Question ID e8fb0744

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: e8fb0744
As an undergraduate researcher in anthropology, Jennifer C. Chen contributed to a groundbreaking study challenging the accepted view that among prehistoric
peoples, female participation in hunting was ______. The research team’s review of data from late Pleistocene and early Holocene burials in the Americas revealed
that, in fact, as many as half of the hunters in those populations were female.

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

A. inevitable

B. satisfactory

C. negligible

D. commonplace

ID: e8fb0744 Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the study of female participation in hunting among prehistoric peoples. In
this context, “negligible” means not significant enough to be worth considering. The text says that the study challenged the accepted view of female participation in
hunting among prehistoric peoples. The text goes on to say that the researchers found that “in fact, as many as half” the hunters in the groups studied were female.
The phrase “in fact” establishes a contrast indicating that the finding that as many as half the hunters were female differs from the accepted view. This context
suggests, then, that the accepted view is that female participation in hunting was negligible.

Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that the study challenged the accepted view by showing that as many as half of hunters among prehistoric peoples
were female, which suggests that the accepted view is that female participation was low, not that female participation was “inevitable,” or unavoidable. Nothing in
the text suggests that the accepted view is that prehistoric peoples could not avoid female participation in hunting. Choice B is incorrect because nothing in the
text suggests that the accepted view of female participation in hunting among prehistoric peoples is that such participation was “satisfactory,” or sufficient to meet
a requirement or demand. There is no information in the text about any demands or requirements regarding female participation in hunting, let alone any
information about how much female participation in hunting would be enough to satisfy those demands or requirements. Instead, the text indicates that the study
challenged the accepted view by showing that as many as half the hunters in the groups studied were female, suggesting that the accepted view is that female
participation in hunting was low. Choice D is incorrect because the text indicates that the study challenged the accepted view by showing that as many as half of
hunters among the prehistoric peoples studied were female, which suggests that the accepted view is that female participation was low, not that female
participation was “commonplace,” or ordinary or unremarkable. Although the study under discussion suggests that female participation may have been
commonplace, that study is presented as challenging the accepted view, not as reinforcing the accepted view.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 571cf537
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 571cf537
The author’s claim about the relationship between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens is ______, as it fails to account for several recent archaeological discoveries. To
be convincing, his argument would need to address recent finds of additional hominid fossils, such as the latest Denisovan specimens and Homo longi.

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

A. disorienting

B. tenuous

C. nuanced

D. unoriginal

ID: 571cf537 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the author’s claim about the relationship between Neanderthals and Homo
sapiens. As used in this context, “tenuous” means lacking substance. The end of the first sentence states that the author’s claim didn’t consider certain key pieces
of evidence—“recent archaeological discoveries”—and is therefore weak.

Choice A is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context to refer to the author’s claim as “disorienting,” or confusing. The text suggests that the author’s
claim is insubstantial, not that it’s difficult to grasp. Choice C is incorrect because referring to the claim as “nuanced,” or subtle, wouldn’t make sense in context.
According to the text, the claim is incomplete because it didn’t consider certain key information about recent archaeological finds; it doesn’t suggest that what’s in
the claim lacks precision. Choice D is incorrect because saying that the claim is “unoriginal,” or imitative, wouldn’t make sense in context. The text faults the claim
because it doesn’t consider certain key information about recent archaeological finds; it doesn’t suggest that the author’s claim lacks originality.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 5444db38
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 5444db38
To demonstrate that the integrity of underground metal pipes can be assessed without unearthing the pipes, engineer Aroba Saleem and colleagues ______ the
tendency of some metals’ internal magnetic fields to alter under stress: the team showed that such alterations can be measured from a distance and can reveal
concentrations of stress in the pipes.

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

A. hypothesized

B. discounted

C. redefined

D. exploited

ID: 5444db38 Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of using magnetism to detect stress in buried metal pipes. In this context,
"exploited" means made productive use of. The text indicates that the magnetic fields of some metals change under stress and that Saleem and colleagues
showed that it is possible to measure those changes from a distance, thereby demonstrating that the integrity of underground metal pipes can be evaluated without
having to unearth them. This context thus indicates that Saleem and colleagues made productive use of, or exploited, this tendency of the metals’ magnetic fields.

Choice A is incorrect because in this context, "hypothesized" would mean made a tentative assumption to be evaluated in a study or experiment. Although Saleem
and colleagues may have had one or more hypotheses for these experiments, the text presents the information about the tendency of some metals’ magnetic fields
to change under stress as a known fact that the researchers made productive use of, not as a hypothesis to be evaluated. The text after the colon indicates that the
researchers were not evaluating whether such changes occur but whether those changes can be measured at a distance. Choice B is incorrect because in this
context, "discounted" would mean downplayed or ignored, but the text does not suggest that Saleem and colleagues minimized or ignored the tendency of the
magnetic fields of some metals to change under stress. Rather, the text indicates that this tendency is the basis for Saleem and colleagues’ method of assessing
the pipes’ integrity. Choice C is incorrect because nothing in the text indicates that Saleem and colleagues "redefined," or reevaluated or reformulated, the tendency
of some metals’ magnetic fields to change under stress. Instead, the text indicates that the researchers made use of that tendency to demonstrate that it is
possible to evaluate the integrity of underground pipes without unearthing them.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID dba9eaf8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: dba9eaf8
Within baleen whale species, some individuals develop an accessory spleen—a seemingly functionless formation of splenetic tissue outside the normal spleen.
Given the formation’s greater prevalence among whales known to make deeper dives, some researchers hypothesize that its role isn’t ______; rather, the accessory
spleen may actively support diving mechanisms.

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

A. replicable

B. predetermined

C. operative

D. latent

ID: dba9eaf8 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of baleen whale accessory spleens. In this context, “latent” means dormant
or functionless. The text sets up a contrast between the idea that baleen whale accessory spleens appear not to have a function and the research indicating that
the accessory spleen may actually have a role in supporting the whales’ diving mechanisms. This context therefore conveys the idea that the assumption that
baleen whale accessory spleens are latent may be incorrect.

Choice A is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that the role of the accessory spleen is “replicable,” or capable of being reproduced. The text indicates
that the role of the accessory spleen seems to have no function, but some researchers think it does have a role; the text doesn’t address whether the role of the
accessory spleen could or couldn’t be reproduced. Choice B is incorrect because suggesting that the role of the accessory spleen is “predetermined,” or decided in
advance, wouldn’t make sense in context. Although the researchers may agree that the role of the accessory spleen or any other organ hasn’t been determined in
advance, the text focuses on the idea that the accessory spleen was thought to have been functionless but may in fact serve an active role for baleen whales.
Choice C is incorrect because it’s the opposite of what the context of the text is conveying. The second sentence of the text indicates that baleen whale accessory
spleens may not be useless, not that they aren’t “operative,” or functional.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID a756aa95
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: a756aa95
The province of Xoconochco was situated on the Pacific coast, hundreds of kilometers southeast of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire. Because
Xoconochco’s location within the empire was so ______, cacao and other trade goods produced there could reach the capital only after a long overland journey.

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

A. unobtrusive

B. concealed

C. approximate

D. peripheral

ID: a756aa95 Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the location of the province of Xoconochco within the Aztec Empire. As
used in this context, “peripheral” means situated toward the outer bounds rather than the center. The text indicates that Xoconochco was located on a coast,
hundreds of kilometers away from the capital of the Aztec Empire. The text also states that trade between the province and the capital required “a long overland
journey.” This context suggests that Xoconochco was situated toward an edge of the empire’s territory rather than near its center.

