Writing and Language: Question...

Brazil’s Favelados Step into the Limelight

In the 2000s, Brazilian films such as City of God and City of Men brought

favelas—densely populated vertical housing communities—to the

international stage. Favelas came to be associated with grim depictions of

city life in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, leading to negative stereotypes and

generalizations about these communities. The 2010 anthology film 5x Favela,

Now by Ourselves attempted to challenge such 1 depictions. It challenged

them by presenting stories written, acted, and directed by a cast and crew of

favelados (favela residents). 2 When 5x Favela was finally released, it

received worldwide acclaim, including screenings at the celebrated Cannes

Film Festival.

The project began in 2007 when young favelados were invited to attend a

series of free, yearlong workshops in directing, 3 editing—acting, and other

aspects of filmmaking. 4 During these classes, favelados wrote scripts for

the five different short 5 films, independent story lines brought together

through common cinematography and editing techniques—that would make

up the feature-length anthology. 6 By 2009, more than 200 youths had

participated in the project, and by the end of the training, 84 of them had

been selected for the production.

Carefully balancing tragedy and comedy, 7 conventional cinematic

depictions of favelas left unseen the moments of play, camaraderie, and

humor that the short films of 5x Favela bear witness to. For example, in the

short film Let There Be Light, the audience meets a group of neighbors

whose lights go out because of a power outage on Christmas Eve. Through

inventive means, favelados restore the power supply. The story ends with a

festive scene of the townspeople dancing the samba under a fully lit

Christmas tree.

5x Favela not only allowed the favelado cast and crew to help shape the

way 8 there neighborhoods are depicted but also 9 had a budget that

allowed them to create work of a quality similar to that of other major

Brazilian productions. Rising star Juan Paiva, for example, who played a 12-

Writing and Language: Question 1

Questions 1-11 are based on the following passage.

year-old boy motivated to find a birthday present for his father in the short

Rice and Beans, was new to acting when he joined the cast of 5x Favela. He

has subsequently acted in an award-winning film and earned a recurring role

in the TV series Total Dreamer. Similarly, Manaíra Carneiro, who 10 had no

professional filmmaking experience before directing the 5x Favela short film

Source of Income, saw 11 our career take off after the experience. By

drawing international attention to the talents of its creators, 5x Favela has

helped ensure that voices from the favelas will be part of world cinema for

years to come.

Which choice most effectively combines the sentences at the underlined portion?

A. depictions by presentingB. depictions, and it did so by presentingC. depictions; this challenge was accomplished through the presentation ofD. depictions, while using the presentation of

Choice A is the best answer. This choice most effectively combines the sentences at theunderlined portion without repeating information or changing the intended meaning of thesentence.

Choices B and C are incorrect because they contain unnecessary wording. Choice D is incorrectbecause it doesn’t express the intended meaning of the uncombined sentences. The word“while,” which here means “at the same time as,” doesn’t indicate that the film challengednegative depictions of favelas by presenting stories created by favela residents.

Question Difficulty: Medium











Film Festival.
















Christmas tree.















years to come.

Which choice most effectively introduces the discussion that follows in the passage?

A. NO CHANGEB.

The 5x Favela project was supported by nongovernmental organizations from acrossRio de Janeiro.

C.The origins of 5x Favela go all the way back to 1993, when noted Brazilian filmmakerCarlos Diegues began working with young actors and directors.

D.Comprising five different short films about daily life in the favelas, 5x Favela hasallowed favelados to bring their own perspective to cinematic portrayals of theirneighborhoods.

Choice D is the best answer. This choice most effectively introduces the discussion that followsabout young favelados creating the short films of 5x Favela to authentically represent daily life intheir own neighborhoods.

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because they don’t introduce the discussion that follows. Thepassage doesn’t focus on the acclaim 5x Favela received (choice A), the support the film projectreceived from nongovernmental organizations across Rio de Janeiro (choice B), or the 1993origins of 5x Favela (choice C).












Film Festival.
















Christmas tree.















years to come.

A. NO CHANGEB. editingC. editing;D. editing,

Choice D is the best answer. A comma after “editing” is needed to separate that word from“acting,” the third item in the simple list.

