Digital SAT Practice Test 4 — Module 1: Full Walkthrough of All 33 Reading & Writing Questions with Answers & Explanations

Answer: B) collected

One-line summary: OSIRIS-REx gathered and took away pieces of the asteroid, which is exactly what “collected” means.

✓ B) collected
“Collected” means acquired and took away. The text indicates that despite the unforeseen obstacle of boulders on the surface, OSIRIS-REx was able to gather a sample to return to Earth — it successfully collected a sample of 101955 Bennu.

✗ A) attached
“Attached” means connected or affixed. The text says OSIRIS-REx gathered pieces of the asteroid to bring to Earth; it doesn’t suggest the spacecraft attached anything to the asteroid.

✗ C) followed
“Followed” means tracked or traveled behind. The text describes a brief encounter during which the spacecraft gathered a sample — it doesn’t suggest the spacecraft tracked the sample, and it’s unclear what it would even mean to travel behind a sample it collected.

✗ D) replaced
“Replaced” means put back or returned. The text indicates OSIRIS-REx gathered pieces to bring to Earth, not that anything was returned to the asteroid.

Answer: A) reflect

One-line summary: The Moon's surface may not accurately “show” signs of early impacts, since softer early terrain would have preserved less evidence.

✓ A) reflect
In this context “reflect” means show or make apparent. The text states that because the Moon’s surface was softer when it was still forming, early impacts “would have left less of an impression,” so evidence may no longer exist — the surface may not accurately show signs of early impact events.

✗ B) receive
It wouldn’t make sense to say the surface may not accurately “receive” (acquire/experience) early impacts — the impacts have already occurred, and a surface can’t be accurate or inaccurate in experiencing them.

✗ C) evaluate
“Evaluate” means determine the significance or condition of something, which would require the Moon’s surface to make a decision — that doesn’t make sense here.

✗ D) mimic
“Mimic” means to deliberately simulate or imitate. It wouldn’t make sense to say the surface may not accurately “deliberately imitate” early impacts.

Answer: A) recognizable

One-line summary: Handedness is easy to observe (recognize) in humans but less apparent in other animals — hence special tasks are needed.

✓ A) recognizable
“Recognizable” means apparent or identifiable. The text says handedness is “easy to observe in humans,” but researchers need special tasks to determine handedness in other animals. Combined with “less” before the blank, this indicates handedness in other animals is less recognizable than in humans.

✗ B) intriguing
Nothing in the text suggests handedness is less fascinating in nonhuman animals — the text focuses on how easy it is to observe, not on how interesting it is.

✗ C) significant
Nothing in the text suggests handedness is less important or meaningful in animals — again, the contrast is about ease of observation, not importance.

✗ D) useful
“Useful” doesn’t fit — the text is about how easily researchers can determine handedness, not about how functional or helpful it is.

Answer: C) unimportant

One-line summary: “By no means” signals a contradiction that’s resolved by “indeed” — Bosch's influence is significant, so recognizing it is by no means unimportant (trivial).

✓ C) unimportant
“Unimportant” means trivial or lacking value. “It is by no means” signals the blank word is contradicted by later information; “indeed” introduces that contradiction — Banisadr himself cites Bosch as an inspiration. So Bosch’s influence is significant, meaning recognizing it is by no means unimportant.

✗ A) substantial
It wouldn’t make sense to say recognizing Bosch’s influence isn’t “substantial” (meaningful) — the text states Banisadr himself cites Bosch as an influence, so it is substantial.

✗ B) satisfying
It wouldn’t make sense to say it isn’t “satisfying” (pleasing) to recognize Bosch’s influence — nothing in the text relates to pleasure.

✗ D) appropriate
It wouldn’t make sense to say recognizing Bosch’s influence isn’t “appropriate” (suitable) — the text indicates Banisadr himself notes the effect Bosch has had on him.

Answer: A) To reveal the shop owner's conflicted feelings about the new picture

One-line summary: The shop owner is furious that the picture doesn't fit in, yet secretly proud of owning it — the text's purpose is to reveal that inner conflict.

