Introduction:

Welcome to Part 3 of our in-depth analysis of the June 2022 Literacy I Report for the EST Writing Section. If you're on a quest to conquer the EST test, you've landed in the perfect spot! Here, we're not just about numbers and data; we're about making sense of them in the most engaging and helpful way possible.

In this segment, Mr. Osama A. Ibrahim lends his expertise to unravel the intricacies of the EST Writing Section, offering you a clear path through the often complex terrain of the exam. Whether you're curious about the EST schedule for 2024, seeking to understand the nuances of the EST exam, or eager to find out how to calculate your EST test score, we've got your back.

Our series is designed to be your companion in this journey, providing you with not just answers but also strategies and insights that can make a real difference in your preparation. So, grab your notebook, and let's dive into the details of the June 2022 Literacy I, empowering you to step into your EST exam with confidence and clarity. And remember, if you ever need a helping hand, our courses are just a click away, and we're always reachable via WhatsApp to support your learning journey. Let's get started!

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Passage 3

Questions 23-33 are based on the following passage.

The Genetic Effects of Radiation

By Isaac Asimov and Theodosius Dobzhansky

1. Nor is the sun itself new, we might add. (23) 2. There is nothing new under the sun. 3. As long as life has existed on earth, it has been exposed to radiation from the sun. 4. Life and radiation are old (24) acquaintances and have learned to live together.

We are accustomed to looking upon sunlight (25) as certainly we could not live long without it due to its benefits. The energy of sunlight (26) warms the earth, is producing the winds that tend to equalize earth’s temperatures, evaporates the oceans, and produces rain and fresh water. Most important of all, it supplies what is needed for green plants to convert carbon dioxide and water into food and oxygen, making it possible for all animal life (including ourselves) to live.

23. To make this paragraph most logical, sentence 2 should be placed

A. where it is.

B. before sentence 1.

C. after sentence 3.

D. after sentence 4.

Explanation: In this EST question about logical paragraph structure, the best placement for sentence 2, "There is nothing new under the sun," is before sentence 1. This allows the famous adage to introduce the idea that the sun's presence and effects are ancient, which the following sentences then expand on. Starting with this broad claim creates a coherent flow, hooking the reader with a familiar phrase, just as a strong EST introduction should draw in the reader.

EST Shortcut: For logical order questions, put the broadest, most overarching statement first.

EST Tip: Read the paragraph with the sentences in each suggested order. Choose the sequence that best develops the main idea from start to finish.

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24. Which word is synonymous with “acquaintances” and best suits the meaning of the paragraph?

A. enemies

B. strangers

C. associates

D. friends

Explanation: The correct synonym for "acquaintances" in this EST reading passage is "associates." This word choice maintains the personified relationship between life and radiation, suggesting a long-standing connection, like two colleagues who have worked together for years. "Associates" avoids the overly positive connotation of "friends" and the negative implication of "enemies," striking the neutral tone needed for a scientific discussion, a key aspect of EST.

EST Shortcut: For synonym questions, consider both denotation (literal meaning) and connotation (emotional association).  

EST Tip: Imagine each word option in the sentence. Select the one that matches the tone and doesn't distort the meaning.

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25.A. NO CHANGE

B. something good, useful, and desirable, and certainly we could not live long

C. something good and certainly we could not live long without it

Explanation: Option D offers the most comprehensive and eloquent phrasing in this EST question. The added descriptors "useful, and desirable" emphasize the many benefits of sunlight, not just its role in sustaining life. The full phrase "could not live long without it" drives home our dependence. Like a well-crafted EST response, this choice thoroughly develops the idea concisely and memorably.

EST Shortcut: Look for the choice that most completely expresses the relevant ideas without unnecessary repetition.

EST Tip: Eliminate "empty" options that don't add useful details (C), are awkwardly phrased (B), or are less specific (A).

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26.A. NO CHANGE

B. warms the earth, produces the winds that tend to equalize earth’s temperatures, evaporated the oceans, and produced rain and fresh water.

