betterMateusz/SAT_Writting_Reading_Assessment_Question_Bank huggingface dataset:
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.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) depleted
B) homogeneous
C) immature
D) dispersed

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.

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
The US Geological Survey wants to map every human-made structure in the United States, and it is asking volunteers to help.
Cassie Tammy Wang and Ashish D’Souza are just two of the many volunteer map editors who ______ to the project since it
began in 2012.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) contribute
B) will contribute
C) have contributed
D) will be contributing

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense in a sentence. In this choice,
the present perfect tense verb “have contributed,” used in conjunction with the phrase “since it began in 2012,” correctly
indicates that map editors have contributed in the past and continue to do so in the present.
Choice A is incorrect because the present tense verb “contribute” is inconsistent with the phrase “since it began in 2012,”
which suggests that the contributions occurred in the past and continue into the present. Choice B is incorrect because the
future tense verb “will contribute” is inconsistent with the phrase “since it began in 2012,” which suggests that the
contributions occurred in the past and continue into the present. Choice D is incorrect because the future tense verb “will be
contributing” is inconsistent with the phrase “since it began in 2012,” which suggests that the contributions occurred in the
past and continue into the present.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
Charles “Teenie” Harris was a photographer for the Pittsburgh Courier from 1936 to 1975. During his career he took over
70,000 photographs documenting everyday life in Pittsburgh’s Black communities. The Carnegie Museum of Art maintains
thousands of his photographs, carefully ______ them so that audiences can continue to view them well into the future.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) replacing
B) inventing
C) preserving
D) counting

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer. "Preserving" means "maintaining" or "keeping in good condition," so preserving the photographs
means that audiences should be able to view them for a long time.
Choice A is incorrect. "Replacing" means "putting something new in place of" the photographs. Replacing the photos will
make it so that audiences can’t view them at all. Choice B is incorrect. "Inventing" means "creating a new idea, process, or
thing." The museum can’t invent photographs that already exist. Choice D is incorrect. Counting the photographs will not help
audiences view them well into the future.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
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.

Question: 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

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.

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
Led by Syrian American astronomer Shadia Habbal, the Solar Wind Sherpas are an intrepid team of scientists who travel the
globe to study solar winds, the streams of particles emanating from the Sun that are only visible from certain locations
during a total solar eclipse. When such an eclipse is imminent, the Sherpas pack up their telescopes and ______ ready.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) get
B) had gotten
C) got
D) were getting

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense in a sentence. In this choice,
the present tense verb “get” is consistent with the other present tense verbs (“are,” “travel,” and “pack”) used to describe the
Sherpas and their activities.
Choice B is incorrect. The past perfect verb “had gotten” isn’t consistent with the other present tense verbs used to describe
the Sherpas and their activities. Choice C is incorrect. The past tense verb “got” isn’t consistent with the other present tense
verbs used to describe the Sherpas and their activities. Choice D is incorrect. The past progressive verb “were getting” isn’t
consistent with the other present tense verbs used to describe the Sherpas and their activities.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
As Mexico’s ﬁrst president from an Indigenous community, Benito Juarez became one of the most ______ ﬁgures in his
country’s history: among the many signiﬁcant accomplishments of his long tenure in oﬃce (1858–1872), Juarez
consolidated the authority of the national government and advanced the rights of Indigenous peoples.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) unpredictable
B) important
C) secretive
D) ordinary

Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Juarez. In this context, “important”
means marked by signiﬁcant work or consequence. The text indicates that Juarez, who was the ﬁrst president of Mexico
from an Indigenous community, became a certain kind of ﬁgure in Mexico’s history. It then supports that claim by describing
some of the “many signiﬁcant accomplishments” from Juarez’s long tenure in oﬃce. This context conveys that Juarez is a
signiﬁcant and consequential ﬁgure in Mexico’s history.
Choice A is incorrect because the text focuses on Juarez’s role as the ﬁrst president of Mexico from an Indigenous
community and on his many major accomplishments during his lengthy time in oﬃce; nothing in the text suggests that
Juarez was “unpredictable,” or tended to behave in ways that couldn’t be predicted. Choice C is incorrect because nothing in
the text suggests that Juarez was a particularly “secretive” ﬁgure, or that he tended to keep things private or hidden from
others. Instead, the text focuses on things that are known about Juarez: that he was the ﬁrst president of Mexico from an
Indigenous community, that he had a lengthy tenure, and that his many major accomplishments included consolidating the
national government’s authority and advancing Indigenous rights. Choice D is incorrect because the text focuses on the idea
that Juarez, who was the ﬁrst president of Mexico from an Indigenous community, had many major accomplishments during
his lengthy time in oﬃce. Rather than suggesting that Juarez was an “ordinary,” or common and typical, ﬁgure in Mexico’s
history, this context conveys that Juarez was instead a notable ﬁgure.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
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, ______

