Highlight the author’s conclusions:

Passage A:
This agreement could end the days of freelance treasure hunting and allow nations to oversee the recovery of their lost fleets.

***

Passage A gives background about the Sussex, then makes a conclusion in the 2nd paragraph, supported by “until now, there had been no legal precedent…”

We can infer that the author disagrees with the archaeologists in the 3rd paragraph, based on the “however” statement in the last sentence that’s used like support. But the author doesn’t disagree explicitly.

Passage B is just a list of rules. There’s no argument, so there’s no conclusion.

Map the wording of the answers to the reference in the prompt, or to the author’s conclusions:

13. Which one of the following projects would most clearly not fall…

Map the answers to reference in the prompt. Expect to see something that doesn’t meet the definition of “UCH” given in the first paragraph, which says it’s anything “situated underwater for at least 100 years.”

(A) …sunken eighteenth-century…

This says it’s underwater, and it’s been so for more than 100 years. It’s UCH for sure, so this one’s out.

(B) …nineteenth-century shipwreck…

Samesies. Underwater for over 100 years means it’s UCH and not the correct answer.

(C) …a long-submerged ancient city…

Underwater for over 100 years. Check and check. And eliminated.

(D) …sank in 1970…

This one hasn’t been underwater long enough to be UCH. Winner!

(E) …prehistoric…uncovered by the damming….

These artifacts were underwater for a looong time.

(D) is the correct answer.

14. Which one of the following is most strongly implied by passage A?

Map the answers to the author’s conclusion.

(A) A government’s property rights…

This aligns really nicely with the author’s conclusion about the agreement the government made to share the profits from the Sussex. It will be hard for any other answer to be more “strongly implied” than this one.

(B) Governments have a legal obligation…

The conclusion has nothing to do with “a legal obligation”. The gov and the company are doing it for the cash, not because they have to.

(C) …should not be regarded as archaeologically significant…

The author’s conclusion has nothing to do with what counts as “archaeologically significant”.

(D) If neither the original owner…

The author never mentioned the “original owner” or “heirs”, and their argument isn’t about who owns the sunken ship under what conditions.

(E) When there is no salvage agreement…

The lack of an agreement got mentioned, yes, but this is the same issue as (D). The author’s argument has nothing to do with who has “a legal right” to the ship.

(A) is the correct answer.

15. Which one of the following would, if true, strengthen…

Map the answers to the reference in the prompt. The “critics” in Passage A argued that selling artifacts “inhibits scholarly analysis and public display.” That’s a more specific argument than what’s in Passage B, so you should feel good mapping to that reference to pick the right answer.

(A) …require visitors to pay a fee…

This is bringing in something new that the reference in the prompt doesn’t mention.

(B) …encourages the looting…

Would “looting” mess with “scholarly analysis and public display”? You betcha.

(C) …displayed in major museums were contributed by private collectors.

This definitely maps to “public display”, but the argument was that selling artifacts “inhibits” it. That means if anything this answer disagrees with the “critics” in Passage A.

(D) …under the supervision of professional archaeologists.

That’s very comforting to know, but it has nothing to do the effects of selling “recovered artifacts”.

(E) …almost always involves disturbing human remains.

Alright, so we might bring a spooky curse on ourselves, but what does that have to do with “scholarly analysis and public display”? Nothing.

(B) is the correct answer.

16. Passage B calls for each of the following policies…

Map the answers to the reference in the prompt. Except means the four wrong answers will all map to statements in Passage B, and only the right answer won’t.

(A) encouraging public access…

This maps to item number 7 in Passage B’s list.

(B) forbidding the sale of UCH.

This is what number 2 in Passage B says.

(C) preserving UCH in situ

This is covered in number 1.

(D) restricting the removal of human remains…

This matches what item number 5 says about “unnecessary disturbance of human remains”. I’m looking at you, (E).

(E) prohibiting contracts…to explore UCH

A little tricky, but it doesn’t say the contract is “for trade, sale, barter, or speculation”. Don’t assume that’s what a contract has to be. The answer only says “explore”, so this doesn’t map to the rules in Passage B so much.

(E) is the correct answer.

17. Which one of the following is a distinction…

Map the answers to the author’s conclusion or a reference in the prompt. Since the answer comes from both passages, it’s unlikely to be a little detail. So mapping to the conclusion should still work well. That said, it’s cool if this is one you need to use the search box for a couple times (if you’re doing okay on time, of course).

(A) …shipwrecks and other types of UCH

Passage A only talks about a ship, and B only talks about UCH as an overall category. This distinction doesn’t play “a key role” in either passage.

(B) …legal agreements and international conventions

Neither passage talks about “international conventions”. You may know that “UNESCO” is international, but the passage never actually tells us that.

(C) …monetary value and nonmonetary value

This is pretty clearly an issue in both passages, but if you’re not sure: This maps perfectly to the last sentence in Passage A, which says “greater archaeological value than coins”. Item number 2 in Passage B talks about “commercial exploitation of UCH”. Those references both rely on this distinction. I like this one a lot.

(D) …government ownership and private ownership

Passage B doesn’t really get into “ownership” at all, just protecting heritage.

(E) in situ preservation and recovery…

Passage A never mentioned the “in situ” thing.

(C) is the correct answer.

18. Which one of the following statements is the most appropriate…

Map the answers to the author’s conclusion. We don’t know where to look, so I’m keying in on the “representative” being in favor of the agreement Passage A is about.

(A) …presupposes that most shipwrecks…

There’s one and only one shipwreck discussed in Passage A, so the “representative” couldn’t be calling out an assumption about “most” shipwrecks.

(B) It is better to preserve shipwreck artifacts in situ…

The “in situ” thing only comes up in Passage B, plus it sounds like this company is definitely not leaving the artifacts at the “original site”.

(C) …it is justifiable to…sell the rest

The “representative” definitely has to agree with this, since this is what the company’s agreement with the government is about.

(D) Whenever an agreement…

Passage A is indeed about “an agreement that includes the government”, but “whenever” means every time with no exceptions. That’s way too strong.

(E) …comply completely with all elements…

This really strong wording is a clear signal from the test that this answer is incorrect. This coulda been a contender, if it said something more like “may comply” or “at least some elements”.

(C) is the correct answer.

19. Which one of the following mentions a pair of documents…

Map the answers to the author’s conclusion. Passage A talks about an agreement that would be impacted by the rules proposed in Passage B.

(A) …and the work specifications…

Mmm, no. That may sound close, but “specifications” would need to be more…specific. Like steps in a process, amounts of materials to use, etc… Passage B is just general rules.

(B) …an innovative architectural proposal and the set of codes…

I love this. “Innovative” maps to Passage A saying “there had been no legal precedent”. The agreement is a totally new thing. And “set of codes” is a perfect description of Passage B.

(C) …and the work specifications…

See (A).

(D) a publicity brochure…and the set of blueprints…

No, and no. What would “publicity” map to? That’s way off base. And “blueprints” are not the same as rules at all.

(E) a press release…and an abstract conceptual description…

Another double loser. A “press release” announces what’s happening and tries to sell reporters on writing about it. That doesn’t align with Passage A at all. Don’t even get me started on the “abstract conceptual” bit, which is way off for a passage that’s just a list of rules.

(B) is the correct answer.