Writing and Language Test

Questions 111 are based on the following passage and supplementary material.
A Life in Traffic
A subway system is expanded to provide service to a growing suburb. A bike-sharing
program is adopted to encourage non-motorized transportation. 1 To alleviate rush hour
traffic jams in a congested downtown area, stoplight timing is coordinated. When any one
of these changes 2 occur, it is likely the result of careful analysis conducted by
transportation planners.
The work of transportation planners generally includes evaluating current transportation
needs, assessing the effectiveness of existing facilities, and improving those facilities or 3
they design new ones. Most transportation planners work in or near cities, 4 but some are
employed in rural areas. Say, for example, a large factory is built on the outskirts of a small
town. Traffic to and from that location would increase at the beginning and end of work
shifts. The transportation 5 planners job, might involve conducting a traffic count to
determine the daily number of vehicles traveling on the road to the new factory. If analysis
of the traffic count indicates that there is more traffic than the 6 current road as it is
designed at this time can efficiently accommodate, the transportation planner might
recommend widening the road to add another lane.
Transportation planners work closely with a number of community stakeholders, such as
government officials and other interested organizations and individuals. 7 Next,
representatives from the local public health department might provide input in designing a
network of trails and sidewalks to encourage people to walk more.
8 According to the American Heart Association, walking provides numerous benefits related
to health and well-being. Members of the Chamber of Commerce might share suggestions
about designing transportation and parking facilities to support local businesses.
9 People who pursue careers in transportation planning have a wide variety of educational
backgrounds. A two-year degree in transportation technology may be sufficient for some
entry-level jobs in the field. Most jobs, however, require at least a bachelors degree;
majors of transportation planners are 10 varied, including fields such as urban studies, civil
engineering, geography, or transportation and logistics management. For many positions in
the field, a masters degree is required.
Transportation planners perform critical work within the broader field of urban and regional
planning. As of 2010, there were approximately 40,300 urban and regional planners
employed in the United States. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts
steady job growth in this field, 11 projecting that 16 percent of new jobs in all occupations
will be related to urban and regional planning. Population growth and concerns about
environmental sustainability are expected to spur the need for transportation planning
professionals.
 Adapted from United Statues Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections
Program. All occupations includes all occupations in the United States economy.

1
Which choice best maintains the sentence pattern already established in the
paragraph?
A. NO CHANGE
B. Coordinating stoplight timing can help alleviate rush hour traffic jams in a congested
downtown area.
C. Stoplight timing is coordinated to alleviate rush hour traffic jams in a congested
downtown area.
D. In a congested downtown area, stoplight timing is coordinated to alleviate rush hour
traffic jams.
2
A. NO CHANGE
B. occur, they are
C. occurs, they are
D. occurs, it is
3
A. NO CHANGE
B. to design
C. designing
D. design
4
Which choice results in the most effective transition to the information that
follows in the paragraph?
A. NO CHANGE
B. where job opportunities are more plentiful.
C. and the majority are employed by government agencies.
D. DELETE the underlined portion and end the sentence with a period.
5
A. NO CHANGE
B. planners job
C. planners job,
D. planners job
6
A. NO CHANGE
B. current design of the road right now
C. road as it is now currently designed
D. current design of the road
7
A. NO CHANGE
B. For instance,
C. Furthermore,
D. Similarly,
8
The writer is considering deleting the underlined sentence. Should the sentence
be kept or deleted?
A. Kept, because it provides supporting evidence about the benefits of walking.
 B. Kept, because it provides an additional example of a community stakeholder with
whom transportation planners work.
C. Deleted, because it blurs the paragraphs focus on the community stakeholders with
whom transportation planners work.
D. Deleted, because it doesnt provide specific examples of what the numerous benefits
of walking are.
9 11Which choice completes the
A. NO CHANGE sentence with accurate data based
B. People, who pursue careers in transportation on
planning,
the graph?
C. People who pursue careers, in transportation A.NO
planning,
CHANGE
D. People who pursue careers in transportation planning,
B.warning, however, that job growth in
10 urban and regional planning will slow to 14
A. NO CHANGE percent by 2020.
B. varied, and including C.predicting that employment of urban and
C. varied and which include regional planners will increase 16 percent
D. varied, which include between 2010 and 2020.
Answers and explanation: D.indicating that 14 to 18 percent of urban
1- Content: Language Use
Key: C
Objective: Students must revise text to ensure consistency of style within a series of sentences.
Explanation: Choice C is the best answer because it most closely maintains the sentence pattern
established by the two preceding sentences, which begin with a noun and passive verb phrase (A
subway system is expanded, A bike-sharing program is adopted).
Choice A is not the best answer because it does not maintain the sentence pattern established by
the two preceding sentences. Instead, it begins the sentence with an infinitive phrase.
Choice B is not the best answer because it does not maintain the sentence pattern established by
the two preceding sentences. Rather, it begins the sentence with a gerund.
Choice D is not the best answer because it does not maintain the sentence pattern established by
the two preceding sentences. Rather, it shifts the placement of a modifying prepositional phrase,
in a congested downtown area, from the end of the sentence to the beginning of the sentence.

