Question ID e459076b

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: e459076b
The following text is adapted from George Eliot’s 1871–72 novel Middlemarch.

[Mr. Brooke] had travelled in his younger years, and was held in this part of the country to have contracted a too
rambling habit of mind. Mr. Brooke’s conclusions were as difficult to predict as the weather.

As used in the text, what does the word “contracted” most nearly mean?

A. Restricted

B. Described

C. Developed

D. Settled

ID: e459076b Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because as used in the text, “contracted” most nearly means developed. The text explains that
Mr. Brooke has a “too rambling habit of mind,” which the text likens to a disease, saying he is thought to have contracted it.
To contract a disease means to acquire or develop a disease. In other words, the text indicates that Mr. Brooke is believed to
have acquired, or developed, the habit of mind described in the text.

Choice A is incorrect. Although “contracted” can mean limited or restricted in some contexts, here Mr. Brooke is said to draw
unpredictable conclusions, suggesting that he exhibits this “too rambling habit of mind,” not that it has been somehow
limited or restricted. Choice B is incorrect. Although the text describes Mr. Brooke’s habit of mind, nothing suggests that
those are his descriptions or, indeed, that he described his habit of mind at all. Choice D is incorrect because settled means
calmed or mitigated, but here Mr. Brooke is said to draw unpredictable conclusions, suggesting that he exhibits this “too
rambling habit of mind,” not that it has been somehow calmed or mitigated.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9cdcd902
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 9cdcd902
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.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

A. replacing

B. inventing

C. preserving

D. counting

ID: 9cdcd902 Answer

Correct 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.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 0f040c50
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 0f040c50
The following text is from Yann Martel’s 2001 novel Life of Pi. The narrator’s family owned a zoo when he was a child.

It was a huge zoo, spread over numberless acres, big enough to require a train to explore it, though it seemed to get
smaller as I grew older, train included.
©2001 by Yann Martel

As used in the text, what does the word “spread” most nearly mean?

A. Hidden

B. Discussed

C. Extended

D. Coated

ID: 0f040c50 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because as used in the text, “spread” most nearly means extended. The text states that the zoo
is “huge,” that it covers “numberless acres,” and that it is large enough that a train is needed to explore it. Thus, the text’s
emphasis on the zoo’s size suggests that the zoo extended, or stretched, over a large area of land.

Choice A is incorrect because if the zoo covers “numberless acres,” then it could not reasonably be described as hidden, or
concealed from view. Choice B is incorrect because there is nothing in the text to suggest that the zoo was discussed, or
talked about. Rather, the text focuses on the zoo’s large size. Choice D is incorrect. Although in some contexts “spread” can
mean coated, it doesn’t have that meaning in this context because to coat something means to apply a thin layer of a liquid
substance, such as oil or paint, to a surface. Therefore, it would not be accurate to say that the zoo coated the acres on
which it sits.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 757077f9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 757077f9
During a 2014 archaeological dig in Spain, Vicente Lull and his team uncovered the skeleton of a woman from El Algar, an
Early Bronze Age society, buried with valuable objects signaling a high position of power. This finding may persuade
researchers who have argued that Bronze Age societies were ruled by men to ______ that women may have also held
leadership roles.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

A. waive

B. concede

C. refute

D. require

ID: 757077f9 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the significance of the 2014
archaeological finding at El Algar. In this context, “concede” means to admit something is true after first resisting that
admission. The text indicates that some researchers believe “Bronze Age societies were ruled by men.” But the Bronze Age
burial of a woman at El Algar included “valuable objects signaling a high position of power,” which would raise the possibility
that “women may have also held leadership roles.” Thus, the text is calling into question the notion that only men were
leaders in these societies and speculating that people holding this view may reconsider their opinion.

Choice A is incorrect because “waive” means to refrain from insisting that something, such as a right or a requirement, be
observed; the word isn’t used, however, in contexts where someone acknowledges that an opinion they hold may be invalid,
as is the case in the text. Choice C is incorrect. According to the text, the finding from the El Algar burial site undermines the
view that Bronze Age societies were exclusively ruled by men. However, “refute” means to demonstrate that something is
false and would not make sense in context. Lull and team’s finding supports the view that women may have also held
leadership roles, not that they did not participate in such roles. Choice D is incorrect because in this context, “require” means
to demand or specify as mandatory. However, it would not make sense for contemporary researchers to demand that Bronze
Age “women may have also held leadership roles.”

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 299c5303
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Inferences

Ideas

ID: 299c5303
As the name suggests, dramaturges originated in theater, where they continue to serve a variety of functions: conducting
historical research for directors, compiling character biographies for actors, and perhaps most importantly, helping writers of
plays and musicals to hone the works’ stories and characters. Performance scholar Susan Manning observes that many
choreographers, like playwrights and musical theater writers, are concerned with storytelling and characterization. In fact,
some choreographers describe the dances they create as expressions of narrative through movement; it is therefore
unsurprising that ______

Which choice most logically completes the text?

