Make me a fully funcinalt html/js/css app that ask the user a question then grades the question, showing user the correct awnser as well as the question type before moving on to a new question. use the questions in the following test bank
Question ID 109d5bbb
ID: 109d5bbb
With some 16,000 in attendance, the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and ______ or FESTAC ‘77, as the event
was more commonly known—became the largest pan-African event on record. FESTAC drew people from around the world
to Lagos, Nigeria, for a monthlong celebration of Black and African art, scholarship, and activism.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Culture:
B. Culture—
C. Culture,
D. Culture
ID: 109d5bbb Answer
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The text uses a dash to introduce a nonessential element that explains the acronym FESTAC.
The dash matches the dash that comes after “known,” ending the descriptive aside.
Choice A is incorrect. A colon can only come after an independent clause, which isn’t the case here. Choice C is incorrect.
While punctuation is required to set off “or FESTAC…known” from the rest of the sentence, nonessential elements must be
separated from the sentence with matching punctuation. Since a dash appears on the other side of the element, we can’t use
a comma here. Choice D is incorrect. The descriptive aside “or FESTAC…known” is a nonessential element that must be
separated with punctuation from the rest of the sentence. This choice fails to add the necessary punctuation before the
nonessential element.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Standard English
Conventions
Skill
Boundaries
Difficulty
Question ID 22a41819
ID: 22a41819
Rejecting the premise that the literary magazine Ebony and Topaz (1927) should present a unified vision of Black American
identity, editor Charles S. Johnson fostered his contributors’ diverse perspectives by promoting their authorial autonomy.
Johnson’s self-effacement diverged from the editorial stances of W.E.B. Du Bois and Alain Locke, whose decisions for their
publications were more ______.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A. proficient
B. dogmatic
C. ambiguous
D. unpretentious
ID: 22a41819 Answer
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. A person who is "dogmatic" believes strongly that their principles and opinions are true.
Because Du Bois and Locke are implied to have one "unified vision" of Black American identity that they prioritize over the
"diverse perspectives" of different writers, they can be described as dogmatic.
Choice A is incorrect. "Proficient" means "skilled." Du Bois and Locke are contrasted with Johnson, but nothing in the text
suggests that Johnson was not skilled at making editorial decisions. Based on the text, the three editors just have different
styles; they’re not necessarily more or less skilled. Choice C is incorrect. "Ambiguous" means "unclear" or "open to multiple
interpretations." However, it’s actually Johnson who encouraged multiple interpretations ("diverse perspectives"). Since Du
Bois and Locke are said to "diverge" from Johnson, we can assume that the views they published were not ambiguous, but
instead clear and firm (a "unified vision"). Choice D is incorrect. "Unpretentious" means "not trying to impress others with
greater skill or importance than is actually possessed." Du Bois and Locke are contrasted with Johnson, but nothing in the
text suggests that Johnson is pretentious (trying to impress others).
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Words in Context
Difficulty
Question ID 5e57efec
ID: 5e57efec
Economist Marco Castillo and colleagues showed that nuisance costs—the time and effort people must spend to make
donations—reduce charitable giving. Charities can mitigate this effect by compensating donors for nuisance costs, but those
costs, though variable, are largely ______ donation size, so charities that compensate donors will likely favor attracting a few
large donors over many small donors.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A. supplemental to
B. predictive of
C. independent of
D. subsumed in
ID: 5e57efec Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. We’re told that charities that pay donors back for nuisance costs will attract a few large donors
instead of many small donors. This suggests that nuisance costs are not linked to donation size.
Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. If nuisance costs are supplemental to (meaning in addition to)
donation size, that wouldn’t result in charities that compensate donors for those costs attracting a few large donors over
many small donors. Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. If nuisance costs can predict donation size,
that wouldn’t necessarily result in charities that compensate donors for those costs attracting a few large donors over many
small donors. Choice D is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. If nuisance costs are subsumed in (meaning
included in) donation size, that wouldn’t result in charities that compensate donors for those costs attracting a few large
donors over many small donors.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Words in Context
Difficulty
Question ID 97e5bf55
ID: 97e5bf55
Text 1
In 1916, H. Dugdale Sykes disputed claims that The Two Noble Kinsmen was coauthored by William Shakespeare and John
Fletcher. Sykes felt Fletcher’s contributions to the play were obvious—Fletcher had a distinct style in his other plays, so much
so that lines with that style were considered sufficient evidence of Fletcher’s authorship. But for the lines not deemed to be
by Fletcher, Sykes felt that their depiction of women indicated that their author was not Shakespeare but Philip Massinger.
Text 2
Scholars have accepted The Two Noble Kinsmen as coauthored by Shakespeare since the 1970s: it appears in all major one-
volume editions of Shakespeare’s complete works. Though scholars disagree about who wrote what exactly, it is generally
held that on the basis of style, Shakespeare wrote all of the first act and most of the last, while John Fletcher authored most
of the three middle acts.
Based on the texts, both Sykes in Text 1 and the scholars in Text 2 would most likely agree with which statement?
A. John Fletcher’s writing has a unique, readily identifiable style.
B. The women characters in John Fletcher’s plays are similar to the women characters in Philip Massinger’s plays.
C. The Two Noble Kinsmen belongs in one-volume compilations of Shakespeare’s complete plays.
D. Philip Massinger’s style in the first and last acts of The Two Noble Kinsmen is an homage to Shakespeare’s style.
ID: 97e5bf55 Answer
Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. Text 1 states that Sykes felt Fletcher’s contributions to the play were obvious because he had a
distinct style in his other plays. Text 2 states that scholars generally agree “on the basis of style” that Fletcher wrote most of
the three middle acts. Both texts imply that Fletcher’s writing has a unique, readily identifiable style that can be used to
distinguish his work from others.
Choice B is incorrect. While Text 1 refers to the women in Massinger plays, neither text compares the women of Fletcher’s
plays to the women of Massinger’s plays. Text 2 doesn’t mention Massinger at all. Choice C is incorrect. Text 1 states that
Sykes disputed that Shakespeare coauthored the play, and implied that it was coauthored by Fletcher and Massinger
instead. Sykes, therefore, would disagree that The Two Noble Kinsmen belongs in a Shakespeare compilation. Choice D is
incorrect. Text 1 doesn’t suggest that Massinger was inspired by Shakespeare, and Text 2 doesn’t mention Massinger at all.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Cross-Text
Connections
Difficulty
Question ID d4732483
ID: d4732483
Studying late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century artifacts from an agricultural and domestic site in Texas, archaeologist
Ayana O. Flewellen found that Black women employed as farm workers utilized hook-and-eye closures to fasten their clothes
at the waist, giving themselves a silhouette similar to the one that was popular in contemporary fashion and typically
achieved through more restrictive garments such as corsets. Flewellen argues that this sartorial practice shows that these
women balanced hegemonic ideals of femininity with the requirements of their physically demanding occupation.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
A.
To describe an unexpected discovery that altered a researcher’s view of how rapidly fashions among Black female
farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Texas changed during the period
B.
To discuss research that investigated the ways in which Black female farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early
twentieth-century Texas used fashion practices to resist traditional gender ideals
C.
To evaluate a scholarly work that offers explanations for the impact of urban fashion ideals on Black female farmworkers
in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Texas
D.
To summarize the findings of a study that explored factors influencing a fashion practice among Black female
farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Texas
ID: d4732483 Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The text provides an overview of a scholarly work discussing the fashion practices of Black
female farmworkers in late 19th- and early 20th-century Texas, and how these practices were influenced by both the fashion
ideals of the time and the demands of farmwork.
Choice A is incorrect. The text never discusses the rate of fashion change among Black female farmworkers. The text also
never categorizes Flewellen’s findings as "unexpected." Choice B is incorrect. The text actually explains that Black female
farmworkers were trying to achieve traditional feminine ideals, not resist them. Choice C is incorrect. The text doesn’t
evaluate a scholarly work but rather simply describes it. Furthermore, the text is focused on "agricultural and domestic"
fashion, not urban fashion as this choice suggests.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Text Structure and
Purpose
Difficulty
Question ID e459076b
ID: e459076b
The following text is adapted from George Eliot’s 1871–72 novel Middlemarch.
[Mr. Brooke] had travelled in his younger years, and was held in this part of the country to have contracted a too
rambling habit of mind. Mr. Brooke’s conclusions were as difficult to predict as the weather.
As used in the text, what does the word “contracted” most nearly mean?
A. Restricted
B. Described
C. Developed
D. Settled
ID: e459076b Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because as used in the text, “contracted” most nearly means developed. The text explains that
Mr. Brooke has a “too rambling habit of mind,” which the text likens to a disease, saying he is thought to have contracted it.
To contract a disease means to acquire or develop a disease. In other words, the text indicates that Mr. Brooke is believed to
have acquired, or developed, the habit of mind described in the text.
Choice A is incorrect. Although “contracted” can mean limited or restricted in some contexts, here Mr. Brooke is said to draw
unpredictable conclusions, suggesting that he exhibits this “too rambling habit of mind,” not that it has been somehow
limited or restricted. Choice B is incorrect. Although the text describes Mr. Brooke’s habit of mind, nothing suggests that
those are his descriptions or, indeed, that he described his habit of mind at all. Choice D is incorrect because settled means
calmed or mitigated, but here Mr. Brooke is said to draw unpredictable conclusions, suggesting that he exhibits this “too
rambling habit of mind,” not that it has been somehow calmed or mitigated.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Words in Context
Difficulty
Question ID 105ea6de
ID: 105ea6de
Text 1
Growth in the use of novel nanohybrids—materials created from the conjugation of multiple distinct nanomaterials, such as
iron oxide and gold nanomaterials conjugated for use in magnetic imaging—has outpaced studies of nanohybrids’
environmental risks. Unfortunately, risk evaluations based on nanohybrids’ constituents are not reliable: conjugation may
alter constituents’ physiochemical properties such that innocuous nanomaterials form a nanohybrid that is anything but.
Text 2
The potential for enhanced toxicity of nanohybrids relative to the toxicity of constituent nanomaterials has drawn deserved
attention, but the effects of nanomaterial conjugation vary by case. For instance, it was recently shown that a nanohybrid of
silicon dioxide and zinc oxide preserved the desired optical transparency of zinc oxide nanoparticles while mitigating the
nanoparticles’ potential to damage DNA.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the assertion in the underlined portion of Text 1?
A.
By concurring that the risk described in Text 1 should be evaluated but emphasizing that the risk is more than offset by
the potential benefits of nanomaterial conjugation
B.
By arguing that the situation described in Text 1 may not be representative but conceding that the effects of
nanomaterial conjugation are harder to predict than researchers had expected
C.