2- Content: Conventions of Usage

Key: D
Objective: Students must maintain grammatical agreement between pronoun and antecedent and
between subject and verb.
Explanation: Choice D is the best answer because it maintains agreement between the pronoun
(it) and the antecedent (any one) and between the subject (any one) and the verb (occurs).
Choice A is not the best answer because the plural verb occur does not agree with the singular
subject any one.
Choice B is not the best answer because the plural verb occur does not agree with the singular
subject any one and because the plural pronoun they does not agree with the singular
antecedent any one.
Choice C is not the best answer because the plural pronoun they does not agree with the singular
antecedent any one.

3- Content: Sentence Structure

Key: C
Objective: Students must maintain parallel structure.
Explanation: Choice C is the best answer because designing maintains parallelism with
evaluating, assessing, and improving.
Choice A is not the best answer because they design does not maintain parallelism with
evaluating, assessing, and improving.
Choice B is not the best answer because to design does not maintain parallelism with
evaluating, assessing, and improving.
Choice D is not the best answer because design does not maintain parallelism with evaluating,
assessing, and improving.
4- Content: Organization
Key: A
Objective: Students must determine the most effective transition between ideas.
Explanation: Choice A is the best answer because it effectively signals the shift in the paragraph to
the example of the work a transportation planner might perform if he or she were employed in a
rural area and asked to consider the effects of building a new factory on the outskirts of a small
town.
Choice B is not the best answer because noting that job opportunities are more plentiful in cities
does not effectively signal the shift in the paragraph to the example of the work a transportation
planner might perform if he or she were employed in a rural area.
Choice C is not the best answer because noting that most transportation planners work for
government agencies does not effectively signal the shift in the paragraph to the example of the
work a transportation planner might perform if he or she were employed in a rural area.
Choice D is not the best answer because the proposed deletion would create a jarring shift from the
statement Most transportation planners work in or near cities to the example of the work a
transportation planner might perform if he or she were employed in a rural area.

5- Content: Conventions of Punctuation

Key: B
Objective: Students must recognize and correct inappropriate uses of possessive nouns and
pronouns as well as differentiate between possessive and plural forms. Students must also
recognize and correct cases in which unnecessary punctuation appears in a sentence.
Explanation: Choice B is the best answer because it correctly uses an apostrophe to indicate the
possessive and doesnt introduce any unnecessary punctuation.
Choice A is not the best answer because, while it correctly indicates the possessive relationship
between transportation planner and job, it introduces an unnecessary comma after the word
job.
Choice C is not the best answer because it doesnt indicate the possessive relationship between
transportation planner and job, and it introduces an unnecessary comma after the word job.
Choice D is not the best answer because it doesnt indicate the possessive relationship between
transportation planner and job.

6- Content: Effective Language Use

Key: D
Objective: Students must improve the economy of expression.
Explanation: Choice D is the best answer because it offers a clear and concise wording without
redundancy.
Choice A is not the best answer because current is redundant with at this time.
Choice B is not the best answer because current is redundant with right now.
Choice C is not the best answer because now is redundant with currently.

