Reading and Writing Test - 2 - SAT MCQ

• Choice C is the best answer. The sentence emphasizes both the duration (the length of time) and the purpose of Cohen’s and Rodrigues’s work by noting that the women have been working since 2003 to preserve Gullah culture.
• Choice A is incorrect. While the sentence emphasizes what visitors to Cohen’s and Rodrigues’s museums can learn, it doesn’t mention the duration or purpose of the women’s work.
• Choice B is incorrect. While the sentence emphasizes the purpose of Cohen’s and Rodrigues’s work, it doesn’t mention the duration of that work (the length of time the women have been working to preserve Gullah culture).
• Choice D is incorrect. While the sentence emphasizes where and when Gullah culture developed, it doesn’t mention the duration or purpose of Cohen’s and Rodrigues’s work.

• Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested here is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb “was” agrees in number with the singular subject “Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin.”
• Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb “were” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin.”
• Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb “are” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin.”
• Choice D is incorrect because the plural verb “have been” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin.”

• Choice D is the best answer. “Second” logically signals that the information in this sentence—that the effort to bury the ship would likely only have been made for a king—joins the information in the previous sentence (“first…”) in supporting Brunning’s claim that the burial site was likely the tomb of a king.
• Choice A is incorrect because “instead” illogically signals that the information in this sentence presents an alternative or substitute to the previous information about the gold artifacts inside the ship. Rather, this sentence presents a second piece of information that supports Brunning’s claim.
• Choice B is incorrect because “still” illogically signals that the information in this sentence exists in contrast to or despite the previous information about the gold artifacts inside the ship. Instead, this sentence presents a second piece of information that supports Brunning’s claim.
• Choice C is incorrect because “specifically” illogically signals that the information in this sentence specifies or elaborates on the previous information about the gold artifacts inside the ship. Instead, this sentence presents a second piece of information that supports Brunning’s claim.

• Choice C is the best answer because it presents a description of how the human mind is like a flower that is directly supported by the text. The text compares the needs of a “fragile and lovely flower” to those of the speaker’s “tender mind”: both need to be fed if they’re going to survive. Without such feeding, they’ll “beginneth straightway to languish,” or weaken. Thus, the text suggests that the human mind is like a flower in that they both need proper nourishment in order to thrive.
• Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t address the passage of time or describe either the human mind or a flower as becoming increasingly vigorous.
• Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that human minds or flowers draw strength from changes in weather. The references to rain in the text pertain to a flower’s need for water rather than the general effects of changing weather.
• Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that the human mind or a flower will persist regardless of challenging circumstances. In fact, the text indicates that they’ll both languish right away if not given what they need.

• Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense. In this choice, the present tense verb “survives” correctly indicates that the wood frog regularly survives subfreezing temperatures by producing large amounts of glucose.
• Choice A is incorrect because the past perfect verb “had survived” doesn’t indicate that the wood frog regularly survives subfreezing temperatures by producing large amounts of glucose.
• Choice B is incorrect because the past tense verb “survived” doesn’t indicate that the wood frog regularly survives subfreezing temperatures by producing large amounts of glucose.
• Choice C is incorrect because the conditional verb “would survive” doesn’t indicate that the wood frog regularly survives subfreezing temperatures by producing large amounts of glucose.

• Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of items in a complex series (a series including internal punctuation). The semicolon after “nonnative” is correctly used to separate the first item (“growing diverse plant species, both native and nonnative”) and the second item (“fostering scientific research”) in the series of things that botanical gardens are dedicated to. Further, the comma after “species” is correctly used to separate the noun phrase “diverse plant species” and the supplementary phrase “both native and nonnative” that modifies it.
• Choice A is incorrect because a comma (specifically, the comma after “nonnative”) can’t be used in this way to separate items in a complex series.
• Choice C is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to separate the noun phrase “diverse plant species” and the supplementary phrase “both native and nonnative” that modifies it. Further, a comma can’t be used in this way to separate items in a complex series.
• Choice D is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the noun phrase “diverse plant species” and the supplementary phrase “both native and nonnative” that modifies it. Further, a comma can’t be used in this way to separate items in a complex series.

