#1. Read the following passage: “The discovery of deep-sea hydrothermal vents in 1977 transformed marine biology. Scientists aboard the submersible Alvin found thriving ecosystems at crushing depths where sunlight never penetrates. Instead of photosynthesis, these communities rely on chemosynthesis—bacteria convert hydrogen sulfide from volcanic vents into energy, forming the base of food chains that include giant tube worms, eyeless shrimp, and heat-tolerant crabs. This finding challenged the long-held assumption that all life ultimately depends on solar energy.” What is the primary purpose of this passage?
#2. Based on the passage above, the word ‘chemosynthesis’ most likely refers to:
#3. Read the following passage: “Urban beekeeping has surged in popularity since 2010, with rooftop hives appearing atop hotels, restaurants, and corporate offices in cities worldwide. Proponents argue that urban bees boost pollination of community gardens and green spaces. However, ecologists warn that high concentrations of managed honeybees in cities may outcompete native wild pollinators—solitary bees, hoverflies, and butterflies—for limited floral resources. Some cities have begun restricting new hive permits to protect pollinator diversity.” The author’s tone toward urban beekeeping is best described as:
#4. According to the passage above, why have some cities restricted new beekeeping permits?
#5. Read the following passage: “In 1928, Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming returned from vacation to find mold contaminating one of his petri dishes. Rather than discarding the ruined experiment, Fleming noticed that bacteria surrounding the mold had died. This accidental observation led to the identification of penicillin, the first true antibiotic. Yet nearly a decade passed before Howard Florey and Ernst Boris Chain developed methods to mass-produce the drug, finally making it available during World War II, where it saved countless lives from infected wounds.” Which statement best describes the relationship between Fleming’s discovery and its practical application?
#6. In the passage above, ‘contaminating’ most nearly means:
#7. Read the following passage: “Sleep researchers have identified a phenomenon called ‘social jet lag,’ which occurs when a person’s biological clock conflicts with their social obligations. A teenager whose circadian rhythm naturally shifts toward later sleep and wake times may be forced to rise at 6 a.m. for school, creating a chronic sleep deficit equivalent to crossing several time zones each week. Studies link social jet lag to lower academic performance, increased anxiety, and higher rates of obesity. Several school districts have responded by pushing start times to 8:30 a.m. or later.” The passage implies that social jet lag is primarily caused by:
#8. Based on the passage above, which evidence best supports the claim that social jet lag has health consequences?
#9. Read the following passage: “The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, buried deep inside an Arctic mountain in Norway, stores duplicate samples of seeds from gene banks around the world. Designed to withstand natural disasters, power failures, and even nuclear conflict, the vault serves as a backup for global agricultural diversity. When civil war destroyed Syria’s seed bank in Aleppo, researchers were able to retrieve copies of their irreplaceable wheat and barley varieties from Svalbard, demonstrating the vault’s critical real-world value.” What organizational pattern does the author primarily use?
#10. The Syria example in the passage above primarily serves to:
#11. Read the following passage: “Microplastics—fragments smaller than five millimeters—have been detected in human blood, lung tissue, and even placental fluid. While the health effects remain under investigation, preliminary studies in laboratory animals suggest these particles may trigger inflammatory responses, disrupt hormone signaling, and accumulate in organs over time. Critics of current regulations argue that safety standards for plastics were established decades ago, before microplastic contamination was understood, and urgently need updating.” Which of the following best describes the author’s argument?
#12. Read the following passage: “Traditional navigation in Polynesia relied not on instruments but on intimate knowledge of the natural world. Wayfinders memorized star paths, interpreted ocean swell patterns reflected off distant islands, observed the flight routes of migratory birds, and read subtle changes in cloud formations. This knowledge, passed orally through generations, enabled Pacific Islanders to colonize thousands of islands across an ocean spanning one-third of Earth’s surface—centuries before European sailors ventured beyond sight of land.” The author includes the comparison to European sailors primarily to:
#13. Read the following passage: “Citizen science—research conducted with help from non-professional volunteers—has expanded dramatically with smartphone technology. Apps like iNaturalist allow users to photograph wildlife, which AI algorithms then identify, creating massive biodiversity databases. Professional scientists initially viewed citizen data with skepticism, but studies have shown that aggregated observations from thousands of contributors can match or exceed the accuracy of small professional surveys. The approach is particularly valuable for tracking invasive species, where rapid detection across wide areas is essential.” What can be inferred about the relationship between citizen science and professional research?
