SAT PREP 2

Vocabulary In Context

100

Ezra Pound’s poetry can be hard to blank : it is dense, experimental, and so full of references and allusions that many readers have a difficult time even identifying the poems’ subjects. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

A) comprehend                                       B) dislike                                                C) interrupt                                           D) overlook

A) comprehend

200

The unique subak water management system used to irrigate the rice paddy fields of the Indonesian island of Bali has a rich cultural, philosophical, and historical significance dating back to the ninth century. The many elements of subak—terraces, canals, and water temples—are blank : they are joined together into a single cohesive unit. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? 

A) outmoded                              B)informal                         C)interconnected                         D)optional

C) interconnected

300

Although the government of the Soviet Union attempted to blank Georgi Vladimov’s novel Faithful Ruslan, copies of the book circulated in secret among readers in several parts of the country. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? 

A) replicate 

B) critique

 C) import 

D) suppress

D) suppress

400

Scholars long thought that the initial spread of silk beyond China occurred in the second century CE, but this view has been blank by new archaeological evidence from South Asia that reveals that the people of the Indus Civilization made use of silk at least 1,000 years earlier. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? A) investigated B) misinterpreted C) anticipated D) contradicted

D) contradicted

500

A casual description of Scherezade García’s 2019 mural Blame It on the Bean: The Power of Coffee can make the work seem blank —a painting that is housed in a coffee shop and that depicts three women drinking coffee may not sound particularly ambitious—but in fact the work is a complex, dynamic meditation on gender and the legacy of colonialism that demands serious attention. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? 

A) unassuming

B) shrewd 

C) incongruous 

D) pretentious

A) unassuming 

Reading Comprehension

100

The following text is from Bram Stoker’s 1911 novel The Lair of the White Worm. Adam is meeting his great-uncle Richard at a port. 

The meeting so auspiciously begun proceeded well. Adam, seeing that the old man was interested in the novelty of the ship, suggested that he should stay the night on board, and that he would himself be ready to start at any hour and go anywhere that the other suggested. This affectionate willingness to fall in with his own plans quite won the old man’s heart. He warmly accepted the invitation, and at once they became not only on terms of affectionate relationship, but almost like old friends. Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A) It states the reasons why Adam and his greatuncle Richard decide to sleep on the ship rather than finding lodging on land. B) It showcases how Adam’s flexibility and consideration strengthen his relationship with his great-uncle Richard. C) It describes why Adam and his great-uncle Richard are excited for their upcoming journey on the ship. D) It contrasts great-uncle Richard’s wary first impressions of Adam with his ultimate affection toward him.

B) It showcases how Adam’s flexibility and consideration strengthen his relationship with his great-uncle Richard.

200

Curious about how people visually perceive objects in their dreams, Stephen LaBerge and team recruited lucid dreamers—people aware that they’re dreaming as it’s happening—for a research study. These participants were reliably able to signal when they had entered a dream state; the team then observed participants’ eye movements as they slept. The smoothness with which participants’ eyes tracked objects in their dreams closely matched how sighted people who are awake visually track objects around them, suggesting to the team that the brain perceives dream objects as the product of something other than pure imagination. Which choice best states the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole? 

A) To offer key evidence that undermines LaBerge and team’s initial hypothesis B) To show the unexpected result that led LaBerge and team to change the focus of their study C) To illustrate an important real-world implication of LaBerge and team’s main finding D) To identify a comparable circumstance that helps justify LaBerge and team’s conclusion

D) To identify a comparable circumstance that helps justify LaBerge and team’s conclusion

300

The average age at which people in the United States start businesses is 35. Economist Andrés Hincapié studied why young adults are relatively less likely to start businesses and whether there are ways to increase entrepreneurship in early adulthood. Hincapié found that one impediment is lack of knowledge about the practical details of how businesses are started; he further found that simply providing young adults with good informational resources on the topic significantly alleviates this problem. Based on the text, what would Hincapié most likely say is a promising way to increase entrepreneurship in early adulthood? A) Creating social networks of young adults who are interested in starting a business B) Encouraging young adults to brainstorm business ideas C) Providing young adults with practical information about how to start a business D) Giving young adults training opportunities at a variety of businesses

C) Providing young adults with practical information about how to start a business

400

Few animals are known to spit: among them are humans, cobras, and camels. But in January 2022 at a nature preserve in southern England, bird-watcher Clare Jacobs observed a gray seal spitting a jet of water at a white-tailed eagle flying overhead. Seals had never been seen spitting before. Biologist Sean Twiss, who studies gray seals, believes that the seal may have been attempting to scare the eagle away from a food source or that the seal may have just been playing. Which choice best states the main topic of the text? 