7- Content: Organization
Key: B
Objective: Students must determine the most logical transitional word or phrase.
Explanation: Choice B is the best answer because the transitional phrase For instance logically
indicates that what follows provides an example related to the previous sentence. Representatives
from the local public health department is an example of the kinds of people with whom
transportation planners work.
Choice A is not the best answer because the transitional word Next indicates sequence, which is
not logical given that what follows provides an example related to the previous sentence.
Choice C is not the best answer because the transitional word Furthermore indicates addition,
which is not logical given that what follows provides an example related to the previous sentence.
Choice D is not the best answer because the transitional word Similarly indicates comparison or
likeness, which is not logical given that what follows provides an example related to the previous
sentence.

8- Content: Development
Key: C
Objective: Students must delete information that blurs the focus of the paragraph and weakens
cohesion.
Explanation: Choice C is the best answer because it identifies the best reason the underlined
sentence should not be kept. At this point in the passage and paragraph, a general statement about
the benefits of walking only serves to interrupt the discussion of the community stakeholders with
whom transportation planners work.
Choice A is not the best answer because the underlined sentence should not be kept. Although the
sentence could theoretically provide supporting evidence about the benefits of walking, the
passage has not made a claim that needs to be supported in this way, and including such a
statement only serves to interrupt the discussion of the community stakeholders with whom
transportation planners work.
Choice B is not the best answer because the underlined sentence should not be kept. Although the
American Heart Association could theoretically be an example of other interested organizations
that transportation planners work with, the sentence does not suggest that this is the case. Instead,
the association is merely the source for the general statement about the benefits of walking, a
statement that only serves to interrupt the discussion of the actual community stakeholders with
whom transportation planners work.
Choice D is not the best answer because, although the underlined sentence should be deleted, it is
not because the sentence lacks specific examples of the numerous benefits of walking. Adding such
examples would only serve to blur the focus of the paragraph further with general factual
information, as the paragraphs main purpose is to discuss the community stakeholders with whom
transportation planners work.

9- Content: Conventions of Punctuation

Key: A
Objective: Students must distinguish between restrictive/essential and nonrestrictive/nonessential
sentence elements and avoid unneeded punctuation.
Explanation: Choice A is the best answer because who pursue careers in transportation planning
is, in context, a restrictive clause that should not be set off with punctuation. Who pursue careers
in transportation planning is essential information defining who the people are.
Choice B is not the best answer because it incorrectly sets off the restrictive clause who pursue
careers in transportation planning with commas as though the clause were nonrestrictive or not
essential to defining who the people are.
Choice C is not the best answer because it incorrectly sets off the essential sentence element in
transportation planning with commas as though the phrase were not essential to the meaning of
the sentence. In transportation planning is essential information defining what the careers are.
Choice D is not the best answer because it introduces an unnecessary comma after the word
planning, incorrectly setting off the subject of the sentence (people who pursue careers in
transportation planning) from the predicate (have a wide variety of educational backgrounds).

10- Content: Sentence Structure

Key: A
Objective: Students must recognize and correct problems in coordination and subordination in
sentences.
Explanation: Choice A is the best answer because it uses a comma to effectively subordinate the list
of varied fields in which transportation planners major.
Choice B is not the best answer because the comma and coordinating conjunction and result in an
ungrammatical sentence.
Choice C is not the best answer because the coordinating conjunction and along with the
subordinating conjunction which result in an ungrammatical sentence.
Choice D is not the best answer because it is unclear from this construction to what exactly the
subordinating conjunction which refers.

