Passage #1: Answer Key
1. B (Gist-Purpose)
A seems like the correct answer at first because the conversation starts with the student and professor talking about the student’s paper, but then the student says that she wants to talk to the professor about the student exchange program. She then reveals that she wants to study specifically in Guatemala. So B is the correct answer. She says:
”– Speaking of real-world applications… that’s sort of what I wanted to talk to you about… the student exchange program.
– Oh sure absolutely. Are you thinking of going somewhere? That’s a great program.
– Well, I have a couple of places in mind… but I really have my heart set on Guatemala.”
In the beginning, the professor mentions that Christy wrote her paper about farming practices on $10 a day, but Christy does not say this is a reason she wants to go to Guatemala, so A is not correct. Also, D is not correct because she says that she knows a little bit of Spanish, but not that she necessarily wants to learn more. Instead, she says she wants to go to Guatemala because she has already done research on it and it has the agricultural, economic, and environmental conditions that she wants to continue studying.
“ -I think Guatemala would be the most relevant place for me… it would be perfect to go there so I can do some research about my ideas.
-I can see where you’re coming from Christy. I think you have some good reasons. I hate to tell you this, but the exchange program in Guatemala is only for Spanish majors, and the Spanish department is usually pretty strict about that. Nooo, there has to be some way I can go. I’ve already done so much research about it. Guatemala is perfect for my research. It has the exact type of agricultural practices, economy, and environmental conditions I want to study and explore.”
A is the correct answer. C and D are never mentioned in the conversation. The professor says explicitly that the program in Guatemala is only for Spanish majors, therefore Christy technically cannot go. In addition, the professor mentions twice that the Spanish department generally does not let students who are not Spanish majors go on the trip. Even though the Spanish department is in charge, the reason she cannot go is that she is not a Spanish major, which is why B is incorrect. He says:
”– I can see where you’re coming from Christy. I think you have some good reasons. I hate to tell you this, but the exchange program in Guatemala is only for Spanish majors, and the Spanish department is usually pretty strict about that.
– Nooo, there has to be some way I can go. I’ve already done so much research about it. Guatemala is perfect for my research. It has the exact type of agricultural practices, economy, and environmental conditions I want to study and explore.
– You make a fair argument, but have you thought of other places? I really wouldn’t want you to get your hopes up, since it’s a program run by the Spanish department and I can’t remember the last time a student was able to go who wasn’t a Spanish major.”
Near the end of the conversation, when the professor agrees to talk to the Spanish department, he tells Christy why he thinks it could be a good idea for her to go to Guatemala. He says:
“Look, I want you to have the opportunity to go, and I agree that it could be an ideal place for your research. Since you are very passionate about going, I will talk to the person in charge of the situation and see if they can find a way to accommodate you”
So B and C are the correct answers. D is not correct because the professor never mentions that Christy knowing some Spanish will help her situation. Choice A is never mentioned or implied.
D looks like it could be the correct answer, but the reason for the question is not out of curiosity. The professor agrees with Christy that she has good reasons to go to Guatemala. He says:
“You make a fair argument, but have you thought of other places?” Having already told Christy she probably will not be able to go to Guatemala because she is not a Spanish major, the professor wants to see if Christy has any other options in mind. Therefore, B is the best option.
Passage #2: Answer Key
1. C (Gist-Content)
The answer is C because the entire lecture is based on describing different theories of how the moon was created, and then discussing the problems with each theory. A is incorrect because this is a detail mentioned towards the end of the talk. B and D are also details that are indeed true and mentioned in the passage but are not the main idea.
A is the correct answer because, at the very beginning of the lecture, the professor says, “We talked about three possible solutions, uh, more like theories, about how the moon was created. Can anyone tell me the name of one of these theories?”. Therefore, the lecture is then based on discussing these three theories, after which the professor introduces a new theory they have not talked about yet. B is incorrect because the professor mentions an experiment with the impact, but this is not how the lecture is organized. C is never mentioned and D is incorrect because there is no historical account, only a report, and summation of the theories about the moon’s formation.
