…. Sonatas, which were meant to be played, may be viewed as distinct from cantatas, which were written to be sung. It is

also notable that the words “cantata” and “sonata” did not exist prior to the sixteenth century, essentially because during 

earlier periods like the Renaissance, formal music was generally expected to be vocal. Thus, cantatas had existed for some time, whereas sonatas were a unique creation of the Baroque.

Q. Why does the author include cantatas in the discussion of the development of Baroque musical styles?

(A) To provide an example of a genre on which sonatas were modeled

(B) To demonstrate a connection between instrumental and vocal music

(C) To contrast a conventional musical genre with an innovative form

(D) To explain the reason Baroque composers preferred instrumental music

Indigenous people in North America began crafting visual works soon after their appearance on the continent some 11,000 

years ago. These included clothing, beadwork, blankets and rugs, pottery, baskets, figurines, masks, and totem poles. 

Despite being appreciated by museums and art galleries, the objects were originally conceived for functional and symbolic 

purposes rather than as works of art.

Q. The word “appreciated” in the passage is closest in meaning to

(A) embellished

(B) displayed

C) valued

(D) kept

Triggered by a stock market crash in 1929, the Great Depression was a worldwide economic downturn that negatively 

impacted the lives of ordinary people. This was especially true in the United States, where the depression caused 

staggeringly high unemployment, forcing many of the jobless out of their homes and into slums known as Hoovervilles. 

These groups of shacks and tents were named after President Herbert Hoover, whose inaction had been widely blamed 

for the situation. The devastating effects of the depression put tremendous pressure on the government to improve the 

economy.

Q. Why does the author mention “Hoovervilles” in the passage?

(A) To explain why many unemployed people became homeless

(B) To give an example of a global consequence of the Great Depression

(C) To suggest that President Hoover was responsible for the downturn

(D) To illustrate how people were adversely affected by the Great Depression

Architects and engineers had long favored concrete because it had high resistance to fire and was capable of shutting off 

sound, but, since it would easily crack, it was used only to build warehouses, factories, or other low-rise buildings

Q. Which of the sentences below best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence in the passage? 

Incorrect choices change the meaning in important ways or leave out essential information.

(A) Although construction workers made efforts to use concrete in erecting buildings, it enjoyed only limited success as a 

building material.

(B) As concrete would often crack, it was not a suitable material for the construction of important industrial buildings, 

in spite of its many advantages.

(C) Although concrete was popular for its fireproof qualities and the ability to muffle sound, it was not widely used because 

of its brittleness.

(D) Despite its tendency to snap, concrete was an obvious choice for a variety of low-rise buildings because it could 

withstand fire and shut out sound.

Ballet began in the courts of Italy and France in the late 16th and 17th centuries. Dancing was considered an essential part

of an aristocrat’s education, and figured prominently in the Pectacular pageants of the age. ■ Many of these court ballets

involved figured dances, in which elaborately costumed performers moved through various geometrical formations;

spectators might watch the patterns from above and often joined in a general ball at the end. ■ Court ballet effectively

integrated various arts, including music, and poetic declamation as well as dance. ■ Louis XIV of France, for example, 

danced in several court ballets, including the Ballet de la Nuit of 1653, in which he portrayed the Sun Rising to lead a corps of virtues succeeding to the creatures of the night. ■ The role made Louis the focus of a superbly ordered multitude and 

expressed his official character as the Roi-Soleil(Sun-King).

Look at the four squares [■] that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. It also allowed 

theater and reality to merge –– an effect on which the period’s monarchs capitalized. 

Where would the sentence best fit?

Theatrical performances frequently involve blocking, which is a term used to describe the positioning of actors and 

their movements on stage. The concept was originally applied to nineteenth-century plays where directors literally

blocked out sections of a stage in miniature. Today, however, the concept of blocking has come to embody any activity or

gesture a character uses and, in particular, the connection between those actions and the physical stage set. Stage

motions often require clear instruction, as they may not reflect natural movements used in everyday life. Therefore, close

collaboration on the part of actors and directors, as well as consistent awareness of the audience, is essential elements

in blocking. A simple blocking rule might be to never turn one’s back to the audience, for example. On the other hand,

rigid adherence to blocking guidelines can result in an overly artificial performance. Consequently, an experienced

stage actor who has mastered the fundamentals of blocking may be given some freedom to incorporate

unplanned movements within a scene, even if those movements contradict established blocking standards.

This freedom allows accomplished actors to become creative participants in the direction of a stage performance.

Q. According to the passage, which of the following is true of blocking rules?

(A) They typically take years of practice to master.

(B) Experienced actors are not always forced to follow them.

(C) They are sometimes overlooked by the audience.

(D) Actors implement them to add creativity to their performances.

Human bonding is commonly associated with the parent-child relationship. Mothers, for instance, generally form intense attachments with their children in the early stages of an infant’s life. Maternal bonding begins during pregnancy and continues after birth during breastfeeding. The attachment has a physical basis: the mother actually experiences changes in her body chemistry during and after pregnancy, and these changes are believed to foster maternal behavior. Over time, emotional, or 

affectional, bonds develop. These arise due to close and consistent contact between mother and child and can lead to feelings of attraction whereby the mother misses the child when the two are apart. Strong affectional bonds also develop between father and child through activities such as cuddling, consoling, and playing. They continue to strengthen throughout the lives of the father and child and are closely related to feelings of security and comfort.

Q. What does the author imply about paternal bonding in the passage?

(A) It is not as strong as maternal bonding.

(B) It is more physical than emotional.

(C) It begins later than maternal bonding.

(D) It stems from a desire to protect the child.

Plants are classified into three main groups on the basis of how photoperiodism affects their flowering. Short-day plants flower when the night length is equal to or greater than critical day length. This critical day length varies considerably from one plant species to another but falls between 12 and 14 hours for many. The initiation of flowering in short-day plants is due not to the short period of daylight but to the long, uninterrupted period of darkness. Examples of short-day plants are ragweed, and poinsettia, whose flowers appear late summer or fall. Plants which bloom when the night time is equal to or shorter than critical day length are called long-day plants. These plants can detect the shortening nights of late spring and early summer, and their flowers emerge at that time. Some plants, called day-neutral plants, initiate flowering not in response to seasonal changes in the amounts of daylight and darkness but responding to some other type of stimulus, external or internal. Many of these plants originated in the tropics, where day length does not vary appreciably during the year.

Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary

of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary

by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the

most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences

do not belong in the summary because they express ideas 

that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas

in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.

 Flowering in response to photoperiodism varies from plant 

 to plant.

  ●

  ●

  ●

Answer Choices

(A) Short-day plants bear flowers when the night length is equal to or exceeds critical day length.

(B) Critical day length generally lasts between 12 and 14 hours.

(C) Ragweed and poinsettia fall under the category of short-day plants.

(D) There are more species of long-day plants than there are of short-day plants.

(E) Long-day plants blossom while the night length is less than or equal to critical day length.

(F) Day-neutral plants develop flowers according to external or internal stimulus.