betterMateusz/SAT_Writting_Reading_Assessment_Question_Bank huggingface dataset:
Slam poet Elizabeth Acevedo’s debut novel The Poet X, winner of the 2018 National Book Award for Young People’s
Literature, is composed of ______ protagonist, ﬁfteen-year-old Xiomara Batista.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) poems putatively written by the novel’s
B) poem’s putatively written by the novel’s
C) poem’s putatively written by the novels’
D) poems putatively written by the novels’

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer. Nothing belongs to the “poems” in the sentence, so it should not be possessive—just a simple
plural noun. The protagonist does belong to the novel—it’s the protagonist of the novel—so “novel” needs to be a singular
possessive noun.
Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This
choice uses the singular possessive “poem’s,” but the text indicates that it should be the simple plural “poems”: there is more
than one poem, and nothing belongs to the poems. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t complete the text in a way that
conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This choice uses the singular possessive “poem’s,” but the text indicates
that it should be the simple plural “poems”: there is more than one poem, and nothing belongs to the poems. This choice
also uses the plural possessive “novels’,” which is incorrect because there is only one novel. Choice D is incorrect. This
doesn’t complete the text in a way that conforms to the conventions of Standard English. This choice uses the plural
possessive “novels’,” which is incorrect because there is only one novel, so it should be the singular possessive “novel’s.” .

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
For a 2020 exhibition, photographer and neurobiologist Okunola Jeyifous ______ a series of new images based on a series of
alphabet posters from the 1970s known as the “Black ABCs,” which featured Black children from Chicago. Jeyifous
photographed the now-adult models and layered the photos over magniﬁed images of the models’ cells, resulting in what he
called “micro and macro portraiture.”

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) validated
B) created
C) challenged
D) restored

Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer because it most logically and precisely completes the text’s discussion of Jeyifous’s series of
images for the 2020 exhibition. In this context, “created” means produced. The text explains that Jeyifous, a photographer
and neurobiologist, photographed adults who had appeared as children in posters from the 1970s, then combined those
photographs with magniﬁed images of the adults’ cells—a process that resulted in what he called “micro and macro
portraiture.” This context suggests that Jeyifous drew on his dual interests in photography and neurobiology to produce the
images for display in the exhibition.
Choice A is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that Jeyifous “validated,” or corroborated, the series of
images. The text describes Jeyifous’s process for composing the images but doesn’t describe Jeyifous making an effort to
evaluate the images for their artistic or scientiﬁc legitimacy. Choice C is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to
suggest that Jeyifous “challenged,” or disputed, an aspect of the images; rather, the focus of the text is on the inspiration
behind the images and the method Jeyifous used to achieve them. Choice D is incorrect because the text indicates that
Jeyifous made the images himself using a combination of photography and magniﬁed pictures of cells, not that he
“restored,” or reconditioned, the images from a deteriorated state.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
The following text is adapted from Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto’s 1925 memoir A Daughter of the Samurai. As a young woman,
Sugimoto moved from feudal Japan to the United States.
The standards of my own and my adopted country differed so widely in some ways, and my love for both lands was so
sincere, that sometimes I had an odd feeling of standing upon a cloud in space, and gazing with measuring eyes upon
two separate worlds. At ﬁrst I was continually trying to explain, by Japanese standards, all the queer things that came
every day before my surprised eyes; for no one seemed to know the origin or signiﬁcance of even the most familiar
customs, nor why they existed and were followed.

