TEAS Reading: Key Ideas and Details (Quiz 4)

The Longest Voyage : 1. When you think of long voyages, your mind might immediately think back to a tedious transatlantic flight or perhaps even a relaxing cruise journey across vast oceans. Botanists and environmentalists, on the other hand, would probably think about the famous migration pattern of the vanessa cardui, a native sub-Saharan butterfly that makes an exceptional, yearly expedition from West Africa to Scandinavia, totaling just over 8,600 miles each year! Past research has indicated that specific climatic conditions likely need to be present in order for these butterflies to make the long journey and breed around the world successfully. However, evidence has always been lacking — until now. Thanks to a recent study on migration patterns, more light has been shed on climatic conditions that influence the remarkable and the longest seasonal journey of these insects. 2. This well-traveled species goes by a few different names, ranging from its scientific term, vanessa cardui, to the colloquial nickname of the “painted lady”. Unlike similar species, the painted lady breeds constantly throughout the year. Thus, it is one of the most popular butterflies that can thrive in almost any climate and can be found in gardens on every continent, excluding South America and Antarctica. While most are probably not familiar with the scientific details surrounding this butterfly, it has definitely become a household name. According to a psychology study, an astounding number of people picture the painted lady’s classic orange and black wing detail when asked to describe the image of a butterfly. As of now, even more information is known regarding this popular species. 3. To begin the research process on migration patterns, a team from the University of Reading (UK) compared data regarding the presence of the butterfly in Europe. The study included decades worth of information regarding the climate and atmosphere of sub-Saharan Africa. After the initial analysis, scientists discovered that the number of specimens of the vanessa cardui in Europe alone can actually fluctuate up to 100 times from one year to the next. When delving deeper into the reasoning behind the large variation, the research team realized that there are two specific climate conditions that must be fulfilled for a successful intercontinental journey of the painted lady butterfly: wind patterns conducive to speedy flights and an increase in vegetation in North Africa. The number of painted lady butterflies in Europe matched up with the climate data from the past few decades, finally providing enough evidence to solidify past speculation. 4. Regarding vegetation, it has been found that the vanessa cardui caterpillars multiply at a rapid speed when the African savannah’s humidity rate is higher than average. This allows the species to become stronger before crossing the Sahara desert. When it comes to winds, simulations have shown that the stronger the tailwind, the easier it is for the species to reach the necessary altitude of two miles above sea level. This height allows them to attain a desirable flight speed of 6 miles per second. While this information is specific to the long yearly journey of the vanessa cardui, understanding the effect that climatic conditions can have on other insect migrations can lead to a more thorough understanding of the ebbs and flows of the exceptional migration patterns of insects. Which of the following best summarizes paragraph 3?

Which of the answer choices presents a valid inference based on the following information? As soon as I hear the overture start playing from the orchestra, I always feel as though I never should have become a musical theatre performer. If I told most people that I suffer from complex stage fright, they would be shocked, given my outgoing personality and long career in the theatre arts.

The aspiring author decided to write her book in imitation of the trends; her story, therefore, was banal. Which of the following is an antonym for the word “banal” as used in the sentence above?

It was imprudent to attempt such a difficult stunt without the proper safety precautions. Which of the following is an antonym for the word “imprudent” as used in the sentence?

