Question ID 84b5125b

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 84b5125b
Artist Marilyn Dingle’s intricate, coiled baskets are ______ sweetgrass and palmetto palm. Following a Gullah technique that originated in West Africa, Dingle
skillfully winds a thin palm frond around a bunch of sweetgrass with the help of a “sewing bone” to create the basket’s signature look that no factory can reproduce.

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

A. indicated by

B. handmade from

C. represented by

D. collected with

ID: 84b5125b Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Marilyn Dingle’s baskets. In this context, to say that Dingle’s baskets are
“handmade from” particular plants means that Dingle creates baskets herself using those plants but without using machines. The text says that Dingle “skillfully
winds” parts of palmetto palm plants around sweetgrass plants to make baskets with an appearance that “no factory can reproduce.” This context suggests that
Dingle’s baskets are handmade from sweetgrass and palmetto palm.

Choice A is incorrect because the text describes how Dingle uses sweetgrass and palmetto palm to create her baskets, not how her baskets are “indicated by,” or
signified by, sweetgrass and palmetto palm. Choice C is incorrect. Although Dingle’s baskets are described as being made using sweetgrass and palm, there’s
nothing in the text to suggest that the baskets are “represented by,” or exemplified or portrayed by, sweetgrass and palmetto palm. Instead, the focus of the text is
on Dingle’s use of sweetgrass and palmetto palm and the impossibility of replicating the appearance of her baskets using machines. Choice D is incorrect because
there’s nothing in the text to suggest that Dingle’s baskets are “collected with,” or brought together in a group with, sweetgrass and palmetto palm. Instead, the text
describes how Dingle uses those plants to make her baskets.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID fa014d2d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: fa014d2d
The invention in 1958 of the integrated circuit (or microchip) radically altered the semiconductor industry. In fact, some historians argue that it fundamentally ______
the industry by enabling it to take advantage of mass production methods for the first time.

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

A. overwhelmed

B. bypassed

C. obstructed

D. transformed

ID: fa014d2d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the invention of the integrated circuit. As used in this context,
"transformed" means substantially changed in some way. The text states that the invention radically altered the semiconductor industry, with some historians
claiming that it had a fundamental effect on the industry by allowing for mass production for the first time. This context conveys that the invention of the integrated
circuit transformed the semiconductor industry.

Choice A is incorrect. Although the text indicates that the invention of the integrated circuit significantly affected ("radically altered") the semiconductor industry, it
doesn’t indicate that the invention "overwhelmed" the industry, which in this context would mean that it overcame the industry such that the industry struggled or
was defeated. Instead, the text conveys that the invention’s effect was positive, since it allowed the semiconductor industry to begin making use of mass
production methods. Choice B is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context to say that the invention of the integrated circuit "bypassed" the
semiconductor industry, which would mean it intentionally avoided the industry. The text indicates that the invention directly affected the semiconductor industry,
since it made it possible for the industry to begin engaging in mass production methods. Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t indicate that the invention
of the integrated circuit "obstructed" the semiconductor industry, which would mean that it blocked or hindered the industry in some way. Instead, the text indicates
that the invention’s effect was positive, since it made it possible for the semiconductor industry to begin engaging in mass production methods.
Question Difficulty: Easy
Question ID 359902ae
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 359902ae
The following text is adapted from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1837 story “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment.” The main character, a physician, is experimenting with
rehydrating a dried flower.

At first [the rose] lay lightly on the surface of the fluid, appearing to imbibe none of its moisture. Soon, however, a singular change began to be visible. The
crushed and dried petals stirred and assumed a deepening tinge of crimson, as if the flower were reviving from a deathlike slumber.

As used in the text, what does the phrase “a singular” most nearly mean?

A. A lonely

B. A disagreeable

C. An acceptable

D. An extraordinary

ID: 359902ae Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because as used in the text, “singular” most nearly means extraordinary. The text portrays an experiment in which a character
rehydrates a dried rose by infusing it with moisture. After prolonged contact with the liquid, the rose begins to absorb it, undergoing an exceptional transformation:
its color deepens, its previously “crushed and dried” petals shift, and the entire flower revives “from a deathlike slumber.” In other words, an extraordinary change is
visible in the flower.

