SAT Writing - Quiz 8 – Expression of Ideas

11 Questions (9 Minutes is Recommended)

.Directions.

The passage below is accompanied by a number of questions. All of the questions in this quiz
focus on how the passage might be revised to improve the expression of ideas. (Other quizzes
in this program focus exclusively on how the passage might be edited to correct errors in
sentence structure, usage, or punctuation.)

Some questions will direct you to an underlined portion of a passage. Others will direct you to
a location in the passage or ask you to think about the passage as a whole.

After reading the relevant portion of the passage, choose the answer that most effectively
improves the quality of the writing in the passage. Many questions include a “NO CHANGE”
option. Choose that option if you think the best choice is to leave the relevant portion of the
passage as it is.

Questions 1-11 are based on the following passage. . .1………………………………………. ..……….

The Great Barrier Reef A) NO CHANGE

The Great Barrier Reef, located off the eastern B) uniquely unusual
coast of Australia, has few rivals among the world's C) unusually unique

ecosystems in terms of scale, beauty, and D) unique

complexity. Spread over 130,000 square miles, the

. .2………………………………………. ..……….
Reef contains numerous varieties of ..1 . unique and
.

unusual marine wildlife that live among roughly The writer suspects that some readers may not
believe that the Reef is visible from space. The
600 types of coral. Large sections of the Reef are writer would, thus, like the underlined word to
found in shallow waters and are ..2 .. virtually reassure such readers of this interesting fact.
Which word best accomplishes the writer’s goal?
visible from space. While there is no evidence that
A) NO CHANGE
too many astronauts have traveled to Australia to
B) actually
explore the Reef ..3 .. first hand, countless tourists
C) sometimes
have!
D) allegedly

. .3………………………………………. ..……….

Which of the following is the best alternative to

the underlined phrase?
A) with their hands
B) in person
C) with their hands and feet
D) by swimming in it

CONTINUE
 Despite \.4 .. its extreme awesomeness, the . .4………………………………………. .. ……….
Great Barrier Reef, like all ecosystems, owes its
A) NO CHANGE
existence to the delicate balance achieved among B) being incredibly cool
resident species. This balance has been largely off C) its magnificence
kilter, however, since the 1990s. As a result, over D) being insanely beautiful
50% of the coral in the reef has died. \.5 .. While
there are several factors that account for this . .5………………………………………. ..……….
widespread eradication, one is related to the
The writer would like to add a word before the
lifecycle of the crown-of-thorns starfish. A Frisbee- word died in the preceding sentence. The writer
sized, dome-shaped creature with sharp spiny would like the addition to express disappointment
in the fact that over 50% of the coral in the reef
protrusions, the crown-of-thorns starfish will on has died. The addition of which of the following
occasion reproduce rapidly in localized areas of the words would best accomplish the writer’s goal?
Reef. These episodes of disproportionate A) definitely
reproduction are known as “population outbreaks.” B) irreversibly
C) overwhelmingly
For reasons that marine scientists have not yet
D) regretfully
determined, population outbreaks \.6 .. of the crown-
of-thorns starfish skyrocket about every 20 years.
They suspect that the spikes are related to a dearth . .6……………………………………… . ..……….

of natural predators, like Triton snail, which is A) NO CHANGE

prized around the world for its beautiful shell and B) of the starfish
has been stripped from the reef at a troubling rate by C) of them
collectors and shell merchants. What drives D) DELETE the underlined portion.

scientists to learn more is the fact that the crown-of-

thorns starfish's rampant consumption of coral . .7……………………………………… . ..……….
during the height of its population cycle is Which of the following is the LEAST acceptable
responsible for the demise of nearly half of the coral alternative to the underlined phrase?
that has recently been \.7 .. lost. A) misplaced
B) destroyed
C) devoured
D) killed

CONTINUE
 The annual number of crown-of-thorns starfish . .8……………………………………… . ..……….
population outbreaks \.8 .. has most recently been
According to the graphic that accompanies the
declining, but the timing since the last outbreak passage, which of the following is most accurate?
spike suggests that another spike is imminent. A) NO CHANGE
Anticipating what could amount to a catastrophe for B) has most recently been increasing
the Reef, scientists have designed \.9 .. a sick new C) reached an all-time peak in 2001
technology called the COTSbot: a small, remotely D) has declined, generally, since 2001
controlled, unmanned submarine that features
software designed to recognize crown-of-thorns . .9………………………………………. .. ……….
starfish. Once the COTSbot targets a cluster of A) NO CHANGE
crown-of-thorns starfish, it releases a dose of bile B) an ingenious
salts that is lethal to the starfish, \.10 .. but only for a C) a totally cool
short period of time. Scientists hope that COTSbot D) a gnarly
can provide an effective manmade solution to the
next sharp upturn in propagation and save the ...10 ………………………………… . ..…… ….

Reef’s coral in the process. The writer would like the underlined portion to
reassure the reader that the bile salts harm only
the crown-of-thorns starfish. Given that all of the
following are true, which best accomplishes the
writer’s goal?
A) NO CHANGE
B) killing them within seconds
C) but not scuba divers
D) but harmless to the coral and other local
marine life

CONTINUE
 ...11 ………………………………… . ..…… ….
Crown-of-thorns starfish
22 The writer would like to edit the label of the
20 vertical axis in the graphic that accompanies the
18 passage so that it is more accurate. Changing the
16 label to which of the following would best
14 accomplish the writer’s goal?
Outbreaks

12
A) Population outbreaks
10
8 B) Serious outbreaks
6 C) Starfish outbreaks
4
2 D) Coral outbreaks
0

Year

STOP
If you finish before time is called, you may check your work in this section only.
Do not return to any other section in the test.