Part 3
Gardeners also enjoy the hidden, unseen complexity (12) of compost. Some people rake their leaves to the curb and are happy when the truck hauls them away, while composters use their leaves and their ingenuity. Compost needs a balanced diet of leaves and other “fresh” ingredients. But other conditions must be carefully balanced as well for the microbes to perform their best. Is the compost too wet? Too dry? Does it need to be turned? [13] Only experience and experimentation can tell for sure.
If it’s not decomposing properly, a compost pile can literally stink. (14) That’s just one reason why somegardeners treat this voracious beast as attentively as a pet. When I feed mine potato peels, I can almost hear it purr.
12.
F. NO CHANGE
G. hidden complexity
H. hidden complexity and intricacy
J. hidden, intricate complexity
13.
The writer is considering deleting the preceding three questions from this paragraph. Should the writer delete these sentences?
A. Yes, because they provide an unnecessary repetition of previously stated ideas.
B. Yes, because they cause a disruption in the flow of the paragraph.
C. No, because they clarify what is meant by “conditions.”
D. No, because they support the essay’s focus on the ease of composting.
14.
Given that all the choices are true, which one most specifically describes a particular negative effect of improper composting?
F. NO CHANGE
G. can produce problems.
H. creates an unpleasant outcome.
J. doesn’t work very well.
15.
Question 15 asks about the preceding passage as a whole.
Suppose the writer’s goal had been to write a personal essay comparing her favorite hobbies. Would this essay fulfill that goal?
A. Yes, because the essay focuses on comparing the natural processes of the compost pile to that of the cycle of life.
B. Yes, because the essay focuses on describing how compost piles work, which is an important hobby to the writer.
C. No, because the focus of the essay is on how other gardeners like composting, not on the writer’s personal feelings about the hobby.
D. No, because although the writer expresses enthusiasm for composting, the essay does not focus on comparing this activity to other hobbies.