The following text is from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby. [Jay Gatsby] was balancing himself on the dashboard of his car with that resourcefulness of movement that is so peculiarly American—that comes, I suppose, with the absence of lifting work in youth and, even more, with the formless grace of our nervous, sporadic games. This quality was continually breaking through his punctilious manner in the shape of restlessness.

As used in the text, what does the word “quality” most nearly mean?

The work of molecular biophysicist Enrique M. De La Cruz is known for ______ traditional boundaries between academic disciplines. The university laboratory that De La Cruz runs includes engineers, biologists, chemists, and physicists, and the research the lab produces makes use of insights and techniques from all those fields.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

Rejecting the premise that the literary magazine Ebony and Topaz (1927) should present a unified vision of Black American identity, editor Charles S. Johnson fostered his contributors’ diverse perspectives by promoting their authorial autonomy. Johnson’s self-effacement diverged from the editorial stances of W.E.B. Du Bois and Alain Locke, whose decisions for their publications were more ______.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

Economist Marco Castillo and colleagues showed that nuisance costs—the time and effort people must spend to make donations—reduce charitable giving. Charities can mitigate this effect by compensating donors for nuisance costs, but those costs, though variable, are largely ______ donation size, so charities that compensate donors will likely favor attracting a few large donors over many small donors.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

The following text is adapted from George Eliot’s 1871–72 novel Middlemarch.
[Mr. Brooke] had travelled in his younger years, and was held in this part of the country to have contracted a too rambling habit of mind. Mr. Brooke’s conclusions were as difficult to predict as the weather.

As used in the text, what does the word “contracted” most nearly mean?

The güiro, a musical instrument traditionally made from a dried and hollowed gourd, is thought to have originated with the Taíno people of Puerto Rico. Players use a wooden stick to scrape along ridges cut into the side of the gourd, creating sounds that are highly ______: the sounds produced by güiros can differ based on the distance between the ridges, the types of strokes the player uses, and the thickness of the gourd.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

While scholars believe many Mesoamerican cities influenced each other, direct evidence of such influence is difficult to ascertain. However, recent excavations in a sector of Tikal (Guatemala) unearthed a citadel that shows ______ Teotihuacán (Mexico) architecture—including a near replica of a famed Teotihuacán temple—providing tangible evidence of outside influence in portions of Tikal.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

Close analysis of the painting Girl with a Flute, long attributed to the seventeenth-century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, has revealed subtle deviations from the artist’s signature techniques. These variations suggest that the work may be that of a student under Vermeer’s tutelage—potentially ______ our understanding of Vermeer as a solitary artist.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

Given that the conditions in binary star systems should make planetary formation nearly impossible, it’s not surprising that the existence of planets in such systems has lacked ______ explanation. Roman Rafikov and Kedron Silsbee shed light on the subject when they used modeling to determine a complex set of factors that could support planets’ development.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

While most animals are incapable of passing somatic mutations—genetic alterations that arise in an organism’s nonreproductive cells—on to their offspring, elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) presents an intriguing ______: in a 2022 study, researchers found that elkhorn coral produced offspring that inherited somatic mutations from a parent.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

Some foraging models predict that the distance bees travel when foraging will decline as floral density increases, but biologists Shalene Jha and Claire Kremen showed that bees’ behavior is inconsistent with this prediction if flowers in dense patches are ______: bees will forage beyond patches of low species richness to acquire multiple resource types.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

Investigating whether shared false visual memories—specific but inaccurate and widely held recollections of images such as product logos—are caused by people’s previous ______ incorrect renditions of the images, researchers Deepasri Prasad and Wilma Bainbridge found that, in fact, such memories are often not explained by familiarity with erroneous versions of the images.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

As an undergraduate researcher in anthropology, Jennifer C. Chen contributed to a groundbreaking study challenging the accepted view that among prehistoric peoples, female participation in hunting was ______. The research team’s review of data from late Pleistocene and early Holocene burials in the Americas revealed that, in fact, as many as half of the hunters in those populations were female.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

The following text is adapted from Sui Sin Far’s 1912 short story “Mrs. Spring Fragrance.” Mr. and Mrs. Spring Fragrance immigrated to the United States from China. Mrs. Spring Fragrance was unaware that Mr. Spring Fragrance, tired with the day’s business, had thrown himself down on the bamboo settee on the veranda, and that although his eyes were engaged in scanning the pages of the Chinese World, his ears could not help receiving the words which were borne to him through the open window.

As used in the text, what does the word “receiving” most nearly mean?

Sumerian civilization (which lasted from around 3300 to 2000 BCE) ______ many concepts that persist into present- day civilizations: for example, the first description of the seven-day week appears in the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

In 2008 a complete set of ancient pessoi (glass game pieces) was uncovered from beneath a paving stone in modern- day Israel. Due to their small size, pessoi were easily misplaced, making a whole set a rare find. This has led some experts to suggest that the set may have been buried intentionally; however, without clear evidence, archaeologists are left to ______ what happened.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

The following text is adapted from a museum guide to coastal ecosystems. The guide explains that marsh grasses protect shorelines by slowing water movement and trapping sediment. In this context, the word “trap” most nearly means

As used in the text, what does the word “trap” most nearly mean?

The following text is adapted from a profile of chef Mashama Bailey. Bailey first gained praise for reimagining regional dishes with new ingredients and techniques. She later opened a restaurant known for a menu that changes with the seasons, ______ the flexibility of her approach to cooking.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

The following text is adapted from a historian’s account of early printing. A printer’s “impression” referred to the mark left on paper after inked type was pressed against it. In this context, the word “impression” most nearly means

As used in the text, what does the word “impression” most nearly mean?

The following text is adapted from an article about urban farming. Some rooftop gardens fail when their soil dries too quickly in shallow containers. For that reason, many gardeners add compost, which helps the soil retain moisture, ______ the plants through hot summer weeks.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

The following text is adapted from a commentary on architecture. The critic praises the building’s “spare” design, noting that its few materials and clean lines keep attention on the flow of light inside. In this context, the word “spare” most nearly means

As used in the text, what does the word “spare” most nearly mean?

The following text is adapted from a report on wildlife recovery. After hunting restrictions were introduced, the crane population began to rebound. Biologists were especially encouraged by the number of young birds that survived the winter, a sign that the species was no longer in such a ______ state.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

The following text is adapted from a biography of novelist Nella Larsen. Critics have described Larsen’s prose as “measured,” noting that she rarely wastes words and often creates strong effects with brief, carefully shaped sentences. In this context, the word “measured” most nearly means

As used in the text, what does the word “measured” most nearly mean?

The following text is adapted from an essay about glaciers. As a glacier moves, it can carry rocks across long distances and scrape grooves into the bedrock below. Over time, this process can ______ the landscape, leaving valleys wider and smoother than before.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

The following text is adapted from a discussion of classical rhetoric. A speaker might “qualify” a bold claim by adding a phrase such as “in many cases” or “under certain conditions.” In this context, the word “qualify” most nearly means

As used in the text, what does the word “qualify” most nearly mean?

The following text is adapted from an article about textile dyes. Some natural dyes fade quickly in strong sunlight, but others remain vivid for decades. This durability made certain dyes especially ______ among artisans who wanted their fabrics to keep their brightness over time.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

The following text is adapted from a review of a documentary. Rather than presenting the inventor as a solitary genius, the film places her work within a broad network of teachers, collaborators, and rivals. In doing so, the documentary offers a more ______ account of innovation.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?