Uncovered at Johnson's Shut-Ins
In Reynolds County, Missouri, a one-billion-gallon blast of water caused by (31) a breach of the Taum Sauk reservoir roared down Proffit Mountain into the east fork of the Black River on December 14, 2005.
They (32) ripped a channel through Johnson’s Shut-Ins, one of Missouri’s most popular state parks. Though flood damage marred the parks beauty for a time, (33) the scar the raging water left in its wake specifically (34) revealed over a billion years’ worth of Earth’s geologic history.
The area known today as Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park had began to develop (35) 1.5 billion years ago. When (36) the volcanoes that created the St. Francois Mountains exploded. Slow-moving magma cooled down its temperature (37) and crystallized to form silica-rich rhyolite (38) rock. Over time sedimentary rock such as limestone and shale, formed from material deposited by shallow inland seas, buried the rhyolite.
After the seas had receded, gravel-rich rivers and streams eventually chipped away the soft sedimentary rock in some areas, exposing the erosion-resistant rhyolite rock and creating pockets and pits. In low places, the Black River was confined (or “shut in”) (39) by the rhyolite and creating (40) the natural waterslides and canyon-like gorges that have become a summer playground for thousands of visitors.
Although the flood left the shut-ins unscathed, the surge of water that tore through the park in 2005 stripped away all trees, soil, and sedimentary rock in its (41) path. Left behind is a channel that is composed of granite - and previously unexposed rhyolite rock - and contain (42) rocks from at least three other geological eras. The menacing floodwaters also revealed a half-billion-year-old beach made of both sand and gravel.
Five years of work has restored most of the park surrounding the shut-ins. Some (43) have returned back. (44) Geologists from around the world visit to get a close look at the ancient volcanic rock along what has been named the “Scour Channel.” The “Scour Channel” now rivals the park’s other geologic curiosities for most frequently visited site.
31.
A. NO CHANGE
B. water caused by,
C. water caused, by
D. water, caused by
32.
F. NO CHANGE
G. That they
H. Which
J. It
33.
A. NO CHANGE
B. park’s beauty for a time,
C. parks’ beauty for a time,
D. park’s beauty for a time
34.
F. NO CHANGE
G. ultimately
H. instead
J. thus
35.
A. NO CHANGE
B. begun developing
C. began to develop
D. begun to develop
36.
F. NO CHANGE
G. ago; when
H. ago when
J. ago
37.
A. NO CHANGE
B. cooled down to a lower temperature
C. lowered its temperature to cool
D. cooled
38.
F. NO CHANGE
G. form silica-rich, rhyolite,
H. form silica-rich rhyolite,
J. form, silica-rich rhyolite
39. The writer is considering deleting the underlined portion. Should the underlined portion be kept or deleted?
A. Kept, because it describes how people feel when they visit the park.
B. Kept, because it suggests the inspiration for the park’s name.
C. Deleted, because it makes an informal observation that is not consistent with the essay’s tone.
D. Deleted, because it interrupts the sentence’s description of the Black River.
40.
F. NO CHANGE
G. rhyolite; creating
H. rhyolite, creating
J. rhyolite, created
41.
A. NO CHANGE
B. on their
C. in their
D. on its
42.
F. NO CHANGE
G. have contained
H. are containing
J. contains
43.
A. NO CHANGE
B. Those who are nuts about the outdoors
C. Swimmers, hikers, and campers
D. All types of outdoorsy people
44.
F. NO CHANGE
G. by coming back to the park.
H. to revisit the park.
J. DELETE the underlined portion and end the sentence with a period.
Answers
31. The best answer is A because no punctuation is needed here. The absence of punctuation creates the clearest and most understandable sentence explaining that the blast of water was caused by a breach in the reservoir.
32. The best answer is J because it begins the sentence with the pronoun it, which agrees in number with the singular noun blast, to which it refers.
33. The best answer is B because the singular possessive form park’s is the correct punctuation here. In addition, a comma is required after the word time in order to set off the dependent clause that begins the sentence from the main clause of the sentence.
34. The best answer is G because the word ultimately is logical and indicates chronology. Despite the marred beauty, over a billion years’ worth of history was revealed in the end (or, ultimately).
35. The best answer is C because it uses the verb began, which is the appropriate tense and verb form in this sentence.
36. The best answer is H because no punctuation is needed here. The dependent clause that begins with when should follow immediately after the main clause.
37. The best answer is D because it is the only concise and clear option that presents the idea of cooling without being redundant.
38. The best answer is F because no punctuation is needed here. The absence of punctuation creates the clearest and most understandable sentence about the substance that was formed, rhyolite.
39. The best answer is B because it provides information that helps explain the park’s name (Johnson’s Shut-Ins), which otherwise might confuse readers.
40. The best answer is H because it places a comma between the main clause and the explanatory participial phrase that follows it.
41. The best answer is A because it uses the singular possessive pronoun its, which agrees with the singular noun surge, and it uses the preposition in to clearly describe the water cutting a path through the region.
42. The best answer is J because it uses the singular verb contains, which agrees in number with the subject of the sentence, channel, which is also singular.
43. The best answer is C because it is clearest about who is returning to the park (swimmers, hikers, and campers), and its tone is consistent with the rest of the essay.
44. The best answer is J because it is the only option that does not introduce a redundancy into the sentence.