody could have known about incubation, which rules out the claim that officials understood incubation, and it draws no recommendation from the coincidence.The last sentence states it: the measure worked and the reasoning was wrong. The text says explicitly that nobody could have known about incubation, which rules out the claim that officials understood incubation, and it draws no recommendation from the coincidence.
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A geologist argues that a boulder found on a hilltop was carried there by a glacier rather than eroded out of the hill itself. Which finding would most strongly support that argument?A geologist argues that a boulder found on a hilltop was carried there by a glacier rather than eroded out of the hill itself. Which finding would most strongly support that argument?
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Answer: The boulder is a rock type found only in outcrops 90 km to the north.The boulder is a rock type found only in outcrops 90 km to the north.
A rock that cannot have come from the hill must have arrived from somewhere else, which is exactly what the argument claims. Weight, height and weathering are all equally consistent with the boulder having eroded out in place.A rock that cannot have come from the hill must have arrived from somewhere else, which is exactly what the argument claims. Weight, height and weathering are all equally consistent with the boulder having eroded out in place.
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The orchestra's program for the 1938 season lists a symphony by a composer whose name has been struck through in ink and replaced in pencil with another. The printed program for the following week omits the first composer entirely, and no performance of the work is recorded.Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the season?The orchestra's program for the 1938 season lists a symphony by a composer whose name has been struck through in ink and replaced in pencil with another. The printed program for the following week omits the first composer entirely, and no performance of the work is recorded.
Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the season?
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Answer: The work was withdrawn after the program was printed, and the substitution was made late.The work was withdrawn after the program was printed, and the substitution was made late.
Ink struck through and pencil written over it, on a program already printed, is a change made after printing. The later program dropping the composer and no performance being recorded together indicate a withdrawal rather than a preference between two works.Ink struck through and pencil written over it, on a program already printed, is a change made after printing. The later program dropping the composer and no performance being recorded together indicate a withdrawal rather than a preference between two works.
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A bookshop recorded sales in four categories over one week: fiction 186, children's 142, history 95, poetry 47.Which claim about the week is supported by these figures?A bookshop recorded sales in four categories over one week: fiction 186, children's 142, history 95, poetry 47.
Which claim about the week is supported by these figures?
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Answer: History sales were more than twice poetry sales.History sales were more than twice poetry sales.
Twice 47 is 94, and history sold 95, so the claim holds by a single copy. The four categories total 470, so fiction's 186 is under half; poetry sold 47; and history and poetry together come to 142, exactly matching children's rather than falling below it.Twice 47 is 94, and history sold 95, so the claim holds by a single copy. The four categories total 470, so fiction's 186 is under half; poetry sold 47; and history and poetry together come to 142, exactly matching children's rather than falling below it.
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Text 1: Cities that introduced a congestion charge saw traffic fall immediately and stay down. The measure works.Text 2: Traffic fell and stayed down in those cities, and it also fell in comparable cities that introduced nothing, over the same years in which fuel prices doubled. What needs explaining is not the fall but the difference between the two groups, and that difference is smaller than the headline.How does Text 2 respond to Text 1?Text 1: Cities that introduced a congestion charge saw traffic fall immediately and stay down. The measure works.
Text 2: Traffic fell and stayed down in those cities, and it also fell in comparable cities that introduced nothing, over the same years in which fuel prices doubled. What needs explaining is not the fall but the difference between the two groups, and that difference is smaller than the headline.
How does Text 2 respond to Text 1?
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Answer: By accepting the fall and disputing how much of it the charge accounts for.By accepting the fall and disputing how much of it the charge accounts for.
Text 2 opens by granting the fall and then names a comparison group that fell too. Its claim is about attribution and size, not about whether traffic dropped.Text 2 opens by granting the fall and then names a comparison group that fell too. Its claim is about attribution and size, not about whether traffic dropped.
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While writing about a rescued cinema, a student has taken these notes:•The cinema opened in 1929 and closed in 1997.•It was bought by a community trust in 2011.•Restoration cost 2.1 million pounds.•1,400 people hold shares in the trust.The student wants to emphasize that the rescue was collective rather than the work of one buyer. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?While writing about a rescued cinema, a student has taken these notes:
- The cinema opened in 1929 and closed in 1997.