Choice A is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context to refer to Xoconochco’s location within the Aztec Empire as “unobtrusive,” or not blatant or
undesirably prominent; it’s not clear how a province’s physical location would or wouldn’t be blatant. Instead of focusing on how noticeable Xoconochco’s location
was, the text emphasizes the province’s distance from the capital of the empire, pointing out that because of this distance trade between the two required “a long
overland journey.” Choice B is incorrect because the text indicates that the province of Xoconochco was located on a coast far from the capital of the Aztec Empire,
not that it was “concealed,” or kept out of sight or hidden from view. Nothing in the text suggests that Xoconochco was actually hidden such that people couldn’t
see it, and being hidden wouldn’t necessarily result in trade between the province and the capital requiring “a long overland journey.” Choice C is incorrect because
to say that Xoconochco’s location within the Aztec Empire was “approximate” would mean that the location either wasn’t precisely correct or was close to some
other location. Neither of these meanings would make sense in context because the text indicates that Xoconochco’s location is known and that it was far from the
empire’s capital, so there’s no reason to characterize the location as either not precisely correct or close to another location.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 0ed8f24f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 0ed8f24f
K.D. Leka and colleagues found that the Sun’s corona provides an advance indication of solar flares—intense eruptions of electromagnetic radiation that emanate
from active regions in the Sun’s photosphere and can interfere with telecommunications on Earth. Preceding a flare, the corona temporarily exhibits increased
brightness above the region where the flare is ______.

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

A. antecedent

B. impending

C. innocuous

D. perpetual

ID: 0ed8f24f Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of advance indications of solar flares. In this context the word "impending"
means imminent or approaching. The text mentions a study by Leka and colleagues that found that the Sun’s corona provides an advance indication of solar flares.
The text then points out why such an advance indication would be useful—solar flares can interfere with communications on Earth—and concludes by describing
the characteristic of the corona that gives warning of a solar flare. The text indicates that this characteristic—increased brightness in a particular region of the
corona—comes before the appearance of the flare. Therefore, in context, the best answer would indicate that the flare is approaching, or impending.

Choice A is incorrect. The best answer would be one that indicates that the increased brightness of the Sun’s corona precedes the appearance of the flare. But if
the flare were "antecedent," or previous, then the flare would instead precede the appearance of the increased brightness of the corona, a statement that is logically
inconsistent. Choice C is incorrect. The word "innocuous," or harmless, does not logically complete the text; since solar flares can interfere with communications on
Earth, they cannot reasonably be described as innocuous. Choice D is incorrect. If the solar flares have an advance indication of their appearance, then there must
therefore be a time before the appearance of the flares when they do not exist. But the word "perpetual," or never-ending, would in context indicate that the flare
exists at the same time as the advance indication provided by the Sun’s corona, which would not make logical sense.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 4fa7e50e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 4fa7e50e
According to a US tax policy expert, state taxes are ______ other factors when considering an interstate move. Even significant differences in state taxation have
almost no effect on most people’s decisions, while differences in employment opportunities, housing availability, and climate are strong influences.

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

A. consistent with

B. representative of

C. overshadowed by

D. irrelevant to

ID: 4fa7e50e Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the factors that influence peoples’ decisions to move to a different state.
As used in this context, “overshadowed by” means to be surpassed by or caused to seem less important than other factors affecting a move. The text indicates
that, according to a US tax policy expert, when people think about an interstate move, state taxes have little effect on their decisions, while employment
opportunities, housing availability, and climate have a very strong effect. This context suggests that people consider these other factors to be more important than
state taxes.

Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that state taxes aren’t as important a consideration as other factors when people are thinking of moving to another
state. The context doesn’t suggest that state taxes are “consistent with,” or in agreement with these other factors. Choice B is incorrect because it wouldn’t make
sense in context to say that state taxes are “representative of,” or typical of, other factors. Taxes aren’t an example of employment opportunities, housing
availability, and climate, which are the other factors listed in the text. Choice D is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context to say that state taxes are
“irrelevant to,” or unconnected or unimportant to other factors. State taxes are irrelevant to peoples’ decisions, not to other factors. In other words, although the text
suggests that state taxes may be irrelevant to people considering a move to another state, the other factors mentioned in the text, such as employment
opportunities, are unable to have an opinion about state taxes. Furthermore, the text indicates that significant differences in state taxes have almost no effect on
peoples’ choices to move, but they aren’t completely unimportant.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3f753a8e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 3f753a8e
Investigating whether shared false visual memories—specific but inaccurate and widely held recollections of images such as product logos—are caused by people’s
previous ______ incorrect renditions of the images, researchers Deepasri Prasad and Wilma Bainbridge found that, in fact, such memories are often not explained by
familiarity with erroneous versions of the images.

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

A. compliance with

B. exposure to

C. criteria for

D. forfeiture of

ID: 3f753a8e Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. "Exposure to" means "having contact with." It makes sense that Prasad and Bainbridge were investigating whether seeing false
versions of images was a cause of false visual memories. Notice how "exposure to incorrect renditions" matches the idea of "familiarity with erroneous versions,"
which appears later in the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect. "Compliance with" means "going along with a command or directive." False versions of images can’t give commands or directives, so this
doesn’t apply. Choice C is incorrect. "Criteria" means "standards by which to judge something." It’s not clear how people would come to have standards for the
wrong version of an image in the first place, let alone how those standards would cause them to falsely remember the correct version. In other words, this choice
would result in a confusing, unclear sentence. Choice D is incorrect. "Forfeiture of" means "a giving up of something." It wouldn’t make sense to say that false
memories of an image might be caused by giving up the wrong version of the image.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6bc0ba75
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 6bc0ba75
The mimosa tree evolved in East Asia, where the beetle Bruchidius terrenus preys on its seeds. In 1785, mimosa trees were introduced to North America, far from
any B. terrenus. But evolutionary links between predators and their prey can persist across centuries and continents. Around 2001, B. terrenus was introduced in
southeastern North America near where botanist Shu-Mei Chang and colleagues had been monitoring mimosa trees. Within a year, 93 percent of the trees had been
attacked by the beetles.

Which choice best describes the function of the third sentence in the overall structure of the text?

A. It states the hypothesis that Chang and colleagues had set out to investigate using mimosa trees and B. terrenus.

B. It presents a generalization that is exemplified by the discussion of the mimosa trees and B. terrenus.

C. It provides context that clarifies why the species mentioned spread to new locations.

D. It offers an alternative explanation for the findings of Chang and colleagues.

ID: 6bc0ba75 Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale

Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the third sentence within the overall structure of the text. The third sentence
makes a generalization, asserting that evolutionary links between predators and prey can persist across great expanses of time and distance. This generalization is
exemplified by the text’s discussion of the relationship between mimosa trees and B. terrenus beetles. When mimosa trees were introduced to North America in
1785, no B. terrenus beetles were present, so the relationship between the trees and the beetles that exists in their native East Asia was disrupted. When the
beetles were introduced to North America more than 200 years later, however, they quickly attacked mimosa trees, illustrating the generalization that links between
predators and prey "can persist across centuries and continents."