✓ A) To reveal the shop owner's conflicted feelings about the new picture
The text begins by stating the picture “failed to fit in” with the shop’s other items, and the owner fumes that it doesn’t belong. Yet the second paragraph reveals he is “secretly proud of his acquisition.” The main purpose is to reveal the shop owner’s conflicted feelings.

✗ B) To convey the shop owner's resentment of the person he got the new picture from
The text gives no indication of the owner’s feelings about the young man at all.

✗ C) To describe the items that the shop owner most highly prizes
There's no suggestion the owner prizes the new picture or the other pictures more than any other items — only that the new picture is different.

✗ D) To explain differences between the new picture and other pictures in the shop
The text never describes what the new picture actually looks like; it names some other kinds of images in the shop without explaining how they differ from the new one.

Answer: B) The speaker describes a distinctive sight in nature, then ponders what meaning to attribute to that sight.

One-line summary: The speaker first describes the striking image of the black cypress against the gold sky, then wonders why it's black and pointing upward.

✓ B) The speaker describes a distinctive sight in nature, then ponders what meaning to attribute to that sight.
The speaker first describes a “most beautiful” sight — a cypress standing out against the gold sky like a finger “pointing upwards.” Then she wonders about the image’s meaning, asking why the finger is black and why it points upward. The text moves from description to pondering meaning.

✗ A) The speaker assesses a natural phenomenon, then questions the accuracy of her assessment.
The speaker wonders about the tree's meaning but never questions whether her assessment (that it resembles a finger) is accurate.

✗ C) The speaker presents an outdoor scene, then considers a human behavior occurring within that scene.
No people are present in the scene at all — only the tree.

✗ D) The speaker examines her surroundings, then speculates about their influence on her emotional state.
The speaker never addresses her own emotional state or how it's affected by her surroundings.

Answer: D) The speaker addresses a criticism leveled against him, then announces a grand ambition of his.

One-line summary: The speaker rebuts an accusation, then declares his real goal: instilling "the institution of the dear love of comrades" everywhere.

✓ D) The speaker addresses a criticism leveled against him, then announces a grand ambition of his.
The speaker begins by noting others accuse him of seeking to destroy institutions. He addresses this by saying he is “neither for nor against institutions,” then states his real goal: to instill “the institution of the dear love of comrades” everywhere. This is criticism addressed, then a grand ambition announced.

✗ A) The speaker questions an increasingly prevalent attitude, then summarizes his worldview.
The speaker doesn't indicate the criticism has become increasingly prevalent, and he concludes with a future goal, not a summary of his current worldview.

✗ B) The speaker regrets his isolation from others, then predicts a profound change in society.
The text doesn't portray the speaker as isolated or regretful, and he expresses a hope, not an explicit prediction.

✗ C) The speaker concedes his personal shortcomings, then boasts of his many achievements.
The speaker addresses a criticism he believes is false — he admits no personal shortcomings, and he states a future goal rather than boasting of achievements.

Answer: B) It presents a generalization that is exemplified by the discussion of the mimosa trees and B. terrenus.

One-line summary: The third sentence states a general rule about predator-prey links persisting across time and distance, which the mimosa/beetle story then illustrates.

✓ B) It presents a generalization that is exemplified by the discussion of the mimosa trees and B. terrenus.
The third sentence asserts that evolutionary links between predators and prey can persist across great time and distance. This is exemplified by the mimosa/beetle relationship: disrupted when trees were introduced to North America in 1785 without the beetle, then confirmed when the beetle arrived 200+ years later and quickly attacked the trees — illustrating the generalization.

✗ A) It states the hypothesis that Chang and colleagues had set out to investigate using mimosa trees and B. terrenus.
Chang and colleagues were simply monitoring mimosa trees when the beetles happened to be introduced — the third sentence doesn't describe a hypothesis they were testing.

✗ C) It offers an alternative explanation for the findings of Chang and colleagues.
The third sentence offers a generalization, not an alternative explanation differing from one presented elsewhere.

