The phenomenon of planetary alignment only occurs once every several hundred years. Such an alignment occurs when all of the planets line up on the right side of the sun within 90° of each other or closer. This positioning of the planets is visible to the naked eye. A true planetary alignment occurred in May of 2002. Before that, such an alignment had not occurred since April of 1128.

The following fact is not mentioned in the selection:

Matt Flynn threw four touchdown passes in the second half, Eddie Lacy ran a yard for the decisive score, and the Green Bay Packers rallied from a 23-point halftime deficit to beat the host Dallas Cowboys, 37-36, on Sunday. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo threw two interceptions in the game’s final 3 minutes. The first one, with the Cowboys in position to run out the clock, gave Green Bay a chance to take the lead, and Lacy delivered with a little more than a minute and a half left.

Which of the following words would most closely mean “decisive”?

In 2011, the Ohio Turnpike raised its limit to 70 and recorded its lowest traffic fatality rate ever that year. The higher speed limit attracts travelers to use the safer, limited-access, divided highways of the interstates from more traditional roads. That makes both types of roads safer.

Why does increasing the speed limit on interstates make traditional roads safer?

Health experts claim that an aspirin a day may cut the risk of developing polyps commonly found in colon cancer. However, a full-size aspirin does not cut the risk as much as the smaller baby aspirin does.

The best title for this selection is

A new study suggests that one in four Americans does not get enough sleep. Sleep experts recommend 8 hours of sleep per night, and most Americans report an average of 6.9 hours of sleep on weeknights and 7.5 hours of sleep on weekends.

The average American sleeps

The metal porch swing virtually sizzled on the old wooden front porch today. But we sat there anyway. Gramma wouldn’t hear of anything else. I suggested a walk through the forest, hoping to entertain a breeze or two and to take advantage of the shade. Gramma shook her head. You were supposed to sit on the porch after supper, and that’s what we were going to do.

This author implies that

Did you know that overexposure to the sun can cause skin and eye injuries? While some sunlight is necessary, too much is dangerous, causing sunburn, premature aging of the skin, skin cancer, cataracts, allergies, and damage to the immune system. Though the average person gets 50% of his or her lifetime sun by the age of 18, everyone needs to be aware of the dangers of exposure to sunlight.

In this passage, what does the word “immune” most closely mean?

Scientists have recently found two stars that could possibly change the current understandings of physics and astronomy. Initially, these stars were thought to be neutron stars, which are the remnants of supernovas. However, they are smaller and cooler than neutron stars. Scientists hypothesize that these objects are indeed neutron stars but that they are just smaller and cooler than those that have been studied previously.

You may conclude from this selection that

The Missile Gap was in essence a growing perception in the West, especially in the USA, that the Soviet Union was quickly developing an intercontinental range ballistic missile (ICBM) capability earlier, in greater numbers, and with far more capability than that of the United States. Even as that perception was disproved, it became evident that the Soviets were placing their major effort toward developing strategic missiles against which, once launched, there was no defense. The perceived missile gap that ensued was based on a comparison between U.S. ICBM strength as then programmed, and reasonable, although erroneous estimates of prospective Soviet ICBM strength that were generally accepted.

What is the main idea of this paragraph?

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door." - Emma Lazarus, inscription for the Statue of Liberty

In the context of this paragraph the word "teeming" means:

In linguistics, the comparative method is a technique for studying the development of languages by performing a feature-by-feature comparison of two or more languages with common descent from a shared ancestor, as opposed to the method of internal reconstruction, which analyzes the internal development of a single language over time.
Which of the following would be the most useful for someone using the comparitive method in linguistics when studying a particular language:

Many people feel that the use of stem cells in research is unethical. However, they fail to realize that such research could lead to cures for some of the world’s most troubling diseases. Diseases like Parkinson’s and MS could possibly be cured through the use of stem cells, and those with spinal cord injuries could possibly walk again. Therefore, it is entirely ethical to engage in stem cell research aimed at easing the suffering of those who have life-altering conditions.
The main purpose of the passage is ____.

The programs and resources developed by the Education Department of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art are designed to extend the museum experience in the fullest possible way to the widest possible audience, both present and future. These programs provide visitors of all ages with the opportunity to expand their experience with works of art in both the museum's permanent collection an d its special exhibitions.
According to this passage, ____

Plasma is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being solid, liquid, and gas). Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms (reducing or increasing the number of electrons in them), thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions.
What does the word state in the context of this paragraph most closely mean?

Since 1944, the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation has been meeting the diverse needs of not only residents, but also visitors from around the world. With over 63,000 acres of parks, gardens, lakes, trails, natural areas, and the world's largest public golf course system, the Department of Parks and Recreation is committed to providing the public with social, cultural, and recreational activities to enjoy the whole year.
According to this passage, ____

The Criminal Grand Jury of Los Angeles County attends hearings brought by the District Attorney’s Office. The objective of this jury is to determine, on the basis of evidence presented by the District Attorney’s Office, whether certain persons should be charged with crimes and required to stand trial in Superior Court. The Criminal Grand Jury is an accusatory body and not a trial jury; therefore, the burden of proof is much lower. Specifically, the Criminal Grand Jury must decide if there is a strong suspicion the individual committed the alleged crime.
According to this passage ____

USS Gilliam (APA-57), named for Gilliam County in Oregon, was the lead ship in the her class of attack transports serving in the United States Navy during World War II. She was launched 28 March 1944 under a Maritime Commission contract by the Consolidated Steel Corporation, Wilmington, California; sponsored by Mrs. A. O. Williams of Wilmington; acquired 31 July 1944; and commissioned 1 August 1944, Comdr. H. B. Olsen in command.

The best title for this selection is ____.

Water polo, or water ball, is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores the most goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water (using a sort of kicking motion known as "eggbeater kick"), players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing the ball into a net defended by a goalie. "Man-up" (or "power play") situations occur frequently. Water polo, therefore, has strong similarities to the land-based game of team handball.

Which of the following is NOT a similarity between water polo and team handball?

The Urnero (Leptodactylus latinasus) is a species of frog in the Leptodactylidae family. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist shrub land, subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland, subtropical or tropical seasonally wet or flooded lowland grassland, freshwater marshes, intermittent freshwater marshes, pastureland, rural gardens, and ponds.

What can you conclude about the Urnero?

In 1856, William Perkin was an eighteen-year-old research assistant to London chemist August Hofman. Hofman was working with quinine, which was then the only treatment for malaria. At one point, Perkin found himself alone in the lab, and continued working with quinine on his own. While experimenting with coal tar in the hope of creating artificial quinine, Perkin found that he was left with a dirty, brownish residue. Perkin continued his experiments, and was eventually left with a lavender-pink residue that we know as mauve.

According to the passage, William Perkin was:

Before they vanished from the face of the earth, the Nazca people of Peru left a series of geoglyphs (or motifs made into the ground) that have mystified scientists for years. Known as the Nazca lines, the geoglyphs are sometimes simple, appearing almost like a child’s stick-figure drawings. Others, however, are more stylized and complex. Their purpose remains a mystery.

According to the passage, the Nazca people were located in:

For the Egyptians, perfume was not only used to scent the body, it served a ritualistic purpose as well. Egyptians used perfumed resins, which they burned as offerings to their gods. In fact, this ritual gave us the word "perfume," which comes from the Latin per fumum—through smoke. Many temples included rooms that were designated for perfumers, where perfumes would be offered to the gods throughout the day. The Egyptians associated perfume with immortality. Hence, scented herbs, spices and resins were an integral part of the mummification process. Pharaohs were wrapped in strips of linen soaked in pine, frankincense, cedarwood and myrrh.

According to the passage, the word "perfume" meant which of the following?

The so-called anti-aging industry is worth a staggering amount of money in North America. Women are sold all sorts of creams and ointments, and are promised that these will make them look younger over time. Unfortunately, these claims are entirely false. Lotions cannot penetrate to the inner layers of the skin where wrinkles typically form. Therefore, no over-the-counter creams are effective at erasing lines and wrinkles.

According to the author, the anti-aging industry ____

The main function of the Civil Grand Jury is to investigate county, city, and joint - power agencies. This is a significant civil function. The Grand Jury acts in a watchdog capacity by examining carefully and completely the operations of various government agencies with in Los Angeles County. The Civil Grand Jury cannot investigate state or federal agencies, which lie outside their jurisdiction. Part of the investigation of governmental agencies includes the ability to audit operations, accounts, and records of officers and departments within the agency under investigation. The Civil Grand Jury is further charged with investigating individual complaints from citizens. By statute the Grand Jury is required to inquire regarding the conditions and management of all public prisons within the County of Los Angeles.

Which of the following choices is correct according to this passage?

In 2011, the Ohio Turnpike raised its limit to 70 and recorded its lowest traffic fatality rate ever that year. The higher speed limit attracts travelers to use the safer, limited-access, divided highways of the interstates from more traditional roads. That makes both types of roads safer.

Why does increasing the speed limit on interstates make traditional roads safer?