Question: Which choice best describes the main purpose of the text?
A) To convey the narrator’s experience of observing and making sense of differences between two cultures she embraces
B) To establish the narrator’s hope of forming connections with new companions by sharing customs she learned as a child
C) To reveal the narrator’s recognition that she is hesitant to ask questions about certain aspects of a culture she is newly
encountering
D) To emphasize the narrator’s wonder at discovering that the physical distance between two countries is greater than she

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The narrator asserts that she
loves both her “own” country (Japan) and her “adopted country” (the United States) even though the two countries differ
“widely.” She also indicates that, at ﬁrst, she would try to explain unfamiliar experiences that she had in the United States
using the standards ingrained in her from growing up in Japan. Thus, the main purpose of the text is to convey the narrator’s
experience of observing and making sense of the differences between two cultures she embraces.
Choice B is incorrect because the text makes no reference to possible companions. Although the text does indicate that the
narrator sometimes used the cultural framework she acquired growing up in Japan to explain some experiences she’s had,
there is no suggestion that this was in service of making friends. And although “no one seemed to know” strongly implies
that the narrator has interacted with other people in the United States, there is no indication that these conversations
involved her discussing Japanese customs. Choice C is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that the narrator was
hesitant to ask questions. In fact, the narrator indicates that “no one seemed to know the origin” of various customs, which
provides evidence that, rather than being hesitant, she sought information from several people. Choice D is incorrect
because the text makes no reference to the physical distance between Japan and the United States. Although the narrator
indicates that the two countries differ “widely” and likens them to “two separate worlds,” these descriptions relate to cultural
aspects of the countries and the narrator’s feelings about the two countries, not the physical distance between them.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
Scholarly discussions of gender in Shakespeare’s comedies often celebrate the rebellion of the playwright’s characters
against the rigid expectations ______ by Elizabethan society. Most of the comedies end in marriage, with characters returning
to their socially dictated gender roles after previously defying them, but there are some notable exceptions.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) interjected
B) committed
C) illustrated
D) prescribed

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of gender roles in Shakespeare’s
comedies. As used in this context, “prescribed” would mean laid down as rules. The text indicates that the characters in the
comedies often defy gender roles that are “socially dictated” (even if most characters do return to those roles eventually)
and that scholars have been very interested in these acts of deﬁance. This context indicates that what the characters are
rebelling against are standards of behavior prescribed by the society of the time.  
Choice A is incorrect because saying that expectations about gender were “interjected,” or suddenly inserted between other
things, wouldn’t make sense in context. There’s no suggestion in the text that the issue of gender roles was inserted between
other things or was an interruption in a larger discussion. Choice B is incorrect because the text indicates that Shakespeare
depicts characters rebelling against expectations about gender that have been “socially dictated,” not expectations that
society has “committed,” or carried out, entrusted, or promised. Choice C is incorrect because the text indicates that
Shakespeare depicts characters rebelling against expectations about gender that have been “socially dictated,” not
expectations that have been “illustrated,” or clariﬁed with examples. Although it’s possible for expectations about gender
roles to be illustrated, there’s nothing in the text to indicate that characters in Shakespeare’s comedies rebel against
illustrations of gender expectations.

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
Why are Rome’s famous concrete structures, such as the Colosseum, still standing after 2,000-plus years, when modern
concrete may not even last for ﬁfty? Scientists ______ that the secret to Roman concrete’s durability was its unique blend of
ingredients, which included volcanic ash and seawater.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) explain
B) having explained
C) explaining
D) to explain

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verb forms within a sentence. The main clause of a
sentence requires a ﬁnite (tensed) verb, and this choice supplies the ﬁnite present tense verb “explain” to indicate what the
scientists do.
Choice B is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The nonﬁnite participle “having explained” doesn’t
supply the main clause with a ﬁnite verb. Choice C is incorrect because it results in an ungrammatical sentence. The
nonﬁnite participle “explaining” doesn’t supply the main clause with a ﬁnite verb. Choice D is incorrect because it results in
an ungrammatical sentence. The nonﬁnite to-inﬁnitive “to explain” doesn’t supply the main clause with a ﬁnite verb.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
Like the 1945 play it reimagines—Federico García Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba—Marcus Gardley’s 2014 play The
House That Will Not Stand prominently features women. In both plays, the all-female cast ______ an array of female
characters, including a strong mother and several daughters dealing with individual struggles.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) engulfs
B) encourages
C) comprises
D) provokes