A. dramaturges can have a profound impact on the artistic direction of plays and musicals.

choreographers developing dances with narrative elements frequently engage dramaturges to assist in refining those
B. elements.

dances by choreographers who incorporate narrative elements are more accessible to audiences than dances by
C. choreographers who do not.

D. some directors and actors rely too heavily on dramaturges to complete certain research tasks.

ID: 299c5303 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. Dramaturges help playwrights with storytelling and characterization. Choreographers often tell
stories through dance, so they are also concerned with storytelling and characterization. This suggests that the fact that
choreographers seek the help of dramaturges with the storytelling aspects of their dances should be “unsurprising.”

Choice A is incorrect. This inference isn’t supported. The beginning of the text does imply that this is true, but the end is
leading to a conclusion about how choreographers use dramaturges. Choice C is incorrect. This inference isn’t supported.
The text never mentions dances by choreographers who don’t incorporate narrative elements. Choice D is incorrect. This
inference isn’t supported. The text mentions in passing that directors use dramaturges to conduct research, but it never
suggests that directors and actors are too reliant on them. Also, the text is leading to a conclusion about how
choreographers use dramaturges.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID cac82f9b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Inferences

Ideas

ID: cac82f9b
Biologist Natacha Bodenhausen and colleagues analyzed the naturally occurring bacterial communities associated with
leaves and roots of wild Arabidopsis thaliana, a small flowering plant. The researchers found many of the same bacterial
genera in both the plants’ leaves and roots. To explain this, the researchers pointed to the general proximity of A. thaliana
leaves to the ground and noted that rain splashing off soil could bring soil-based bacteria into contact with the leaves.
Alternatively, the researchers noted that wind, which may be a source of bacteria in the aboveground portion of plants, could
also bring bacteria to the soil and roots. Either explanation suggests that ______

Which choice most logically completes the text?

A. bacteria carried by wind are typically less beneficial to A. thaliana than soil-based bacteria are.

B. some bacteria in A. thaliana leaves and roots may share a common source.

C. many bacteria in A. thaliana leaves may have been deposited by means other than rain.

D. A. thaliana leaves and roots are especially vulnerable to harmful bacteria.

ID: cac82f9b Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. Both explanations suggest that the bacteria come from the same place: either they come from
the ground and make their way to the leaves, or they come from above the ground and make their way to the roots.

Choice A is incorrect. This inference isn’t supported. The text never discusses any benefits of any kind of bacteria. Choice C
is incorrect. This conflicts with the text. One of the theories is that the bacteria in the leaves were deposited by rain splashing
off soil. Choice D is incorrect. This inference isn’t supported. The text only discusses “naturally occurring” bacteria. It never
mentions either the harms or benefits of these bacteria.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 56f477fb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Command of

Ideas Evidence

ID: 56f477fb

Distribution of Ecosystem Services Affected by Invasive Species by Service Type

Region (Overall) Provisioning (75%) Regulating (21%) Cultural (4%)

West 73% 27% 0%

North 88% 12% 0%

South 79% 14% 7%

East 83% 6% 11%

Central 33% 67% 0%

To assess the impact of invasive species on ecosystems in Africa, Benis N. Egoh and colleagues reviewed government
reports from those nations about how invasive species are undermining ecosystem services (aspects of the ecosystem on
which residents depend). The services were sorted into three categories: provisioning (material resources from the
ecosystem), regulating (natural processes such as cleaning the air or water), and cultural (nonmaterial benefits of
ecosystems). Egoh and her team assert that countries in each region reported effects on provisioning services and that
provisioning services represent the majority of the reported services.

Which choice best describes data from the table that support Egoh and colleagues’ assertion?

Provisioning services represent 73% of the services reported for the West region and 33% of those for the Central region,
A. but they represent 75% of the services reported overall.

None of the percentages shown for provisioning services are lower than 33%, and the overall percentage shown for
B. provisioning services is 75%.

C. Provisioning services are shown for each region, while no cultural services are shown for some regions.

The greatest percentage shown for provisioning services is 88% for the North region, and the least shown for
D. provisioning services is 33% for the Central region.

ID: 56f477fb Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The finding that all the regions reported at least some effects on provisioning services supports
the first part of the assertion. And the fact that provisioning services comprise 75% of the reported services overall supports
the second part of the assertion.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice doesn’t fully support the assertion. It doesn’t include the finding that all the regions (not
just Central and West) reported at least some effects on provisioning services. Choice C is incorrect. This choice doesn’t
fully support the assertion. It doesn’t demonstrate that provisioning services represent the majority of the reported services
overall. Choice D is incorrect. This choice doesn’t fully support the assertion. It doesn’t demonstrate that provisioning
services represent the majority of the reported services overall.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 73d457b6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Command of

Ideas Evidence

ID: 73d457b6
In the 1970s, a roughly 60,000-year-old piece of hyena bone marked with nine notches was discovered at a site in western
France once inhabited by Neanderthals. Although many believe that only modern humans developed systems for notating
numbers, one archaeologist asserts that this artifact may be a sign that Neanderthals also recorded numerical information.
The notches on the bone are unevenly spaced but approximately parallel, and microscopic analysis reveals that they were
made with a single stone tool; according to the archaeologist, this suggests that the notches were all made at one time by
one individual as a means of counting something.