Chaos in Translation 1. Although it can seem quite technical, translating texts into different languages is a delicate art. Not only does it require a solid understanding of languages, but it also calls for an artistic voice that can truly make the words seem natural to native speakers. When it is done well, readers do not even realize that they are reading a text that has been translated from another language. When it is done badly, however, chaos ensues. One of the most emblematic examples of a translation mishap occurred at the dawn of the twentieth century, when an American diplomat received an incorrectly translated copy of a popular book about aliens. As you might imagine, the mistake ignited both fear and disbelief regarding a concept that was already so foreign to begin with. 2. It all started with Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli, an Italian astronomer and astrophysicist, in the late 1800s. In addition to studying astronomy at renowned universities, Schiaparelli was the lead director of a famous observatory in Milan, where he was able to observe stars and planets with a telescope. When he first viewed Mars this way in 1877, he quickly made a hand drawn picture of what he had seen on a piece of paper. Using this reference, he believed that the chromatic differences and the “grooves” that he had seen on the surface of Mars meant that continents and seas existed on the planet. Even more interesting was the fact that “channels”, bodies of water that join two larger areas of water, seemed to connect the various seas. Of course, Schiaparelli had written the original works and explanations in his native language of Italian. He immediately received national success for his findings, and his works were quickly translated into English. 3. Once the information made its way into the United States, it attracted the attention of a wealthy American named Percival Lowell, who had previously abandoned his career as a foreign diplomat to invest his time and interests in astronomy. He, too, had observed Mars with a telescope, but was shocked when he read Schiaparelli’s description of the planet. Although he was familiar with the grooves and ridges described in Schiaparelli’s work, he was shocked to read about the “canals” — artificial man-made structures — that connected large bodies of water on Mars. Not only did this prove that life exists on Mars, but it suggested that these life forms could construct immense structures in a short period of time! Understanding that Schiaparelli had been a distinguished astronomer and a credible source, Lowell decided that the shocking discovery must be made accessible to the public. 4. What he did not realize at the time, however, was that the translation was incorrect, and Schiaparelli had never intended to say that man-made structures existed on Mars. In any case, on August 27, 1911, the front page of the New York Times contained a startling headline: “Martians Build Two Immense Canals in Two Years”. This gave rise to incorrect assumptions about intelligent life on Mars. For some, fear of an unknown and stronger lifeform set in, while others remained skeptical. Luckily, the information was quickly corrected based on official astronomical photography. Despite this, conspiracy theories about “martians” and their strength persisted for decades to come. Later, scientists and other astronomers came to the conclusion that the channels were simply optical illusions, and future high-resolution snapshots from visiting spacecrafts would only confirm that the man-made “canals” were only a result of a language mishap. Which of the following is a logical conclusion that can be drawn from paragraph 2?

After her diatribe against the manager, she was called in for a discussion on more productive methods of conflict resolution. A synonym for “diatribe” as it is used in this sentence is ___________.

The Longest Voyage : 1. When you think of long voyages, your mind might immediately think back to a tedious transatlantic flight or perhaps even a relaxing cruise journey across vast oceans. Botanists and environmentalists, on the other hand, would probably think about the famous migration pattern of the vanessa cardui, a native sub-Saharan butterfly that makes an exceptional, yearly expedition from West Africa to Scandinavia, totaling just over 8,600 miles each year! Past research has indicated that specific climatic conditions likely need to be present in order for these butterflies to make the long journey and breed around the world successfully. However, evidence has always been lacking — until now. Thanks to a recent study on migration patterns, more light has been shed on climatic conditions that influence the remarkable and the longest seasonal journey of these insects. 2. This well-traveled species goes by a few different names, ranging from its scientific term, vanessa cardui, to the colloquial nickname of the “painted lady”. Unlike similar species, the painted lady breeds constantly throughout the year. Thus, it is one of the most popular butterflies that can thrive in almost any climate and can be found in gardens on every continent, excluding South America and Antarctica. While most are probably not familiar with the scientific details surrounding this butterfly, it has definitely become a household name. According to a psychology study, an astounding number of people picture the painted lady’s classic orange and black wing detail when asked to describe the image of a butterfly. As of now, even more information is known regarding this popular species. 3. To begin the research process on migration patterns, a team from the University of Reading (UK) compared data regarding the presence of the butterfly in Europe. The study included decades worth of information regarding the climate and atmosphere of sub-Saharan Africa. After the initial analysis, scientists discovered that the number of specimens of the vanessa cardui in Europe alone can actually fluctuate up to 100 times from one year to the next. When delving deeper into the reasoning behind the large variation, the research team realized that there are two specific climate conditions that must be fulfilled for a successful intercontinental journey of the painted lady butterfly: wind patterns conducive to speedy flights and an increase in vegetation in North Africa. The number of painted lady butterflies in Europe matched up with the climate data from the past few decades, finally providing enough evidence to solidify past speculation. 4. Regarding vegetation, it has been found that the vanessa cardui caterpillars multiply at a rapid speed when the African savannah’s humidity rate is higher than average. This allows the species to become stronger before crossing the Sahara desert. When it comes to winds, simulations have shown that the stronger the tailwind, the easier it is for the species to reach the necessary altitude of two miles above sea level. This height allows them to attain a desirable flight speed of 6 miles per second. While this information is specific to the long yearly journey of the vanessa cardui, understanding the effect that climatic conditions can have on other insect migrations can lead to a more thorough understanding of the ebbs and flows of the exceptional migration patterns of insects. Which of the following best summarizes paragraph 2?

