English Mastery: Think and Choose

What’s inside

Read each sentence carefully and choose the only answer that makes sense grammatically and logically.

1. If the school had informed students about the schedule change earlier, they _____ their transportation arrangements in time. (Think about an unreal situation in the past and its possible consequence.)
   could adjust · could have adjusted · had adjusted · will have adjusted
2. Despite _____ extensively for the competition, Mia struggled to answer questions outside her area of expertise. (The preposition requires a suitable noun or gerund construction.)
   having prepared · prepared · she had prepared · to have prepared
3. The research findings were initially dismissed, _____ further experiments eventually confirmed their accuracy. (Identify the logical relationship between the two contrasting ideas.)
   because · moreover · therefore · yet
4. Not until the final results were published _____ how significantly the new teaching method had improved performance. (A negative expression at the beginning of a sentence can trigger subject–auxiliary inversion.)
   did the researchers realize · had the researchers realized · the researchers had realized · the researchers realized
5. The principal recommended that every student _____ the digital citizenship workshop before using the new learning platform. (Consider the subjunctive form used after certain verbs expressing recommendations.)
   attend · attended · attends · is attending
6. The science museum introduced an interactive exhibition _____ visitors could explore how renewable energy systems operate. (Choose the relative construction that correctly follows a preposition.)
   through that · through which · where through · which through
7. Although the proposal appears financially attractive, the committee must consider whether it is _____ in the long term. (Look for the adjective that best expresses the ability to continue successfully over time.)
   affordable · profitable · sustainable · temporary
8. By the time the environmental conference begins next Monday, the organizing team _____ all the necessary preparations. (The action is expected to be finished before a specified future point.)
   had completed · has completed · will complete · will have completed
9. The instructions were so _____ that several students interpreted the same task in completely different ways. (Infer the meaning from the fact that the instructions allowed different interpretations.)
   ambiguous · comprehensive · explicit · straightforward
10. If Leo were genuinely interested in environmental protection, he _____ so many disposable plastic bottles every week. (The sentence describes an imaginary present situation and its expected consequence.)
    had not used · will not use · would not have used · would not use
11. The student revised her argument after discovering evidence that directly _____ her original assumption. (The evidence challenged the assumption rather than confirming it.)
    contradicted · justified · reinforced · supported
12. Neither the students nor their teacher _____ aware that the deadline had been moved forward. (In a neither...nor construction, agreement generally follows the nearer subject.)
    are being · have been · was · were
13. The new public transport system aims not only to reduce traffic congestion _____ improve access to employment opportunities. (Maintain parallel grammatical structures in a correlative conjunction.)
    and also to · as well as to · but also · but also to
14. The article presents impressive statistics, but it fails to explain how the participants were selected. Which criticism is most justified? (Evaluate the specific methodological weakness without making unsupported accusations.)
    The numerical findings must be fabricated. · The participants certainly misunderstood the questions. · The research question is necessarily irrelevant. · The sampling method is insufficiently transparent.
15. A school replaced printed notices with an online announcement system. Paper consumption decreased, but some families missed important updates because they had limited internet access. What is the most reasonable conclusion? (Consider both environmental efficiency and equal access to information.)
    Digital communication should be supported by accessible alternatives. · Environmental benefits should take priority over every accessibility concern. · Families who miss online notices are necessarily irresponsible. · Printed communication is always more effective than digital communication.
16. A researcher observes that students who read regularly tend to achieve higher examination scores. Which conclusion is best supported by this observation alone? (Distinguish a statistical association from a proven cause-and-effect relationship.)
    Examination success is determined entirely by reading habits. · Reading frequency and examination performance are associated. · Regular reading directly causes higher examination scores. · Students with low scores never read voluntarily.
17. The debate team would have won the regional championship _____ its final speaker had provided stronger evidence for the main claim. (Choose the conjunction that introduces the missing condition in a hypothetical past result.)
    although · if · unless · whereas
18. A city introduces bicycle lanes to encourage sustainable transport, but cycling rates remain low because major roads are unsafe. Which policy would most directly address the obstacle? (Identify an intervention that addresses the stated cause of low cycling participation.)
    Creating protected connections between existing bicycle lanes · Increasing advertisements about the environmental benefits of cycling · Reducing the number of bicycle parking spaces · Replacing cycling lessons with information about traffic congestion
19. Having examined several conflicting sources, the historian decided to _____ a definitive conclusion until additional documents became available. (The historian is deliberately delaying judgment because the available evidence is insufficient.)
    announce · establish · reinforce · withhold
20. A student claims, 'Every successful entrepreneur I interviewed started a business before turning twenty; therefore, starting young guarantees success.' What is the strongest objection? (Examine selection bias and the difference between observed examples and universal claims.)
    Every interview must contain inaccurate information. · Personal interviews can never provide useful research evidence. · Starting a business at a young age always prevents success. · The sample excludes unsuccessful entrepreneurs and cannot establish a guarantee.