DIRECTIONS:
In the passage that follows, certain words and phrases are bolded and numbered. And you will find alternatives for the bolded part. In most cases, you are to choose the one that best expresses the idea, makes the statement appropriate for standard written English, or is worded most consistently with the style and tone of the passage as a whole. If you think the original version is best, choose “NO CHANGE.” You will also find questions about a section of the passage, or about the passage as a whole. These questions do not refer to an bolded portion of the passage, but rather are identified by a number or numbers in a box.
PASSAGE Disco Clams
Part 1
In the coral reefs off Indonesia, Ctenoides ales—or the disco clam flickers a band of bright light (1)—along the fleshy lips where the two halves of its shell meet. Marine biologists long believed these light bands were the result of bioluminescence; a chemical reaction that Marine biologists long believed these light bands were the result of bioluminescence (2); a chemical reaction that produces light in a variety (3) of deep-sea creatures. However, in 2014, University of California, Berkeley, researcher Lindsey Dougherty discovered the disco clam possesses a far rarer ability. Its lips reflect ambient light.
1.
F. NO CHANGE
G. clam—flickers a band of bright light
H. clam flickers—a band of bright light
J. clam flickers a band—of bright light
2.
A. NO CHANGE
B. bioluminescence, and a
C. bioluminescence, a
D. bioluminescence. A
3.
F. NO CHANGE
G. makes luminosity happen in a whole multiplicity
H. generates luminescence in a diverse bunch
J. engenders light in a hodgepodge
Part 2
Dougherty compares the disco clam’s lips to a scarf, one side of which is covered in foil according to Dougherty’s analogy (4). As the clam furls and unfurls its lips, microscopic, mirror-like silica spheres (5) on the “foil” side reflects (6) all visible light, making this side appear white.[7] The lips’ other side, which lacks the silica spheres (8), reflects only longer wavelengths, making this side appear red.
4.
A. NO CHANGE
B. in this parallelism with the disco clam’s lips.
C. in her comparison.
D. DELETE the underlined portion and end the sentence with a period.
5.
F. NO CHANGE
G. lips microscopic, mirror-like silica spheres,
H. lips microscopic, mirror-like, silica spheres,
J. lips, microscopic, mirror-like silica spheres,
6.
A. NO CHANGE
B. has reflected
C. is reflecting
D. reflect
7.
At this point, the writer is considering adding the following sentence:
Silica is used in the production of glass for windows and drinking cups.
Given that the sentence is accurate, should the writer make this addition here?
F. Yes, because it clarifies how the disco clam’s silica spheres reflect light.
G. Yes, because it clarifies information about Dougherty’s motivation for studying disco clams.
H. No, because it interrupts the paragraph’s description of how the disco clam’s lips reflect light.
J. No, because it interrupts the paragraph’s explanation of the relationship between spheres and wavelengths.
8.
If the writer were to delete the underlined portion (adjusting the punctuation as needed), the essay would primarily lose:
A. a description of how the disco clam utilizes the silica spheres.
B. a suggestion that one side of the disco clam’s lips is less important than the other side.
C. a detail that helps explain why one side of the disco clam’s lips appears red.
D. an estimation of how many silica spheres are on the disco clam’s lips.
Part 3
The clam’s furling and unfurling—clocking in at, roughly speaking (9), 2.4 times per second—exposes the silica spheres and then conceals them in rapid succession. This creates the illusion of a strobing bright light.(10)
*1 Dougherty strove not only to understand this mechanism but also to identify its purpose. *2 Some (11) creatures use bioluminescence to ward off predators, Dougherty isolated a disco clam with a mantis shrimp—the clam’s natural predator—in an aquarium. *3 Dougherty hypothesized that this increase signified a warning to the mantis shrimp. *4 Using a photometer, Dougherty measured the frequency of the disco clam’s light bursts. *5 As the mantis shrimp approached the clam, its flashes increased in frequency from 1.5 to 2.5 hertz.[12]
In a subsequent experiment, she conceded (13) the mantis shrimp to get closer to the clam. After its lips flashed with greater frequency, the disco clam secreted sulfuric acid, sending (14) the mantis shrimp into a catatonic state. This discovery supports Dougherty’s warning signal theory. If its flashes go unheeded, the disco clam’s final defense is sulfuric acid—a potent weapon for staying alive.
9.
F. NO CHANGE
G. taking place at a temporal calculation of
H. occurring at an average rate of
J. happening, more or less, about
10.
Given that all the choices are accurate, which one most effectively concludes the paragraph?
A. NO CHANGE
B. The disco clam is also called the electric flame scallop and the electric clam.
C. The disco clam is the only bivalve known to have light displays.
D. Dougherty studied this mechanism using highspeed video cameras.
11.
F. NO CHANGE
G. Dougherty knew some
H. She realized some
J. Knowing some
12.
For the sake of the logic and cohesion of this paragraph, Sentence 3 should be placed:
A. where it is now.
B. after Sentence 1.
C. after Sentence 4.
D. after Sentence 5.
13.
F. NO CHANGE
G. admitted
H. allowed
J. granted
14.
Which of the following alternatives to the underlined portion would NOT be acceptable?
A. acid, which sent
B. acid. This sent
C. acid; sending
D. acid; it sent
15. Question 15 asks about the preceding passage as a whole.
Suppose the writer’s primary purpose had been to discuss a particular behavior of a sea creature. Would this
essay accomplish that purpose?
F. Yes, because it explains how the disco clam’s lips reflect light and suggests a possibility for why this occurs.
G. Yes, because it provides a summary of Dougherty’s research on the relationship between the disco clam and the mantis shrimp.
H. No, because it provides an overview of the differences between bioluminescent sea creatures and disco clams.
J. No, because it explains that Dougherty became interested in the disco clam while studying the mantis shrimp.