Choice A is incorrect because the third sentence doesn’t indicate that Chang and colleagues were investigating any hypothesis. According to the text, Chang and
colleagues were simply monitoring mimosa trees when the beetles happened to be introduced to the area. Choice C is incorrect because the third sentence doesn’t
discuss any particular species, let alone the species mentioned elsewhere in the text, nor does the sentence explain why species spread to new locations. Choice D
is incorrect because the third sentence offers a generalization about the relationship between predators and prey, not an explanation for the findings by Chang and
colleagues that’s an "alternative" to an explanation presented elsewhere in the text.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9b01bcf4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 9b01bcf4
The 1967 release of Harold Cruse’s book The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual isolated him from almost all other scholars and activists of the American Civil Rights
Movement—though many of those thinkers disagreed with each other, he nonetheless found ways to disagree with them all. He thought that activists who believed
that Black people such as himself should culturally assimilate were naïve. But he also sharply criticized Black nationalists such as Marcus Garvey who wanted to
establish independent, self-contained Black economies and societies, even though Cruse himself identified as a Black nationalist.

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

A. It describes a direction that Cruse felt the Civil Rights Movement ought to take.

B. It indicates that Cruse’s reputation as a persistent antagonist of other scholars is undeserved.

C. It describes a controversy that Cruse’s work caused within the Black nationalist movement.

D. It helps explain Cruse’s position with respect to the community of civil rights thinkers.

ID: 9b01bcf4 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The text as a whole claims that Cruse disagreed with virtually all other Civil Rights scholars and activists. The underlined sentence
describes one way that Cruse both did and didn’t fit in with those thinkers: he criticized Black nationalists, even though he identified as one.

Choice A is incorrect. The underlined sentence doesn’t do this. It describes Cruse’s criticisms—it never mentions what Cruse did want the movement to do instead.
Choice B is incorrect. This conflicts with the text, which argues that Cruse did disagree with almost all other scholars of the Civil Rights Movement. Choice C is
incorrect. This is a step too far. The text never says that Cruse’s work caused controversy within the Black nationalist movement.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a70cbc53
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: a70cbc53
Raymond Antrobus, an accomplished poet and writer of prose, recently released his debut spoken word poetry album, The First Time I Wore Hearing Aids, in
collaboration with producer Ian Brennan. The album contains both autobiographical and reflective pieces combining Antrobus’s spoken words with Brennan’s
fragmented audio elements and pieces of music to convey how people who are deaf may experience sound, both its presence and absence. Some critics suggest
that the album questions the function of sound in the world, highlighting that the experience of sound is multifaceted.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

It introduces a collaborative spoken word poetry project, details the approach taken to produce the work, and then provides an example of critique the album
A. received upon release.

It mentions a collection of spoken word poems, distinguishes one poem as being an exemplar on the album, and then offers a summary of the subject matter of
B. the whole collection.

It summarizes the efforts to produce a collection of spoken word poems, presents biographies of two people who worked on the album, and speculates about
C. the meaning behind the poetry.

It connects two artists to the same spoken word poetry project, explains the extent of their collaboration on each poem, and then provides an overview of the
D. technique used to produce the work.

ID: a70cbc53 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The text first introduces the album as being a collaboration between Antrobus and Brennan, then describes the approach taken to
produce it, then mentions how critics have said that it calls into question the function of sound.

Choice B is incorrect. While the text does mention a collection of spoken word poems, it doesn’t single out one poem as being particularly noteworthy. Additionally,
the text doesn’t simply summarize the subject matter—it goes into detail about the content and production of the album. Choice C is incorrect. The text doesn’t
provide biographical information about the two artists, and the text doesn’t speculate about the meaning behind the poetry—instead, it relays what some critics
have said about the album. Choice D is incorrect. The text doesn’t provide just an overview of the production techniques used but instead goes into more detail
about the content and audio elements of the album, as well as critical response to the album.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 4eee64fa
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 4eee64fa
Space scientists Anna-Lisa Paul, Stephen M. Elardo, and Robert Ferl planted seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana in samples of lunar regolith—the surface material of the
Moon—and, serving as a control group, in terrestrial soil. They found that while all the seeds germinated, the roots of the regolith-grown plants were stunted
compared with those in the control group. Moreover, unlike the plants in the control group, the regolith-grown plants exhibited red pigmentation, reduced leaf size,
and inhibited growth rates—indicators of stress that were corroborated by postharvest molecular analysis.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. It describes an experiment that addressed an unresolved question about the extent to which lunar regolith resembles terrestrial soils.

B. It compares two distinct methods of assessing indicators of stress in plants grown in a simulated lunar environment.

C. It presents evidence in support of the hypothesis that seed germination in lunar habitats is an unattainable goal.

D. It discusses the findings of a study that evaluated the effects of exposing a plant species to lunar soil conditions.

ID: 4eee64fa Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The text describes an experiment wherein space scientists compared plant growth in terrestrial and lunar soil conditions. It then
discusses the findings of the study, including the fact that all the seeds germinated but that the plants grown in lunar soil exhibited signs of stress.

Choice A is incorrect. The text doesn’t address this question, and never describes any specific characteristics of either soil. It merely describes the outcome of an
experiment that exposed a plant species to lunar soil conditions. Choice B is incorrect. The text never compares methods of assessing indicators of stress—
instead, it simply mentions several stress indicators observed in the study (red pigmentation, reduced leaf size, and inhibited growth rates). Choice C is incorrect.
The text doesn’t present any evidence that we could never achieve seed germination in lunar habitats, and in fact states that the seeds in the lunar soil did
germinate.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1f2d6173
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 1f2d6173
Scholarly accounts of the Chicano movement—a movement that advocated for the social, political, and cultural empowerment of Mexican Americans and reached
its zenith in the 1960s and 1970s—tend to focus on the most militant, outspoken figures in the movement, making it seem uniformly radical. Geographer Juan
Herrera has shown, however, that if we shift our focus toward the way the movement manifested in comparatively low-profile neighborhood institutions and
projects, we see participants espousing an array of political orientations and approaches to community activism.

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

It presents a trend in scholarship on the Chicano movement that the text claims has been reevaluated by researchers in light of Herrera’s work on the
A. movement’s participants.

B. It identifies an aspect of the Chicano movement that the text implies was overemphasized by scholars due to their own political orientations.

It describes a common approach to studying the Chicano movement that, according to the text, obscures the ideological diversity of the movement’s
C. participants.

It summarizes the conventional method for analyzing the Chicano movement, which the text suggests creates a misleading impression of the effectiveness of
D. neighborhood institutions and projects.

ID: 1f2d6173 Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined portion functions in the text as a whole. The text begins by mentioning
scholarly accounts of the Chicano movement, which the underlined portion describes as tending "to focus on the most militant, outspoken figures in the
movement," making the movement as a whole seem uniformly radical. The text then indicates that the work of geographer Juan Herrera shows that focusing less
on such militant figures and instead paying more attention to manifestations of the Chicano movement in less widely known neighborhood institutions and projects
would reveal that the movement’s participants embraced a range of political orientations and approaches. Thus, the underlined portion describes a common
approach to studying the Chicano movement that, according to the text, obscures the ideological diversity of the movement’s participants.