C and D are the correct answers. One must rely on memory or notes on the problems associated with each theory. The professor says, “…no one knows of any way that Earth could have captured such a large moon from elsewhere. One body approaching another cannot go into orbit around it without a serious loss of energy. Furthermore, if such a capture did take place, the captured object would go into a very strange orbit rather than the nearly circular orbit our moon goes through today.” A is incorrect because chemical differences are mentioned later in the passage. B is incorrect because it is not connected to the capture theory, and the lecturer will later point out that it is more likely that the Earth and the moon were connected at some point.
We know that B is the correct answer because the professor says:
“Now, in an effort to resolve these apparent contradictions, scientists developed a fourth hypothesis for the origin of the moon, one that involves a giant impact early in Earth’s history… While we do not have any current way of showing that the giant impact hypothesis is the correct model of the moon’s origin, it does offer potential solutions to most of the major problems raised by the chemistry of the moon.”
The other choices are mentioned at the beginning of the passage but later dispelled for various reasons.
The author says that: “the sister theory was the dominant idea accepted by most astronomers in the past, but, like the capture and fission theory, it had some problems,” and then in the next part of the lecture, she states that “…in an effort to resolve these apparent contradictions, scientists developed a fourth hypothesis for the origin of the moon.” Therefore, A is the correct answer choice because we can infer that modern astronomers do not believe this theory is correct since the professor said “astronomers of the past” and that scientists developed a fourth hypothesis. B is wrong because this is a problematic conclusion of the fission theory, not an inference about the sister theory. Option C is incorrect because the professor says that the lower density of the moon compared to Earth is why this theory is problematic. D is not correct because, if anything, the professor implies that it was more popular than the former two theories.
Although the professor talks about the giant impact hypothesis positively, this is because it is the best explanation available so far. However, the professor points out that scientists actually are not able to prove this is the correct model. She says, “While we do not have any current way of showing that the giant impact hypothesis is the correct model of the moon’s origin, it does offer potential solutions to most of the major problems raised by the chemistry of the moon.”. A is incorrect because the professor mentions that the object hitting the Earth had to be just big enough to break off a piece of Earth but not so big that it would destroy the planet. B and C are never mentioned.
Passage #3: Answer Key
1. A (Gist-Content)
A is correct because not only does the professor talk about how plate tectonics has formed valleys, mountains, and volcanoes in the first half of the lecture, but she also continues to discuss the theory that plate tectonics formed the continents that we know today. B is incorrect because the professor does not prove the plate tectonics theory in her lecture. C is also wrong because, although the professor mentions this at the end, it is not the main purpose of the lecture.
A and B are incorrect because the lecturer never mentions what the students learned in a previous class, nor does she give any indication that some of the students may be in the wrong class. D can also be eliminated because plate tectonics is a concept in the field of geology, not something that can be compared to geology.
A is the better choice here. The professor spends the first half of the lecture discussing what plate tectonics is, and then the second half of the lecture is an example of plate tectonics in theory through a historical narrative. B is not correct because there is no comparison of theories. D is also incorrect because the professor gives one example followed by a historical narrative, not two examples.
C is the correct answer because the professor says, “Looking at it from a different perspective, plate tectonics is a way for Earth to transport heat efficiently from the interior, where it has accumulated, out to space. It is a cooling system for the planet. All planets develop a heat transfer process as they evolve.” A and B are not correct because these are the effects of plate tectonics, not the purpose. D is also incorrect because continental drift is actually the theory that is explained by plate tectonics, not the other way around.
B is the correct answer because it best describes the function of this statement. B is the only answer which relates to the main idea of the lecture. Therefore, A, C, and D can be eliminated because, although true, they do not relate to the purpose of the lecture or the information the professor gives to the students.
A and D are correct because the professor says:
“Wegener’s evidence went far beyond the similarities in the shapes of the continents. He proposed that the similarities between fossils found only in South America and Africa indicated that these two continents were joined at one time. He also showed that similarities among living animal species on different continents could best be explained by assuming that the continents were once connected in a supercontinent he called Pangaea (from Greek elements “pan” meaning “all” and “Gaea” meaning “land”).”
B is not correct because the professor never mentions rare plants. C is wrong because the shapes of the continents were the reason for his theory, not evidence that supported his theory.