Which finding, if true, would most directly weaken the underlined claim?

A. Parallel lines are a common feature in modern humans’ early systems for recording numerical information.

More than nine approximately parallel notches made with a different stone tool are present on another artifact found at a
B. site in western France.

It would have taken careful effort to make evenly spaced lines on bone with the stone tools typically used by
C. Neanderthals.

Decorative art discovered at another Neanderthal site in western France primarily features patterns of unevenly spaced
D. parallel lines.

ID: 73d457b6 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The archeologist bases their claim on the fact that the hyena bone features unevenly spaced
parallel notches. But if unevenly spaced parallel lines were found on "decorative art" at another Neanderthal site, it would
suggest that the hyena bone is probably decorative art as well—not a counting tool.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice doesn’t weaken the underlined claim. If anything, it might actually strengthen the claim:
assuming we can make an inference about Neanderthals using a fact about early humans, it provides more support for the
idea that the person who made the notches was counting something. Choice B is incorrect. This choice doesn’t weaken the
underlined claim. The fact that another artifact had parallel notches made with a different stone tool doesn’t tell us anything
about the use of either artifact. For all we know, they could both have been used for counting. Choice C is incorrect. This
choice doesn’t weaken the underlined claim. The fact that it took effort to make the lines doesn’t tell us anything about what
the lines were for.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID fbb84fb0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Command of

Ideas Evidence

ID: fbb84fb0
Hedda Gabler is an 1890 play by Henrik Ibsen. As a woman in the Victorian era, Hedda, the play’s central character, is unable
to freely determine her own future. Instead, she seeks to influence another person’s fate, as is evident when she says to
another character, ______

Which quotation from a translation of Hedda Gabler most effectively illustrates the claim?

A. “Then what in heaven’s name would you have me do with myself?”

B. “I want for once in my life to have power to mould a human destiny.”

C. “Then I, poor creature, have no sort of power over you?”

D. “Faithful to your principles, now and for ever! Ah, that is how a man should be!”

ID: fbb84fb0 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most effectively illustrates the claim in the text that Hedda seeks to influence another
character’s fate. In the quotation, Hedda says that she wants “to have power to mould a human destiny,” or shape a person’s
fate, just as the text indicates. Additionally, the phrase “for once in my life” suggests that Hedda feels that she has never
been able to shape anyone’s life, including her own, supporting the text’s assertion that she “is unable to freely determine her
own future.”

Choice A is incorrect because this quotation shows Hedda being uncertain about what to do with her own life, not wanting to
influence another person’s fate. Choice C is incorrect because while this quotation shows Hedda’s interest in finding out
whether she has any power over another character, it doesn’t clearly show that she wants to influence that person’s fate. In
this quotation, Hedda seems to have inferred or concluded (“then”) that she doesn’t have any influence over the person to
whom she’s speaking, and she’s asking that person to confirm her lack of influence. Choice D is incorrect because this
quotation expresses Hedda’s belief that a man should be true to his principles, not her desire to influence another person’s
fate.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 24c1b7e4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Command of

Ideas Evidence

ID: 24c1b7e4

Percentage Point Changes in US Federal Outlays Relative to GDP by Congressional Status

Congressional Change in total Change in nondefense Change in defense

Period status outlays outlays outlays

1981–
divided −0.4 −1.3 0.9
1988

1975–
divided 2.7 3.0 −0.3
1976

1977–
undivided 0.3 0.6 −0.3
1980

1964–
undivided 1.9 1.4 0.5
1968

1969–
divided −1.8 2.1 −3.9
1974

Economist Steve H. Hanke has shown that divided US Congresses—which occur when one party holds the majority in the
House of Representatives and another holds the majority in the Senate—tend to accompany reductions in total federal
outlays (spending) relative to gross domestic product (GDP), which Hanke interprets to reflect decreases in government size.
Hanke calculated the percentage point change in total outlays (encompassing nondefense and defense outlays) for
consecutive US Congresses. Hanke has pointed to his calculations as evidence that a divided Congress may be a “necessary
but not sufficient condition” for a decrease in government size to occur.

Which choice best describes data from the table that support the underlined claim?

The periods of undivided Congresses were associated with increases in nondefense outlays, whereas all the periods of
A. divided Congresses except one were associated with reductions in defense outlays.

All the periods of divided Congresses were associated with reductions in total outlays, although two periods were also
B. associated with increases in nondefense outlays.

The periods of undivided Congresses were associated with increases in total outlays, whereas all the periods of divided
C. Congresses were associated with reductions in either nondefense outlays or defense outlays.

