test

Section 1

“How lifelike are they?” Many computer animators prioritize this question as they strive to create ever more realistic environments and lighting. Generally, while characters in computer-animated films appear highly exaggerated, environments and lighting are carefully engineered to mimic reality. But some animators, such as Pixar’s Sanjay Patel, are focused on a different question. Rather than asking first whether the environments and lighting they’re creating are convincingly lifelike, Patel and others are asking whether these elements reflect their films’ unique stories.

“How lifelike are they?” Many computer animators prioritize this question as they strive to create ever more realistic environments and lighting.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined question in the text as a whole?

A It reflects a primary goal that many computer animators have for certain components of the animations they produce.

B It represents a concern of computer animators who are more interested in creating unique backgrounds and lighting effects than realistic ones.

C It conveys the uncertainty among many computer animators about how to create realistic animations using current technology.

D It illustrates a reaction that audiences typically have to the appearance of characters created by computer animators.

Section 2

Using NASA’s powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Mercedes López-Morales and colleagues measured the wavelengths of light traveling through the atmosphere of WASP-39b, an exoplanet, or planet outside our solar system. Different molecules absorb different wavelengths of light, and the wavelength measurements showed the presence of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in WASP-39b’s atmosphere. This finding not only offers the first decisive evidence of CO₂ in the atmosphere of an exoplanet but also illustrates the potential for future scientific breakthroughs held by the JWST.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. It discusses a method used by some researchers, then states why an alternative method is superior to it.

B. It describes how researchers made a scientific discovery, then explains the importance of that discovery.

C. It outlines the steps taken in a scientific study, then presents a hypothesis based on that study.

D. It examines how a group of scientists reached a conclusion, then shows how other scientists have challenged that conclusion.

Section 3

The following text is from Srimati Svarna Kumari Devi’s 1894 novel The Fatal Garland (translated by A. Christina Albers in 1910). Shakti is walking near a riverbank that she visited frequently during her childhood.

She crossed the woods she knew so well. The trees seemed to extend their branches like welcoming arms. They greeted her as an old friend. Soon she reached the river-side.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

A It suggests that Shakti feels uncomfortable near the river.

B It indicates that Shakti has lost her sense of direction in the woods.

C It emphasizes Shakti’s sense of belonging in the landscape.

D It conveys Shakti’s appreciation for her long-term friendships.

Section 4

Artist Marilyn Dingle’s intricate, coiled baskets are ______ sweepgrass and palmetto palm. Following a Gullah technique that originated in West Africa, Dingle skillfully winds a thin palm frond around a bunch of sweepgrass with the help of a “sewing bone” to create the basket’s signature look that no factory can reproduce.

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

A Indicated by

B handmade from

C represented by

D collected with

Section 5

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?

A supplemental to

B predictive of

C independent of

D subsumed in

Section 6

4x = 20

In the equation above, what is the value of x?

Select the correct value of x:

A 25

B 24

C 16

D 15

Section 7

A rocket contained 467,000 kilograms (kg) of propellant before launch. Exactly 21 seconds after launch, 362,105 kg of this propellant remained. On average, approximately how much propellant, in kg, did the rocket burn each second after launch?

Select the correct average burn rate:

A 4,995

B 17,243

C 39,481

D 104,895

Prastice test