Choices A and C are incorrect because neither a dash nor a semicolon can be used in this way toseparate items in a simple list. Choice B is incorrect because punctuation is needed to separatethe second and third items in the list.

Question Difficulty: Easy











Film Festival.
















Christmas tree.















years to come.

At this point, the writer is considering adding the following sentence.

The project can be seen as an extension of the retomada, the boom in Brazilian filmproduction that occurred in the 1990s.

Should the writer make this addition here?

A. Yes, because it defines a key term that is used later in the passage.B. Yes, because it places the 5x Favela project within a larger cultural context.C. No, because it interrupts the description of the project with a loosely related detail.D. No, because it does not provide historical information about the retomada.

Choice C is the best answer. The sentence shouldn’t be added because it interrupts theparagraph’s description of the 5x Favela project with a loosely related detail about the retomada.

Choices A and B are incorrect because the sentence shouldn’t be added. The sentence doesn’tdefine a key term used later in the passage, and although the sentence provides cultural contextfor the 5x Favela project, that information isn’t relevant to the paragraph as a whole. Choice D isincorrect. The sentence shouldn’t be added, but not because it fails to provide historicalinformation about the retomada.












Film Festival.
















Christmas tree.















years to come.

A. NO CHANGEB. films—C. films;D. films

Choice B is the best answer. The dash after “films” is paired correctly with the dash after“techniques” to set off nonrestrictive information. The information between the dashes could bedeleted and the sentence would still make sense.

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because dashes need to be used in pairs to set offnonrestrictive information that appears in the middle of a sentence.












Film Festival.
















Christmas tree.















years to come.

A. NO CHANGEB. For instance,C. Similarly,D. Regardless,

Choice A is the best answer. The transitional phrase “by 2009” indicates the passage of timebetween the event of the previous sentence (the favelados taking classes in 2007) and the eventsthat took place over the next two years.

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because none of these transitional phrases shows the truerelationship between the previous sentence and the sentence that includes the transitionalphrase. “For instance,” “similarly,” and “regardless” indicate that what follows is an example of,similar to, or true despite the information stated in the previous sentence.












Film Festival.
















Christmas tree.















years to come.

A. NO CHANGEB.

depictions of favelas in conventional cinema did not bear witness to the previouslyunseen moments of play, camaraderie, and humor in the short films of 5x Favela.

C.bearing witness to moments of play, camaraderie, and humor previously unseen inconventional cinematic depictions of favelas is what the short films of 5x Favela do.

D.the short films of 5x Favela bear witness to moments of play, camaraderie, and humorpreviously unseen in conventional cinematic depictions of favelas.

Choice D is the best answer. This choice places the sentence’s subject, “the short films,” next tothe phrase “carefully balancing tragedy and comedy,” which describes the short films.

Choices A and B are incorrect because the structure of the sentences results in the suggestionthat conventional cinematic depictions of favelas carefully balanced tragedy and comedy, whichisn’t true; conventional portrayals didn’t emphasize the comedic aspects of favela life. Choice C isincorrect because “bearing witness” can’t be the subject that balances tragedy and comedy.












Film Festival.
















Christmas tree.















years to come.

A. NO CHANGEB. they’reC. theirD. its

Choice C is the best answer. The plural possessive determiner “their” agrees in number with theplural antecedent “cast and crew” to indicate that the neighborhoods belonged to them.

Choices A and B are incorrect because neither the pronoun “there” nor the contraction “they’re”indicate possession. Choice D is incorrect because “its” is a singular possessive determiner thatdoesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent “cast and crew.”












Film Festival.
















Christmas tree.















years to come.

Which choice most effectively presents the main idea of the paragraph?

A. NO CHANGEB.

reflects the collaboration between favela residents and major figures from Brazilianfilms.

C. provided an opportunity for them to break into the film industry.D. moves beyond the lackluster portrayals of favelas that are seen in other films.

Choice C is the best answer. This choice most effectively presents the main idea of theparagraph, which is that the 5x Favela project gave the favelado cast and crew an opportunity tobreak into the film industry. The paragraph provides examples of an actor and a director from the5x Favela production who went on to have successful careers in their fields.

Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because the main idea of the paragraph isn’t the project’sbudget (choice A), the collaboration between favela residents and major figures from Brazilianfilms (choice B), or the project’s departure from other films’ lackluster portrayals of favelas(choice D).

Question Difficulty: Hard











Film Festival.
















Christmas tree.















years to come.

A. NO CHANGEB. hadn’t ever made even a single professional movieC. was an absolute neophyte in relation to the film industryD. was a nobody in the movie biz

Choice A is the best answer. The formal tone and straightforward style of this choice is consistentwith the passage’s tone and style.

Choice B is incorrect because the use of “ever” and “even a single” is overly emphatic andexaggerated. Choice C is incorrect because it’s wordy, and “absolute neophyte” is overly grand intone. Choice D is incorrect because its tone is too informal.












Film Festival.
















Christmas tree.















years to come.

A. NO CHANGEB. one’sC. itsD. her

Choice D is the best answer. “Her” is a singular possessive determiner used to refer to a specificperson. In the sentence, “her” agrees with the singular antecedent and person, “ManaíraCarneiro,” to indicate that the career belonged to Carneiro.

Choice A is incorrect because “our” is a plural possessive determiner that doesn’t agree innumber with the singular antecedent. Choice B is incorrect because “one’s” isn’t used to refer toa specific person. Choice C is incorrect because “its” is used to refer to a singular animal or thingrather than to a person.


Planktologists: Studying an Invisible Underwater World

Kim Thamatrakoln was studying to be a medical doctor when she found

her true calling: planktology. She had studied biochemistry as an

undergraduate, but it was not until she 12 begins working on her master’s

degree in biology that she realized her true passion was for academic

research in marine science. 13 “My first introduction to academic research

was as an undergraduate,” she says. From there she went on to a doctoral

program in marine biology, specializing in phytoplankton. She now works at

the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers University in New

Jersey.

Plankton—organisms that drift in the top 14 layers’ of oceans—are tiny,

but their role in Earth’s ecosystems makes them an important subject of

study. Phytoplankton (many of which are microscopic) 15 prompt

approximately half the oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere by photosynthesis, the

process by which plants convert light energy into chemical energy.

Planktologists, marine biologists like Thamatrakoln who study plankton,

analyze the biological processes of these organisms. Their job is to

understand the role of plankton in marine environments and how their

responses to environmental changes can affect the health of Earth as a

whole.

Thamatrakoln researches the biological and chemical properties of

diatoms, a type of phytoplankton. 16 Her team takes research expeditions to

collect diatom samples and models how diatoms will react to changes such

as viral infection and variability in light and nutrients. One of Thamatrakoln’s

17 projects, focused on how diatoms respond to a lack of iron, a nutrient that

serves as an important component during photosynthesis. 18 However, she

discovered that iron deficiencies in the ocean have a negative impact on the

health of diatoms and 19 one’s ability to photosynthesize and that they may

potentially lead to lower oxygen levels in Earth’s atmosphere.

In 2013 an international team of scientists completed a series of global

expeditions on the research schooner Tara, collecting plankton at 210 sites.



The team collected over 35,000 different species of 20 plankton. Most of

these different species were previously unknown to science. With only 2

percent of the samples analyzed so 21 far, scientists have already learned

that plankton are highly sensitive to changes in ocean temperatures. Further

analysis of the data collected is still needed to understand how changes to

planktonic ecosystems may affect the future well-being of the planet. Thus,

now, more than ever, planktologists are needed to study these tiny and

unglamorous, but vitally important, microorganisms.

Question 22 asks about the previous passage as a whole.

A. NO CHANGEB. beganC. will beginD. will have begun

Choice B is the best answer. The simple past tense verb “began” is consistent with theparagraph’s other simple past tense verbs that are used in the description of Thamatrakoln’seducational career before she started her present job.

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect. The simple present tense verb “begins” (choice A), the simplefuture tense verb “will begin” (choice C), and the future perfect tense verb “will have begun”(choice D) can’t be used to describe events that occurred in the past.











Jersey.










whole.























Which quotation from a profile of Thamatrakoln published on a Rutgers University departmentalwebsite most effectively elaborates on the previous sentences?

