## ETS TONE AND STYLE GUIDE ### 1. Introductory Flow ❌ BAD (Robotic): The debate concerns the early history of the Italian Renaissance. ✅ GOOD (ETS): While early historians often privileged Florence, recent research has broadened the scope of the Italian Renaissance. ### 2. Pacing and Rhythm ❌ BAD (Robotic): Uses long, complex sentences consecutively to sound "smart." ✅ GOOD (ETS): Varies sentence length intentionally; includes a short, assertive sentence after two longer clauses. ### 3. Thesis Statement ❌ BAD (Robotic): States the passage's primary purpose explicitly in the first paragraph. ✅ GOOD (ETS): Introduces a claim in P1 and then qualifies or complicates it in P2, delaying the full scope.## ETS TONE AND STYLE GUIDE ### 1. Introductory Flow ❌ BAD (Robotic): The debate concerns the early history of the Italian Renaissance. ✅ GOOD (ETS): While early historians often privileged Florence, recent research has broadened the scope of the Italian Renaissance. ### 2. Pacing and Rhythm ❌ BAD (Robotic): Uses long, complex sentences consecutively to sound "smart." ✅ GOOD (ETS): Varies sentence length intentionally; includes a short, assertive sentence after two longer clauses. ### 3. Thesis Statement ❌ BAD (Robotic): States the passage's primary purpose explicitly in the first paragraph. ✅ GOOD (ETS): Introduces a claim in P1 and then qualifies or complicates it in P2, delaying the full scope.
## ETS READING COMPREHENSION SAMPLES ###
Questions 1 and 2 are based on the following reading passage.
When marine organisms called phytoplankton photosynthesize, they absorb carbon dioxide dissolved in seawater, potentially causing a reduction in the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide, a gas that contributes to global warming. However, phytoplankton flourish only in surface waters where iron levels are sufficiently high. Martin therefore hypothesized that adding iron to iron-poor regions of the ocean could help alleviate global warming. While experiments subsequently confirmed that such a procedure increases phytoplankton growth, field tests have shown that such growth does not significantly lower atmospheric carbon dioxide. When phytoplankton utilize carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, the carbon becomes a building block for organic matter, but the carbon leaks back into the atmosphere when predators consume the phytoplankton and respire carbon dioxide.
For the following question, consider each of the choices separately and select all that apply.
It can be inferred from the passage that Martin’s hypothesis includes which of the following elements?
A A correct understanding of how phytoplankton photosynthesis utilizes carbon dioxide
B B A correct prediction about how the addition of iron to iron-poor waters would affect phytoplankton growth
C C An incorrect prediction about how phytoplankton growth would affect the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxideIt can be inferred that the author of the passage mentions predators (line 10) primarily in order to
A A help explain why Martin’s hypothesis is incorrect
B B identify one effect of adding iron to iron-poor waters
C C indicate how some carbon dioxide is converted to solid organic matter
D D help account for differences in the density of phytoplankton between different regions of the ocean
E E point out a factor that was not anticipated by the scientists who conducted the field tests mentioned in the passage
Question 3 is based on the following reading passage.
Sparva, unlike Ireland’s other provinces, requires automobile insurers to pay for any medical treatment sought by someone who has been involved in an accident; in the other provinces, insurers pay for nonemergency treatment only if they preapprove the treatment. Clearly, Sparva’s less restrictive policy must be the explanation for the fact that altogether insurers there pay for far more treatments after accidents than insurers in other provinces, even though Sparva does not have the largest population.
3. Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?
Car insurance costs more in Sparva than in any other province.
The cost of medical care in Sparva is higher than the national average.
Different insurance companies have different standards for determining what constitutes emergency treatment.
Fewer insurance companies operate in Sparva than in any other province.
There are fewer traffic accidents annually in Sparva than in any of the provinces of comparable or greater population.
For each of Questions 4 to 6, select one answer choice unless otherwise instructed.
Questions 4 to 6 are based on the following reading passage.
