QUESTION: 209 Topic Exam A: Section 1 (English)

DIRECTIONS: In the passage below, certain phrases are underlined and numbered <x>. The question will present alternatives for the underlined part. In most cases, you are to choose the one that best expresses the idea, makes the statement appropriate for standard written English, or is worded most consistently with the style and tone of the passage as a whole. If you think the original version is the best, choose "NO CHANGE".

Planet Earth's Windiest Observatory

[§1] Step outside into blowing snow, freezing fog, 45 mph winds with hurricane-force gusts, and a -50° Fahrenheit windchill. Welcome to a typical January day at the Mount Washington Observatory. [A] Weather conditions at this facility, which sits atop its <1> namesake's 6,288-foot peak in New Hampshire, has earned <2> the location the nickname "Home of the World's Worst Weather."

[§2] [B] Though somewhat diminutive compared to other mountains, (Colorado's Pikes Peak, <3> for example, is more than twice its height), Mount Washington is the tallest peak in the Presidential Range. <4> The peak stands at the confluence of three major storm tracks, and its steep slopes force <5> rising winds to accelerate. In fact, scientists in 1934 recorded a surface wind speed (of 231 mph): <6> one of the fastest ever recorded.

[§3] In one study, researchers used a laser beam and advanced optical techniques to measure winds. The observatory also keeps detailed weather records that scientists have used to track climate trends and weather patterns. The <7> observatory has also advanced scientists' understanding of clouds, of ice physics, <8> and the atmosphere.

[§4] To conduct all this research, staff are on-site year-round. Observers, who work <9> several twelve-hour shifts over the course of a week. To change personnel in winter, though, <10> crews ascend the mountain in a vehicle, gripping <11> the snow using revolving tracks similar to those on a military tank. Observers go outside every hour to gather data, which they send to the National Weather Service. [C]

[§5] Though isolated, the Mount Washington Observatory offers weather enthusiasts many ways to get involved. The observatory takes volunteers and accepts interns, who assist with research. The <12> bold can take part in educational trips to the summit in winter. [D] For those who are planning to make a trip to Mount Washington, <13> the observatory has a website with live video feeds of the summit.

The question asks about the preceding passage as a whole.

The writer is considering adding the following sentence to the essay:

This information is used to help create regional weather forecasts.

If the writer were to add this sentence, it would most logically be placed at:

Point [A] in Paragraph 1.
Point [B] in Paragraph 2
Point [C] in Paragraph 4.
Point [D] in Paragraph 5.

Answer(s): C

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QUESTION: 210 Topic Exam A: Section 1 (English)

DIRECTIONS: In the passage below, certain phrases are underlined and numbered <x>. The question will present alternatives for the underlined part. In most cases, you are to choose the one that best expresses the idea, makes the statement appropriate for standard written English, or is worded most consistently with the style and tone of the passage as a whole. If you think the original version is the best, choose "NO CHANGE".

Planet Earth's Windiest Observatory

[§1] Step outside into blowing snow, freezing fog, 45 mph winds with hurricane-force gusts, and a -50° Fahrenheit windchill. Welcome to a typical January day at the Mount Washington Observatory. [A] Weather conditions at this facility, which sits atop its <1> namesake's 6,288-foot peak in New Hampshire, has earned <2> the location the nickname "Home of the World's Worst Weather."

[§2] [B] Though somewhat diminutive compared to other mountains, (Colorado's Pikes Peak, <3> for example, is more than twice its height), Mount Washington is the tallest peak in the Presidential Range. <4> The peak stands at the confluence of three major storm tracks, and its steep slopes force <5> rising winds to accelerate. In fact, scientists in 1934 recorded a surface wind speed (of 231 mph): <6> one of the fastest ever recorded.

[§3] In one study, researchers used a laser beam and advanced optical techniques to measure winds. The observatory also keeps detailed weather records that scientists have used to track climate trends and weather patterns. The <7> observatory has also advanced scientists' understanding of clouds, of ice physics, <8> and the atmosphere.

[§4] To conduct all this research, staff are on-site year-round. Observers, who work <9> several twelve-hour shifts over the course of a week. To change personnel in winter, though, <10> crews ascend the mountain in a vehicle, gripping <11> the snow using revolving tracks similar to those on a military tank. Observers go outside every hour to gather data, which they send to the National Weather Service. [C]

[§5] Though isolated, the Mount Washington Observatory offers weather enthusiasts many ways to get involved. The observatory takes volunteers and accepts interns, who assist with research. The <12> bold can take part in educational trips to the summit in winter. [D] For those who are planning to make a trip to Mount Washington, <13> the observatory has a website with live video feeds of the summit.

The question asks about the preceding passage as a whole.

Suppose the writer's main purpose had been to describe how mountain ranges affect weather patterns. Would this essay accomplish that purpose?