4 1 1 2 3 4 1 2 4 1 Using the number string above, replace every 1 with the letter T, every 2 with the letter A, every 3 with the letter S, and every 4 with the letter G. For letters that appear only twice, delete the first instance of those letters. Delete the first two letters in the string, and replace the letter T with the letter R only the first time it appears.

Book or movie? : 1. You shouldn’t miss this movie. Don’t get me wrong, the book is great too, but the movie brings a different appeal. This often happens in the industry. You see, the book is entertaining, but it begins with long winded and detailed descriptions of the setting and characters, while the movie kicks off with explosive action scenes that will keep you on edge for some time. The overall storyline of the movie, however, is not affected by these dissimilarities. 2. The plot of both the novel and the movie adaptation is about a post-apocalyptic world, years from now, where people struggle to survive. Trying to escape their depressing daily routines, people spend time in a virtual world where they can reinvent themselves. During his time in the virtual world, one of the ‘players’ finds love and clues that lead him to inherit the wealth that the creator of this game has accumulated before his death. Which of the sentences from the passage best presents the topic of the passage?

Book or movie? : 1. You shouldn’t miss this movie. Don’t get me wrong, the book is great too, but the movie brings a different appeal. This often happens in the industry. You see, the book is entertaining, but it begins with long winded and detailed descriptions of the setting and characters, while the movie kicks off with explosive action scenes that will keep you on edge for some time. The overall storyline of the movie, however, is not affected by these dissimilarities. 2. The plot of both the novel and the movie adaptation is about a post-apocalyptic world, years from now, where people struggle to survive. Trying to escape their depressing daily routines, people spend time in a virtual world where they can reinvent themselves. During his time in the virtual world, one of the ‘players’ finds love and clues that lead him to inherit the wealth that the creator of this game has accumulated before his death. What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

To: Seymour Lewis From: Amber Shield Subject: Additional Materials Requested Dear Mr. Lewis, Thank you for your interest in East Oliver County’s call for submissions in our sustainability campaign. Our team has reviewed your proposal on placing sustainable water fountains throughout the city, and we are quite intrigued. The ideas you put forth in your proposal are both innovative and relevant to East Oliver’s needs at this time. However, we need more information regarding the timeline of the project before we can move forward in our decision-making process. In your proposal, you mentioned that you typically work with a separate engineering and design team, which tends to speed up the process. Could you please submit a more detailed schedule, including estimated start and end times for the project? Once you have submitted your estimated schedule, we would then be interested in discussing the budget and expenses you have proposed as well. Please keep in mind that we are still reviewing other applications at this time, and your prompt attention to this matter is appreciated. In any case, we were very pleased with your ideas and believe that your ideals align quite well with our organization’s goals on making East Oliver a thriving county in southwestern Maryland! Your contact for the application process, Margaret Davis, will be in touch regarding the additional details that we have requested. Please reach out to her should you have any questions. Thank you in advance for your dedication to the project and your commitment to East Oliver County. Best, Amber Shield, Selection Committee Chair What is the main purpose of this email?

To: Ruth Graze From: Gregory Thomas Subject: Recent Customer Service Experience Dear Ms. Graze, Thank you for reaching out to our Customer Service Team regarding your most recent experience at one of our physical locations. Here at Lightpost Shopping Services, we pride ourselves on our superior customer service experiences, which has been rated ten out of ten by our clients. Unfortunately, it seems as though we did not live up to this standard based on your recent feedback, and we would like to make up for this. First off, we would like to extend our sincerest apologies regarding the subpar service you received in our electronics department at the Lightpost Shopping Center on Perry Highway. After reading your email, we looked into the matter and would like to shed some light on the situation. Since we have been short staffed for quite some time, we have recently hired more seasonal workers. The manager at our Perry Highway store, for instance, has been training an influx of new employees for the past five months. As such, it seems as though you were given incorrect information regarding the cost and maintenance of your laptop battery from a new employee. To prevent this from happening in the future, we are currently revamping our training methods so that our employees’ knowledge of the product is accurate. Thank you for bringing this to our attention! Secondly, we would like to fully reimburse you for the cost of the laptop battery. You will find the refunded amount on your credit card within three to five business days. Please let us know if you have any questions or further comments regarding this matter. Once again, we appreciate your business and look forward to assisting you with all of your future electronics needs! Kind Regards, Gregory Thomas According to the writer, why did the recipient likely perceive subpar customer service?