Question: 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.

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.

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
Seneca sculptor Marie Watt’s blanket art comes in a range of shapes and sizes. In 2004, Watt sewed strips of blankets
together to craft a 10-by-13-inch ______ in 2014, she arranged folded blankets into two large stacks and then cast them in
bronze, creating two curving 18-foot-tall blue-bronze pillars.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) sampler later,
B) sampler;
C) sampler,
D) sampler, later,

Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice
uses a semicolon in a conventional way to join the ﬁrst main clause (“In 2004…sampler”) and the second main clause (“in
2014…pillars”).
Choice A 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. The word “later” is an adverb and cannot be used to join two main clauses unless it is
preceded by a conjunction. Choice C 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, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses. The word “later” is an adverb
and cannot be used to join two main clauses unless it is preceded by a conjunction.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
In the 1950s, a man named Joseph McVicker was struggling to keep his business aﬂoat when his sister-in-law Kay Zufall
advised him to repurpose the company’s product, a nontoxic, clay-like substance for removing soot from wallpaper, as a
modeling putty for kids. In addition, Zufall ______ selling the product under a child-friendly name: Play-Doh.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) suggested
B) suggests
C) had suggested
D) was suggesting

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense. In this choice, the simple past
tense verb “suggested” properly indicates that Zufall offered her suggestion for the product’s name in the past. This verb
tense is consistent with the previous sentence’s use of a simple past tense verb (“advised”) to describe Zufall’s advice to
McVicker in the 1950s.
Choice B is incorrect because the present tense verb “suggests” doesn’t indicate that Zufall offered her suggestion in the
past. Choice C is incorrect because the past perfect verb “had suggested” isn’t consistent with the previous sentence’s use
of the simple past tense verb “advised” to describe Zufall’s advice to McVicker. Choice D is incorrect because the past
progressive verb “was suggesting” isn’t consistent with the previous sentence’s use of the simple past tense verb “advised”
to describe Zufall’s advice to McVicker.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
According to a US tax policy expert, state taxes are ______ other factors when considering an interstate move. Even
signiﬁcant differences in state taxation have almost no effect on most people’s decisions, while differences in employment
opportunities, housing availability, and climate are strong inﬂuences.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) consistent with
B) representative of
C) overshadowed by
D) irrelevant to

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the factors that inﬂuence peoples’
decisions to move to a different state. As used in this context, “overshadowed by” means to be surpassed by or caused to
seem less important than other factors affecting a move. The text indicates that, according to a US tax policy expert, when
people think about an interstate move, state taxes have little effect on their decisions, while employment opportunities,
housing availability, and climate have a very strong effect. This context suggests that people consider these other factors to
be more important than state taxes. 
Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that state taxes aren’t as important a consideration as other factors when
people are thinking of moving to another state. The context doesn’t suggest that state taxes are “consistent with,” or in
agreement with these other factors. Choice B is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context to say that state taxes
are “representative of,” or typical of, other factors. Taxes aren’t an example of employment opportunities, housing availability,
and climate, which are the other factors listed in the text. Choice D is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context to
say that state taxes are “irrelevant to,” or unconnected or unimportant to other factors. State taxes are irrelevant to peoples’
decisions, not to other factors. In other words, although the text suggests that state taxes may be irrelevant to people
considering a move to another state, the other factors mentioned in the text, such as employment opportunities, are unable
to have an opinion about state taxes. Furthermore, the text indicates that signiﬁcant differences in state taxes have almost
no effect on peoples’ choices to move, but they aren’t completely unimportant.

