Act English and Reading

The author’s use of the words and phrases “thickets,” “stretching in every direction,” and “extensive forest” (lines 6–7) in Passage A most nearly serves to emphasize which of the following points?

• The Tian Shan mountains are a challenge to navigate.

• The apple varieties of Kazakhstan would be difficult for a botanist to catalog.

• The diversity of plant species in Kazakhstan is crucially important.

• The magnitude of wild apples in Kazakhstan is stunning

The author of Passage A most likely states that the wild apples growing in the Tian Shan looked like apples found at the local grocery store to support the point that:

• many of the apples stocked in grocery stores are harvested in the Tian Shan.

• in the Tian Shan, Vavilov had likely found the wild ancestors of the domesticated apple.

• the wild apples growing in the Tian Shan are among the most popular varieties with consumers.

• in the Tian Shan, Vavilov had found new apple varieties to introduce to food producers.

Passage A makes which of the following claims about plant species that are found in Kazakhstan?

• Approximately 157 species of cultivated temperate fruits originated in Kazakhstan.

• Ninety percent of all domesticated crops are either direct precursors or close wild relatives of plant species found in Kazakhstan.

• Of the plant species found in Kazakhstan, ninety percent are species of apple.

• Aside from apples, at least 157 plant species found in Kazakhstan are either direct precursors or close wild relatives of domesticated crops.

Passage B most strongly suggests that Vavilov was motivated to become an agricultural scientist primarily because he:

• wanted to have one of his findings published.

• aimed to work with a famous botanist.

• wished to remedy a personal financial crisis.

• hoped to help feed others.

The author of Passage B uses the phrase “whittle away” (line 80) to refer to the way that apple varieties have been:

• gradually lost from nursery catalogs, farmers’ markets, and the American table.

• modified by plant breeders, entomologists, and pathologists to meet specialized needs

• weeded out by scientists until only the few thousand most resilient varieties remained.

• pared down in 1904 to the few varieties that nursery catalogs wanted to feature.

As it is used in lines 82–83, the phrase named and nurtured most nearly means:

• nominated and encouraged.

• identified and cultivated.

• pointed to and groomed.

• cited and fed.

In Passage B, it can most reasonably be inferred from the third paragraph (lines 74–79) that “centers of crop diversity” become crucially important when:

• plant breeders would like to learn more about the plant species of central Asia.

• problems with a cultivated crop require experts to research a new variety of the crop.

• consumers would like more variety in grocery produce departments.

• disputes among plant breeders, pathologists, and entomologists lead to a reduction in crop variety.

Which of the following statements best describes the difference in the tone of the two passages?

• Passage A is defensive, whereas Passage B is dispassionate.

• Passage A is solemn, whereas Passage B is optimistic.

• Passage A is celebratory, whereas Passage B is cautionary.

• Passage A is accusatory, whereas Passage B is sentimental.

Compared to the author of Passage A, the author of Passage B provides more information about the:

• reduction in the number of apple varieties in North America over the past four centuries.

• methods Vavilov used to prove to other scientists that the apples growing in the Tian Shan are the ancestors of the modern apple.

• number of apple varieties that are thriving in Kazakhstan today

• techniques used by researchers to determine the regions with the greatest genetic diversity in plants.

Passage A quotes Vavilov as saying “‘I could see with my own eyes that I had stumbled upon the centre of origin for the apple’” (lines 11–12). In Passage B this quote is directly:

• invoked by the passage author as he imagines what Kazakhstan looked like centuries ago.

• used to support an argument by USDA scientists

• paraphrased by Salova.

• refuted by Bussey