4 4 2 3 1 4 1 1 2 3 Using the number string above, replace every 1 with the letter E, every 2 with the letter A, every 3 with the letter U, and every 4 with the letter N. For letters that appear twice, delete the first instance of each. Switch the first and last letters in the string, and replace the consonants with the letter O.

The McCluster Health Company is preparing information for its annual company retreat. Part of the Marketing Team’s presentation will explain the number of program enrollments attained with each of the marketing plans over the last two years. Each marketing plan had a different budget. The team will demonstrate how the number of program enrollments rose with an increase in the marketing budget, with the highest budget of $14,000 reaching over 2000 program enrollments. For this reason, they are asking for an increase in the next marketing campaign’s budget. Which of the following is a conclusion based on the graph?

After all the unsuccessful interviews, I have finally landed a position in a promising company. When I decided to quit my last job at a tech start-up, I immediately got in touch with a headhunter who I had first worked with years ago. Even though I had a fairly updated resume, it was not until I updated my online portfolio that I finally got my first call for an interview. Then, the calls just kept on coming! What happened before the narrator’s first call for an interview?

The McCluster Health Company is preparing information for its annual company retreat. Part of the Marketing Team’s presentation will explain the number of program enrollments attained with each of the marketing plans over the last two years. Each marketing plan had a different budget. The team will demonstrate how the number of program enrollments rose with an increase in the marketing budget, with the highest budget of $14,000 reaching over 2000 program enrollments. For this reason, they are asking for an increase in the next marketing campaign’s budget. Using the information in the graph, which of the following courses of action would likely be the best if the company needs 2500 program enrollments?

Glasses or Contacts? We’re used to thinking of contacts as making people more attractive than glasses. In movies and makeovers, when someone makes an impressive transformation, part of that, inevitably, seems to be switching from glasses to contacts. These movies are often silly and trite, but nonetheless influential in shaping cultural perceptions. In pop culture, there’s also the association of glasses with people who are shy and bookish; these aren’t qualities our society often sees as positive. However, glasses are far easier and more convenient than contacts. Even if you decide to go for contacts, you’ll want a pair of glasses when your eyes are too tired or sensitive for contacts. Glasses do have to be cleaned, but overall, their maintenance is simpler than contacts. You don’t have to store them in saline each night or throw them out and get new ones each morning. You don’t have to worry about washing your hands before you put on your glasses; however, forgetting to wash your hands before you put on your contacts could lead to irritating particles on your contacts, which can hurt your eyes. Glasses also produce fewer annoying situations. You can fall asleep with your glasses on, but if you fall asleep with your contacts in, your eyes may become dry, and removing your contacts may become uncomfortable. Also, you never have to worry about your glasses getting stuck up your eyelid, but this can happen with contacts. Many contact wearers have experienced this. Ultimately, your contact cannot actually go behind your eye. This is because of how the eye is constructed. The inside of the eyelids has a lining called the conjunctiva. It transitions into the white part of the eyeball, which is the sclera. There’s a complete connection there; there are no holes or anything for the contact to slip through and migrate to the back of the eye. Still, having one lost under your eyelid can be stressful and irritating. This is something that can never happen with glasses. Ultimately, individual preference is key. However, you shouldn’t spare a second thought when it comes to movies and other media that connect glasses with unattractiveness. Wear what’s best for you, but do consider at least having a pair of glasses as a back-up for when you don’t want to deal with those little discs of discomfort. Which of the following statements from the passage expresses an opinion?

I never thought that I would be saying this after all the difficulties that I faced, but at long last, I officially have my driver’s license after having passed the exam! Every time I get behind the wheel, I will remember the stress and anxiety that came with this process. I am so glad that I never gave up, even after failing the theory and practical exams twice! Which event came last in the sequence?

