Reading

Reading Section

In the Reading section, you will answer 35-48 questions to demonstrate how well you understand academic and non-academic texts in English, There are three types of tasks.

Module 1

The clock will show you how much time you have to complete Module 1.

You can use Next and Back to move to the next question or return to previous questions within the same module.

You WILL NOT be able to return to Module 1 once you have begun Module 2.

Module 1

Fill in the missing letters in the paragraph

Questions 1-10 of 35

During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the landscape of North American urban centers underwent dramatic transformations as industrialization accelerated. Cities expanded rap_ _ _ _ , fueled b_ the arr_ _ _ _ of immig_ _ _ _ _ and ru_ _ _ populations see_ _ _ _ employment i_ factories. This dyn_ _ _ _ era wit_ _ _ _ _ the ri_ _  of skyscrapers, symbolizing progress and technological triumph. Architects and planners grappled with the challenges posed by such quick growth, including overcrowding and sanitation issues.

Public transit systems, like streetcars, emerged as pivotal solutions to urban congestion, altering the rhythm of daily life.

Fill in the missing letters in the paragraph

The study of geological formations provides insights into Earth's dynamic processes. Metamorphic rocks are rocks that have been transformed by heat and pressure. Sedimentary rocks fo_ _ as lay_ _ _ of mate_ _ _ _ build u_ over ti_ _ and a_ _ eventually pre_ _ _ _  and fu_ _ _ together t_ create so_ _ _ rock. The strata inside these formations serve as historical records of environmental conditions, revealing changes in climate, sea levels, and biological evolution. Analyzing rocks allows geologists to reconstruct past geological events.

21-22

Questions 11-20 of 35

Read an excerpt from a syllabus.

Literature 201:

Introduction to World Literature

Discover the richness of global storytelling through works from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Engage in weekly discussions on critical themes, cultural contexts, and historical influences.

Enjoy guest lectures by acclaimed authors and craft a reflective paper by week eight.

Additional assignments to be determined.

21

What is the main purpose of the excerpt?

To outline the grading criteria for course assignments

To summarize the course objectives and expectations

To provide a reading list for the course

To list all the major assignments for the course

22

What is indicated about the guest lectures?

They will be held every week.

They will be delivered by professors from the university.

They will feature writers who are well-known.

They will include time for discussion.

23-25

Read a flyer.

Serve & Shine: Volunteer Opportunities Expo

Discover dozens of local nonprofit organizations, campus service clubs, and community partners who need your skills and passion. Explore short-term projects, semester-long roles, and leadership positions in areas such as environmental action, literacy, public health, arts and culture, and civic engagement.

Stop by our Volunteer Matching Desk to get personalized guidance, grab free snacks, and enter the giveaway for eco-friendly swag.

New to volunteering? No problem! Attend rapid-fire micro-workshops on getting started, building impact, and balancing service with study. Students, faculty, and staff are welcome. Preregister for priority check-in and to gain advance access to the digital program. Preregistration will also help you avoid delays from day-of accommodations requests. You may also bring your university ID for on-the-spot registration.

Come connect, contribute, and leave with your next way to serve and shine!

23

What is the main purpose of the expo?

To promote eco-friendly initiatives

To encourage personal connections among volunteers

To help attendees connect with volunteer opportunities

To recruit volunteers for clubs

24

All of the following people are invited to attend the expo EXCEPT

Students

Alumni

Staff

Faculty

25

According to the flyer, expo participants should register in advance to

request accommodations

be eligible for leadership roles

benefit from priority check-in

receive an advance printed program

26-27

Read an advertisement.

Drivers Needed for CampusMobility Services (CMS)

If you are an experienced driver and at least 21 years old, please apply.

CMS provides transportation for students and staff with disabilities to both on- and off-campus locations.

We offer a flexible schedule and valuable work experience.

Pay:$16.50 per hour.

26

The advertisement indicates which of the following about Campus Mobility Services (CMS)?

Its clientele is not limited to students.

It primarily travels to off-campus locations.

It serves all campus residents.

Its drivers are volunteers.

27

The advertisement indicates which of the following about Campus Mobility Services (CMS)?