✗ D) It provides context that clarifies why the species mentioned spread to new locations.
The third sentence doesn't discuss any particular species spreading to new locations — that's not its function.

Answer: B) By disputing the idea that developments in social structures have followed a linear progression through distinct stages

One-line summary: Text 2's view that social systems were always flexible directly contradicts Text 1's staged, linear-progression model.

✓ B) By disputing the idea that developments in social structures have followed a linear progression through distinct stages
Text 1's conventional wisdom is that social systems progressed through fixed stages (bands → clans → chiefdoms → states). Text 2 says Graeber and Wengrow believe systems have been flexible, shifting between hierarchical and collective structures, sometimes seasonally — directly disputing a linear staged progression.

✗ A) By conceding the importance of hierarchical systems but asserting the greater significance of decentralized collective societies
Text 2 is about flexibility between structures, not about ranking the relative importance of hierarchical vs. collective systems.

✗ C) By acknowledging that hierarchical roles likely weren't a part of social systems before the rise of agriculture
Text 2 actually indicates the opposite: some hunter-gatherer groups had hierarchical elements ("esteemed individuals") 50,000 years ago, long before agriculture arose (~12,000 years ago per Text 1).

✗ D) By challenging the assumption that groupings of hunter-gatherers were among the earliest forms of social structure
Text 2 doesn't dispute that hunter-gatherer groups were among the earliest social systems — it says only that some hunter-gatherer groups used different structures at different times.

Answer: D) Mary feels very satisfied when she's taking care of the garden.

One-line summary: Mary is "very much absorbed," grows "more pleased... every hour," and finds garden work "a fascinating sort of play" — all signaling satisfaction.

✓ D) Mary feels very satisfied when she's taking care of the garden.
The text describes Mary as "very much absorbed" and becoming "more pleased with her work every hour" rather than tiring of it, and thinking of garden activities as "a fascinating sort of play." The main idea is that Mary feels very satisfied caring for the garden.

✗ A) Mary hides in the garden to avoid doing her chores.
The text never mentions Mary's chores at all.

✗ B) Mary is getting bored with pulling up so many weeds in the garden.
The text indicates Mary finds pulling weeds fascinating, not boring — the opposite of what this choice claims.

✗ C) Mary is clearing out the garden to create a space to play.
Mary thinks of the garden activities themselves as play, not as work done to create a separate space to play later.

Answer: C) It requires proper nourishment in order to thrive.

One-line summary: Both the flower and the "tender mind" need to be "fed" (nourished) or else they "languish" — the comparison is about needing nourishment.

✓ C) It requires proper nourishment in order to thrive.
The text compares the needs of a "fragile and lovely flower" to the speaker's "tender mind": both need to be fed to survive. Without such feeding, they'll "beginneth straightway to languish" (weaken). The mind is like a flower in that both need proper nourishment to thrive.

✗ A) It becomes increasingly vigorous with the passage of time.
The text doesn't address the passage of time or describe the mind/flower as becoming increasingly vigorous.

✗ B) It draws strength from changes in the weather.
The rain references pertain to a flower's need for water, not to drawing strength from changing weather generally.

✗ D) It perseveres despite challenging circumstances.
The text says the opposite: without nourishment, the mind/flower will languish right away, not persist despite hardship.

Answer: D) Buck holds Thornton in higher regard than any other person.

One-line summary: Buck treats "the rest of mankind" as nothing and only reluctantly tolerates people close to Thornton — Thornton has a uniquely special status in Buck's mind.

✓ D) Buck holds Thornton in higher regard than any other person.
After establishing Buck views most people "as nothing," the text explains Buck won't acknowledge anyone but Thornton unless they seem friendly toward Thornton, and even then he's only reluctantly accepting. The main idea is that Thornton has special status in Buck's mind above all others.

✗ A) Buck has become less social since he began living with Thornton.
The text doesn't address Buck's temperament before living with Thornton, so there's no basis for "since."

✗ B) Buck mistrusts humans and does his best to avoid them.
Buck is aloof toward others, but there's no indication he mistrusts and avoids people generally — he does accept Thornton, a human.