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
Botanists recognize over ﬁfty different species of sunﬂower. One species, the silverleaf sunﬂower, ______ both an early-
ﬂowering ecotype that tends to grow in coastal areas and a late-ﬂowering ecotype that grows inland.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) having included
B) including
C) to include
D) includes

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer. This verb needs to function as the main verb in the sentence, with the subject “one species,” so
it needs to be conjugated. This choice gives us the singular present tense “includes,” which is the only conjugated form of
the verb among the choices. 
Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This
verb needs to function as the main verb in the sentence, with the subject “one species,” so it needs to be conjugated. “Having
included” is a participle form of the verb: it’s not conjugated and doesn’t function like a normal verb. Choice B is incorrect.
This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This verb needs to function as
the main verb in the sentence, with the subject “one species,” so it needs to be conjugated. “Including” is the gerund form of
the verb: it’s not conjugated and doesn’t function like a normal verb. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a
way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This verb needs to function as the main verb in the sentence, with
the subject “one species,” so it needs to be conjugated. “To include” is the inﬁnitive form of the verb: it’s not conjugated.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
The life spans of rockﬁsh vary greatly by species. For instance, the colorful calico rockﬁsh (Sebastes dalli) can survive for a
little over a ______ the rougheye rockﬁsh (Sebastes aleutianus) boasts a maximum life span of about two centuries.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) decade: while
B) decade. While
C) decade; while
D) decade, while

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a main clause and a subordinate clause.
This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the main clause (“the colorful…decade”) and the
subordinate clause (“while…centuries”) that provides contrasting information about the life span of rougheye rockﬁsh. 
Choice A is incorrect because a colon can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a subordinate clause. Choice B is
incorrect because it results in a rhetorically unacceptable sentence fragment beginning with “while.” Choice C is incorrect
because a semicolon can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a subordinate clause.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
Hiroshi Senju is known worldwide for his paintings of waterfalls. These paintings are large and tend not to show the entire
waterfall.  Instead, Senju focuses on just the point where the falling water reaches the pool below, keeping the top of the
waterfall out of view. While Senju’s paintings are rooted in art movements originating in the United States, the artist uses
traditional Japanese techniques and materials that make his work instantly recognizable.

Question: Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
A) It introduces an artist and then explains some common characteristics of well-known paintings by that artist.
B) It explains a speciﬁc painting technique and then provides examples of artists who use the technique.
C) It describes a famous painting and then compares it to a lesser-known painting from the same time period.
D) It gives an opinion on an artist and then suggests multiple reasons why the artist’s work has been largely overlooked.

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer. The ﬁrst sentence introduces Senju as a famous artist, while the next three sentences describe
the deﬁning features of his art, such as it only showing part of the waterfall and its origins in US art movements and
Japanese techniques.
Choice B is incorrect. The text doesn’t provide examples of any other artists who use Senju’s techniques. Choice C is
incorrect. The text doesn’t describe any single famous painting or make comparisons between paintings. Choice D is
incorrect. The text doesn’t provide an opinion on Senju (just facts), nor does it suggest that his art has been overlooked—in
fact, it states that he is “known worldwide.”

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
Seminole/Muscogee director Sterlin Harjo ______ television’s tendency to situate Native characters in the distant past: this
rejection is evident in his series Reservation Dogs, which revolves around teenagers who dress in contemporary styles and
whose dialogue is laced with current slang.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) repudiates
B) proclaims
C) foretells
D) recants