A. NO CHANGEB.

“I . . . wanted to apply the skills and knowledge I acquired in the biomedical field to anenvironmentally related one,”

C.“I currently do not teach in a formal classroom, but I mentor and train undergraduatesand graduate students,”

D.“After college, I got a job at a biotech company involved in sequencing the first humangenome,”

Choice B is the best answer. The idea that Thamatrakoln sought to apply what she learned in thebiomedical field “to an environmentally related one” elaborates on the previous sentences, whichindicate that her studies to become a medical doctor led to her interest in marine science.

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect. These choices—which indicate that Thamatrakoln wasintroduced to academic research as an undergraduate, doesn’t teach in a formal classroom, andworked for a biotech company—don’t elaborate on the previous sentences.











Jersey.










whole.























A. NO CHANGEB. layer’s of ocean’s—C. layers of oceans’—D. layers of oceans—

Choice D is the best answer. The plural nouns “layers” and “oceans” correctly indicate thatplankton drift in the top layers of the world’s oceans.

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect. The plural possessive nouns “layers’” and “oceans’” as well asthe singular possessive nouns “layer’s” and “ocean’s” should be plural nouns because nothingbelongs to the layers or oceans in this sentence.











Jersey.










whole.























A. NO CHANGEB. generateC. promoteD. trigger

Choice B is the best answer. The verb “generate” means to bring something into being and isappropriate to use to refer to phytoplankton’s production of oxygen by photosynthesis.

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because they don’t make sense within the context of thesentence. “Prompt” and “trigger” (choices A and D) mean to initiate, or cause something tohappen or function. “Promote” (choice C) means to indirectly help the development of something.











Jersey.










whole.























Which choice most effectively introduces the information in the next sentence of the paragraph?

A. NO CHANGEB. Diatoms are unicellular, although they can form colonies of varying shapes and sizes.C. Diatoms can be found in soil as well as in water.D.

Thamatrakoln and her team have published some of their most important findings in thejournal Environmental Microbiology.

Choice A is the best answer. This choice, which indicates that Thamatrakoln’s research teammodeled how diatoms react to changes in nutrients, effectively introduces the next sentence’sstatement that the team studied how diatoms respond to a lack of the nutrient iron.

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect. The next sentence in the paragraph isn’t effectively introducedby the idea that diatoms are unicellular (choice B), that diatoms can be found in soil and water(choice C), and that Thamatrakoln and her team have published some of their most importantfindings in a scientific journal (choice D).











Jersey.










whole.























A. NO CHANGEB. projectsC. projects—D. projects:

Choice B is the best answer. No punctuation is needed between the complete subject of thesentence “one of Thamatrakoln’s projects” and the main verb “focused.”

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because no punctuation should separate the complete subjectof the sentence from the verb.











Jersey.










whole.























A. NO CHANGEB. Therefore,C. Next,D. DELETE the underlined portion, adjusting the capitalization as needed.

Choice D is the best answer. The underlined portion should be deleted because no transition isneeded at the start of this sentence. The previous sentence states that one of Thamatrakoln’sprojects focused on how diatoms respond to a lack of iron. The sentence that follows elaborateson that project by noting her discovery that iron deficiencies in the ocean negatively affectdiatoms.

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect. The relationship between the two sentences isn’t one ofcontrast (choice A), cause and effect (choice B), or chronology (choice C).











Jersey.










whole.























A. NO CHANGEB. itsC. theirD. another’s

Choice C is the best answer. The plural possessive determiner “their” agrees in number with theplural antecedent “diatoms” to indicate that the ability to photosynthesize is a characteristic ofdiatoms.

Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because “one’s,” “its,” and “another’s” are singular possessivedeterminers that don’t agree in number with the plural antecedent “diatoms.”











Jersey.










whole.























Which choice most effectively combines the sentences at the underlined portion?

A. plankton: most of these 35,000 speciesB. plankton, even though most of themC. plankton, most of whichD. plankton, just as they

Choice C is the best answer. This choice most effectively combines the sentences at theunderlined portion without unnecessary repetition and without changing the intended meaning ofthe sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because it’s unnecessary to repeat “35,000 species.” Choice B is incorrectbecause the use of “even though” suggests that the team collected the species despite the factthat most of them were previously unknown. Choice D is incorrect because it results in an illogicalsentence. “Just as” could mean “at the moment of” or “similar to,” neither of which makes sensewhen describing how the team collected some species that were previously unknown.