✗ C) Buck has been especially well liked by most of Thornton's friends.
The text mentions travelers praising Buck and Thornton's partners giving him favors, but there's no indication these are Thornton's friends or that they have particular fondness for Buck.

Answer: A) Washington had between 600 and 800 organic farms.

One-line summary: Only choice A's numbers match the bar chart — Washington's bar falls between 600 and 800.

✓ A) Washington had between 600 and 800 organic farms.
The graph shows: California 2,600–2,800; Wisconsin 1,200–1,400; New York 1,000–1,200; Pennsylvania ~800; Iowa and Washington 600–800. The sentence needs an accurate completion continuing the pattern started with California — Washington's 600–800 range is correct.

✗ B) New York had fewer than 800 organic farms.
The graph shows New York had between 1,000 and 1,200 organic farms, not fewer than 800.

✗ C) Wisconsin and Iowa each had between 1,200 and 1,400 organic farms.
Wisconsin had 1,200–1,400, but Iowa had only 600–800 — they don't match.

✗ D) Pennsylvania had more than 1,200 organic farms.
The graph shows Pennsylvania had approximately 800 organic farms, not more than 1,200.

Answer: B) Over several generations, the sound made by the feathers of migratory male fork-tailed flycatchers grows progressively higher pitched relative to that made by the feathers of nonmigratory males.

One-line summary: If migrating males' tail-feather pitch keeps rising over generations, that shows the divergence the hypothesis predicts is actually happening.

✓ B) Over several generations, the sound made by the feathers of migratory male fork-tailed flycatchers grows progressively higher pitched relative to that made by the feathers of nonmigratory males.
The hypothesis is that females prefer the sound of males from their own subspecies, driving further divergence. If the pitch produced by migrating males keeps rising across generations, that shows the migrating subspecies' tail-feather shape is diverging further from the nonmigrating subspecies — and if females keep preferring their own subspecies' sound, that divergence would continue. This directly supports the hypothesis.

✗ A) The feathers located on the wings...allows them to fly long distances.
This is about wing feather shape and long-distance flight, not about tail feather sound and female mate preference — unrelated to the hypothesis.

✗ C) Fork-tailed flycatchers communicate different messages...
This is about communication content, not about differences between subspecies or female preference — doesn't address the hypothesis.

✗ D) The breeding habits...remained generally the same...
Unchanged breeding habits, by themselves, say nothing about female preferences or divergence between subspecies.

Answer: C) iron from HTC dust is 90%.

One-line summary: The example needs to compare the SAME element (iron) in a slower dust vs. a faster dust — iron/AST (28%, slow) vs. iron/HTC (90%, fast) is the correct pairing.

✓ C) iron from HTC dust is 90%.
The text says a given element's ablation rate is lower in slower-moving SPC/AST dust than in faster-moving HTC/OCC dust. It gives the first half of the example: iron from AST dust is 28% (slow, low). The completion must be the SAME element (iron) in a faster dust source: iron from HTC dust is 90% — a high rate in fast-moving dust, completing the intended contrast.

✗ A) iron from SPC dust is 20%.
SPC, like AST, is slow-moving dust — comparing two slow sources can't illustrate the slow-vs-fast pattern the example needs.

✗ B) sodium from OCC dust is 100%.
The example must stay on the same element as the first half (iron), not switch to sodium.

✗ D) sodium from AST dust is 75%.
This switches elements (iron → sodium) AND stays on AST dust (already used in the first half), so it neither matches the element nor illustrates a slow/fast contrast.

Answer: A) "The first collective I joined included many amazingly talented artists, and we enjoyed each other's company, but because we had a hard time sharing credit and responsibility for our work, the collective didn't last."

One-line summary: This quotation directly shows a collective failing specifically because sharing credit and control was hard — exactly the journalist's claim.

✓ A) "...we had a hard time sharing credit and responsibility for our work, the collective didn't last."
This quotation shows a collective ending because it was hard to share credit and responsibilities within the group, even though the company was enjoyable — demonstrating that working collaboratively can be difficult for artists used to having complete control.