- It was bought by a community trust in 2011.
- Restoration cost 2.1 million pounds.
- 1,400 people hold shares in the trust.
The student wants to emphasize that the rescue was collective rather than the work of one buyer. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?
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Answer: The 2.1 million pound restoration was funded by a trust with 1,400 shareholders.The 2.1 million pound restoration was funded by a trust with 1,400 shareholders.
Collective effort shows in the number of people set against the size of the sum. Naming the trust alone leaves it indistinguishable from a single institutional buyer.Collective effort shows in the number of people set against the size of the sum. Naming the trust alone leaves it indistinguishable from a single institutional buyer.
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Analysis of the pigment shows a synthetic ultramarine that was not manufactured until 1828. The panel itself has been dated by tree rings to a tree felled between 1490 and 1505, and the paint layer sits directly on the original ground with no intervening varnish.Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the panel?Analysis of the pigment shows a synthetic ultramarine that was not manufactured until 1828. The panel itself has been dated by tree rings to a tree felled between 1490 and 1505, and the paint layer sits directly on the original ground with no intervening varnish.
Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the panel?
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Answer: The painting is a nineteenth-century work on a much older panel.The painting is a nineteenth-century work on a much older panel.
Two datings conflict only if the paint and the panel must be contemporary, and they need not be. The absence of varnish between the ground and the paint is what rules out an earlier image having been painted over: there is no earlier paint layer.Two datings conflict only if the paint and the panel must be contemporary, and they need not be. The absence of varnish between the ground and the paint is what rules out an earlier image having been painted over: there is no earlier paint layer.
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A linguist claims that a place name predates the Norse settlement of the area rather than dating from it. Which finding would most strongly support that claim?A linguist claims that a place name predates the Norse settlement of the area rather than dating from it. Which finding would most strongly support that claim?
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Answer: The name contains an element with no Norse cognate but a clear parallel in the earlier local language.The name contains an element with no Norse cognate but a clear parallel in the earlier local language.
Only the linguistic evidence can distinguish the two periods. A later document records the name without dating its origin, and the location and its neighbors are what the claim is arguing against.Only the linguistic evidence can distinguish the two periods. A later document records the name without dating its origin, and the location and its neighbors are what the claim is arguing against.
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A cuckoo lays in another bird's nest, and the chick that hatches ejects the host's own eggs. The behavior looks like a straightforward theft, and the arms race it produces is anything but: hosts have evolved eggs with signatures difficult to forge, cuckoos have evolved forgeries, and in some populations the hosts have begun rejecting their own eggs by mistake. Each side's improvement makes the other's task harder and its own errors costlier.Which choice best states the main idea of the text?A cuckoo lays in another bird's nest, and the chick that hatches ejects the host's own eggs. The behavior looks like a straightforward theft, and the arms race it produces is anything but: hosts have evolved eggs with signatures difficult to forge, cuckoos have evolved forgeries, and in some populations the hosts have begun rejecting their own eggs by mistake. Each side's improvement makes the other's task harder and its own errors costlier.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
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Answer: The contest between cuckoos and hosts imposes rising costs on both sides.The contest between cuckoos and hosts imposes rising costs on both sides.
The last sentence states it: each improvement raises the other side's difficulty and the cost of its own mistakes. Hosts rejecting their own eggs is offered as evidence of that cost, not as an inability to tell them apart.The last sentence states it: each improvement raises the other side's difficulty and the cost of its own mistakes. Hosts rejecting their own eggs is offered as evidence of that cost, not as an inability to tell them apart.
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A historian argues that a town's medieval wall was built for display rather than defense. Which finding would most strongly support that argument?A historian argues that a town's medieval wall was built for display rather than defense. Which finding would most strongly support that argument?
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Answer: The wall is a meter thick, is pierced by wide unbarred openings, and has no ditch.The wall is a meter thick, is pierced by wide unbarred openings, and has no ditch.
Only one finding describes a structure that could not have held anyone out, which is the claim. Extent, materials and build time are all equally consistent with a defensive wall.Only one finding describes a structure that could not have held anyone out, which is the claim. Extent, materials and build time are all equally consistent with a defensive wall.
