Question ID ed314256

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: ed314256

The most recent iteration of the immersive theater experience Sleep No More, which premiered in New York City in 2011,
transforms its performance space—a five-story warehouse—into a 1930s-era hotel. Audience members, who wander through the
labyrinthine venue at their own pace and follow the actors as they play out simultaneous, interweaving narrative loops, confront
the impossibility of experiencing the production in its entirety. The play’s refusal of narrative coherence thus hinges on the sense
of spatial fragmentation that the venue’s immense and intricate layout generates.

What does the text most strongly suggest about Sleep No More’s use of its performance space?

A. The choice of a New York City venue likely enabled the play’s creators to experiment with the use of theatrical space in a way
that venues from earlier productions could not.

B. Audience members likely find the experience of the play disappointing because they generally cannot make their way through
the entire venue.

C. The production’s dependence on a particular performance environment would likely make it difficult to reproduce exactly in a
different theatrical space.

D. Audience members who navigate the space according to a recommended itinerary will likely have a better grasp of the play’s
narrative than audience members who depart from that itinerary.

ID: ed314256 Answer

Correct Answer:
C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The text says that the production’s use of its large, winding space has a very specific effect on the
audience. Given that the space itself is so important to creating this effect, it would be difficult to reproduce the production in a
different space.

Choice A is incorrect. The fact that the venue is in New York City isn’t connected to the experimental nature of the performance.
It’s the size of the venue, not its location in New York, that affects the theatrical experience. Choice B is incorrect. The text never
suggests that audience members are disappointed because they can’t see the entire production. In fact, it suggests that that’s an
important part of the experience. Choice D is incorrect. The text doesn’t mention a recommended itinerary for audience members.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 1a2b29c9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 1a2b29c9

The following text is adapted from María Cristina Mena’s 1914 short story “The Vine-Leaf.”

It is a saying in the capital of Mexico that Dr. Malsufrido carries more family secrets under his hat than any archbishop.
The doctor’s hat is, appropriately enough, uncommonly capacious, rising very high, and sinking so low that it seems to be
supported by his ears and eyebrows, and it has a furry look, as if it had been brushed the wrong way, which is perhaps what
happens to it if it is ever brushed at all. When the doctor takes it off, the family secrets do not fly out like a flock of parrots,
but remain nicely bottled up beneath a dome of old and highly polished ivory.

Based on the text, how do people in the capital of Mexico most likely regard Dr. Malsufrido?

A. Many have come to tolerate him despite his disheveled appearance.

B. Few feel concerned that he will divulge their confidences.

C. Some dislike how freely he discusses his own family.

D. Most would be unimpressed by him were it not for his professional expertise.

ID: 1a2b29c9 Answer

Correct Answer:
B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The text describes a saying in the capital that Malsufrido keeps more secrets than an archbishop. It
also says that when he takes off his hat, “the family secrets do not fly out… but remain nicely bottled up,” suggesting that he will
not betray his confidences.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice doesn’t reflect the text. While his hat is large and appears to have been brushed in the wrong
direction, Dr. Malsufrido does not seem to be regarded as ill-dressed or disheveled. Choice C is incorrect. This choice is the
opposite of what the text says. The secrets of families (his and others’) remain “bottled up” in his head. Choice D is incorrect. This
choice isn’t supported by the text. His professional expertise is not discussed in the passage.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 2fdfe002
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 2fdfe002

The following text is adapted from Countee Cullen’s 1926 poem “Thoughts in a Zoo.”

They in their cruel traps, and we in ours,

Survey each other’s rage, and pass the hours
Commiserating each the other’s woe,
To mitigate his own pain’s fiery glow.
Man could but little proffer in exchange
Save that his cages have a larger range.
That lion with his lordly, untamed heart
Has in some man his human counterpart,
Some lofty soul in dreams and visions wrapped,
But in the stifling flesh securely trapped.

Based on the text, what challenge do humans sometimes experience?

A. They cannot effectively tame certain wild animals because of a lack of compassion.

B. They cannot focus on setting attainable goals because of a lack of motivation.

C. They quickly become frustrated when faced with difficult tasks because of a lack of self-control.

D. They have aspirations that cannot be fulfilled because of certain limitations.

ID: 2fdfe002 Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The text metaphorically likens humans to animals in a zoo, suggesting that humans have dreams that
they cannot fulfill because they are trapped.

Choice A is incorrect. The speaker says that the lion has an “untamed heart,” but the speaker doesn’t actually mention anything
about humans taming wild animals or a lack of compassion. Choice B is incorrect. The speaker doesn’t suggest that humans lack
motivation. Rather, the speaker thinks that humans are “trapped” and prevented from achieving their dreams. Choice C is
incorrect. The speaker doesn’t mention anything about humans becoming frustrated or lacking self-control. Rather, the speaker
thinks that humans are “trapped” and prevented from achieving their dreams.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 6b8a7c74
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Inferences

Ideas

ID: 6b8a7c74

One recognized social norm of gift giving is that the time spent obtaining a gift will be viewed as a reflection of the gift’s
thoughtfulness. Marketing experts Farnoush Reshadi, Julian Givi, and Gopal Das addressed this view in their studies of norms
specifically surrounding the giving of gift cards, noting that while recipients tend to view digital gift cards (which can be purchased
online from anywhere and often can be redeemed online as well) as superior to physical gift cards (which sometimes must be
purchased in person and may only be redeemable in person) in terms of usage, 94.8 percent of participants surveyed indicated
that it is more socially acceptable to give a physical gift card to a recipient. This finding suggests that ______

Which choice most logically completes the text?

A. gift givers likely overestimate the amount of effort required to use digital gift cards and thus mistakenly assume gift recipients
will view them as less desirable than physical gift cards.

B. physical gift cards are likely preferred by gift recipients because the tangible nature of those cards offers a greater
psychological sense of ownership than digital gift cards do.

C. physical gift cards are likely less desirable to gift recipients than digital gift cards are because of the perception that physical
gift cards require unnecessary effort to obtain.

D. gift givers likely perceive digital gift cards as requiring relatively low effort to obtain and thus wrongly assume gift recipients
will appreciate them less than they do physical gift cards.