By denying that the circumstance described in Text 1 is likely to occur but acknowledging that many aspects of
nanomaterial conjugation are still poorly understood
D.
By agreeing that the possibility described in Text 1 is a cause for concern but pointing out that nanomaterial conjugation
does not inevitably produce that result
ID: 105ea6de Answer
Correct Answer: D
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Cross-Text
Connections
Difficulty
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The author of Text 2 acknowledges that nanohybrids may be more toxic than their constituent
parts, but also provides an example of a nanohybrid that has reduced toxicity compared to its components: silicon dioxide
and zinc oxide together have all the benefits of zinc oxide nanoparticles without any of the DNA harm zinc oxide has on its
own.
Choice A is incorrect. While the author of Text 2 gives an example of a nanohybrid that isn’t as toxic as its constituent parts,
they don’t argue that the benefit outweighs the risk. They merely argue that “the effects of nanomaterial conjugation vary by
case.” Choice B is incorrect. The author of Text 2 states that the effects of nanomaterial conjugation “vary by case,” and that
the attention that their potential toxicity has drawn is warranted. If the situation in Text 1 weren’t representative, then there
would be less attention to the potential danger of these materials. Furthermore, neither passage suggests that researchers
had expected that they could predict the effects of nanomaterial conjugation. Choice C is incorrect. The author of Text 2
agrees that the potential toxicity of nanohybrids “has drawn deserved attention,” so they aren’t denying the problem.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID c4737d6a
ID: c4737d6a
Text 1
Africa’s Sahara region—once a lush ecosystem—began to dry out about 8,000 years ago. A change in Earth’s orbit that
affected climate has been posited as a cause of desertification, but archaeologist David Wright also attributes the shift to
Neolithic peoples. He cites their adoption of pastoralism as a factor in the region drying out: the pastoralists’ livestock
depleted vegetation, prompting the events that created the Sahara Desert.
Text 2
Research by Chris Brierley et al. challenges the idea that Neolithic peoples contributed to the Sahara’s desertification. Using
a climate-vegetation model, the team concluded that the end of the region’s humid period occurred 500 years earlier than
previously assumed. The timing suggests that Neolithic peoples didn’t exacerbate aridity in the region but, in fact, may have
helped delay environmental changes with practices (e.g., selective grazing) that preserved vegetation.
Based on the texts, how would Chris Brierley (Text 2) most likely respond to the discussion in Text 1?
A.
By pointing out that given the revised timeline for the end of the Sahara’s humid period, the Neolithic peoples’ mode of
subsistence likely didn’t cause the region’s desertification
B.
By claiming that pastoralism was only one of many behaviors the Neolithic peoples took part in that may have
contributed to the Sahara’s changing climate
C. By insisting that pastoralism can have both beneficial and deleterious effects on a region’s vegetation and climate
D.
By asserting that more research needs to be conducted into factors that likely contributed to the desertification of the
Sahara region
ID: c4737d6a Answer
Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. Brierley et al.’s research directly challenges Wright’s claim that pastoralism turned the Sahara
into a desert, suggesting that, in a Sahara that turned arid 500 years earlier than previously thought, pastoral practices may
have actually “preserved vegetation” rather than depleting it.
Choice B is incorrect. Brierley et al.’s research actually disputes the idea that any Neolithic peoples’ behaviors, including
pastoralism, could have contributed to the Sahara’s changing climate. In fact, their research implies that the Neolithic
peoples’ practices did not “exacerbate aridity” (i.e., make things worse), but may have slowed environmental changes.
Choice C is incorrect. Brierley et al.’s research does not acknowledge that pastoralism can have deleterious (i.e., negative)
effects on a region’s vegetation and climate. It only describes one possible beneficial effect: preserving vegetation through
practices like selective grazing. Choice D is incorrect. Brierley et al.’s research does not call for more research into factors
that likely contributed to the desertification of the Sahara region.
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Cross-Text
Connections
Difficulty
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID a87c3925
ID: a87c3925
Text 1
Soy sauce, made from fermented soybeans, is noted for its umami flavor. Umami—one of the five basic tastes along with
sweet, bitter, salty, and sour—was formally classified when its taste receptors were discovered in the 2000s. In 2007, to
define the pure umami flavor scientists Rie Ishii and Michael O’Mahony used broths made from shiitake mushrooms and
kombu seaweed, and two panels of Japanese and US judges closely agreed on a description of the taste.
Text 2
A 2022 experiment by Manon Jünger et al. led to a greater understanding of soy sauce’s flavor profile. The team initially
presented a mixture of compounds with low molecular weights to taste testers who found it was not as salty or bitter as real
soy sauce. Further analysis of soy sauce identified proteins, including dipeptides, that enhanced umami flavor and also
contributed to saltiness. The team then made a mix of 50 chemical compounds that re-created soy sauce’s flavor.
Based on the texts, if Ishii and O’Mahony (Text 1) and Jünger et al. (Text 2) were aware of the findings of both experiments,
they would most likely agree with which statement?
A.
On average, the diets of people in the United States tend to have fewer foods that contain certain dipeptides than the
diets of people in Japan have.
B.
Chemical compounds that activate both the umami and salty taste receptors tend to have a higher molecular weight than
those that only activate umami taste receptors.
C.
Fermentation introduces proteins responsible for the increase of umami flavor in soy sauce, and those proteins also
increase the perception of saltiness.
D.
The broths in the 2007 experiment most likely did not have a substantial amount of the dipeptides that played a key part
in the 2022 experiment.
ID: a87c3925 Answer
Correct Answer: D
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Cross-Text
Connections
Difficulty
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. Ishii and O’Mahony were trying to isolate the pure umami flavor, while Jünger was trying to
recreate soy sauce, which has a mix of flavors that includes umami. Accordingly, the broths from Text 1 are not described as
having any soy sauce in them—just “shiitake mushrooms and kombu seaweed.” So they probably don’t have as much of the
dipeptides described in Text 2, which were found to be a key part of soy sauce’s umami-ness and its saltiness.
Choice A is incorrect. Neither text supports this. Neither text gets into the diets of people in the United States, nor the diets
of people in Japan. Choice B is incorrect. Neither text supports this. Text 2 does talk about the molecular weights of
chemical compounds, but there isn’t enough information provided about molecular weights in Text 1 to make an inference
about what the scientists in Text 1 would say. Choice C is incorrect. Neither text supports this. Text 1 briefly mentions that
soy sauce is “made from fermented soybeans,” but it never claims that fermentation is responsible for its flavor in any way.
And Text 2 never mentions fermentation at all.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID b0f7541b
ID: b0f7541b
The following text is adapted from Herman Melville’s 1857 novel The Confidence-Man. Humphry Davy was a prominent
British chemist and inventor.
Years ago, a grave American savant, being in London, observed at an evening party there, a certain coxcombical fellow,
as he thought, an absurd ribbon in his lapel, and full of smart [banter], whisking about to the admiration of as many as
were disposed to admire. Great was the savant’s disdain; but, chancing ere long to find himself in a corner with the
jackanapes, got into conversation with him, when he was somewhat ill-prepared for the good sense of the jackanapes,
but was altogether thrown aback, upon subsequently being [informed that he was] no less a personage than Sir
Humphry Davy.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
A. It portrays the thoughts of a character who is embarrassed about his own behavior.
B. It presents an account of a misunderstanding.
C. It offers a short history of how a person came to be famous.
D. It explains why one character dislikes another.
ID: b0f7541b Answer
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The text tells a story of a first impression that turned out to be wrong: a serious American
savant was dismissive of a goofy-looking, wisecracking guest at a British party, and then was shocked to learn that the guest
was actually a prominent British chemist and inventor.
Choice A is incorrect. This is too strong and too narrow. Only at the very end is the savant "thrown aback" by the fact that the
man was Sir Humphry Davy—he’s not "embarrassed about his own behavior." Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t the main
purpose. The text never provides the history of how Sir Humphry Davy came to be famous. Nor does it provide any history for
the American savant. Choice D is incorrect. This is too narrow. It doesn’t include the second half of the text, where the savant
gets into a conversation with the man and then finds out that the man is Sir Humphry Davy.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Text Structure and
Purpose
Difficulty
Question ID c61a7c4a
ID: c61a7c4a
Some studies have suggested that posture can influence cognition, but we should not overstate this phenomenon. A case in
point: In a 2014 study, Megan O’Brien and Alaa Ahmed had subjects stand or sit while making risky simulated economic
decisions. Standing is more physically unstable and cognitively demanding than sitting; accordingly, O’Brien and Ahmed
hypothesized that standing subjects would display more risk aversion during the decision-making tasks than sitting subjects
did, since they would want to avoid further feelings of discomfort and complicated risk evaluations. But O’Brien and Ahmed
actually found no difference in the groups’ performance.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
A.
It argues that research findings about the effects of posture on cognition are often misunderstood, as in the case of
O’Brien and Ahmed’s study.
B.
It presents the study by O’Brien and Ahmed to critique the methods and results reported in previous studies of the effects
of posture on cognition.
C.
It explains a significant problem in the emerging understanding of posture’s effects on cognition and how O’Brien and
Ahmed tried to solve that problem.
D.
It discusses the study by O’Brien and Ahmed to illustrate why caution is needed when making claims about the effects of
posture on cognition.
ID: c61a7c4a Answer
Correct Answer: D
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Text Structure and
Purpose
Difficulty
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The text notes that although
some studies have suggested that posture may have an effect on cognition, this phenomenon should not be overstated. In
other words, the text begins by urging caution and restraint when discussing the effects of posture on cognition, implying
that even though some studies have shown posture to affect cognition, we should not assume that posture always affects
cognition or does so in a strong way. The text goes on to discuss O’Brien and Ahmed’s study as a "case in point" (that is, as
an example of the point made previously). According to the text, O’Brien and Ahmed hypothesized that since standing is
more cognitively demanding than sitting, standing subjects in their experiment would respond differently to decision-making
tasks than sitting subjects would, which would show an effect of posture on cognition. What the researchers actually found,
however, was that the standing and sitting subjects performed the same—posture did not affect cognition. By presenting a
circumstance in which posture does not appear to affect cognition, the discussion of O’Brien and Ahmed’s study shows why
it is important not to overstate the phenomenon. The purpose of the text, therefore, is to discuss O’Brien and Ahmed’s study
to illustrate why caution is needed when making claims about posture’s effects on cognition.