After just a few years, my small knitting hobby has turned into a full-blown business with paying clients. I usually start out a new project with a trip to the craft store, accompanied by the notes made previously during my initial meeting with each client. These meetings are the second step in the process, which happen shortly after a new client expresses interest in my work. What happens before the narrator meets with clients?

Glasses or Contacts? We’re used to thinking of contacts as making people more attractive than glasses. In movies and makeovers, when someone makes an impressive transformation, part of that, inevitably, seems to be switching from glasses to contacts. These movies are often silly and trite, but nonetheless influential in shaping cultural perceptions. In pop culture, there’s also the association of glasses with people who are shy and bookish; these aren’t qualities our society often sees as positive. However, glasses are far easier and more convenient than contacts. Even if you decide to go for contacts, you’ll want a pair of glasses when your eyes are too tired or sensitive for contacts. Glasses do have to be cleaned, but overall, their maintenance is simpler than contacts. You don’t have to store them in saline each night or throw them out and get new ones each morning. You don’t have to worry about washing your hands before you put on your glasses; however, forgetting to wash your hands before you put on your contacts could lead to irritating particles on your contacts, which can hurt your eyes. Glasses also produce fewer annoying situations. You can fall asleep with your glasses on, but if you fall asleep with your contacts in, your eyes may become dry, and removing your contacts may become uncomfortable. Also, you never have to worry about your glasses getting stuck up your eyelid, but this can happen with contacts. Many contact wearers have experienced this. Ultimately, your contact cannot actually go behind your eye. This is because of how the eye is constructed. The inside of the eyelids has a lining called the conjunctiva. It transitions into the white part of the eyeball, which is the sclera. There’s a complete connection there; there are no holes or anything for the contact to slip through and migrate to the back of the eye. Still, having one lost under your eyelid can be stressful and irritating. This is something that can never happen with glasses. Ultimately, individual preference is key. However, you shouldn’t spare a second thought when it comes to movies and other media that connect glasses with unattractiveness. Wear what’s best for you, but do consider at least having a pair of glasses as a back-up for when you don’t want to deal with those little discs of discomfort. Which of the following statements from the passage expresses an opinion?

Chaos in Translation 1. Although it can seem quite technical, translating texts into different languages is a delicate art. Not only does it require a solid understanding of languages, but it also calls for an artistic voice that can truly make the words seem natural to native speakers. When it is done well, readers do not even realize that they are reading a text that has been translated from another language. When it is done badly, however, chaos ensues. One of the most emblematic examples of a translation mishap occurred at the dawn of the twentieth century, when an American diplomat received an incorrectly translated copy of a popular book about aliens. As you might imagine, the mistake ignited both fear and disbelief regarding a concept that was already so foreign to begin with. 2. It all started with Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli, an Italian astronomer and astrophysicist, in the late 1800s. In addition to studying astronomy at renowned universities, Schiaparelli was the lead director of a famous observatory in Milan, where he was able to observe stars and planets with a telescope. When he first viewed Mars this way in 1877, he quickly made a hand drawn picture of what he had seen on a piece of paper. Using this reference, he believed that the chromatic differences and the “grooves” that he had seen on the surface of Mars meant that continents and seas existed on the planet. Even more interesting was the fact that “channels”, bodies of water that join two larger areas of water, seemed to connect the various seas. Of course, Schiaparelli had written the original works and explanations in his native language of Italian. He immediately received national success for his findings, and his works were quickly translated into English. 3. Once the information made its way into the United States, it attracted the attention of a wealthy American named Percival Lowell, who had previously abandoned his career as a foreign diplomat to invest his time and interests in astronomy. He, too, had observed Mars with a telescope, but was shocked when he read Schiaparelli’s description of the planet. Although he was familiar with the grooves and ridges described in Schiaparelli’s work, he was shocked to read about the “canals” — artificial man-made structures — that connected large bodies of water on Mars. Not only did this prove that life exists on Mars, but it suggested that these life forms could construct immense structures in a short period of time! Understanding that Schiaparelli had been a distinguished astronomer and a credible source, Lowell decided that the shocking discovery must be made accessible to the public. 4. What he did not realize at the time, however, was that the translation was incorrect, and Schiaparelli had never intended to say that man-made structures existed on Mars. In any case, on August 27, 1911, the front page of the New York Times contained a startling headline: “Martians Build Two Immense Canals in Two Years”. This gave rise to incorrect assumptions about intelligent life on Mars. For some, fear of an unknown and stronger lifeform set in, while others remained skeptical. Luckily, the information was quickly corrected based on official astronomical photography. Despite this, conspiracy theories about “martians” and their strength persisted for decades to come. Later, scientists and other astronomers came to the conclusion that the channels were simply optical illusions, and future high-resolution snapshots from visiting spacecrafts would only confirm that the man-made “canals” were only a result of a language mishap. Which of the following is a logical conclusion that can be drawn from paragraph 4?