11- Content: Development

Key: C
Objective: Students must evaluate text based on data presented graphically.
Explanation: Choice C is the best answer because it completes the sentence with an accurate
interpretation of data in the graph. The graph displays projections of how much growth in
employment there is expected to be between 2010 and 2020 for social scientists and related
workers, for urban and regional planners, and in all occupations in the U.S. economy. According
to the graph, the employment of urban and regional planners is expected to increase 16 percent
between 2010 and 2020.
Choice A is not the best answer because the data in the graph do not support the claim that 16
percent of new jobs in all occupations will be related to urban and regional planning.
Choice B is not the best answer because the data in the graph do not support the claim that job
growth in urban and regional planning will slow to 14 percent
spend withby 2020.
how much recipients will
Choice D is not the best answer because the data in the graph dothe
appreciate not support the claim that 14 to
18 percent of urban and regional planning positions will remain
gift unfilled.
(the more expensive the gift, the
stronger a
gift-recipients feelings of appreciation).
Although a
45 link between gift price and feelings of
appreciation
might seem intuitive to gift-givers, such an
assumption may be unfounded. Indeed, we
propose
that gift-recipients will be less inclined to
base their
feelings of appreciation on the magnitude
of a gift
50 than givers assume.
Why do gift-givers assume that gift price is
Reading Test closely
DIRECTIONS linked to gift-recipients feelings of
Each passage or pair of passages below is followed appreciation?
by a number of questions. After
reading each passage or pair, choose the best answer Perhapsto givers
eachbelieve thatbased
question biggeron(i.e.,
what is
stated or implied in the passage or passages and more
in any accompanying graphics (such as
a table or graph). expensive) gifts convey stronger signals of
Questions 11-21 are based on the following 55 thoughtfulness and consideration.
passage and supplementary material. According to
Camerer (1988) and others, gift-giving
This passage is adapted from Francis J. Flynn and Gabrielle
S. Adams, "Money Can't Buy Love: Asymmetric Beliefsrepresents
about a
symbolic
Gift Price and Feelings of Appreciation." 2008 by Elsevier ritual, whereby gift-givers attempt
Inc. to signal
Every day, millions of shoppers hit the stores in their positive attitudes toward the intended
full forceboth online and on footsearching recipient
frantically for the perfect gift. Last year, Americans and their willingness to invest resources in
spent over $30 billion at retail stores in the month of a future
5 December alone. Aside from purchasing holiday 60 relationship. In this sense, gift-givers
gifts, most people regularly buy presents for other may be
occasions throughout the year, including weddings, motivated to spend more money on a gift in
birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and baby order to
showers. This frequent experience of gift-giving can send a stronger signal to their intended
10 engender ambivalent feelings in gift-givers. Many recipient.
relish the opportunity to buy presents because As for gift-recipients, they may not construe
gift-giving offers a powerful means to build stronger smaller
bonds with ones closest peers. At the same time, and larger gifts as representing smaller and
many dread the thought of buying gifts; they worry larger
15 that their purchases will disappoint rather than 65 signals of thoughtfulness and
delight the intended recipients. consideration.
Anthropologists describe gift-giving as a positive The notion of gift-givers and gift-recipients
social process, serving various political, religious, and being
psychological functions. Economists, however, offer unable to account for the other partys
20 a less favorable view. According to Waldfogel (1993), perspective
gift-giving represents an objective waste of resources.seems puzzling because people slip in and
out of
People buy gifts that recipients would not choose to
buy on their own, or at least not spend as much
money to purchase (a phenomenon referred to as
25the deadweight loss of Christmas). To wit, givers
are likely to spend $100 to purchase a gift that
receivers would spend only $80 to buy themselves.
This deadweight loss suggests that gift-givers are
not very good at predicting what gifts others will
30 appreciate. That in itself is not surprising to social
psychologists. Research has found that people often
struggle to take account of others perspectives
their insights are subject to egocentrism, social
projection, and multiple attribution errors.
35 What is surprising is that gift-givers have
considerable experience acting as both gift-givers and
gift-recipients, but nevertheless tend to overspend
each time they set out to purchase a meaningful gift.
In the present research, we propose a unique
40 psychological explanation for this overspending
problemi.e., that gift-givers equate how much they

engender ambivalent: produce indecisive

relish : appreciate
Anthropologist :a scientist who studies humankind
Wit : humor
Equate: to show
construe :to interpret or understand the meaning of a gesture
1-The authors most likely use the examples in lines 1-9 of the passage
(Every . . . showers) to highlight the
A) regularity with which people shop for gifts.
B) recent increase in the amount of money spent on gifts.
C) anxiety gift shopping causes for consumers.
D) number of special occasions involving gift-giving.
12
2-In line 10, the word ambivalent most nearly means
A) unrealistic. B) conflicted. C) apprehensive. D) supportive.