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The ledger for the coaching inn records stabling for twelve horses a night through the 1830s, four a night by 1845, and none after 1847. The railway reached the town in 1844.Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the inn?The ledger for the coaching inn records stabling for twelve horses a night through the 1830s, four a night by 1845, and none after 1847. The railway reached the town in 1844.
Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the inn?
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Answer: The inn's stabling trade fell away as the railway took the traffic it depended on.The inn's stabling trade fell away as the railway took the traffic it depended on.
A fall beginning the year after the railway arrived, in exactly the trade the railway replaced, supports that connection. Stabling ending is not the same as the inn closing, and the ledger continues to be kept — it records none.A fall beginning the year after the railway arrived, in exactly the trade the railway replaced, supports that connection. Stabling ending is not the same as the inn closing, and the ledger continues to be kept — it records none.
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A community garden recorded harvests in kilograms over four months: 62, 118, 145, 89.Which claim about the harvests is supported by these figures?A community garden recorded harvests in kilograms over four months: 62, 118, 145, 89.
Which claim about the harvests is supported by these figures?
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Answer: The best month yielded more than twice the worst.The best month yielded more than twice the worst.
Twice 62 is 124, and the best month reached 145. The four months total 414 rather than 400, June's 62 falls below 80, and the last month fell from the one before it.Twice 62 is 124, and the best month reached 145. The four months total 414 rather than 400, June's 62 falls below 80, and the last month fell from the one before it.
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Text 1: Making a museum's collection searchable online has widened its audience enormously. Objects that were seen by a few hundred people a year are now viewed by hundreds of thousands.Text 2: A view is not an audience. The catalog records that an image loaded, and most of those loads last under four seconds. What has widened is reach; whether it has widened engagement is a question the same data cannot answer.How does Text 2 respond to Text 1?Text 1: Making a museum's collection searchable online has widened its audience enormously. Objects that were seen by a few hundred people a year are now viewed by hundreds of thousands.
Text 2: A view is not an audience. The catalog records that an image loaded, and most of those loads last under four seconds. What has widened is reach; whether it has widened engagement is a question the same data cannot answer.
How does Text 2 respond to Text 1?
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Answer: By arguing that the measure counts something narrower than what is being claimed.By arguing that the measure counts something narrower than what is being claimed.
Text 2 accepts the counts and separates reach from engagement, saying the data settles the first and not the second. It disputes what the figure means, not whether it was recorded.Text 2 accepts the counts and separates reach from engagement, saying the data settles the first and not the second. It disputes what the figure means, not whether it was recorded.
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While writing about a restored steam pump, a student has taken these notes:•The pump drained 1,200 acres of fen from 1831.•It was replaced by a diesel engine in 1941.•Volunteers restored it between 1998 and 2016.•It is now run four times a year.The student wants to convey that the pump has been preserved as a demonstration rather than returned to service. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?While writing about a restored steam pump, a student has taken these notes:
- The pump drained 1,200 acres of fen from 1831.
- It was replaced by a diesel engine in 1941.
- Volunteers restored it between 1998 and 2016.
- It is now run four times a year.
The student wants to convey that the pump has been preserved as a demonstration rather than returned to service. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?
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Answer: Restored over eighteen years, the pump that once drained 1,200 acres now runs four times a year.Restored over eighteen years, the pump that once drained 1,200 acres now runs four times a year.
The contrast between what it used to do and how seldom it now runs is what marks it as a demonstration. Any single note leaves that contrast unmade.The contrast between what it used to do and how seldom it now runs is what marks it as a demonstration. Any single note leaves that contrast unmade.
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The parish register records 31 burials in 1665, against a ten-year average of 9. Of the 31, 24 fall between June and September. The register notes no burials at all for the first week of August, and the handwriting changes permanently after that week.Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about 1665?The parish register records 31 burials in 1665, against a ten-year average of 9. Of the 31, 24 fall between June and September. The register notes no burials at all for the first week of August, and the handwriting changes permanently after that week.
Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about 1665?
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Answer: The person keeping the register was very likely among the dead, and that week went unrecorded.The person keeping the register was very likely among the dead, and that week went unrecorded.