Glasses or Contacts? We’re used to thinking of contacts as making people more attractive than glasses. In movies and makeovers, when someone makes an impressive transformation, part of that, inevitably, seems to be switching from glasses to contacts. These movies are often silly and trite, but nonetheless influential in shaping cultural perceptions. In pop culture, there’s also the association of glasses with people who are shy and bookish; these aren’t qualities our society often sees as positive. However, glasses are far easier and more convenient than contacts. Even if you decide to go for contacts, you’ll want a pair of glasses when your eyes are too tired or sensitive for contacts. Glasses do have to be cleaned, but overall, their maintenance is simpler than contacts. You don’t have to store them in saline each night or throw them out and get new ones each morning. You don’t have to worry about washing your hands before you put on your glasses; however, forgetting to wash your hands before you put on your contacts could lead to irritating particles on your contacts, which can hurt your eyes. Glasses also produce fewer annoying situations. You can fall asleep with your glasses on, but if you fall asleep with your contacts in, your eyes may become dry, and removing your contacts may become uncomfortable. Also, you never have to worry about your glasses getting stuck up your eyelid, but this can happen with contacts. Many contact wearers have experienced this. Ultimately, your contact cannot actually go behind your eye. This is because of how the eye is constructed. The inside of the eyelids has a lining called the conjunctiva. It transitions into the white part of the eyeball, which is the sclera. There’s a complete connection there; there are no holes or anything for the contact to slip through and migrate to the back of the eye. Still, having one lost under your eyelid can be stressful and irritating. This is something that can never happen with glasses. Ultimately, individual preference is key. However, you shouldn’t spare a second thought when it comes to movies and other media that connect glasses with unattractiveness. Wear what’s best for you, but do consider at least having a pair of glasses as a back-up for when you don’t want to deal with those little discs of discomfort. Which of the following statements from the passage expresses a fact?

The McCluster Health Company is preparing information for its annual company retreat. Part of the Marketing Team’s presentation will explain the number of program enrollments attained with each of the marketing plans over the last two years. Each marketing plan had a different budget. The team will demonstrate how the number of program enrollments rose with an increase in the marketing budget, with the highest budget of $14,000 reaching over 2000 program enrollments. For this reason, they are asking for an increase in the next marketing campaign’s budget. Which of the following best describes the results of the marketing budget analysis?

To: Ruth Graze From: Gregory Thomas Subject: Recent Customer Service Experience Dear Ms. Graze, Thank you for reaching out to our Customer Service Team regarding your most recent experience at one of our physical locations. Here at Lightpost Shopping Services, we pride ourselves on our superior customer service experiences, which has been rated ten out of ten by our clients. Unfortunately, it seems as though we did not live up to this standard based on your recent feedback, and we would like to make up for this. First off, we would like to extend our sincerest apologies regarding the subpar service you received in our electronics department at the Lightpost Shopping Center on Perry Highway. After reading your email, we looked into the matter and would like to shed some light on the situation. Since we have been short staffed for quite some time, we have recently hired more seasonal workers. The manager at our Perry Highway store, for instance, has been training an influx of new employees for the past five months. As such, it seems as though you were given incorrect information regarding the cost and maintenance of your laptop battery from a new employee. To prevent this from happening in the future, we are currently revamping our training methods so that our employees’ knowledge of the product is accurate. Thank you for bringing this to our attention! Secondly, we would like to fully reimburse you for the cost of the laptop battery. You will find the refunded amount on your credit card within three to five business days. Please let us know if you have any questions or further comments regarding this matter. Once again, we appreciate your business and look forward to assisting you with all of your future electronics needs! Kind Regards, Gregory Thomas What is the main purpose of this email?

