The following text is adapted from Johanna Spyriʼs 1881 novel Heidi (translated by Elisabeth Stork in 1915). Eight year-old Heidi and her friendʼs grandmother are looking at some illustrated books.

Heidi had come and was looking with wondering eyes at the splendid pictures in the large books, that Grandmama was showing her. Suddenly she screamed aloud, for there on the picture she saw a peaceful flock grazing on a green pasture. In the middle a shepherd was standing, leaning on his crook. The setting sun was shedding a golden light over everything. With glowing eyes Heidi devoured the scene.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A. Heidi is upset until she sees a serene image of a pasture in one of Grandmamaʼs books.

B. Heidi is delighted and fascinated by an image she sees in one of Grandmamaʼs books.

C. Heidi is initially frightened by an image in one of Grandmamaʼs books but quickly comes to appreciate its beauty.

D. Heidi is inspecting an image in one of Grandmamaʼs books because she has never seen a shepherd with his sheep before.

Scent is tightly interwoven with our daily lives, often evoking significant memories and important social events. This connection is of growing interest to archaeologists who hope to use it to better understand ancient rituals, trade, social hierarchies, and medicine. Although the speed at which odor molecules dissipate makes identifying ancient scents challenging, advancements in biomolecular technologies show promise in unlocking ancient aromas from preserved artifacts. Archaeological studies making use of these advancements may provide new insights into past societies.

According to the text, what is one reason some archaeologists are interested in recovering scents from ancient artifacts?

A. They are investigating whether peopleʼs sense of smell has declined in recent centuries.

B. They believe the scents could illuminate important aspects of ancient life.

C. They think that ancient scents would be enjoyable to people today.

D. They hope to develop new medicines using ancient scent molecules.

Bicycles were first mass-produced in the late nineteenth century throughout Europe and North America, allowing individuals remarkable freedom to travel longer distances quickly and comfortably. This freedom, coupled with the affordability of the vehicle, made the bicycle immensely popular. Individuals were able to live farther from their workplaces, easily visit neighboring towns, and participate in new leisure and sport activities. Bicycling quickly became a popular social endeavor, with enthusiasts forming local cycling clubs to enjoy these newfound activities with others.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A. The widespread adoption of the bicycle in the late nineteenth century provided new opportunities for people.

B. The affordability of the bicycle in the late nineteenth century made it the preferred way to travel.

C. The popularity of the bicycle in the late nineteenth century gave rise to the first cycling clubs.

D. The mass production of the bicycle in the late nineteenth century made it safer for people to use.

Artist Justin Favela explained that he wanted to reclaim the importance of the piñata as a symbol in Latinx culture. To do so, he created numerous sculptures from strips of tissue paper, which is similar to the material used to create piñatas. In 2017, Favela created an impressive life-size piñata-like sculpture of the Gypsy Rose lowrider car, which was displayed at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California. The Gypsy Rose lowrider was famously driven by Jesse Valadez, an early president of the Los Angeles Imperials Car Club.

According to the text, which piece of Favelaʼs art was on display in the Petersen Automotive Museum in 2017?

A. A painting of Los Angeles

B. A sculpture of a lowrider car

C. A painting of a piñata

D. A sculpture of Jesse Valadez

In 2022, researchers rediscovered ancient indigenous glyphs, or drawings, on the walls of a cave in Alabama. The caveʼs ceiling was only a few feet high, affording no position from which the glyphs, being as wide as ten feet, could be viewed or photographed in their entirety. However, the researchers used a technique called photogrammetry to assemble numerous photos of the walls into a 3D model. They then worked with representatives of tribes originally from the region, including the Chickasaw Nation, to understand the significance of the animal and humanoid figures adorning the cave.

According to the text, what challenge did the researchers have to overcome to examine the glyphs?

A. The cave was so remote that the researchers couldnʼt easily reach it.

B. Some of the glyphs were so faint that they couldnʼt be photographed.

C. The researchers were unable to create a 3D model of the cave.

D. The caveʼs dimensions prevented the researchers from fully viewing the glyphs.

The following text is from Shyam Selvaduraiʼs 1994 novel Funny Boy. The seven-year-old narrator lives with his family in Sri Lanka. Radha Aunty is the narratorʼs aunt. Radha Aunty, who was the youngest in my fatherʼs family, had left for America four years ago when I was three, and I could not remember what she looked like. I went into the corridor to look at the family photographs that were hung there. But all the pictures were old ones, taken when Radha Aunty was a baby or young girl. Try as I might, I couldnʼt get an idea of what she looked like now. My imagination, however, was quick to fill in this void. ©1994 by Shyam Selvadurai.

According to the text, why does the narrator consult some family photographs?

A. He wants to use the photographs as inspiration for a story he is writing.

B. He is curious about how his father dressed a long time ago.

C. He hopes the photographs will help him recall what his aunt looked like.

D. He wants to remind his aunt of an event that is shown in an old photograph.

NASAʼs Cassini probe has detected an unusual wobble in the rotation of Mimas, Saturnʼs smallest moon. Using a computer model to study Mimasʼs gravitational interactions with Saturn and tidal forces, geophysicist Alyssa Rhoden and colleagues have proposed that this wobble could be due to a liquid ocean moving beneath the moonʼs icy surface. The researchers believe other moons should be examined to see if they too might have oceans hidden beneath their surfaces.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A. Rhoden and colleagues were the first to confirm that several of Saturnʼs moons contain hidden oceans.

B. Research has failed to identify signs that there is an ocean hidden beneath the surface of Mimas.

C. Rhoden and colleagues created a new computer model that identifies moons with hidden oceans without needing to analyze the moonsʼ rotation.

D. Research has revealed that an oddity in the rotation of Mimas could be explained by an ocean hidden beneath its surface.

Shimmering is a collective defense behavior that researchers have observed in giant honeybee colonies. When shimmering, different groups of bees flip their bodies up and down in what looks like waves. This defense is initiated when hornets hover near a colony, serving to deter the hornets from approaching the bees. Researchers hypothesize that this behavior is a specialized defense response to hornets, as it is not observed when other, larger predators approach the colony.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A. Researchers are unsure how giant honeybees defend against predators larger than hornets.

B. Researchers think that shimmering in giant honeybees is a specific defense against hornets.

C. Hornets are known to be the main predator of giant honeybees.

D. Several different species of insects use shimmering to defend against hornets.

Oluwaseyi Moejoh cofounded U-recycle Initiative Africa when she was only a teenager. Moejoh and her team founded the organization to teach young people how their actions affect the environment and why recycling is important. For example, the organization put on an exhibit of art made using recycled materials.

According to the text, what is one reason Moejoh and others founded U-recycle Initiative Africa?

A. To bring attention to overlooked African artists

B. To teach young people why recycling is important

C. To help adults gain important outdoor skills

D. To give teenagers advice about starting businesses

Microplastics are pieces of plastic that are smaller than a grain of rice. These small plastics can be found in large quantities in ocean waters. Ecologist Jessica Reichert and her team are studying the role reef-building corals have in capturing microplastics from ocean waters. Through research, her team has found that these corals may be storing up to 20 million kilograms of microplastics each year in their skeletons and tissues.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A. Ecologists are interested in learning more about how certain corals build large reefs.

B. Questions remain around the impact certain corals have on ocean ecosystems.

C. Microplastics are small pieces of plastic that can be found in ocean waters.

D. Ecologists predict that corals store large amounts of microplastics from ocean waters.