A gap in the record during the worst months, followed by a permanent change of hand, points to the recorder rather than to the burials stopping. A parish burying three times its normal number does not pause for a week in the middle of it.A gap in the record during the worst months, followed by a permanent change of hand, points to the recorder rather than to the burials stopping. A parish burying three times its normal number does not pause for a week in the middle of it.
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A researcher claims that a fish species migrates between two lakes rather than forming two separate resident populations. Which finding would most strongly support that claim?A researcher claims that a fish species migrates between two lakes rather than forming two separate resident populations. Which finding would most strongly support that claim?
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Answer: Chemical signatures in the ear bones of adults from one lake record water from the other.Chemical signatures in the ear bones of adults from one lake record water from the other.
Ear bones lay down a record of the water a fish has lived in, so a signature from the other lake places an individual fish in both. Shared species, a passable stream and similar size are all consistent with two populations that never mix.Ear bones lay down a record of the water a fish has lived in, so a signature from the other lake places an individual fish in both. Shared species, a passable stream and similar size are all consistent with two populations that never mix.
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The Antonine Wall was garrisoned for about twenty years and then abandoned; Hadrian's Wall, eighty miles south, was held for three centuries. The usual explanation is that the northern line was overextended. The archaeology complicates that: the Antonine forts were larger, better supplied and closer together. Whatever ended the occupation, it does not look like a garrison that could not hold its ground.Which choice best states the main idea of the text?The Antonine Wall was garrisoned for about twenty years and then abandoned; Hadrian's Wall, eighty miles south, was held for three centuries. The usual explanation is that the northern line was overextended. The archaeology complicates that: the Antonine forts were larger, better supplied and closer together. Whatever ended the occupation, it does not look like a garrison that could not hold its ground.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
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Answer: The physical evidence does not support the usual explanation for the abandonment.The physical evidence does not support the usual explanation for the abandonment.
The text sets the standard explanation against three findings that cut against it and then declines to replace it. Saying an explanation does not fit is not the same as saying what did happen, and the passage is careful not to.The text sets the standard explanation against three findings that cut against it and then declines to replace it. Saying an explanation does not fit is not the same as saying what did happen, and the passage is careful not to.
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A researcher claims that a pottery style spread by trade rather than by migration. Which finding would most strongly support that claim?A researcher claims that a pottery style spread by trade rather than by migration. Which finding would most strongly support that claim?
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Answer: The clay in the pots is local to each site, while the decoration is uniform across all of them.The clay in the pots is local to each site, while the decoration is uniform across all of them.
Local clay means the pots were made where they were found, so what traveled was the idea rather than the potters or the pots. Rapid spread, imported goods and quality are all equally consistent with people moving.Local clay means the pots were made where they were found, so what traveled was the idea rather than the potters or the pots. Rapid spread, imported goods and quality are all equally consistent with people moving.
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The manor accounts list payments to a glazier in 1487, 1488 and 1489, and then nothing for eleven years. In 1500 the entry reads "for the great window, new". The building has one window that is stylistically later than the rest.Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the building?The manor accounts list payments to a glazier in 1487, 1488 and 1489, and then nothing for eleven years. In 1500 the entry reads "for the great window, new". The building has one window that is stylistically later than the rest.
Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the building?
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Answer: The repeated early payments were maintenance, and the 1500 payment was for the window that still looks later.The repeated early payments were maintenance, and the 1500 payment was for the window that still looks later.
Three payments in three years followed by a gap fits ongoing upkeep; a single payment described as "new" for a "great window", together with one window that looks later, fits a replacement. The accounts continue through the gap, so they were not lost.Three payments in three years followed by a gap fits ongoing upkeep; a single payment described as "new" for a "great window", together with one window that looks later, fits a replacement. The accounts continue through the gap, so they were not lost.
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A cycle-hire scheme recorded journeys in four quarters: 41,000, 68,000, 72,000 and 39,000.Which claim about the year is supported by these figures?A cycle-hire scheme recorded journeys in four quarters: 41,000, 68,000, 72,000 and 39,000.
Which claim about the year is supported by these figures?
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Answer: The four quarters carried 220,000 journeys in total.The four quarters carried 220,000 journeys in total.
