10/16/25
The Outer Space Treaty—written in 1967 and signed by all the major world powers—is the closest thing we have to a constitution for space. For a document conceived before the moon landing, it’s remarkably forward-looking: it declares “celestial bodies” like the moon and asteroids off-limits for private development and requires that countries authorize and continually supervise companies’ activities in space.
A. NO CHANGE
B. company’s activities
C. companies activity’s
D. companies activities’
When two-word apostrophe questions are tested, work on one word at a time. To check whether the first word requires an apostrophe—that is, whether it is possessive or plural—look at the second word. A possessive noun must be followed by another noun. Here, activities is a noun, so the first word requires an apostrophe. That eliminates (C). The second word is followed by in, which is not a noun, so no apostrophe should be used. That eliminates (D). To choose between (A) and (B), you must consider the passage. Company’s is singular, and it does not make sense to say that countries authorize and continually supervise a single company’s activities in space. Grammatically, this does not make sense either: a singular noun here would be preceded by a or the. The most logical interpretation of the passage is that countries must authorize and supervise the activities of multiple companies. Companies‘ is the plural possessive of company, making (A) correct.
10/15/25
Not only are parrots known for being a loud and destructive bird, but they are also highly intelligent and live up to 80 years. Nevertheless, the draw to keep them can be irresistible.
A. NO CHANGE
B. a loud, and destructive bird, and
C. loud and destructive birds, but
D. loud and destructive birds, and
(A) is incorrect because parrots are birds, not a single bird. (B) is wrong for the same reason, plus the fact that no comma should be placed between two adjectives separated by the word and (loud and destructive). (D) is incorrect because not only appears earlier in the sentence, and that phrase must be paired with but also. (C) contains but, so that answer is correct.
10/14/25
A few years ago, my family and I piled into our car and headed west for a summer to explore Yosemite National Park. I tasted the freedom of the open road and experienced the wonders of wild places. I had never seen such dramatic scenery before. Last August, therefore, I set out on an expanded version of that adventure, seeking to spend 10 months visiting all the national parks in the contiguous United States.
Which choice provides the most effective transition between the previous sentence and the information that follows?
A. NO CHANGE
B. I couldn’t wait to experience that kind of adventure again.
C. I didn’t want to come at first, but my family insisted.
D. I’d been camping before, but never for so long.
Although the question is phrased in terms of a “transition,” you must focus on the information that follows because the underlined sentence must set up that information — what comes before is less important. The sentence that follows indicates that the writer decided to visit all the national parks in the United States as a result of his/her experience in Yosemite, as indicated by the word therefore. As a result, the correct option must be positive and consistent with the idea of wanting to visit additional national parks. (C) and (D) are both off-topic, but be careful with (A): the statement that the writer had never seen such dramatic scenery before might seem to explain the desire to visit more parks, but (B) is much more specific: the phrase couldn’t wait to experience that kind of adventure again indicates a direct cause for the statement that follows. (B) is thus correct.
10/13/25
The idea for the first youth hostel was conceived in 1909 by Richard Shirrmann, an elementary school teacher living in the industrial center of Germany. Alarmed at the effects of the industrial revolution on his students’ health, he created a “wandering school” on weekends by taking students on field trips into the countryside for fresh air and exposure to nature. Students unrolled their bedding each night in school buildings, and the concept of student “youth hostels” was born.
A. NO CHANGE
B. effects of the industrial revolution,
C. affects of the industrial revolution
D. affects of the industrial revolution,
Affects is a verb, whereas effects is a noun. Here, the first word of the underlined portion follows the, so it must be a noun. That eliminates (C) and (D). (B) can be eliminated as well because when this answer is plugged in, a comma is incorrectly placed before a preposition (on). (A) does not contain the comma, so it is correct.
10/12/25
Since the invention of digital technology and audio sampling, films have been able to rely on digital samples to imitate the sound of live instruments. Today, many scores are created and performed wholly by the composers, themselves, through the use of sophisticated music composition software.