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Gardley’s play. In this context,
“comprises” means constitutes or makes up the totality of, and the text indicates that The House That Will Not Stand had an
“all-female cast” that stands in some relationship to “an array of female characters” in the play. Because all cast members
are female, the characters must be played by these female cast members; therefore the cast constitutes, or comprises, the
collection of characters.
Choice A is incorrect. In this context, “engulfs” would mean encloses or overwhelms, and although it is fairly common to
describe an actor as embodying (or personifying realistically) a character, there is nothing in the text to suggest that the cast
members enclosed or overwhelmed the characters they played. Choice B is incorrect because in this context, “encourages”
would mean inspires with courage or hope. Although the text does mention “a strong mother and several daughters dealing
with individual struggles,” which might suggest that there are moments of encouragement among the characters during the
play, there is nothing to suggest that the cast members encouraged the characters they portrayed. Choice D is incorrect
because, in this context, “provokes” would mean instigates or incites to anger. Nothing in the text addresses provocation or
what it might mean for actors to provoke the characters they are playing.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
Humans were long thought to have begun occupying the Peruvian settlement of Machu Picchu between 1440 and 1450 CE.
However, a team led by anthropologist Dr. Richard Burger used accelerator mass spectrometry to uncover evidence that it
was occupied ______ 1420 CE, according to Burger, humans were likely inhabiting the area.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) earlier. In
B) earlier, in
C) earlier, which in
D) earlier in

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between sentences. In this choice, the period is
used correctly to mark the boundary between one sentence (“However...earlier”) and another (“In...area”). The supplementary
phrase “in 1420 CE” modiﬁes “humans,” the subject of the third sentence.
Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between
sentences. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the
boundary between sentences. Moreover, the subordinating conjunction “which” creates a confusing and illogical sentence
that suggests that the supplementary phrase beginning with “in” modiﬁes the previous information (“However...earlier”)
rather than the information that follows. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The sentences
(“However...earlier” and “in...area”) are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
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.

Question: 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

Answer: B

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

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
US traﬃc signals didn’t always contain the familiar three lights (red, yellow, and green). Traﬃc lights only ______ red and
green lights until the three-light traﬃc signal was developed in the 1920s.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) avoided
B) featured
C) appreciated
D) disregarded

Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of traﬃc signals. As used in this
context, “featured” means had as a characteristic or part. The text indicates that although US traﬃc signals have lights of
three different colors (red, yellow, and green), this wasn’t the case until the 1920s, when the three-light signal was ﬁrst
developed. Before then, the text suggests, traﬃc signals had fewer lights (as indicated by the word “only” in the second
sentence). This context supports the idea that before the 1920s, traﬃc signals featured only red and green lights.
Choice A is incorrect because “avoided” means kept away from someone or something or prevented something from
occurring, neither of which would make sense in context. The text doesn’t discuss keeping away from someone or
something but instead focuses on what US traﬃc signals look like. The text states that they didn’t have lights of three
different colors until the three-light signal was developed in the 1920s. Choice C is incorrect because “appreciated” means
admired or increased in value, neither of which would make sense in context. The text focuses solely on the fact that US
traﬃc signals have contained lights of three colors only since the three-light signal was developed in the 1920s. The text
doesn’t mention how this characteristic or traﬃc signals in general are perceived or what their value is. Moreover, the blank
portion of the text describes “traﬃc signals,” which are lifeless objects and therefore unable to admire or increase the value
of something. Choice D is incorrect because “disregarded” means ignored or treated something as unworthy of notice,
neither of which would make sense in context. The text doesn’t discuss how people react to traﬃc signals; rather, it
addresses the idea that US traﬃc signals have contained lights of three colors only since the three-light signal was
developed in the 1920s. Moreover, the blank portion of the text describes “traﬃc signals,” which are lifeless objects and
therefore unable to ignore or treat something in a particular manner.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
While many video game creators strive to make their graphics ever more ______ others look to the past, developing titles with
visuals inspired by the “8-bit” games of the 1980s and 1990s. (The term “8-bit” refers to a console whose processor could
only handle eight bits of data at once.)