ID: 6b8a7c74 Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of perceptions of digital versus physical gift
cards. The text begins by explaining that the perception of "the time spent obtaining a gift…as a reflection of the gift’s
thoughtfulness" is a social norm of gift giving. The text then explains that although those who receive digital gift cards view them
as easier to use than physical gift cards, a marketing study nonetheless showed that 94.8% of participants found physical gift
cards more "socially acceptable" to give. The text specifically contrasts the ease with which digital gift cards "can be purchased
online from anywhere" with the fact that physical gift cards "sometimes must be purchased in person"—suggesting the greater
difficulty of obtaining physical cards. Given the text’s initial premise that gift-giving norms equate the thoughtfulness of a gift with
the effort involved in acquiring that gift, it is reasonable to infer that people perceive digital gift cards as requiring less effort to
obtain and thus assume recipients will appreciate them less, even though recipients actually prefer gift cards in the more usable
digital format.

Choice A is incorrect. Although the text does discuss recipients’ preference of digital versus physical gift cards and the relative
ease with which the two formats can be used, it doesn’t consider the misconceptions that gift givers may have of these factors.
Moreover, the text establishes that recipients regard digital gift cards as easier to use and therefore preferable to physical gift
cards. Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t consider whether recipients of gift cards feel a sense of ownership toward
them, nor does the text touch on the greater tangibility of physical versus digital gift cards. Instead, the text contrasts the two
formats of gift cards in terms of their respective usability and the difficulty involved in acquiring them and discusses how those
factors influence people’s perceptions of the two formats. Choice C is incorrect because it contradicts the text, which explains that
recipients regard digital gift cards as superior to physical ones because they are easier to use than physical cards, not because
physical gift cards require greater effort to obtain than digital gift cards do. Moreover, the text doesn’t characterize the effort
required to obtain physical gift cards as "unnecessary."
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID f1bfbed3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Inferences

Ideas

ID: f1bfbed3

Marta Coll and colleagues’ 2010 Mediterranean Sea biodiversity census reported approximately 17,000 species, nearly double the
number reported in Carlo Bianchi and Carla Morri’s 2000 census—a difference only partly attributable to the description of new
invertebrate species in the interim. Another factor is that the morphological variability of microorganisms is poorly understood
compared to that of vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, and algae, creating uncertainty about how to evaluate microorganisms as
species. Researchers’ decisions on such matters therefore can be highly consequential. Indeed, the two censuses reported similar
counts of vertebrate, plant, and algal species, suggesting that ______

Which choice most logically completes the text?

A. Coll and colleagues reported a much higher number of species than Bianchi and Morri did largely due to the inclusion of
invertebrate species that had not been described at the time of Bianchi and Morri’s census.

B. some differences observed in microorganisms may have been treated as variations within species by Bianchi and Morri but
treated as indicative of distinct species by Coll and colleagues.

C. Bianchi and Morri may have been less sensitive to the degree of morphological variation displayed within a typical species of
microorganism than Coll and colleagues were.

D. the absence of clarity regarding how to differentiate among species of microorganisms may have resulted in Coll and
colleagues underestimating the number of microorganism species.

ID: f1bfbed3 Answer

Correct Answer:
B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer because it presents the conclusion that most logically completes the text’s discussion of the different
counts of species in the Mediterranean Sea. The text states that Coll and colleagues reported almost double the number of
species that Bianchi and Morri reported in their study ten years earlier. According to the text, this difference can only be partly
attributed to new invertebrate species being described in the years between the two studies, which means there must be an
additional factor that made Coll and colleagues’ count so much higher than Bianchi and Morri’s count. The text goes on to explain
that factor: researchers have a relatively poor understanding of microorganisms’ morphological variability, or the differences in
microorganisms’ structure and form. This poor understanding makes it hard to classify microorganisms by species and means
that researchers’ decisions about classifying microorganisms can have a large effect on the overall species counts that
researchers report. Additionally, the text says that the two censuses reported similar numbers of vertebrate, plant, and algal
species, which means that the difference in overall species did not come from differences in those categories. Given all this
information, it most logically follows that Coll and colleagues may have treated some of the differences among microorganisms
as indicative of the microorganisms being different species, whereas Bianchi and Morri treated those differences as variations
within species, resulting in Coll and colleagues reporting many more species than Bianchi and Morri did.

Choice A is incorrect because the text explicitly addresses this issue by stating that the description of new invertebrate species in
the years between the two studies can explain only part of the difference in the number of species reported by the studies. The
focus of the text is on explaining the difference between Coll and colleagues’ count and Bianchi and Morri’s count that cannot be
accounted for by the inclusion of invertebrate species that had not been described at the time of Bianchi and Morri’s study. Choice
C is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that Bianchi and Morri may have been less sensitive to how much the form and
structure of microorganisms vary within the same species than Coll and colleagues were. If Bianchi and Morri had been less
sensitive to within-species variation than Coll and colleagues were, Bianchi and Morri would likely have reported more species
than Coll and colleagues did, since less sensitivity to within-species variation would lead researchers to classify as different
species microorganisms that more sensitive researchers would classify as variations within the same species. The text indicates,
however, that Bianchi and Morri reported far fewer species than Coll and colleagues did; since the text also excludes other
explanations for this difference, it suggests that in fact Bianchi and Morri were more sensitive to within-species variation than Coll
and colleagues were, leading Bianchi and Morri to report fewer overall species. Choice D is incorrect because the text is focused
on explaining why Coll and colleagues reported many more species than Bianchi and Morri did, and an underestimate of the
number of microorganism species by Coll and colleagues would not explain that difference—it would suggest, in fact, that the
difference in the number of species should have been even larger.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID a15b3219
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Command of

Ideas Evidence

ID: a15b3219

Municipalities’ Responses to Inquiries

about Potential Incentives for Firm
1,300
1,200
Number of municipalities

1,100
1,000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
e y e
ons quir ntiv
p in e
res to inc
no d red
nde fe
spo of
re

announcement before election

announcement after election

In the United States, firms often seek incentives from municipal governments to expand to those municipalities. A team of political
scientists hypothesized that municipalities are much more likely to respond to firms and offer incentives if expansions can be
announced in time to benefit local elected officials than if they can’t. The team contacted officials in thousands of municipalities,
inquiring about incentives for a firm looking to expand and indicating that the firm would announce its expansion on a date either
just before or just after the next election.

Which choice best describes data from the graph that weaken the team’s hypothesis?

A. A large majority of the municipalities that received an inquiry mentioning plans for an announcement before the next election
didn’t respond to the inquiry.

B. The proportion of municipalities that responded to the inquiry or offered incentives didn’t substantially differ across the
announcement timing conditions.