A) Bird-watching in southern England                                                           B)A previously unseen behavior of gray seals                                               C)How white-tailed eagles defend their territory against other predators                D) Differences between gray seals and white-tailed eagles

B)A previously unseen behavior of gray seals  

500

The following text is from Mick Herron’s 2023 novel The Secret Hours. The narrator is describing members of a government committee.                      

Finally, and adding much-needed gravitas, was Sir Winston Day, whose features seemed moulded to adorn a bust, or possibly a stamp, and whose forehead was so evidently bulging with grey matter that it would have been impertinent to inquire too closely into the actual achievements his half century of public service had produced. His recently published memoirs possibly cast light on this enigma, but given that such details were not provided until after the thirty-page mark, they might as well have remained state secrets. ©2023 by Mick Herron Based on the text, which choice best describes Sir Winston Day?                           A)He has the appearance of a distinguished figure, but it is uncertain whether he has accomplished anything to earn distinction.                                                B) He looks like a person worthy of respect, but his memoirs reveal that some of his actions were dishonorable.                                                                        C) He would be a celebrated public figure if his achievements did not have to be kept secret.                                                                                                   D) He has maintained a modest profile even though he has served the public capably for many years.

 A)He has the appearance of a distinguished figure, but it is uncertain whether he has accomplished anything to earn distinction.  

Data Analysis & Evidence-Based Reasoning

100

A team of researchers used bacteria to create a biofuel (a renewable fuel produced from plants, algae, or other living materials). The team called the new fuel POP biofuel. To determine how much energy is stored in POP biofuel compared to other fuels, the team calculated the fuels’ energy density, in megajoules per liter (MJ/L). The team found that the fuel with the highest energy density is blank Which choice most effectively uses data from the graph to complete the sentence? 

A)jet fuel.                                                                                                   B)POP biofuel.                                                                                             C)ethanol.                                                                                                   D)gasoline 

B) POP biofuel

200

Researchers Eugeni Vidal-Tortosa and Robin Lovelace looked at the relationship between street lighting in a city and people’s willingness to ride a bicycle. Their results suggest that poor street lighting can deter new or inexperienced cyclists from riding in a city but has little effect on experienced cyclists. Therefore, increasing the number of streetlights in a city could potentially ________. Which choice most logically completes the text?                                  A) decrease the number of new or inexperienced cyclists riding in the city.     B) increase the number of experienced cyclists riding in the city.                         C) decrease the number of experienced cyclists riding in the city.                         D) increase the number of new or inexperienced cyclists riding in the city

^{D) increase the number of new or inexperienced cyclists riding in the city}

300

A graph shows rising gas prices and decreasing sales of SUVs. What inference is reasonable?                      A)Gas prices caused SUV sales to increase         B)People prefer public transit                             C)Higher gas prices may reduce SUV purchases                D)SUV quality has dropped

C) Higher gas prices may reduce SUV purchases 

400

A passage claims screen time harms reading levels, but data shows no change in reading over time. What’s the issue?

A) The claim is well-supported 

B) The data supports a different argument

B) The data supports a different argument

500

A table shows students who slept 8+ hours performed better on tests. Which claim is best supported?        A) Sleep does not affect performance                           B) Tests are not a valid measure                                  C) Students who sleep less do better                            D) Sleep is one of many factors in academic performance

D) Sleep is one of many factors in academic performance

Grammar and Conventions

100

When using a search engine, many people click just the first one or two results. Click restraint is the practice of scanning a search results page and evaluating what you see before deciding which link blank Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?                                A) should you choose.                          B) you should choose?                          C) should you choose?                          D) you should choose.

D) you should choose.