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Sterlin Harjo’s approach to
representing Native characters on television. As used in this context, “repudiates” means rejects or refuses to have anything
to do with. The text indicates that television shows tend to depict Native characters as living long ago, but that Harjo’s series
Reservation Dogs focuses on Native teenagers in the present day, representing a “rejection” of the typical approach to
depicting Native characters. This context thus indicates that Harjo repudiates television’s general tendency regarding Native
characters. 
Choice B is incorrect because the text describes Harjo’s “rejection” of the typical approach to representing Native characters
on television, so it wouldn’t make sense to say that Harjo “proclaims,” or declares or aﬃrms, television’s general tendency
regarding Native characters. Harjo is described as refusing to follow the pattern of depicting Native characters in the distant
past, not as proclaiming that pattern. Choice C is incorrect because the text describes television’s tendency to represent
Native characters in the distant past as something that is already occurring, not as something that Harjo “foretells,” or
predicts will happen in the future. The text is focused on Harjo’s “rejection” of this pattern, not on any predictions he may
have about it. Choice D is incorrect because saying that Harjo “recants” something would mean that he withdraws a
previously held belief, and it wouldn’t make sense to say that Harjo recants television’s tendency to represent Native
characters as living in the past. No beliefs previously held by Harjo are mentioned. Additionally, a tendency isn’t a belief and
thus isn’t something that can be recanted.

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
As an architect in Los Angeles in the 1950s, Helen Liu Fong became known for avoiding ______ designs in her buildings.
Instead of using standard shapes and colors, she typically explored innovative forms and daring hues.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) creative
B) bold
C) traditional
D) understandable

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Helen Liu Fong’s architectural
designs. In this context, “traditional” means conventional. The text states that rather than use “standard shapes and colors,”
Fong pursued “innovative” and “daring” design choices in her work. Fong’s style is depicted as inventive, so it therefore
makes sense in this context that she avoided mainstream, traditional designs in her buildings. 
Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that Fong’s work is innovative and experimental. Thus, Fong’s design
choices could reasonably be considered creative, or original. She likely would have pursued creative designs, not avoided
them. Choice B is incorrect because the text indicates that Fong used “daring” hues in her designs. Thus, Fong likely would
have pursued bold, or brave and vivid design choices; she wouldn’t have avoided them. Choice D is incorrect because the text
doesn’t address whether Fong’s designs are understandable, or reasonable or expected. The text focuses on certain
characteristics of Fong’s designs, not on how people received or understood them.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
The Appalachian Trail is a hiking path in the eastern United States. Much of the 2,000 mile trail passes through wilderness
areas. In order to ______ those areas, the United States Congress passed the National Trails System Act in 1968, ensuring
that the trail would not be sold or commercially developed.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) borrow
B) postpone
C) protect
D) decorate

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer. "Protect" means "preserve" or "keep safe from." By ensuring that the wilderness areas along the
Appalachian Trail can’t be sold or developed, the National Trails System Act protects them.
Choice A is incorrect. "Borrow" means "to take something with intent to return it." The text doesn’t say anything about taking
and returning the wilderness that surrounds the Appalachian Trail. Choice B is incorrect. "Postpone" means "to put off until
later." Nothing in the passage suggests that Congress wants to "postpone" the wilderness areas (and that doesn’t make
sense anyway—they can postpone doing something to the wilderness areas, but they can’t postpone the areas themselves).
Choice D is incorrect. "Decorate" means "to adorn" or "add extra items or pictures to make more attractive." No details in the
text suggest that Congress wishes to make the trail fancier or more attractive.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
Cheng Dang and her colleagues at the University of Washington recently ran simulations to determine the extent to which
individual snow ______ affect the amount of light reﬂecting off a snowy surface.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) grain’s physical properties’
B) grains’ physical properties
C) grains’ physical property’s
D) grains physical properties

Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of plural and possessive nouns. The plural possessive
noun “grains’” and the plural noun “properties” correctly indicate that the simulations involved multiple snow grains and that
those snow grains had several properties.
Choice A is incorrect because the context requires the plural possessive noun “grains’” and the plural noun “properties,” not
the singular possessive noun “grain’s” and the plural possessive noun “properties’.” Choice C is incorrect because the context
requires the plural noun “properties,” not the singular possessive noun “property’s.” Choice D is incorrect because the context
requires the plural possessive noun “grains’,” not the plural noun “grains.”

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
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.

Question: 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.

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.