C. Only around half the municipalities that responded to inquiries mentioning plans for an announcement before the next election
offered incentives.

D. Of the municipalities that received an inquiry mentioning plans for an announcement date after the next election, more than
1,200 didn’t respond and only around 100 offered incentives.
 ID: a15b3219 Answer
Correct Answer:
B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The lighter bars show what happened when the announcement was to come before the election, and
the darker bars show what happened when the announcement was to come after the election. For all three of the outcomes, the
light and dark bars are virtually the same, demonstrating that the announcement timing didn’t actually make a difference.

Choice A is incorrect. This accurately describes some data from the graph, but it doesn’t weaken the hypothesis. It doesn’t include
the “announcement after election” data for comparison. Choice C is incorrect. This accurately describes some data from the
graph, but it doesn’t weaken the hypothesis. It doesn’t include the “announcement after election” data for comparison. Choice D is
incorrect. This accurately describes some data from the graph, but it doesn’t weaken the hypothesis. It doesn’t include the
“announcement before election” data for comparison.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 0d7f4966
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Command of

Ideas Evidence

ID: 0d7f4966

Jean-Bernard Caron and colleagues recently discovered a cache of jellyfish fossils in the Burgess Shale, a site in the Canadian
Rockies that is rich in fossils from the Cambrian period (over 500 million years ago). Caron and colleagues claim that these are the
oldest jellyfish fossils ever discovered. In the past twenty years, two sites in China and the United States have yielded fossils of a
similar age that some experts believe are most likely jellyfish due to their shapes and the appearance of projecting tentacles. But
Caron and colleagues argue that the apparent tentacles are in fact the comb rows of ctenophores, gelatinous animals that are only
distantly related to jellyfish.

Which statement, if true, would most directly weaken the claim by Caron and colleagues about the fossils found in China and the
United States?

A. Sites in the Canadian Rockies from later periods than the Cambrian period have yielded fossils that have been conclusively
identified as ctenophore fossils.

B. The fossils found in China and the United States are so poorly preserved that though they cannot be conclusively identified as
jellyfish, they cannot be conclusively identified as ctenophores either.

C. While ctenophore fossils have been discovered in China and the United States, they have never been discovered in the Burgess
Shale.

D. The fossils discovered by Caron and colleagues in the Burgess Shale were better preserved than the fossils discovered by
other researchers in China and the United States.

ID: 0d7f4966 Answer

Correct Answer:
B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer because it presents a statement that, if true, would most directly weaken Caron and colleagues’ claim
that the apparent tentacles in the Chinese and American fossils are actually ctenophore comb rows. If the fossils are so poorly
preserved that they cannot be conclusively identified as either organism, neither the claim that they are jellyfish nor, as Caron
claims, that they are ctenophores would be supported.

Choice A is incorrect. Caron’s claim is that fossils from the US and China are ctenophores, not jellyfish. These fossils are said to be
"of a similar age" to the Cambrian fossils found in the Canadian Rockies. And nothing in the text or this choice suggests that the
presence or absence of ctenophores after the Cambrian would have any bearing on whether the Cambrian fossils from the US and
China are ctenophores. Choice C is incorrect. Caron’s claim is that fossils from the US and China are ctenophores, not jellyfish.
Nothing in the text suggests that the presence or absence of ctenophores in the Burgess Shale (in Canada) would affect whether
the fossils found in the US and China are ctenophores. Choice D is incorrect. Caron’s claim is that fossils from the US and China
are ctenophores, not jellyfish. Although fossil quality is a plausible issue for the research described in the text, nothing in the text
or this choice suggests that the fossils from US and China would have been too poorly preserved for proper identification.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 068f939b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Command of

Ideas Evidence

ID: 068f939b

The ancient Greek concept of “mimesis,” a term used in the works of Plato, Aristotle, and other Greek philosophers in discussions
of representational art—visual, performance, or literary art that aims to depict the real world—is a foundational concept of the
Western philosophy of aesthetics. Mimesis is typically translated as “imitation” in modern editions of ancient Greek texts, but
scholar Stephen Halliwell warns that this is overly reductive: “imitation” implies that art merely copies—and is thus by definition
entirely derivative of—a reality that exists outside and prior to the work of art, and translating “mimesis” thusly obscures the
multifaceted ways in which the ancient Greeks understood the relationship between art and reality.

Which statement, if true, would most directly support the claim by Halliwell presented in the text?

A. One of the earliest appearances of mimesis’s root word, mimos, can be found in an ancient Greek tragedy in reference to
dramatic impersonation, and the mim- root came to be generally associated with the musical and poetic arts by the fifth
century BCE.

B. Both Plato’s and Aristotle’s theorizations of mimesis examine the psychological effects that works of art induce in the viewer
or listener.

C. Although several of Plato’s earliest philosophical works discuss aesthetic ideas, the term “mimesis” doesn’t appear in Plato’s
discussions of art until Cratylus, a relatively late work.

D. Although Plato’s writings typically characterize representational art as an inferior reflection of the physical world, Aristotle
suggests that mimesis can refer to art’s capacity to envision hypothetical conditions that could, but don’t yet, exist.

ID: 068f939b Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it presents a statement that would support Halliwell’s claim that "imitation" is an overly
simplified translation of the word "mimesis" in the context of ancient Greek philosophical discussions of representational art and
that, because it suggests a view of art as merely copying things that exist in reality, the translation obscures the fact that Plato,
Aristotle, and other ancient Greeks understood the relationship between art and reality in varied ways. If Plato’s works tend to treat
representational art as an inferior or inadequate reflection of the physical world (consistent with the idea of mere imitation), while
Aristotle’s works suggest that the term "mimesis" can refer to art’s ability to show conditions that don’t currently exist but could
exist (going beyond imitation into novel creation), that evidence would support the claim that the term "mimesis" means more than
just "imitation" and that ancient Greek philosophers held different views of the relationship between art and reality.