41,000 + 68,000 + 72,000 + 39,000 = 220,000. Journeys fell in the fourth quarter, the quietest carried 39,000 and twice that is 78,000 — more than the busiest — and the fourth quarter fell below 40,000.41,000 + 68,000 + 72,000 + 39,000 = 220,000. Journeys fell in the fourth quarter, the quietest carried 39,000 and twice that is 78,000 — more than the busiest — and the fourth quarter fell below 40,000.
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Text 1: Digitising a newspaper archive makes it searchable, and searchable archives get used. Citations of the paper have risen tenfold since the scans went online.Text 2: Citations rose because searching is easy, and what is easy to search is what gets cited. The years that were digitised first are cited most, and they are not the years historians previously thought most important.How does Text 2 respond to Text 1?Text 1: Digitising a newspaper archive makes it searchable, and searchable archives get used. Citations of the paper have risen tenfold since the scans went online.
Text 2: Citations rose because searching is easy, and what is easy to search is what gets cited. The years that were digitised first are cited most, and they are not the years historians previously thought most important.
How does Text 2 respond to Text 1?
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Answer: By arguing that the rise reflects what is easy to find rather than what is worth finding.By arguing that the rise reflects what is easy to find rather than what is worth finding.
Text 2 accepts the tenfold rise and observes that it tracks the digitisation order rather than historical importance. It makes no recommendation against digitising and raises no question about scan quality.Text 2 accepts the tenfold rise and observes that it tracks the digitisation order rather than historical importance. It makes no recommendation against digitising and raises no question about scan quality.
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While writing about a bird hide, a student has taken these notes:•The hide was built by volunteers in 1997.•It overlooks a lagoon created by gravel extraction.•63 species have been recorded from it.•The lagoon was a working quarry until 1989.The student wants to convey that the site's value is recent and accidental. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?While writing about a bird hide, a student has taken these notes:
- The hide was built by volunteers in 1997.
- It overlooks a lagoon created by gravel extraction.
- 63 species have been recorded from it.
- The lagoon was a working quarry until 1989.
The student wants to convey that the site's value is recent and accidental. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?
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Answer: A gravel quarry worked until 1989 is now a lagoon from which 63 species have been recorded.A gravel quarry worked until 1989 is now a lagoon from which 63 species have been recorded.
"Recent and accidental" needs the industrial past and the wildlife present in one sentence: nobody dug the quarry to make a lagoon. Any single note gives one half and leaves the point unmade."Recent and accidental" needs the industrial past and the wildlife present in one sentence: nobody dug the quarry to make a lagoon. Any single note gives one half and leaves the point unmade.
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A glacier's terminal moraine sits 4 km down-valley from its present snout. Lichen on the moraine boulders indicates roughly 180 years of exposure, and the species growing there is one that colonises only after the ice has gone.Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the glacier?A glacier's terminal moraine sits 4 km down-valley from its present snout. Lichen on the moraine boulders indicates roughly 180 years of exposure, and the species growing there is one that colonises only after the ice has gone.
Which choice most logically completes the reasoning about the glacier?
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Answer: The glacier stood 4 km further down the valley about 180 years ago and has retreated since.The glacier stood 4 km further down the valley about 180 years ago and has retreated since.
A terminal moraine marks the furthest extent of the ice, and lichen that only grows on exposed rock dates the moment the ice left it. The two together place the snout 4 km further down 180 years ago, which is a retreat rather than an advance.A terminal moraine marks the furthest extent of the ice, and lichen that only grows on exposed rock dates the moment the ice left it. The two together place the snout 4 km further down 180 years ago, which is a retreat rather than an advance.
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A historian argues that a village school taught girls as well as boys in the 1840s, when the surviving register lists only surnames and initials. Which finding would most strongly support the argument?A historian argues that a village school taught girls as well as boys in the 1840s, when the surviving register lists only surnames and initials. Which finding would most strongly support the argument?
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Answer: The 1841 census gives full names for the households, and matching them to the register's initials yields girls.The 1841 census gives full names for the households, and matching them to the register's initials yields girls.
Only one finding turns the initials into named individuals, which is what the argument needs. Two entrances, a neighboring school's practice and the teacher's sex are all consistent with a boys-only register.Only one finding turns the initials into named individuals, which is what the argument needs. Two entrances, a neighboring school's practice and the teacher's sex are all consistent with a boys-only register.
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