The condition of scholarship devoted to the history of women in photography is confounding. Recent years have witnessed the posthumous inflation of the role of the hobbyist Alice Austen into that of a pioneering documentarian while dozens of notable senior figures—Marion Palfi, whose photographs of civil-rights activities in the South served as early evidence of the need for protective legislation, to name one—received scant attention from scholars. And, while Naomi Rosenblum’s synoptic History of Women Photographers covers the subject through 1920 in a generally useful fashion, once she reaches the 1920s, when the venues, forms, applications, and movements of the medium expanded exponentially, she resorts to an increasingly terse listing of unfamiliar names, with approaches and careers summarized in a sentence or two.
4. The author of the passage cites Rosenblum’s book most likely in order to
A suggest that the works documented most thoroughly by historians of women in photography often do not warrant that attention
B offer an explanation for the observation that not all aspects of the history of women in photography have received the same level of attention
C provide an example of a way in which scholarship on the history of women in photography has been unsatisfactory
D suggest that employing a strictly chronological approach when studying the history of women in photography may be unproductive
E provide support for the notion that certain personalities in women’s photography have attained undue prominence
For the following question, consider each of the choices separately and select all that apply.
5. Which of the following statements about Marion Palfi is supported by the passage?
A Marion Palfi’s photographs would have received greater recognition from historians had her work been done in an era when most aspects of photography were static rather than in a state of transition.
B Alice Austen has achieved greater notoriety than has Marion Palfi primarily because the subjects that Austen photographed were more familiar to her contemporaries.
C In addition to providing a record of certain historical events, Marion Palfi’s photographs played a role in subsequent events.
6. In the context in which it appears, “inflation” (line 2) most nearly means
A exaggeration
B acquisition
C evaluation
D distortion
E attenuation
For each of Questions 7 to 9, select one answer choice unless otherwise instructed.
Questions 7 to9 are based on the following reading passage.
It would be expected that a novel by a figure as prominent as W.E.B. DuBois would attract the attention of literary critics. Additionally, when the novel subtly engages the issue of race, as DuBois’ The Quest of the Silver Fleece (1911) does, it would be a surprise not to encounter an abundance of scholarly work about that text. But though valuable scholarship has examined DuBois’ political and historical thought, his novels have received scant attention. Perhaps DuBois the novelist must wait his turn behind DuBois the philosopher, historian, and editor. But what if the truth lies elsewhere: what if his novels do not speak to current concerns?
7. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage regarding DuBois’ The Quest of the Silver Fleece?
A. The lack of attention devoted to The Quest of the Silver Fleece can be attributed to the fact that it was DuBois’ first novel.
B. Among DuBois’ novels, The Quest of the Silver Fleece is unusual in that it has received scant attention from scholars.
C. The Quest of the Silver Fleece has at least one feature that typically would attract the attention of literary scholars.
D. The Quest of the Silver Fleece, given its subtle exploration of race, is probably the best novel written by DuBois.
E. Much of the scholarly work that has focused on The Quest of the Silver Fleece has been surprisingly critical of it.
8. In the fourth sentence (“Perhaps DuBois . . . editor.”), the author of the passage is most likely suggesting that
A. scholars will find that DuBois’ novels are more relevant to current concerns than is his work as philosopher, historian, and editor
B. more scholarly attention will be paid to The Quest of the Silver Fleece than to DuBois’ other novels
C. DuBois’ novels will come to overshadow his work as philosopher, historian, and editor
D. DuBois’ novels may eventually attract greater scholarly interest than they have to date
E. it will be shown that DuBois’ work as philosopher, historian, and editor had an important influence on his work as novelist
9. Which of the following best describes the central issue with which the passage is concerned?
A The perfunctoriness of much of the critical work devoted to DuBois’ novels
B The nature of DuBois’ engagement with the issue of race in The Quest of the Silver Fleece
C Whether DuBois’ novels are of high quality and relevant to current concerns
D The relationship between DuBois the novelist and DuBois the philosopher, historian, and editor
E The degree of consideration that has been given to DuBois’ novels, including The Quest of the Silver Fleece
Questions 10 to 12 are based on the following reading passage.