Choice A is incorrect. Though the underlined portion does present a trend in scholarship on the Chicano movement, the text does not indicate that other scholars
have reevaluated their methods in light of Herrera’s work. It only indicates that Herrera’s work suggests that the work of those other scholars does not provide a
complete picture of the Chicano movement. Choice B is incorrect. Though the underlined portion does identify an aspect of the Chicano movement that the text
indicates has been overemphasized, the text does not discuss the political orientations of the scholars whose work is mentioned in the text. Choice D is incorrect.
Though the underlined portion does summarize the conventional method for analyzing the Chicano movement, the rest of the text does not address the
effectiveness of "comparatively low-profile neighborhood institutions and projects." Instead, the text suggests that those projects were led by people with a variety
of approaches to community activism.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 0a04cac5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 0a04cac5
The following text is adapted from Jane Austen’s 1814 novel Mansfield Park. The speaker, Tom, is considering staging a play at home with a group of his friends
and family.
We mean nothing but a little amusement among ourselves, just to vary the scene, and exercise our powers in something new. We want no audience, no publicity.
We may be trusted, I think, in choosing some play most perfectly unexceptionable; and I can conceive no greater harm or danger to any of us in conversing in the
elegant written language of some respectable author than in chattering in words of our own.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To offer Tom’s assurance that the play will be inoffensive and involve only a small number of people

B. To clarify that the play will not be performed in the manner Tom had originally intended

C. To elaborate on the idea that the people around Tom lack the skills to successfully stage a play

D. To assert that Tom believes the group performing the play will be able to successfully promote it

ID: 0a04cac5 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately portrays the main purpose of the text. At the beginning of the text, Tom asserts that he and the other people
staging the play are doing so only for “a little amusement among ourselves” and aren’t interested in attracting an audience or any attention with the production.
Then, Tom promises that the play they chose is modest and appropriate, and he further reasons that using the well-written prose of “some respectable author” is
better than using their own words. Overall, the main purpose of the text is to convey Tom’s promise that the play will be inoffensive and involve only a few people.

Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t indicate that Tom had earlier intentions for the play’s performance or that anything has changed since the group first
decided to stage a play. Instead, the text focuses on how harmless the entire endeavor will be. Choice C is incorrect. Although Tom mentions that using the words
of a “respectable author” will be better than using their own words, he never addresses the idea that the people around him generally aren’t skilled enough to stage
a play. Choice D is incorrect because in the text Tom specifically says that they “want no audience, no publicity,” which indicates that they don’t plan on promoting
the play at all.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6ae393f7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 6ae393f7
Asteroid 6478 Gault has experienced intermittent mass loss since at least 2013, but in contrast to some other asteroids with repeated mass-loss episodes, 6478
Gault has not lost mass at its perihelion (the closest point of its orbit to the Sun), and thus the loss is not attributable to solar energy–driven ice vaporization. And
as Jane X. Luu et al. point out, the singular nature of impact ejection makes it untenable as an account of multiple loss episodes of similar duration over several
years. Instead, Luu et al. are likely correct that 6478 Gault is shedding mass due to rotational instability.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

It presents a scientific observation, describes a contrast between that observation and other observations, and then explains why those other observations
A. should not be considered credible.

It describes an astronomical finding, discusses competing theories about that finding that the author regards as flawed, and then describes new evidence that
B. supports an alternative theory.

It introduces a natural phenomenon, refutes two potential explanations for that phenomenon, and then presents a third explanation for that phenomenon that
C. the author regards as plausible.

D. It discusses a physical process, evaluates possible causes of that process, and then states that a persuasive account of the process has yet to be put forward.

ID: 6ae393f7 Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes the overall structure of the text. The text begins by introducing the natural phenomenon of
intermittent mass loss with regard to Asteroid 6478 Gault and notes that it curiously has not lost mass at its perihelion like other asteroids typically do. The text
then refutes "solar energy–driven ice vaporization" and "the singular nature of impact ejection" as two possible explanations for Asteroid 6478 Gault’s intermittent
mass loss. Finally, the text presents Luu et al.’s explanation that "6478 Gault is shedding mass due to rotational instability," which the author says is "likely correct."
Thus, the overall structure of the text is that it introduces a natural phenomenon, refutes two potential explanations for that phenomenon, and then presents a third
explanation for that phenomenon that the author regards as plausible.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t distinguish between multiple observations. It focuses on the single observation that Asteroid 6478 Gault is losing
mass and evaluates multiple explanations for the phenomenon. The text also asserts that Luu et al.’s explanation is credible and "likely correct." Choice B is
incorrect because the text describes a natural phenomenon, not a specific astronomical finding. In addition, although the text does note flawed reasons for
Asteroid 6478 Gault’s intermittent mass loss, it doesn’t mention that Asteroid 6478 Gault’s intermittent mass loss is based on new evidence. Choice D is incorrect.
Although the text does evaluate explanations for the cause of Asteroid 6478 Gault’s intermittent mass loss, the text also asserts that Luu et al.’s explanation that
they have put forth is persuasive and "likely correct."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID df45f0eb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: df45f0eb
Several studies have found negligible electoral consequences for governments that impose fiscal austerity measures, yet some European governments recently
suffered electorally due to their austerity programs. Evelyne Huebscher and colleagues attribute this incongruity to governments’ tendency—not followed in the
recent European cases—to implement austerity programs strategically to avoid electoral costs (e.g., setting spending cuts to take effect only after the next
election), which has obscured the inherent political risks of austerity measures in the election data scholars have examined.

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

It explains a discrepancy between what has been observed in study settings and what has been observed in real-world settings that the text goes on to assert is
A. attributable to the studies not using real-world data.

It identifies a conflict between research findings and recent events that the text goes on to suggest is a consequence of a complicating factor in the data used
B. to generate those findings.

It presents a long-standing divergence in research findings that the text goes on to say is due to different groups of researchers using data that derive from
C. different electoral circumstances.

It describes a recent exception to a general pattern in research findings that the text goes on to explain is a result of researchers underestimating the
D. significance of inconsistencies in the data they’ve analyzed.

ID: df45f0eb Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale

Choice B is the best answer because it best describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as a whole. The underlined sentence explains that contrary
to what several studies would suggest, recent European governments suffered electorally after the launch of fiscal austerity programs. The text goes on to indicate
that the researchers generated their findings from data that didn’t reveal the true political risk of austerity measures because the data were based on cases in which
governments had set austerity programs to take effect after the next election, a practice the European governments that recently suffered electorally didn’t adhere
to, thus introducing a complicating factor resulting in a conflict between the research findings and recent events.

Choice A is incorrect because the underlined sentence doesn’t indicate that the discrepancy described in the text is between observations made in study settings
and observations made in real-world settings. Rather, the underlined sentence indicates that the outcome of recent events is contrary to what would be expected
based on the findings of several studies. Additionally, there is nothing in the text to suggest that the studies mentioned did not use real-world data; instead, the text
indicates that the data used was generated under potentially different circumstances than the recent events. Choice C is incorrect because the underlined sentence
doesn’t present a long-standing divergence in research findings but rather a discrepancy between past research findings and recent events that the text goes on to
attribute to researchers’ use of data that didn’t reveal the true political risk of austerity measures. Choice D is incorrect because while the underlined sentence
notes that there have been some recent exceptions to a general pattern observed in several research studies, it does not go on to attribute this exception to the
researchers underestimating inconsistencies in the data. Rather, the text goes on to attribute this to a circumstance (fiscal austerity measures being implemented
before an election rather than after) which adds a complicating factor into the data not accounted for in past studies.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 5e101c70
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: 5e101c70
Text 1
Most animals can regenerate some parts of their bodies, such as skin. But when a three-banded panther worm is cut into three pieces, each piece grows into a new
worm. Researchers are investigating this feat partly to learn more about humans’ comparatively limited abilities to regenerate, and they’re making exciting progress.
An especially promising discovery is that both humans and panther worms have a gene for early growth response (EGR) linked to regeneration.
Text 2
When Mansi Srivastava and her team reported that panther worms, like humans, possess a gene for EGR, it caused excitement. However, as the team pointed out,
the gene likely functions very differently in humans than it does in panther worms. Srivastava has likened EGR to a switch that activates other genes involved in
regeneration in panther worms, but how this switch operates in humans remains unclear.

