English Usage Test 15

Weekly radio lessons seeded an endangered language in new households; songs returned to festivals. ______ Weekly radio lessons seeded an endangered language in new households; songs returned to festivals. ______

2 Mark(s)

Broadcast media can't aid revitalization
Media plus community ritual turned learning into living
Only dictionaries matter Only dictionaries matter
Speakers must avoid festivals Speakers must avoid festivals

The team’s high press created chances but conceded space behind. After halftime they held a slightly deeper line without abandoning aggression. ______ The team’s high press created chances but conceded space behind. After halftime they held a slightly deeper line without abandoning aggression. ______

2 Mark(s)

They replaced the stadium lights They replaced the stadium lights
Balance, not ideology, turned pressure into points
The mascot changed costumes The mascot changed costumes
Ticket prices fell by half Ticket prices fell by half

Long takes, sparse music, and gestures over dialogue pulled viewers inward. Many reported holding their breath. ______ Long takes, sparse music, and gestures over dialogue pulled viewers inward. Many reported holding their breath. ______

2 Mark(s)

Rapid cuts improved the effect further Rapid cuts improved the effect further
Minimalism became the conduit for intensity
Extra dialogue clarified everything Extra dialogue clarified everything
Louder music would have helped Louder music would have helped

A 12% response rate mirrored prior polls overall, but older voters were thin in the sample. Analysts warned against slicing too fine. ______ A 12% response rate mirrored prior polls overall, but older voters were thin in the sample. Analysts warned against slicing too fine. ______

2 Mark(s)

Every subgroup estimate is equally precise
Topline alignment hides fragility in small subgroups
Older voters dominated responses Older voters dominated responses
Surveys cannot measure anything Surveys cannot measure anything

Before–after studies showed big gains, but randomized trials found smaller, sturdier effects. Peers trusted the latter more. ______ Before–after studies showed big gains, but randomized trials found smaller, sturdier effects. Peers trusted the latter more. ______

2 Mark(s)

Large effects always signal quality Large effects always signal quality
Credibility often grows as hype shrinks Credibility often grows as hype shrinks
Randomization reduces reliability Randomization reduces reliability
Peer review dislikes data Peer review dislikes data

A gravity assist and a tiny burn saved fuel, extending the probe’s life. ______ A gravity assist and a tiny burn saved fuel, extending the probe’s life. ______

2 Mark(s)

Navigation barely matters in space Navigation barely matters in space
In deep space, thrift is strategy as much as survival
The probe shut down immediately The probe shut down immediately
Gravity assists are illegal Gravity assists are illegal

Cash transfers lifted spending on essentials at first, then tapered. Households reported fewer overdue bills. ______ Cash transfers lifted spending on essentials at first, then tapered. Households reported fewer overdue bills. ______

2 Mark(s)

Luxury goods dominated purchases Luxury goods dominated purchases
Short-run relief can stabilize households even if effects fade
Transfers eliminated poverty forever Transfers eliminated poverty forever
Inflation fell to zero Inflation fell to zero

Newsletters and podcasts lifted subscriptions, yet ad spikes during big news still drove revenue. ______ Newsletters and podcasts lifted subscriptions, yet ad spikes during big news still drove revenue. ______

2 Mark(s)

Diversification erased cyclicality Diversification erased cyclicality
New products grew loyalty, but the business model remained event-sensitive
Podcasts lowered listening time to zero Podcasts lowered listening time to zero
Newsrooms dislike subscribers Newsrooms dislike subscribers

After dozens of experiments, the team found a repeatable channel. Growth stopped feeling like gambling and started to feel like work. ______ After dozens of experiments, the team found a repeatable channel. Growth stopped feeling like gambling and started to feel like work. ______

2 Mark(s)

They canceled all meetings They canceled all meetings
Discovery ended; execution began Discovery ended; execution began
They launched a clothing line They launched a clothing line
They moved offices twice They moved offices twice

Mask fit and better ventilation correlated with fewer infections, despite heated debate. ______ Mask fit and better ventilation correlated with fewer infections, despite heated debate. ______

2 Mark(s)

Controversy is proof of ineffectiveness Controversy is proof of ineffectiveness
Disagreement did not erase the signal in the data
Ventilation increased risk Ventilation increased risk
Fit was irrelevant Fit was irrelevant

Solar rooftops soared, yet evening peaks persisted. Batteries and time-of-use pricing smoothed the curve. ______ Solar rooftops soared, yet evening peaks persisted. Batteries and time-of-use pricing smoothed the curve. ______

2 Mark(s)

Electric scooters became popular Electric scooters became popular
Generation alone wasn't enough; storage and signals finished the job
Restaurants extended brunch hours Restaurants extended brunch hours
The coastline eroded faster The coastline eroded faster

A walking program beat stretching on memory tasks in seniors. Effects were modest but consistent across sites. ______ A walking program beat stretching on memory tasks in seniors. Effects were modest but consistent across sites. ______

2 Mark(s)

Exercise harmed cognition overall Exercise harmed cognition overall
Small, reliable gains matter at population scale
Only stretching helped memory Only stretching helped memory
The trials were canceled midway The trials were canceled midway

Progressive disclosure hid advanced settings from novices while keeping power features intact. New users stopped quitting on step two. ______ Progressive disclosure hid advanced settings from novices while keeping power features intact. New users stopped quitting on step two. ______