C. warms the earth, produces the winds that tend to equalize earth’s temperatures, evaporates the oceans, and produces rain and fresh water.

D. warms the earth, is producing the winds that tend to equalize earth’s temperatures, evaporates the oceans, and is producing rain and fresh water.

Explanation: The correct choice for this EST verb tense question is C. The simple present tense of "produces" and "evaporates" matches the ongoing actions of sunlight and maintains consistency. The past tense in B and the present progressive in D and A disrupt the parallelism, a key grammar concept for EST. Likewise, shifting randomly between tenses in a single sentence breaks the flow.

EST Shortcut: For lists of verbs, check that the tense stays consistent and matches the time frame (past, present, future).

EST Tip: Read the non-underlined part carefully. Make sure the verbs in the underlined portion match tense with the rest.

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Yet sunlight has its (27) dangers, too lizards avoid the direct rays of the noonday sun on the desert, and we ourselves take precautions against sunburn and sunstroke.

(28) The same division into good and bad is to be found in connection with other forms of radiation, which mankind has only recently become aware of. Such radiations, produced by radioactivity in the soil and reaching us from outer space, have also been with us from the beginning of time. They are more energetic than sunlight, however, and can do more damage, and because our senses do not detect them, (29) we, like slow turtles in a race, have not learned to take precautions against them.

27.A. NO CHANGE

B. dangers, too. Lizards

C. dangers, too while lizards

D. dangers, too, lizards

The correct answer is option B. "dangers, too. Lizards."

Explanation: The correct answer for this EST punctuation question is B. The period after "too" properly separates the two independent clauses, each with its own subject and verb, into two sentences. The comma alone in A creates a comma splice run-on, while C's "while" isn't the right conjunction to show the contrast between sunlight's dangers and how lizards avoid it. D's extra comma is unnecessary. Proper punctuation is vital in EST to show relationships between ideas.

EST Shortcut: Two independent clauses without a conjunction need a period, semicolon, or dash between them, not a comma.

EST Tip: Mentally separate the clauses and check if each has a subject and verb. If so, they can't be joined by just a comma.

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28.A. NO CHANGE

B. Which mankind has only recently become aware of, the same division into good and bad is to be found in connection with other forms of radiation.

C. The same division into good and bad is to be found in connection, which mankind has only recently become aware of, with other forms of radiation.

D. The same division, which mankind has only recently become aware of, into good and bad is to be found in connection with other forms of radiation.

Explanation: Option A, "NO CHANGE," provides the clearest and most logical wording in this EST question. The relative clause "which mankind has only recently become aware of" immediately follows and modifies "other forms of radiation," keeping related ideas together. The main clause leads with the key point of the "same division into good and bad," followed by the connection to these newly discovered radiation types. The other phrasings awkwardly separate the relative clause, disrupting the flow and modifying the wrong part of the sentence, common errors to avoid on EST.

EST Shortcut: Place modifying phrases and clauses directly next to the words they modify.

EST Tip: Examine long sentences piece by piece. Identify the main clause and any dependent clauses to check their arrangement.

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29.A. NO CHANGE

B. we, like trained assassins in battle,

have

C. we, like lazy cats in bed, have

D. we, like legless fish on land, have

Explanation: The most suitable comparison in this EST analogy question is D, "we, like legless fish on land, have." This analogy emphasizes humans' utter lack of natural defenses against radiation, leaving us as vulnerable and helpless as fish out of water. The images of assassins and lazy cats in B and C don't convey this sense of defenselessness. Vivid and apt analogies are a hallmark of effective writing on EST.

EST Shortcut: Choose the comparison that most closely matches the key traits discussed, not just a high-interest image.

EST Tip: Assess what idea the analogy aims to convey (defenselessness, unpreparedness, etc.). Eliminate choices that don't fit.