Based on the texts, what would the author of Text 2 most likely say about Text 1’s characterization of the discovery involving EGR?

A. It is reasonable given that Srivastava and her team have identified how EGR functions in both humans and panther worms.

B. It is overly optimistic given additional observations from Srivastava and her team.

C. It is unexpected given that Srivastava and her team’s findings were generally met with enthusiasm.

D. It is unfairly dismissive given the progress that Srivastava and her team have reported.

ID: 5e101c70 Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale

Choice B is the best answer because it reflects how the author of Text 2 would most likely respond to Text 1 based on the information provided. Text 1 discusses
the discovery of a regeneration-linked gene, EGR, in both three-banded panther worms (which are capable of full regeneration) and humans (who have relatively
limited regeneration abilities). Text 1 characterizes this discovery as “especially promising” and a sign of “exciting progress” in understanding human regeneration.
The author of Text 2, on the other hand, focuses on the fact that the team that reported the EGR finding pointed out that while EGR’s function in humans isn’t yet
known, it’s likely very different from its function in panther worms. Therefore, the author of Text 2 would most likely say that Text 1’s enthusiasm about the EGR
discovery is overly optimistic given Srivastava’s team’s observations about EGR in humans.

Choice A is incorrect because the author of Text 2 explains that Srivastava and her team explicitly reported that they haven’t yet identified how EGR functions in
humans; therefore, the author of Text 2 wouldn’t say that Text 1’s excitement is reasonable for the stated reason. Instead, the author of Text 2 would likely
characterize Text 1’s excitement as premature and overly optimistic. Choice C is incorrect because Text 1 does treat Srivastava’s team’s findings with enthusiasm; it
describes the discovery of EGR in both three-banded panther worms and humans as promising and exciting. It would be illogical for the author of Text 2 to say that
because most others treat the discovery with enthusiasm, Text 1’s enthusiastic characterization of the discovery is unexpected. Choice D is incorrect because Text
1 isn’t at all dismissive of Srivastava’s team’s findings; instead, Text 1 is optimistic about the EGR discovery, characterizing it as promising and exciting. There’s
nothing in Text 2 to suggest that the author of Text 2 would say that Text 1’s praise for the discovery is dismissive, or disdainful.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e4e2aeb3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: e4e2aeb3
Text 1
Like the work of Ralph Ellison before her, Toni Morrison’s novels feature scenes in which characters deliver sermons of such length and verbal dexterity that for a
time, the text exchanges the formal parameters of fiction for those of oral literature. Given the many other echoes of Ellison in Morrison’s novels, both in structure
and prose style, these scenes suggest Ellison’s direct influence on Morrison.
Text 2
In their destabilizing effect on literary form, the sermons in Morrison’s works recall those in Ellison’s. Yet literature by Black Americans abounds in moments where
interpolated speech erodes the division between oral and written forms that literature in English has traditionally observed. Morrison’s use of the sermon is
attributable not only to the influence of Ellison but also to a community-wide strategy of resistance to externally imposed literary conventions.

Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely characterize the underlined claim in Text 1?

A. As failing to consider Ellison’s and Morrison’s equivalent uses of the sermon within the wider cultural context in which they wrote

B. As misunderstanding the function of sermons in novels by Black American writers other than Ellison and Morrison

C. As disregarding points of structural and stylistic divergence between the works of Ellison and those of Morrison

D. As being indebted to the tradition of resisting literary conventions that privilege written forms, such as novels, over sermons and other oral forms

ID: e4e2aeb3 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The author of Text 2 argues that Morrison’s use of the sermon is not only influenced by Ellison, but also by a “community-wide strategy
of resistance” to literary conventions practiced by Black American authors. Ellison, Text 2 alleges, is only one of many influences on Morrison.

Choice B is incorrect. Neither text specifically mentions sermons in works by authors other than Morrison or Ellison, only a tendency towards eroding “the division
between oral and written forms” among Black American writers. Choice C is incorrect. Both texts describe similarities between the works of Ellison and Morrison,
and neither points out instances of divergence. Text 2 simply suggests that Morrison was influenced by more than just Ellison. Choice D is incorrect. While Text 2
does discuss Morrison’s resistance to certain literary conventions, it’s unclear what it would mean for the underlined claim to be “indebted” to that tradition. This
choice recycles language from the text, but not in a way that makes any coherent point.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6a1dc7c5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: 6a1dc7c5
Text 1
Virginia Woolf’s 1928 novel Orlando is an oddity within her body of work. Her other major novels consist mainly of scenes of everyday life and describe their
characters’ interior states in great detail, whereas Orlando propels itself through a series of fantastical events and considers its characters’ psychology more
superficially. Woolf herself sometimes regarded the novel as a minor work, even admitting once that she “began it as a joke.”
Text 2
Like Woolf’s other great novels, Orlando portrays how people’s memories inform their experience of the present. Like those works, it examines how people navigate
social interactions shaped by gender and social class. Though it is lighter in tone—more entertaining, even—this literary “joke” nonetheless engages seriously with
the themes that motivated the four or five other novels by Woolf that have achieved the status of literary classics.

Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the assessment of Orlando presented in Text 1?

A. By conceding that Woolf’s talents were best suited to serious novels but asserting that the humor in Orlando is often effective

B. By agreeing that Orlando is less impressive than certain other novels by Woolf but arguing that it should still be regarded as a classic

C. By acknowledging that Orlando clearly differs from Woolf’s other major novels but insisting on its centrality to her body of work nonetheless

D. By concurring that the reputation of Orlando as a minor work has led readers to overlook this novel but maintaining that the reputation is unearned

ID: 6a1dc7c5 Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because it reflects how the author of Text 2 would most likely respond to the assessment of Orlando in Text 1. Both authors agree that
Orlando is unusual for Woolf: Text 1 states that the novel examines its characters’ psychologies more superficially than Woolf’s other novels do, and Text 2
describes it as being lighter in tone. However, while Text 1 calls Orlando an “oddity” and mentions that Woolf “began it as a joke,” Text 2 asserts that Orlando
engages the same themes as Woolf’s other great novels. Hence, the author of Text 2 would most likely accept that Orlando differs from Woolf’s other novels but
would also insist on its importance in the context of Woolf’s work as a writer.

Choice A is incorrect. Text 2 does suggest that the humor in Orlando is effective. However, there’s nothing in Text 2 to suggest that the author would agree that
Woolf’s talents were best suited to serious novels. Rather, the author of Text 2 compares Orlando favorably to other novels by Woolf that are implied to be darker in
tone. Choice B is incorrect because the author of Text 2 does not indicate that Orlando is less impressive than Woolf’s other novels, but instead points out that it
engages the same themes as other novels by Woolf that are considered classics. Choice D is incorrect because there’s nothing in Text 1 or Text 2 to suggest that
readers have generally ignored Orlando because of its reputation.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 35e21b06
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: 35e21b06
Text 1
Dominique Potvin and colleagues captured five Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen) to test a new design for attaching tracking devices to birds. As the
researchers fitted each magpie with a tracker attached by a small harness, they noticed some magpies without trackers pecking at another magpie’s tracker until it
broke off. The researchers suggest that this behavior could be evidence of magpies attempting to help another magpie without benefiting themselves.
Text 2
It can be tempting to think that animals are deliberately providing help when we see them removing trackers and other equipment from one another, especially
when a species is known to exhibit other cooperative behaviors. At the same time, it can be difficult to exclude the possibility that individuals are simply interested
in the equipment because of its novelty, curiously pawing or pecking at it until it detaches.

Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the researchers’ perspective in Text 1 on the behavior of the magpies without trackers?

A. That behavior might have been due to the novelty of the magpies’ captive setting rather than to the novelty of the tracker.

B. That behavior likely indicates that the magpies were deliberately attempting to benefit themselves by obtaining the tracker.

C. That behavior may not be evidence of selflessness in Gymnorhina tibicen because not all the captured magpies demonstrated it.

D. That behavior might be adequately explained without suggesting that the magpies were attempting to assist the other magpie.

ID: 35e21b06 Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it reflects how the author of Text 2 would most likely respond to the researchers’ perspective in Text 1 on the behavior of the
magpies without trackers. According to Text 1, Dominique Potvin and colleagues observed magpies without trackers pecking at a tracker on another magpie until
the device fell off. The researchers suggested that the birds might have been attempting to help the other bird, with no benefit to themselves. Text 2 generally
discusses scenarios in which animals have been observed removing trackers from each other. The text cautions that it shouldn’t be assumed that these animals
are helping one another deliberately, since they might simply be pecking at trackers out of curiosity, causing them to fall off eventually. Therefore, the author of Text
2 would most likely respond to Potvin and colleagues’ perspective in Text 1 by saying that the behavior of the magpies without trackers could be adequately
explained without suggesting that they were attempting to assist the other magpie.

Choice A is incorrect because Text 2 never discusses the novelty, or the newness and unusual quality, of the captive settings in which animals have been observed
to remove trackers from other animals, nor does it suggest that such novelty might account for this behavior. Instead, the text suggests that it’s the novelty of the
tracking equipment itself that might cause the behavior: interested in the trackers because they’re unusual, animals might paw or peck at them until they fall off.
Choice B is incorrect because Text 2 never suggests that when animals remove trackers from other animals, they do so because they wish to obtain the trackers for
themselves. Instead, Text 2 argues that animals paw or peck at trackers because they are merely curious about them. Choice C is incorrect because Text 2 doesn’t
argue that when captured animals are observed removing trackers from each other, their behavior should be regarded as selfless only if all of them participate in it.
Instead, the text argues that the behavior may not be selfless at all and may instead be attributed to animals’ curiosity about the new and unusual trackers.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a60b0004
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: a60b0004
Scholarly discussions of gender in Shakespeare’s comedies often celebrate the rebellion of the playwright’s characters against the rigid expectations ______ by
Elizabethan society. Most of the comedies end in marriage, with characters returning to their socially dictated gender roles after previously defying them, but there
are some notable exceptions.

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

A. interjected

B. committed

C. illustrated

D. prescribed

ID: a60b0004 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of gender roles in Shakespeare’s comedies. As used in this context,
“prescribed” would mean laid down as rules. The text indicates that the characters in the comedies often defy gender roles that are “socially dictated” (even if most
characters do return to those roles eventually) and that scholars have been very interested in these acts of defiance. This context indicates that what the characters
are rebelling against are standards of behavior prescribed by the society of the time.

Choice A is incorrect because saying that expectations about gender were “interjected,” or suddenly inserted between other things, wouldn’t make sense in context.
There’s no suggestion in the text that the issue of gender roles was inserted between other things or was an interruption in a larger discussion. Choice B is incorrect
because the text indicates that Shakespeare depicts characters rebelling against expectations about gender that have been “socially dictated,” not expectations
that society has “committed,” or carried out, entrusted, or promised. Choice C is incorrect because the text indicates that Shakespeare depicts characters rebelling
against expectations about gender that have been “socially dictated,” not expectations that have been “illustrated,” or clarified with examples. Although it’s possible
for expectations about gender roles to be illustrated, there’s nothing in the text to indicate that characters in Shakespeare’s comedies rebel against illustrations of
gender expectations.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 17bf10de
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: 17bf10de
Text 1
Despite its beautiful prose, The Guns of August, Barbara Tuchman’s 1962 analysis of the start of World War I, has certain weaknesses as a work of history. It fails to
address events in Eastern Europe just before the outbreak of hostilities, thereby giving the impression that Germany was the war’s principal instigator. Had
Tuchman consulted secondary works available to her by scholars such as Luigi Albertini, she would not have neglected the influence of events in Eastern Europe on
Germany’s actions.
Text 2
Barbara Tuchman’s The Guns of August is an engrossing if dated introduction to World War I. Tuchman’s analysis of primary documents is laudable, but her main
thesis that European powers committed themselves to a catastrophic outcome by refusing to deviate from military plans developed prior to the conflict is
implausibly reductive.

Which choice best describes a difference in how the authors of Text 1 and Text 2 view Barbara Tuchman’s The Guns of August?

The author of Text 1 argues that Tuchman should have relied more on the work of other historians, while the author of Text 2 implies that Tuchman’s most
A. interesting claims result from her original research.

The author of Text 1 believes that the scope of Tuchman’s research led her to an incorrect interpretation, while the author of Text 2 believes that Tuchman’s
B. central argument is overly simplistic.

The author of Text 1 asserts that the writing style of The Guns of August makes it worthwhile to read despite any perceived deficiency in Tuchman’s research,
C. while the author of Text 2 focuses exclusively on the weakness of Tuchman’s interpretation of events.

The author of Text 1 claims that Tuchman would agree that World War I was largely due to events in Eastern Europe, while the author of Text 2 maintains that
D. Tuchman would say that Eastern European leaders were not committed to military plans in the same way that other leaders were.

ID: 17bf10de Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. Both texts are critical of The Guns of August, but for different reasons: the author of Text 1 argues that Tuchman missed an important
factor leading up to the war because she didn’t consult secondary sources, and the author of Text 2 argues that Tuchman’s main thesis is "reductive," which is a
close synonym for "overly simplistic."

Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t accurately describe the difference. This choice’s summary of Text 1 is accurate, but Text 2 never says that Tuchman’s most
interesting claims result from her original research. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t accurately describe the difference. Text 1 never says that The Guns of
August is worthwhile to read despite its research weaknesses. Text 2 does call out a weakness of Tuchman’s interpretation of events, but it also praises her
analysis of primary sources. Choice D is incorrect. This doesn’t accurately describe the difference. Text 1 actually says that Tuchman "fails to address" the influence
of events in Eastern Europe, while Text 2 says that Tuchman’s thesis was that European powers (not Eastern European leaders) were committed to military plans.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3d658a5a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 3d658a5a
Some foraging models predict that the distance bees travel when foraging will decline as floral density increases, but biologists Shalene Jha and Claire Kremen
showed that bees’ behavior is inconsistent with this prediction if flowers in dense patches are ______: bees will forage beyond patches of low species richness to
acquire multiple resource types.

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

A. depleted

B. homogeneous

C. immature

D. dispersed

ID: 3d658a5a Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Jha and Kremen’s finding about bees’ foraging behavior. In this context,
“homogeneous” means uniform or of the same kind. The text indicates that some models predict that the distance that bees travel when they’re foraging declines
as the density of flowers increases. The text goes on to say, however, that Jha and Kremen identified a circumstance in which bees don’t behave this way.
Specifically, if bees encounter “patches of low species richness”—that is, patches in which the flowers are largely from the same species—they’ll travel beyond
those patches to get varied food resources. This context thus suggests that bees don’t behave as some models predict if the dense patches of flowers the bees
encounter are homogeneous.

Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that Jha and Kremen found that bees will behave differently than some models predict if the bees encounter flower
patches that are not rich in species, not if the flowers are “depleted,” or emptied or reduced in quality or quantity. Although it could be true that bees are likely to
leave depleted patches in search of more resources, the text doesn’t indicate that Jha and Kremen investigated that possibility. Choice C is incorrect because
there’s no information in the text suggesting that bees will not behave as some models predict if flowers in patches are “immature,” or not fully developed. Instead,
the text indicates that Jha and Kremen found that bees will behave contrary to some models’ predictions if the flower patches are not rich in species. Choice D is
incorrect because the text indicates that bees’ behavior will be inconsistent with the predictions of some models if the flower patches that the bees encounter are
of low species richness, not if the flowers are in patches that are “dispersed,” or widely scattered. Although the text does describe bees as leaving patches that are
not rich in species to forage elsewhere, there’s no suggestion that Jha and Kremen found that the distance between dense flower patches affects whether the bees
behave as some models predict.

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?

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
A. conjugation

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
B. researchers had expected

By denying that the circumstance described in Text 1 is likely to occur but acknowledging that many aspects of nanomaterial conjugation are still poorly
C. 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 c4737d6a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: c4737d6a
Text 1
Africa’s Sahara region—once a lush ecosystem—began to dry out about 8,000 years ago. A change in Earth’s orbit that affected climate has been posited as a cause
of desertification, but archaeologist David Wright also attributes the shift to Neolithic peoples. He cites their adoption of pastoralism as a factor in the region drying
out: the pastoralists’ livestock depleted vegetation, prompting the events that created the Sahara Desert.
Text 2
Research by Chris Brierley et al. challenges the idea that Neolithic peoples contributed to the Sahara’s desertification. Using a climate-vegetation model, the team
concluded that the end of the region’s humid period occurred 500 years earlier than previously assumed. The timing suggests that Neolithic peoples didn’t
exacerbate aridity in the region but, in fact, may have helped delay environmental changes with practices (e.g., selective grazing) that preserved vegetation.

Based on the texts, how would Chris Brierley (Text 2) most likely respond to the discussion in Text 1?

By pointing out that given the revised timeline for the end of the Sahara’s humid period, the Neolithic peoples’ mode of subsistence likely didn’t cause the
A. region’s desertification

B. By claiming that pastoralism was only one of many behaviors the Neolithic peoples took part in that may have contributed to the Sahara’s changing climate

C. By insisting that pastoralism can have both beneficial and deleterious effects on a region’s vegetation and climate

D. By asserting that more research needs to be conducted into factors that likely contributed to the desertification of the Sahara region

ID: c4737d6a Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. Brierley et al.’s research directly challenges Wright’s claim that pastoralism turned the Sahara into a desert, suggesting that, in a Sahara
that turned arid 500 years earlier than previously thought, pastoral practices may have actually “preserved vegetation” rather than depleting it.

Choice B is incorrect. Brierley et al.’s research actually disputes the idea that any Neolithic peoples’ behaviors, including pastoralism, could have contributed to the
Sahara’s changing climate. In fact, their research implies that the Neolithic peoples’ practices did not “exacerbate aridity” (i.e., make things worse), but may have
slowed environmental changes. Choice C is incorrect. Brierley et al.’s research does not acknowledge that pastoralism can have deleterious (i.e., negative) effects
on a region’s vegetation and climate. It only describes one possible beneficial effect: preserving vegetation through practices like selective grazing. Choice D is
incorrect. Brierley et al.’s research does not call for more research into factors that likely contributed to the desertification of the Sahara region.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 8de51658
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: 8de51658
Text 1
The idea that time moves in only one direction is instinctively understood, yet it puzzles physicists. According to the second law of thermodynamics, at a
macroscopic level some processes of heat transfer are irreversible due to the production of entropy—after a transfer we cannot rewind time and place molecules
back exactly where they were before, just as we cannot unbreak dropped eggs. But laws of physics at a microscopic or quantum level hold that those processes
should be reversible.
Text 2
In 2015, physicists Tiago Batalhão et al. performed an experiment in which they confirmed the irreversibility of thermodynamic processes at a quantum level,
producing entropy by applying a rapidly oscillating magnetic field to a system of carbon-13 atoms in liquid chloroform. But the experiment “does not pinpoint ...
what causes [irreversibility] at the microscopic level,” coauthor Mauro Paternostro said.

Based on the texts, what would the author of Text 1 most likely say about the experiment described in Text 2?

It would suggest an interesting direction for future research were it not the case that two of the physicists who conducted the experiment disagree on the
A. significance of its findings.

B. It provides empirical evidence that the current understanding of an aspect of physics at a microscopic level must be incomplete.

C. It is consistent with the current understanding of physics at a microscopic level but not at a macroscopic level.

D. It supports a claim about an isolated system of atoms in a laboratory, but that claim should not be extrapolated to a general claim about the universe.

ID: 8de51658 Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. Author 1 describes the puzzle that physicists still can’t solve: at a microscopic level, the “laws of physics” suggest that we should be
able to reverse processes that are not reversible at a macroscopic level (and, maybe, turn back time!). The experiment confirmed that those processes are not
reversible even on the microscopic level, but it didn’t explain why. This supports Author 1’s point that physicists still don’t fully understand how things work at a
microscopic level—maybe the laws need to be revised.

Choice A is incorrect. We can’t infer that the author of Text 1 would respond this way to the experiment. Text 2 does name two of the physicists involved in the
experiment, but it never suggests that they disagree on anything. Choice C is incorrect. This is the opposite of what the experiment suggests. The experiment
confirmed that the macroscopic-level law (“these things can’t be reversed—like time”) was still true on the microscopic level—meaning it supports the current
understanding of physics at a macroscopic level. Choice D is incorrect. We can’t infer that the author of Text 1 would respond this way to the experiment. Neither
text makes this distinction between laboratory findings and the way the universe works in general.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 059f7201
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: 059f7201
Text 1
Graphic novels are increasingly popular in bookstores and libraries, but they shouldn’t be classified as literature. By definition, literature tells a story or conveys
meaning through language only; graphic novels tell stories through illustrations and use language only sparingly, in captions and dialogue. Graphic novels are
experienced as series of images and not as language, making them more similar to film than to literature.
Text 2
Graphic novels present their stories through both language and images. Without captions and dialogue, readers would be unable to understand what is depicted in
the illustrations: the story results from the interaction of text and image. Moreover, Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home and many other graphic novels feature text that is as
beautifully written as the prose found in many standard novels. Therefore, graphic novels qualify as literary texts.

Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the overall argument presented in Text 1?

A. By asserting that language plays a more important role in graphic novels than the author of Text 1 recognizes

B. By acknowledging that the author of Text 1 has identified a flaw that is common to all graphic novels

C. By suggesting that the story lines of certain graphic novels are more difficult to understand than the author of Text 1 claims

D. By agreeing with the author of Text 1 that most graphic novels aren’t as well crafted as most literary works are

ID: 059f7201 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately states how the author of Text 2 would most likely respond to the argument presented in Text 1. In arguing
that graphic novels shouldn’t be classified as literature and are more comparable to film, Text 1 claims that language plays a relatively limited role in graphic novels:
images, not language, are the primary means by which graphic novels tell their stories, and language is used "only sparingly"—that is, comparatively very little—in
the form of captions and dialogue. However, the author of Text 2 asserts that language in graphic novels is as equally vital for conveying meaning as images are,
since without captions and dialogue, readers wouldn’t be able to make sense of the narrative. Moreover, the author of Text 2 argues that there are many graphic
novels that are "beautifully written" and whose use of language is as accomplished as any standard novel. Because Text 1 argues that language is subordinate to
images in graphic novels, whereas Text 2 highlights how language is an essential component of a graphic novel’s storytelling, it can reasonably be inferred that the
author of Text 2 would say that language plays a more important role in graphic novels than the author of Text 1 recognizes.