Its clientele is not limited to students.

It primarily travels to off-campus locations.

It serves all campus residents.

Its drivers are volunteers.

28-30

Read a notice.

Stay Healthy During Cold And Flu Season

Cases of flu have been climbing this winter, and the Campus Health Services office is advising all students, faculty, and staff to take precautions.

Campus Health Services offers free flu vaccinations and recommends that everyone except those with vaccine allergies come to get the quick and effective shot.

In addition, measures like handwashing can make a big difference in reducing your exposure to the flu virus. And of course, if you feel sick, avoid close contact with others to keep from spreading your illness.

Flu symptoms include fever, aches, sore throat, and fatigue. While these symptoms are also typical of the common cold, the flu tends to come on quite rapidly and symptoms can be severe.

Students experiencing these symptoms should see one of the Health Services doctors as soon as possible. In some cases, antiviral medication may be prescribed.

28

The purpose of the notice is to

offer recommendations

describe a treatment

advertise a product

explain a process

29

What can be inferred from the notice?

The Campus Health Services office is open 24 hours a day to provide medical care.

There have been more cases of flu on campus during the current year than in the previous year.

Campus Health Services doctors do not prescribe antiviral medication to all flu patients.

The symptoms of the flu are quite different from those of other respiratory infections.

30

The notice mentions all of the following EXCEPT

symptoms that are common to both colds and flu

measures people can take to protect their health

where students can get a flu vaccination

how to make an appointment at Campus Health Services

31-35

Video Evidence in U.S. Courts

In the United States, as in some other countries, video evidence has become integral to the criminal justice system as technological advances have made cameras nearly ubiquitous. Police officers often wear body cameras, security cameras monitor public areas, and nearly everyone carries a smartphone capable of recording high-quality videos. While such recordings are widely seen as reliable evidentiary tools, they have certain limitations.

For example, videos are usually taken from a single vantage point, potentially giving viewers a misleading impression of events. A single camera angle might fail to capture what occurs just outside the frame, leading observers to misinterpret what they see. Additionally, video footage has no way of conveying interpersonal and emotional context: A person’s actions might appear antagonistic even if the person was acting in self-defense.

Despite these limitations, legal experts emphasize that video evidence plays a significant role in courtrooms. Jurors (people chosen to consider evidence and decide a case) might dismiss eyewitness testimonies as unreliable or perceive oral accounts as inconsistent, while videos show events more directly. When multiple recordings are available from different angles, an even more reliable sense of an incident can emerge. Nevertheless, courts often remind jurors to evaluate video evidence cautiously.

31

What is the relationship between the first sentence and the second sentence of the passage?

The first sentence makes a generalization, and the second sentence introduces exceptions to the generalization.

The first sentence presents one view of a subject, and the second sentence presents a contrasting view.

The first sentence makes a claim, and the second sentence provides examples to illustrate that claim.

The first sentence introduces a question, and the second sentence offers possible answers to the question.

32

The passage suggests which of the following about viewers of videos?

They are more likely to trust the accuracy of a video recorded on a police officer’s body camera than one taken with a smartphone.

They may not find a video recording of an incident as revealing as an eyewitness account of the event.

They may not see actions that are critical to understanding an incident because of the way the video is framed.

They are likely to regard video recordings skeptically because they know that videos can be misleading.

33

What does the author point out when discussing "context"?

The setting in which a video is viewed may affect the way viewers perceive the recorded events.

People may draw incorrect conclusions about others’ motivations from what they observe in a video.

Video recordings can be used either to defend an individual’s actions or to depict the individual as an aggressor.

The reliability of video recordings of events should be compared to the reliability of oral accounts of those events.

34

The passage indicates that “legal experts” hold which of the following views?

Jurors are likely to accept videos as objective depictions of events whereas they view witness testimony with skepticism.

Recent improvements in technology have made it so easy to display video evidence to jurors that other kinds of evidence may be neglected.

Video recordings should not be used as evidence in courtrooms unless multiple recordings taken from different vantage points can be shown.

Courts should not undermine jurors’ confidence in their abilities by overemphasizing the possibility of misinterpreting videos.