3-The authors indicate that people value gift-giving because they feel it
A) functions as a form of self-expression.
B) is an inexpensive way to show appreciation.
C) requires the gift-recipient to reciprocate.
D) can serve to strengthen a relationship.
14
4-Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous
question?
A) Lines 10-13 (Many . . . peers)
B) Lines 22-23 (People . . . own)
C) Lines 31-32 (Research . . . perspectives)
D) Lines 44-47 (Although . . . unfounded)
15
5-The social psychologists mentioned in paragraph 2 (lines 17-34) would likely
describe the deadweight loss phenomenon as
A) predictable. B) questionable. C) disturbing. D) unprecedented.
16
6-The passage indicates that the assumption made by gift-givers in lines 41-44
may be
A) insincere. B) unreasonable. C) incorrect. D) substantiated.
7- Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous
question?
A) Lines 53-55 (Perhaps . . . consideration)
B) Lines 55-60 (According . . . relationship)
C) Lines 63-65 (As . . . consideration)
D) Lines 75-78 (In . . . relations)

8-As it is used in line 54, convey most nearly means

A) transport. B) counteract. C) exchange. D) communicate.

9-The authors refer to work by Camerer and others (line 56) in order to
A) offer an explanation. B) introduce an argument. C) question a motive. D) support a
conclusion.

10-The graph following the passage offers evidence that gift-givers base their
predictions of how much a gift will be appreciated on
A) the appreciation level of the gift-recipients.
B) the monetary value of the gift.
C) their own desires for the gifts they purchase.
D) their relationship with the gift-recipients.

11-The authors would likely attribute the differences in gift-giver and recipient
mean appreciation as represented in the graph to
A) an inability to shift perspective.
B) an increasingly materialistic culture.
C) a growing opposition to gift-giving.
D) a misunderstanding of intentions.

Answers: 1-11 Reading test

QUESTION 1.
Choice A is the best answer. Lines 1-9 include examples of how many people shop
(millions of shoppers), how much money they spend (over $30 billion at retail stores in
the month of December alone), and the many
occasions that lead to shopping for gifts (including weddings, birthdays, anniversaries,
graduations, and baby showers.). Combined, these examples show how frequently people
in the US shop for gifts.
Choice B is incorrect because even though the authors mention that $30 billion had been
spent in retail stores in one month, that figure is never discussed as an increase (or a
decrease). Choice C is incorrect because lines 1-9 provide a context for the amount of
shopping that occurs in the US, but the anxiety (or dread) it might cause is not
introduced until later in the passage. Choice D is incorrect because lines 1-9 do more than
highlight the
number of different occasions that lead to gift-giving.
QUESTION 2.
Choice B is the best answer. Lines 9-10 state This frequent experience of gift-giving
can engender ambivalent feelings in gift-givers. In the subsequent sentences, those
ambivalent feelings are further exemplified as
conflicted feelings, as shopping is said to be something that [m]any relish (lines 10-11)
and many dread (line 14). Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because in this context,
ambivalent does not mean feelings that are unrealistic, apprehensive, or supportive.
QUESTION 3.
Choice D is the best answer. In lines 10-13, the authors clearly state that some people
believe gift-giving can help a relationship because it offers a powerful means to build
stronger bonds with ones closest peers.
Choice A is incorrect because even though the authors state that some shoppers make
their choices based on egocentrism, (line 33) there is no evidence in the passage that
people view shopping as a form of self-expression.
Choice B is incorrect because the passage implies that shopping is an expensive habit.
Choice C is incorrect because the passage states that most people have purchased and
received gifts, but it never implies that people
are required to reciprocate the gift-giving process.
QUESTION 4.
Choice A is the best answer. In lines 10-13, the authors suggest that people value gift-
giving because it may strengthen their relationships with others: Many relish the
opportunity to buy presents because gift-giving offers a
powerful means to build stronger bonds with ones closest peers. Choices B, C, and D do
not provide the best evidence for the answer to the previous question. Choice B is incorrect
because lines 22-23 discuss how people often buy gifts that the recipients would not
purchase. Choice C is incorrect because lines 31-32 explain how gift-givers often fail to
consider the recipients preferences. Choice D is incorrect because lines 44-47 suggest that
the cost of a gift may not correlate to a recipients appreciation of it.
QUESTION 5.
Choice A is the best answer. The deadweight loss mentioned in the second paragraph
is the significant monetary difference between what a gift-giver would pay for something
and what a gift-recipient would pay for the same item. That difference would be predictable
to social psychologists, whose research has found that people often struggle to take
account of others perspectivestheir insights are subject to egocentrism, social projection,
and multiple attribution errors (lines 31-34).
Choices B, C, and D are all incorrect because lines 31-34 make clear that social
psychologists would expect a disconnect between gift-givers and gift recipients, not that
they would question it, be disturbed by it, or find it surprising or unprecedented.
QUESTION 6.
Choice C is the best answer. Lines 41-44 suggest that gift-givers assume a correlation
between the cost of a gift and how well-received it will be: . . . gift-givers equate how
much they spend with how much recipients will
appreciate the gift (the more expensive the gift, the stronger a gift-recipients feelings of
appreciation). However, the authors suggest this assumption may be incorrect or
unfounded (line 47), as gift-recipients may not construe
smaller and larger gifts as representing smaller and larger signals of thoughtfulness and
consideration (lines 63-65). Choices A, B, and D are all incorrect because the passage
neither states nor implies that the gift-givers assumption is insincere, unreasonable, or
substantiated.
QUESTION 7.
Choice C is the best answer. Lines 63-65 suggest that the assumption made by gift-
givers in lines 41-44 may be incorrect. The gift-givers assume that recipients will have a
greater appreciation for costly gifts than for less costly