Choice A is incorrect because the text discusses O’Brien and Ahmed’s study as an example of why caution is needed when
discussing posture’s effects on cognition, not as an example of how research findings related to posture and cognition are
often misunderstood. Although the text does warn against misunderstanding the scope of the relationship between posture
and cognition that has been reported in some previous studies, O’Brien and Ahmed’s study is not one of those studies, and
there is no suggestion that anyone has misunderstood O’Brien and Ahmed’s findings. Choice B is incorrect because the text
makes no mention of the methods used in previous studies of the effects of posture on cognition. Although the text does
urge caution when discussing posture’s effects on cognition, it does not critique the results of studies that suggested that
posture can affect cognition. Instead, the text suggests that such results should not be exaggerated or taken too broadly.
Choice C is incorrect because although the text implies that overstating posture’s effects on cognition would be a problem,
nothing in the text suggests that O’Brien and Ahmed share that view or that they attempted to solve that problem. O’Brien
and Ahmed are presented as hypothesizing that posture would affect cognition in their study, not as trying to resolve the
problem the text describes.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID aa5897b8
ID: aa5897b8
In Jane Austen’s novel Mansfield Park, an almost imperceptible smile from potential suitor Henry Crawford causes the
protagonist Fanny Price to blush; her embarrassment grows when she suspects that he is aware of it. This moment—in
which Fanny not only infers Henry’s mental state through his gestures, but also infers that he is drawing inferences about her
mental state—illustrates what literary scholar George Butte calls “deep intersubjectivity,” a technique for representing
interactions between consciousnesses through which Austen’s novels derive much of their social and psychological drama.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
A.
It states a claim about Austen’s skill at representing psychological complexity that is reinforced by an example presented
in the following sentence.
B.
It advances an interpretation of an Austen protagonist who is contrasted with protagonists from other Austen novels
cited in the following sentence.
C.
It describes a recurring theme in Austen’s novels that is the focus of a literary scholar’s analysis summarized in the
following sentence.
D.
It provides a synopsis of an interaction in an Austen novel that illustrates a literary concept discussed in the following
sentence.
ID: aa5897b8 Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The underlined sentence provides a concrete example to ground readers’ understanding of the
“deep intersubjectivity” described in the next sentence as central to Austen’s work.
Choice A is incorrect. There is no evaluation made of Austen’s skill in this sentence, and no examples are given in the
following sentence. This choice essentially flips the paragraph: it’s this first sentence that provides an example. Choice B is
incorrect. There are no other Austen protagonists mentioned in this passage, so this couldn’t be the answer. Choice C is
incorrect. The underlined sentence doesn’t identify any “recurring theme,” but instead simply describes one interaction from
one book. This interaction exemplifies the literary technique of “deep intersubjectivity” that is introduced in the next
sentence.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Text Structure and
Purpose
Difficulty
Question ID 6d4b2e1e
ID: 6d4b2e1e
The 1977 play And the Soul Shall Dance depicts two Japanese American farming families in Depression-era Southern
California. Critics have noted the way pioneering ______ compares the experiences of issei (Japanese nationals who
emigrated to America) and nisei (their American-born children).
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. playwright, Wakako Yamauchi,
B. playwright, Wakako Yamauchi
C. playwright Wakako Yamauchi,
D. playwright Wakako Yamauchi
ID: 6d4b2e1e Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation between titles and proper nouns. No
punctuation is needed to set off the proper noun "Wakako Yamauchi" from the title that describes Yamauchi, "pioneering
playwright." Because "Wakako Yamauchi" is essential information identifying the "pioneering playwright," no punctuation is
necessary.
Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed before or after the proper noun "Wakako Yamauchi." Setting the
playwright’s name off with commas suggests that it could be removed without affecting the coherence of the sentence,
which isn’t the case. Choice B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the title "pioneering playwright" and
the proper noun "Wakako Yamauchi." Choice C is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the proper noun
"Wakako Yamauchi" and the verb "compares."
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Standard English
Conventions
Skill
Boundaries
Difficulty
Question ID a14eef71
ID: a14eef71
In 2015, a team led by materials scientists Anirudha Sumant and Diana Berman succeeded in reducing the coefficient of
friction (COF) between two surfaces to the lowest possible level—superlubricity. A nearly frictionless (and, as its name
suggests, extremely slippery) state, ______
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. when their COF drops below 0.01, two surfaces reach superlubricity.
B. two surfaces, when their COF drops below 0.01, reach superlubricity.
C. reaching superlubricity occurs when two surfaces’ COF drops below 0.01.
D. superlubricity is reached when two surfaces’ COF drops below 0.01.
ID: a14eef71 Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The subject of the modifier “a nearly frictionless state” is “superlubricity.” Subject-modifier
placement requires a modifier and its subject to be next to one another, so “superlubricity” must be the first word in the
missing clause.
Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a subject-modifier placement error. The subject of the modifier “a nearly
frictionless state” is “superlubricity.” Subject-modifier placement requires a modifier and its subject to be next to one another,
so “superlubricity” must be the first word in the missing clause. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a subject-modifier
placement error. The subject of the modifier “a nearly frictionless state” is “superlubricity.” Subject-modifier placement
requires a modifier and its subject to be next to one another, so “superlubricity” must be the first word in the missing clause.
Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a subject-modifier placement error. The subject of the modifier “a nearly
frictionless state” is “superlubricity.” Subject-modifier placement requires a modifier and its subject to be next to one another,
so “superlubricity” must be the first word in the missing clause.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Standard English
Conventions
Skill
Form, Structure,
and Sense
Difficulty
Question ID 50801257
ID: 50801257
In 1994, almost 200 years after the death of Wang Zhenyi, the International Astronomical ______ the contributions of the
barrier-breaking 18th-century astronomer and author of “Dispute of the Procession of the Equinoxes,” naming a crater on
Venus after her.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Union would finally acknowledge
B. Union to finally acknowledge
C. Union, having finally acknowledged
D. Union, finally acknowledging
ID: 50801257 Answer
Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. It’s the only choice that offers a form of the verb “acknowledge” that can go with the subject
“International Astronomical Union” to make a complete sentence. This might seem like an odd use of “would,” but when
speaking from a point of view in the past, we can actually use “would” to express something that happened later. That’s the
case here: 200 years after Wang Zhenyi’s death, the IAU would finally acknowledge her contributions.
Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a sentence fragment. There’s no main verb elsewhere in the sentence, so we need
a form of the verb “acknowledge” that can go with the subject “the International Astronomical Union” and serve as that main
verb. “To acknowledge” can’t do that. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a sentence fragment. There’s no main verb
elsewhere in the sentence, so we need a form of the verb “acknowledge” that can go with the subject “the International
Astronomical Union” and serve as that main verb. “Having acknowledged” can’t do that. Choice D is incorrect. This choice
creates a sentence fragment. There’s no main verb elsewhere in the sentence, so we need a form of the verb “acknowledge”
that can go with the subject “the International Astronomical Union” and serve as that main verb. The “-ing” form can’t do that.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Standard English
Conventions
Skill
Form, Structure,
and Sense
Difficulty
Question ID d46ac7e7
ID: d46ac7e7
A second-generation Japanese American, Wataru Misaka ______ in World War II (1941-45) and won two amateur national
basketball championships at the University of Utah when he joined the New York Knicks for the 1947-48 season, becoming
the first non-white basketball player in the US’s top professional league.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. already served
B. was already serving
C. already serves
D. had already served
ID: d46ac7e7 Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. Misaka served in World War II before he joined the New York Knicks in 1947. To show that a
past occurrence took place before another past occurrence, we need to use “had” + the past tense form of the verb. This is
called the past perfect tense.
Choice A is incorrect. Misaka served in World War II before he joined the Knicks. Both events are in the past, but his service
in World War II happened earlier, so we need a verb that makes it clear that his service (and the two national championships)
had ended by the time he joined the Knicks. Choice B is incorrect. “Was already serving” forms the continuous past tense,
which we use when we’re showing a past action that was ongoing. Misaka served in World War II before he joined the
Knicks. Both events are in the past, but they’re not happening at the same time, so we shouldn’t use the continuous past
tense here. Choice C is incorrect. Misaka served in World War II in the past, so we shouldn’t use the present tense “serves.”
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Standard English
Conventions
Skill
Form, Structure,
and Sense
Difficulty
Question ID fdb16e20
ID: fdb16e20
Quantum particles of light—photons—provide an unhackable means of transmitting encryption keys over networks, as
attempts to observe particles in quantum states will invariably alter the particles ______ dismantle any information they
transmit.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. and in the process,
B. and, in the process,
C. and in the process—
D. and, in the process
ID: fdb16e20 Answer
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. This choice uses paired punctuation in the form of two commas to set off the nonessential
phrase "in the process."
Choice A is incorrect. The phrase "in the process" is a nonessential element and needs to be set off with paired punctuation.
We need a comma after "and" to match the one after "process." Choice C is incorrect. The phrase "in the process" is a
nonessential element and needs to be set off with paired punctuation, so we would need a dash after "and" to match the one
following "process." Choice D is incorrect. The phrase "in the process" is a nonessential element and needs to be set off with
paired punctuation. We would need a comma after "process" to match the one following "and."
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Standard English
Conventions
Skill
Boundaries
Difficulty
Question ID 594b4a94
ID: 594b4a94
The field of geological oceanography owes much to American ______ Marie Tharp, a pioneering oceanographic cartographer
whose detailed topographical maps of the ocean floor and its multiple rift valleys helped garner acceptance for the theories
of plate tectonics and continental drift.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. geologist,
B. geologist
C. geologist;
D. geologist:
ID: 594b4a94 Answer
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. “Marie tharp” is essential information that completes the first clause — the first clause doesn’t
function without it. So we don’t want to separate it with punctuation.
Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “The field of geological oceanography owes much to
American geologist” is unclear: which geologist are we talking about? We need the “Marie Tharp” for clarity, which means it’s
essential information and should not be separated by a comma. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation
error. “The field of geological oceanography owes much to American geologist” is unclear: which geologist are we talking
about? We need the “Marie Tharp” for clarity, which means it’s essential information and should not be separated by a
semicolon. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a punctuation error. “The field of geological oceanography owes much
to American geologist” is unclear: which geologist are we talking about? We need the “Marie Tharp” for clarity, which means
it’s essential information and should not be separated by a colon.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Standard English
Conventions
Skill
Boundaries
Difficulty
Question ID 59094d87
ID: 59094d87
The Tantaquidgeon Museum in Uncasville, Connecticut, was founded in 1931 with the goal of showcasing the culture and
history of the Mohegan ______ today, nearly a century later, it is the oldest Native-owned and -operated museum in the
country.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Tribe, and
B. Tribe
C. Tribe and
D. Tribe,
ID: 59094d87 Answer
Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. This choice uses a comma and a coordinating conjunction (“and”) to join two independent
clauses (“The Tantaquidgeon…Tribe” and “Today…country”).
Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error known as a run-on sentence. The clauses before and after
“Tribe” are both independent, so they need to be separated with some sort of punctuation. Choice C is incorrect. This choice
results in a grammar error known as a run-on sentence. The clauses before and after “and” are both independent, so they
can’t be linked with just a conjunction. A comma would also be required. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a
grammar error called a comma splice. The clauses before and after “Tribe” are both independent, so they can’t be linked with
just a comma. A coordinating conjunction like “and” or “but” would also be required.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Standard English
Conventions
Skill
Boundaries
Difficulty
Question ID de3dd17d
ID: de3dd17d
Planetary scientist Briony Horgan and her colleagues have determined that as much as 25 percent of the sand on Mars is
composed of impact spherules. These spherical bits of glass form when asteroids collide with the planet, ejecting bits of
molten rock into the atmosphere that, after cooling and solidifying into glass, ______ back onto Mars’s surface.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. to rain
B. raining
C. having rained
D. rain
ID: de3dd17d Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. "That…[rain] back onto Mars’s surface" is a relative clause that describes the "bits of molten
rock." Forming the clause requires a conjugated, finite verb, and this is the only choice that provides that.
Choice A is incorrect. "To rain" is an infinitive and can’t serve as the main verb of a clause. A conjugated verb is needed here
to form the main verb of the relative clause "that…[rain] back onto Mars’s surface," which describes the "bits of molten rock."
Choice B is incorrect. "Raining" is a present participle and, on its own, can’t serve as the main verb of a clause. A conjugated
verb is needed here to form the main verb of the relative clause "that…[rain] back onto Mars’s surface," which describes the
"bits of molten rock." Choice C is incorrect. "Having rained" is a perfect participle and can’t serve as the main verb of a
clause. A conjugated verb is needed here to form the main verb of the relative clause "that…[rain] back onto Mars’s surface,"
which describes the "bits of molten rock."
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Standard English
Conventions
Skill
Form, Structure,
and Sense
Difficulty
Question ID 5b8f9cf2
ID: 5b8f9cf2
In the canon of North African literature, Moroccan author Driss Chraïbi’s 1954 novel The Simple Past (Le Passé simple)
looms large. A coming-of-age story, a social meditation, and a sober gaze into the dark maw of French colonialism,
interrogates systemic power with memorable intensity.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Morocco gained its independence two years before the publication of Chraïbi’s debut novel, which
B. Chraïbi’s debut novel, published two years before Morocco gained its independence,
C. Chraïbi wrote a debut novel that, published two years before Morocco gained its independence,
D. published two years before Morocco gained its independence, Chraïbi wrote a debut novel that
ID: 5b8f9cf2 Answer
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. Subject-modifier placement requires a modifier and its subject to be next to each other. The
subject of the modifier "a coming-of-age story…colonialism" is Chraïbi’s novel The Simple Past, so the subject "Chraïbi’s debut
novel" fits perfectly after this introductory modifying phrase.
Choice A is incorrect. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each other. The introductory modifier "a coming-of-age
story…colonialism" is describing Chraïbi’s novel, not Morocco. However, this choice places Morocco directly next to that
modifier. Choice C is incorrect. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each other. The introductory modifier "a coming-
of-age story…colonialism" all describes Chraïbi’s novel, not Chraïbi himself. However, this choice places Chraïbi directly next
to that modifier. Choice D is incorrect. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each other. The modifier "a coming-of-
age story…" is describing Chraïbi’s novel, so that needs to be the subject immediately after the modifier. This choice adds
another modifier that describes Chraïbi’s novel, but then puts "Chraïbi" himself—not the novel—right after that modifier, which
doesn’t make sense. Chraïbi wasn’t "published two years before" Moroccan independence; his novel The Simple Past was.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Standard English
Conventions
Skill
Form, Structure,
and Sense
Difficulty
Question ID 2bb7416a
ID: 2bb7416a
In paleontology, the term “Elvis taxon” gets applied to a newly identified living species that was once presumed to be extinct.
Like an Elvis impersonator who might bear a striking resemblance to the late musical icon Elvis Presley himself, an Elvis
taxon is not the real thing, ______ is a misidentified look-alike.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. however but it
B. however it
C. however, it
D. however. It
ID: 2bb7416a Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike” are both
independent clauses, so making them into two separate sentences is grammatically correct.
Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the
clause “it is…look-alike” are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with at least a comma + a coordinating
conjunction. This choice provides the coordinating conjunction “but,” but it’s missing a comma. Choice B is incorrect. This
choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike”
are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with a semicolon, a colon, a dash, a period, or a comma + a
coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis
impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike” are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with at
least a comma + a coordinating conjunction. This choice provides a comma, but it’s missing a coordinating conjunction.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Standard English
Conventions
Skill
Boundaries
Difficulty
Question ID 790fc366
ID: 790fc366
Using satellite remote sensing, Dr. Catherine Nakalembe, director of NASA’s Harvest Africa initiative, gathers important data
on crop health. Nakalembe doesn’t just compile the ______ she also shares her findings with African farmers, enabling them
to make data-driven decisions about managing critical food crops.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. information, though;
B. information, though,
C. information; though
D. information though,
ID: 790fc366 Answer
Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. This choice uses a semicolon to join two independent clauses ("Nakalembe doesn’t just…
though" and "she also shares..."). This choice also appropriately includes "though" in the first clause, where it logically
belongs.
Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a comma splice. It incorrectly joins two independent
clauses with only a comma instead of a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and" or "but." "Though" is a transition
word, but it’s not a coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. A semicolon
can only be used to link two independent clauses. However, if "though" is included in the second clause, it turns the second
clause into a dependent clause, so a semicolon can’t be used after "information." Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in
a grammar error called a comma splice. It incorrectly joins two independent clauses with only a comma instead of a comma
and a coordinating conjunction like "and" or "but."
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Standard English
Conventions
Skill
Boundaries
Difficulty
Question ID 0fe5ce68
ID: 0fe5ce68
Ten of William Shakespeare’s plays are classified as histories. Although each one of these plays, which include Henry V and
Richard III, ______ on a single historical figure (specifically, an English king), some, such as Henry VI Part One and Henry VI
Part Two, feature different episodes from the same monarch’s life.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. focuses
B. focus
C. are focused
D. were focused
ID: 0fe5ce68 Answer
Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "focuses" agrees in
number with the singular subject "each one of these plays," which refers to each play individually.
Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb "focus" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "each one of these
plays." Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb "are focused" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "each
one of these plays." Choice D is incorrect because the plural verb "were focused" doesn’t agree in number with the singular
subject "each one of these plays."
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Standard English
Conventions
Skill
Form, Structure,
and Sense
Difficulty
Question ID dab8b8ee
ID: dab8b8ee
Known as Earth’s “living skin,” biocrusts are thin layers of soil held together by surface-dwelling microorganisms such as
fungi, lichens, and cyanobacteria. Fortifying soil in arid ecosystems against erosion,
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. a recent study’s estimate is that these crusts reduce global dust emissions by 60 percent each year.
B. an estimated 60 percent reduction in global dust emissions each year is due to these crusts, according to a recent study.
C. these crusts reduce global dust emissions by an estimated 60 percent each year, according to a recent study.
D. a recent study has estimated that these crusts reduce global dust emissions by 60 percent each year.
ID: dab8b8ee Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The subject of the modifier "fortifying soil in arid ecosystems against erosion" is "biocrusts."
Subject-modifier placement requires a modifier and its subject to be next to each other, so "biocrusts" or some variant
meaning "biocrusts" (in this case, "these crusts") must begin the missing clause.
Choice A is incorrect. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each other. The subject of the modifier "fortifying soil in
arid ecosystems against erosion" is "biocrusts," not "a recent study’s estimate." Choice B is incorrect. Modifiers and their
subjects must go next to each other. The subject of the modifier "fortifying soil in arid ecosystems against erosion" is
"biocrusts," not "an estimated 60 percent reduction." Choice D is incorrect. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each
other. The subject of the modifier "fortifying soil in arid ecosystems against erosion" is "biocrusts," not "a recent study.
"
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Standard English
Conventions
Skill
Form, Structure,
and Sense
Difficulty
Question ID 3bceeb93
ID: 3bceeb93
When they were first discovered in Australia in 1798, duck-billed, beaver-tailed platypuses so defied categorization that one
scientist assigned them the name Ornithorhynchus paradoxus: “paradoxical bird-snout.” The animal, which lays eggs but also
nurses ______ young with milk, has since been classified as belonging to the monotremes group.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. they’re
B. their
C. its
D. it’s
ID: 3bceeb93 Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The singular possessive pronoun "its" agrees with the singular antecedent "the animal" and
indicates that the "young" belong to it.
Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a pronoun-antecedent agreement error. "They’re" is a contraction of "they are," a
plural pronoun and verb, but the antecedent "the animal" is singular. Also, we don’t need the extra verb "are" — we already
have a main verb in this clause, so adding "are" would be confusing and ungrammatical. Choice B is incorrect. This choice
creates a pronoun-antecedent agreement error. "Their" is a plural pronoun, but the subject of the sentence is "the animal," a
singular noun. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a confusing and ungrammatical sentence. "It’s" is a contraction for
"it is." We already have the verb "nurses" in this clause, so we shouldn’t add the verb "is."
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Standard English
Conventions
Skill
Form, Structure,
and Sense
Difficulty
Question ID a9e5b788
ID: a9e5b788
In discussing Mary Shelley’s 1818 epistolary novel Frankenstein, literary theorist Gayatri Spivak directs the reader’s attention
to the character of Margaret Saville. As Spivak points out, Saville is not the protagonist of Shelley’s ______ as the recipient of
the letters that frame the book’s narrative, she’s the “occasion” of it.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. novel
B. novel,
C. novel; rather,
D. novel, rather,
ID: a9e5b788 Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice
correctly uses a semicolon to join a main clause (“Saville...novel”) and a second main clause (“she’s...it”) preceded by
supplementary elements (“rather...narrative”).
Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a
conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be
used in this way to join two main clauses. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction
following it, the comma after “novel” can’t be used in this way to join the two main clauses.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Standard English
Conventions
Skill
Boundaries
Difficulty
Question ID aab74a3b
ID: aab74a3b
Researcher Lin Zhi developed a process for increasing the tensile strength—measured in gigapascals, or GPa—of silkworm
dissolving and reweaving the silk in a solution of iron metal ions, zinc, and sugar, Zhi increased the amount of force
required to stretch it from approximately 0.5 GPa to 2 GPa.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. silk, by
B. silk by
C. silk and by
D. silk. By
ID: aab74a3b Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The independent clauses "researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and "by dissolving…2 GPa" can be
grammatically separated by a period. They can stand alone as sentences, and this is the only choice that lets them do that.
Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a comma splice. "Researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and "by
dissolving…2 GPa" are both independent clauses. They need to either be separated with punctuation like a period or a
semicolon, or they need to be connected by a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and." A comma alone isn’t
enough. Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a grammar error called a run-on sentence. "Researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and
"by dissolving…2 GPa" are both independent clauses. They need to either be separated with punctuation like a period or a
semicolon, or they need to be connected by a comma and a coordinating conjunction like "and." Choice C is incorrect. This
choice results in a grammar error called a run-on sentence. "Researcher Lin Zhi…silk" and "by dissolving…2 GPa" are both
independent clauses. The coordinating conjunction "and" isn’t enough to link them by itself. We need a comma, too.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Standard English
Conventions
Skill
Boundaries
Difficulty
Question ID 6ea8c23f
ID: 6ea8c23f
In 2018, a team of researchers led by Dr. Caitlin Whalen compiled every available measurement of ocean mixing rates from
the past two decades. With this novel data set, the team was able to determine how current-driven mixing varies across
and what impact it has on the distribution of heat and nutrients in the ocean.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. regions,
B. regions:
C. regions;
D. regions
ID: 6ea8c23f Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between coordinates in a sentence. The two
elements "how…regions" and "what…ocean" work together as coordinates to complete the description of what the team was
able to determine. Because there are only two coordinates in this case (as opposed to a series of three or more), no
punctuation is needed between them.
Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinates "how…regions" and "what…ocean." Choice
B is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinates "how…regions" and "what…ocean." Choice C is
incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the coordinates "how…regions" and "what…ocean."
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Standard English
Conventions
Skill
Boundaries
Difficulty
Question ID dc645172
ID: dc645172
The artistic talents of Barbara Chase-Riboud, most known for her 1979 historical novel Sally Hemings and the conversation it
inspired, ______ limited to the realm of prose: she first excelled in sculpture, where her affinity for bronze—a material she
described as “timeless” due to its use across eras and cultures—became part of her artistic identity.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. hasn’t been
B. wasn’t
C. isn’t
D. aren’t
ID: dc645172 Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The subject "talents" is plural, and so is the verb "aren’t": "the artistic talents…aren’t limited."
Choice A is incorrect. The subject "talents" is plural, but the verb "hasn’t been" is singular. Choice B is incorrect. The subject
"talents" is plural, but the verb "wasn’t" is singular. Choice C is incorrect. The subject "talents" is plural, but the verb "isn’t" is
singular.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Standard English
Conventions
Skill
Form, Structure,
and Sense
Difficulty
Question ID fba5d8d1
ID: fba5d8d1
In a 2016 study, Eastern Washington University psychologist Amani El-Alayli found that, among the study participants who
experienced frisson (a physiological response akin to goosebumps or getting the chills) while listening to music, there was
one personality trait that they scored particularly ______ openness to experience.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. high. On
B. high on;
C. high on
D. high on:
ID: fba5d8d1 Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a main clause and a supplementary
phrase. In this choice, a colon is correctly used to mark the boundary between the main clause ("there...on") and the
supplementary phrase ("openness to experience") and to introduce the information that identifies which personality trait
participants scored especially high on.
Choice A is incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with "on" and separates a
necessary preposition from the clause beginning with "there." Choice B is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be used in this
way to join the main clause ("there...on") and the supplementary phrase ("openness to experience"). A semicolon is
conventionally used to join two main clauses, whereas a colon is conventionally used to introduce an element that explains
or amplifies the information in the preceding clause, making the colon the better choice in this context. Choice C is incorrect
because it fails to mark the boundary between the main clause ("there...on") and the supplementary phrase ("openness to
experience").
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Standard English
Conventions
Skill
Boundaries
Difficulty
Question ID ea0aa676
ID: ea0aa676
In the 1970s, Janaki Ammal, a prominent botanist, emerged as a powerful voice in India’s environmental conservation
movement. Her exhaustive chromosomal survey of plants in Silent Valley, a pristine tropical forest in Kerala, India, that is
home to nearly 1,000 species of native flora (many of which are endangered), ______ instrumental in the government’s
decision to preserve the forest.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. are
B. were
C. have been
D. was
ID: ea0aa676 Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The subject "survey" is singular, and so is the verb "was."
Choice A is incorrect. The subject "survey" is singular, but the verb "are" is plural. Choice B is incorrect. The subject "survey" is
singular, but the verb "were" is plural. Choice C is incorrect. The subject "survey" is singular, but the verb "have been" is plural.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Standard English
Conventions
Skill
Form, Structure,
and Sense
Difficulty
Question ID f0864217
ID: f0864217
Rabinal Achí is a precolonial Maya dance drama performed annually in Rabinal, a town in the Guatemalan highlands. Based
on events that occurred when Rabinal was a city-state ruled by a king, ______ had once been an ally of the king but was later
captured while leading an invading force against him.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. Rabinal Achí tells the story of K’iche’ Achí, a military leader who
B. K’iche’ Achí, the military leader in the story of Rabinal Achí,
C. the military leader whose story is told in Rabinal Achí, K’iche’ Achí,
D. there was a military leader, K’iche’ Achí, who in Rabinal Achí
ID: f0864217 Answer
Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The modifier “Based on events…by a king,” is describing the drama “Rabinal Achí.” Modifiers
need to be next to the subjects they describe, so “Rabinal Achí” needs to be the first word after the comma.
Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. The
modifier “Based on events…by a king,” is describing the drama “Rabinal Achí.” Modifiers need to be next to the subjects they
describe, so “Rabinal Achí” needs to be the first word after the comma. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text
in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. The modifier “Based on events…by a king,” is describing the
drama “Rabinal Achí.” Modifiers need to be next to the subjects they describe, so “Rabinal Achí” needs to be the first word
after the comma. Choice D is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of
Standard English. The modifier “Based on events…by a king,” is describing the drama “Rabinal Achí.” Modifiers need to be
next to the subjects they describe, so “Rabinal Achí” needs to be the first word after the comma.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Standard English
Conventions
Skill
Form, Structure,
and Sense
Difficulty
Question ID d72b325e
ID: d72b325e
Text 1
What factors influence the abundance of species in a given ecological community? Some theorists have argued that
historical diversity is a major driver of how diverse an ecological community eventually becomes: differences in community
diversity across otherwise similar habitats, in this view, are strongly affected by the number of species living in those
habitats at earlier times.
Text 2
In 2010, a group of researchers including biologist Carla Cáceres created artificial pools in a New York forest. They stocked
some pools with a diverse mix of zooplankton species and others with a single zooplankton species and allowed the pool
communities to develop naturally thereafter. Over the course of four years, Cáceres and colleagues periodically measured
the species diversity of the pools, finding—contrary to their expectations—that by the end of the study there was little to no
difference in the pools’ species diversity.
Based on the texts, how would Cáceres and colleagues (Text 2) most likely describe the view of the theorists presented in
Text 1?
A. It is largely correct, but it requires a minor refinement in light of the research team’s results.
B. It is not compelling as a theory regardless of any experimental data collected by the research team.
C. It may seem plausible, but it is not supported by the research team’s findings.
D. It probably holds true only in conditions like those in the research team’s study.
ID: d72b325e Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. This is how Cáceres and co. would most likely describe the view presented in Text 1. The view
in Text 1 is that historical diversity affects how diverse an ecological community eventually becomes. But Cáceres and co.
did not get this result: they found no difference in eventual diversity between a zooplankton pool that started out diverse and
a zooplankton pool that started out with only a single species.
Choice A is incorrect. Cáceres and co. would probably not describe the view presented in Text 1 this way. The view in Text 1
is that historical diversity affects how diverse an ecological community eventually becomes. Cáceres and co’s findings
directly undermine this view: they found no difference in eventual diversity between a zooplankton pool that started out
diverse and a zooplankton pool that started out with only a single species. Choice B is incorrect. Cáceres and co. would
probably not describe the view presented in Text 1 this way. Their experiment was designed to test this hypothesis, and their
findings were "contrary to their expectations." In other words, before the study, they predicted the theory was correct. Choice
D is incorrect. Cáceres and co. would not describe the view presented in Text 1 this way. Their research finding directly
undermines the view presented in Text 1: so it definitely doesn’t hold true in conditions like those in the study.
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Cross-text
Connections
Difficulty
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 54804e10
ID: 54804e10
While scholars believe many Mesoamerican cities influenced each other, direct evidence of such influence is difficult to
ascertain. However, recent excavations in a sector of Tikal (Guatemala) unearthed a citadel that shows ______ Teotihuacán
(Mexico) architecture—including a near replica of a famed Teotihuacán temple—providing tangible evidence of outside
influence in portions of Tikal.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A. refinements of
B. precursors of
C. commonalities with
D. animosities toward
ID: 54804e10 Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of architectural influences among
Mesoamerican cities. In this context, “commonalities with” means similarities to or shared attributes with. The text indicates
that a recently discovered citadel in Tikal includes a close imitation of a famous temple in Teotihuacán (another
Mesoamerican city) and other evidence of Teotihuacán influence, which suggests that the citadel possesses features that
resemble architectural features found in Teotihuacán. This context thus indicates that the Tikal citadel shows commonalities
with Teotihuacán architecture.
Choice A is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text that suggests that the Tikal citadel shows “refinements of,” or
improvements on, Teotihuacán architecture. Although the text suggests that the architecture of Teotihuacán influenced the
architecture of the Tikal citadel, and although it’s possible that later architectural designs could make improvements on
earlier designs, the text doesn’t discuss whether, in imitating Teotihuacán architecture, the Tikal citadel’s builders improved
on it. Choice B is incorrect because describing the citadel in Tikal as showing “precursors of” Teotihuacán architecture—or
features that preceded and foreshadowed those of Teotihuacán architecture—would imply the opposite of what the text
suggests about the relationship between the architecture found in Tikal and Teotihuacán. The text claims that the discovery
of similarities between the Tikal citadel and the architecture of Teotihuacán, including a replica of a temple in Teotihuacán,
provides evidence of outside influences on Tikal architecture. If the Tikal citadel was influenced by Teotihuacán architecture,
then the Teotihuacán architecture must predate the citadel, not the other way around. In this context, therefore, it wouldn’t
make sense to say that the Tikal citadel shows precursors of Teotihuacán architecture. Choice D is incorrect because the
text discusses how the citadel in Tikal indicates the influence of Teotihuacán architecture, which implies that the makers of
the Tikal citadel likely admired aspects of Teotihuacán architecture enough to imitate it. Thus, there’s no reason to think that
the Tikal citadel provides evidence of the Tikal people’s “animosities toward,” or feelings of strong dislike or hostility toward,
Teotihuacán architecture.