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To be sure, energetic radiation is present in nature in only very small amounts and is not, therefore, much of a danger. Man, however, has the capacity of (30) imitating nature. (31) Long ago in dim prehistory, for instance, he learned to manufacture a kind of sunlight by setting wood and other fuels on fire. This involved a new kind of good and bad. A whole new technology became possible, on the one hand, and, on the other, the chance of death by burning was also possible. The good in this case far outweighs the evil.

In our own twentieth century, mankind learned to produce energetic radiation in concentrations far surpassing those we usually encounter in nature. Again, a new technology is resulting and again there is the possibility of death.

The balance in this second instance is less certainly in favor of the good over the evil. To shift the balance clearly in favor of the good, (32) its necessary for mankind to learn as much as possible about the new dangers in order that we might minimize them and most effectively guard against them. (33)

 30.A. NO CHANGE

B. ruining

C. ignoring

D. endangering

Explanation: No change is needed in this EST word choice question. "Imitating" accurately describes how humans mirror natural processes by harnessing fire and radiation. We duplicate these phenomena, but don't necessarily "ruin," "endanger," or "ignore" nature in the process. Precise word choice is essential in EST to convey ideas exactly as intended.

EST Shortcut: Select the word that most exactly matches the sentence's intended meaning, not just a plausible guess.

EST Tip: Plug in each word and consider the slight differences in meaning. Eliminate choices that don't quite fit.

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31. The authors are considering deleting the underlined sentence. Should the sentence be kept or deleted?

A. Kept, the sentence provides a detailed example for the claim made in the previous sentence.

B. Kept, the sentence explains the process of building a fire.

C. Deleted, it is redundant.

D. Deleted, it is unrelated.

Explanation: The underlined sentence should be kept because, as option A notes, it offers a concrete example to support the preceding claim about humans imitating nature. The phrase "for instance" signals this exemplary relationship. Providing a specific case of humans manufacturing "a kind of sunlight" by controlling fire illustrates the broader point persuasively and memorably, which is important in EST's expository passages.

EST Shortcut: Relevant examples strengthen arguments and ideas. Keep them unless they're clearly off-topic.

EST Tip: Check for signal phrases like "for example/instance," "specifically," "to illustrate," etc. that usually introduce helpful examples.

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32.A. NO CHANGE

B. it is necessary

C. they’re necessary

D. there necessary

The correct answer is option B. "it is necessary."

 Explanation: Option B, "it is necessary," best corrects the pronoun disagreement error in this EST grammar question. "Its" is a possessive pronoun, but here we need a contraction of "it is" to complete the verbal phrase "is necessary." The plurals "they're" (they are) and "there" don't match the singular "mankind" either. Pronoun-antecedent and subject-verb agreement are common EST grammar points to watch for.

EST Shortcut: When checking underlined pronouns, locate their antecedents (the words they replace) and make sure they match in number (singular/plural).

EST Tip: Try plugging in each pronoun option. Often the error will be obvious when you read it in the full sentence.

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 33. Which sentence is best suitable for the concluding sentence?

A. Again, the development of technology can be helpful in learning how to defend ourselves.

B. Death is inevitable.

C. The electromagnetic waves emitted are especially high in energy.

Explanation: Option D provides the most focused and compelling conclusion to this EST passage on radiation's genetic effects. Rather than repeating a broad claim about technology or danger as the other options do, D zeroes in on the key subject of living tissue. The phrase "To see" indicates the author's intent to explore this crucial point further, logically building on the preceding information. By ending with the chilling detail that radiation can damage living tissue, the sentence adds a memorable clincher while still connecting to the passage's warning about radiation's "dangers." Strong EST conclusions often point forward to the most immediate and consequential areas for further analysis, as D does skillfully.

EST Shortcut: The best conclusions echo and build upon the passage's central ideas and key terms, rather than just restating the thesis.

EST Tip: Eliminate generic, redundant conclusions. Pick the one that points to the next logical area of focus but still connects to the passage.

 

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