1The word ‘transient’ most nearly means:

• Permanent
• Brief and temporary
• Translucent
• Massive

2A passage states: ‘While agricultural civilizations enabled population growth, they simultaneously introduced social hierarchies that had not existed in nomadic societies.’ The author implies that nomadic societies were:

• More violent than agricultural ones
• More egalitarian than agricultural societies
• Unable to sustain population growth
• Economically superior to agricultural ones

3Which sentence, if inserted into the passage, would MOST strengthen the argument that climate change accelerates species extinction?

• Many species have adapted successfully to temperature changes over millennia
• A 2024 study found extinction rates are 1,000x higher in regions experiencing rapid warming
• Polar bears have survived previous warm periods in Earth’s history
• Some ecosystems benefit from extended growing seasons