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Words in Context
Difficulty
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID b4887dae
ID: b4887dae
Mathematician Claude Shannon is widely regarded as a foundational figure in information theory. His most important paper,
“A Mathematical Theory of Communication,” published in 1948 when he was employed at Bell Labs, utilized a concept called
a “binary digit” (shortened to “bit”) to measure the amount of information in any signal and determine the fastest rate at
which information could be transmitted while still being reliably decipherable. Robert Gallagher, one of Shannon’s colleagues,
said that the bit was “[Shannon’s] discovery, and from it the whole communications revolution has sprung.”
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
A.
It presents a theoretical concept, illustrates how the name of the concept has changed, and shows how the name has
entered common usage.
B.
It introduces a respected researcher, describes an aspect of his work, and suggests why the work is historically
significant.
C.
It names the company where an important mathematician worked, details the mathematician’s career at the company,
and provides an example of the recognition he received there.
D. It mentions a paper, offers a summary of the paper’s findings, and presents a researcher’s commentary on the paper.
ID: b4887dae Answer
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The text starts with a general statement that introduces Shannon, then describes a specific
contribution from one of his papers, then provides a quote that illustrates just how important this contribution was.
Choice A is incorrect. This isn’t the overall structure. The text only mentions very briefly, in parentheses, that “binary digit”
was shortened to “bit.” It doesn’t go into detail about this name change, and it doesn’t discuss any “common usage” of the
name at all. Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t the overall structure. Shannon’s employment at Bell Labs is only mentioned once,
very briefly: the text never goes into detail about his career there, and it never mentions any recognition he received there.
Choice D is incorrect. This is too narrow. Overall, the text is about Shannon’s importance in his field, not just this one paper of
his.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Text Structure and
Purpose
Difficulty
Question ID f3c45b4f
ID: f3c45b4f
Text 1
Fossils of the hominin Australopithecus africanus have been found in the Sterkfontein Caves of South Africa, but assigning
an age to the fossils is challenging because of the unreliability of dating methods in this context. The geology of Sterkfontein
has caused soil layers from different periods to mix, impeding stratigraphic dating, and dates cannot be reliably imputed
from those of nearby animal bones since the bones may have been relocated by flooding.
Text 2
Archaeologists used new cosmogenic nuclide dating techniques to reevaluate the ages of A. africanus fossils found in the
Sterkfontein Caves. This technique involves analyzing the cosmogenic nucleotides in the breccia—the matrix of rock
fragments immediately surrounding the fossils. The researchers assert that this approach avoids the potential for misdating
associated with assigning ages based on Sterkfontein’s soil layers or animal bones.
Based on the texts, how would the researchers in Text 2 most likely respond to the underlined portion in Text 1?
A.
They would emphasize the fact that the A. africanus fossils found in the Sterkfontein Caves may have been corrupted in
some way over the years.
B.
They would contend that if analyses of surrounding layers and bones in the Sterkfontein Caves were combined, then the
dating of the fossils there would be more accurate.
C.
They would argue that their techniques are better suited than other methods to the unique challenges posed by the
Sterkfontein Caves.
D.
They would claim that cosmogenic nuclide dating is reliable in the context of the Sterkfontein Caves because it is applied
to the fossils directly.
ID: f3c45b4f Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. Text 2 states that the researchers used cosmogenic nuclide dating to "avoid the potential for
misdating" caused by the geology of Sterkfontein, which Text 1 describes as "challenging" and unreliable.
Choice A is incorrect. Neither text suggests that the A. africanus fossils have been "corrupted," but only that traditional dating
methods are difficult in Sterkfontein because of floods and soil mixing where the fossils were found. Nothing is implied to
have compromised the fossils themselves. Choice B is incorrect. This choice misreads Text 2. Text 2 agrees that
stratigraphy and other methods are prone to error in the context of Sterkfontein: there’s a "potential for misdating" when
evaluating age based on soil layers and bones. Choice D is incorrect. Text 2 does not state that cosmogenic nuclide dating is
applied to the fossils directly but rather to the breccia that surrounds them.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Cross-Text
Connections
Difficulty
Question ID f7c02e89
ID: f7c02e89
Text 1
Films and television shows commonly include a long list of credits naming the people involved in a production. Credit
sequences may not be exciting, but they generally ensure that everyone’s contributions are duly acknowledged. Because they
are highly standardized, film and television credits are also valuable to anyone researching the careers of pioneering cast
and crew members who have worked in the mediums.
Text 2
Video game scholars face a major challenge in the industry’s failure to consistently credit the artists, designers, and other
contributors involved in making video games. Without a reliable record of which people worked on which games, questions
about the medium’s development can be difficult to answer, and the accomplishments of all but its best-known innovators
can be difficult to trace.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 1 most likely respond to the discussion in Text 2?
A.
By recommending that the scholars mentioned in Text 2 consider employing the methods regularly used by film and
television researchers
B.
By pointing out that credits have a different intended purpose in film and television than in the medium addressed by the
scholars mentioned in Text 2
C.
By suggesting that the scholars mentioned in Text 2 rely more heavily on credits as a source of information than film and
television researchers do
D.
By observing that a widespread practice in film and television largely prevents the kind of problem faced by the scholars
mentioned in Text 2
ID: f7c02e89 Answer
Correct Answer: D
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Cross-Text
Connections
Difficulty
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it reflects how the author of Text 1 would most likely respond to Text 2 based on the
information provided. Text 2 discusses how the inconsistent use of credits to identify the contributors to video games can
pose an obstacle to scholars of the medium, who rely on such credits to answer questions about the medium’s development.
Text 1 notes that in film and television, on the other hand, credits are used consistently and are valuable to researchers
studying the cast and crew members in these mediums. Since Text 1 asserts how the consistent use of credits benefits
scholars of film and television, it can be inferred that this text’s author would respond to the discussion in Text 2 by
observing that the kind of problem faced by scholars of video games—the inability to know who contributed to a particular
production and how—is, in film and television studies, largely prevented by the widespread practice of credits in these
mediums.
Choice A is incorrect. Although Text 1 discusses a method used by film and television researchers—namely, relying on
credits to research the careers of cast and crew members—the author doesn’t explicitly recommend that or any other
method. Moreover, Text 1 states that films and television shows themselves, not their researchers, regularly use the method
of listing credits. Choice B is incorrect. It can be inferred from Text 2 that when video games do feature credits, they have
essentially the same function as credits in film and television—namely, to identify the individuals who worked on a particular
production. Therefore, it is unlikely that the author of Text 1 would characterize video game credits as differing in purpose
from film and television credits. Choice C is incorrect because, as Text 2 explains, credits are not consistently used in video
games. Therefore, it is unlikely that the author of Text 1 would argue that scholars of the medium discussed in this text—
video games—rely more heavily on credits than scholars of film and television, two mediums where credits consistently
appear.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID e8fb0744
ID: e8fb0744
As an undergraduate researcher in anthropology, Jennifer C. Chen contributed to a groundbreaking study challenging the
accepted view that among prehistoric peoples, female participation in hunting was ______. The research team’s review of
data from late Pleistocene and early Holocene burials in the Americas revealed that, in fact, as many as half of the hunters in
those populations were female.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A. inevitable
B. satisfactory
C. negligible
D. commonplace
ID: e8fb0744 Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the study of female participation in
hunting among prehistoric peoples. In this context, “negligible” means not significant enough to be worth considering. The
text says that the study challenged the accepted view of female participation in hunting among prehistoric peoples. The text
goes on to say that the researchers found that “in fact, as many as half” the hunters in the groups studied were female. The
phrase “in fact” establishes a contrast indicating that the finding that as many as half the hunters were female differs from
the accepted view. This context suggests, then, that the accepted view is that female participation in hunting was negligible.
Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that the study challenged the accepted view by showing that as many as
half of hunters among prehistoric peoples were female, which suggests that the accepted view is that female participation
was low, not that female participation was “inevitable,” or unavoidable. Nothing in the text suggests that the accepted view is
that prehistoric peoples could not avoid female participation in hunting. Choice B is incorrect because nothing in the text
suggests that the accepted view of female participation in hunting among prehistoric peoples is that such participation was
“satisfactory,” or sufficient to meet a requirement or demand. There is no information in the text about any demands or
requirements regarding female participation in hunting, let alone any information about how much female participation in
hunting would be enough to satisfy those demands or requirements. Instead, the text indicates that the study challenged the
accepted view by showing that as many as half the hunters in the groups studied were female, suggesting that the accepted
view is that female participation in hunting was low. Choice D is incorrect because the text indicates that the study
challenged the accepted view by showing that as many as half of hunters among the prehistoric peoples studied were
female, which suggests that the accepted view is that female participation was low, not that female participation was
“commonplace,” or ordinary or unremarkable. Although the study under discussion suggests that female participation may
have been commonplace, that study is presented as challenging the accepted view, not as reinforcing the accepted view.
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Words in Context
Difficulty
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 9b01bcf4
ID: 9b01bcf4
The 1967 release of Harold Cruse’s book The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual isolated him from almost all other scholars and
activists of the American Civil Rights Movement—though many of those thinkers disagreed with each other, he nonetheless
found ways to disagree with them all. He thought that activists who believed that Black people such as himself should
culturally assimilate were naïve. But he also sharply criticized Black nationalists such as Marcus Garvey who wanted to
establish independent, self-contained Black economies and societies, even though Cruse himself identified as a Black
nationalist.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
A. It describes a direction that Cruse felt the Civil Rights Movement ought to take.
B. It indicates that Cruse’s reputation as a persistent antagonist of other scholars is undeserved.
C. It describes a controversy that Cruse’s work caused within the Black nationalist movement.
D. It helps explain Cruse’s position with respect to the community of civil rights thinkers.
ID: 9b01bcf4 Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The text as a whole claims that Cruse disagreed with virtually all other Civil Rights scholars and
activists. The underlined sentence describes one way that Cruse both did and didn’t fit in with those thinkers: he criticized
Black nationalists, even though he identified as one.