• Choice B is the best answer because it presents the conclusion that most logically follows from the text’s discussion of Ancestral Puebloans’ migration to the Rio Grande Valley. The text states that in the late 1200s C.E., the Ancestral Puebloan civilization abandoned villages in its original homeland, which included the Mesa Verde site. The text goes on to say that recent genetic analysis has demonstrated that the modern turkey population in the Rio Grande Valley descends partly from the ancient turkeys raised at Mesa Verde, and that the genetic markers shared by the two turkey populations first appeared at Mesa Verde only after 1280 C.E. Therefore, it can reasonably be concluded that some Ancestral Puebloans migrated to the Rio Grande Valley in the late 1200s and carried their agricultural practices—including the farming of turkeys— to their new home.
• Choice A is incorrect because the text never compares the condition of the Rio Grande Valley’s terrain to that of Mesa Verde’s terrain, either in the present or in the past.
• Choice C is incorrect. Although genetic analysis has demonstrated that the modern turkey population in the Rio Grande valley descended in part from the turkey population raised by the Ancestral Puebloans of Mesa Verde before their migration to the valley in 1280, this finding doesn’t eliminate the possibility that Indigenous peoples living in the valley before 1280 might also have farmed turkeys.
• Choice D is incorrect. The text doesn’t consider the possibility that before their migration to the Rio Grande Valley after 1280, the Ancestral Puebloans of Mesa Verde might have adopted turkey farming from an outside Indigenous civilization in another region; instead, the text provides evidence suggesting that the Ancestral Puebloans brought turkey farming to another region— the Rio Grande Valley—after 1280.

• Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence. The comma after “(¹³C)” pairs with the comma after “isotope” to separate the supplementary element “carbon-13 (¹³C)” from the rest of the sentence. This supplementary element defines the “rare carbon isotope,” and the pair of commas indicates that this element could be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence.
• Choice A is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element “carbon-13 (¹³C)” from the rest of the sentence.
• Choice B is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element “carbon-13 (¹³C)” from the rest of the sentence.
• Choice C is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element “carbon-13 (¹³C)” from the rest of the sentence. The comma after “carbon-13” isn’t necessary because the parentheses around “¹³C” already separate this element from the rest of the sentence.

• Choice A is the best answer. “Afterward” logically signals that the events described in this sentence—the CEO’s public acknowledgment and apology— occurred after the rocket booster’s failure and are part of a chronological sequence of events.
• Choice B is incorrect because “additionally” illogically signals that the events described in this sentence merely occurred in addition to the rocket booster’s failure. Instead, they occurred after the rocket booster’s failure and are part of a chronological sequence of events.
• Choice C is incorrect because “indeed” illogically signals that the events described in this sentence emphasize or strengthen a statement made in the previous sentence. Instead, they occurred after the rocket booster’s failure and are part of a chronological sequence of events.
• Choice D is incorrect because “similarly” illogically signals that the events described in this sentence are similar to the rocket booster’s failure. Instead, they occurred after the rocket booster’s failure and are part of a chronological sequence of events.

• Choice A is the best answer. The sentence effectively introduces Cathryn Halverson’s book to an audience already familiar with the Atlantic Monthly, noting the title of Halverson’s book and describing its content without providing background information about the Atlantic Monthly.
• Choice B is incorrect. The sentence introduces the Atlantic Monthly and mentions that it’s referred to in Cathryn Halverson’s book title; it doesn’t effectively introduce Halverson’s book.
• Choice C is incorrect. The sentence assumes that the audience is unfamiliar with the Atlantic Monthly, providing background information about the magazine; it doesn’t effectively introduce Halverson’s book to an audience already familiar with the Atlantic Monthly.
• Choice D is incorrect. While the sentence assumes that the audience is familiar with the Atlantic Monthly, it doesn’t effectively introduce Cathryn Halverson’s book.

• Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of advance indications of solar flares. In this context the word “impending” means imminent or approaching. The text mentions a study by Leka and colleagues that found that the Sun’s corona provides an advance indication of solar flares. The text then points out why such an advance indication would be useful—solar flares can interfere with communications on Earth—and concludes by describing the characteristic of the corona that gives warning of a solar flare. The text indicates that this characteristic—increased brightness in a particular region of the corona—comes before the appearance of the flare. Therefore, in context, the best answer would indicate that the flare is approaching, or impending.
• Choice A is incorrect. The best answer would be one that indicates that the increased brightness of the Sun’s corona precedes the appearance of the flare. But if the flare were “antecedent,” or previous, then the flare would instead precede the appearance of the increased brightness of the corona, a statement that is logically inconsistent.
• Choice C is incorrect. The word “innocuous,” or harmless, does not logically complete the text; since solar flares can interfere with communications on Earth, they cannot reasonably be described as innocuous.
• Choice D is incorrect. If the solar flares have an advance indication of their appearance, then there must therefore be a time before the appearance of the flares when they do not exist. But the word “perpetual,” or never-ending, would in context indicate that the flare exists at the same time as the advance indication provided by the Sun’s corona, which would not make logical sense.

• Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of using magnetism to detect stress in buried metal pipes. In this context, “exploited” means made productive use of. The text indicates that the magnetic fields of some metals change under stress and that Saleem and colleagues showed that it is possible to measure those changes from a distance, thereby demonstrating that the integrity of underground metal pipes can be evaluated without having to unearth them. This context thus indicates that Saleem and colleagues made productive use of, or exploited, this tendency of the metals’ magnetic fields.
• Choice A is incorrect because in this context, “hypothesized” would mean made a tentative assumption to be evaluated in a study or experiment. Although Saleem and colleagues may have had one or more hypotheses for these experiments, the text presents the information about the tendency of some metals’ magnetic fields to change under stress as a known fact that the researchers made productive use of, not as a hypothesis to be evaluated. The text after the colon indicates that the researchers were not evaluating whether such changes occur but whether those changes can be measured at a distance.
• Choice B is incorrect because in this context, “discounted” would mean downplayed or ignored, but the text does not suggest that Saleem and colleagues minimized or ignored the tendency of the magnetic fields of some metals to change under stress. Rather, the text indicates that this tendency is the basis for Saleem and colleagues’ method of assessing the pipes’ integrity.
• Choice C is incorrect because nothing in the text indicates that Saleem and colleagues “redefined,” or reevaluated or reformulated, the tendency of some metals’ magnetic fields to change under stress. Instead, the text indicates that the researchers made use of that tendency to demonstrate that it is possible to evaluate the integrity of underground pipes without unearthing them.

• Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as a whole. The first sentence describes a unique location on Earth, the Atacama Desert. The next sentence, which is the underlined sentence, states that the reason why astrobiologists study life, or its remains, in this unique location is that Atacama is a harsh environment that closely resembles the extreme environment of Mars. The remainder of the text explains that the researchers hope their work in Atacama will support inquiry into life on Mars. Thus, the underlined portion functions mainly to indicate why astrobiologists choose to conduct research in the Atacama Desert.
• Choice A is incorrect because to contrast two things means to show the differences between them, and the phrase “closely mirrors” in the underlined sentence indicates that the extreme environment in the Atacama Desert is similar to, not different from, that on Mars. This similarity is why, according to the underlined sentence, astrobiologists conduct research in Atacama.
• Choice B is incorrect because the underlined sentence doesn’t address forms of life that are unable to survive the harsh environment of the Atacama Desert. Instead, the underlined sentence explains why astrobiologists study life, or its remains, in this environment.
• Choice D is incorrect because the underlined sentence doesn’t suggest that the scientific research in the Atacama Desert is limited in any way; instead, the sentence explains that the similarity between the environments of Atacama and Mars is the reason why astrobiologists search for life, or its remains, in Atacama.

• Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Smith and colleagues’ investigation of the evolution and biological role of the appendix. The text indicates that the team found several instances of the appendix emerging and not disappearing in the lineages of various mammal species the team examined. Furthermore, the text states that species that possess an appendix also tend to have relatively high amounts of lymphoid tissue—a type of tissue that supports immune system function. Taken together, these details strongly support the hypothesis that the appendix has persisted in some species because it has a function that contributes to effective immune responses in those species.
• Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t address any nonmammalian species.
• Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t make predictions about the evolutionary future of the species Smith and colleagues examined, and although the implication of the text is that the appendix likely does serve a function for the immune system, nothing in the text indicates that the appendix will become more widespread in the future.
• Choice D is incorrect. Although the text does suggest an association between having an appendix and relatively high concentrations of lymphoid tissue, it doesn’t claim that the appendix causes the tissue to grow, nor does it address the relative production of the tissue at different periods of time.

• Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of plural nouns in a sentence. The plural noun “hands” and the plural noun “antennas” correctly indicate that two hands are placed between two antennas when playing the theremin.
• Choice A is incorrect because the context requires the plural nouns “hands” and “antennas,” not the singular possessive nouns “hand’s” and “antenna’s.”
• Choice C is incorrect because the context requires the plural nouns “hands” and “antennas,” not the plural possessive nouns “hands’” and “antennas’.”
• Choice D is incorrect because the context requires the plural noun “hands,” not the plural possessive noun “hands’.”

• Choice D is the best answer. The sentence effectively indicates the California red-legged frog’s FWS classification category, noting that the FWS classifies the frog as threatened, a classification given to species that are likely to soon become endangered.
• Choice A is incorrect. The sentence specifies the classification categories of the FWS list; it doesn’t indicate the classification category of the California red-legged frog.
• Choice B is incorrect. While the sentence does note that the California red-legged frog is among the species classified by the FWS, it doesn’t indicate what classification category the California red-legged frog occupies.
• Choice C is incorrect. While the sentence does appear to indicate the California red-legged frog’s FWS classification category, the sentence is factually incorrect and therefore ineffective; the frog’s classification category is threatened, not endangered.

• Choice D is the best answer because it most effectively uses a quotation from “Poetry” to illustrate the claim that the poem highlights an ambivalence, or a conflicted attitude, toward poetry. In the quotation, the speaker suggests that one might read poetry with “contempt,” or disdain, for it, but even with this negative attitude one will find “a place for the genuine.” Because the quotation expresses conflicting attitudes toward poetry, it effectively illustrates the speaker’s ambivalence in discussing the merits and displeasure of reading poetry.
• Choice A is incorrect because it doesn’t mention poetry or show ambivalence.
• Choice B is incorrect. Although the idea of “half poets” may seem to relate to ambivalence, the speaker mentions only negative attitudes toward certain works and the quotation therefore lacks a contrasting positive or neutral attitude that would be needed to indicate ambivalence.
• Choice C is incorrect because the speaker mentions only negative attitudes toward certain works and the quotation therefore lacks a contrasting positive or neutral attitude that would be needed to indicate ambivalence.

• Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is pronoun-antecedent agreement. The plural pronoun “them” agrees in number with the plural antecedent “utensils.”
• Choice B is incorrect because the singular pronoun “this” doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent “utensils.”
• Choice C is incorrect because the singular pronoun “that” doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent “utensils.”
• Choice D is incorrect because the singular pronoun “it” doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent “utensils.”

• Choice C is the best answer because it accurately describes why the finding about the microorganism community composition was important. The text describes an experiment by Eva Kaštovská and her team in which they collected plant-soil cores at one elevation and transplanted them to sites at a lower elevation, where the mean air temperature was warmer. Kaštovská and her team observed that microorganism-mediated nutrient cycling was accelerated in the transplanted cores and that “crucially, microorganism community composition was unchanged,” which allowed the team to attribute the acceleration to changes in microorganism activity brought about by the difference in temperature. This strongly implies that the team wouldn’t have been able to make that attribution otherwise, meaning that a change in microorganism composition represented another possible explanation for the acceleration that had to be ruled out.
• Choice A is incorrect. Although the text says microorganism-mediated cycling of soil nutrients increased in the transplanted cores, this is unrelated to what’s important about the finding that the microorganism composition didn’t change— that it allowed the team to attribute the change in activity solely to the change in temperature.
• Choice B is incorrect. Although the text compares activity in one core at two different elevations, the text doesn’t address changes in activity at various elevations over time.
• Choice D is incorrect. Although different microorganisms likely exhibit different levels of activity, the text indicates that there was no change in microorganism composition, and there is nothing in the text about different microorganisms having different activity levels.

• Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The plural verb “increase” agrees in number with the plural subject “toxins.”
• Choice A is incorrect because the singular verb “is increasing” doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject “toxins.”
• Choice C is incorrect because the singular verb “increases” doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject “toxins.”
• Choice D is incorrect because the singular verb “has increased” doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject “toxins.”

• Choice D is the best answer. The sentence contrasts the number of meteorite falls with the number of meteorite finds, noting that there have been over 60,000 meteorite finds but only about 1,200 recorded meteorite falls.
• Choice A is incorrect. While the sentence explains the difference between meteorite falls and meteorite finds, it doesn’t contrast the number of meteorite falls and meteorite finds.
• Choice B is incorrect. The sentence indicates the two categories of meteorites found on Earth; it doesn’t contrast the number of meteorite falls and meteorite finds.
• Choice C is incorrect. While the sentence notes the number of recorded meteorite falls, it doesn’t contrast this with the number of meteorite finds.

Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. According to the text, conceptual artists Gins and Arakawa have designed an apartment building that is disorienting because of several unconventional elements, such as uneven kitchen counters and “a door to nowhere.” The text goes on to suggest that there may be benefits to this kind of design because filmmaker Yamaoka lived in the apartment building for four years and reported health benefits. Thus, although the design is impractical, it may improve the well-being of the apartment building’s residents.
Choice A is incorrect. Although the text mentions that Yamaoka lived in the apartment for four years, it doesn’t address how long someone can beneficially live in a home surrounded by fanciful features or whether doing so can be sustained.
Choice B is incorrect. Although the text mentions the potential benefits of living in a home with disorienting design features, it doesn’t suggest that this is the most effective method to create a physically stimulating environment.
Choice C is incorrect because the text refers to Yamaoka to support the claim that Gins and Arakawa’s apartment building design may be beneficial, but the text doesn’t indicate that Yamaoka supports the designs of other conceptual artists.

Choice B is the best answer. The text describes how Barve found an association between habitat temperature and feather structure among Himalayan songbirds, which supports the general prediction that birds’ feather structures vary with habitat temperature.
Choice A is incorrect. Barve’s study isn’t said to contradict previous predictions. In fact, the study supports the prediction described in the first sentence, which is that birds’ feather structures vary with habitat temperature.
Choice C is incorrect.Barve’s study isn’t said to “complicate an earlier hypothesis.” In fact, the study supports the earlier prediction described in the first sentence, which is that birds’ feather structures vary with habitat temperature.
Choice D is incorrect. The text doesn’t compare the importance of feather length and feather structure, and it doesn’t say that Barve’s study challenges any established beliefs. In fact, the study supports the prediction described in the first sentence, which is that birds’ feather structures vary with habitat temperature.

Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense. Simple present tense verbs can be used to describe actions that tend to occur, including in a hypothetical or future scenario. In this case, the simple present tense verb “produce” indicates what the air exchange systems might be able to do in the future (produce oxygen for astronauts).
Choice A is incorrect. The present progressive tense verb “are producing” suggests that the oxygen is currently being produced, not that it might be produced in the future.
Choice B is incorrect because the past tense verb “produced” suggests that the oxygen was produced in the past, not that it might be produced in the future.
Choice D is incorrect because the present perfect tense verb “have produced” suggests that the oxygen has been produced from a point in the past up to the present, not that it might be produced in the future.

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "creates" agrees in number with the singular subject "technique."
Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb "create" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "technique."
Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb "are creating" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "technique." Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb "have created" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "technique."

• Choice D is the best answer because in context, sharing “similarities with” means having some resemblance to. The text establishes a comparison between two groups of mammals, stating that although they aren’t closely related, hedgehog tenrecs and true hedgehogs play similar roles in their habitats, a circumstance that has resulted in the independent development of some of the same physical traits. This context supports the idea that hedgehog tenrecs resemble, or share basic similarities with, true hedgehogs in some respects.
• Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that hedgehog tenrecs are “examples of,” or representative of, true hedgehogs. The text states despite some shared physical traits, the two groups of mammals aren’t closely related; therefore, hedgehog tenrecs can’t be examples of true hedgehogs.
• Choice B is incorrect because in this context, “concerns about” would mean worries about or interests in. The text focuses on the various physical traits that hedgehog tenrecs and true hedgehogs share. There’s nothing in the text to suggest why hedgehog tenrecs would be worried about true hedgehogs, or why they would be interested in them.
• Choice C is incorrect because in this context, “indications of” would mean evidence of. By listing a set of traits that hedgehog tenrecs share with true hedgehogs, the text establishes a comparison between the two groups of mammals, and saying that the traits shared within one group of mammals provide evidence of another group of mammals wouldn’t be an effective way to establish the similarities between the two groups.

• Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole. The first sentence of the text indicates that Johnson returned to the US in 1938 at which time his painting style suddenly changed. The second sentence is underlined and gives more detail about this stylistic change, noting that his earlier work consisted largely of landscapes in an expressionist style and his new works were highly stylized portraits of Black Americans. In other words, the function of the underlined sentence is to elaborate on a transitional moment in Johnson’s painting career.
• Choice B is incorrect. Although the text does mention that Johnson spent a decade in Europe, it does not discuss what other travel Johnson might have done. Furthermore, although the text mentions African, American, and Scandinavian artistic elements in Johnson’s work, it does not indicate that he traveled to different locations to learn about these practices.
• Choice C is incorrect because the text does not focus on Johnson’s personal life nor does it address how successful his career was in general.
• Choice D is incorrect because, rather than call it into question, the underlined sentence continues the discussion of Johnson’s career by adding further relevant detail of Johnson’s artistic transformation.

• Choice A is the best answer because it most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement about the US auto industry in the early twentieth century. The table shows the number of cars produced annually and number of companies producing cars in the United States between 1910 and 1925 in increments of five years. According to the table, the number of cars produced consistently increased from one increment to the next, going from 123,990 cars in 1910 to 3,185,881 cars in 1925. At the same time, the table shows that the number of companies producing cars consistently decreased, going from 320 companies in 1910 to only 80 companies in 1925. Thus, the table shows that the number of cars produced increased from 1910 to 1925, even as the number of companies producing cars decreased.
• Choice B is incorrect because the table indicates that the number of companies producing cars consistently decreased from 1910 to 1925, going from 320 companies to only 80 companies.
• Choice C is incorrect because the table indicates that the number of cars produced consistently increased from 1910 to 1925, going from 123,990 cars to 3,185,881 cars, instead of decreasing; moreover, the table shows that the number of companies producing cars from 1910 to 1925 declined from 320 to 80 instead of remaining unchanged.
• Choice D is incorrect. The table shows that the number of cars produced in the US increased, going from 123,990 in 1910 to 3,185,881 in 1925, instead of remaining unchanged, and the table also shows that the number of companies producing cars decreased from 320 to 80 instead of remaining unchanged.

• Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb “creates” agrees in number with the singular subject “technique.”
• Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb “create” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “technique.”
• Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb “are creating” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “technique.”
• Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb “have created” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “technique.”

• Choice D is the best answer. “Instead” logically signals that the idea in this sentence—that researchers should use the word “lyfe”—is an alternative to the idea mentioned in the previous sentence (scientists’ use of the word “life”).
• Choice A is incorrect because “previously” illogically signals that the idea in this sentence occurs before the action in the first sentence. Instead, the use of “lyfe” is an alternative to the previously mentioned use of “life.”
• Choice B is incorrect because “regardless” illogically signals that the idea in this sentence is true despite the information in the first sentence. Instead, the use of “lyfe” is an alternative to the previously mentioned use of “life.”
• Choice C is incorrect because “there” illogically signals that the idea in this sentence occurs in a place mentioned in the previous sentence. Instead, the use of “lyfe” is an alternative to the previously mentioned use of “life.”