Shark attack (source) A new analysis of a 3000-year-old skeleton unearthed 100 years ago reveals the earliest evidence of a shark attack ever recorded. Archaeologists believe that the skeleton, missing a hand and a leg, belongs to a Japanese fisherman or shellfish diver who was killed while at work. Presumably, his severed body was taken back to land by his comrades. Prior to this discovery, the oldest signs of a shark attack were found on a skeleton dated back to 1000 years ago from Puerto Rico. Which of the following best rephrases the main idea of the passage?

Differences (source) Many believe that what makes humans different from animals is the ability to solve difficult problems and to feel emotions like joy and sorrow. Many biologists affirm that understanding these differences is a complex process. By observing a Caledonian crow solve a problem that impedes it from reaching its drinking water, it appears evident that some animals are able to find solutions to practical issues as humans would. Similarly, watching a single raven slide down a snowy roof countless times on a piece of plastic for no practical reasons could be a sign that they are partaking in a bit of fun and perhaps feeling joy. It seems that we might need to rethink our beliefs on what makes us different from animals after all. Which of the following states the main idea of the passage?

Constellation Aries (source) Aries is the Latin term for ‘ram’, and it is a winter constellation, most visible in December in the northern hemisphere. Unlike other constellations, many cultures have always recognized Aries as the representation of a ram, and it gives its name to one of the star signs in western astrology. In the tale of Jason and the Argonauts, Jason is sent to find the Golden Fleece in order to claim his throne as king, which he finds with the help of his future wife, Medea. In Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece is the symbol of power and authority, and it is supposed to be the fleece belonging to Aries, the flying ram, after it had been sacrificed to Zeus. This is one of the most famous ancient stories, which was current in Homer’s time. Although this medium-sized constellation is formed of 5 stars, only 4 are often visible, creating a line from the ram’s head all the way down its back. Which of the following best rephrases the topic of the passage?

Saving giant pandas (source) With their distinctive black and white wooly coat and their usually docile temperament, giant pandas are the symbol of China. The decrease of the giant panda population prompted the country to put a lot of effort into protecting this species, which was removed from the ‘endangered’ list and labeled as ‘vulnerable’ in 2016. After poaching spiralled out of control in the 1980s and deforestation exhausted their bamboo food resources, giant pandas were officially deemed endangered in 1990. Since then, the Chinese government and conservation organizations worldwide have worked to reforest and protect the habitat in which the giant panda and other wildlife can thrive. There are now over sixty reserves dotted around the country, where pandas can breed in captivity and are cared for if injured. Furthermore, visitors are educated about conservation programs, while the locals learn the importance of panda-related tourism and how it can benefit their community. What is the main idea of the passage?

Saving giant pandas (source) With their distinctive black and white wooly coat and their usually docile temperament, giant pandas are the symbol of China. The decrease of the giant panda population prompted the country to put a lot of effort into protecting this species, which was removed from the ‘endangered’ list and labeled as ‘vulnerable’ in 2016. After poaching spiralled out of control in the 1980s and deforestation exhausted their bamboo food resources, giant pandas were officially deemed endangered in 1990. Since then, the Chinese government and conservation organizations worldwide have worked to reforest and protect the habitat in which the giant panda and other wildlife can thrive. There are now over sixty reserves dotted around the country, where pandas can breed in captivity and are cared for if injured. Furthermore, visitors are educated about conservation programs, while the locals learn the importance of panda-related tourism and how it can benefit their community. Which of the following is a supporting detail for the idea that people have attempted to save giant pandas?

Saving giant pandas (source) With their distinctive black and white wooly coat and their usually docile temperament, giant pandas are the symbol of China. The decrease of the giant panda population prompted the country to put a lot of effort into protecting this species, which was removed from the ‘endangered’ list and labeled as ‘vulnerable’ in 2016. After poaching spiralled out of control in the 1980s and deforestation exhausted their bamboo food resources, giant pandas were officially deemed endangered in 1990. Since then, the Chinese government and conservation organizations worldwide have worked to reforest and protect the habitat in which the giant panda and other wildlife can thrive. There are now over sixty reserves dotted around the country, where pandas can breed in captivity and are cared for if injured. Furthermore, visitors are educated about conservation programs, while the locals learn the importance of panda-related tourism and how it can benefit their community. Which detail is irrelevant to the main idea?