Jersey.










whole.























A. NO CHANGEB. far, thoughC. far asD. far, and

Choice A is the best answer. The comma after “far” is needed to separate the introductoryprepositional phrase that begins with “with” from the independent clause that begins with“scientists.”

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because “though,” “as,” and “and” are conjunctions, and noconjunction is needed between the introductory prepositional phrase and the independent clausethat follows.











Jersey.










whole.























The writer plans to add the following sentence to the passage.

Thanks to a recent research effort, scientists now have more data on plankton than everbefore.

The most logical placement for this sentence is

A. before the first sentence in paragraph 1.B. before the first sentence in paragraph 2.C. before the first sentence in paragraph 3.D. before the first sentence in paragraph 4.

Choice D is the best answer. The proposed sentence should be placed before the first sentencein paragraph 4. That paragraph discusses research expeditions in 2013 that collected manyspecies of plankton that were previously unknown to science. The proposed sentence logicallyintroduces that topic by stating that a recent research effort has given scientists more data onplankton than ever before.

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because placing the sentence anywhere in the passage otherthan before the first sentence in paragraph 4 would create an illogical and confusing passage.


Rails to Trails

Available land is often reserved for commercial and residential use, so

communities are creating public spaces from an unlikely 23 source

abandoned railroad tracks. The conversion of old rail corridors 24 —linear

stretches of land that contain railroad tracks—into public trails 25 offers an

array of benefits. It encourages people to adopt a healthier lifestyle by

creating areas designated for walking, biking, 26 and for other recreational

activities. It also has economic advantages, as communities’ local

businesses and tourist destinations may flourish due to their proximity to

these public trails. With the help of federal and state grants, over 100,000

miles of disused rail corridors stand to be converted into new public spaces.

Rail-to-trail conversions in formerly industrial areas are restoring natural

landscapes and revitalizing communities. 27 Nonetheless, in Milford,

Delaware, the construction of the Mispillion River Greenway in a corridor

once used for freight transport has enhanced the area’s social and

environmental well-being. Providing convenient access to the city’s

downtown, 28 residents are encouraged by the scenic bicycle and

pedestrian path “to maintain healthy lifestyles and use alternative forms of

transportation,” according to former governor Ruth Ann Minner. The health of

the local ecosystem has also been improved as restored areas promote new

plant growth and attract a variety of wildlife.

Though the conversion process can be expensive, such trails are a

worthwhile investment, and 29 the National Park Service studies their effects

on local economies. In the case of the Mispillion River Greenway, for

instance, 84 percent of the $1.5 million used to fund the project came from

federal grants. The city has seen an ample return on the investment: boosting

the local economy, the greenway has attracted new businesses that employ

more than 250 people and generate over $200 million 30 each year in annual

retail revenue.

While rail trails hold a great deal of promise, new legal obstacles may 31

really confuse the conversion process. A 1983 provision of the National Trails



System Act known as railbanking allows railroad companies to transfer old

rail corridors to public agencies 32 for the using of as trails; without this

provision, ownership of the properties would revert to the adjacent

landowners. In March 2014, however, the Supreme Court ruled that railroad

companies lose their rights to the land when a corridor is no longer in use.

Though the ruling will likely increase litigation over land, as landowners may

request compensation or deny permission for public use, these trails are

worth fighting for: after all, 33 they are a proven path to healthier, more

vibrant communities.

A. NO CHANGEB. source; abandonedC. source: abandonedD. source—abandoned—

Choice C is the best answer. The colon is used correctly to indicate that the phrase “abandonedrailroad tracks” expands on the “unlikely source” mentioned in the independent clause before thecolon.

Choice A is incorrect because punctuation is needed. Choice B is incorrect because a semicoloncan’t be used in this way to separate an independent clause from a phrase. Choice D is incorrectbecause the dashes around “abandoned” indicate that this word could be removed withoutchanging the meaning of the sentence.