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

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a subordinate clause and a main clause.
This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the subordinate clause (“While…lifelike”) and the main
clause (“others look to the past”).
Choice A is incorrect because it results in an incomplete sentence with no main clause. Choice B is incorrect because it fails
to mark the boundary between the subordinate clause (“While…lifelike”) and the main clause (“others…past”). Choice D is
incorrect because it results in an incomplete sentence with no main clause.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
According to historian Vicki L. Ruiz, Mexican American women made crucial contributions to the labor movement during
World War II. At the time, food processing companies entered into contracts to supply United States armed forces with
canned goods. Increased production quotas conferred greater bargaining power on the companies’ employees, many of
whom were Mexican American women: employees insisted on more favorable beneﬁts, and employers, who were anxious to
fulﬁll the contracts, complied. Thus, labor activism became a platform for Mexican American women to assert their agency.

Question: Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?
A) It elaborates on a claim about labor relations in a particular industry made earlier in the text.
B) It offers an example of a trend in the World War II–era economy discussed earlier in the text.
C) It notes a possible exception to the historical narrative of labor activism sketched earlier in the text.
D) It provides further details about the identities of the workers discussed earlier in the text.

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer because it best describes how the underlined portion functions in the text as a whole. The text
says that the increased production quotas of food processing companies during World War II enabled employees to make
better bargains in exchange for their labor. The underlined portion presents an example of this increased bargaining power:
employees requested more favorable beneﬁts, and employers complied because they were under pressure to fulﬁll the
demanding terms of their contracts. Thus, the underlined portion of the text elaborates on a claim about labor relations in a
particular industry (food processing) made earlier in the text.
Choice B is incorrect because there is no indication in the text that the economic factors that inﬂuenced food processing
also inﬂuenced other parts of the economy; thus, the bargaining described in the underlined portion of the text cannot be
called an example of a trend. Choice C is incorrect because the underlined portion supports the historical narrative of labor
activism in food processing that is sketched in the text, instead of noting an exception to that narrative. Choice D is incorrect
because while the underlined portion does discuss the demands that workers made in exchange for their labor, it does not
discuss the identities of the workers.

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
The parasitic dodder plant increases its reproductive success by ﬂowering at the same time as the host plant it has latched
onto. In 2020, Jianqiang Wu and his colleagues determined that the tiny dodder achieves this ______ with its host by
absorbing and utilizing a protein the host produces when it is about to ﬂower.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) synchronization
B) hibernation
C) prediction
D) moderation

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of a relationship between the dodder
plant and its host plant. As used in this context, “synchronization” means the act of things happening at the same time. The
text indicates that the dodder and its host plant ﬂower in unison and that this synchronization occurs because the dodder
makes use of a protein produced by the host shortly before ﬂowering.
Choice B is incorrect because referring to “hibernation,” or the state of being dormant or inactive, wouldn’t make sense in
context. The text focuses on something the dodder plant actively engages in—making use of a protein and producing
ﬂowers. Choice C is incorrect because stating that the dodder plant and its host engage together in “prediction,” or the act of
declaring or indicating something in advance, wouldn’t make sense in context. Rather than indicating that the dodder plant
and its host plant make a prediction about ﬂowering activity, the text suggests that the host produces a protein as part of its
regular ﬂowering process and that the dodder then absorbs and uses that protein to ﬂower at the same time. Choice D is
incorrect because referring to “moderation,” or the act of causing something to become less intense or extreme, wouldn’t
make sense in context. Although the text states that the dodder plant absorbs and uses a protein made by its host plant, it
doesn’t suggest that the dodder lessens the host plant’s ﬂowering activity; the two plants simply ﬂower in unison.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
In addition to being an accomplished psychologist himself, Francis Cecil Sumner was a ______ increasing the opportunity for
Black students to study psychology, helping to found the psychology department at Howard University, a historically Black
university, in 1930.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) proponent of
B) supplement to
C) beneﬁciary of
D) distraction for