Passage #4: Answer Key
1. D (Gist-Content)
After listening to the entire passage, it becomes clear that D is the best answer. A is incorrect because her grades are never mentioned in the passage. B is incorrect because the student does not have to read any additional materials, but instead redo her assignment. C is incorrect because, while books are mentioned in the conversation, accessing the books is not the main discussion.
In the passage, the student states, “Really? I remember the assignment and I’m sure it said to review a book from the reading list.” Therefore, A is the best answer. B is incorrect because deadlines are not mentioned in regard to the original assignment. C is not right because the professor later says, “And as you are the only person who misunderstood the assignment, I don’t think what I wrote was unclear, do you?”. D is incorrect because the professor never says she used the wrong books on the assignment.
The student was confused when she first arrived, but at this point in the conversation, it is becoming a bit clearer. When she says, “So, you were using the phrase ’review a book’ in the assignment to mean something like ’study the book’ rather than ’write a review’ of the book?” She is confirming what the professor meant by an important word in the assignment, so C is the best answer. A is wrong because the phrasing of these questions indicates that she is not asking the professor to explain anything to her again, and his reply, “Yes, that’s exactly right” also indicates this. B is not correct because, as the rest of the conversation explains, the professor did not misword the assignment, rather the student misread the assignment.
In response to the student’s question, the teacher responds, “Yes, that’s exactly right. And as you are the only person who misunderstood the assignment, I don’t think what I wrote was unclear, do you?”. That last part of this question is what is being asked. C is the best answer because he is implying that since she was the only one to misunderstand, his instructions were not confusing because all other students understood the assignment correctly except her. This comment does not address how well the other students did, so D is incorrect. B is also wrong because there is nothing in this statement to imply that the student should have asked if something was unclear.
A is correct because, toward the end of the conversation, the woman asks the professor, “Can I submit a revised assignment next week on Tuesday or Wednesday?” B is incorrect because while there is confusion about the wording of the assignment, it is never implied through words or tone that she will submit a complaint. C is also never implied and D is incorrect because the professor states at the very end, “Actually, Anya, it’s only Monday. So, I’d like it before the weekend, please.”
Passage #5: Answer Key
1. C (Gist-Content)
A, B, and D are all true, yet they do not capture the topic of the entire lecture. Instead, A, B, and D are too specific to certain parts of the lecture. C is the best answer because it best summarizes the main idea of the lecture.
D is the correct answer because the professor mentions the sleep-wake cycle as an example of a circadian rhythm and then gets into what happens when this cycle is disrupted. A is incorrect because circadian rhythms are not examples of sleep debt. B is incorrect because he never changes the subject. C is wrong because he does not compare circadian rhythms to sleep deprivation.
Remember that the professor is trying to give the students relevant and important information. With this in mind, B is clearly the correct answer. The professor never mentions or reveals how much sleep the students get, so A and C are irrelevant. Similarly, it is not clear whether D is a true statement or not.
A is the correct answer because the professor states, “Some research suggests that sleep deprivation affects cognitive and motor function as much as, if not more than, alcohol intoxication.” B is too extreme, in that people could fall asleep “no matter what” they are doing, to be the answer here. C could potentially be true, but it is something that is not even mentioned in the lecture. D sounds possible because we hear the word alcohol in the lecture, but the professor is actually comparing the effects of sleep to alcohol intoxication.
C is the correct answer because the professor states, “If you lie down to take a nap and fall asleep very easily, chances are you may have a sleep debt.” A and B are never mentioned in the passage. In regard to choice D, the professor mentions that:
“Given that college students are famous for suffering from significant sleep debt, chances are you and your classmates deal with these issues on a regular basis,”
But this does not mean that “almost all” college students have sleep debt, which is why D can be eliminated.
The professor says, “In fact, recent research indicates that by the time we are 65 years old, we average fewer than 7 hours of sleep per day.” Based on the keywords the professor uses, “in fact” and “research shows us” A and D can be eliminated. B and C are the most relevant here because these keywords indicate that the professor is trying to prove something or state why it is a true fact. B can be eliminated because, although we sleep less when we are older, it is not necessarily because we are sleep deprived, so C is the best answer.