Choice A is incorrect. The underlined sentence doesn’t do this. It describes Cruse’s criticisms—it never mentions what Cruse
did want the movement to do instead. Choice B is incorrect. This conflicts with the text, which argues that Cruse did disagree
with almost all other scholars of the Civil Rights Movement. Choice C is incorrect. This is a step too far. The text never says
that Cruse’s work caused controversy within the Black nationalist movement.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Text Structure and
Purpose
Difficulty
Question ID 3f753a8e
ID: 3f753a8e
Investigating whether shared false visual memories—specific but inaccurate and widely held recollections of images such as
product logos—are caused by people’s previous ______ incorrect renditions of the images, researchers Deepasri Prasad and
Wilma Bainbridge found that, in fact, such memories are often not explained by familiarity with erroneous versions of the
images.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A. compliance with
B. exposure to
C. criteria for
D. forfeiture of
ID: 3f753a8e Answer
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. "Exposure to" means "having contact with." It makes sense that Prasad and Bainbridge were
investigating whether seeing false versions of images was a cause of false visual memories. Notice how "exposure to
incorrect renditions" matches the idea of "familiarity with erroneous versions," which appears later in the sentence.
Choice A is incorrect. "Compliance with" means "going along with a command or directive." False versions of images can’t
give commands or directives, so this doesn’t apply. Choice C is incorrect. "Criteria" means "standards by which to judge
something." It’s not clear how people would come to have standards for the wrong version of an image in the first place, let
alone how those standards would cause them to falsely remember the correct version. In other words, this choice would
result in a confusing, unclear sentence. Choice D is incorrect. "Forfeiture of" means "a giving up of something." It wouldn’t
make sense to say that false memories of an image might be caused by giving up the wrong version of the image.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Words in Context
Difficulty
Question ID de2c2f57
ID: de2c2f57
Text 1
The fossil record suggests that mammoths went extinct around 11 thousand years (kyr) ago. In a 2021 study of
environmental DNA (eDNA)—genetic material shed into the environment by organisms—in the Arctic, Yucheng Wang and
colleagues found mammoth eDNA in sedimentary layers formed millennia later, around 4 kyr ago. To account for this
discrepancy, Joshua H. Miller and Carl Simpson proposed that arctic temperatures could preserve a mammoth carcass on
the surface, allowing it to leach DNA into the environment, for several thousand years.
Text 2
Wang and colleagues concede that eDNA contains DNA from both living organisms and carcasses, but for DNA to leach
from remains over several millennia requires that the remains be perpetually on the surface. Scavengers and weathering in
the Arctic, however, are likely to break down surface remains well before a thousand years have passed.
Which choice best describes how Text 1 and Text 2 relate to each other?
A.
Text 1 discusses two approaches to studying mammoth extinction without advocating for either, whereas Text 2
advocates for one approach over the other.
B.
Text 1 presents findings by Wang and colleagues and gives another research team’s attempt to explain those findings,
whereas Text 2 provides additional detail that calls that explanation into question.
C.
Text 1 describes Wang and colleagues’ study and a critique of their methodology, whereas Text 2 offers additional details
showing that methodology to be sound.
D.
Text 1 argues that new research has undermined the standard view of when mammoths went extinct, whereas Text 2
suggests a way to reconcile the standard view with that new research.
ID: de2c2f57 Answer
Correct Answer: B
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Cross-Text
Connections
Difficulty
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. Text 1 introduces Wang and colleagues’ study and its surprising results, and then mentions
Miller and Simpson’s hypothesis as a possible way to explain them. Text 2, however, challenges Miller and Simpson’s
hypothesis by pointing out the difficulties of preserving mammoth carcasses on the surface for thousands of years:
“scavengers and weathering” are the additional details that complicate the Miller/Simpson hypothesis.
Choice A is incorrect. Neither text compares two different approaches for studying mammoth extinction. Text 1 describes
one study and one hypothesis pertaining to it. Text 2 critiques that hypothesis. Choice C is incorrect. Text 1 does not
describe a critique of Wang and colleagues’ methodology, but rather an interpretation of their results by Miller and Simpson.
Text 2 does not offer additional details showing that methodology to be sound, but rather casts doubt on the Miller/Simpson
explanation. Choice D is incorrect. Both components mentioned here (the new “undermining” research and the theory for
reconciling this discovery) are contained in Text 1. Text 2 then shows how the attempt to reconcile the standard view and
new research is flawed, and still fails to explain the discrepancy.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 17bf10de
ID: 17bf10de
Text 1
Despite its beautiful prose, The Guns of August, Barbara Tuchman’s 1962 analysis of the start of World War I, has certain
weaknesses as a work of history. It fails to address events in Eastern Europe just before the outbreak of hostilities, thereby
giving the impression that Germany was the war’s principal instigator. Had Tuchman consulted secondary works available to
her by scholars such as Luigi Albertini, she would not have neglected the influence of events in Eastern Europe on Germany’s
actions.
Text 2
Barbara Tuchman’s The Guns of August is an engrossing if dated introduction to World War I. Tuchman’s analysis of primary
documents is laudable, but her main thesis that European powers committed themselves to a catastrophic outcome by
refusing to deviate from military plans developed prior to the conflict is implausibly reductive.
Which choice best describes a difference in how the authors of Text 1 and Text 2 view Barbara Tuchman’s The Guns of
August?
A.
The author of Text 1 argues that Tuchman should have relied more on the work of other historians, while the author of
Text 2 implies that Tuchman’s most interesting claims result from her original research.
B.
The author of Text 1 believes that the scope of Tuchman’s research led her to an incorrect interpretation, while the author
of Text 2 believes that Tuchman’s central argument is overly simplistic.
C.
The author of Text 1 asserts that the writing style of The Guns of August makes it worthwhile to read despite any
perceived deficiency in Tuchman’s research, while the author of Text 2 focuses exclusively on the weakness of Tuchman’s
interpretation of events.
D.
The author of Text 1 claims that Tuchman would agree that World War I was largely due to events in Eastern Europe,
while the author of Text 2 maintains that Tuchman would say that Eastern European leaders were not committed to
military plans in the same way that other leaders were.
ID: 17bf10de Answer
Correct Answer: B
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Cross-Text
Connections
Difficulty
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. Both texts are critical of The Guns of August, but for different reasons: the author of Text 1
argues that Tuchman missed an important factor leading up to the war because she didn’t consult secondary sources, and
the author of Text 2 argues that Tuchman’s main thesis is "reductive," which is a close synonym for "overly simplistic."
Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t accurately describe the difference. This choice’s summary of Text 1 is accurate, but Text 2
never says that Tuchman’s most interesting claims result from her original research. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t
accurately describe the difference. Text 1 never says that The Guns of August is worthwhile to read despite its research
weaknesses. Text 2 does call out a weakness of Tuchman’s interpretation of events, but it also praises her analysis of
primary sources. Choice D is incorrect. This doesn’t accurately describe the difference. Text 1 actually says that Tuchman
"fails to address" the influence of events in Eastern Europe, while Text 2 says that Tuchman’s thesis was that European
powers (not Eastern European leaders) were committed to military plans.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 3d658a5a
ID: 3d658a5a
Some foraging models predict that the distance bees travel when foraging will decline as floral density increases, but
biologists Shalene Jha and Claire Kremen showed that bees’ behavior is inconsistent with this prediction if flowers in dense
patches are ______: bees will forage beyond patches of low species richness to acquire multiple resource types.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A. depleted
B. homogeneous
C. immature
D. dispersed
ID: 3d658a5a Answer
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Jha and Kremen’s finding about
bees’ foraging behavior. In this context, “homogeneous” means uniform or of the same kind. The text indicates that some
models predict that the distance that bees travel when they’re foraging declines as the density of flowers increases. The text
goes on to say, however, that Jha and Kremen identified a circumstance in which bees don’t behave this way. Specifically, if
bees encounter “patches of low species richness”—that is, patches in which the flowers are largely from the same species—
they’ll travel beyond those patches to get varied food resources. This context thus suggests that bees don’t behave as some
models predict if the dense patches of flowers the bees encounter are homogeneous.
Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that Jha and Kremen found that bees will behave differently than some
models predict if the bees encounter flower patches that are not rich in species, not if the flowers are “depleted,” or emptied
or reduced in quality or quantity. Although it could be true that bees are likely to leave depleted patches in search of more
resources, the text doesn’t indicate that Jha and Kremen investigated that possibility. Choice C is incorrect because there’s
no information in the text suggesting that bees will not behave as some models predict if flowers in patches are “immature,”
or not fully developed. Instead, the text indicates that Jha and Kremen found that bees will behave contrary to some models’
predictions if the flower patches are not rich in species. Choice D is incorrect because the text indicates that bees’ behavior
will be inconsistent with the predictions of some models if the flower patches that the bees encounter are of low species
richness, not if the flowers are in patches that are “dispersed,” or widely scattered. Although the text does describe bees as
leaving patches that are not rich in species to forage elsewhere, there’s no suggestion that Jha and Kremen found that the
distance between dense flower patches affects whether the bees behave as some models predict.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Words in Context
Difficulty
Question ID a70cbc53
ID: a70cbc53
Raymond Antrobus, an accomplished poet and writer of prose, recently released his debut spoken word poetry album, The
First Time I Wore Hearing Aids, in collaboration with producer Ian Brennan. The album contains both autobiographical and
reflective pieces combining Antrobus’s spoken words with Brennan’s fragmented audio elements and pieces of music to
convey how people who are deaf may experience sound, both its presence and absence. Some critics suggest that the
album questions the function of sound in the world, highlighting that the experience of sound is multifaceted.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
A.
It introduces a collaborative spoken word poetry project, details the approach taken to produce the work, and then
provides an example of critique the album received upon release.
B.
It mentions a collection of spoken word poems, distinguishes one poem as being an exemplar on the album, and then
offers a summary of the subject matter of the whole collection.
C.
It summarizes the efforts to produce a collection of spoken word poems, presents biographies of two people who
worked on the album, and speculates about the meaning behind the poetry.
D.
It connects two artists to the same spoken word poetry project, explains the extent of their collaboration on each poem,
and then provides an overview of the technique used to produce the work.
ID: a70cbc53 Answer
Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The text first introduces the album as being a collaboration between Antrobus and Brennan,
then describes the approach taken to produce it, then mentions how critics have said that it calls into question the function
of sound.
Choice B is incorrect. While the text does mention a collection of spoken word poems, it doesn’t single out one poem as
being particularly noteworthy. Additionally, the text doesn’t simply summarize the subject matter—it goes into detail about
the content and production of the album. Choice C is incorrect. The text doesn’t provide biographical information about the
two artists, and the text doesn’t speculate about the meaning behind the poetry—instead, it relays what some critics have
said about the album. Choice D is incorrect. The text doesn’t provide just an overview of the production techniques used but
instead goes into more detail about the content and audio elements of the album, as well as critical response to the album.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Text Structure and
Purpose
Difficulty
Question ID 4eee64fa
ID: 4eee64fa
Space scientists Anna-Lisa Paul, Stephen M. Elardo, and Robert Ferl planted seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana in samples of
lunar regolith—the surface material of the Moon—and, serving as a control group, in terrestrial soil. They found that while all
the seeds germinated, the roots of the regolith-grown plants were stunted compared with those in the control group.