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Francis Cecil Sumner. As used in
this context, “proponent of” means supporter of. The text says that Sumner helped to found the psychology department at
historically Black Howard University in 1930. This is evidence that Sumner supported increasing the opportunity for Black
students to study psychology.
Choice B is incorrect because the phrase “supplement to,” or addition to, wouldn’t make sense in context. The text discusses
Sumner’s efforts to increase the number of Black psychology students, but it doesn’t make sense to describe him as an
addition to his efforts. Choice C is incorrect because Sumner was already an accomplished psychologist himself when he
helped to found the Howard University psychology department. While Black students were the beneﬁciaries of his efforts—
that is, they received help because of his efforts—it wouldn’t make sense in this context to describe Sumner as a “beneﬁciary
of” opportunities, because he was the one doing the helping. Choice D is incorrect because founding a psychology
department at Howard University wouldn’t be a “distraction for” Sumner’s aim to increase the opportunity for Black students
to study psychology—that is, it wouldn’t be something that draws Sumner’s attention away from that goal, but rather the
opposite.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
Biologist Jane Edgeloe and colleagues have located what is believed to be the largest individual plant in the world in the
Shark Bay area of Australia. The plant is a type of seagrass called Posidonia australis, and it ______ approximately 200 square
kilometers.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) acknowledges
B) produces
C) spans
D) advances

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer. “Spans” means “extends over a distance of” or “encompasses.” Since we’re talking about the
world’s largest plant, it makes sense to say that it “spans” about 200 square kilometers.
Choice A is incorrect. “Acknowledges” means “recognizes” or “admits the truth of.” Either way, it doesn’t make sense here: a
plant can’t “acknowledge” a distance. Choice B is incorrect. “Produces” can mean “makes,” “causes,” or “presents.” But none
of those deﬁnitions make sense here: a plant can’t make, cause, or present a distance. Choice D is incorrect. This doesn’t ﬁt
the logic of the text. “Advances” means “moves forward” or “progresses.” But the plant isn’t necessarily moving forward.
Rather, the text suggests that it already covers a distance of 200 square kilometers.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
The work of molecular biophysicist Enrique M. De La Cruz is known for ______ traditional boundaries between academic
disciplines. The university laboratory that De La Cruz runs includes engineers, biologists, chemists, and physicists, and the
research the lab produces makes use of insights and techniques from all those ﬁelds.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) epitomizing
B) transcending
C) anticipating
D) reinforcing

Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer. Based on the text, we’re looking for a word that means something similar to "mak[ing] use of
insights and techniques from all those ﬁelds." "Transcending" means "going beyond," so "transcending traditional boundaries"
would mean crossing into all those various ﬁelds of research, which is exactly the meaning we want.
Choice A is incorrect. This isn’t a logical word choice. Based on the text, we’re looking for a word that means something
similar to "mak[ing] use of insights and techniques from all those ﬁelds." To "epitomize" means to "be a perfect example of,"
so "epitomizing traditional boundaries" would mean the opposite of what we want: keeping the ﬁelds of research separate.
Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t a logical word choice. Based on the text, we’re looking for a word that means something
similar to "mak[ing] use of insights and techniques from all those ﬁelds." "Anticipating" means "expecting" or "waiting for,"
and would result in a confusing sentence with an unclear meaning. Choice D is incorrect. This isn’t a logical word choice.
Based on the text, we’re looking for a word that means something similar to "mak[ing] use of insights and techniques from
all those ﬁelds." "Reinforcing traditional boundaries" would mean the opposite: keeping the ﬁelds of research separate.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
The work of Kiowa painter T.C. Cannon derives its power in part from the tension among his ______ inﬂuences: classic
European portraiture, with its realistic treatment of faces; the American pop art movement, with its vivid colors; and ﬂatstyle,
the intertribal painting style that rejects the effect of depth typically achieved through shading and perspective.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) complementary
B) unknown
C) disparate
D) interchangeable