A. NO CHANGE
B. composers themselves,
C. composers, themselves
D. composers themselves
“Self” words should not be surrounded by commas; in most instances, it is also incorrect to place a comma only before or only after such words. Because no comma is required for a separate reason, no punctuation should be used. (D) is thus correct.
10/11/25
Wilhelm Von Osten firmly believed that humanity had greatly underestimated the reasoning skills and intelligence of animals. To test his hypothesis, he took it upon himself to tutor a cat, a horse, and a bear in mathematics. The cat was indifferent in his efforts, and the bear seemed outright hostile, but the Arab stallion named Hans showed some real promise.
A. NO CHANGE
B. to
C. at
D. from
The correct idiom is indifferent to; any other preposition is incorrect. That makes (B) the answer.
10/10/25
Cactuses are spiky and rough, foreboding and strange, gnarled and occasionally dangerous. They evoke harsh and unforgiving landscapes, but when they are removed from their native habitats, individually potted, and selling as decorations for a house, a garden, or an office, they are among the easiest plants, requiring little or no care and still looking good.
A. NO CHANGE
B. selling them
C. they sell
D. sold
The underlined portion is the third item in a list, and so it must be presented in the same format as the first two items. Both of those items contain past-tense forms of a verb (removed, potted), so the third item must contain that form as well. (D) is the only option that fits, making it the answer.
10/9/25
Color vision depends on our eyes and brain working together to perceive different properties of light. Although we see the natural and artificial light that illuminates our world as white, but it is actually a mixture of colors that, perceived on their own, would span the visual spectrum from deep blue to deep red. You can see this when rain separates sunlight into a rainbow or a glass prism separates white light into a multi-color band.
A. NO CHANGE
B. so
C. when
D. DELETE the underlined word.
As a rule, two consecutive clauses should not both begin with conjunctions. Because the first clause begins with a conjunction (although), the following clause cannot also begin with a conjunction (but). As a result, the underlined conjunction must be deleted, making the answer (D).
10/8/25
In 1984, several graffiti vandals were given the option of either going to jail or taking part in a new city beautification initiative. They chose the latter and became some of the first members of the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. Since then, the program overseen the creation of more than 3,800 pieces of art painted on sides of buildings. 2,000 of the works are still viewable by the public, making this collection the “World’s Largest Outdoor Art Gallery.”
A. NO CHANGE
B. has oversaw
C. has overseen
D. oversaw
The word since at the beginning of the sentence is a tip-off that the present perfect (has + past participle) is required. (A) and (D) do not place has before the verb, so they can be eliminated. (A) is also incorrect because the simple past form of oversee is oversaw. (B) can be eliminated as well because has must be followed by the past participle, overseen. (C) is correct because it supplies the appropriate form.
10/7/25
One issue that often plagues even the most sturdily built old homes is the “improvements’’ made in the intervening decades. Whether the culprit was a clueless homeowner or an unlicensed contractor or an unskilled handyman, substandard repairs are common.
A. NO CHANGE
B. most sturdy built
C. more sturdier built
D. sturdier built
Built is a verb, and so it must be modified by an adverb — sturdily, not sturdy or sturdier. That eliminates (B) and (D). (C) is incorrect because it is redundant to use both more and the comparative form of an adjective (sturdier). (A) correctly uses the adverb sturdily to modify the verb built.
10/6/25
Tokyo is one of my favorite places, but it’s also one of the most expensive cities in the world. During my last visit I decided to participate in a homestay in order to save money on a hotel. Through a tourist website, I found Yuko, a young Japanese woman who rented out a spare room in her house. She seemed excited to hear from me and sent me useful information about public transportation, along with some maps. Tokyo was originally known as Edo, but its name was changed to Tokyo when it became the imperial capital in 1868. I could not wait to meet this interesting Japanese family.
Which choice provides the most relevant information at this point in the passage?
A. NO CHANGE
B. She also described her husband, who had a black belt in Karate, and her 85-year-old grandmother, who still rode a bicycle.