Choice A is incorrect because information about the root word mimos first being used in drama and the root mim- coming to be
associated with music and poetry wouldn’t indicate anything about the meaning of the specific term "mimesis" as it was used by
ancient Greek philosophers in discussions of representational art; thus, the information would have no bearing on Halliwell’s claim
that a common translation of the specific term is an oversimplification. Choice B is incorrect because the issue of art’s
psychological effects on audiences gets at how people respond to works of art instead of how art itself is related to reality, so the
idea that Plato and Aristotle both addressed such effects in their considerations of mimesis wouldn’t have any bearing on
Halliwell’s claim that a common translation of that term oversimplifies the relationship between art and reality. Further, this idea
would touch on one general similarity in approaches to mimesis instead of illustrating the multifaceted, or varied, ways Halliwell
claims ancient Greek philosophers understood art’s relation to reality. Choice C is incorrect because the idea that Plato discussed
aesthetics in his early works but didn’t use the term "mimesis" until later doesn’t give any indication of how Plato or any other
ancient Greek philosophers understood the relation between art and reality, so it would have no bearing on Halliwell’s claim that a
common translation of the term "mimesis" is oversimplified and fails to reflect the varied ways the philosophers understood that
relationship.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 040583a5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Command of

Ideas Evidence

ID: 040583a5

Banana Ripening Time at Different

Temperatures with and without
Ethylene Treatment
12
11
10
9
8
Time (days)

7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
°C °C °C °C
14 16 18 20
Temperature (degrees Celsius)
ethylene no ethylene
A student is conducting an experiment to test the effect of temperature and ethylene treatment on the ripening speed of bananas.
The student treated some bananas with ethylene while leaving others untreated, then allowed both types of bananas to ripen at
one of four different temperatures. Comparing the data for bananas with and without ethylene, the student concluded that ______

Which choice most effectively uses data from the graph to complete the student’s conclusion?

A. 20°C is the ideal temperature at which to store bananas to slow ripening time.

B. for those bananas that were not treated with ethylene, differences in temperature were not associated with absolute
differences in ripening time.

C. bananas treated with ethylene ripen faster at 14°C and 16°C than at 18°C and 20°C.

D. ethylene was associated with a greater absolute change in ripening time at 14°C, 16°C, and 18°C than at 20°C.

ID: 040583a5 Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it most effectively uses data from the graph to complete the student’s conclusion about
banana ripening time with and without ethylene at different temperatures. The graph shows that at 20°C, the gap between the two
bars showing ripening times for ethylene-treated bananas and untreated bananas crosses fewer than 2 gridlines (from about 4
days for ethylene-treated bananas to about 5.5 days for untreated bananas). Meanwhile, the graph shows that at 14°C, 16°C, and
18°C, the gap between the bars crosses more than 2 gridlines (from about 8 days for treated bananas to about 11 days for
untreated bananas at 14°C; from about 6 days for treated bananas to about 9.5 days for untreated bananas at 16°C; and from
about 5.5 days for treated bananas to about 8.5 days for untreated bananas at 18°C). Since the gap between the bars at each of
these temperatures crosses more than 2 gridlines, and since each of these gaps is larger than the gap between the bars at 20°C, it
can be concluded that ethylene was associated with a greater absolute change in ripening time at 14°C, 16°C, and 18°C than at
20°C.

Choice A is incorrect because the graph shows that ethylene-treated bananas stored at 20°C ripen more quickly than ethylene-
treated bananas stored at the other temperatures do (about 4 days at 20°C vs. about 5.5, 6, and 8 days at 18°C, 16°C, and 14°C,
respectively) and that untreated bananas stored at 20°C ripen more quickly than untreated bananas stored at the other
temperatures do (about 5.5 days at 20°C vs. about 8.5, 9.5, and 11 days at 18°C, 16°C, and 14°C, respectively). The information in
the graph therefore indicates that storing bananas at 20°C speeds up ripening time relative to storing bananas at the other
temperatures shown, not that this storage temperature slows ripening time. Choice B is incorrect because the graph shows that as
temperature increases, the ripening time of untreated bananas decreases, from about 11 days at 14°C to about 5.5 days at 20°C,
with no exceptions to this trend. The graph therefore shows that differences in temperature were associated with absolute
differences in ripening time, not that there was no association between differences in temperature and differences in ripening
time. Choice C is incorrect because the graph shows that ripening times of ethylene-treated bananas at 14°C and 16°C were about
8 and 6 days, respectively, which is greater than, not less than, ripening times of ethylene-treated bananas at 18°C and 20°C, which
were about 5.5 and 4 days, respectively. In other words, bananas treated with ethylene ripen more slowly, not faster, at 14°C and
16°C than at 18°C and 20°C.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 22a41819
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 22a41819

Rejecting the premise that the literary magazine Ebony and Topaz (1927) should present a unified vision of Black American
identity, editor Charles S. Johnson fostered his contributors’ diverse perspectives by promoting their authorial autonomy.
Johnson’s self-effacement diverged from the editorial stances of W.E.B. Du Bois and Alain Locke, whose decisions for their
publications were more ______.

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

A. proficient

B. dogmatic

C. ambiguous

D. unpretentious

ID: 22a41819 Answer

Correct Answer:
B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. A person who is "dogmatic" believes strongly that their principles and opinions are true. Because Du
Bois and Locke are implied to have one "unified vision" of Black American identity that they prioritize over the "diverse
perspectives" of different writers, they can be described as dogmatic.

Choice A is incorrect. "Proficient" means "skilled." Du Bois and Locke are contrasted with Johnson, but nothing in the text suggests
that Johnson was not skilled at making editorial decisions. Based on the text, the three editors just have different styles; they’re
not necessarily more or less skilled. Choice C is incorrect. "Ambiguous" means "unclear" or "open to multiple interpretations."
However, it’s actually Johnson who encouraged multiple interpretations ("diverse perspectives"). Since Du Bois and Locke are said
to "diverge" from Johnson, we can assume that the views they published were not ambiguous, but instead clear and firm (a
"unified vision"). Choice D is incorrect. "Unpretentious" means "not trying to impress others with greater skill or importance than is
actually possessed." Du Bois and Locke are contrasted with Johnson, but nothing in the text suggests that Johnson is pretentious
(trying to impress others).

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 5e57efec
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 5e57efec

Economist Marco Castillo and colleagues showed that nuisance costs—the time and effort people must spend to make donations
—reduce charitable giving. Charities can mitigate this effect by compensating donors for nuisance costs, but those costs, though
variable, are largely ______ donation size, so charities that compensate donors will likely favor attracting a few large donors over
many small donors.

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

A. supplemental to

B. predictive of

C. independent of

D. subsumed in

ID: 5e57efec Answer

Correct Answer:
C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. We’re told that charities that pay donors back for nuisance costs will attract a few large donors
instead of many small donors. This suggests that nuisance costs are not linked to donation size.

Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. If nuisance costs are supplemental to (meaning in addition to) donation
size, that wouldn’t result in charities that compensate donors for those costs attracting a few large donors over many small
donors. Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. If nuisance costs can predict donation size, that wouldn’t
necessarily result in charities that compensate donors for those costs attracting a few large donors over many small donors.
Choice D is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. If nuisance costs are subsumed in (meaning included in) donation size,
that wouldn’t result in charities that compensate donors for those costs attracting a few large donors over many small donors.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 6c086e70
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 6c086e70

Businesses typically try to promote themselves, but research by Michael Luca, Abhishek Nagaraj, and Gauri Subramani suggests
that some do not ______ their marketing. The researchers studied restaurants in Texas and found that those listed on a popular
review website (which can be done at no cost) had revenue increases of 5 percent on average, but 33 percent of restaurants
studied never listed on the site.

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

A. adorn

B. optimize

C. endorse

D. counteract

ID: 6c086e70 Answer

Correct Answer:
B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of business marketing practices. In this
context, "optimize" means make the most effective possible use of available opportunities. The text indicates that though
businesses typically try to promote themselves, they don’t always make use of effective tools for doing so, pointing to research
showing that 33 percent of restaurants failed to use a free listing service that increased revenue by 5 percent on average for
restaurants that did use the service. The text therefore suggests that by foregoing a free and effective marketing tool, some
businesses aren’t making the best use of, or optimizing, marketing opportunities.

Choice A is incorrect because in this context, "adorn" would mean decorate or enhance the appearance of, and there’s nothing in
the text to suggest that by failing to use a free and effective promotional tool, some businesses aren’t enhancing the appearance
of their own marketing. The example in the text illustrates that some businesses aren’t utilizing an effective marketing opportunity,
not that they aren’t improving the appearance of their marketing. Choice C is incorrect because in this context, "endorse" would
mean openly approve or recommend, and the text’s discussion of the fact that some businesses have overlooked an effective
marketing tool doesn’t support the idea that those businesses therefore don’t approve of their own marketing. Choice D is
incorrect because in this context, saying that businesses don’t "counteract" their marketing would suggest that they don’t actively
undermine it or make it ineffective. The text begins by stating that businesses typically try to promote themselves but then
continues to imply that some businesses fail to take advantage of good opportunities to do so, citing the example of businesses
that failed to use a free and effective marketing tool. Though it’s possible that those businesses that did use the site therefore
didn’t unintentionally counteract their own marketing, the first sentence conveys that the text’s focus is on things that some
businesses do and that some businesses don’t do when trying to promote themselves, and it wouldn’t make sense to say that any
businesses would actively try to undermine their own marketing in pursuit of that goal.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID d4732483
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: d4732483

Studying late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century artifacts from an agricultural and domestic site in Texas, archaeologist
Ayana O. Flewellen found that Black women employed as farm workers utilized hook-and-eye closures to fasten their clothes at
the waist, giving themselves a silhouette similar to the one that was popular in contemporary fashion and typically achieved
through more restrictive garments such as corsets. Flewellen argues that this sartorial practice shows that these women balanced
hegemonic ideals of femininity with the requirements of their physically demanding occupation.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To describe an unexpected discovery that altered a researcher’s view of how rapidly fashions among Black female
farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Texas changed during the period

B. To discuss research that investigated the ways in which Black female farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-
century Texas used fashion practices to resist traditional gender ideals

C. To evaluate a scholarly work that offers explanations for the impact of urban fashion ideals on Black female farmworkers in
late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Texas

D. To summarize the findings of a study that explored factors influencing a fashion practice among Black female farmworkers in
late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Texas

ID: d4732483 Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The text provides an overview of a scholarly work discussing the fashion practices of Black female
farmworkers in late 19th- and early 20th-century Texas, and how these practices were influenced by both the fashion ideals of the
time and the demands of farmwork.

Choice A is incorrect. The text never discusses the rate of fashion change among Black female farmworkers. The text also never
categorizes Flewellen’s findings as "unexpected." Choice B is incorrect. The text actually explains that Black female farmworkers
were trying to achieve traditional feminine ideals, not resist them. Choice C is incorrect. The text doesn’t evaluate a scholarly work
but rather simply describes it. Furthermore, the text is focused on "agricultural and domestic" fashion, not urban fashion as this
choice suggests.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 5f56fdec
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 5f56fdec

The following text is from George Marion McClellan’s 1895 poem “Eternity.”

My spirit swoons, and all my senses cry

For Ocean’s breast and covering of the sky.
Rock me to sleep, ye waves, and outward bound,
Just let me drift far out from toil and care,
Where lapping of the waves shall be the sound,
Which mingled with the winds that gently bear
Me on between a peaceful sea and sky,
To make my soothing slumberous lullaby.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To illustrate the increasing intensity of the speaker’s desire to escape ongoing hardship by gliding on the ocean

B. To contrast the demands of the speaker’s everyday life with the serenity of being rocked to sleep by the ocean

C. To convey the speaker’s longing for the ocean to impart a sense of inner tranquility

D. To justify the speaker’s qualms about being transported by the ocean to a quiet destination

ID: 5f56fdec Answer

Correct Answer:
C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately states the main purpose of the text, which is to convey the speaker’s
longing for the ocean to impart a sense of inner tranquility, or peace. The text begins by expressing the speaker’s strong desire to
be on the ocean, appealing directly to the waves to rock the speaker to sleep. The poem then describes the "slumberous lullaby"
formed by the sound of the waves and the winds on which the speaker wishes to be carried "gently...between a peaceful sea and
sky." All these details serve to emphasize the speaker’s desire for the ocean to give them a sense of inner tranquility.

Choice A is incorrect. Given the poem’s expression of a longing to achieve tranquility by drifting on the ocean, it can be inferred
that the speaker desires to escape something unpleasant in daily life. However, the poem doesn’t refer directly to any such
hardship—ongoing or otherwise. And since the poem doesn’t establish that the speaker is experiencing a desire to escape ongoing
hardship, it can’t be said that such a desire increases in intensity. Choice B is incorrect. The speaker does express a desire for the
serenity of being rocked to sleep by the ocean, and it can be inferred that this desire is a response to demands that make the
speaker’s daily life stressful. However, the poem doesn’t refer directly to such demands or contrast them with the tranquility of
drifting on the ocean. Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest the speaker has any qualms, or reservations, about
being transported by the ocean. On the contrary, the speaker actively desires to "drift far out" and be carried by the waves and
wind. Moreover, the poem doesn’t suggest that this drifting would have any particular destination.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID b0f7541b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: b0f7541b

The following text is adapted from Herman Melville’s 1857 novel The Confidence-Man. Humphry Davy was a prominent British
chemist and inventor.