Choice A is incorrect. Although in some contexts “singular” can mean of or relating to an individual or to a single instance of something, this usage doesn’t imply
loneliness or an otherwise unsatisfactory condition of isolation. Moreover, the text doesn’t attribute such a condition to the rose. Choice B is incorrect. Although
“singular” has several related meanings, none of them relate to being disagreeable or unpleasant. Moreover, the text doesn’t portray the change undergone by the
rose as necessarily disagreeable. Choice C is incorrect because “singular” means extraordinary, not acceptable. The change is portrayed as striking, not barely
satisfactory.
Question Difficulty: Medium
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 ca50de52
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: ca50de52
“How lifelike are they?” Many computer animators prioritize this question as they strive to create ever more realistic environments and lighting. Generally, while
characters in computer-animated films appear highly exaggerated, environments and lighting are carefully engineered to mimic reality. But some animators, such
as Pixar’s Sanjay Patel, are focused on a different question. Rather than asking first whether the environments and lighting they’re creating are convincingly lifelike,
Patel and others are asking whether these elements reflect their films’ unique stories.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined question in the text as a whole?

A. It reflects a primary goal that many computer animators have for certain components of the animations they produce.

B. It represents a concern of computer animators who are more interested in creating unique backgrounds and lighting effects than realistic ones.

C. It conveys the uncertainty among many computer animators about how to create realistic animations using current technology.

D. It illustrates a reaction that audiences typically have to the appearance of characters created by computer animators.

ID: ca50de52 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the underlined question in the text as a whole. The text begins with the underlined
question, “How lifelike are they?” The text then explains that many computer animators pose this question about the environments and lighting that they create for
animated films, striving for realistic animation of those components even if the characters themselves aren’t portrayed in realistic terms. The focus of the text then
shifts to describe how some animators strive to create environments and lighting that reflect the film’s unique stories rather than making them appear realistic.
Therefore, the function of the underlined question is to reflect a primary goal that many computer animators have for certain components of the animations they
produce.

Choice B is incorrect because, as the text makes clear, the underlined question is one posed by computer animators who wish to create realistic backgrounds and
lighting effects, not by those who, instead, wish to create effects that reflect films’ unique stories and aren’t necessarily realistic; this latter group of animators is
discussed later in the text. Choice C is incorrect. As the text explains, many computer animators strive for realistic environments and lighting, while others do not;
this difference of approach relates to whether these components should be realistic, not to how realism can be achieved using current technology, and the text
never suggests that animators are uncertain how to achieve it. Choice D is incorrect because the underlined question pertains to the perspective of computer
animators, not the audience, and the text never considers audience’s reactions to characters in animated films.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 82cb7dda
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 82cb7dda
The field of study called affective neuroscience seeks instinctive, physiological causes for feelings such as pleasure or displeasure. Because these sensations are
linked to a chemical component (for example, the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain when one receives or expects a reward), they can be said to
have a partly physiological basis. These processes have been described in mammals, but Jingnan Huang and his colleagues have recently observed that some
behaviors of honeybees (such as foraging) are also motivated by a dopamine-based signaling process.

What choice best describes the main purpose of the text?

A. It describes an experimental method of measuring the strength of physiological responses in humans.

B. It illustrates processes by which certain insects can express how they are feeling.

C. It summarizes a finding suggesting that some mechanisms in the brains of certain insects resemble mechanisms in mammalian brains.

D. It presents research showing that certain insects and mammals behave similarly when there is a possibility of a reward for their actions.

ID: 82cb7dda Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text, which is to summarize a finding suggesting that some mechanisms
in the brains of certain insects resemble mechanisms in mammalian brains. The text begins by explaining that feelings such as pleasure and displeasure are linked
to chemical processes in the brain, such as the release of dopamine when one receives a reward. The text then indicates that such processes have been seen in
mammals but that researchers have recently observed similar processes involving dopamine in honeybees. Taken together, this information serves to sum up the
discovery that some mechanisms in the brains of certain insects may resemble mechanisms linked to feelings such as pleasure and displeasure in mammals.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t describe any experiments or experimental methods. Instead, the text describes a phenomenon that has been
observed in mammals and then presents the recent observations of Huang and colleagues that this phenomenon is also seen in honeybees. Choice B is incorrect
because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that certain insects can express how they’re feeling through particular processes. The text does indicate that certain
honeybee behaviors such as foraging are linked to dopamine, but it doesn’t suggest that these behaviors enable honeybees to communicate feelings or sensations.
Choice D is incorrect because the text presents research showing that certain honeybee behaviors such as foraging are linked to dopamine and therefore may be
motivated by similar mechanisms to those in mammalian brains, not that honeybees and mammals behave similarly when there is the possibility of reward for their
actions.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c977cfcf
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: c977cfcf
According to a team of neuroeconomists from the University of Zurich, ease of decision making may be linked to communication between two brain regions, the
prefrontal cortex and the parietal cortex. Individuals tend to be more decisive if the information flow between the regions is intensified, whereas they make choices
more slowly when information flow is ______.