C. The house was located in Shinjuku, which is one of the busiest and most popular areas of the city.
D. Tokyo is divided into 23 districts, or wards, each of which is governed as an independent city.
To answer this question, you must focus on the information that comes after that underlined statement — the beginning of the passage does not provide enough information. If you read the sentence after the underlined section, you’ll learn that the writer could not wait to meet this interesting Japanese family. Logically, then, the previous sentence must provide specific information about how Yuko’s family was interesting. The only answer to provide such information is (B); (A) and (D) are entirely off-topic, and (C) is about the location of Yuko’s house, not about her family.
10/5/25
Born William Harrison Dempsey in Manassa, Colorado, “Jack” Dempsey was one of 11 children. He left home at the age of 16 and traveled west on freight trains with hobos, settling occasionally in mining towns. It was during that period of his life that Dempsey learned how to box. Initially, he only needed to defend himself at first, but soon he showed exceptional talent for the sport.
A. NO CHANGE
B. first of all
C. in the first place
D. DELETE the underlined portion.
To answer this question, you must consider the sentence as a whole; the underlined section alone does not give you enough information to determine the correct option. When considered independently, the underlined portion makes sense; however, the beginning of the sentence already contains the word initially, which is a synonym for at first. As a result, at first is redundant and should be eliminated, making the answer (D).
10/4/25
In 1931, RCA Victor developed and released the first 33 1/3 rpm records to the public. The format initially was a commercial failure because the records and playback equipment were expensive and because the audio performance was poor. When the stylus for playback was improved and the product released, the record became the standard in music playback for decades.
A. NO CHANGE
B. the product that was released,
C. the product being released,
D. the product has been released,
The presence of the word and before the underlined portion signals a parallel construction: the correct option must be parallel to the stylus for playback was improved. The expected answer would be the product was released, but that is not one of the options. The key to answering the question is to recognize that the word was is optional — the appearance of that verb before improved can “apply” to released as well, making the repetition unnecessary. As a result, (A) is correct. In (B), the word that creates a jumbled and un-parallel construction; in (C), being is awkward and again creates a construction that is not parallel; and in (D), has been is not parallel to was.
10/3/25
The moment a volunteer with a therapy dog walks into a hospital room, you can instantly feel a change in mood. Their eyes immediately focus on the animal, and smiles spread across their faces.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Your
C. One’s
D. Patients’
The reference to a hospital room implies that the underlined pronoun refers to patients, but because that noun does not actually appear earlier in the passage, it must be explicitly stated. Even if the meaning is clear enough, the sentence lacks precision. Only (D) provides the noun, making it correct. Shortcut: given the choice between a pronoun and a noun, the noun will usually be correct.
10/2/25
Throwing everything you own into your beat-up van and heading to California is a familiar path many aspiring musicians and actors follow as they head out West to chase their dreams. Although the odds are stacked quite heavily against them, opportunities are there for the taking. Such is the case for Richard Gibbs, a dreamer turned rock star and blockbuster film composer whose had a knack for being in the right place at the right time.
A. NO CHANGE
B. who’s had a knack for being
C. who’s had a knack to be
D. whose knack for being
Who’s = who is/has; whose = possessive of who. The possessive form must be followed by a noun, but the underlined word is followed by had, which is a verb. As a result, (A) and (D) can be eliminated. In (C), knack is followed by “to be” instead of by the idiomatically correct “for + -ing word” or “for + noun”. (B) is correct because it supplies the appropriate form of who and is idiomatically correct.
10/1/25
People are divided about whether hedgehogs should be kept as pets. Wild animals should stay wild, one argument goes. On the other hand, cats and dogs were wild once, and domestication has to start somewhere. At first, a hedgehog may feel threatened and extend they’re quills when handled by humans, but eventually most hedgehogs come to enjoy being petted and cuddled.
A. NO CHANGE
B. their
C. its
D. it’s
Start by identifying the noun to which the underlined pronoun most refers — what feels threatened and extends its quills? The most logical referent is a hedgehog, singular. They’re and their are both forms of they, plural, so (A) and (B) can be eliminated. (D) can also be eliminated because it’s = it is, and it does not make sense to say a hedgehog may feel threatened and extend it is quills. Its is the possessive form, making (C) correct. Its quills = the quills of a hedgehog.
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