2 Mark(s)

Experts lost access to features Experts lost access to features
Staging complexity served both beginners and experts
All settings were removed forever All settings were removed forever
Tooltips were banned Tooltips were banned

Letters revealed a compromise proposed months earlier than believed. Blame for the collapse of talks suddenly seemed less certain. ______ Letters revealed a compromise proposed months earlier than believed. Blame for the collapse of talks suddenly seemed less certain. ______

2 Mark(s)

Historians closed all archives Historians closed all archives
New evidence shifted timelines and softened tidy narratives
Maps were redrawn for tourism Maps were redrawn for tourism
The castle hosted a wedding The castle hosted a wedding

Residual plots flagged heteroskedasticity; robust errors tempered claims. The model told a humbler story. ______ Residual plots flagged heteroskedasticity; robust errors tempered claims. The model told a humbler story. ______

2 Mark(s)

Diagnostics are a waste of time Diagnostics are a waste of time
Good analysis often shrinks the headline and grows the truth
Bigger p-values prove causality Bigger p-values prove causality
Intervals should be hidden Intervals should be hidden

Enzymes sped reactions without being consumed, allowing pathways at body temperature. ______ Enzymes sped reactions without being consumed, allowing pathways at body temperature. ______

2 Mark(s)

Heat must be raised to boiling Heat must be raised to boiling
Lowering activation energy is life’s quiet trick
Catalysts are always used up Catalysts are always used up
The pathway stops entirely The pathway stops entirely

Queues snaked from a single inspection station. Adding a parallel lane cut wait times without new machines elsewhere. ______ Queues snaked from a single inspection station. Adding a parallel lane cut wait times without new machines elsewhere. ______

2 Mark(s)

Random upgrades work best Random upgrades work best
Elevating the bottleneck moved the system, not the slogan
Eliminating inspection is the only fix Eliminating inspection is the only fix
Decorating the lobby reduces queues Decorating the lobby reduces queues

Participatory budgeting drew more people than any town hall. Projects weren’t perfect, but engagement soared. ______ Participatory budgeting drew more people than any town hall. Projects weren’t perfect, but engagement soared. ______

2 Mark(s)

Complexity scares everyone away Complexity scares everyone away
Ownership grows when residents can shape outcomes, not just hear speeches
Votes should be secret to officials only
Budgets must stay closed Budgets must stay closed

CBTC signaling shortened headways; frequency rose and crowding eased without longer trains. ______ CBTC signaling shortened headways; frequency rose and crowding eased without longer trains. ______

2 Mark(s)

Bigger trains are the only solution Bigger trains are the only solution
Smart control freed capacity already in the rails
Fewer trains improved service Fewer trains improved service
Stations closed at peak Stations closed at peak

The report dazzles with case studies but tucks methods into an appendix. Its persuasion outruns its transparency. ______ The report dazzles with case studies but tucks methods into an appendix. Its persuasion outruns its transparency. ______

2 Mark(s)

The font size is too small The font size is too small
Readers need both stories and scaffolding to trust conclusions
Charts should be colorful Charts should be colorful
The cover needs a new photo The cover needs a new photo

Tree canopy cooled streets by several degrees, but some species worsened smog. The city updated its planting list accordingly. ______ Tree canopy cooled streets by several degrees, but some species worsened smog. The city updated its planting list accordingly. ______

2 Mark(s)

All trees were removed from parks All trees were removed from parks
Climate gains must be paired with air-quality-aware species choices
Playgrounds closed at noon Playgrounds closed at noon
The zoo added two otters The zoo added two otters

A lab disclosed that funders previewed drafts. After criticism, it created a registry of funding roles. ______ A lab disclosed that funders previewed drafts. After criticism, it created a registry of funding roles. ______

2 Mark(s)

Opacity builds trust Opacity builds trust
Transparency is a practice, not a press release
Registries hide conflicts Registries hide conflicts
Disclosure ends debate forever Disclosure ends debate forever

End-to-end encryption hides content, but metadata persist. Providers trimmed logs to reduce exposure. ______ End-to-end encryption hides content, but metadata persist. Providers trimmed logs to reduce exposure. ______

2 Mark(s)

Privacy is all-or-nothing Privacy is all-or-nothing
Policy can shore up what math alone can't
Metadata never reveal patterns Metadata never reveal patterns
Logs should be unlimited Logs should be unlimited

Retrieval practice beat rereading weeks later. The effect held in history, biology, and math. ______ Retrieval practice beat rereading weeks later. The effect held in history, biology, and math. ______

2 Mark(s)

It works only in poetry classes It works only in poetry classes
Self-testing strengthens memory broadly, not narrowly
Students should avoid testing themselves
Notes are superior to practice Notes are superior to practice

Healthy snacks at eye level sold better, until deep discounts on sweets returned. The lesson was awkward but clear. ______ Healthy snacks at eye level sold better, until deep discounts on sweets returned. The lesson was awkward but clear. ______

2 Mark(s)

Nudges beat incentives in every case Nudges beat incentives in every case
Soft cues help, yet strong prices can swamp them
Nutrition labels caused confusion about colors
Shelves were removed entirely Shelves were removed entirely

English Usage Test 15 : Question 1 of 25