All the periods of divided Congresses except one were associated with reductions in total outlays, whereas the periods of
D. undivided Congresses were associated with increases in total outlays.
 ID: 24c1b7e4 Answer
Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The claim is that divided Congresses are necessary but insufficient—that is, we need divide
Congresses, but they are not enough—to decrease government size, as measured by total federal outlays. This choice
accurately expresses the supporting data from the “change in total outlays” part of the graph. Within the data set, divided
Congresses sometimes decreased total outlays, but undivided ones never did.

Choice A is incorrect. The claim is only about government size, as measured by total federal outlays—defense and
nondefense outlays aren’t relevant. Choice B is incorrect. The claim is only about government size as measured by total
federal outlays—nondefense outlays aren’t relevant. Choice C is incorrect. The claim is only about government size as
measured by total federal outlays—specific information about defense or nondefense outlays isn’t relevant.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 0e3b4967
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 0e3b4967
Scrapbooks of saved fabric pieces were commonly kept by women in the nineteenth-century United States, but few are as
meticulously detailed as Hannah Ditzler Alspaugh’s work. Alongside each piece of fabric, Alspaugh recorded intimate
memories, such as dressmaking with her sister. Additionally, she listed the prices and how she used the fabric. Historians
note that by representing fifty years of changing textures, patterns, and dress styles, the scrapbook is a record of nineteenth-
century textiles and dressmaking as well as Alspaugh’s life.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

Alspaugh inspired other women to save pieces of fabric in scrapbooks and provide historical records of nineteenth-
A. century fashions in the United States.

Historians rely on fabric scrapbooks to understand how fashions changed throughout the nineteenth-century United
B. States.

C. Fabric scrapbooks were a popular hobby for many women in the nineteenth-century United States.

Alspaugh’s scrapbook provides a detailed account of her life and historical record of fashion trends in the nineteenth-
D. century United States.

ID: 0e3b4967 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is correct. The text describes how Alspaugh’s scrapbook is both a record of her life and a historical record of
nineteenth-century textiles and dressmaking.

Choice A is incorrect. The text says that it was common for American women to keep scrapbooks of fabric pieces in the
nineteenth century, and it says that Alspaugh was one of these women. However, it never says that other women were
inspired by Alspaugh. Choice B is incorrect. This is too general and too strong. The text says that Alspaugh’s scrapbook is a
historical record of nineteenth-century textiles and dressmaking, but it never says that historians rely on such scrapbooks in
general to understand how fashions changed throughout that time period. This choice also fails to even mention Alspaugh,
who is the real focus of the text. Choice C is incorrect. The text does say this, but it’s a detail—not the main idea. The text is
mainly about one woman’s scrapbook (Alspaugh’s), and this choice doesn’t even mention her.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID a842db60
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: a842db60
To make her art more widely available, graphic artist Elizabeth Catlett turned to linocuts. In linocut printing, an artist carves
an image into a sheet of linoleum to create a stamp that is used to mass-produce prints. In the linocut series The Black
Woman (1946–1947), Catlett depicts the everyday experiences of Black women alongside the achievements of well-known
Black women. This pairing invites the viewer to draw connections among the women. The linocut process enabled Catlett’s
work to reach a wide audience and supported her aim to unite Black women through her art.

According to the text, what is significant about Catlett’s use of linocut printing?

A. Linocut printing involved using materials that were readily available to Catlett.

B. Linocut printing helped Catlett use art to connect people, especially Black women.

C. Catlett became commercially successful once she started using linocut printing.

D. Catlett was one of the first Black artists to use linocut printing.

ID: a842db60 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The last sentence states that the linocut process “supported her [Catlett’s] aim to unite Black
women through her art.”

Choice A is incorrect. The text briefly describes the linocut printing process but doesn’t discuss the availability of the
materials used in the process. Choice C is incorrect. The text says that the linocut process “enabled Catlett’s work to reach a
wide audience,” but that doesn’t mean that linocuts made her “commercially successful.” In other words, we don’t know how
much money she made off her linocuts—we only know that more people were able to see her work. Choice D is incorrect.
The text says that Catlett depicted Black women in her linocuts, but not that she was one of the first Black artists to use
linocut printing.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID c68ceeff
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: c68ceeff
Text 1
Today the starchy root cassava is found in many dishes across West Africa, but its rise to popularity was slow. Portuguese
traders brought cassava from Brazil to the West African coast in the 1500s. But at this time, people living in the capitals
further inland had little contact with coastal communities. Thus, cassava remained relatively unknown to most of the
region’s inhabitants until the 1800s.
Text 2
Cassava’s slow adoption into the diet of West Africans is mainly due to the nature of the crop itself. If not cooked properly,
cassava can be toxic. Knowledge of how to properly prepare cassava needed to spread before the food could grow in
popularity. The arrival of formerly enslaved people from Brazil in the 1800s, who brought their knowledge of cassava and its
preparation with them, thus directly fueled the spread of this crop.

Based on the texts, the author of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 would most likely agree with which statement?