Choice B is incorrect. Although Text 1 indicates that graphic novels shouldn’t be classified as literature based on their limited use of language, there’s no indication
that the author of Text 1 considers this limited use of language as a flaw, just that it doesn’t fit the particular definition of "literature" proposed in the text. Even if
Text 1 had suggested that their use of language was a common flaw of graphic novels, the author of Text 2 emphasizes how many graphic novels are "beautifully
written," and would therefore say that their use of language is exemplary, not that it is flawed. Choice C is incorrect because Text 1 doesn’t claim that the story lines
of graphic novels are generally relatively easy to understand; in addition, Text 2 argues that given their dependence on the interaction of image and text, the stories
of graphic novels would be incomprehensible if their captions and dialogue were removed, not that the story lines of some graphic novels are more difficult to
understand than Text 1 acknowledges. Choice D is incorrect because the author of Text 1 doesn’t imply that graphic novels aren’t well crafted, only that they use
language too sparingly to fit the definition of "literature," and that their use of images to convey stories makes them more comparable to film than to literature. Even
if the author of Text 1 had implied that most graphic novels aren’t well crafted, Text 2 refers to the fact that many graphic novels are as beautifully written—that is,
well crafted—as many standard novels; thus, it wouldn’t be accurate to say that the author of Text 2 would agree with the author of Text 1 that most graphic novels
aren’t well crafted.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID d72b325e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-text

Connections

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

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

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

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

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

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

ID: d72b325e Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 02fd3da7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: 02fd3da7
Text 1
Public policy researcher Anthony Fowler studied the history of elections in Australia, a country that requires citizens to vote. Fowler argues that requiring citizens to
vote leads to a significant increase in voters who would otherwise not have the time or motivation to vote. Thus, election results in countries that require citizens to
vote better reflect the preferences of the country as a whole.
Text 2
Governments in democratic countries function better when more people vote. However, forcing people to vote may have negative consequences. Shane P. Singh
and Jason Roy studied what happens when a country requires its citizens to vote. They found that when people feel forced to vote, they tend to spend less time
looking for information about their choices when voting. As a result, votes from these voters may not reflect their actual preferences.

Based on the texts, how would Singh and Roy (Text 2) most likely respond to the research discussed in Text 1?

A. Only countries of a certain population size should implement mandatory voting.

B. People who are forced to vote are likely to become politically engaged in other ways, such as volunteering or running for office.

C. Requiring people to vote does not necessarily lead to election outcomes that better represent the preferences of the country as a whole.

D. Countries that require voting must also make the process of voting easier for their citizens.

ID: 02fd3da7 Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. Text 1 claims that mandatory voting results in elections that "better reflect the preferences of the country." Singh and Roy disagree.
They claim that more voters doesn’t equal more quality votes—instead, they argue that forced voting may lead to less-informed votes that "may not reflect [voters’]
actual preferences."

Choice A is incorrect. Neither text mentions the population size of countries that require voting, or how that might affect election outcomes. Choice B is incorrect.
Neither text discusses the effects of mandatory voting on other forms of political engagement. Choice D is incorrect. Neither text discusses the ease or difficulty of
the voting process in countries that require voting.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 8d802289
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: 8d802289
Text 1
Dance choreographer Alvin Ailey’s deep admiration for jazz music can most clearly be felt in the rhythms and beats his works were set to. Ailey collaborated with
some of the greatest jazz legends, like Charles Mingus, Charlie Parker, and perhaps his favorite, Duke Ellington. With his choice of music, Ailey helped bring jazz to
life for his audiences.
Text 2
Jazz is present throughout Ailey’s work, but it’s most visible in Ailey’s approach to choreography. Ailey often incorporated improvisation, a signature characteristic
of jazz music, in his work. When managing his dance company, Ailey rarely forced his dancers to an exact set of specific moves. Instead, he encouraged his
dancers to let their own skills and experiences shape their performances, as jazz musicians do.

Based on the texts, both authors would most likely agree with which statement?

A. Dancers who worked with Ailey greatly appreciated his supportive approach as a choreographer.

B. Ailey’s work was strongly influenced by jazz.

C. Audiences were mostly unfamiliar with the jazz music in Ailey’s works.

D. Ailey blended multiple genres of music together when choreographing dance pieces.

ID: 8d802289 Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. Author 1 states that Ailey had a “deep admiration for jazz music” and that he “helped bring jazz to life for his audiences.” Author 2
states that “Jazz is present throughout Ailey’s work.” While the authors name different aspects of Ailey’s work as the most influenced by jazz, they agree that jazz
was a strong influence.

Choice A is incorrect. This isn’t something that either text claims. Neither text mentions how Ailey’s dancers felt about his approach as a choreographer, so we have
no evidence that either author would agree with this. Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t something that either text claims. Neither text mentions how familiar
audiences were with any aspect of Ailey’s works, so we have no evidence that either author would agree with this. Choice D is incorrect. This isn’t something that
either text claims. Neither text mentions any genre of music other than jazz, so we have no evidence that either author would agree with this.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 835d1ae6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: 835d1ae6
Text 1
Historians studying pre-Inca Peru have looked to ceramic vessels to understand daily life among the Moche people. These mold-made sculptures present plants,
animals, and human faces in precise ways—vessels representing human faces are so detailed that scholars have interpreted facial markings to represent scars and
other skin irregularities. Some historians have even used these objects to identify potential skin diseases that may have afflicted people at the time.
Text 2
Art historian and archaeologist Lisa Trever has argued that the interpretation of Moche “portrait” vessels as hyper-realistic portrayals of identifiable people may
inadvertently disregard the creativity of the objects’ creators. Moche ceramic vessels, Trever argues, are artworks in which sculptors could free their imagination,
using realistic objects and people around them as inspiration to explore more abstract concepts.

Based on the texts, what would Lisa Trever (Text 2) most likely say about the interpretation presented in the underlined portion of Text 1?

A. Depictions of human faces are significantly more realistic than depictions of plants and other animals are.

B. It is likely that some depictions of human faces with extensive markings are intended to portray the same historical individual.

C. Some vessels may have been damaged during their excavation and thus provide little insight into Moche culture.

D. Markings on depictions of human faces are not necessarily intended to portray particular details about the physical appearance of individuals.

ID: 835d1ae6 Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. Trever thinks that the “hyper-realistic portrayal of identifiable people” interpretation ignores the sculptors’ imagination and creativity.
We can infer that Trevor thinks the facial markings on the sculptures may not have represented real skin blemishes on real people.

Choice A is incorrect. The text gives us no reason to think that Trever would respond to the underlined interpretation in this way. Neither text compares the
depictions of human faces to the depictions of plants or animals, so we have no basis to draw this conclusion. Choice B is incorrect. The text gives us no reason to
think that Trever would respond to the underlined interpretation in this way. There’s nothing in either text about multiple depictions representing the same person, so
we have no basis to draw this conclusion. Choice C is incorrect. The text gives us no reason to think that Trever would respond to the underlined interpretation in
this way. Neither text mentions the state of the vessels (damaged or intact), so we have no basis to draw this conclusion.

Question Difficulty: Easy