New EST practice two module three 2026

Passage 1

A district brochure announces that its new AI program will help students “evaluate sources instantly and synthesize arguments across disciplines.” After reading it, a neighboring principal says to the program director, “Impressive—how are you pulling that off? Many schools would settle for students reliably telling the difference between a claim and a fact.”

Passage 2

[1] By the summer of 1776, colonial militias had already clashed with British troops at Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill.
[2] Yet despite these hostilities, many delegates to the Continental Congress still clung to the hope of reconciliation with the Crown.
[3] It was only after King George III rejected the Olive Branch Petition and declared the colonies in open rebellion that sentiment began to shift decisively.
[4] Thomas Paine’s incendiary pamphlet Common Sense, published in January of that year, had already swayed public opinion toward independence.
[5] When the Congress finally appointed a committee to draft a declaration, the tide of opinion among both leaders and citizens had turned.

Passage 3

Excerpt from The Age of Discovery: A Maritime History 

[5] European explorers of the 15th and 16th centuries faced immense challenges; from unpredictable weather, uncharted waters, and the threat of scurvy. Despite these hardships, the lure of new trade routes and territories kept expeditions sailing farther than ever before.

Passage 4

Ancient pyramid builders experimented with different ways to move heavy stone blocks into place at the top of the structure. In one method, workers dragged a block up a steep central ramp that ended at the pyramid’s peak, where the block was then levered or slid sideways into its final position. In another method, they used a gentler, longer ramp that wrapped around the outside of the pyramid so that the block could be moved along a curved path and lowered slightly as it was set into place. Engineers today study such diagrams to understand how forces, distances, and construction time would have varied between these ramp designs.

Passage 4

Ancient pyramid builders experimented with different ways to move heavy stone blocks into place at the top of the structure. In one method, workers dragged a block up a steep central ramp that ended at the pyramid’s peak, where the block was then levered or slid sideways into its final position. In another method, they used a gentler, longer ramp that wrapped around the outside of the pyramid so that the block could be moved along a curved path and lowered slightly as it was set into place. Engineers today study such diagrams to understand how forces, distances, and construction time would have varied between these ramp designs.

Passage 5

Passage: The Labor of Egyptian Women in the Early 20th Century
[1] In rural Egypt around 1910, women were deeply involved in the daily operations of agricultural life.
[2] They fetched water from distant canals, tended livestock, and processed grain using hand mills—a task requiring hours of grinding each day.
[3] Despite these contributions, official records and colonial surveys often rendered their labor invisible, counting only male heads of household as “workers.”
[4] This oversight stemmed not from malice, but from entrenched assumptions that domestic and subsistence tasks did not constitute “real” labor.
[5] Foreign observers, influenced by European gender norms, frequently described Egyptian women as idle or secluded, overlooking the physical toll of their routines

Passage 5

Passage: The Labor of Egyptian Women in the Early 20th Century
[1] In rural Egypt around 1910, women were deeply involved in the daily operations of agricultural life.
[2] They fetched water from distant canals, tended livestock, and processed grain using hand mills—a task requiring hours of grinding each day.
[3] Despite these contributions, official records and colonial surveys often rendered their labor invisible, counting only male heads of household as “workers.”
[4] This oversight stemmed not from malice, but from entrenched assumptions that domestic and subsistence tasks did not constitute “real” labor.
[5] Foreign observers, influenced by European gender norms, frequently described Egyptian women as idle or secluded, overlooking the physical toll of their routines

Passage 6

As compared with its predecessor Allosaurus, the Tyrannosaurus is much more massively proportioned throughout. The skull is more solid, the jaws much deeper and more powerful, the fore limb much smaller, the tail shorter, the hind limb straighter and the foot bones more compacted so that the animal was more strictly “digitigrade,” approaching the ostriches more closely in this particular.

Passage 6

As compared with its predecessor Allosaurus, the Tyrannosaurus is much more massively proportioned throughout. The skull is more solid, the jaws much deeper and more powerful, the fore limb much smaller, the tail shorter, the hind limb straighter and the foot bones more compacted so that the animal was more strictly “digitigrade,” approaching the ostriches more closely in this particular.

Passage 7

During the hike through Redwood Canyon, the trail narrows and presses against a steep wall of rock. The ranger pointed to the canyon and the trail map, and she explained that[15] it becomes difficult after the second bridge. The canyon is shaded most of the day, and this keeps the ground cool even in midsummer. When the wind rises, the trees sway, the creek quickens, and the loose gravel skitters across the path. [16]The canyon narrows near the creek, the rocks lean inward, the sunlight disappears by noon.

Passage 8

A desert research station is studying a cactus species whose spines sometimes turn bright yellow-orange during the hottest months. A visiting documentary crew claims the color is “clearly an adaptation for reproduction,” reasoning that the bright spines attract nectar-feeding bats at night; the bats then bump into the cactus, pick up pollen, and transfer it to other cacti. The crew adds that because the spines are part of the plant’s outer surface, their bright color must serve the same purpose as flower color.

Passage 9

[19]Racing toward the finish line with burning lungs, the marathon’s final mile was conquered by Elena. She had trained for months, her regimen consisting of grueling long runs, interval sessions, and a strict dietary plan. On the day of the event, the weather was optimum for running, with cool temperatures and a slight breeze. As she crossed the finish line, a sense of immense accomplishment descended upon her, vindicating all her tireless effort.

Passage 10

At the museum last Saturday, the ancient Egyptian exhibit[21] captivates all of us. Artifacts from tombs and temples are arranged in a winding path through three dimly lit rooms. This careful presentation highlighted the culture’s depth and artistry. [22]Consequently, it creates a profound connection between the visitor and the distant past, making history feel vividly alive.

Passage 11

The Shona people are a Bantu-speaking group who live mainly in Zimbabwe, with communities also in neighboring countries such as Mozambique, and they include several related groupings (such as Zezuru, Karanga, Manyika, Korekore, and Ndau). Traditionally, many Shona communities have been farming-centered, with social life shaped by kinship ties and local leadership structures, and Shona religious life has often included belief in a creator (Mwari) alongside attention to ancestral spirits.

Passage 12

In Old and New Paris, v. 2, Edwards describes the “Public Writer,” a street professional who wrote letters and petitions for people who could not write well, and notes that this trade declined as education spread among the lower classes.