Years ago, a grave American savant, being in London, observed at an evening party there, a certain coxcombical fellow, as he
thought, an absurd ribbon in his lapel, and full of smart [banter], whisking about to the admiration of as many as were
disposed to admire. Great was the savant’s disdain; but, chancing ere long to find himself in a corner with the jackanapes, got
into conversation with him, when he was somewhat ill-prepared for the good sense of the jackanapes, but was altogether
thrown aback, upon subsequently being [informed that he was] no less a personage than Sir Humphry Davy.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. It portrays the thoughts of a character who is embarrassed about his own behavior.

B. It presents an account of a misunderstanding.

C. It offers a short history of how a person came to be famous.

D. It explains why one character dislikes another.

ID: b0f7541b Answer

Correct Answer:
B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The text tells a story of a first impression that turned out to be wrong: a serious American savant was
dismissive of a goofy-looking, wisecracking guest at a British party, and then was shocked to learn that the guest was actually a
prominent British chemist and inventor.

Choice A is incorrect. This is too strong and too narrow. Only at the very end is the savant "thrown aback" by the fact that the man
was Sir Humphry Davy—he’s not "embarrassed about his own behavior." Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t the main purpose. The text
never provides the history of how Sir Humphry Davy came to be famous. Nor does it provide any history for the American savant.
Choice D is incorrect. This is too narrow. It doesn’t include the second half of the text, where the savant gets into a conversation
with the man and then finds out that the man is Sir Humphry Davy.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 97e5bf55
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: 97e5bf55

Text 1
In 1916, H. Dugdale Sykes disputed claims that The Two Noble Kinsmen was coauthored by William Shakespeare and John
Fletcher. Sykes felt Fletcher’s contributions to the play were obvious—Fletcher had a distinct style in his other plays, so much so
that lines with that style were considered sufficient evidence of Fletcher’s authorship. But for the lines not deemed to be by
Fletcher, Sykes felt that their depiction of women indicated that their author was not Shakespeare but Philip Massinger.
Text 2
Scholars have accepted The Two Noble Kinsmen as coauthored by Shakespeare since the 1970s: it appears in all major one-
volume editions of Shakespeare’s complete works. Though scholars disagree about who wrote what exactly, it is generally held
that on the basis of style, Shakespeare wrote all of the first act and most of the last, while John Fletcher authored most of the
three middle acts.

Based on the texts, both Sykes in Text 1 and the scholars in Text 2 would most likely agree with which statement?

A. John Fletcher’s writing has a unique, readily identifiable style.

B. The women characters in John Fletcher’s plays are similar to the women characters in Philip Massinger’s plays.

C. The Two Noble Kinsmen belongs in one-volume compilations of Shakespeare’s complete plays.

D. Philip Massinger’s style in the first and last acts of The Two Noble Kinsmen is an homage to Shakespeare’s style.

ID: 97e5bf55 Answer

Correct Answer:
A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. Text 1 states that Sykes felt Fletcher’s contributions to the play were obvious because he had a
distinct style in his other plays. Text 2 states that scholars generally agree “on the basis of style” that Fletcher wrote most of the
three middle acts. Both texts imply that Fletcher’s writing has a unique, readily identifiable style that can be used to distinguish his
work from others.

Choice B is incorrect. While Text 1 refers to the women in Massinger plays, neither text compares the women of Fletcher’s plays to
the women of Massinger’s plays. Text 2 doesn’t mention Massinger at all. Choice C is incorrect. Text 1 states that Sykes disputed
that Shakespeare coauthored the play, and implied that it was coauthored by Fletcher and Massinger instead. Sykes, therefore,
would disagree that The Two Noble Kinsmen belongs in a Shakespeare compilation. Choice D is incorrect. Text 1 doesn’t suggest
that Massinger was inspired by Shakespeare, and Text 2 doesn’t mention Massinger at all.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 105ea6de
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: 105ea6de

Text 1
Growth in the use of novel nanohybrids—materials created from the conjugation of multiple distinct nanomaterials, such as iron
oxide and gold nanomaterials conjugated for use in magnetic imaging—has outpaced studies of nanohybrids’ environmental risks.
Unfortunately, risk evaluations based on nanohybrids’ constituents are not reliable: conjugation may alter constituents’
physiochemical properties such that innocuous nanomaterials form a nanohybrid that is anything but.
Text 2
The potential for enhanced toxicity of nanohybrids relative to the toxicity of constituent nanomaterials has drawn deserved
attention, but the effects of nanomaterial conjugation vary by case. For instance, it was recently shown that a nanohybrid of silicon
dioxide and zinc oxide preserved the desired optical transparency of zinc oxide nanoparticles while mitigating the nanoparticles’
potential to damage DNA.

Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the assertion in the underlined portion of Text 1?

A. By concurring that the risk described in Text 1 should be evaluated but emphasizing that the risk is more than offset by the
potential benefits of nanomaterial conjugation

B. By arguing that the situation described in Text 1 may not be representative but conceding that the effects of nanomaterial
conjugation are harder to predict than researchers had expected

C. By denying that the circumstance described in Text 1 is likely to occur but acknowledging that many aspects of nanomaterial
conjugation are still poorly understood

D. By agreeing that the possibility described in Text 1 is a cause for concern but pointing out that nanomaterial conjugation does
not inevitably produce that result

ID: 105ea6de Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The author of Text 2 acknowledges that nanohybrids may be more toxic than their constituent parts,
but also provides an example of a nanohybrid that has reduced toxicity compared to its components: silicon dioxide and zinc
oxide together have all the benefits of zinc oxide nanoparticles without any of the DNA harm zinc oxide has on its own.