#14. Read the following passage: “The concept of ‘food miles’—the distance food travels from farm to plate—gained popularity as a measure of environmental impact. However, transportation accounts for only about 11 percent of food’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Production methods matter far more: a locally grown tomato raised in a heated greenhouse during winter may generate more emissions than one shipped from a sunny climate thousands of miles away. Researchers now advocate for lifecycle analysis rather than simple distance calculations when evaluating food sustainability.” The passage primarily challenges the assumption that:
#15. In the passage above, ‘lifecycle analysis’ most likely refers to:
#16. Read the following passage: “Forensic genealogy—using DNA databases and family tree research to identify unknown individuals—has revolutionized cold case investigations. In 2018, investigators uploaded crime scene DNA to a public genealogy database and identified the Golden State Killer after decades of failed conventional methods. Since then, the technique has solved hundreds of cases. Yet civil liberties organizations argue that searching genealogy databases effectively subjects millions of non-consenting individuals to genetic surveillance, raising profound questions about where the boundary between public safety and genetic privacy should lie.” The passage presents forensic genealogy as:
#17. Read the following passage: “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is not, as many imagine, a solid floating island of trash. Instead, it consists of a diffuse soup of microplastic particles suspended throughout the water column, often invisible from the surface. This misconception matters because it shapes public expectations about cleanup. Technologies designed to skim visible debris from the surface address only a fraction of the problem, while the vast majority of contamination exists as nearly microscopic fragments that are extraordinarily difficult to filter without harming marine plankton.” The author’s primary purpose in correcting the misconception is to:
#18. Select the sentence that is punctuated correctly.
#19. Choose the option that best combines these two sentences: ‘The architect designed the library with large skylights. She wanted to maximize natural lighting throughout the reading areas.’
#20. Identify the sentence that contains a subject-verb agreement error.
#21. Which revision eliminates the dangling modifier? Original: ‘Having studied all night for the chemistry exam, the questions seemed straightforward.’
#22. Choose the correct word to complete the sentence: ‘The new policy will __________ thousands of employees who currently lack paid parental leave.’
#23. Which sentence demonstrates correct use of a semicolon?
#24. Read the following paragraph and choose the best transition for the blank: ‘Renewable energy installations have grown by 40 percent over the past five years. __________, fossil fuel companies have begun investing heavily in solar and wind technology, signaling a shift in the energy sector.’
#25. Which sentence contains a pronoun reference error?
#26. Choose the sentence that uses parallel structure correctly.
#27. Which revision best eliminates wordiness while preserving meaning? Original: ‘Due to the fact that the bridge is currently undergoing necessary structural repairs at this point in time, commuters should utilize alternative routes.’
#28. Select the sentence with correct apostrophe usage.
#29. Read the draft paragraph: ‘(1) The city council voted to expand the public transit system. (2) Many residents had complained about limited bus routes. (3) My neighbor drives a red pickup truck. (4) The expansion will add twelve new routes connecting underserved neighborhoods to employment centers.’ Which sentence should be removed to improve paragraph coherence?
#30. Which sentence correctly uses a colon?
#31. A car rental company charges a flat fee of $45 plus $0.28 per mile driven. If a customer’s total bill was $108.00, how many miles did the customer drive?
#32. A store marks up wholesale prices by 60% to set the retail price. During a clearance sale, all items are discounted 25% off the retail price. What is the overall percent change from the wholesale price to the clearance sale price?
#33. A recipe that serves 8 people calls for 2.5 cups of rice. How many cups of rice are needed to serve 30 people?
#34. An investment of $6,000 earns simple interest at an annual rate of 4.5%. How much total money will be in the account after 3 years?
#35. A water tank loses 3.5% of its volume each hour due to a leak. If the tank initially holds 800 gallons, approximately how many gallons remain after 4 hours?
#36. Solve for x: 5(2x – 3) – 4(x + 2) = 3x + 1
#37. Which inequality represents all values of x that satisfy: -3x + 7 > 2x – 18?
#38. What is the slope of the line passing through the points (-4, 9) and (6, -1)?
#39. Factor completely: 3x² + 14x – 5
#40. A system of equations is given: 2x + 3y = 19 and 4x – y = 3. What is the value of y?
#41. A cylindrical water tank has a radius of 5 feet and a height of 12 feet. What is its volume in cubic feet? (Use π ≈ 3.14)
#42. In a right triangle, one leg measures 15 cm and the hypotenuse measures 25 cm. What is the length of the other leg?
#43. A rectangle has a perimeter of 54 inches. If its length is three times its width, what is the area of the rectangle?
#44. Two similar triangles have corresponding sides in the ratio 3:7. If the area of the smaller triangle is 27 cm², what is the area of the larger triangle?
#45. A ladder leans against a wall, forming a 65° angle with the ground. If the base of the ladder is 8 feet from the wall, approximately how long is the ladder? (cos 65° ≈ 0.4226)
#46. A class of 28 students took a quiz. The scores were: 5 students scored 70, 8 students scored 80, 10 students scored 85, and 5 students scored 95. What is the mean score of the class?
#47. A jar contains 6 red marbles, 9 blue marbles, and 5 green marbles. If two marbles are drawn without replacement, what is the probability that both are blue?
#48. The following data set shows daily high temperatures (°F) for one week: 68, 72, 71, 85, 73, 70, 74. What is the interquartile range (IQR)?
#49. A survey of 500 adults found that 320 prefer streaming services over cable television. What is the margin of error for this proportion at a 95% confidence level? (Use z = 1.96)
#50. In a standard normal distribution, approximately what percentage of values fall between one standard deviation below the mean and two standard deviations above the mean?
#51. ESSAY PROMPT: Some educators argue that students should be required to learn a skilled trade (such as plumbing, electrical work, or carpentry) alongside their traditional academic coursework, while others believe academic education should remain the sole focus of schooling. Should public schools require students to develop practical trade skills as part of the standard curriculum? Write a persuasive essay stating your position on this issue. Support your argument with specific reasons and examples.