A. Cassava did not become a significant crop in West Africa until long after it was first introduced.

B. Several of the most commonly grown crops in West Africa are originally from Brazil.

C. The climate of the West African coast in the 1500s prevented cassava’s spread in the region.

D. The most commonly used methods to cook cassava today date to the 1500s.

ID: c68ceeff Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. Text 1 states that cassava’s “rise to popularity was slow” in West Africa. Text 2 also describes
cassava’s “slow adoption into the diet of West Africans.” While the two texts identify different causes for this slow adoption,
both agree that cassava took a long time to catch on.

Choice B is incorrect. This isn’t something that either text claims. Cassava is the only crop discussed in the passages, so we
have no basis to draw conclusions about what the authors might say about “several” crops. Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t
something that either text claims. Neither text mentions the “climate of the West African coast,” so we have no evidence that
either author would agree with this. Choice D is incorrect. This isn’t something that either text claims. The 1500s were when
cassava was brought to West Africa, but neither text describes how cassava is cooked, nor do they make any claims about
when cooking methods were developed.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID d72b325e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-text

Connections

ID: d72b325e
Text 1
What factors influence the abundance of species in a given ecological community? Some theorists have argued that
historical diversity is a major driver of how diverse an ecological community eventually becomes: differences in community
diversity across otherwise similar habitats, in this view, are strongly affected by the number of species living in those
habitats at earlier times.
Text 2
In 2010, a group of researchers including biologist Carla Cáceres created artificial pools in a New York forest. They stocked
some pools with a diverse mix of zooplankton species and others with a single zooplankton species and allowed the pool
communities to develop naturally thereafter. Over the course of four years, Cáceres and colleagues periodically measured
the species diversity of the pools, finding—contrary to their expectations—that by the end of the study there was little to no
difference in the pools’ species diversity.

Based on the texts, how would Cáceres and colleagues (Text 2) most likely describe the view of the theorists presented in
Text 1?

A. It is largely correct, but it requires a minor refinement in light of the research team’s results.

B. It is not compelling as a theory regardless of any experimental data collected by the research team.

C. It may seem plausible, but it is not supported by the research team’s findings.

D. It probably holds true only in conditions like those in the research team’s study.

ID: d72b325e Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. This is how Cáceres and co. would most likely describe the view presented in Text 1. The view
in Text 1 is that historical diversity affects how diverse an ecological community eventually becomes. But Cáceres and co.
did not get this result: they found no difference in eventual diversity between a zooplankton pool that started out diverse and
a zooplankton pool that started out with only a single species.

Choice A is incorrect. Cáceres and co. would probably not describe the view presented in Text 1 this way. The view in Text 1
is that historical diversity affects how diverse an ecological community eventually becomes. Cáceres and co’s findings
directly undermine this view: they found no difference in eventual diversity between a zooplankton pool that started out
diverse and a zooplankton pool that started out with only a single species. Choice B is incorrect. Cáceres and co. would
probably not describe the view presented in Text 1 this way. Their experiment was designed to test this hypothesis, and their
findings were "contrary to their expectations." In other words, before the study, they predicted the theory was correct. Choice
D is incorrect. Cáceres and co. would not describe the view presented in Text 1 this way. Their research finding directly
undermines the view presented in Text 1: so it definitely doesn’t hold true in conditions like those in the study.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID e929fe98
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: e929fe98
Composer Florence Price won first place for her score Symphony in E Minor at the 1932 Wanamaker Foundation Awards.
The piece was performed the following year by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, a significant recognition of its quality.
Price continued to compose many musical pieces throughout her career, blending traditional Black spirituals with classical
European Romantic musical traditions. In recent years, Price’s concertos and symphonies have been performed and
recorded by several major orchestras, further preserving her work for others to enjoy.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To provide examples of Price’s importance as a composer

B. To argue that more major orchestras should perform Price’s compositions

C. To describe the musical styles that inspired many of Price’s symphonies

D. To compare Price’s scores with those of classical European composers

ID: e929fe98 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The text provides an overview of Florence Price’s importance by describing her success at the
1932 Wanamaker Foundation Awards, her blending of Black spirituals and classical European Romantic musical traditions,
and the recent performances and recordings of her concertos and symphonies by major orchestras.

Choice B is incorrect. The text does mention that Price’s compositions have been performed and recorded by major
orchestras, but it doesn’t argue that more orchestras should do so. Choice C is incorrect. The text does mention the blending
of Black spirituals and classical European Romantic musical traditions, but only briefly, as part of a broader overview of
Price’s career. Choice D is incorrect. The text mentions Price’s blending of Black spirituals with classical European Romantic
musical traditions, but it doesn’t directly compare Price’s scores with those of classical European composers.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID b4887dae
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: b4887dae
Mathematician Claude Shannon is widely regarded as a foundational figure in information theory. His most important paper,
“A Mathematical Theory of Communication,” published in 1948 when he was employed at Bell Labs, utilized a concept called
a “binary digit” (shortened to “bit”) to measure the amount of information in any signal and determine the fastest rate at
which information could be transmitted while still being reliably decipherable. Robert Gallagher, one of Shannon’s colleagues,
said that the bit was “[Shannon’s] discovery, and from it the whole communications revolution has sprung.”

