Passage excerpt (Social Science): "The conventional understanding of urbanization as a purely economic phenomenon — people moving to cities for jobs — obscures a crucial psychological dimension. Research by Oishi and colleagues demonstrates that individuals with a high need for novelty are significantly more likely to migrate to urban centers, regardless of employment prospects. The city, in this view, is not merely an economic engine but a psychological habitat."
Question: The main point of the passage excerpt is that:
A. urbanization is caused primarily by economic factors such as job availability. B. people with certain personality traits are drawn to cities for reasons beyond employment. C. psychological research has disproven all economic theories of urbanization. D. rural communities should work harder to retain residents with high novelty-seeking traits.
Answer: B. The passage explicitly states that the economic view "obscures a crucial psychological dimension" and cites research on novelty-seeking. Choice A is the view the passage argues against. Choice C is too extreme — the passage says the economic view is incomplete, not disproven. Choice D introduces a recommendation the passage never makes.
Passage excerpt (Prose Fiction): "Margaret set the letter on the kitchen table, pressing it flat with both palms as if it might curl up and disappear. She stared at the handwriting — her daughter's unmistakable left-leaning script — and realized she had been holding her breath. She exhaled slowly, then poured herself a cup of coffee she did not intend to drink."
Question: Based on the passage, it is most reasonable to infer that Margaret:
A. is angry at her daughter for not visiting more often. B. feels anxious about the contents of the letter. C. has been expecting the letter for several weeks. D. disapproves of her daughter's handwriting style.
Answer: B. Margaret's physical reactions — pressing the letter flat, holding her breath, pouring coffee she won't drink — all signal anxiety and nervous anticipation. Choice A reads anger into the scene where none is shown. Choice C is unsupported — nothing indicates a timeline of expectation. Choice D misreads the detail about handwriting; Margaret recognizes it, she doesn't criticize it.
Passage excerpt (Humanities): "The architect's approach was deliberately austere — clean lines, unadorned surfaces, a rejection of the ornamental excess that characterized the previous decade's public buildings."
Question: As used in the passage, "austere" most nearly means:
A. severe and unfriendly. B. simple and undecorated. C. old-fashioned and traditional. D. expensive and exclusive.
Answer: B. The context defines "austere" through the words that follow: "clean lines, unadorned surfaces, a rejection of ornamental excess." This points to simplicity, not severity (A), tradition (C), or expense (D). Note: "austere" can mean "severe" in other contexts, but the passage usage is clearly about aesthetic simplicity.
Passage excerpt (Natural Science): "To understand why flamingos are pink, it helps to first understand why most birds are not. Avian coloration typically derives from two sources: pigments deposited in feathers during growth, and structural properties of the feathers themselves that scatter certain wavelengths of light. Flamingos exploit the first mechanism in an unusual way."
Question: The primary purpose of the second sentence ("Avian coloration typically derives...") is to:
A. introduce a scientific controversy about bird coloration. B. argue that flamingo coloring is the result of structural properties. C. provide background information that contextualizes the flamingo's unusual coloring. D. summarize the findings of a specific research study.
Answer: C. The sentence explains the general rules of bird coloration, setting up the contrast with flamingos that follows ("Flamingos exploit the first mechanism in an unusual way"). It provides context, not controversy (A), an argument about flamingos (B), or a research summary (D).
Passage excerpt (Social Science): "Economist A argues that minimum wage increases reduce employment among low-skilled workers because businesses cannot absorb the higher labor costs. Economist B counters that modest increases stimulate consumer spending, which offsets the cost through increased demand for goods and services."
Question: Economists A and B would most likely disagree about whether:
A. minimum wage laws exist in most developed countries. B. businesses face higher costs when minimum wages rise. C. the net effect of minimum wage increases on employment is negative. D. low-skilled workers benefit from consumer spending.
Answer: C. Economist A says employment decreases (net negative effect). Economist B says increased spending offsets the cost (net effect is not negative). They disagree about the net outcome. Choice B is something both would likely agree on — both acknowledge higher costs exist. Choice A is factual, not argued. Choice D is not the core of their disagreement.