Choice A is incorrect. While the author of Text 2 gives an example of a nanohybrid that isn’t as toxic as its constituent parts, they
don’t argue that the benefit outweighs the risk. They merely argue that “the effects of nanomaterial conjugation vary by case.”
Choice B is incorrect. The author of Text 2 states that the effects of nanomaterial conjugation “vary by case,” and that the attention
that their potential toxicity has drawn is warranted. If the situation in Text 1 weren’t representative, then there would be less
attention to the potential danger of these materials. Furthermore, neither passage suggests that researchers had expected that
they could predict the effects of nanomaterial conjugation. Choice C is incorrect. The author of Text 2 agrees that the potential
toxicity of nanohybrids “has drawn deserved attention,” so they aren’t denying the problem.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 64e88c58
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical Synthesis

ID: 64e88c58

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:

In 1971, experimental musician Pauline Oliveros created Sonic Meditations.
Sonic Meditations is not music but rather a series of sound-based exercises called meditations.
Each meditation consists of instructions for participants to make, imagine, listen to, or remember sounds.
The instructions for Meditation V state, “walk so silently that the bottoms of your feet become ears.”
Those for Meditation XVIII state, “listen to a sound until you no longer recognize it.”

The student wants to provide an explanation and an example of Oliveros’s Sonic Meditations. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Sonic Meditations is not music but rather a series of sound-based meditations that consist of instructions; Meditation XVIII, for
instance, instructs participants to “listen to a sound until you no longer recognize it.”

B. In 1971, Oliveros created Sonic Meditations, a series of meditations that consist of instructions for participants to make,
imagine, listen to, or remember sounds.

C. “Walk so silently that the bottoms of your feet become ears” is one example of the instructions found in Oliveros’s Sonic
Meditations.

D. While both meditations consist of instructions, Meditation XVIII instructs participants to “listen,” whereas Meditation V
instructs participants to “walk.”

ID: 64e88c58 Answer

Correct Answer:
A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. It describes what a “Sonic Meditation” is, and then gives an example in the form of Meditation XVIII.

Choice B is incorrect. This choice describes what a “Sonic Meditation” is, but doesn’t give an example of one. Choice C is
incorrect. This choice gives an example of a “Sonic Meditation,” but doesn’t explain what the meditations are. Choice D is
incorrect. This choice doesn’t describe what a “Sonic Meditation” is.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 16631d34
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical Synthesis

ID: 16631d34

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:

The Million Song Dataset (MSD) includes main audio features and descriptive tags for popular songs.
Audio features include acoustic traits such as loudness and pitch intervals.
Many algorithms use these audio features to predict a new song’s popularity.
These algorithms may fail to accurately identify main audio features of a song with varying acoustic traits.
Algorithms based on descriptive tags that describe fixed traits such as genre are more reliable predictors of song
popularity.

The student wants to explain a disadvantage of relying on audio features to predict a song’s popularity. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Many popularity-predicting algorithms are based on a song’s audio features, such as loudness and pitch intervals.

B. Algorithms based on audio features may misidentify the main features of a song with varying acoustic traits, making such
algorithms less reliable predictors of popularity than those based on fixed traits.

C. Audio features describe acoustic traits such as pitch intervals, which may vary within a song, whereas descriptive tags
describe fixed traits such as genre, which are reliable predictors of popularity.

D. The MSD’s descriptive tags are reliable predictors of a song’s popularity, as the traits they describe are fixed.

ID: 16631d34 Answer

Correct Answer:
B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. This choice uses relevant information from the notes to explain a disadvantage of relying on audio
features to predict a song’s popularity—namely, that it may misidentify features of certain songs. It also contrasts audio features
with descriptive tags, which are more reliable predictors.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice only states a fact about the algorithms without evaluating their reliability or accuracy. Choice C
is incorrect. This choice only describes the difference between audio features and descriptive tags without indicating why this
difference matters for predicting popularity. Choice D is incorrect. This choice only mentions descriptive tags, which are not the
focus of the student’s rhetorical goal.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 2df7b582
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 2df7b582

Plato believed material objects to be crude representations of unseen ideal forms. In his view, such abstract, nonmaterial forms
are the ultimate source of knowledge. Aristotle disagreed, positing that knowledge is best obtained through direct engagement
with the material world; ______ sensory experience of the material is the ultimate source of knowledge.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. regardless,

B. admittedly,

C. in other words,

D. meanwhile,

ID: 2df7b582 Answer

Correct Answer:
C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. “In other words” logically signals that the claim about sensory experience that follows—that sensory
experience is the source of knowledge—is a restatement of Aristotle’s theory from earlier in the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because “regardless” illogically signals that the claim about sensory experience that follows is true in spite
of Aristotle’s theory from earlier in the sentence. Instead, this claim is a restatement of his theory. Choice B is incorrect because
“admittedly” illogically signals that the claim about sensory experience that follows is an exception to Aristotle’s theory from
earlier in the sentence. Instead, this claim is a restatement of his theory. Choice D is incorrect because “meanwhile” illogically
signals that the claim about sensory experience that follows is separate from (while occurring simultaneously with) Aristotle’s
theory from earlier in the sentence. Instead, this claim is a restatement of his theory.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 00e0170f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 00e0170f

Magnetic levitation (maglev) trains are suspended above a track by powerful electromagnets, reducing friction and thus allowing
for much faster speeds. Though maglev advocates in the US have long imagined these trains crisscrossing the country, their
dream remains unrealized. ______ of the handful of maglev trains currently in operation, all are in Asia.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. In fact,

B. To that end,

C. Nevertheless,

D. That said,

ID: 00e0170f Answer

Correct Answer:
A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. This sentence emphasizes just how far maglev advocates’ dreams are from coming true. “In fact” is a
transition used to emphasize the truth of a statement that modifies the previous statement and therefore fits perfectly in this
context.

Choice B is incorrect. This choice uses a cause-and-effect transition, which doesn’t make sense here. Maglev advocates’ dream
remaining unrealized would not cause there to be only a few maglev trains, all located in Asia. Choice C is incorrect. This choice
uses a disagreement transition, which doesn’t make sense here. In fact, this sentence agrees with the previous sentence—both
talk about how maglev trains are far from becoming common in the US. Choice D is incorrect. This choice uses a disagreement
transition, which doesn’t make sense here. In fact, this sentence agrees with the previous sentence—both talk about how maglev
trains are far from becoming common in the US.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID c071eca2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: c071eca2

Iraqi artist Nazik Al-Malaika, celebrated as the first Arabic poet to write in free verse, didn’t reject traditional forms entirely; her
poem “Elegy for a Woman of No Importance” consists of two ten-line stanzas and a standard number of syllables. Even in this
superficially traditional work, ______ Al-Malaika was breaking new ground by memorializing an anonymous woman rather than a
famous man.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. therefore,

B. in fact,

C. moreover,

D. though,

ID: c071eca2 Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The first sentence tells us that Al-Malaika sometimes used "traditional forms". The second tells us
that even when she used traditional forms, Al-Malaika was "breaking new ground". To connect these ideas, we need a contrast
word like "but." "Though" is a contrast word similar to "but."