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

It presents a theoretical concept, illustrates how the name of the concept has changed, and shows how the name has
A. entered common usage.

It introduces a respected researcher, describes an aspect of his work, and suggests why the work is historically
B. significant.

It names the company where an important mathematician worked, details the mathematician’s career at the company,
C. and provides an example of the recognition he received there.

D. It mentions a paper, offers a summary of the paper’s findings, and presents a researcher’s commentary on the paper.

ID: b4887dae Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The text starts with a general statement that introduces Shannon, then describes a specific
contribution from one of his papers, then provides a quote that illustrates just how important this contribution was.

Choice A is incorrect. This isn’t the overall structure. The text only mentions very briefly, in parentheses, that “binary digit”
was shortened to “bit.” It doesn’t go into detail about this name change, and it doesn’t discuss any “common usage” of the
name at all. Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t the overall structure. Shannon’s employment at Bell Labs is only mentioned once,
very briefly: the text never goes into detail about his career there, and it never mentions any recognition he received there.
Choice D is incorrect. This is too narrow. Overall, the text is about Shannon’s importance in his field, not just this one paper of
his.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 30438650
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 30438650
Jhumpa Lahiri’s story collection Interpreter of Maladies features multiple stories about romantic relationships. In “This
Blessed House,” newlyweds argue over whether to replace items left by the previous owners of their new home. ______ in “A
Temporary Matter,” a husband and wife attempt to rekindle their relationship during a four-night blackout.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Granted,

B. For example,

C. Likewise,

D. Hence,

ID: 30438650 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. "Likewise" is a transition that indicates the addition of a new but related idea. In this sentence,
the author is providing another similar example to that discussed in the previous sentence. Therefore, "likewise" works best
in this context.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice uses a transition that means "admittedly." But the text isn’t admitting or conceding
anything here. Instead, these two examples work together to support the claim made in the first sentence. Choice B is
incorrect. This choice uses an exemplification transition, which doesn’t make sense here. The second story is not an
example of the story in the previous sentence—it’s another, similar story. And while both stories exemplify the first sentence
in the text, the transition we’re looking for isn’t actually connected to that sentence. Choice D is incorrect. This choice uses a
cause-and-effect transition, which doesn’t make sense here. The first story didn’t result in the events of the second story.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 11df9b99
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 11df9b99
Because an achiral molecule is symmetrical, flipping it yields a structurally identical molecule. A flipped chiral molecule,
______ can be compared to a glove that has been turned inside out: it produces a structurally inverted molecule rather than
an identical one.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. in other words,

B. by contrast,

C. for example,

D. similarly,

ID: 11df9b99 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. This sentence compares a chiral molecule to an achiral one. It discusses how when a chiral
molecule is flipped, it results in something very different than when an achiral molecule is flipped. So the transition "by
contrast" fits the context perfectly.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice uses a transition that indicates a restatement of the same idea in different words. But this
sentence doesn’t restate the same idea as the previous sentence. Instead, it makes a new point about a different type of
molecule (chiral instead of achiral). Choice C is incorrect. This choice uses a transition that introduces an example, which
doesn’t make sense here. The second sentence isn’t an example of the first sentence’s claim about achiral molecules: it
actually introduces an entirely different idea that focuses on chiral molecules. Choice D is incorrect. This choice uses a
transition that indicates the addition of an agreeing idea. But this sentence shows a contrast with the first sentence—namely,
that a chiral molecule acts very differently from an achiral molecule when flipped.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 221ecf0f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 221ecf0f
Alexander Lawrence Posey (1873–1908) varied his focus and tone depending on the genre in which he was writing. In his
poetry, he used heartfelt language to evoke the beauty and peacefulness of his natural surroundings; in his journalism, ______
he employed humor and satire to comment on political issues affecting his Muskogee Creek community.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. that is,

B. granted,

C. similarly,

D. by contrast,

ID: 221ecf0f Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. This sentence compares two examples of Posey’s tone: the “heartfelt language” he used in his
poetry versus the “humor and satire” he used in his journalism. We know from these descriptions and from the claim in the
previous sentence that the two tones are very different from each other. So the transition “by contrast” fits the context
perfectly.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice uses a transition that indicates a restatement of the same idea in other words. But the text
isn’t restating the first example here. Instead, it’s offering a second, totally different example. Choice B is incorrect. This
choice uses a transition that means “admittedly.” But the text isn’t admitting or conceding anything here. Instead, these two
examples work together to support the claim made in the first sentence. Choice C is incorrect. This choice uses a transition
that indicates the addition of an agreeing idea. But these two examples are intentionally very different from each other, so
“similarly” doesn’t make sense here.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 26c8c88c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 26c8c88c
About 70,000 meteorites have been found on Earth. Although most meteorites are fragments of ______ hundred have been
identified as being from the Moon or Mars.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. asteroids. Several

B. asteroids, several

C. asteroids; several

D. asteroids: several

ID: 26c8c88c Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. This choice uses a comma to correctly separate the dependent clause "although…asteroids"
from the independent clause "several hundred have been…Mars."