✗ B) "We work together, but that doesn't mean...whoever originally proposed the work."
This shows members who have agreed on a fair way to manage responsibilities — it shows successful collaboration, not the challenge of sharing control.

✗ C) "...that support encourages my individual expression rather than limits it."
This highlights the positive support and encouragement an artist experiences in a collective — the opposite of illustrating difficulty sharing control.

✗ D) "Sometimes an artist from outside the collective will choose to collaborate..."
This doesn't address any challenge of sharing control among collective members; it just describes occasional outside collaborators.

Answer: A) broccoli grown in soil containing mycorrhizal fungi had a slightly higher average mass than broccoli grown in soil that had been treated to kill fungi.

One-line summary: Broccoli is nonmycorrhizal, so the student expected no benefit (or harm) from the fungi — finding it was actually slightly heavier with fungi present is the surprising result.

✓ A) broccoli grown in soil containing mycorrhizal fungi had a slightly higher average mass...
Broccoli is the nonmycorrhizal species, expected to see no difference or a decrease in mass with the fungi present. But the table shows broccoli had 7.5g with fungi vs. 7g without — a slightly higher mass with fungi, which would surprise the student given the expectation for nonmycorrhizal species.

✗ B) corn grown in soil containing mycorrhizal fungi had a higher average mass than broccoli grown in soil containing mycorrhizal fungi.
Corn (a mycorrhizal host) being more massive with fungi present fits expectations and wouldn't be surprising.

✗ C) marigolds grown in soil containing mycorrhizal fungi had a much higher average mass than marigolds grown in soil that had been treated to kill fungi.
Marigold is also a mycorrhizal host, so this result is expected, not surprising.

✗ D) corn had the highest average mass of all three species grown in soil that had been treated to kill fungi, while marigolds had the lowest.
This misstates the data (broccoli, at 7g, actually had a higher no-fungi mass than corn's 3.8g), and a simple comparison in the no-fungi condition doesn't address the surprising with-fungi vs. without-fungi comparison the sentence needs.

Answer: A) is not conclusive evidence that the figure is Venus.

One-line summary: If cupids are linked to fishing generally (not just to Venus), then a cupid near a fishing figure doesn't prove that figure is Venus.

✓ A) is not conclusive evidence that the figure is Venus.
Carla Brain suggests cupids may have also been associated with the activity of fishing itself — if true, this means a cupid's presence near a fishing figure doesn't guarantee that figure is Venus (the cupid might simply relate to fishing, and the figure could be anyone).

✗ B) suggests that Venus was often depicted fishing.
The text says nothing about how often Venus was depicted fishing in Roman art generally.

✗ C) eliminates the possibility that the figure is Venus.
Brain's explanation doesn't reference the female figure at all, so it can't definitively eliminate the possibility that she is Venus — it only shows the cupid alone isn't proof.

✗ D) would be difficult to account for if the figure is not Venus.
Nothing in the text suggests Venus is the only reasonable interpretation of the figure.

Answer: A) people's stories

One-line summary: Multiple people each have multiple stories, so the sentence needs the plural possessive "people's" plus the plural noun "stories."

✓ A) people's stories
The convention tested is plural and possessive nouns. The plural possessive "people's" and plural noun "stories" correctly indicate multiple stories belonging to multiple people.

✗ B) peoples story's
Uses the plural noun "peoples" (wrong — should be possessive "people's") and the singular possessive "story's" (wrong — should be plural "stories").

✗ C) peoples stories
Uses the plural noun "peoples" where the plural possessive "people's" is required.

✗ D) people's story's
Uses the singular possessive "story's" where the plural noun "stories" is required.

Answer: D) survives

One-line summary: The passage describes a general, ongoing biological fact, which requires present tense.

✓ D) survives
The convention tested is verb tense. The present tense "survives" correctly indicates that the wood frog regularly (as a general fact) survives subfreezing temperatures by producing glucose.

✗ A) had survived
The past perfect doesn't indicate the frog regularly/currently survives subfreezing temperatures.