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the artistic styles that have
inﬂuenced Cannon’s work. As used in this context, “disparate” means distinct or dissimilar. The text indicates that a tension
exists among the styles that have inﬂuenced Cannon’s work and goes on to describe how those styles differ: classic
European portraiture favors realism, American pop art uses vivid colors, and intertribal ﬂatstyle rejects the use of shading
and perspective to achieve depth. This context suggests that the styles that have inﬂuenced Cannon’s work are disparate. 
Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that there is a tension among the inﬂuences on Cannon’s artwork, so it
wouldn’t make sense to say that the inﬂuences are “complementary,” or that they complete one another or make up for one
another’s deﬁciencies. Choice B is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to characterize Cannon’s inﬂuences as
“unknown,” or not familiar; it’s clear that the inﬂuences are known because the text goes on to list them. Choice D is incorrect
because the text indicates that there is a tension among the inﬂuences on Cannon’s work, not that they are 
“interchangeable,” or capable of being used in one another’s place.

Difficulty: Hard | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
Award-winning cinematographer James Wong Howe was known for his innovative ﬁlming techniques. While ﬁlming a boxing
match for the movie Body and Soul ______ Howe had a handheld camera operator wear roller skates. This allowed the
operator to move smoothly around actors in a boxing ring, creating an immersive experience for viewers.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) (1947), and
B) (1947),
C) (1947) and
D) (1947)

Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation between a supplementary element and a main
clause. This choice correctly uses a comma to mark the boundary between the supplementary phrase (“While...1947”), which
indicates when the action occurred, and the main clause (“Howe had a handheld camera operator wear roller skates”).
Choice A is incorrect because a comma paired with the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary
between the supplementary element (“While…1947”) and the main clause (“Howe…skates”). Choice C is incorrect because
the conjunction “and” can’t be used in this way to join the supplementary element (“While…1947”) and the main clause
(“Howe…skates”). Choice D is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the supplementary element and the
main clause with appropriate punctuation.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
The following text is from Joseph Conrad’s 1907 novel The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale. Mr. Verloc is navigating the London
streets on his way to a meeting.
Before reaching Knightsbridge, Mr. Verloc took a turn to the left out of the busy main thoroughfare, uproarious with the traﬃc
of swaying omnibuses and trotting vans, in the almost silent, swift ﬂow of hansoms [horse-drawn carriages]. Under his hat,
worn with a slight backward tilt, his hair had been carefully brushed into respectful sleekness; for his business was with an
Embassy. And Mr. Verloc, steady like a rock—a soft kind of rock—marched now along a street which could with every
propriety be described as private.

Question: Which choice best describes the function of the underlined phrase in the text as a whole?
A) It qualiﬁes an earlier description of Mr. Verloc.
B) It emphasizes an internal struggle Mr. Verloc experiences.
C) It contrasts Mr. Verloc with his surroundings.
D) It reveals a private opinion Mr. Verloc holds.

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer. The underline phrase qualiﬁes (meaning adds limits or conditions to) the description of Mr.
Verloc as “steady like a rock,” adding that he is a “soft” rock.
Choice B is incorrect. In fact, the passage never mentions Mr. Verloc experiencing any internal struggles. Choice C is
incorrect. The underlined phrase doesn’t contrast Mr. Verloc with his surroundings, but is instead modifying the description
of him as a rock. Choice D is incorrect. The underlined phrase doesn’t reveal a private opinion Mr. Verloc holds: instead, it
further describes his character for the reader.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
To survive when water is scarce, embryos inside African turquoise killiﬁsh eggs ______ a dormant state known as diapause.
In this state, embryonic development is paused for as long as two years—longer than the life span of an adult killiﬁsh.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) enter
B) to enter
C) having entered
D) entering

