Passages: Words in Context

The biomechanics of energy storage is the domain of Sheila N. Patek and Joseph E. Baio, both biomechanists at the University of California, Berkeley

As used above, the word domain most nearly means:

• living space.

• area of expertise.

• taxonomic category.

• local jurisdiction.

During the school play, Aria was feeling quite subdued after her performance. What does "subdued" mean in this context?

• To be worried

• To be under control, calmed down

• A temporary escape

• Being beyond what is normal

Maya was fretting about her upcoming exams that she didn't study for. What does "fretting" mean?

• To think negatively

• To make a situation less tense

• To be worried

• Having the ability to reason

Advocates for autonomous vehicles, which can operate without human intervention, have long highlighted their potential to enhance road safety and alleviate traffic congestion. Recently, a study has indicated another compelling reason to adopt this technology: significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. In the context of the passage, “adopt” most nearly means

• To take up or start to use

• To reject or refuse

• To criticize or disapprove

• To delay or postpone

The eye-catching checkerboard belly of the corn snake… resembles an ear of maize, which is likely what inspired the snake’s name. But “patterns are not very common on snake bellies," says Kate Jackson of Whitman College in Washington State. Instead, the reptiles typically display solid colors that are paler or brighter than their topsides. This contrast is called countershading, a type of camouflage that "occurs across the majority of animal groups," says Whit Gibbons, author and herpetologist at the University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. One example is the smooth green snake. Sunlight makes the dark green on its back appear lighter, so that it blends with the pale green on the lower part of its body. The result is a uniform color that is harder to see, especially against green grass.

As it is used in the passage, “uniform” most nearly means

• formal

• homogeneous

• unique

• imperceptible

The underlying concept of using quirks in human perception to learn about how the mind works is an old one. Visual, auditory and multisensory illusions, in which people’s perceptions contradict the physical properties of the stimuli, have long been used by psychologists to study the mechanisms of sensory processing. Magicians use such sensory illusions in their tricks, but they also heavily use cognitive illusions, manipulating people’s attention, trains of logic, and even memory.

As it is used in the passage, “properties” most nearly means

• constructions

• premises

• resources

• characteristics

We live today in a world in which each week, seemingly, a new form of new media—from Fitbit to Facebook, electronic medical records to smartphone apps—promises to revolutionize the ways we experience health and illness. But we often forget that our current practices have been shaped by media that were once new. By studying the medical history of television when it was still considered a cutting-edge medical technology, we can better understand how we conceive and implement new technologies in medicine.

As it is used in the passage, “shaped” most nearly means:

• influenced

• compiled

• bent

• hunched

As it is used in line 58, the word humor most nearly means:

• personality.

• whim.

• mood.

• comedy.

As it is used in line 49, the word concentrated most nearly means:

• extracted.

• paid attention to.

• gathered together.

• directed to one topic.

As it is used in line 64, the word station most nearly means:

• physical location.

• base of operations.

• duty.

• status.