Yes, because it discusses how the slopes of Mount Washington increase wind speeds.
Yes, because it describes the weather conditions on the summit of Mount Washington
No, because it outlines the history of the Mount Washington Observatory.
No, because it provides an overview of the Mount Washington Observatory and its research.

Answer(s): D

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QUESTION: 211 Topic Exam A: Section 1 (English)

DIRECTIONS: In the passage below, certain phrases are underlined and numbered <x>. The question will present alternatives for the underlined part. In most cases, you are to choose the one that best expresses the idea, makes the statement appropriate for standard written English, or is worded most consistently with the style and tone of the passage as a whole. If you think the original version is the best, choose "NO CHANGE".

The Real McCoy

[§1] "It's the real McCoy." You might have heard this expression before, but who or what is a McCoy, real or otherwise? The saying has been used for generations to declare its' <1> the genuine article, the original and best. [A] While its origin is disputed, many people believe the expression was inspired by the inventions of a Canadian American engineer named, <2> Elijah McCoy. McCoy, a railroad worker who, as a teenager, had formally studied mechanical engineering, revolutionized railroad and factory operations, affecting both incredibly <3> with his dozens of patented products.

[§2] While working for the Michigan Central Railroad in the 1870s, then <4> McCoy was assigned to work on the wheel bearings and axles of trains. <5> Trains needed to come to a halt after only a few miles of travel so that the moving parts could be oiled by hand a tedious, time-consuming process. McCoy invented a device that released oil while a train was in motion, substantially reducing the number <6> of maintenance stops had the effect of making <7> travel more efficient. [B] This automatic lubricating device became the first of his fifty- seven patents.

[§3] McCoy applied the principles of this invention to other engineering challenges. Factories in the late 1800s, for example, <8> increasingly relied on steam engines to power factory machines. As with trains, therefore <9> many of the machines' parts had to be oiled manually. McCoy, recognizing <10> the similarities between train wheels and factory machines, designed automated oilers for steam engines. These innovations allowed factories to give machines a certain timelessness, <11> increasing factory productivity and, as a result, profits.
<12>

[§4] McCoy's inventions were an instant success. [C] Not surprisingly, other inventors inundated the market with similar and usually inferior devices. [D] Supposedly, factory owners who wanted a product proven to do it <13> would ask if their purchase was "the real McCoy." McCoy's inventions would continue to benefit industries in the United States well into the twentieth century, as his name became synonymous with quality and authenticity. <14>

<1>:

NO CHANGE
its something that's
that something is,
that its

Answer(s): C

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QUESTION: 212 Topic Exam A: Section 1 (English)

DIRECTIONS: In the passage below, certain phrases are underlined and numbered <x>. The question will present alternatives for the underlined part. In most cases, you are to choose the one that best expresses the idea, makes the statement appropriate for standard written English, or is worded most consistently with the style and tone of the passage as a whole. If you think the original version is the best, choose "NO CHANGE".

The Real McCoy

[§1] "It's the real McCoy." You might have heard this expression before, but who or what is a McCoy, real or otherwise? The saying has been used for generations to declare its' <1> the genuine article, the original and best. [A] While its origin is disputed, many people believe the expression was inspired by the inventions of a Canadian American engineer named, <2> Elijah McCoy. McCoy, a railroad worker who, as a teenager, had formally studied mechanical engineering, revolutionized railroad and factory operations, affecting both incredibly <3> with his dozens of patented products.

[§2] While working for the Michigan Central Railroad in the 1870s, then <4> McCoy was assigned to work on the wheel bearings and axles of trains. <5> Trains needed to come to a halt after only a few miles of travel so that the moving parts could be oiled by hand a tedious, time-consuming process. McCoy invented a device that released oil while a train was in motion, substantially reducing the number <6> of maintenance stops had the effect of making <7> travel more efficient. [B] This automatic lubricating device became the first of his fifty- seven patents.

[§3] McCoy applied the principles of this invention to other engineering challenges. Factories in the late 1800s, for example, <8> increasingly relied on steam engines to power factory machines. As with trains, therefore <9> many of the machines' parts had to be oiled manually. McCoy, recognizing <10> the similarities between train wheels and factory machines, designed automated oilers for steam engines. These innovations allowed factories to give machines a certain timelessness, <11> increasing factory productivity and, as a result, profits.
<12>

[§4] McCoy's inventions were an instant success. [C] Not surprisingly, other inventors inundated the market with similar and usually inferior devices. [D] Supposedly, factory owners who wanted a product proven to do it <13> would ask if their purchase was "the real McCoy." McCoy's inventions would continue to benefit industries in the United States well into the twentieth century, as his name became synonymous with quality and authenticity. <14>

<2>:

NO CHANGE
American engineer named
American, engineer named,
American, engineer named

Answer(s): B

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QUESTION: 209 Topic Exam A: Section 1 (English)

QUESTION: 210 Topic Exam A: Section 1 (English)

QUESTION: 211 Topic Exam A: Section 1 (English)

QUESTION: 212 Topic Exam A: Section 1 (English)