Plastic
bags are often thought of as free, no-brainer solutions to carry your groceries
or to use as trashcan liners. However, research has shown that as a consequence
of carefree usage of plastic bags millions of tons of plastic particles __31__
in our seas each year. Reversing this trend and finding ways to maintain both
the health of our oceans and the human benefits associated with it are
complicated tasks. Most people appreciate and value the importance of the ocean
and see marine litter as a global problem. __32__, the challenge is connecting
the dots. So many of human behaviors and decisions contribute to this problem,
but rarely are there attempts to link their impact to the environment.
Behavioral science has been recognized as __33__ to understand drivers of human
behavior which support ongoing initiatives to clean up our environments. For
instance, behavioral scientists have suggested that the public could become
more __34__ if powerful images were carried on everyday products, similar to
that already being used on cigarette packaging.
31. . . . .
(A) accumulate
(B) accumulator
(C) accumulation
(D) accumulating
(E) accumulative
32. . . . .
(A) Therefore
(B) In contrast
(C) Also
(D) In other words
(E) After that
33. . . . .
(A) a gap
(B) a cure
(C) an advantage
(D) an alternative
(E) an impediment
34. . . . .
(A) aware
(B) elated
(C) excited
(D) optimistic
(E) interested
Unlike
beloved children’s stories, nature is a cruel, hard world that is painted not
in watercolors but in blood. A study found that chemicals released by plants as
they are eaten can help push caterpillars to cannibalism. Many plants release
the chemical methyl jasmonate when stressed or damaged. Getting gnawed on by a
caterpillar is stressful, so when the caterpillars start biting, the chemical
flare goes up. Other nearby plants sense the flare and start producing their
own methyl jasmonate, building a chemical camouflage around their leaves and stems. Once all the food sources taste
terrible, caterpillars turn to the next available meal: each other. Plants with
the time to build up a strong defense can make their leaves so unappetizing
that caterpillars will start eating each other to get their fill, leaving the
plant alone.
Researchers
now plan to also look into how insect viruses are transferred during their more
carnivorous period. If viruses that harm caterpillars are transferred more
easily by cannibalism, that could be a gain for the plants. Not only are their
leaves protected from pests, but now those predators are spreading disease
amongst themselves, reducing the herbivore population further. Interestingly
enough, cannibalism can serve some important functions among these herbivores.
Eating each other literally takes the competition out of the food chain, and
keeps the surviving population strong in a time when food might be scarce.
Therefore, we should not be too quick to judge these fuzzy little cannibals.
It’s a bug eat bug world out there.
35. Which of the
following statements is NOT TRUE according to the text?
(A) Stress may save
plants from being consumed.
(B) Plants can
manipulate their own perception of taste.
(C) Under constraints,
plants can alter their predator’s appetite.
(D) Cannibalism helps
maintain food supply in times of need.
(E) The chemical
methyl jasmonate drives caterpillars away from their natural food.
36. The topic of this
passage is. . . .
(A) Caterpillars’
Consumption Behavior
(B) Cannibalism and
Its Effect on Caterpillars
(C) The Effect of
Methyl Jasmonate on Insects
(D) Plant’s Defense
Mechanism against Herbivores
(E) The Cause and
Effect of Cannibalism Among Caterpillars
37. It can be inferred
from the text that. . . .
(A) cannibalism may
balance the supply and demand for food
(B) viruses are easily
transferred by means of cannibalism
(C) the chemicals
decrease the caterpillars’ hunger for food
(D) cannibalism is a
natural phenomenon among herbivores
(E) other bugs can
also turn cannibalistic towards each other
38. The purpose of
this passage is to. . . .
(A) convince readers
that nature is harsh in reality
(B) educate readers
not to judge herbivores hastily
(C) describe the
effect of cannibalism among plant-eating animals
(D) explain how
caterpillars can behave Uncharacteristically
(E) inform the readers
that cannibalism among herbivores is normal
39. The tone of this
passage is. . . .
(A) critical
(B) amused
(C) objective
(D) outraged
(E) humorous
There’s
a certain sinking feeling one gets when thinking of the perfect thing to say
just a moment too late. There is no English word to express this feeling, but
the French have the term l’esprit de l’escalier for this very phenomenon. The
English language also lacks the word to describe the binge eating that follows
an emotional blow, but the Germans have kummerspeck to do just that. If we had
the Swedish word lagom, the English explanation of Goldilocks’ perfectly
temperate soup __40__a lot more accurate.
__41__English
speakers are limited in their choice of words surprises many non-native English
speakers. There are many words that English speakers don’t have. Sometimes
Anglophones take from other languages, but often, we have to find a way around a
specific feeling or emotion that doesn’t have its own word. The reason why we
borrow words like savoir faire from French is because that word did not
culturally evolve as part of our language. Speaking different languages means
you get different frames and metaphors. You’re also learning the culture of the
language so you get not only different words, but also different types of
words.
However, the benefits of speaking multiple
languages extend past just having access to different words, concepts,
metaphors, and frames. Multilingualism has __43__. Multilinguals tend to score
better on standardized tests, especially in math, reading, and vocabulary. They
are better at remembering lists or sequences due to intensive learning of
grammatical rules and vocabulary. They are more perceptive to their
surroundings and therefore better at focusing on important information while
__44__misleading information.
40. . . . .
(A) may be
(B) will be
(C) should be
(D) will have been
(E) could have been
41. . . . .
(A) If
(B) Why
(C) That
(D) When
(E) Whether
42. The phrase
"find a way around" in the second paragraph means. . . .
(A) avoid the main
topic
(B) look in the wrong
place
(C) ask what someone
is thinking
(D) be very familiar
with an activity
(E) discover how to
deal with something
43. . . . .
(A) side effects of an
incredible array
(B) incredible side
effects of an array
(C) incredible effects
of an array side
(D) an incredible side
array of effects
(E) an array of
incredible side effects
44. . . . .
(A) putting off
(B) pulling over
(C) putting out
(D) weeding out
(E) blocking out
45. The sentence
"Thus, a multilingual education is a worthwhile investment of time."
should be....
(A) the last sentence
of paragraph 1
(B) the first sentence
of paragraph 2
(C) the last sentence
of paragraph 2
(D) the first sentence
of paragraph 3
(E) the last sentence of
paragraph 3
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