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a sentence fragment. "Although…asteroids" is a dependent clause. It can’t stand
on its own as a sentence, which means it can’t end in a period. Choice C is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation
error. "Although…asteroids" is a dependent clause and can’t be joined to the independent clause "several hundred have been…
Mars" with a semicolon. A semicolon can only join two independent clauses. Choice D is incorrect. This choice creates a
punctuation error. A colon can only come after an independent clause, but "although…asteroids" is a dependent clause.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 8f6d6ae6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 8f6d6ae6
Archaeologists have estimated that the pre-Columbian Native American city of Cahokia, located across the Mississippi River
from modern-day St. Louis, Missouri, had as many as 20,000 inhabitants in the year 1150 ______ it one of the largest cities in
North America at the time.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. CE making

B. CE. Making

C. CE, making

D. CE; making

ID: 8f6d6ae6 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The phrase “making…at the time” provides additional information about Cahokia that’s not
required for the sentence to make sense or function grammatically. As a nonessential supplement, this phrase should be
separated from the rest of the sentence with a comma.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice results in a run-on sentence. The nonessential descriptive aside “making…at the time”
needs to be separated from the rest of the sentence with a comma. Choice B is incorrect. This choice results in a sentence
fragment. “Making…at the time” doesn’t have a subject and can’t stand on its own as a sentence. Thus, it can’t be separated
from the rest of the sentence with a period. Choice D is incorrect. This choice results in a punctuation error. “Making…at the
time” doesn’t have a subject and can’t stand on its own as an independent clause. Since a semicolon can only link two
independent clauses, using one here creates an error.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID dab8b8ee
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: dab8b8ee
Known as Earth’s “living skin,” biocrusts are thin layers of soil held together by surface-dwelling microorganisms such as
fungi, lichens, and cyanobacteria. Fortifying soil in arid ecosystems against erosion, ______

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. a recent study’s estimate is that these crusts reduce global dust emissions by 60 percent each year.

B. an estimated 60 percent reduction in global dust emissions each year is due to these crusts, according to a recent study.

C. these crusts reduce global dust emissions by an estimated 60 percent each year, according to a recent study.

D. a recent study has estimated that these crusts reduce global dust emissions by 60 percent each year.

ID: dab8b8ee Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The subject of the modifier "fortifying soil in arid ecosystems against erosion" is "biocrusts."
Subject-modifier placement requires a modifier and its subject to be next to each other, so "biocrusts" or some variant
meaning "biocrusts" (in this case, "these crusts") must begin the missing clause.

Choice A is incorrect. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each other. The subject of the modifier "fortifying soil in
arid ecosystems against erosion" is "biocrusts," not "a recent study’s estimate." Choice B is incorrect. Modifiers and their
subjects must go next to each other. The subject of the modifier "fortifying soil in arid ecosystems against erosion" is
"biocrusts," not "an estimated 60 percent reduction." Choice D is incorrect. Modifiers and their subjects must go next to each
other. The subject of the modifier "fortifying soil in arid ecosystems against erosion" is "biocrusts," not "a recent study."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2bb7416a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 2bb7416a
In paleontology, the term “Elvis taxon” gets applied to a newly identified living species that was once presumed to be extinct.
Like an Elvis impersonator who might bear a striking resemblance to the late musical icon Elvis Presley himself, an Elvis
taxon is not the real thing, ______ is a misidentified look-alike.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. however but it

B. however it

C. however, it

D. however. It

ID: 2bb7416a Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike” are both
independent clauses, so making them into two separate sentences is grammatically correct.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the
clause “it is…look-alike” are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with at least a comma + a coordinating
conjunction. This choice provides the coordinating conjunction “but,” but it’s missing a comma. Choice B is incorrect. This
choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike”
are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with a semicolon, a colon, a dash, a period, or a comma + a
coordinating conjunction. Choice C is incorrect. This choice creates a run-on sentence error. The clause “Like an Elvis
impersonator…real thing” and the clause “it is…look-alike” are both independent clauses, so they need to be separated with at
least a comma + a coordinating conjunction. This choice provides a comma, but it’s missing a coordinating conjunction.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID d7f31e68
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical Synthesis

ID: d7f31e68
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Annie Wu is a prominent American flutist who graduated from the New England Conservatory.
She has won multiple national flute competitions.
She is best known for a 2011 YouTube video that has been viewed over two million times.
The video shows her performing Three Beats for Beatbox Flute, an original work by composer Greg Pattillo.
Wu combines flute playing and beatboxing in the video.

The student wants to emphasize Wu’s most well-known achievement. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Annie Wu, who has won multiple national flute competitions, has also combined flute playing and beatboxing.