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

A. reduced

B. evaluated

C. determined

D. acquired

ID: c977cfcf Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of how the flow of information between two regions of the brain may affect
the ease of people’s decision making. In this context, "reduced" means decreased. The text presents the finding from a team of neuroeconomists that decision
making may be connected to communication between the prefrontal cortex and the parietal cortex. In presenting this finding, the text suggests a contrast between
people who tend to be more decisive and people who make decisions more slowly. According to the text, people tend to be more decisive when the flow of
information between the two brain regions is intensified, or strengthened. On the other hand, this context suggests that people make choices more slowly when the
flow of information between the two brain regions is decreased.

Choice B is incorrect because "evaluated" means assessed, which wouldn’t make sense in context. According to the text, people tend to be more decisive when the
flow of information between two brain regions is intensified, or strengthened. This suggests that people’s ease of decision making varies based on the rate of
information traveling between the regions, not based on an effort to assess the information. Choice C is incorrect because "determined" means judged or
influenced, neither of which would make sense in context. According to the text, people tend to be more decisive when the flow of information between two brain
regions is intensified, or strengthened. This suggests that people’s ease of decision making varies based on the rate of information traveling between the regions,
not based on an effort to judge or influence the information. Choice D is incorrect because "acquired" means developed or attained, neither of which would make
sense in context. According to the text, people tend to be more decisive when the flow of information between two brain regions is intensified, or strengthened. This
suggests that people’s ease of decision making varies based on the rate of information traveling between the regions, not based on the development or attainment
of the information.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID e35d481c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: e35d481c
Some economic historians ______ that late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century households in the United States experienced an economy of scale when it came
to food purchases—they assumed that large households spent less on food per person than did small households. Economist Trevon Logan showed, however, that
a close look at the available data disproves this supposition.

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

A. surmised

B. contrived

C. questioned

D. regretted

ID: e35d481c Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century household food purchases. In
this context, “surmised” means formed an idea or assumption with little evidence. The text explains that certain economic historians “assumed” that large and
small households spent different amounts on food per person, but that another economist found this supposition to be false based on evidence from available
data. This context suggests that the economic historians made an incorrect assumption without enough consideration of evidence.

Choice B is incorrect. In this context, “contrived” would mean brought about or created through trickery. Nothing in the text suggests that the economic historians
were deliberately trying to trick people with a claim about food purchasing behaviors in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century households; the text simply
suggests that they made an assumption about those behaviors that another historian believes isn’t supported by the available data. Choice C is incorrect because
the text indicates that it’s Logan and not the economic historians who “questioned,” or doubted, the assumption that large and small households in the late
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries spent different amounts on food per person; the economic historians are the ones who made that assumption to begin
with. Choice D is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that some economic historians “regretted,” or felt sad or remorseful about, the food purchasing
behaviors of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century households. The text focuses on the idea that the economic historians made an assumption about those
behaviors that may not be supported by available data, not on the historians’ emotional response to what households did in the past.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 45a109a3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 45a109a3
The following text is from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula. The narrator is being driven in a carriage through a remote region at night.

The baying of the wolves sounded nearer and nearer, as though they were closing round on us from every side. I grew dreadfully afraid, and the horses shared
my fear. The driver, however, was not in the least disturbed; he kept turning his head to left and right, but I could not see anything through the darkness.

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

A. Disorganized

B. Alarmed

C. Offended

D. Interrupted

ID: 45a109a3 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer because as used in the text, “disturbed” most nearly means alarmed. The text portrays the narrator traveling in a carriage as wolves
howl in the surrounding darkness. The text contrasts the reaction of both the narrator and the horses pulling the carriage with that of the driver of the carriage: the
narrator and horses are “dreadfully afraid,” but the driver is “not in the least disturbed.” In other words, the driver is not alarmed by the wolves nearby.

Choice A is incorrect. Although in some contexts, “disturbed” can mean disorganized, the text doesn’t portray a character acting in a disorganized manner; instead,
the driver continues to drive the carriage, even though the horses pulling it are alarmed. Choice C is incorrect. Although in some contexts, “disturbed” can mean
offended, the text doesn’t portray one character feeling offended, or upset, by another’s actions; instead, it contrasts the fear felt by the narrator with another
character’s lack of fear. Choice D is incorrect. Although in some contexts, “disturbed” can mean interrupted, the text doesn’t portray an action being interrupted;
indeed, the travel depicted in the scene continues despite the threat of the wolves outside the carriage.

Question Difficulty: Easy

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