- (Topic 3)
The complex topic of whether bilingualism enhances cognitive functions beyond language, the so-called "bilingual advantage." is an intensely debated subject. Research results can be influenced by many variables, including the definition of bilingualisni itself. The previous focus on what was perceived to be a classical case of bilingualism (early, simultaneous acquisition of more than one language) has been largely replaced by a more inclusive definition. based on the ability to communicate rather than a perfect command. Indeed, improvement in cognitive functions has been reported after only one week of an intensive language course. Conversely, inactive bilinguals. who were early balanced bilinguals in their childhood but moved to an exclusive use of one language in later life, perform differently from active bilinguals and more like monolinguals.
Iii the context of the passage as a whole, the reference to "improvement in cognitive functions" primarily serves to

1. A. reiterate one of the main benefits of being bilingual
2. B. provide support for a particular research approach to bilingualism
3. C. illustrate how language acquisition promotes learning in general
4. D. emphasize the ease with which a person can learn a second language
5. E. encourage an intensive approach to language acquisition

Correct Answer: A

- (Topic 3)
A divide between aesthetic and technical considerations has played a crucial role in mapmakiug and cartographic scholarship. Some nineteenth-century cartographers, for instance, understood themselves as technicians who did not care about visual effects, while others saw themselves as landscape painters. That dichotomy structured the discipline of the history of cartography. Until the 1980s, in what Blakemore and Harley called "the 'Old is Beautiful' paradigm." scholars largely focused on maps made before 1800. marveling at their beauty and sometimes regretting the decline of the pre-technical age. Early mapmaking was considered art while modem cartography was located within the realm of engineering utility. Alpers. however, has argued that this boundary would have puzzled mapmakers in the seventeenth century, because they considered themselves to be visual engineers.
It can be inferred from the passage that, beginning in the 1980s. historians of cartography

1. A. placed greater emphasis on the beauty of maps made after 1800
2. B. expanded their range of study to include more material created after 1800
3. C. grew more sensitive to the way mapmakers prior to 1800 conceived of their work
4. D. came to see the visual details of maps as aesthetic objects rather tlian practical cartographic aids
5. E. reduced the attention they paid to the technical aspects of mapmaking

Correct Answer: B

- (Topic 3)
Researchers concluded thai although the success of pearl millet crops in the region varied with seasonal
climatic conditions, cultivation remains _____ because of pearl millet's predisposition to perform under
stressful growing conditions, including drought.

1. A. erratic
2. B. advantageous
3. C. inconsistent
4. D. prevalent
5. E. impractical
6. F. expedient

Correct Answer: BF

- (Topic 2)

The figure shows a semicircle intersected by a straight line in the rectangular coordinate system. What is the area of the shaded region?

1. A. - 2
2. B. - 4
3. C. 4 - 2
4. D. 4 - 4
5. E. 16 - 2

Correct Answer: A

- (Topic 2)

1. A. Quantity A is greater.
2. B. Quantity B is greater.
3. C. The two quantities are equal.
4. D. The relationship cannot be determined from the information given.

Correct Answer: C