200

Following her debut album release in 2002, Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade quickly shot to fame. By 2023, she blank one of the most celebrated musicians in Latin America, having released twelve albums and won seventeen Latin Grammy awards—more than any other female artist in history. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?                                               A) will become                                      B)becomes                                           C)will have become                              D)had become

D)had become

300

The rough frog is a species of amphibian native to Australia. Currently, the frog’s range ________ parts of northern New South Wales and southeastern Queensland. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?                               A) includes                                            B)included                                             C) will have included                              D) had included

 A) includes     

400

According to the original text of the US Constitution, written in 1787, the presidential candidate receiving the second-most Electoral College votes becomes vice president. The 12th amendment, ratified in blank separated the elections for the two offices. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?                            A) 1804—                                               B) 1804,                                                   C) 1804:                                                 D) 1804

B) 1804,

500

Artist Yto Barrada’s exhibition Ways to Baffle the Wind incorporates sculptures, textiles, and films. Barrada’s pieces, utilizing elements as disparate as plant-dyed fabrics, wire crab traps filled with stones, and cotton balls dangling above a fan, blank the ways humans attempt to organize and regulate nature. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?                                A) explore                                             B) has explored                                     C)explores                                D)exploring

A) explore    

Transitions and Research

100

The tiny transistors that control the flow of electricity in modern devices may one day be made of wood. Researchers in Switzerland have found a way to use heat and chemicals to widen the grooves in dry pieces of balsa wood. blank these grooves become wide enough that electrical conductors can be passed through them. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?                 A) For example,                                   B) Previously,                                        C) In contrast,                                     D) As a result,

D) As a result,

200

Al-Andalus, the historical region of the Iberian Peninsula that includes most of modern-day Spain, was ruled by various Arabic-speaking Muslim states between the eighth and fifteenth centuries. blank many Arabic words, such as “alacrán”—meaning “scorpion”—made their way into the Spanish language. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?                                A) For example,                                     B)Instead,                                           C) Specifically,                   D)Consequently,

D)Consequently,

300

In astrophysics, a ring of debris orbiting a larger object within the object’s Roche limit is expected to persist as a ring, whereas a ring of debris orbiting outside this limit would likely accrete into a satellite (e.g., a moon). Bruno Morgado and colleagues, blank detected a dense ring of material orbiting the trans-Neptunian object Quaoar at a distance of 2,500 miles, well outside the calculated Roche limit of 1,100 miles, that has remained intact. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?                     A)though,                                         B)for example,                           C)fittingly,                                  D)likewise,

A)though,

400

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: • The meter of a poem is the rhythmic structure or pattern of accents in its lines. • Alliterative meter is structured by a pattern of repeated sounds. • Quantitative meter is structured by a pattern of long and short syllables. • The Old English poem Widsith uses an alliterative meter. • The Sanskrit poem Meghadūta uses a quantitative meter. The student wants to emphasize a difference between the meters of the two poems. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?                     A)The poem Widsith is written in Old English, but Meghadūta is written in Sanskrit.                                B)Alliterative meter is a pattern of repeated sounds, but quantitative meter is a rhythmic structure or pattern of accents. C)The Sanskrit poem Meghadūta uses a quantitative meter, while the meter of the Old English poem Widsith uses a pattern of long and short syllables.                    D)The lines of the poem Meghadūta use a pattern of long and short syllables, whereas Widsith’s lines use a pattern of repeated sounds.

 D)The lines of the poem Meghadūta use a pattern of long and short syllables, whereas Widsith’s lines use a pattern of repeated sounds.

500

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: • “Organ2 /ASLSP (As Slow as Possible)” is a musical piece by avant-garde composer John Cage. • A specially designed automated organ in St. Burchardi Church in Halberstadt, Germany, began playing the piece in 2001. • It is scheduled to stop playing the piece in 2640. • The performance will last 639 years. • It will be the longest continuous musical performance in history. The student wants to indicate how long John Cage’s musical piece will last. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?                                              A)John Cage is the composer of the musical piece “Organ2 /ASLSP (As Slow as Possible).”                                  B)“Organ2 /ASLSP (As Slow as Possible)” is a musical piece currently being played in St. Burchardi Church in Halberstadt, Germany.                                    C)Lasting 639 years, John Cage’s musical piece will be the longest continuous musical performance in history.                       D)An organ in St. Burchardi Church in Halberstadt, Germany, began playing a musical piece by avant-garde composer John Cage.

 C)Lasting 639 years, John Cage’s musical piece will be the longest continuous musical performance in history.