✗ B) survived
The simple past doesn't indicate the frog regularly survives — it implies a single past event, not an ongoing biological fact.

✗ C) would survive
The conditional doesn't indicate the frog regularly survives; it implies a hypothetical, not a fact.

Answer: D) ran—fast. During

One-line summary: A period is needed to correctly separate two complete sentences, since a dash is already used earlier and can't be reused for the sentence boundary.

✓ D) ran—fast. During
The convention tested is punctuation between sentences. The period correctly marks the boundary between one sentence ("Defying…fast") and another that begins with a supplementary phrase ("During…Olympics").

✗ A) ran—fast—during
A dash is already used earlier in the sentence ("ran—fast"); using another dash to mark the sentence boundary creates a confusing structure. A period, semicolon, or colon would be clearer here.

✗ B) ran—fast during
This fuses two sentences with no punctuation or conjunction — a run-on sentence.

✗ C) ran—fast, during
A comma alone can't mark the boundary between two independent sentences — this creates a comma splice.

Answer: D) is

One-line summary: The subject is the singular "the triangle," which requires the singular verb "is."

✓ D) is
The convention tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "is" agrees in number with the singular subject "the triangle."

✗ A) are
The plural verb "are" doesn't agree with the singular subject "the triangle."

✗ B) have been
The plural verb "have been" doesn't agree with the singular subject "the triangle."

✗ C) were
The plural verb "were" doesn't agree with the singular subject "the triangle."

Answer: B) sampler;

One-line summary: Two independent clauses ("In 2004...sampler" and "in 2014...pillars") must be joined with a semicolon, not a comma.

✓ B) sampler;
The convention tested is coordination of main clauses. The semicolon conventionally joins the first main clause ("In 2004…sampler") and the second main clause ("in 2014…pillars").

✗ A) sampler later,
A comma without a conjunction can't join two main clauses — this results in a comma splice. "Later" is an adverb, not a conjunction, so it can't join the clauses on its own.

✗ C) sampler,
A comma alone can't join two main clauses without a conjunction — comma splice.

✗ D) sampler, later,
Same problem: a comma without a conjunction can't join the two main clauses, and "later" (an adverb) can't do that job either — comma splice.

Answer: C) Julian's 1935 synthesis of the alkaloid physostigmine

One-line summary: The modifying phrase "Named in 1999 as one of the greatest achievements..." must sit directly next to the noun it describes — the synthesis itself, not Julian.

✓ C) Julian's 1935 synthesis of the alkaloid physostigmine
The convention tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes "Julian's 1935 synthesis" the subject, placed immediately after the modifying phrase "named…years." This clearly establishes that the synthesis — not Julian himself or the alkaloid — was named one of the greatest achievements.

✗ A) Julian synthesized the alkaloid physostigmine in 1935; it
Placing "Julian" right after the modifying phrase creates a dangling modifier, illogically suggesting Julian himself (not his synthesis) was named a great achievement.

✗ B) in 1935 Julian synthesized the alkaloid physostigmine, which
Placing the prepositional phrase "in 1935" right after the modifier creates a dangling modifier, confusingly suggesting "in 1935" itself was the named achievement.

✗ D) the alkaloid physostigmine was synthesized by Julian in 1935 and
Placing "the alkaloid physostigmine" right after the modifier creates a dangling modifier, illogically suggesting the alkaloid itself (not the synthesis of it) was the named achievement.

Answer: B) species, both native and nonnative;

One-line summary: This is a complex series (with internal commas), so the items need semicolons between them, while the supplementary phrase "both native and nonnative" is set off with a comma.

✓ B) species, both native and nonnative;
The convention tested is punctuation of items in a complex series. The semicolon after "nonnative" correctly separates the first item ("growing diverse plant species, both native and nonnative") from the second item ("fostering scientific research") in the series. The comma after "species" correctly sets off the supplementary phrase "both native and nonnative" that modifies "diverse plant species."

✗ A) species, both native and nonnative,
A comma (after "nonnative") can't be used to separate items in a complex series that already contains internal commas — a semicolon is needed there.

✗ C) species; both native and nonnative,
A semicolon can't separate the noun phrase "diverse plant species" from its supplementary modifier "both native and nonnative" — that needs a comma. And a comma can't separate the complex series items — that needs a semicolon. Both punctuation marks are swapped incorrectly.

✗ D) species both native and nonnative,
This fails to punctuate the supplementary phrase "both native and nonnative" at all, and still uses a comma (not semicolon) to separate the complex series items.

Answer: A) single-handedly, however;

One-line summary: "However" is a supplementary word bridging two main clauses, so it needs a comma before it and a semicolon after it to join the next clause.

✓ A) single-handedly, however;
The convention tested is punctuation of a supplementary word between two main clauses. The comma correctly separates the supplementary adverb "however" from the preceding main clause ("Okinaka doesn't…single-handedly"), and the semicolon joins the next main clause ("all…culture") to the rest of the sentence. This correctly signals that the preceding clause (Okinaka doesn't decide alone) contrasts with what might be assumed from the previous sentence (that Okinaka sits on the review board).

✗ B) single-handedly; however,
Placing the semicolon after "single-handedly" and the comma after "however" illogically indicates the next clause (approval by a group of experts) is contrary to the previous clause — reversing the intended contrast.

✗ C) single-handedly, however,
Two commas can't punctuate a supplementary word between two main clauses this way — it results in a comma splice.

✗ D) single-handedly however
No punctuation at all between the two main clauses creates a run-on sentence.

Answer: C) Finally,

One-line summary: After fifteen years of resubmitting the bill, its 1983 passage is the concluding event in the sequence — "finally" fits.

✓ C) Finally,
"Finally" logically signals that the bill passing — after many attempts between 1968 and 1983 — is the final, concluding event in the sequence described in the previous sentences.

✗ A) Instead,
"Instead" illogically signals the bill passing is an alternative to a previous event, when it is actually the final event in the sequence.

✗ B) Likewise,
"Likewise" illogically signals the bill passing is similar to a previous event, rather than being the final event in the sequence.

✗ D) Additionally,
"Additionally" illogically signals the bill passing is merely another event alongside the previous ones, rather than the final, concluding event.

Answer: D) However,

One-line summary: The new study contradicts the previous assumption that Mauna Loa is the largest — a contrast word is needed.

✓ D) However,
"However" logically signals that this sentence, indicating Pūhāhonu may be larger than Mauna Loa, offers a contrast to or refutation of the previous assumption that Mauna Loa is the largest shield volcano.

✗ A) Secondly,
"Secondly" illogically signals this is merely an additional/secondary point about the previous assumption, rather than a contrast to it.

✗ B) Consequently,
"Consequently" illogically signals this sentence is a result of the previous assumption, rather than a contrast to it.

✗ C) Moreover,
"Moreover" illogically signals this sentence merely adds to the previous assumption, rather than contrasting or refuting it.

Answer: A) In addition,

One-line summary: Including African music is a second example of the same idea (emphasizing mixed-race ancestry) — an additive transition fits.

✓ A) In addition,
"In addition" logically signals that including traditional African music in his classical compositions adds to the information in the previous sentence — the previous sentence gives one way Coleridge-Taylor emphasized his mixed-race ancestry (calling himself Anglo-African), and this sentence gives a second, additional way.

✗ B) Actually,
"Actually" illogically signals this detail is surprising given the previous sentence, when it actually just adds a second example of the same idea.

✗ C) However,
"However" illogically signals a contrast with the previous sentence, when this detail actually reinforces and adds to it.

✗ D) Regardless,
"Regardless" illogically signals this detail is true despite the previous sentence, when it actually adds to and supports it.

Answer: A) Therefore,

One-line summary: The researchers' theory is a logical consequence of observing the dish's calming effect — "therefore" signals cause and effect.

✓ A) Therefore,
"Therefore" logically signals that the researchers theorizing the dish was named for its calming effect is a result or consequence of the previous observation that the dish had a calming effect.

✗ B) Alternately,
"Alternately" illogically signals this action is an alternative to or contrast with the previous observation, rather than a consequence of it.

✗ C) Nevertheless,
"Nevertheless" illogically signals the action occurs despite the previous observation, rather than as a result of it.

✗ D) Likewise,
"Likewise" illogically signals this sentence merely adds a similar detail, rather than describing an action that results from the previous observation.

Answer: D) To produce carbon dioxide within a liquid batter, baking soda needs to be mixed with an acidic ingredient, whereas baking powder does not.

One-line summary: Only choice D directly states the key contrast: baking soda needs an acid, baking powder doesn't.

✓ D) To produce carbon dioxide within a liquid batter, baking soda needs to be mixed with an acidic ingredient, whereas baking powder does not.
This sentence emphasizes the specific difference between baking soda and baking powder: baking soda needs an acidic ingredient to produce carbon dioxide, but baking powder doesn't.

✗ A) To make batters rise, bakers use chemical leavening agents such as baking soda and baking powder.
This focuses on what bakers use to make batters rise; it doesn't emphasize any difference between baking soda and baking powder.

✗ B) Baking soda and baking powder are chemical leavening agents that, when mixed with other ingredients, cause carbon dioxide to be released within a batter.
This gives a general description of both, but doesn't emphasize a difference between them.

✗ C) Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, and honey is a type of acidic ingredient.
This explains what baking soda and honey are; it doesn't emphasize a difference between baking soda and baking powder.

Answer: D) In Unwoven Light, a 2013 work by Korean American artist Soo Sunny Park, light formed colorful prisms as it passed through a fence Park had fitted with iridescent tiles.

One-line summary: Only choice D identifies who Park is AND gives a vivid, complete description of the work itself.

✓ D) In Unwoven Light, a 2013 work by Korean American artist Soo Sunny Park, light formed colorful prisms as it passed through a fence Park had fitted with iridescent tiles.
This sentence effectively describes Unwoven Light to an audience unfamiliar with Park, noting that Park is a Korean American artist and that the 2013 work consists of colorful prisms formed by light passing through iridescent tiles.

✗ A) Park's 2013 installation Unwoven Light...featured light as its primary medium of expression.
This describes aspects of the work but never mentions who Park is, so it doesn't effectively introduce her to an unfamiliar audience.

✗ B) Korean American light artist Soo Sunny Park created Unwoven Light in 2013.
This indicates when the work was made and who Park is, but lacks descriptive detail about the work itself.

✗ C) The chain-link fence in Soo Sunny Park's Unwoven Light was fitted with tiles made from iridescent plexiglass.
This mentions Park and one aspect of the work (the fence) but doesn't effectively describe the overall work to an audience unfamiliar with the artist.

Answer: C) Using a novel digital imaging technique, Tan revealed hundreds of images hidden on the walls of Angkor Wat, a Cambodian temple.

One-line summary: Only choice C both explains the research result AND identifies Angkor Wat as a Cambodian temple for an unfamiliar audience.

✓ C) Using a novel digital imaging technique, Tan revealed hundreds of images hidden on the walls of Angkor Wat, a Cambodian temple.
This sentence effectively presents Tan's research to an audience unfamiliar with Angkor Wat, explaining the results of the research (hundreds of images revealed using a novel technique) and identifying Angkor Wat as a temple in Cambodia.

✗ A) Tan photographed Angkor Wat's plaster walls and then applied decorrelation stretch analysis to the photographs.
This presents Tan's research process but fails to explain what Angkor Wat is for an audience unfamiliar with the temple.

✗ B) Decorrelation stretch analysis is a novel digital imaging technique that Tan used to enhance the contrast between colors in a photograph.
This emphasizes the technique itself rather than presenting the research, and it doesn't specify where the research was conducted (Angkor Wat).

✗ D) Built to honor a Hindu god before becoming a Buddhist temple, Cambodia's Angkor Wat concealed hundreds of images on its plaster walls.
This explains what Angkor Wat is but fails to present Tan's research (the technique and who performed it).