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is ﬁnite and nonﬁnite verb forms within a sentence. A main clause
requires a ﬁnite verb to perform the action of the subject (in this case, “embryos”), and this choice supplies the clause with
the ﬁnite present tense verb “enter” to indicate how the embryos achieve diapause.
Choice B is incorrect because the nonﬁnite to-inﬁnitive “to enter” doesn’t supply the main clause with a ﬁnite verb. Choice C
is incorrect because the nonﬁnite participle “having entered” doesn’t supply the main clause with a ﬁnite verb. Choice D is
incorrect because the nonﬁnite participle “entering” doesn’t supply the main clause with a ﬁnite verb.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
The African Games Co-production Market, one of over 180 annual international conferences supporting video game
development, ______ the growth of the African gaming industry by helping start-up studios in Africa ﬁnd partners.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) promote
B) are promoting
C) promotes
D) have promoted

Answer: C

Rationale: Choice C is the best answer. The subject of the sentence is “The African Games Co-production Market.” That’s one market,
so it’s a singular noun, which means it needs a singular verb. “Promotes” is the only singular verb among the choices. 
Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a subject-verb agreement error. The subject “The African Games Co-production
Market” is singular, but the verb “promote” is plural. Choice B is incorrect. This choice creates a subject-verb agreement error.
The subject “The African Games Co-production Market” is singular, but the verb “are promoting” is plural. Choice D is
incorrect. This choice creates a subject-verb agreement error. The subject “The African Games Co-production Market” is
singular, but the verb “have promoted” is plural.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
Michelene Pesantubbee, a historian and citizen of the Choctaw Nation, has identiﬁed a dilemma inherent to research on the
status of women in her tribe during the 1600s and 1700s: the primary sources from that era, travel narratives and other
accounts by male European colonizers, underestimate the degree of power conferred on Choctaw women by their traditional
roles in political, civic, and ceremonial life. Pesantubbee argues that the Choctaw oral tradition and ﬁndings from
archaeological sites in the tribe’s homeland supplement the written record by providing crucial insights into those roles.

Question: Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
A) It details the shortcomings of certain historical sources, then argues that research should avoid those sources
altogether.
B) It describes a problem that arises in research on a particular topic, then sketches a historian’s approach to addressing
that problem.
C) It lists the advantages of a particular research method, then acknowledges a historian’s criticism of that method.
D) It characterizes a particular topic as especially challenging to research, then suggests a related topic for historians to

Answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the best answer. The text begins by stating a problem with research on the status of Choctaw women in the
1600s and 1700s: written primary sources underestimate the power they had in their traditional roles. Then it presents one
historian’s solution: looking to oral tradition and archeological ﬁndings for more insight into these roles.
Choice A is incorrect. This isn’t the overall structure. The text never says that research should avoid written primary sources,
just that research should also use oral tradition and archeological sites as sources. Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t the
overall structure. The text never mentions the advantages of using written primary sources. Choice D is incorrect. This isn’t
the overall structure. The text never says that the status of Choctaw women during the 1600s and 1700s is too challenging
to research. And it doesn’t mention any other topics to research instead.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
American poet Emily Dickinson wrote many of her poems on scraps of paper, but she also took steps to collect these works.
From 1858 to around 1864, for example, she copied more than 800 of ______ into forty homemade booklets (known as
fascicles).

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

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer. The pronoun "them" agrees with the plural antecedents "poems" and "works."
Choice B is incorrect. "This" is a singular pronoun, but its antecedents, "poems" and "works," are plural. Choice C is incorrect.
"That" is a singular pronoun, but its antecedents, "poems" and "works," are plural. Choice D is incorrect. "It" is a singular
pronoun, but its antecedents, "poems" and "works," are plural.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
The radiation that ______ during the decay of radioactive atomic nuclei is known as gamma radiation.

Question: Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) occurs
B) have occurred
C) occur
D) are occurring

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb "occurs" agrees in
number with the singular subject "radiation."
Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb "have occurred" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "radiation."
Choice C is incorrect because the plural verb "occur" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "radiation." Choice D
is incorrect because the plural verb "are occurring" doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject "radiation."

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Standard_English_Conventions
Interruptions in the supply chain for microchips used in personal electronics have challenged an economist’s assertion that
retailers can expect robust growth in sales of those devices in the coming months. The delays are unlikely to ______ her
projection entirely but will almost certainly extend its time frame.

Question: Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) dispute
B) withdraw
C) underscore
D) invalidate

Answer: D

Rationale: Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the economist’s claim about sales
of personal electronic devices. In this context, “invalidate” most nearly means nullify or make invalid. The text indicates that
interruptions in the supply of microchips for personal electronics “have challenged” the economist’s claim that sales of
personal electronics will show strong growth in the coming months. The text goes on to clarify the effect of the delays on the
economist’s projection, stating that the delays are very likely to extend the time frame over which the projected growth in
sales will occur. This context suggests that the delays are unlikely to invalidate the economist’s projection entirely—the
delays will probably alter the time frame of the projection, not nullify it or make it invalid.
Choice A is incorrect because saying that the delays are unlikely to “dispute,” or argue against, the economist’s projection
wouldn’t make sense. Since the delays are an inanimate circumstance, they couldn’t argue against a prediction about the
sales of personal electronics. Choice B is incorrect because saying that the delays are unlikely to “withdraw,” or remove from
consideration, the economist’s projection wouldn’t make sense. Although the economist could withdraw her projection
because of the delays, the delays themselves couldn’t withdraw her projection since they’re an inanimate circumstance and
thus can’t choose to remove something from consideration. Choice C is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to
suggest that the delays will “underscore,” or emphasize, the economist’s projection. Instead, the text suggests that the
delays are likely to extend the time frame of the economist’s projection but not to undermine the projection entirely.

Difficulty: Medium | Domain: Craft_and_Structure
Text 1
Literary scholars have struggled with the vastness of Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka’s collective works of drama (spanning
over 20 plays in total). It is best, however, to understand Soyinka’s body of work as a dramatist chronologically. Soyinka’s
progression as a playwright can be considered to fall into three periods, with each one representing a particular thematic and
stylistic cohesion: the 1960s, the two decades between 1970 and 1990, and lastly, from roughly 1990 onwards. 
 
Text 2 
It is tempting to impose a linear sense of order on the expanse of Wole Soyinka’s body of work as a dramatist. However,
critics who have considered Soyinka’s plays to ﬁt neatly into three phases overlook potential commonalities in Soyinka’s
work that span across these phases. Additionally, this view may discount signiﬁcant differences in the styles and content of
plays written around the same time.

Question: Which choice best describes a difference in how the author of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 view the study of Soyinka’s
works of drama?
A) While the author of Text 1 believes that thinking about Soyinka’s works of theater in phases is useful, the author of Text 2
views such an approach as limiting.
B) Although the author of Text 1 claims that Soyinka’s style as a dramatist has evolved over time, the author of Text 2
argues that Soyinka’s style has remained consistent throughout his career.
C) The author of Text 1 considers Soyinka’s plays to showcase his strongest writing, whereas the author of Text 2 believes
that Soyinka’s poetry is where he is most skilled.
D) The author of Text 1 argues that Soyinka’s early plays were his most politically charged, whereas the author of Text 2

Answer: A

Rationale: Choice A is the best answer. The author of Text 1 states that Soyinka’s progression as a playwright can be considered to fall
into three periods, implying that this is a helpful way to understand his works. The author of Text 2, on the other hand,
challenges this view and says that it overlooks potential commonalities and differences in Soyinka’s work across what Text 1
calls distinctive stylistic phases.
Choice B is incorrect. This choice overstates the central claim of Text 2. The author of Text 2 argues against the
chronological progression supported in Text 1, but does not go so far as to say that Soyinka’s style remained consistent. In
fact, Text 2 points out “signiﬁcant differences in styles and content” among Soyinka’s plays. Choice C is incorrect. Neither of
the texts mention Soyinka’s poetry, nor do they rank his dramatic writing relative to his other work. Choice D is incorrect.

Difficulty: Easy | Domain: Craft_and_Structure