Moreover, unlike the plants in the control group, the regolith-grown plants exhibited red pigmentation, reduced leaf size, and
inhibited growth rates—indicators of stress that were corroborated by postharvest molecular analysis.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
A.
It describes an experiment that addressed an unresolved question about the extent to which lunar regolith resembles
terrestrial soils.
B. It compares two distinct methods of assessing indicators of stress in plants grown in a simulated lunar environment.
C. It presents evidence in support of the hypothesis that seed germination in lunar habitats is an unattainable goal.
D. It discusses the findings of a study that evaluated the effects of exposing a plant species to lunar soil conditions.
ID: 4eee64fa Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The text describes an experiment wherein space scientists compared plant growth in terrestrial
and lunar soil conditions. It then discusses the findings of the study, including the fact that all the seeds germinated but that
the plants grown in lunar soil exhibited signs of stress.
Choice A is incorrect. The text doesn’t address this question, and never describes any specific characteristics of either soil. It
merely describes the outcome of an experiment that exposed a plant species to lunar soil conditions. Choice B is incorrect.
The text never compares methods of assessing indicators of stress—instead, it simply mentions several stress indicators
observed in the study (red pigmentation, reduced leaf size, and inhibited growth rates). Choice C is incorrect. The text doesn’t
present any evidence that we could never achieve seed germination in lunar habitats, and in fact states that the seeds in the
lunar soil did germinate.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Text Structure and
Purpose
Difficulty
Question ID e4f312c5
ID: e4f312c5
While most animals are incapable of passing somatic mutations—genetic alterations that arise in an organism’s
nonreproductive cells—on to their offspring, elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) presents an intriguing ______: in a 2022 study,
researchers found that elkhorn coral produced offspring that inherited somatic mutations from a parent.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A. hypothesis
B. affinity
C. anomaly
D. corroboration
ID: e4f312c5 Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. An "anomaly" is something that deviates from norms or expectations. In this case, the elkhorn
coral is an anomaly because it can pass on somatic mutations, whereas most other animals can’t.
Choice A is incorrect. A "hypothesis" is "a theory about something," but no theories are provided about elkhorn coral in this
text, just facts. Choice B is incorrect. "Affinity" represents "an inclination or liking toward something." As genetic mutations
tend to occur without any conscious effort, you can’t really have an inclination toward passing on somatic mutations. Choice
D is incorrect. "Corroboration" means "evidence to support or prove something." Because elkhorn coral do the opposite of
what most animals do, they do not provide corroboration of the theory that somatic mutations can’t be passed onto
offspring. Rather, they show the opposite.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Words in Context
Difficulty
Question ID 6a1dc7c5
ID: 6a1dc7c5
Text 1
Virginia Woolf’s 1928 novel Orlando is an oddity within her body of work. Her other major novels consist mainly of scenes of
everyday life and describe their characters’ interior states in great detail, whereas Orlando propels itself through a series of
fantastical events and considers its characters’ psychology more superficially. Woolf herself sometimes regarded the novel
as a minor work, even admitting once that she “began it as a joke.”
Text 2
Like Woolf’s other great novels, Orlando portrays how people’s memories inform their experience of the present. Like those
works, it examines how people navigate social interactions shaped by gender and social class. Though it is lighter in tone—
more entertaining, even—this literary “joke” nonetheless engages seriously with the themes that motivated the four or five
other novels by Woolf that have achieved the status of literary classics.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the assessment of Orlando presented in Text 1?
A.
By conceding that Woolf’s talents were best suited to serious novels but asserting that the humor in Orlando is often
effective
B.
By agreeing that Orlando is less impressive than certain other novels by Woolf but arguing that it should still be regarded
as a classic
C.
By acknowledging that Orlando clearly differs from Woolf’s other major novels but insisting on its centrality to her body of
work nonetheless
D.
By concurring that the reputation of Orlando as a minor work has led readers to overlook this novel but maintaining that
the reputation is unearned
ID: 6a1dc7c5 Answer
Correct Answer: C
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Cross-Text
Connections
Difficulty
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it reflects how the author of Text 2 would most likely respond to the assessment of
Orlando in Text 1. Both authors agree that Orlando is unusual for Woolf: Text 1 states that the novel examines its characters’
psychologies more superficially than Woolf’s other novels do, and Text 2 describes it as being lighter in tone. However, while
Text 1 calls Orlando an “oddity” and mentions that Woolf “began it as a joke,” Text 2 asserts that Orlando engages the same
themes as Woolf’s other great novels. Hence, the author of Text 2 would most likely accept that Orlando differs from Woolf’s
other novels but would also insist on its importance in the context of Woolf’s work as a writer.
Choice A is incorrect. Text 2 does suggest that the humor in Orlando is effective. However, there’s nothing in Text 2 to
suggest that the author would agree that Woolf’s talents were best suited to serious novels. Rather, the author of Text 2
compares Orlando favorably to other novels by Woolf that are implied to be darker in tone. Choice B is incorrect because the
author of Text 2 does not indicate that Orlando is less impressive than Woolf’s other novels, but instead points out that it
engages the same themes as other novels by Woolf that are considered classics. Choice D is incorrect because there’s
nothing in Text 1 or Text 2 to suggest that readers have generally ignored Orlando because of its reputation.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID e4e2aeb3
ID: e4e2aeb3
Text 1
Like the work of Ralph Ellison before her, Toni Morrison’s novels feature scenes in which characters deliver sermons of such
length and verbal dexterity that for a time, the text exchanges the formal parameters of fiction for those of oral literature.
Given the many other echoes of Ellison in Morrison’s novels, both in structure and prose style, these scenes suggest Ellison’s
direct influence on Morrison.
Text 2
In their destabilizing effect on literary form, the sermons in Morrison’s works recall those in Ellison’s. Yet literature by Black
Americans abounds in moments where interpolated speech erodes the division between oral and written forms that
literature in English has traditionally observed. Morrison’s use of the sermon is attributable not only to the influence of Ellison
but also to a community-wide strategy of resistance to externally imposed literary conventions.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely characterize the underlined claim in Text 1?
A.
As failing to consider Ellison’s and Morrison’s equivalent uses of the sermon within the wider cultural context in which
they wrote
B. As misunderstanding the function of sermons in novels by Black American writers other than Ellison and Morrison
C. As disregarding points of structural and stylistic divergence between the works of Ellison and those of Morrison
D.
As being indebted to the tradition of resisting literary conventions that privilege written forms, such as novels, over
sermons and other oral forms
ID: e4e2aeb3 Answer
Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The author of Text 2 argues that Morrison’s use of the sermon is not only influenced by Ellison,
but also by a “community-wide strategy of resistance” to literary conventions practiced by Black American authors. Ellison,
Text 2 alleges, is only one of many influences on Morrison.
Choice B is incorrect. Neither text specifically mentions sermons in works by authors other than Morrison or Ellison, only a
tendency towards eroding “the division between oral and written forms” among Black American writers. Choice C is
incorrect. Both texts describe similarities between the works of Ellison and Morrison, and neither points out instances of
divergence. Text 2 simply suggests that Morrison was influenced by more than just Ellison. Choice D is incorrect. While Text
2 does discuss Morrison’s resistance to certain literary conventions, it’s unclear what it would mean for the underlined claim
to be “indebted” to that tradition. This choice recycles language from the text, but not in a way that makes any coherent
point.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Cross-Text
Connections
Difficulty
Question ID 34d7bb25
ID: 34d7bb25
According to Indian economist and sociologist Radhakamal Mukerjee (1889–1968), the Eurocentric concepts that informed
early twentieth-century social scientific methods—for example, the idea that all social relations are reducible to struggles
between individuals—had little relevance for India. Making the social sciences more responsive to Indians’ needs, Mukerjee
argued, required constructing analytical categories informed by India’s cultural and ecological circumstances. Mukerjee thus
proposed the communalist “Indian village” as the ideal model on which to base Indian economic and social policy.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
A.
The text recounts Mukerjee’s early training in the social scientific disciplines and then lists social policies whose
implementation Mukerjee oversaw.
B.
The text mentions some of Mukerjee’s economic theories and then traces their impact on other Indian social scientists of
the twentieth century.
C.
The text presents Mukerjee’s critique of the social sciences and then provides an example of his attempts to address
issues he identified in his critique.
D.
The text explains an influential economic theory and then demonstrates how that theory was more important to
Mukerjee’s work than other social scientists have acknowledged.
ID: 34d7bb25 Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The text does indeed present Mukerjee’s critique of the social sciences—that they were too
Eurocentric—and then provides an example of how he attempted to address the issues he identified: by suggesting a social
science model based on the Indian village.
Choice A is incorrect. The text doesn’t discuss Mukerjee’s early training or his oversight of the implementation of social
policies at all. Choice B is incorrect. The text never discusses any other Indian social scientists. Choice D is incorrect. The
text never mentions other social scientists’ responses to Mukerjee’s work.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Text Structure and
Purpose
Difficulty
Question ID c14daa3c
ID: c14daa3c
Close analysis of the painting Girl with a Flute, long attributed to the seventeenth-century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer,
has revealed subtle deviations from the artist’s signature techniques. These variations suggest that the work may be that of
a student under Vermeer’s tutelage—potentially ______ our understanding of Vermeer as a solitary artist.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A. negating
B. prefiguring
C. entrenching
D. substantiating
ID: c14daa3c Answer
Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. "Negating" means "reversing" or "making invalid." Proving that Vermeer worked with students
would reverse the view of him as a solitary artist.
Choice B is incorrect. "Prefiguring" means "being an early indicator of." There already existed views of Vermeer as a solitary
painter, so a new painting would not be an early indicator of those views. Rather, a painting proving that Vermeer had a
student would contradict those earlier views. Choice C is incorrect. "Entrenching" means "solidifying." A painting proving that
Vermeer had a student would not solidify views of him as solitary, but would rather contradict those views. Choice D is
incorrect. "Substantiating" means "supporting with proof." A painting proving that Vermeer had a student would not support
views of him as solitary, but would rather contradict those views.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Assessment
SAT
Test
Reading and Writing
Domain
Craft and Structure
Skill
Words in Context
Difficulty