Choice A is incorrect. This isn’t a logical transition. The first sentence tells us that Al-Malaika sometimes used "traditional forms".
The second tells us that even when she used traditional forms, Al-Malaika was "breaking new ground". To connect these ideas, we
need a contrast word like "but." "Therefore" doesn’t show contrast; it shows cause and effect. Choice B is incorrect. This isn’t a
logical transition. The first sentence tells us that Al-Malaika sometimes used "traditional forms". The second tells us that even
when she used traditional forms, Al-Malaika was "breaking new ground". To connect these ideas, we need a contrast word like
"but." "In fact" is a phrase that usually emphasizes the truth of the previous statement. Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t a logical
transition. The first sentence tells us that Al-Malaika sometimes used "traditional forms". The second tells us that even when she
used traditional forms, Al-Malaika was "breaking new ground". To connect these ideas, we need a contrast word like "but."
"Moreover" doesn’t show contrast—it introduces additional information that continues or supports the previous idea.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 707461d8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 707461d8

In 2021, Mexican biologist Martha Lydia Macías-Rubalcava led a review of the scientific literature related to endophytic fungi (i.e.,
fungi that live inside a host ______ researching 120 endophytic fungi–produced compounds, she found that their phytotoxicity can
make them viable alternatives to chemical herbicides for controlling weeds.

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

A. plant). By

B. plant), by

C. plant) and by

D. plant) by

ID: 707461d8 Answer

Correct 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 ("In…plant") and another ("By…weeds"). The prepositional phrase beginning
with "by" modifies the subject of the next sentence, "she," which refers to Macías-Rubalcava.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to join two sentences. Choice C is
incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction "and" can’t be used in this way to join two sentences. Choice D is
incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two sentences are fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 626a1642
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 626a1642

As a behavioral economist, Katy Milkman of the University of Pennsylvania recognizes that people sometimes make irrational
economic decisions. Milkman’s research can thus address anomalies that neoclassical economic ______ assume that people are
consistently rational decision-makers—cannot explain.

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

A. models—which

B. models, which

C. models which

D. models which—

ID: 626a1642 Answer

Correct Answer:
A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation within a sentence. The dashes after "models"
and "decision-makers" correctly separate the supplementary element "which assume that people are consistently rational
decision-makers" from the rest of the sentence. This punctuation indicates that this element could be removed without affecting
the grammatical coherence of the sentence.

Choice B is incorrect because a comma can’t be paired with a dash in this way to separate the supplementary element from the
rest of the sentence. Choice C is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element
from the rest of the sentence. Choice D is incorrect because it interrupts the sentence at an illogical and grammatically incoherent
point. The dash should be placed before "which," not after it, to mark the beginning of the supplementary element.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID f78997cf
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: f78997cf

Recent analysis of 32532 Thereus—an outer solar system object orbiting the Sun between Jupiter and Saturn—has determined its
color to be gray, suggesting an icy composition. Such interpretations are ultimately ______ the object’s gray coloration may be an
incidental effect of radiation, solar wind, or collisions with other objects rather than evidence of its physical makeup.

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

A. speculative, though

B. speculative, though;

C. speculative; though

D. speculative, though,

ID: f78997cf Answer

Correct Answer:
B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation in a sentence. This choice correctly uses a
comma to separate the supplementary adverb "though" from the preceding main clause ("Such interpretations are ultimately
speculative") and uses a semicolon to join the next main clause ("the object’s...makeup") to the rest of the sentence. Further,
placing the semicolon after "though" indicates that the information in the preceding main clause (interpretations of an outer solar
system object’s composition based on its color are ultimately speculative) is a qualification of the information in the previous
sentence (the composition of an outer solar system object is suggested by its color).

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to mark the boundary between the two main clauses with appropriate punctuation. Choice C
is incorrect because placing the semicolon after "speculative" illogically indicates that the information in the next main clause
("the object’s...makeup") is a qualification of the information in the previous clause ("Such...speculative"). Choice D is incorrect
because it results in a comma splice. Commas can’t be used in this way to punctuate a supplementary word or phrase between
two main clauses.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 37e5c794
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 37e5c794

Despite being cheap, versatile, and easy to produce, ______ they are made from nonrenewable petroleum, and most do not
biodegrade in landfills.

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

A. there are two problems associated with commercial plastics:

B. two problems are associated with commercial plastics:

C. commercial plastics’ two associated problems are that

D. commercial plastics have two associated problems:

ID: 37e5c794 Answer

Correct Answer:
D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice ensures that the modifying
phrase “despite being cheap, versatile, and easy to produce” appears immediately before the noun it modifies, “commercial
plastics,” clearly establishing that the commercial plastics—and not another noun in the sentence—are being described as cheap,
versatile, and easy to produce.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the function word “there” immediately after the
modifying phrase illogically and confusingly suggests that “there” is cheap, versatile, and easy to produce. Choice B is incorrect
because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun “two problems” immediately after the modifying phrase
illogically suggests that the “problems” are cheap, versatile, and easy to produce. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a
dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase “commercial plastics’ two associated problems” immediately after the
modifying phrase illogically suggests that the “problems” are cheap, versatile, and easy to produce.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 4c335aea
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 4c335aea

In a recent analysis of lyrical trends in 350,000 songs, researchers cite increases in certain measures, such as the ratio of
choruses to verses, as evidence music lyrics are becoming more repetitive. For instance, from 1970 to 2020, ______ chorus-to-
verse ratios trended similarly, with each genre’s data indicating that relative to the number of unique verses, the number of
repeated choruses in songs increased.

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

A. rocks and raps

B. rock’s and rap’s

C. rocks and rap’s

D. rock and rap’s

ID: 4c335aea Answer

Correct Answer:
B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of possessive nouns. The singular possessive nouns "rock’s"
and "rap’s" correctly indicate that the chorus-to-verse ratios belong to the genres of rock and rap.

Choice A is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive nouns "rock’s" and "rap’s," not the plural nouns "rocks"
and "raps." Choice C is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun "rock’s," not the plural noun "rocks."
Choice D is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun "rock’s," not the singular noun "rock." This choice
incorrectly suggests that there was a single chorus-to-verse ratio for rock and rap together, whereas the ratio was calculated for
each genre individually.

Question Difficulty:
Hard