In a recent study, David Cressy examines two central questions concerning English immigration to New England in the 1630s: what kinds of people immigrated and why? Using contemporary literary evidence, shipping lists, and customs records, Cressy finds that most adult immigrants were skilled in farming or crafts, were literate, and were organized in families. Each of these characteristics sharply distinguishes the 21,000 people who left for New England in the 1630s from most of the approximately 377,000 English people who had immigrated to America by 1700.
With respect to their reasons for immigrating, Cressy does not deny the frequently noted fact that some of the immigrants of the 1630s, most notably the organizers and clergy, advanced religious explanations for departure, but he finds that such explanations usually assumed primacy only in retrospect. When he moves beyond the principal actors, he finds that religious explanations were less frequently offered, and he concludes that most people immigrated because they were recruited by promises of material improvement.
For the following question, consider each of the choices separately and select all that apply.
10. The passage indicates that Cressy would agree with which of the following statements about the organizers among the English immigrants to New England in the 1630s?
A. Some of them offered a religious explanation for their immigration.
B. They did not offer any reasons for their immigration until some time after they had immigrated.
C. They were more likely than the average immigrant to be motivated by material considerations.
11. Select the sentence that provides Cressy’s opinion about what motivated English immigrants to go to New England in the 1630s.
12. In the passage, the author is primarily concerned with
A. summarizing the findings of an investigation
B. analyzing a method of argument
C. evaluating a point of view
D. hypothesizing about a set of circumstances
E. establishing categories
Questions 13 and 14 are based on the following reading passage.
Historians credit repeated locust invasions in the nineteenth century with reshaping United States agriculture west of the Mississippi River. Admonished by government entomologists, farmers began to diversify. Wheat had come to nearly monopolize the region, but it was particularly vulnerable to the locusts. In 1873, just before the locusts’ most withering offensive, nearly two-thirds of Minnesota farmland was producing wheat; by the invasions’ last year, that fraction had dropped to less than one-sixth. Farmers learned that peas and beans were far less vulnerable to the insects, and corn was a more robust grain than wheat. In addition to planting alternative crops, many farmers turned to dairy and beef production. Although pastures were often damaged by the locusts, these lands were almost always left in better shape than the crops were.
For the following question, consider each of the choices separately and select all that apply.
13. According to the passage, before the recommendations by the government entomologists, which of the following was true about farming west of the Mississippi River?
A Farmers focused primarily on growing wheat.
B Peas and beans had not yet been planted in the region.
C A relatively small portion of farmland was devoted to crops other than wheat.
14. In the context in which it appears, “robust” (line 7) most nearly means
A crude
B demanding
C productive
D vigorous
E rich
Questions 15 to 17 are based on the following reading passage.
Nineteenth-century architect Eugène-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc contended that Paris’s Notre-Dame cathedral, built primarily in the late twelfth century, was supported from the very beginning by a system of flying buttresses — a series of exterior arches (flyers) and their supports (buttresses) — which permitted the construction of taller vaulted buildings with slimmer walls and interior supports than had been possible previously. Other commentators insist, however, that Notre-Dame did not have flying buttresses until the thirteenth or fourteenth century, when they were added to update the building aesthetically and correct its structural flaws. Although post-twelfth-century modifications and renovations complicate efforts to resolve this controversy — all pre-fifteenth-century flyers have been replaced, and the buttresses have been rebuilt and/or resurfaced — it is nevertheless possible to tell that both the nave and the choir, the church’s two major parts, have always had flying buttresses. It is clear, now that nineteenth-century paint and plaster have been removed, that the nave’s lower buttresses date from the twelfth century. Moreover, the choir’s lower flyers have chevron (zigzag) decoration. Chevron decoration, which was characteristic of the second half of the twelfth century and was out of favor by the fourteenth century, is entirely absent from modifications to the building that can be dated with confidence to the thirteenth century.
15. The passage is primarily concerned with
A tracing the development of a controversy
B discussing obstacles to resolving a controversy
C arguing in support of one side in a controversy
D analyzing the assumptions underlying the claims made in a controversy
E explaining why evidence relevant to a controversy has been overlooked
16. The claim of the “other commentators” (lines 5–6) suggests that they believe which of the following about Notre-Dame?
A It was the inspiration for many vaulted cathedrals built in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.
B Its design flaws were not apparent until flying buttresses were added in the thirteenth or fourteenth century.
C Its flying buttresses are embellished with decoration characteristic of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.
D It had been modified in some respects before flying buttresses were added in the thirteenth or fourteenth century.
E It was originally constructed in an architectural style that was considered outmoded by the thirteenth or fourteenth century.
17. The author’s argument concerning Notre-Dame’s flying buttresses depends on which of the following assumptions about the choir’s lower flyers?
A. They accurately reproduce the decoration on the choir’s original lower flyers.
B. They have a type of decoration used exclusively for exterior surfaces.
C. They were the models for the choir’s original upper flyers.
D. They were the models for the nave’s original lower flyers.
E. They were constructed after the nave’s flyers were constructed.
For each of questions 18 to 21, select one answer choice unless otherwise instructed.
Questions 18 to 21 are based on the following reading passage.
Some researchers contend that sleep plays no role in the consolidation of declarative memory (i.e., memory involving factual information). These researchers note that people with impairments in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep continue to lead normal lives, and they argue that if sleep were crucial for memory, then these individuals would have apparent memory deficits. Yet the same researchers acknowledge that the cognitive capacities of these individuals have never been systematically examined, nor have they been the subject of studies of tasks on which performance reportedly depends on sleep. Even if such studies were done, they could only clarify our understanding of the role of REM sleep, not sleep in general.
These researchers also claim that improvements of memory overnight can be explained by the mere passage of time, rather than attributed to sleep. But recent studies of memory performance after sleep—including one demonstrating that sleep stabilizes declarative memories from future interference caused by mental activity during wakefulness—make this claim unsustainable. Certainly there are memory-consolidation processes that occur across periods of wakefulness, some of which neither depend on nor are enhanced by sleep. But when sleep is compared with wakefulness, and performance is better after sleep, then some benefit of sleep for memory must be acknowledged.
18. The primary purpose of the passage is to
A present the evidence that supports a particular claim regarding REM sleep and memory
B describe how various factors contribute to the effect of sleep on memory
C argue against a particular position regarding sleep’s role in memory
D summarize the most prevalent theory regarding sleep and memory
E defend the importance of the consolidation of declarative memory
19. According to the author of the passage, which of the following generalizations about memory and sleep is true?
A There are some memory-consolidation processes that have nothing to do with sleep.
B Sleep is more important to the consolidation of declarative memory than to the consolidation of other types of memory.
C REM sleep is more important to memory consolidation than is non-REM sleep.
D There are significant variations in the amount of sleep that people require for the successful consolidation of memory.
E It is likely that memory is more thoroughly consolidated during wakefulness than during sleep.
20. Which of the following best describes the function of the sentence in lines 14–16 (“Certainly…sleep”)?
A It provides the reasoning behind a claim about the role of sleep in memory consolidation.
B It explains why a previous claim about sleep and memory is unsustainable.
C It demonstrates why wakefulness is central to the process of declarative memory consolidation.
D It emphasizes the limited role sleep plays in the process of declarative memory consolidation.
E It concedes that the consolidation of declarative memory does not depend entirely on one factor.
21. The importance of the study mentioned in lines 12–13 is that it
A reveals the mechanism by which declarative memory is stabilized during sleep
B identifies a specific function that sleep plays in the memory-consolidation process
C demonstrates that some kinds of mental activity can interfere with memory consolidation
D suggests that sleep and wakefulness are both important to memory consolidation
E explains how the passage of time contributes to memory consolidation