【正文】 fer s to a creature that probably bred and gave birth on land. Pakicetus is the only one of the c hoice s to which this could apply.6. ○2This is a Vocabulary que stion. The word bei ng tested is exposed. It is highlighted in the pa ssage. The correct answer is choice 2, visible. Exposed means unc overed. A skeleton that is uncovered can be seen. Visible means can be seen.7. ○ 4This is a Factual Information que stion asking for spec ific infor mation that can be found in the passage. Choice4 is the best answer because it is the only detail about the skeleton of Basilosaurus mentioned in paragraph 4, meaning that it is significant. Choice 1 is true, but it is not discussed in the detail that choice 4 is, and does not represent the significance of the discovery. Choice 3 is not mentioned, and c hoice 2 is not :me.8. ○4This is an Inference que stion a sking for a conclusion that can be drawn from the e ntire passage. Choice 4 is the best answer ba sed on the last sentence of paragraph 4, which de scribe s Basilosaurus as a fully marine whale. That implie s that everything it did, including breeding and giving birth, could have been done only in a marine envir onme nt.9. ○2This is an Inference question asking for a conclusion that can be drawn from the passage. Paragraph 5 explains that this discover y provided im portant information to scientist s that they might not have been able to obtain without it. Therefore, you can infer that the discovery wa s a lucky one. The passage offer s no support for the other choices. Therefore, choice 2 is the best answer.10. ○3This is a Sentence Sim plification question. As with all of the se items, a single sentence in the pa ssage is highlighted:The structure of the backbone shows, howe ver, that Ambulocetus swam like modern whale s by m oving the rear portion of its body up and dow n, even though a fluke was missing.Choice 3 is the be st answer because it contains all of the essential information in the highlighted sentence. Choice 1 is not true because A mbulocetus did have a backbone. Choice 2 is not true because the sentence says that the backbone showed how the Ambulocetus swam, not that it was missing a fluke. Choice 4 is untrue because the se ntence states that Ambulocetus and moder n whales swam in the same way.11. ○4This is a Vocabulary question. The word bei ng tested is propulsion. It is highlighted in the pa ssage. Choice 4, moving forward is the be st answer because it means the action of prope lling. The whale in the sentence used its hind legs to push itsel f forward in the water.12. ○2This is an Insert Text question. You can see the four black squares in paragraphs 1 and 2 that represe nt thepossible answer choices here.Extinct but already fully marine cetaceans are known fr om the fossil record. ■ How was t he gap between a walking mammal and a swim ming whale bridged? ■ Mi ssing until recently were fossils clearly intermediate, or transitional, between land mammals and cetaceans.■ Very exciting discoverie s have finally allowe d scientists to reconstruct the m ost likel y origins of cetaceans.■ In 1979. a team looking for fossils in northern Pakistan found w hat prove d to be the oldest fossil w hale.The sentence provide d i s This is a que stion that ha s puzzled scie ntists for ages. The be st place to insert it is at square 2. The sentence that precedes square 2 is in the form of a rhetorical que stion and the inserted sentence ex plicitly provide s a re sponse to it. None of the other sentences preceding squares is a que stion, so the inserted sentence cannot logically follow any one of them.1314. ○1 2 5Desert Formation1. ○2This is a Vocabulary que stion. The word being tested is threatened. It is highlighted in the passage . To threaten means to speak or act as if you will cause harm to someone or something. The object of the threat is in danger of being hurt, so the c orrect answer is choice 2, endangered.2. ○2This is a Factual Information question a sking for specific information that can be found in paragraph 3. The correct answer is choice 2, re duced water absorption. The paragraph explic itly states that the reduction of vegetation greatly reduces water absorption. Choice 4, reduced water runoff, ex plicitly contradicts the paragraph, so it is inc orrect. The spaces in the soil are mentioned in anot her context: the paragraph does not say that they increase, so choice 3 is inc orrect. The paragraph does not mention choice 1.3. ○1This is a Vocabulary question. The word bei ng tested is de licate. It is highlighted in the passage. The correct answer is c hoice 1, fragile, meaning easily broken. Delicate has the same meaning as fragile.4. ○1This is a Factual Information question a sking for specific information that can be found in paragraph 5. The correct answer is choice 1: border areas have difficulty adjusting to stresses created by settlement. The paragraph says that expanding populations, or settlement, subject border areas to pre ssure s, or stress, that the land may not be able to respond to. Choice 2 is incorrect because the paragraph does not discuss fertility after desertification. Choice 3 is also inc orrect because irrigation is not mentioned here. The paragraph mentions increasing populations but not the difficulty of attracting populations, so choice 4 is incorrect.5. ○4This is a Vocabulary question. The word bei ng tested is progressivel y. It is highlighted in the passage. The correct answer is c hoice 4, increasingly. Progressively as it is used here means more, and m ore of something means that it is increasing.6. ○3This is a Factual Information question a sking for specific information that can be found in paragraph 6. The correct answer is choice 3, removal of the original