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
Diego Velázquez was the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV of Spain during the seventeenth century, but his
inﬂuence was hardly ______ Spain: realist and impressionist painters around the world employed his techniques and echoed
elements of his style.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) derived from
B) recognized in
C) conﬁned to
D) repressed by

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the discussion of the artist Diego Velázquez’s inﬂuence
outside Spain. As used in this context, “conﬁned to” means restricted to. The text says that Velázquez was the leading artist
in the Spanish court during the seventeenth century, but it also notes that other painters around the world were inﬂuenced by
his techniques and style. Thus, Velázquez’s inﬂuence was hardly (or almost not) conﬁned to, or restricted to, Spain.
Choice A is incorrect because if Velázquez was a leading artist in Spain, it doesn’t make logical sense to claim that his
inﬂuence was hardly (or almost not) derived from, or obtained from, Spain. Moreover, the other painters around the world
who employed Velázquez’s techniques would by deﬁnition be inﬂuenced by Spanish style. Choice B is incorrect because if
Velázquez was a leading artist in the court of King Philip IV of Spain, then his inﬂuence must have been widely recognized, or
acknowledged, rather than being hardly (or almost not) recognized. Choice D is incorrect because the text gives no
indication that deliberately limiting Velázquez’s inﬂuence outside Spain was ever considered by anyone. Thus, even if it is
true that his inﬂuence was not repressed, or restrained, it doesn’t make logical sense to say so in this context.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
In the late 1960s, inspired in part by the sight of laundry hanging on a clothesline, African American abstract painter Sam
Gilliam began to create his iconic “Drape” paintings. He applied bold, saturated hues to large canvases and ______ them from
ceilings or walls, causing the drooping fabric to cascade in dramatic loops and curves.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) to have suspended
B) suspending
C) to suspend
D) suspended

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer. The past tense of "suspended" matches the past tense of "applied," which has the same subject
("he") and takes place in the same context: "He applied…and [he] suspended."
Choice A is incorrect. The perfect inﬁnitive "to have suspended" doesn’t match the past tense of "applied," and it can’t serve
as a verb on its own. These are both verbs with the same subject and in the same context, so there’s no need to shift tenses.
Choice B is incorrect. The present participle "suspending" doesn’t match the past tense of "applied," and it can’t serve as a
verb on its own. These are both verbs with the same subject and in the same context, so there’s no need to shift tenses.
Choice C is incorrect. The inﬁnitive "to suspend" doesn’t match the past tense of "applied," and it can’t serve as a verb on its
own. These are both verbs with the same subject and in the same context, so there’s no need to shift tenses.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
The following text is from Charlotte Forten Grimké’s 1888 poem “At Newport.”
Oh, deep delight to watch the gladsome waves
Exultant leap upon the rugged rocks;
Ever repulsed, yet ever rushing on—
Filled with a life that will not know defeat;
To see the glorious hues of sky and sea.
The distant snowy sails, glide spirit like,
Into an unknown world, to feel the sweet
Enchantment of the sea thrill all the soul,
Clearing the clouded brain, making the heart
Leap joyous as it own bright, singing waves!

Question: Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?
A) It portrays the surroundings as an imposing and intimidating scene.
B) It characterizes the sea’s waves as a relentless and enduring force.
C) It conveys the speaker’s ambivalence about the natural world.
D) It draws a contrast between the sea’s waves and the speaker’s thoughts.

Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined portion functions in the text as a
whole. The text presents the speaker’s experience of viewing the sea. In the underlined portion, the speaker focuses on the
idea that the waves hitting rocks on the shore are a relentless and enduring force: they are constantly pushed back (“ever
repulsed”) but always return (“ever rushing on”), as though they have an energy that can’t be overcome (“a life that will not
know defeat”).
Choice A is incorrect. Although the underlined portion characterizes the waves as a relentless force (always “repulsed” but
still “rushing on” and never being defeated), the speaker doesn’t suggest that the surroundings are intimidating. Instead, the
speaker presents the scene in a positive way, describing the “deep delight” of the “gladsome,” or cheerful, waves and feeling
“the heart / Leap joyous” while viewing the sea. Choice C is incorrect because the underlined portion doesn’t suggest that
the speaker is ambivalent, or has mixed feelings about, the natural world. Instead, it presents a single view of one part of the
immediate surroundings: the speaker characterizes the sea’s waves as an unstoppable force, since they are constantly
pushed back but always return (“ever repulsed, yet ever rushing on”). Choice D is incorrect. Although the text later suggests
the speaker’s view of her own thoughts by referring to a “clouded brain” and a heart that leaps joyously, this reference neither

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
A brief book review cannot fully convey the ______ of Olga Tokarczuk’s novel The Books of Jacob, with its enormous cast of
characters, its complicated, wandering plot, and its page numbers that count backward (beginning at 965 and ending at 1).