gifts, but the authors suggest this relationship may be incorrect, as gift recipients may not
construe smaller and larger gifts as representing smaller and larger signals of
thoughtfulness and consideration (lines 63-65).
Choices A and D are incorrect because lines 53-55 and 75-78 address the question of why
gift-givers make specific assumptions rather than addressing the validity of these
assumptions. Choice B is incorrect because lines
55-60 focus on the reasons people give gifts to others.
QUESTION 8.
Choice D is the best answer. Lines 53-55 state that Perhaps givers believe that bigger
(i.e., more expensive) gifts convey stronger signals of thoughtfulness and consideration. In
this context, saying that more expensive gifts
convey stronger signals means the gifts send, or communicate, stronger signals to the
recipients.
Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because in this context, to convey something does not
mean to transport it (physically move something), counteract it (act in opposition to
something), or exchange it (trade one thing
for another).
QUESTION 9.
Choice A is the best answer. The paragraph examines how gift-givers believe expensive
gifts are more thoughtful than less expensive gifts and will be more valued by recipients.
The work of Camerer and others offers an explanation for the gift-givers reasoning: gift-
givers attempt to signal their positive attitudes toward the intended recipient and their
willingness to invest resources in a future relationship (lines 57-60).
Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because the theory articulated by Camerer and others is
used to explain an idea put forward by the authors (givers believe that bigger . . . gifts
convey stronger signals), not to introduce an
argument, question a motive, or support a conclusion.
QUESTION 10.
Choice B is the best answer. The graph clearly shows that gift-givers believe that a
more valuable gift will be more appreciated than a less valuable gift. According to the
graph, gift-givers believe the monetary value of a gift will determine whether that gift is
well received or not.
Choice A is incorrect because the graph does not suggest that gift-givers are aware of gift-
recipients appreciation levels. Choices C and D are incorrect because neither the gift-
givers desire for the gifts they purchase nor the gift givers relationship with the gift-
recipients is addressed in the graph.
QUESTION 11.
Choice A is the best answer. Lines 69-75 explain that while people are often both gift-
givers and gift-receivers, they struggle to apply information they learned as a gift-giver to a
time when they were a gift-receiver: Yet, despite the extensive experience that people
have as both givers and receivers, they often struggle to transfer information gained from
one role (e.g., as a giver) and apply it in another, complementary role (e.g., as a receiver).
The authors suggest that the disconnect between how much appreciation a gift-giver thinks
a gift merits and how much appreciation a gift-recipient displays for the gift may be caused
by both individuals inability to comprehend the others perspective.
Choices B and C are incorrect because neither the passage nor the graph addresses the
idea that society has become more materialistic or that there is a growing opposition to
gift-giving. Choice D is incorrect because the passage
emphasizes that gift-givers and gift-recipients fail to understand each others perspective,
but it offers no evidence that the disconnect results only from a failure to understand the
others intentions.