35

The word “cautiously” in the passage is closest in meaning to:

reluctantly

carefully

decisively

confidently

Module 2

Fill in the missing letters in the paragraph

Questions 1-10 of 15

The evolution of abstract art in the early twentieth century marks a pivotal shift in the perception and purpose of artwork. Abstract artists often seek to repr_ _ _ _ _ the esse_ _ _ _ _ qualities o_ emotions assoc_ _ _ _ _with t__ subject, focu_ _  _ _ on mo_ _ and move_ _ _ _, as we_ _ as symb_ _ _ _ _, rather than realistic detail. The abstract art movement broke away from traditional ideas about art, prompting viewers to think more deeply about what they saw. As artists explored new methods of expression, they revolutionized how people interact with art, creating a conversation between artist and audience.

Questions 11-15 of 15

Optical Astronomy’s Adaptive Revolution

Optical astronomy, the study of celestial objects through visible light, has been revolutionized by adaptive optics, first developed in the late 1980s. This technology, which allows ground-based telescopes at observatories to counteract atmospheric distortion, has enabled astronomers to observe the cosmos with exceptional clarity. Light waves from distant stars travel through Earth’s atmosphere, creating a shimmering effect that distorts them. Adaptive optics corrects these distortions in real time using a system of deformable mirrors controlled by computer algorithms. The mirrors can change shape rapidly to counteract the distortion, with the algorithms calculating the needed adjustments thousands of times per second.

However, the technology is not without controversy. Some argue that the energy consumption of adaptive optics contributes significantly to observatories’ carbon footprints. Yet, proponents counter that the potential discoveries outweigh environmental concerns, citing recent breakthroughs in identifying exoplanets potentially hospitable to life.

The debate highlights the complexities of balancing scientific advancement with environmental stewardship. Some researchers are actively exploring the use of solar panels and wind turbines to power these observatories, especially for daytime operations. Others are trying to optimize algorithms to reduce unnecessary computations and the need for constant high-speed corrections.

11

What can be inferred from the passage about the capabilities of optical astronomy BEFORE the late 1980s?

Images of celestial objects from ground-based telescopes were often unclear.

Astronomers used adaptive optics to distort light waves.

Astronomers used the shimmering effect to find distant stars.

Telescopes used deformable mirrors to see farther into space.

12

How do proponents of adaptive optics counter criticism of the technology?

The observatories that use the technology have a lower carbon footprint than the critics maintain.

The usefulness of the technology is more important than its drawbacks.

The technology is only in its early stages and will improve over time.

The negative effects of the technology are localized and not globally significant.

13

The word “stewardship” in the passage is closest in meaning to

supervision

achievement

enthusiasm

design

14

Why does the author mention attempts to optimize algorithms?

To give an example of how observatories could cut costs

To suggest that current algorithms still contain some errors when adjusting mirrors

To provide an example of how adaptive optics continues to evolve

To show one way researchers are trying to reduce observatories’ energy consumption

15

Optical astronomy, the study of celestial objects through visible light, has been revolutionized by adaptive optics, first developed in the late 1980s. ◼︎ This technology, which allows ground-based telescopes at observatories to counteract atmospheric distortion, has enabled astronomers to observe the cosmos with exceptional clarity. Light waves from distant stars travel through Earth’s atmosphere, creating a shimmering effect that distorts them. ◼︎ Adaptive optics corrects these distortions in real time using a system of deformable mirrors controlled by computer algorithms. ◼︎ The mirrors can change shape rapidly to counteract the distortion, with the algorithms calculating the needed adjustments thousands of times per second. ◼︎

However, the technology is not without controversy. Some argue that the energy consumption of adaptive optics contributes significantly to observatories’ carbon footprints. Yet, proponents counter that the potential discoveries outweigh environmental concerns, citing recent breakthroughs in identifying exoplanets potentially hospitable to life.

There are four locations [◼︎] in the passage that indicate where the following sentence could be added.'"

To understand this phenomenon, imagine looking through the heat waves seen over hot asphalt or desert sand.

Where would the sentence best fit? Select a location [◼︎] to add the sentence to the passage."

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