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) accuracy
B) inactivity
C) complexity
D) restraint

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Olga Tokarczuk’s novel The Books
of Jacob. As used in this context, “complexity” means having many complicated parts that when taken as a whole are
diﬃcult to follow or explain. The text indicates that The Books of Jacob has a large cast of characters, a complicated and
wandering plot (that is, a plot that is diﬃcult to follow), and reverse page numbering. Together, these features make up a
novel that’s challenging to read and summarize. This context supports the idea that a brief book review can’t do justice to the
novel’s complexity.
Choice A is incorrect. Although the word “accuracy,” or being free from error or falsehood, can sometimes be used to
describe a novel, the text doesn’t discuss whether Tokarczuk’s novel has this quality. Instead, the text describes the novel as
having a large cast of characters, a diﬃcult-to-follow plot, and reverse page numbering. These features suggest complexity,
not accuracy. Choice B is incorrect because “inactivity” means being in a state of idleness or doing nothing, neither of which
would make sense in this context. The text describes Tokarczuk’s novel, and although it’s possible the novel could portray its
characters as inactive, it wouldn’t make sense to describe the novel itself as such. Choice D is incorrect because in this
context “restraint” would mean holding back or showing self-control, and the text doesn’t indicate that Tokarczuk’s novel has
either of these qualities. In fact, the features of the novel that the text describes, such as a large cast of characters, a
complicated and wandering plot, and reverse page numbering, suggest excess and complexity, not restraint.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
Rydra Wong, the protagonist of Samuel R. Delany’s 1966 novel Babel-17, is a poet, an occupation which, in Delany’s work, is
not ______: nearly a dozen of the characters that populate his novels are poets or writers.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) infallible
B) atypical
C) lucrative
D) tedious

Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Samuel R. Delany’s character Rydra
Wong. As used in this context, “atypical” would mean unrepresentative or not common. The text indicates that Wong is one
of “nearly a dozen” characters in Delany’s novels who are poets or writers. This context conveys that being a poet isn’t an
atypical occupation for a character in one of Delany’s works.  
Choice A is incorrect because “infallible” means to be accurate or without fault, which wouldn’t make sense in context. The
text focuses on the fact that Delany has written many characters who are poets and writers. This context suggests that the
occupation isn’t atypical for Delany, not that the occupation isn’t infallible, or problematic. Choice C is incorrect because
“lucrative” means to be proﬁtable, which wouldn’t make sense in context. If writing poet characters weren’t proﬁtable, it
wouldn’t be logical to explain this by citing that Delany gave many of his characters the same occupation. Choice D is
incorrect because “tedious” means to be boring, which wouldn’t make sense in context. The text focuses on the fact that
Delany has written many characters who are poets and writers. This context suggests that the occupation isn’t atypical for
Delany, not that the occupation isn’t tedious.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
Obsidian is a kind of volcanic glass formed when lava cools so quickly that the atoms inside it cannot arrange themselves in
a crystalline structure. You ______ more about obsidian’s structure, which is classiﬁed as amorphous, in a later chapter.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) had learned
B) had been learning
C) will learn
D) have learned

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense in a sentence. In this choice,
the future tense verb “will learn,” used in conjunction with the phrase “in a later chapter,” correctly indicates that “you” (the
reader) are going to learn about obsidian’s structure at some point in the future.
Choice A is incorrect because the past perfect verb “had learned” doesn’t indicate that the subject is going to learn about
obsidian’s structure in the future. Choice B is incorrect because the past perfect progressive verb “had been learning” doesn’t
indicate that the subject is going to learn about obsidian’s structure in the future. Choice D is incorrect because the present
perfect verb “have learned” doesn’t indicate that the subject is going to learn about obsidian’s structure in the future.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
The human brain is primed to recognize faces—so much so that, due to a perceptual tendency called pareidolia, ______ will
even ﬁnd faces in clouds, wooden doors, pieces of fruit, and other faceless inanimate objects. Researcher Susan Magsamen
has focused her work on better understanding this everyday phenomenon.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) she
B) they
C) it
D) those