Among her many achievements, prominent American flutist Annie Wu graduated from the New England Conservatory
B. and has won multiple national flute competitions.

Annie Wu is best known for a 2011 YouTube video performance of Three Beats for Beatbox Flute that has been viewed
C. over two million times.

D. Composer Greg Pattillo’s original work Three Beats for Beatbox Flute combines flute playing and beatboxing.

ID: d7f31e68 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. This describes the achievement for which Wu is best known.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice doesn’t emphasize Wu’s most well-known achievement. It mentions some of her general
achievements, but not the one for which she is “best known.” Choice B is incorrect. This choice doesn’t emphasize Wu’s
most well-known achievement—it describes several of her achievements equally. Choice D is incorrect. This choice doesn’t
emphasize Wu’s most well-known achievement. It describes a piece of music featured in her most well-known achievement.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 5a5e22b5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical Synthesis

ID: 5a5e22b5
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Gravitational waves are powerful ripples that originate in deep space and eventually pass through Earth.
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) is a physics study that began in 2002.
LIGO’s goal is to detect and analyze gravitational waves.
LIGO uses a pair of massive gravitational wave detectors called interferometers that are thousands of miles apart.
In 2015, for the first time in history, LIGO researchers detected a gravitational wave passing through Earth.

The student wants to present LIGO’s aim and methodology. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from
the notes to accomplish this goal?

In 2015, LIGO’s massive interferometers detected a powerful ripple that originated in deep space and eventually passed
A. through Earth.

B. Though the physics study LIGO began in 2002, its massive interferometers didn’t detect a gravitational wave until 2015.

C. To achieve its aims, LIGO uses a pair of massive interferometers that are thousands of miles apart.

A physics study designed to detect and analyze gravitational waves, LIGO uses a pair of massive interferometers that are
D. thousands of miles apart.

ID: 5a5e22b5 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The sentence effectively presents the LIGO study’s aim, noting that it is designed to detect and
analyze gravitational waves, and its methodology (it uses two interferometers to detect the waves).

Choice A is incorrect. The sentence describes a finding from the LIGO study; it doesn’t effectively present the study’s aim or
its methodology. Choice B is incorrect. The sentence provides background information about the LIGO study’s timeline; it
doesn’t effectively present the study’s aim or its methodology. Choice C is incorrect. The sentence touches on LIGO’s
methodology, noting that it uses two interferometers, but doesn’t indicate what the study’s aims are.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID db3ad406
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical Synthesis

ID: db3ad406
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Stars form in a galaxy when gravity causes a massive cloud of dust and gas to collapse.
A galaxy in a phase of rapid star formation is called a starburst galaxy.
Quenching is a process in which a galaxy loses star-forming gas.
A galaxy that no longer forms stars is called a quenched galaxy.
A quenched galaxy has entered the poststarburst phase.

The student wants to explain what a quenched galaxy is. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the
notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Before quenching, a starburst galaxy will form stars at a rapid rate.

B. When it becomes quenched, a starburst galaxy enters the poststarburst phase.

C. Having entered the poststarburst phase, a quenched galaxy is one that no longer forms stars.

D. A starburst galaxy will lose star-forming gas and eventually become quenched.

ID: db3ad406 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. This choice defines a quenched galaxy as “one that no longer forms stars.”

Choice A is incorrect. This choice only describes what happens before quenching. Choice B is incorrect. This choice only
describes what happens after quenching. Choice D is incorrect. This choice only describes what causes quenching.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 622a351d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical Synthesis

ID: 622a351d
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 1978, Sámi activists staged protests to block the construction of a dam on the Alta River in Norway.
The dam would disrupt Sámi fishing and reindeer herding.
The dam was ultimately built, but the Alta conflict had a lasting impact.
It brought international attention to the issue of Sámi rights.
It led to a set of 2005 legal protections establishing Sámi rights to lands, waters, and resources.

The student wants to make and support a generalization about the Alta conflict. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

During the Alta conflict, Sámi activists staged protests to block the construction of a dam on the Alta River in Norway
A. that would disrupt local fishing and reindeer herding.

B. Although the dam that the Sámi activists had protested was ultimately built, the Alta conflict had a lasting impact.

Sámi rights to lands, waters, and resources received international attention and legal protections as a result of the Alta
C. conflict.

The Alta conflict had a lasting impact, resulting in international attention and legal protections for Sámi rights to lands,
D. waters, and resources.

ID: 622a351d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. It makes a generalization—the conflict had a lasting impact—and then supports it with evidence
—the attention and protections were results of the conflict.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice doesn’t make a generalization about the conflict. It describes a specific event from the
conflict. Choice B is incorrect. This choice makes a generalization about the Alta conflict, but doesn’t support it. Choice C is
incorrect. This choice makes a statement about the aftermath of the conflict, but doesn’t support it. The statement is also a
little too specific to be a generalization.

Question Difficulty: Hard