Studies suggest that more than 9 billion metric tons of plastic have been produced since 1950, more than four times the volume of Mt. Everest, and about 75% of it remains in landfills or has entered the environment as pollution. As a material, plastic has many advantages. However, it is difficult to recycle because popular single-use and convenience items, such as packaging and water bottles, are low in quality and value when recycled. Part of the magic of plastic is that it seemingly lasts forever. But when it cannot be re-used efficiently, it leads to stark realities like an island of plastic, twice the size of Texas, floating in the Pacific Ocean. Plastic is consumed by fish and birds and is seeping into the air, water, and our food. Stimulus

Based on evidence from the passage, which of the following is the most likely inference?

A student is researching women's roles in literature. To access a list of sources related to this topic, the student should consult which of the following?

ZIP codes were introduced by the U.S. Postal Service on July 1, 1963. The term ZIP, which stands for Zone Improvement Plan, suggests that the mail will zip along “more efficiently if postal customers use the code. The basic code consists of five digits. In 1983 the ZIP+4 code was introduced to direct mail to a more specific location within a ZIP code. The ZIP+4 code added a hyphen and four digits to the basic code. A student reads the above passage in an encyclopedia and wants to learn more about the U.S. Postal Service.

In which of the following magazine articles would the student most likely find relevant information about ZIP codes?

Hey there, kitchen utensil aficionados! It's Bob Thurman again, bringing you a brand-new piece of equipment for your home food station! Are you tired of your blocks of premium aged cheddar getting all crumbly when you try to slice them? Don't you hate leaving your fingerprints in that hard stick of butter? Well, worry no more! From the company that brought you the SmackDice comes the Dairy McGrabs! You no longer have to worry about your firm sweaty grip destroying your cheese or your butters. All you have to do is slip on our patented heat-deflecting mitten, complete with plasti-grip palm pad, and slice your smooth dairy products with no threat of them melting or crumbling from your body heat!

Which of the following phrases from the infomercial contains instructions about how to use the advertised product?

It can be difficult to write sometimes, especially if you are creating something brand new. It is even harder when you must write while following certain rules. Some writers thrive when there are limits, like poets. Many poetry forms follow very specific rules, like sonnets or elegies; you can't just throw some words on a page and it is a haiku. On the other hand, some successful poets enjoy breaking the rules. They will refuse to use proper punctuation or follow any sort of structure. So then what good are the rules if you can just break them and still succeed? That doesn't make any sense. I guess that is why I am not a poet.

Based on the author's support and evidence, which of the following is a valid evaluation of the paragraph?

Peanut Butter Cookies

Grandma Harry           30 minutes       Cookies/Desserts         Makes 1 dozen

1 egg white

3/4 cup sugar 1 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup flour

Beat egg white until foamy. Stir in sugar, beat again until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in peanut butter and vanilla. Add flour in small increments until dough forms. Chill dough for at least 2 hours. Roll into balls, roll in sugar, press down with a fork, and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet. These are very fragile.

Which of the following statements is true?

Studies suggest that more than 9 billion metric tons of plastic have been produced since 1950, more than four times the volume of Mt. Everest, and about 75% of it remains in landfills or has entered the environment as pollution. As a material, plastic has many advantages. However, it is difficult to recycle because popular single-use and convenience items, such as packaging and water bottles, are low in quality and value when recycled. Part of the magic of plastic is that it seemingly lasts forever. But when it cannot be re-used efficiently, it leads to stark realities like an island of plastic, twice the size of Texas, floating in the Pacific Ocean. Plastic is consumed by fish and birds and is seeping into the air, water, and our food. Stimulus

Which of the following pairs of examples from the passage best demonstrates why the use of plastic is a divisive topic?

The Farallon Islands, or Devil’s Teeth, as they are referred to by sailors, are a group of small islands with rocky, barren terrain and treacherous underwater currents, 48 km (30 miles) off the coast of San Francisco, California. Although the islands are small, with a combined total land area of 0.41 km squared (0.16 square miles), they are positioned in a major ocean current, which enables them to house dense populations of birds, rodents, seals, and other water mammals.

The abundance of wildlife first attracted Russian and American fur traders in the early 1800s, who then nearly eliminated the seal population in the area. The islands then became an agricultural resource for San Francisco during the Gold Rush era when egg companies began harvesting bird eggs on the islands. In 1863, violence between rival egg companies erupted on the islands (known as the “Egg War”), which inadvertently attracted national attention and provoked law makers to pass legislation to protect and rehabilitate the islands’ natural ecosystem.

In 1881, an executive order was passed that decreed egging illegal on the Farallons. This ended private enterprises on the islands and was reinforced in 1909 when President Theodore Roosevelt created the Farallon Reservation to restrict human access and preserve the northern islands. Protection was expanded in 1967 to include all the Farallon Islands, and over time many of the islands’ original inhabitants have returned.

The Farallons are now home to the world’s largest population of western gulls. Seals have returned, as well as otters and sea lions, which in turn attracts great white sharks. The combination of sharks, underwater currents, and jagged coastline are probably what earned the Farralons their nickname, “Devil’s Teeth,” though it hasn’t stopped a few adventurous people from swimming. Four people have completed the 30-mile swim from the islands to San Francisco; the fasted person completed the journey in 14 hours.

What is the main idea of the passage?

Bessie Coleman, the first civilian licensed Black pilot in the world, was born in 1892 to sharecroppers in Texas, where she attended a segregated school and world with her family in the cotton fields. She dreamed of becoming a pilot but no flight schools in America would accept her, so she moved to France to earn her pilot's license.

When she returned to the U.S, she wanted to open a flight school for Black students. She became a stunt flier and performed for paying audiences, which she insisted be desegregated. Following her death in a plane crash in 1926, the Bessie Coleman Aero Club was established in Los Angeles in 1929. She was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2006.

Which of the following statements correctly identifies the sequence of events in the reading?

Which of the following sources would provide relevant information about the cost of property destruction following a natural disaster?

A parent is researching types of sunscreen for his child to wear to swim lesson. Which of the following resources would be most reliable for the parent consult?