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer. "It" is a singular pronoun used to stand in for objects. Since the antecedent in this case is the
singular noun phrase "the human brain," "it" is a perfect pronoun to use here.
Choice A is incorrect. Although "she" is a singular pronoun, it is reserved for people and animals, not objects like "the human
brain." Choice B is incorrect. "They" is a plural pronoun, but we need a singular pronoun to represent the antecedent "the
human brain." Choice D is incorrect. "Those" is a plural pronoun, but we need a singular pronoun to represent the antecedent
"the human brain."

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
Oglala Lakota poet Layli Long Soldier’s star quilt poems offer an unusually open-ended reading experience. With ______ eight
panels of text stitched together in the shape of a traditional eight-pointed Lakota star quilt, the poems present viewers with a
seemingly inﬁnite number of ways to read them.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) their
B) it’s
C) they’re
D) its

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of possessive determiners. The plural possessive
determiner "their" agrees in number with the plural noun "the poems," thus indicating that the poems had eight panels of text
stitched together in the shape of a traditional eight-pointed Lakota star quilt.
Choice B is incorrect because "it’s" is the contraction for "it is" or "it has," not a possessive determiner. Choice C is incorrect
because "they’re" is the contraction for "they are," not a possessive determiner. Choice D is incorrect because the singular
possessive determiner "its" doesn’t agree in number with the plural noun "the poems."

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
Over twenty years ago, in a landmark experiment in the psychology of choice, professor Sheena Iyengar set up a jam-tasting
booth at a grocery store. The number of jams available for tasting ______ some shoppers had twenty-four different options,
others only six. Interestingly, the shoppers with fewer jams to choose from purchased more jam.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) varied:
B) varied,
C) varied, while
D) varied while

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of a colon within a sentence. In this choice, the colon is
used in a conventional way to introduce the following description of how the number of jams available varied. 
Choice B is incorrect because it creates a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses (“the
number…varied” and “some…six”). Choice C is incorrect because it results in an illogical and confusing sentence. Using the
conjunction “while” to join the main clause (“the number…varied”) with the following clause’s description of the number of
jams available suggests that the variation in the number of jams is in contrast to some shoppers having twenty-four options.
Choice D is incorrect because it results in an illogical and confusing sentence. Using “while” in this way suggests that the
number of jams available varied during the time in which some shoppers had twenty-four options and others had six. The
sentence makes clear, however, that what follows “varied” is a description of the variation, not a separate, simultaneous
occurrence.

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
Atoms in a synchrotron, a type of circular particle accelerator, travel faster and faster until they ______ a desired energy level,
at which point they are diverted to collide with a target, smashing the atoms.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) will reach
B) reach
C) had reached
D) are reaching

Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense in a sentence. In this choice,
the present tense verb “reach” is consistent with the present tense verbs “travel” and “are diverted” used to describe how
atoms move through the synchrotron.
Choice A is incorrect because the future tense verb “will reach” is inconsistent with the present tense verbs used to describe
how atoms move through the synchrotron. Though the atoms’ movement is a recurring action and “will reach” can also be
used to indicate a habitual or recurring action, it creates a logical inconsistency in this sentence when paired with the
present tense verbs “travel” and “are diverted.” Choice C is incorrect because the past perfect tense verb “had reached” is
inconsistent with the present tense verbs used to describe how atoms move through the synchrotron. Choice D is incorrect
because the present progressive tense verb “are reaching” is inconsistent with the present tense verbs used to describe how
atoms move through the synchrotron. While both verbs occur in the present, the present progressive tense suggests that the
action is currently in progress. This creates a logical inconsistency when paired with the present tense verbs “travel” and “are
diverted,” which offer a general description of the tendencies of the atoms’ movement, rather than a description of an action
that is currently in progress.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions