500+ Practice Questions For The New SAT - Princeton Review (Firm), Editor - 2015 - New York - Penguin Random House - 9781101881750 - Anna's Archive
500+ Practice Questions For The New SAT - Princeton Review (Firm), Editor - 2015 - New York - Penguin Random House - 9781101881750 - Anna's Archive
500+ Practice Questions For The New SAT - Princeton Review (Firm), Editor - 2015 - New York - Penguin Random House - 9781101881750 - Anna's Archive
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Your Goals. Our Expertise.™
The 3 9082 12649 0088
Princeton
ynReview, 3*72’. 7 (0(0 5ft
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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
2015 Edition
v
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Acknowledgments
Project Managers
Claudia Landgrover
Kathryn Menefee
Authors
Aaron Lindh
Amy Minster
Alice Swan
Brian Becker
Lisa Mayo
Elizabeth Owens
Erik Kolb
Zoe Gannon
Reviewers
Cara Fabre
Cat Healey
Spencer LeDoux
Joelle Cotham
Shannon Thompson
Steve Voigt
Jonathan Chiu
Contents
Parti: Orientation . 1
What Can You Expect to See on the Writing & Language Test? . 16
and Reading. If you want to focus on one particular test, there’s no need to work
through the other material: the table of contents can direct you to your test of
choice and all the drills you can handle! The Math test is also divided into four
sections: Heart of Algebra, Problem Solving and Data Analysis, Passport to Ad¬
vanced Math, and Additional Topics. These subsections reflect the different Math
The Optional Essay question types that you’ll encounter on the redesigned SAT, and we’ve designed
multiple drills to help you master each type.
Keep an eye out for future
publications from us
with full-length practice The questions are broken into drills, which allows you to practice on your own
tests that include essay schedule and comfort level: as much or as little as you need at a given time. Taking
prompts. This book is a drill or two a day is a great way to build your SAT expertise over time, while tak¬
designed to introduce you ing several drills at once can help you prepare for the somewhat-taxing experience
to many of the fundamen¬ of taking the full-length test. We recommend you do both!
tal concepts that will be
necessary to successfully
attack the new SAT ques¬ Once you’ve finished a drill, don’t just close the book. Be sure to read over the de¬
tailed explanations following each drill to see what questions you missed and what
tions. As the essay is op¬
tional — check in advance you can improve upon next time. As with all other Princeton Review prep ma¬
whether the colleges you terials, these explanations showcase our powerful SAT strategies and techniques.
are applying to expect it— Even if you answered a question correctly, our explanation might show you a way
we have chosen to focus to solve it faster and more accurately!
on other preparations.
* Focus on the areas where you need improvement, and practice until
you improve! By all means, work through all of the problems in this
book — the more you expose yourself to these questions and the
overall rhythm of the test, the more prepared you’ll be. But start by
going over the sections that you feel least comfortable with; you want
• The redesigned SAT, like the old SAT, is a timed test. You may be a
star test-taker when you have all the time in the world to mull over
the questions, but can you perform as well when the clock is ticking?
Timing yourself on the drills will ensure you are prepared for the
constraints of the actual test.
Filling In Answers
On the actual SAT, you will have to fill in your answers on a separate scantron
sheet. However, because this is a book of drills, and because we’d rather have you
focus your energy on the questions themselves, our directions recommend that
you mark your answers directly in the book. (You can also use scrap paper, if that’s
more comfortable for you.)
Remember that this book is for your personal use; as long as you are able to self-
diagnose by checking our answers and explanations against your own, you can
mark it up however you please. You may even want to consider the sorts of marks
to make if you want to return to check a question or remember to bubble in a
question that you skipped.
r
Directions: A Student-Produced Response question requires you to solve the problem and enter your answer by
marking the circles in the special grid, as shown in the examples below. You may use any available space for scratch< work. D
CD
CD
7 Answer: 201
Answer: —12
Answer: 2.5 CD EitherCDposition is CD
correct.
CD
2 0 1 2 0 i
Write answer 7 / l CD 2
rD CD CD
CD (v> CD Fraction CD CD
in boxes. cD CD line CD
O
CD O
CD
Q o Q O o
O CD
o Decimal • CD
CD m rry
CD C3)
CD CD
CD
CD
CD
• CD
5 CD 8 8 8 CD2
(D C4)
CD 4
CD (3) CD rr>
CD
Grid
result.in — ► C6) CD
C5) CD CD6
CD (6) C8)
CD CD CD
CD poinNote:
t You may start your answers
C8) in any column, space permitting. CD-
Columns not needed should be left
CD C67 blank.
• Mark no more than one circle in any column. • Decimal Answers: If you obtain a decimal answer
• Because the answer document will be machine- with more digits than the grid can accommodate,
D' CD-
scored, you will receive credit only ifC the circles it may be either rounded or truncated, but it must
are filled in correctly. fill the entire grid. For example, if you obtain
an answer such as 0.6666..., you should record
• Although not required, it is suggested that you
your result as .666 or .667. A less accurate value
write your answer in the boxes at the top of the such as .66 or .67 will be CD
scored as incorrect. (D
columns to help you fill in the circles accurately. CD
CD CD
CD CD CD
• Some problems may have more than one correct
CD ways
CD to grid — are: CD
answer. In such cases, grid only one answer. Acceptable
CD CD CD
CD CD CD
• No question has a negative answer. CD
CD
CD CD
CD CD
s
CD CD CD CD CD CD CD
• Mixed numbers such as 3 - must be gridded as CD CD
CD CD CD CD
CD CD CD
CD CD CD CD CD
3.5 or 7/2. (If j 1 CD CD I
s
3 1/12 CD
is gridded, it will be
CD CD CD D
31 1
D 3 I 3
interpreted as ~ , not 3 A .)
6
(D>
GOOD LUCK!
We know that the redesigned SAT
might seem intimidating, but you’re already
headed in the right direction. And we’ll be with you every step of the way.
very simple idea, and — as our students’ test scores show — our approach is the one
that works.
In other words, no matter how well you want to do on the SAT, no matter how
much pressure you might be feeling, you don’t need to let the test intimidate you.
Just remember:
ligence nor the depth and breadth of what you’re learning in high
school. It doesn’t predict college grades as well as your high school
grades do, and many schools are still hesitant to use the score from
your essay in their application decisions at all: that’s why it’s now
optional. Colleges know there is more to you as a student — and as a
person — than what you do at a single 3-hour test administered on a
Saturday morning.
ETS is often criticized for the SAT. Many educators have argued that the test
does not measure the skills you really need for college, as we mentioned above. In
2005, this led them to overhaul the entire test, shifting from a 1600 to 2400 point
scale — the test with which you’re most likely familiar. Beginning in 2016, that
test will have changed again. The important takeaway here is that the people who
write the SAT are professional test writers, not necessarily professors or superhu¬
man geniuses, and if you understand what they’re testing, you can beat them at
their own game.
• 2 cross-test scores
FORMAT OF TEST Paper and pencil only Paper and pencil AND a
computer-based option
• Two tests:
READING AND • Two sections:
WRITING
• Critical Reading • Reading Test
• Passage-based grammar -
including punctuation
• One “extended-thinking”
grid-in question (worth 4
points);
• Core math competencies
(translating math into
English and
English into math)
• A deep understanding of
the theories behind math¬
ematical principles, such
as building equations
While it’s hard to predict when and where breaks between sections will be provid¬
ed, it’s a good guess that the Writing test’s four passages, for which 35 minutes are
allotted, will be presented in one go, as will the Reading test’s five passages, which
are designed to take a total of 65 minutes.
to study, which gives you more time to really master these subjects. (And that’s
where we at The Princeton Review come in.)
The Math Test will be divided into two sections, one with the calculator, with 37
questions over the course of 55 minutes, and one without, with 20 questions ad¬
ministered in 20 minutes. Because of the tight time limit, particularly in the non¬
calculator section, it’s important that you review the explanations for the problems
in this book that you solved correctly, as you may discover techniques that help
to shave seconds from your solutions. A large part of what’s being tested is your
ability to use the appropriate tools in a strategic fashion, and while there may be
multiple ways to solve a given problem, you’ll want to focus on the most efficient.
Additionally, if you require any testing accommodations (such as extra time), the
College Board website provides more information about the qualifications re¬
quired. You don’t want to leave anything to chance in the approval process, so
make sure you leave at least six months between your application date and ideal
testing time so that you can lock it in and spend more time focusing on your
school assignments and SAT preparation.
11
What You Need to Know for the New SAT
Scoring on the SAT
Another major difference has to do with the way that the test is scored. While
the return to a 1600 point composite score isn’t new to the SAT, the inclusion of
subscores and cross-test scores is. The intent of these scores is to help students and
teachers better understand what specific skills and topic areas need to be improved
(as opposed to just “Math” in general). In addition, wrong answers will no longer
be penalized, so you’re advised never to leave a question blank — even if that means
blindly picking a letter and bubbling it in for any uncompleted questions before
time runs out.
As always, you’ll want to check with colleges to see what sort of scores they’re most
interested in, but so that you’re aware, here are the extra categories that are now
reported:
Additionally, the Math test is broken into several categories, as we’ve done in this
book. The Heart of Algebra subscore looks specifically at how well students un¬
derstand how to handle algebraic expressions, work with a variety of algebraic
equations, and relate real-world scenarios to algebraic principles. Problem Solv¬
ing and Data Analysis focuses more on interpretation of mathematical expres¬
sions, graphical analysis, and data interpretation. Your ability to not only under¬
stand what a problem is asking, but to represent it in your own words, will come in
handy here. Finally, Passport to Advanced Mathematics questions showcase the
higher-level math that’s been added to the test, from quadratics and their graphs
to the creation and translation of functions.
(We’ve also included an Additional Topics section that’s filled with what you
might consider wild-card material. Although these questions might not correlate
directly to a subscore, 6 of these miscellaneous types will show up on the rede¬
signed test, so you should try to prepare for all of them. At the very least, being
able to solve these problems will help to flex other muscles in your brain, and that
sort of elasticity always comes in handy on a lengthy exam.)
Because the English portions of the text are passage-based, we chose not to break
out the drills by subscore. However, you’ll find that our questions in those sections
align to these topics. On the Reading test, the Command of Evidence subscore
measures how well students can translate and cite specific lines that back up their
interpretation, while Relevant Words in Context ensures that students can derive
a proper and specific definition from the words in a passage. The Writing test ad¬
ditionally measures Expression of Ideas, which deals with revising language in
order to make more logical and cohesive arguments, and Standard English Con-
That said, the big numbers are still the main composite scores — the Reading and
Writing & Language sections are tallied together to arrive at a score between 200
and 800, and the Math sections are tallied in the same way. That means the final
scores are now between 400 to 1600, with the optional essay reported separately.
A) Paris
B) Dukhan
C) Tokyo
D) Doha
Paris and Tokyo are likely to be familiar answers to you, ones that you know are
the capitals of other major countries (France and Japan). Just like that, a question
with four answer choices becomes one with only two options, and while you cer¬
tainly don’t want to gamble your college futures on the constant flipping of a coin,
this technique can help you out in a pinch.
Moreover, because the Reading and Writing sections are now largely based on
context, you can almost always go back to the passages after narrowing down the
choices. A choice that didn’t leap out before may suddenly become obvious when
given a second look. As another example:
2. The Sun is
A) a main-sequence star
B) a meteor
C) an asteroid
D) a white dwarf star
A first glance through the passage may stress that the Sun is a star, eliminating (B)
like “main-
and (C). Reading through a second time, looking specifically for terms
sequence” or “white dwarf” may give you the extra information to solve a problem
that you otherwise know nothing about.
13
What You Need to Know for the New SAT
ft**
*
v
;
Part II
Writing and
Language
What Can You Expect to See on the Writing and
Language Test?
3 Writing and Language Drills
4 Writing and Language Drills Answers and Explanations
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT TO SEE ON THE WRITING
AND LANGUAGE TEST?
The SAT Writing test has changed significantly. If you’re familiar with the ACT,
then you know what to expect, but if you’re not, the news is good! Traditionally,
the SAT has featured three question types: Improving Paragraphs, Improving Sen¬
tences, and Error ID. Those designations are gone, and now you’ve got a single
task: make a passage better. The passages will be the length of a short essay and all
the questions will be distributed across four passages.
A Sample Passage
Here’s a sample of what a new passage will look like:
[1] Studying grammar rules © seem to be a thing of the past. [2] Instead, most
English classes are © focus on reading and writing today, with the implicit claim
that one learns to write by writing. [3] Also implicit in this claim is the idea that
grammar no longer has the practical, © objective or. egalitarian cachet that it once
did. [4] “Proper speech” does not exist in and of© itself: proper speech, instead,
is the province of those who consider themselves proper. [5] The age of diagram¬
ming sentences and laboring over the difference between direct and indirect objects
is gone. © © [6] For all that people complain about it. what is the difference
between “who” and “whom” anyway?
1 . A) NO CHANGE
B) seems
C) will seem
D) seemed
2. A) NO CHANGE
B) being focused
C) focused
D) having focus
3. A) NO CHANGE
B) objective or egalitarian,
C) objective, or egalitarian,
D) objective, or egalitarian
4. A) NO CHANGE
B) itself proper
C) itself, proper
D) itself proper,
A) where it is now.
B) after sentence 1 .
C) after sentence 2.
D) after sentence 4.
r ^
On the questions that don’t have stems, check the differences among the
answer choices. This will tell you what the question is testing.
On the questions that do have stems, read as literally as you can. This sec¬
tion of the test is not interested in reading comprehension, so look for cues
in the language or punctuation to point toward the correct answer.
V_ __ J
The SAT can test any of about 40 different grammar concepts, and usually the
test writers don’t state explicitly which concept they’re testing. SAT isn’t quite nice
enough to say things like “Use commas correctly here!” or “Should this be in the
present tense or the past tense?”
However, SAT tells you more than you may realize. If we look only at the answer
choices from the first question above, we’ll see a certain pattern:
1 . A) NO CHANGE
B) seems
C) will seem
D) seemed
In this case, every answer choice contains the conjugation of a single verb, to seem.
Accordingly, these answer choices are hinting that we’ll need to choose the correct
form of this verb. We can empty our minds of all the comma and punctuation
rules because we know that this question is not asking about them.
That said, let’s look at the third question.
3. A) NO CHANGE
B) objective or egalitarian,
C) objective, or egalitarian,
D) objective, or egalitarian
This time, the words aren’t changing at all, but the commas are! So this time, we
know that the question is asking about where the commas go. We can ignore the
words and just focus on the punctuation.
These tips are intended
for the Writing test. The This may seem like an obvious point, but on a test with so many questions asking
Reading test requires about so many things, you need something to help anchor your approach. Check¬
different skills, and while ing the differences among the answer choices provides exactly that anchor.
both are based on pas¬
sages, each test has its
own unique approach.
15. Which of the following provides the most specific information regarding the
range of Montaigne’s subjects?
A) some of the best-loved essays in the history of French literature
B) topics that are still of interest to twenty-first century readers
C) a variety of subjects relevant to a sixteenth-century gentleman
D) everything from gallstones to great historical events
In this case, the answer MUST be (D) because it is the only one that provides
specific information regarding the range of Montaigne’s subjects. The others are gram¬
matically correct, and possibly relevant in other contexts, but they don’t fulfill the
question’s basic requirements.
Sometimes these very specific cues can appear in the answer choices as well. Con¬
sider this question, also from another passage.
A) However,
B) Nevertheless,
C) Therefore,
D) Even so,
Notice that each of these answer choices provides some transition word. Choices
(A), (B), and (D) are contrasting transitions, and (C) is a continuing transition.
Since there is only one answer per question, the only one that can possibly work
here is (C) because it’s the odd one out.
[1] Studying grammar rules © seem to be a thing of the past. [2] Instead, most
English classes are © focus on reading and writing today, with the implicit claim
that one learns to write by writing. [3] Also implicit in this claim is the idea that
grammar no longer has the practical, © objective or. egalitarian cachet that it once
did. [4] “Proper speech” does not exist in and of© itself: proper speech, instead,
is the province of those who consider themselves proper. [5] The age of diagram¬
ming sentences and laboring over the difference between direct and indirect objects
is gone. © © [6] For all that people complain about it. what is the difference
between “who” and “whom” anyway?
1. A) NO CHANGE
B) seems
C) will seem
D) seemed
2. A) NO CHANGE
B) being focused
C) focused
D) having focus
3. A) NO CHANGE
B) objective or egalitarian,
C) objective, or egalitarian,
D) objective, or egalitarian
4. A) NO CHANGE
B) itself proper
C) itself, proper
D) itself proper,
A) where it is now.
B) after sentence 1 .
C) after sentence 2.
D) after sentence 4.
A) NO CHANGE
B) Who is to say, after all, that the speech of a particular race, class, or
region is any “better” than any other?
C) Kids hate learning grammar, and teachers hate teaching it, so why
bother?
Introduction
Words
B)
2. A)
NO CHANGE
being focused
focused
having focus
As mentioned above, question #1 has four answer choices that vary the conjuga¬
tions of the verb to seem. We will therefore need to use the context to find the one
that works. First, all the surrounding verbs are in the present tense, so (C) and (D)
can be eliminated.
Then, the subject of the verb is studying (not rules'), which is singular, and requires
the singular verb seems, or (B).
As for question #2, this one is changing forms of the verb to focus. Choices (B) and
(D) are unnecessarily wordy, so they can be eliminated. Then, we have to choose
between the present tense focus and the past focused. Don’t trust your ear! These
words sound awfully similar, so follow the rules. The word has the helping verb are
in front of it, so it must be the participle focused, (C).
Punctuation
Your ear is a valuable tool, SAT can also test your knowledge of punctuation. Use the same method that you
but it won't get you all used for the Words. Punctuation is a bit tougher because you can’t always hear the
the points you need. Your
different punctuation marks. (Say the previous sentence out loud. Could you hear
ear may help you to spot
errors, but make sure you the apostrophe in can’t)
can cite the rules that
make something correct or So let’s look at some of the ways that SAT can test punctuation.
incorrect.
3. A) NO CHANGE
B) objective or egalitarian,
C) objective, or egalitarian,
D) objective, or egalitarian
4. A) NO CHANGE
B) itself proper
C) itself, proper
D) itself proper,
doesn’t actually matter all that much if you don’t know what the words mean in
this case because you don’t have to decide between them. All you’ve got to do is
put the commas in the right place, as only (D) does. Place commas after every
In question #4, the words are again identical, but this time, you have to choose
between a colon and a comma. Notice that the ideas on both sides of the punctua¬
tion (“Proper speech” does not exist in and of itself and proper speech, instead, is the
province of those who consider themselves proper) are complete, so a comma is insuf¬
ficient to separate them. From the available answers, only a colon will work, as in
choice (A). If you thought this could be a period or semicolon, you’re right! But
this is why we check the answers first: if we fix things in our heads, we may not fix
them in the way that SAT wants or makes available.
Questions
About half the problems on an SAT Writing and Language test will have question
stems. With these, read as literally as you can, and do exactly what the question
A) where it is now.
B) after sentence 1 .
C) after sentence 2.
D) after sentence 4.
A) NO CHANGE
B) Who is to say, after all, that the speech of a particular race, class, or
region is any “better” than any other?
C) Kids hate learning grammar, and teachers hate teaching it, so why
bother?
For question #3, read as literally as possible! Sentence 5’s main idea is that the age
of learning grammar has passed. Which other sentences discuss similar things?
Sentence 1 states a similar idea, and sentence 2 begins to show how things are
changing. As a result, sentence 5 should go between these two sentences. The links
are very literal: [1] a thing of the past, [2] the age. . . is gone, [3] instead. . . today. No
reading comprehension or deep thought necessary here! Just follow the words!
For question #6, again, read as literally as possible. We want the question that
summarizes the paragraph’s main point. The paragraph has so far discussed how
grammar is no longer frequently taught because of the emphasis in English classes
on other things. The paragraph then goes on to talk about how “proper’ speech
is a hotly contested category. The concluding remark should include something
about both of these ideas: (A) is too specifically focused on grammar, and (C) and
(D) focus on topics not mentioned elsewhere in the passage. Only (B) remains,
and notice how “better” is being used to echo the word “proper” in the previous
sentence.
Conclusion
As you work through the exercises in this book, pay close attention to the explana¬
tions. They will provide detailed reasoning for each answer choice’s correctness or
incorrectness.
In general, remember the two big precepts: look for what’s changing and read as
literally as possible. The first step in particular will anchor your strategy and will at
least give you something specific to think about as you try to work the questions.
You’d be surprised how often the right answer emerges from eliminating all the
wrong ones!
Even among those who know twentieth-century When Mishima was 18, during World War II, he
literature ® well. Japanese literature in this period can received a draft summons from the Imperial Army. On
be a bit of a blind spot. Only two Japanese authors, for that day, however, Mishima had a cold, and the doctors
instance, have ever won the Nobel Prize in Literature, and declared him unfit for duty, © naming his slight wheeze
today, it can be difficult to find books by ©those authors. as tuberculosis. After this disappointing error, Mishima
Kenzaburo Oe or Yasunari Kawabata in print. It is dif¬ devoted himself more intensely to his studies and eventu¬
ficult to know how to explain this lack of cross-cultural ally obtained a government position, all while writing in
knowledge.
secret at night. © Mishima’s first novel. Thieves, was
© Whatever the cause may be. there is a wealth of published shortly before he was rejected by the Imperial
fascinating material from Japanese novelists, poets, and Annv for service in World War II.
playwrights. One of the most curious of Japanese cultural
The many influences in Mishima’s life combined and
figures, Yukio Mishima, wrote in all three of these media, intersected until the end. He wrote 34 novels and many
and worked in many more besides. Known to contempo¬ short stories, © Mishima starred in some well-known
rary Japanese readers not only as a great novelist, but also Japanese films, and became a public persona as both a
as a political extremist, © actor, and bodybuilder. Yukio model and a bodybuilder. At the same time, however, his
Mishima offers a fascinating combination of many strains political views were radicalizing, and in 1967, with a small
in Japanese culture. militia that he had founded, Mishima attempted (D) to
From a very young age, Mishima was pulled in many overthrow and remove from power the Emperor of Japan,
different directions. He fell in love with both contemporary whose views he saw as too liberal.
French and German poets and with Michizo © Tachihara. While Mishima’s life may have ended in tragedy, and
who was born thirty years before Mishima and died before while his reputation in Japan may be a checkered one, he
the war. While the literature of the East and West com¬ is, © nonetheless, a fascinating figure. Moreover, the
bined in his head, Mishima’s father disapproved of the many confused influences that inform his work make him
boy’s “effeminate” interests, and Mishima was forced to a wonderful entree to a world of Japanese culture that has
write in secret for many years lest his father find his © been curiously isolated from our own, despite its many
manuscripts, tearing it up. surprising correspondences.
1968
1937 1947
Nobel Prize
Enrolls in his Graduates in Literature
literary from the awarded to
University
school’s
society of Tokyo Yasunari
Kawabata
♦ ♦♦♦♦♦
1925 1944 1948
First story 1970
Bom Publishes Mishima
first novel, dies
Kimitake
published
under pen Thieves
Hiraoka in
Tokyo name Yukio
Mishima
A) furthermore,
5. Which of the following true choices best helps B) for all this,
to establish a contrast with the earlier part of the C) nevertheless,
sentence?
D) still,
A) NO CHANGE
B) Tachihara, a master of the classical Japanese
poetic form, the waka.
C) Tachihara, who is less known to Western
audiences than Mishima himself is.
D) Tachihara, who had also been a great reader
of the German poet Rilke.
6. A) NO CHANGE
B) manuscripts, tearing up in the process.
C) manuscripts, tearing them up.
D) manuscripts and tear them up.
7. A) NO CHANGE
B) eying
C) guessing
D) misdiagnosing
25
Writing and Language Drills
Questions 12-22. Read the following passage carefully
before you choose your answers.
Finding a Way
A) NO CHANGE paragraph?
B) it’s pretty rare to get lost inside an airport, A) We all know what it’s like to get our tickets
C) it’s a lot more fun to take the train, and then have no idea where to go.
D) I always prefer to drive when I can, B) The subtle cues do all the work of signs
without cluttering your field of vision.
13. A) NO CHANGE C) Now if only these wayfinders could make
B) that of an environmental graphic designer. our planes take off on time!
C) those of environmental graphic designers.
D) “Do this, don’t do that”: can’t you read the
D) environmental graphic designers. sign?
15. A) NO CHANGE
2
B) a lot. with the info give in the first part of the
rmat n
C) volumes. sent ion
ence
. ?
D) loudly.
A) NO CHANGE
16. A) NO CHANGE B) and
field it’s unlikely that it will ever be a major
of study.
B) establish a presence by entering
C) enter and go into C) though
field. obviously it’s a pretty important
D) enter
D) since it’s too complex for most people to
understand.
Whi
17. Which of the following most effectively ch
of t
introduces the topic of this paragraph? he foll
owin
g gi
A) NO CHANGE ves
the
best
cont
Signs block up the scenery and break one’s
B) mind. rast
18. A) NO CHANGE
B) less.
C) few.
D) a few.
19. A) NO CHANGE
B) have lead
C) leads
D) led
27
Writing and Language Drills
Questions 23-33. Read the following passage carefully
before you choose your answers.
28. A)
B)
23. A) NO CHANGE NO CHANGE
C)
D) remaining
just said whatever to
had remained was dismissive of
remained
completely didn’t pay attention to
26. Which of the following true statements best B) who are continuing
the forward future. the region’s move into
maintains the focus of this sentence?
C) who forward the region’s move and
A) NO CHANGE continue it.
B) as evidenced by Grady-promoted schools D) are moving the region forward and are
like Georgia Tech. continuing its movement.
C) and some high schools in the South today
are named after Grady.
D) a speech that Grady famously gave to a
crowd of New Englanders.
27. A) NO CHANGE
B) Southerners,
C) of us,
D) mankind,
40. A)
34. The best place for the underlined portion would NO CHANGE
A
be: its )
A) where it is now. B) C)
thereD
B) after 1700s and before the comma. )
they’re
C) after the word world.
D) after the word body. 41 . Which of the following choices best completes
A)B) set up in the first part of this
the contrast
sentence?
35. Which of the following statements most agrees
C)
with information presented in the previous NO DCHANGE
)
sentence?
digestively motivated,
a chemical one,
A) NO CHANGE A)
difficult to describe.
B) that you should do unto others as you would
have them do unto you,
42. B) C)D)
C) that book learning is less important than NO CHANGE
research in a laboratory,
players, he isolated
D) that the United States was founded on truly A)
players he isolated
scientific principles, B)
players, isolating
43. C)
36. A) NO CHANGE NO CHANGE
B) Many scientific discoveries, were still
decades, away. DSt.
) Martins
St. Martins’
C) Many, scientific discoveries, were still,
decades away.
D) Many scientific discoveries were still 44. St. Martin’
NO CHANGE
decades away. shows us otherwise.
is not so difficult to digest!
37. A) NO CHANGE puts science in perspective
B) as a series
C) really, a series,
D) a series
38. A) NO CHANGE
B) U.S. Army surgeon William Beaumont was
39. A) NO CHANGE
B) shut.
C) close.
D) end.
A Change of Direction
4. A) NO CHANGE
B) And Catherine
C) Because Catherine
D) While Catherine
5. A) NO CHANGE
B) one day at a time,
C) ever so slightly,
D) OMIT the underlined portion.
6. A) NO CHANGE
B) enrolled
C) unrolled
D) rickrolled
33
Writing and Language Drills
■a
Questions 12-22. Read the following passage carefully
before you choose your answers.
=lt;
Bioinformatics, at the intersection of computer science and ■ Soybean - —
13 Cotton _ ill _
biology, is one such field that has already had a ® tremen¬ 13 80 4-
(0
£ 90 -H ■ Soybean
dous and large impact on the way we live today. Because
o 70
it requires technical proficiency in a number of fields, m
bioinformatics can seem © intimidating, but the field is C
(7)
always growing and can lead practitioners down a number D 60
U)
TJ
of fascinating paths. c
50
Bioinformatics made news early this century with what
is arguably one of the most remarkable scientific achieve¬ (0
>
ments of our age: © people have been talking about it
3
ever since. A process over twenty years in the making, the o
Human Genome Project was completed in 2003. This work
would not have been possible with traditional pen-and-
paper laboratory methods. Even with the many scientists
who worked on the project, the project required the sci¬
ence of © bioinformatics — biological research that uses
computers to track, store, and read the data. This project
has enabled to scientists to begin to understand the basic
blueprint of a human being, and this understanding has
already led to huge gains in disease control.
While the Human Genome Project may grab the head¬
lines, bioinformatics has a much more direct impact on
our lives for the advances it has enabled in the field of
agriculture. ® Genetically-modified agricultural products
are more or less the norm today, and the achievements in
genetically-modified agriculture © are all the work of
bioinformatics. Just as the Human Genome Project did
with humans, daily experiments work to map the genomes
of agricultural crops in order to understand how they grow.
This genomic information has been used, for example,
to increase some plants’ nutritional value or to enable
them to grow in poor soil. The effects on the crop yields
of © soybeans, cotton, and, maize over the last twenty
years have been undeniable. The percentage of cultivated
land devoted to these genetically-modified soybeans, for
instance, has shrunk to record lows in some cases.
There has been significant debate as to the ethical value
of bioinformatics and of genetically-modified crops and
meats. There is no question, however, that © it will con¬
tinue to grow, and this may well be because the potential
benefits so far outweigh the potential risks. The food we
eat may not be as nature intended it, but we are at least
more protected from many of the famines that decimated
historical populations. And beyond its influence in agri¬
culture, @ bioinformatics, neither discounted nor denied
with humans, records success.
13. A) NO CHANGE 20. Which of the following contains accurate data based
B) tremendous and not at all small on the graph?
18. A) NO CHANGE
B) is
C) can be
D) would have been
35
Writing and Language Drills
Questions 23-31 . Read the following passage carefully
before you choose your answers.
[1] [4]
Anthropology is built from roots that mean “the study Today, the effects of this empathy can be seen every¬
of man.” That may seem like a pretty grandiose title for where. Literary critics analyze texts and authors not
such a minor science. Most people are not even sure according to one golden standard but according to the
what anthropology is, let alone would consider it one of particular circumstances and contexts of each work. [C]
the central disciplines in how we understand human life. Public-policymakers advise not according to what should
Nevertheless, upon closer inspection, we see that anthro¬ work according to its success in their hometowns or coun¬
pology is at the core of © both the social sciences and the tries but to what should work in a particular place given
humanities as we understand those fields today. that © places need and population.
[2] [5]
Anthropology, unfortunately, was built, and it was at its Anthropology has shown us how to live, and like the
most popular exactly when it was at its most controver¬ best © anthropologists, it has done so quietly, not insist¬
sial © on shaky foundations. That image of a European ing on its own superiority but by showing us how ©
dressed in © their finery going out to gaze upon “the its work is a lot more interesting than the work of other
26. A) NO CHANGE
B) this. 32. The best placement for Paragraph 6 would be:
C) them.
D) these native populations. A) where it is now.
B) after Paragraph 2.
C) after Paragraph 3.
27. A) NO CHANGE D) after Paragraph 4.
B) This beginning was inauspicious, but even then,
it had tremendous effects on how people saw the 33. Upon rereading the essay, the author concludes that
world. A)
the following information has been left out:
C) Inauspicious it may have been, but tremendous B)
Public-health
C)D officials figure out not how a
also was the effect of this beginning on the ) could be contained in the abstract but
disease
world.
within what the local conditions of the disease
D) The beginnings of this world were inauspicious,
outbreak will allow.
but the effects of them were tremendous.
The A.
sentence should be added at point:
B.
28. A) NO CHANGE
C.
B) place’ D.
C) places’
D) place’s
29. A) NO CHANGE
B) anthropologists. It has
C) anthropologists it has
D) anthropologists have
37
Writing and Language Drills
Questions 34-44. Read the following passage carefidly
before you choose your answers.
[1] The American Dream has taken many forms: the Goldhaft would also aid in the disbursement of the
big lawn, the white picket © fence, including also the 2.6 laryngo-virus vaccine developed by Rutgers scientist Frank
children. [2] That man was Arthur Goldhaft, the unsung Beaudette. The two of them collaborated on a freeze¬
hero of twentieth-century poultry farming. [3] One of drying technique that would enable Beaudette to ship the
vaccine to whoever needed it.
these American Dreams, “a chicken in every pot,” has
very clear origins. [4] The scene is Vineland, New Jersey, © Goldhaft’s story is inspiring for any number of
where a recent graduate of the veterinary school University reasons. First, it shows that humble origins do not need
of Pennsylvania has moved with his wife and children for
to limit one’s potential successes. Second, it shows that
a more countrified lifestyle than © Philadelphia in the
education can truly make a difference in one’s life. And
1910s. © third, it shows that hugely influential events can begin in
Goldhaft was born in Philadelphia in 1886. He went
the most © remote place. A “chicken in every pot” may
to the Jewish Agricultural School in Woodbine, NJ. © have eventually been the promise of the Vineland Poultry
Suspecting that the school was one of the many reform Laboratories, but it was only really made possible by
schools the troubled Goldhaft was forced to attend as a a small-city veterinarian trying to feed his family. The
child, he © prayed to run away if necessary. In the end, he history of science is full of such © stuff, and it can be
did no such thing: the school taught Goldhaft and many comforting to think that many of the difficulties of contem¬
others the techniques of scientific farming, and it mapped porary life are just one chance discovery away.
the course of the rest of Goldhaft’s life.
In the 1920s, President Herbert Hoover promised a
A) NO CHANGE
36. The best placement for Sentence 2 would be: B) What do you say we grab some chicken wings
A) where it is now. after this?
A) NO CHANGE
B) Vegetarian consciousness had not yet gained a
foothold in the United States.
C) Pigs and cows were doing just fine.
D) A mysterious pox was killing chickens in droves.
40. A) NO CHANGE
B) his
C) my
D) they’re
39
Writing and Language Drills
Writing & Language Drill 3
For each question in this section, circle the letter of the best answer from among the choices given.
Questions 1-11 .Read the following passage carefully before you choose your answers.
A Norwegian Struggle
2. A) NO CHANGE
9. The author is considering deleting the phrase “and
B) your not the 'Norwegian Hitler’” from the preceding
sentence. Should the phrase be kept or deleted?
C) you’re
D) an author’s A) Kept, because it clarifies information presented
in the latter part of the sentence.
3. A) NO CHANGE B) Kept, because the sentence is not grammatically
B) writer Karl Ove Knausgard, has built complete otherwise.
C) writer, Karl Ove Knausgard has built C) Deleted, because it repeats information stated
D) writer Karl Ove Knausgard has built explicitly elsewhere in the sentence.
D) Deleted, because the mention of Adolf Hitler
could be offensive to some readers.
4. Which of the choices is best aligned with the ideas
presented in the first paragraph?
10. A) NO CHANGE
A) NO CHANGE
B) the six volumes of which are being released in B) on whom
the United States in 2015 and 2016. C) on who
C) which has been translated into many languages D) whom
beyond the original Norwegian.
D) which is a special and remarkable work by a 1 1 . Which of the following choices provides the best
great writer. conclusion to the essay by echoing themes presented
in the first paragraph?
5. A) NO CHANGE A) NO CHANGE
B) where does life end and fiction begin?
B) appropriated.
C) how a man in his 40s write such a long book?
C) appropriately.
D) can his family and friends ever forgive him?
D) appropriations.
6. A) NO CHANGE
B) definitional
C) definitive
D) definingly
A) NO CHANGE
B) Both the similarities and differences between
Knausgard’s and Proust’s work are telling;
however, the differences are that much more so.
41
Most moviegoers love the actors. Film buffs love the Best Best
Design
directors. So who is left to love the production designers? Year/Film Best Pro¬
Picture Director duction
Production design (PD) has been an essential component
of film ever since Hollywood came into ® existence but
1960
cite the names of most PDs or Art Directors, and you’ll The
get a blank stare. ® Still, film is a visual medium, and
Story
it’s impossible to maximize that visual aspect without the Apartment
work of an accomplished Production Designer. 1961
West Side
When we praise the “look” of a film, we usually think
that we’re tipping our hats to the director. In fact, © we
admire equally the work of the PD, who guides the work
1962
of the costume designer, make-up stylists, special-effects Lawrence of
© director, locations manager. The colorful pallet of a Arabia
1963
movie like Finding Nemo (2003) would’ve been impos¬
sible without the art direction of Ralph Eggleston, © who
Tom Jones
made it happen, and the rich period authenticity of a movie
like 12 Years a Slave (2013) is the great achievement of 1964
both Adam Stockhausen and ® director Steve McQueen. My Fair
1965 Lady
In fact, from that crucial period from 1960-1975, © the
The Sound of
Oscar for Best Actress was awarded to remarkably few
Music
Best Picture actresses. This makes sense, if a film doesn’t
1966
have a distinctive “look,” what does it actually have?
A Man For
A production designer essentially “directs” all of those All Seasons
working on © the aspects of the film. © They’re account¬ 1967
able for the work of set designers, make-up artists, com¬
puter designers, storyboard illustrators, and numerous oth¬ In the Heat
of the Night
ers. He or she is involved in the set construction, in finding
or constructing the furniture, structures, or buildings 1968
necessary for the look of a film. In the many period dramas Oliver!
1969
that have become popular in recent years, from Downton
Abbey on TV to American Hustle in film, the production Cowboy
Midnight
designer consults with historians to ensure accuracy and
authenticity so that viewers can have a more powerful
1970
visual experience. Producing that vision is impossible
Patton
without the work of a good Production Designer. ®
As with many other aspects of film, Production Design 1971
The French
can be a fine-art major, and for those who go into the pro¬
fession, there is the Art Directors Guild of the International Connection
One Flew
Over the
Cuckoo’s Nest
A) NO CHANGE
B) nearly half of all Best Picture winners have also
been Best Production Design winners.
C) the award for Best Director exists in almost a 1 : 1
ratio with the award for Best Picture.
D) there is an obvious disparity between the number
of Best Actor winners in Best Picture films and
Best Actress winners in Best Picture films.
B) those in
C) the visual aspects of
D) DELETE the underlined portion.
Vancouver. British Columbia, is Canada’s eighth most attention to. a gift-giving ceremony in which the wealthy
populous city, and it is known as one of the hotbeds of demonstrate their extreme affluence by the vast quantities
contemporary Canadian culture, alongside eastern cit¬ they are able to give away.
ies Toronto and Montreal. Still, while nearly everyone The survival of the potlatch and © the more general
knows about them, few know about the importance Kwakwaka’wakw is a minor miracle. Between 1830 and
of Native American culture within the coastal region
1 880, 75% of the tribe’s population was killed by violence
of British Columbia. A © small community, of the and disease. Canada outlawed the practice of potlatch
Kwakwaka’wakw people, in the Pacific Northwest, links in 1884, citing its wastefulness and expenditure as run¬
the area to its pre-European roots. Although the language, ning contrary to the “civilized” values of white Canada.
a collection of dialects known as Kwak’wala, is spoken by Policies like the potlatch ban ©> were instituted as part of
only about 250 people, the Kwakwaka’wakw continue to a broader project of assimilation, designed to turn native
be a relevant force in the region and an inspiring reminder populations into Canadians, not only by banning native
of an era that was cruelly uprooted in the early nineteenth practices but also by sending native children to harsh
century. © assimilationist schools.
© According to this mythological narrative, the
The population of Kwakwawa’wakw today is just
original settlers came to the area in animal form and over 5,000. ® However, the small community of
became human when they arrived at the places they would
Kwakwaka’wakw peoples remains committed to its tradi¬
settle. One of the major figures in this origin story, the tions, and in the late twentieth century, a move away from
Thunderbird, can still be seen in the many totems and assimilationist policies meant that the Canadian govern¬
carvings that remain, particularly from the late nineteenth ment was more willing to recognize and encourage cultiva¬
century. tion of its native heritage. Things today may be as good
Much of what we know about the nineteenth-century as they’ve been at any time in history: the population
Kwakwaka’wakw tribes © come from German-American of Aboriginal peoples in Canada from 2001-2006 @ has
anthropologist Franz Boas. In Boas’s analysis, we can see declined 20.1%. with growth in British Columbia peak¬
the importance of weaving and woodwork, particularly as ing at 42%. The Winter Olympics in Vancouver in 2010
displays of wealth and power within the community. In showed that Canada has finally begun to see the influence
fact, most-heavily studied aspect of Kwakwaka’wakw cul¬ of the Kwakwaka’wakw and others as integral to © ips
ture remains the potlatch , © which scholars devote much national character.
Percent
2001-2006 Aboriginal Population Growth,
50
by Province
42.1
NS Que PEI Ont Nfld Alta Man Yukon BC NWT Nvt Sask NB
Source: 2001 & 2006 Census of Canada
B) comes
C) are coming
D) came
45
Writing and Language Drills
Questions 34-44. Read the following passage carefully
before you choose your answers.
41. A) B)
34. A) NO CHANGE NO CCHANGE
)
syruD
py)
B) Norbert Rillieux was bom March 17, 1806, in
New Orleans, LA.
C) On March 17th in 1806, Norbert Rillieux was bituminous
born in Louisiana in New Orleans. gross
42. A) B)
D) Born in New Orleans, March 17th was the
birthday of Norbert Rillieux in 1806. NO CCHANGE
)
refining;
D) all
refining all
refining, all
35. A) NO CHANGE
B) then were relations in
C) than the race relations were in 43. A)
D) than those of blacks and whites in NO CHANGE
36. A) NO CHANGE
B) However, Norbert system’s
systems
C) Because Norbert
D) While Norbert systems’
44. Which of the following would be support the state¬
ment made in the first part of this sentence?
A) NO CHANGE
B) lived a traditionally French lifestyle.
C) did not have to contest with racial prejudice.
D) became a teacher at the young age of 24.
39. A) NO CHANGE
A) NO CHANGE
B) a popular process.
C) costly and inefficient.
D) the “sweetest” job in town.
47
27 B 3. AD
4. 40. C
15. C 39. D
28. C 16. A 41. C
29. B 17 B 5.
6. AC 42. D
30. D 18. A
43. B
31. C 19. C 78. DD 44. A
32. D 20. D
21. B 9. A
33. A 10. B
22. D 11. B
Passage I
1. C The idea before the punctuation, Even among those who know twentieth-century literature well, is
incomplete, so it cannot end with either a period or semicolon, eliminating (A) and (B). Choice (D)
can also be eliminated because it introduces a contrast where none exists. Only (C) is correct.
2. D If the ph rase Kenzaburo Oe or Yasunari Kawabata were removed, the meaning and completeness of
the sentence would not change. The phrase is therefore not essential to the meaning of the sentence
and should be set off with commas, as (D) indicates.
3. A Read the question carefully. It asks for a choice that addresses the uncertainty expressed in the last
sentence of the previous paragraph. Only (A) notes this uncertainty, with the others either dismissing or
ignoring the uncertainty mentioned in the previous sentence.
4. A There should be a comma after every item in a list— in this case, political extremist, actor, and body¬
builder. This eliminates (B). Then, because the list is part of an introductory idea, there should also be
a comma after the word bodybuilder, making (A) the correct answer.
5. B The previous sentence indicates that Mishima was pulled in many different directions. The first part
of this sentence refers to contemporary French and German poets, so the second part of the sentence
should emphasize another influence that came from somewhere else. Choice (B) provides the best
emphasis, explaining that Tachihara was a Japanese poet who worked in a classical form.
6. D The verb in the underlined portion should agree with the other verb in this part of the sentence, find.
Only (D) does so, with the other three choices using the form tearing.
7. D The following sentence refers to a disappointing error. The most precise word in the underlined portion
is therefore misdiagnosing, or (D).
8. C Use POE by comparing the answer choices to the information presented in the timeline. Choice (A)
can be eliminated because Thieves was published when Mishima was 23, and he had been rejected
from military service at 18. Choice (B) can also be eliminated because Thieves was published in 1948
and Kawabata won the Nobel Prize in 1968. Choice (C) is correct about the publication date of
Thieves. Choice (D) can be eliminated because Mishima graduated in 1947, and his first novel was
published in 1948.
9. B Keep the items in the list parallel! This list refers to a series of actions: wrote. . . starred. . . became.
There’s no need to add anything else, making (B) the correct answer.
51
10. D All four answers mean essentially the same thing, so choose the shortest that makes sense in the
context. In this case, that is (D), to overthrow.
11. A Look at the direction of each of the transitions. Choices (B), (C), and (D) each establish a contrast in
the sentence. Choice (A) does not and must therefore be the one that is NOT acceptable in the given
context.
Passage II
12. B The idea presented at the beginning of the paragraph is that air travel can be frustrating, but in an
airport, you seem to know exactly where to go. Choice (B) best paraphrases this idea.
13. B The portion of the sentence before the underlined portion ends with by design, so the underlined
portion must refer back to this somehow. Choices (A) and (D) do not correctly modify the word
design, and (C) implies a plural noun where there is none. Choice (B) is the only acceptable choice,
suggesting that the design is that of an environmental graphic designer.
14. A This sentence refers to how environmental graphic designers guide us through, so the word we is appro¬
priate in the underlined portion, unlike the pronouns given in (C) and (D). Then, (B) makes the
sentence incomplete. The sentence is therefore correct as written.
15. C The conventional phrase is speaks volumes. Although some of the other words may have similar-
seeming meanings, they do not work in this conventional phrase. Only (C) works in this context.
16. D All four answers mean essentially the same thing, so choose the shortest that makes sense in this
context. In this case, that is (D), enter.
17. A This paragraph describes Atlanta’s airport as a classic example of environmental graphic design. Choice
(A) is therefore the best choice to introduce the paragraph; the others do not refer to Atlanta’s airport
at all.
18. C The first part of this sentence says that airports are typically full of signs. Atlanta’s airport, by contrast,
has few signs, as (C) suggests. Choice (D) changes the meaning, and (A) and (B) use less, which is
typically for non-countable objects.
19. C This paragraph is mainly in the present tense, so the verb in the underlined portion must be in the
present tense as well, eliminating (B) and (D). Then, (A) can be eliminated because the subject of the
verb, the subtle design of the lights and floors, is singular. Only (C) remains as the correct answer.
21. D The sentence as written contains a comma splice. The first idea in this sentence (The work of graphic
designers is all around us) and the second idea {still, the profession is working toward more significant
recognition) are both complete. They should therefore be separated by a period or semi-colon, as in (D).
22. A The first part of the sentence mentions that there are no degree programs in environmental graphic
design yet, and (A) shows that this is changing. Choices (B) and (D) contain no contrast at all, and (C)
contains a contrast but a meaningless one.
Passage III
23. D Keep the verbs consistent. The other verbs in this paragraph are were and lost. This one should be keep
consistent with those, so it should be remained, (D).
24. C The remainder of the paragraph discusses certain intellectuals’ plans for the “New South.” The ques¬
tion here should be something along the lines of, What would the new South look like ? Or What was the
South going to do now ? Choice (C) best encapsulates these questions. Choice (D) may seem plausible,
but it places the emphasis on the wrong time period.
25. A Use POE! Choice (A) is the only one that communicates an actual idea. Choice (B) refers to the base
journalist Henry Grady, which nothing in the passage supports. Choice (C) refers to learning mistakes,
which doesn’t make sense. Choice (D) is close, but Henry Grady himself is awkward, and (A) is clearer.
26. B The first part of this sentence suggests that the South was already very much on its way to becoming an
industrial powerhouse. The underlined portion should agree with this idea, as only (B) does. Choices
(C) and (D) are off-topic, and (A) disagrees with the earlier part of the sentence.
27. B In the sentence as it is written, the word them is ambiguous. Only (B) clarifies the referent for them:
southerners.
28. C The sentence as written breaks with the formal tone of the rest of the essay. Choices (B) and (C) make
similar mistakes. Therefore, only (C) can work in the context.
29. B Without the phrase “of the Old South,” the idea of the mirror image is unclear. The sentence states that
the New South is the mirror image of the Old South. If the phrase is removed, the sentence changes its
meaning. The phrase should therefore be kept for the reason stated in (B).
30. D This sentence sets up a contrast between the ideas of Grady and the ideas of others. Choice (D), however,
provides the clearest sense of who those others were and is therefore the correct answer.
53
Writing and Language Answers and Explanations
y'
31.
31. C
The pronoun they is currently ambiguous because it doesn’t seem to refer to anything in this sentence.
Instead, this sentence is discussing “the South” and the things that it did. The best answer is therefore
(C), which creates a pronoun referent that works.
32. D The time referred to here is the Reconstruction period., which is singular. Therefore, the correct answer
must refer to this as a time in the singular, as only (D) does.
33. A If all four answers say essentially the same thing, choose the shortest that preserves the meaning. In
this case, the best answer is (A), which lays the ideas out clearly and is free of awkward constructions,
as in (B), (C), and (D).
Passage IV
34. C France is a country, so the underlined portion should be placed somewhere in a discussion of places. In
this case, the only place that could work is after the sentence’s mention of intellectuals from all over the
world , or (C).
35. A The idea presented in the previous sentence has to do with nature and the body as observable phenomena.
The underlined portion should relate to this idea somehow, as only (A) does, even if the other choices
are true or plausible.
36. D
If you cannot cite a reason to use a comma, don’t use one! No commas are required for any reason in
this sentence, so the correct answer is (D).
37. D As written, this sentence is incomplete because of the conjunction after. Choice (B) contains the same
mistake. Then, (C) adds an unnecessary word in really, leaving only (D) as the correct answer.
38. B
As written, the sentence is awkwardly phrased, and it’s not clear what US. Army surgeon refers to.
When you are asked to shuffle through a bunch of nonsense sentences, start with the shortest. In this
case, the shortest is (B), which is also the one that states its idea most directly.
39. C A wound or hole on the body has to close in order to heal. Although shut and end may mean close in
other circumstances, the only word that works idiomatically here is close , or (C).
40. B
This part of the sentence refers to the stomach’s machinations. In other words, the sentence refers to its
machinations , as in (B). Choice (A) is the contraction for the words it is, so it cannot apply here.
The idea before the punctuation {In fact, Beaumont demonstrated that the stomach muscles were rela¬
tively minor players) and the one after it {he isolated samples of gastric fluid in cups and allowed food to
“ digest ” in those cups) are both complete. A colon could therefore apply. The other choices either create
comma splices or run-on sentences, however, and should therefore be eliminated.
In this sentence, the fistula belongs to St. Martin. It is therefore St. Martin’s fistula. Choice (B) implies
a plural noun where none exists, and (C) and (D) eliminate the necessary possession altogether.
Be sure the ideas are in keeping with the tone of the passage. Choices (A) and (C) change the tone,
and (D) is essentially meaningless. Only (B) can work and completes the idea given earlier in the
sentence.
55
Writing and Language Answers and Explanations
ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS FOR WRITING & LANGUAGE DRILL 2
Passage I
1. A This sentence appears in a within a list of questions, so the sentence itself should be a question also,
thus eliminating (C) and (D). Then, the paragraph is about what you imagine when you imagine a
director, with which only (A) agrees.
2. B If you can’t cite a reason to use a comma, don’t use one. In this case, no commas are necessary, so
(B) must be correct. There should not be a comma before Kathryn Bigelow because the sentence is no
longer complete without these words.
3. C The words only four female directors suggest that all the rest of those nominated have been men.
Therefore, it is not necessary to add the proposed information because it is already implied in the
sentence.
4. D The sentence as written contains a comma splice. A word will need to be added to the beginning of
the sentence to eliminate this error. Then, the ideas in this sentence (critically admired. .few people
know ) are in contrast with one another, meaning that the sentence needs an opposite-direction transi¬
tion, such as the one contained in (D).
5. D The underlined words bit by bit are redundant with the non-underlined word incrementally, so (A)
should be eliminated. Choices (B) and (C) make the same mistake, so the best option is to eliminate
the underlined portion altogether, as in (D).
6. B The correct word here is enrolled, particularly as it applies to a school or program. The best answer is
therefore (B).
7. A Choose the most precise answer. In many cases, that will be the shortest answer, but in this case, the
most precise answer is the longest, (A). Choices (B), (C), and (D) are too vague or too general.
8. C The next sentence discusses the military drama, which indicates an interest in the structure of violence,
as in (C). While it may seem plausible that Bigelow’s films would have strong female protagonists,
there is no evidence for such a claim in the passage.
9. A The previous sentence states, Bigelow has also torn down the arbitrary notion of what a “womens film” or
“leading lady” might be expected to look like. This sentence gives evidence of that claim, so the transition
should signify some continuation of the idea. Choice (A) does this effectively, while the other choices
are either irrelevant or contrasting.
Since all four answers say similar things, choose the shortest that works in the given context. Choice
(A) is the shortest, but it is not specific, and it is not in keeping with the tone of the rest of the best
passage. The best option comes in (B), which is concise, specific, and tonally appropriate.
Passage II
12. B The antecedent for the underlined pronoun is technology, so technology’s way into every facet of our lives
should be rewritten with the pronoun its. Choice (A) gives the contraction it is, and (C) is grammati¬
cally incorrect.
13. D All four answer choices say essentially the same thing, so choose the shortest that works in the given
context. In this case, that answer is (D), which contains all the necessary information but presents
that information in the most concise way.
14. A The ideas before and after the punctuation are complete, so they should be separated with either a
15. C Only (C) presents a specific achievement. Choices (A) and (B) describe successes of a sort, but those
are not as specific as (C).
16. A The idea before the punctuation is complete, but the idea after it is incomplete, thus eliminating (C)
and (D). There must be something to separate the ideas, however, which also eliminates (B). All that
remains is (A), which is appropriate because a long dash can be used after a complete idea, as it is here.
17. B If the writer were to delete this phrase, this sentence would contain no specific information, and it
would not effectively introduce the idea of this paragraph. The part in question should therefore be
kept, and for the reason stated in (B).
18. A The subject of this verb is achievements, thus requiring a verb agreeing with a plural noun. Choices (C)
and (D) do so, but they change the meaning of the sentence. Choice (A) is therefore the best of the
available answers.
57
Writing and Language Answers and Explanations
i*-
19.
19. C is required after every item in
These three items form a list of soybeans, cotton, and maize. A comma
the list, thus eliminating (B) and (D). Then, because there should not be a comma after the word and,
only (C) can work as the correct answer.
20. D
According to information presented in the figure, the percentage of cultivated land devoted to
soybeans has grown from under 5% to over 90% since 1996. This is an increase of more than 900%,
making (D) the correct answer.
21. B In the sentence as written, the pronoun /V is ambiguous because it could refer to a number of different
things. The pronoun they in (C) is also ambiguous. Choice (D) clarifies the pronoun, but it does so
incorrectly. Bioinformatics as a field will continue to grow, so the correct answer must be (B).
22. D Find the clearest statement. Choice (A) cannot work because records success is meaningless. Choice (B)
is ambiguous because the words successfully deny and discount does not have a clear meaning. Choice
(C) does not make sense in the given context. Only (D) correctly clarifies the syntax of this sentence
and puts ideas in their proper relation to one another.
Passage III
23. A
If you cannot cite a reason to use a comma, don’t use one. There is no good reason to use a comma in
the underlined portion, so the best answer is the one with no commas, (A).
24. C
The word foundations should go near the word built to complete the phrase built on shaky foundations.
The modifier on shaky foundations does not make clear sense in any other part of the sentence.
25. C The pronoun in the underlined portion refers back to a European, which is singular. The best answer is
therefore (C), which contains a singular pronoun referring to this European.
26. D The word these in the underlined portion is ambiguous, so (A) can be eliminated. Choices (B) and (C)
do not fix the problem. Only (D) is adequately specific and is therefore the correct answer.
27. B In the sentence as written, the words even so appear awkwardly in the middle of the sentence. Choice
(A) can be eliminated. Choice (C) is a sentence fragment, and (D) inserts the ambiguous pronoun
them. Only (B) contains a relatively clear meaning in which all words have a clear place.
28. D
This portion of the sentence could be rewritten to say the need of that place, or that place’s need. Choices
(A) and (B) do not indication this possession, so they can be eliminated. Choice (C) uses the plural
places, which cannot work with the word that. Only (D) can work in the given context.
29. A The first idea in this sentence (Anthropology has shown us how to live, and like the best anthropolo¬
gists) is incomplete, so it cannot end with a period. Instead, the words like the best anthropologists
serve as an introductory idea, which should be separated from the remainder of the sentence. Only (A)
can work in the given context.
31. A
In order to clarify what will contrast with the idea that other cultures were not “less” anything, check
the following sentence: A single standard of judgment was inappropriate for such a widely varying
field of cultures. There should therefore be a word that signifies that other cultures are widely varying.
Choice (A) would work in this context, and while (B), (C), and (D) might sound fine, there is no good
reason to place them here in the passage.
32. C Paragraphs 2 and 3 discuss the nineteenth century, and Paragraph 6 shifts to discuss the twentieth
century. Therefore, chronologically, Paragraph 6 should be placed after Paragraph 3, as (C) suggests.
33. C
The sentence in question describes one of anthropology’s influences in the present day. Paragraph 4
discusses how literary critics and public-policymakers use anthropology, so a discussion of economists
use it would be appropriate here as well. Point C within Paragraph 4 is the best of the available options.
Passage IV
34. B The items in this sentence appear in a list, so it is essential to keep them parallel. Choices (A), (C), and
(D) add unnecessary words, but (B) keeps the items in the list parallel.
35. D As written, the sentence compares the countrified lifestyle of Vineland with Philadelphia. A lifestyle
cannot be compared with a city, so (A) gives a faulty comparison. Of the remaining choices, only (D)
fixes the comparison.
36. D Sentence 2 begins with That man, so the sentence that precedes it should mention a man. Sentence 4
provides the referent with a recent graduate, so Sentence 2 should be placed after Sentence 4, as (D)
suggests.
37. A
The unit the Jewish Agricultural School in Woodbine, NJ must be kept intact, so Goldhaft’s age cannot
be inserted anywhere there, thus eliminating (C) and (D). Choice (B) creates an awkward phrase, He
when he was 15, so the underlined portion can only be placed appropriately at the beginning of the
sentence, as (A) suggests.
38. C The choices all contain words with similar meanings, but the sentence refers to some hypothetical
future action. The best word in the context is therefore vowed, as in (C). Choice (D) holds the appro¬
priate meaning, but the word swore does not work idiomatically with the word to.
39. D The sentence before the underlined portion refers to Herbert Hoover’s promise of a chicken in every
pot.” The sentence after the underlined portion says that Goldhaft came to the rescue. The inter¬
vening sentence should therefore discuss some complication to Hoover’s promise, which Goldhaft will
then resolve. Choice (D) provides that complication, suggesting that “a chicken in every pot’ would
not be possible as long as chickens were dying uncontrollably.
40. B The antecedent for the underlined pronoun is everyone, which is singular. Choices (A) and (D) refer to
plural nouns, and (C) changes the meaning. Only choice (B), his, can work in the given context.
41. C According to the graph, chicken consumption has increased steadily since about 1935. Choices (B) and
(D) are therefore untrue, and (A) describes a meat other than chicken. Only (C) accurately reflects the
information in the graph.
42. A The final paragraph describes the significance of Goldhaft’s achievement. Choice (B) is hilarious but
does not introduce this topic. Choices (C) and (D) do not address Goldhaft’s achievements at all.
Only (A) effectively introduces the topic of this paragraph.
43. B This sentence discusses influential events , which must occur in places, rather than one particular place.
Choices (A) and (D) are singular, so they can be eliminated. Choice (C) could work, but (B) is more
concise, so (B) is the correct answer.
Choice (B) makes the same mistake. Choice (D) does not work in the given context, so only (C)
remains as the correct answer.
4
ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS FOR WRITING & LANGUAGE DRILL 3
Passage I
1. C Since all the answers communicate essentially the same thing, choose the shortest that fits with the
tone. In this case, that is (C ),fiction, as all the others are unnecessarily informal.
2. B This sentence is in the second person, about your responsibility as an author, so the pronoun in the
underlined portion must match. The only choice that does so is (B). Choice (C) gives the contraction
you are , and (D) changes to the third person.
3. D The author’s name is essential to the completeness of the sentence. In order to see this clearly, take
out the words Karl Ove Knausgdrd. You’re left with Contemporary Norwegian writer has built a literary
phenomenon out of exactly these questions. The sentence requires the words, so they should not be set off
with commas. Choice (D) is the only one without commas, and is therefore correct.
4. A The first paragraph discusses the blurring of fact and fiction and how “fictional’’ real events and
personages can be. Choices (B), (C), and (D) are all true, but they do not address this topic at all.
Only (A) does, making it the correct answer.
6. C The underlined word describes the noun statement, so it must be an adjective, eliminating (A) and (D).
Then, the word definitional is not frequently used and means “relating to a definition,” where the word
definitive means “done decisively and with authority,” which is the more appropriate meaning here.
7. D When combining sentences, make things as concise as possible. There’s no reason to combine sentences
if you’re not shortening them! Choice (D) is the best answer here because it does not repeat the words
similarities and differences unnecessarily.
8. D The phrase with its title should act in parallel with the phrase with its contents. The best place for the
underlined portion is therefore after the word so, (D), as to complete the comparison to anger and
offend many people with its contents should also do so with its title.
10. B
People requires who or whom, which eliminates (A) immediately. The word on is necessary here with
the verb based, which also eliminates (D). Then, (B) must be correct because whom is the object of the
preposition on. In less grammar-jargon-ish terms, you’d say on them rather than on they, so use whom
when you’d use them.
11. B The first paragraph is all about the blurring between fact and fiction. Choices (A), (C), and (D) present
some interesting questions, but the only one that deals with the subject matter of the first paragraph is
(B).
Passage II
12. D The first idea of the sentence (.Production design (PD) has been an essential component of film ever since
Hollywood came into existence) and the second (cite the names ofmostPDs or Art Directors, and you’ll get
a blank stare) are both complete. Therefore, a comma is required before the coordinating conjunction
but , as in (D). Choice (B) has too many commas, and (C) creates a comma splice.
13. C
The word in the underlined portion, Still, when used in this way, is an opposite-direction transition.
Therefore, other opposite-direction transitions would be acceptable, as in (A), (B), and (D). The only
one that would NOT be acceptable is Moreover, (C), because that is a same-direction transition.
14. C This verb should be parallel with the verb in the previous sentence, are tipping. The only combination
that works among the answer choices comes in (C). The others might be correct in other contexts, but
in this case, those verbs are not parallel with the surrounding verbs in this paragraph.
15. D The underlined portion appears at the end of a list of costume designer, make-up stylists, special-effects
director, and locations manager. The final comma should go before the word and, as in (D).
16. D
When the option to DELETE appears, give it special consideration. There must be a VERY good
reason not to pick it. In this case, there is no such reason because the information presented in the
underlined portion is implied earlier in the sentence. The best answer is therefore (D).
17. A When the answer choices seem to say the same thing, find the shortest. In this case, the shortest is
(A), which contains all the information that the others do in the fewest amount of words. The relative
pronoun that is not necessary because of the word both that appears earlier in the sentence.
19. C When the option to DELETE appears, give it special consideration. There must be a VERY good
reason not to pick it. In this case, there is such a reason: the sentence is not adequately specific without
the underlined portion. Without the underlined portion, it sounds like the PD is directing the film
itself, when in fact he directs those working on the visual aspects of the film, thus making (C) the best
of the available answers.
20. B
This pronoun refers back to A production designer in the previous sentence. The pronoun should there¬
fore be singular, eliminating (A). Choice (D) can also be eliminated because it is too impersonal for
such a specific subject. Only (B) can work in the context.
21. A The sentence as written contains the words that vision , so the first part of the sentence should given an
indication of what that vision is, as only (A) does. In addition, (A) suggests that many people overesti¬
mate the role of the director and downplay that of the PD.
22. B If the phrase were removed, the sentence would essentially state that no films are ever made because
doing so is impossible. Therefore, keep the sentence as is, and for the reason stated in (B).
Passage
23. D It is unclear whether the word them refers to Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, or some combination
of those cities. The only choice that clarifies this ambiguity is (D), which states the exact city being
discussed.
24. C
If you cannot cite a reason to use a comma, don't use one. In this case, no commas are necessary, so
the best answer must be (C).
23. C While the information given in this sentence is true and interesting, it does not have a place in this
passage, which is about the Kwakwaka’wakw. The best answer is therefore (C), because the sentence
should not be added.
26. A
This paragraph is about the “history” of the Kwakwaka’wakw before written history. It outlines some
of the basic myths of the tribe. Choices (B), (C), and (D) do not address this mythology at all, but (A)
does, with its mention of oral history.
27. B The subject of the sentence is Much, which requires a singular verb, thus eliminating (A) and (C).
Then, because the earlier part of this sentence and the next sentence’s discussion of Boas are in the
present tense, this verb should be as well. The best answer is therefore (B).
reason not to pick it. In this case, there is no such reason because none of the answers add anything
that is not already implied in the words most-heavily studied. The best option is therefore to DELETE
the underlined portion, as (D) suggests.
29. D The meaning of the underlined portion is not clear. Choice (D) is the idiomatic pairing that works
best in this sentence, which refers to the potlatch (one aspect of Kwakwaka’wakw culture) and the
Kwakwaka ’ivakw in general.
30. A This sentence is discussing a historical event, so it should be in the past tense. Only (A) and (D) are
in the past tense, and (D) suggests that the bans were discontinued, when information in the passage
makes it clear that they continue to this day. The best answer is therefore (A).
31. A The sentence is correct as written. Choice (B) suggests that the remaining Kwakwaka’wakw remain
true to their traditions because of their small population, which doesn’t make sense. Choice (C)
cannot work because it would need to follow on the one hand. Choice (D) cannot work because it
implies a sequence where none is present. Only (A) works in the context by suggesting that despite the
small population, that population continues to defend its traditions fiercely.
32. B The line down the center of the graph gives the population growth among aboriginals in Canada as
a whole, which was approximately 20.1%. The highest growth in a single province is that of Nova
Scotia at 42%. While the second part of (C) is true, this graph shows population increases, so it
cannot be said that the aboriginal population in Canada has declined 20.1%.
33. B The referent for this pronoun is the word Canada, which is singular. The pronoun must therefore be
singular as well, eliminating (C). Then, (A) and (D) because these are contractions, not possessive
pronouns. Only (B) can work in the context.
Passage IV
34. B Although the answers are technically grammatically correct, so choose the one that is clearest. Choice
(B) is the most concise and puts all the terms in the sentence in the clearest relation to one another.
Choices (C) and (D) each add some unnecessary word or piece of information.
35. A All the choices give essentially the same information. Choice (A) would seem to be the least specific,
but in fact it contains all the information that the others do. Therefore, since it is the most concise, (A)
is the best answer.
36. D As written, this sentence contains a comma splice — that is, two complete sentences separated by a
comma. Choice (B) does not fix the problem. Choice (C) removes the obvious contrast between the
two ideas. The best answer is therefore (D), which correctly subordinates the first idea in the sentence
and shows that it contrasts with the second idea.
To this point, this paragraph is most concerned with Rillieux’s education. Choices (B), (C), and (D)
are all true, but only (A) maintains the focus of the paragraph.
Note the modifier at the beginning of this sentence: While studying at the Ecole Centrale. This is clearly
talking about Rillieux, so his name must follow the modifier. Only (D) fixes this error. Choice (B)
suggests that his concentration was studying at the Ecole Centrale, and (C) suggests that his background
was doing so.
The paragraph goes on to describe how Rillieux’s new sugar refining machine addressed the wasteful¬
ness and inefficiency of traditional sugar refining methods. Choice (C) is therefore best in keeping
with the tone of the paragraph. Choices (A) and (B) are not adequately specific, and (D) is hilarious
but is, alas, not in keeping with the tone of the paragraph.
Choices (A) and (B) are too informal for the context, and (D), even if you’re not sure what it means, is
far too technical. Bituminous typically refers to a kind of soft coal, so it actually doesn’t have anything
to do with what’s being described here. Only (C) can work, as it actually gives a specific descriptor of
what is happening in this process.
The idea before the punctuation (The new machine addressed both major issues with the old method of
sugar refining) is complete, but the idea after it (all the while making the process significantly safer for
those men, mainly slaves, who worked the machines) is not. Therefore, the punctuation in (A) and (B)
cannot be used. There should be some pause here, however, which eliminates (C). Only (D) remains
as the correct answer.
This sentence discusses the heat belonging to the system. Therefore, it should refer to the system’s heat,
as in (B). Choice (A) does not make sense, and (D) eliminates the possession required in the sentence.
Choice (C) refers to multiple systems, where the sentence only indicates one.
There should be some mention of previously unheard-of yields. Only (A) gives any such mention in
suggesting that the machines could yield up to 18,000 pounds of sugar a day. Choices (B), (C), and (D)
may be grammatically correct, but they do not make sense in this particular context.
65
Writing and Language Answers and Explanations
Part III
Math
What Can You Expect to See on the Math Test?
5 Heart of Algebra Drills
6 Heart of Algebra Answers and Explanations
7 Problem Solving and Data Analysis
8 Problem Solving and Data Analysis Answers and
Explanations
9 Passport to Advanced Math
10 Passport to Advanced Math Answers and
Explanations
11 Additional Topics
12 Additional Topics Answers and Explanations
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT TO SEE ON THE MATH
TEST?
Some of the changes to the redesigned SAT are more obvious than others, espe¬
cially if you’ve taken the previous version of the SAT, so here’s a brief description
of the differences to anticipate. To begin, there are now only two math sections
(as opposed to three). This means that, in one section, you’ll have to solve 37 ques¬
tions in 55 minutes, so you’ll want to practice working at this pace without inter¬
ruption. In addition, as the second Math section must be completed without the
use of a calculator, we have indicated questions in the upcoming drills that you
should practice with nothing more than pencil and paper. To top off, there will
now only be FOUR answer choices for multiple-choice problems as opposed to
the traditional five choices!
The questions themselves have also gotten harder, both in subject matter — for
example, trigonometry is now tested — and in presentation, where a single set of
data might stretch across several problems, or where an extended-response grid-in
question might have multiple parts. Because of these new aspects, mastering core
concepts and understanding the theories behind fundamental mathematical prin¬
ciples - such as equation construction - will be critical. This book, then, will help
to literally put your knowledge to the test. If practice makes perfect, then these
questions, which have been expertly constructed to represent what you will see on
the redesigned SAT, are the perfect practice.
Note that this book is not meant to serve as a library of test-taking techniques or
content review — you can check out our upcoming Cracking the New SAT for that.
However, we have included a few of our most successful strategies for tackling
these new multiple-choice problems.
Plugging In
One of the most powerful techniques for the Math sections of the Redesigned
SAT is what The Princeton Review calls Plugging In. This technique is great for
turning complicated (or complicated-looking) problems into more straightfor¬
ward questions.
equal the target. If you have only one answer choice remaining, that’s the correct
response. If you have more than one answer remaining, change the numbers and
Plug In again until only one choice remains. Given that the SAT is now four an¬
swer choices instead of five, this strategy takes even less time to apply and execute.
6. Xerxes is x years old and 4 years older than Zara. How old was Zara
7 years ago?
A) x- 3
B) x-4
C) x-1
D) x-n
To Plug In on this problem, assign a value for the variable, x. Choose a value that
will make the math straightforward. A good rule of thumb to remember when
plugging in is to avoid using numbers that are also in the problem (either the ques¬
tion or answer choices), as well as the numbers 0 and 1. Make x = 20 by crossing
6. Xerxes is 20 years old and 4 years older than Zara. How old was Zara
7 years ago?
Now, take your value for the variable, x = 20, and replace x with 20 in each an¬
swer choice. Eliminate any answer choice that doesn’t equal your target, 9. Always
check each answer choice with variables; sometimes you may pick a value for your
variable that makes more than one choice work:
A) 20 - 3 = 17: eliminate
B) 20 - 4 = 16: eliminate
C) 20 - 7 = 13: eliminate
D) 20 - 1 1 = 9: keep
Because you’re left with only one choice, you know that (D) must be the answer.
You can Plug In even if there’s more than one variable in the problem. When there
are multiple variables, you need to check for relationships between the variables,
because that will affect how you Plug In.
A)
For example:
B) C)
15. Three times x is two more than half of y. What is the value of >’?
D6x
) + 4
3x-2
4
6x - 2
6x-4
Here, the two variables are in a relationship with each other. In other words, the
value of one variable will change depending on what the other variable is, so Plug
In for one variable and then solve. Make x = 4 in order to avoid any numbers
already in the problem. Working the problem, “Three times x” becomes “Three
times 4,” or 12. Because 12 “is two more than half of y,” then “half of y” must be
10. If half of y is 10, then y must be twice 10, or 20. The question is asking for the
value of y, so 20 is your target; circle it.
Next, make x = 4 in each answer choice and eliminate those that do not equal 20:
B) - — — = 2.5: eliminate
4
Choice (D) is the only choice which remains, so it must be your answer.
33. The number of bacteria in petri dish A doubles every 10 minutes. The number of
bacteria in petri dish B doubles every 6 minutes. If both petri dishes begin with
the same number of bacteria, how many times greater will the number of bacteria
in petri dish B be than the number of bacteria in petri dish A after one hour?
(1 hour = 60 minutes)
This question is about the relative numbers of bacteria in each petri dish. This
problem would be much easier if you knew the number of bacteria in each dish, so
Plug In a number. Let’s make the starting number of bacteria in each dish 4 (once
again avoiding numbers in the problem).
Petri dish B doubles the number of bacteria every 6 minutes. If it starts with 4
bacteria, there would be 8 bacteria after 6 minutes, 16 after 12 minutes, 32 after
18 minutes, 64 after 24 minutes, 128 after 30 minutes, 256 after 36 minutes, 512
after 42 minutes, 1024 after 48 minutes, 2048 after 54 minutes, and 4096 bacte¬
ria after 60 minutes or 1 hour.
Finally, to find how many times greater petri dish B is than petri dish A, you can
divide B by A: 4096 -s- 256 = 16, which is your answer.
Any time you have a relationship but no numbers provided, you can Plug In for
the unknown values and work the problem using real numbers. Look for opportu¬
nities to do so, especially on questions involving percentages, ratios, or geometry.
asking something like “How much...,” “How many...,” or “What is the value
of...,” you can Plug In the Answers (PITA). You know that the answer to the
question must be one of the four given responses. In many cases, it’s easier to test
the answer choices rather than work the question “the right way.”
-7
(x + 6)
28. IfA) -5
x + 5 , then x =
B)
C)
D)
0
7
This question wants the value of x, so you can Plug In the Answers. Label the an¬
swers with what the question is asking; in this case, the answers are x. Next, try
an answer in the problem. Start with a middle value; on many questions, if the
answer doesn’t work, you’ll know whether you need a lesser or greater value. Start
with choice (B); make x = -5:
(-5 + 6)2 _ 1
-5 + 5 _ -5 + 5
ar = i
0 0
Well, this is interesting. You cannot divide by 0, so the answer cannot be (B);
eliminate it. (If you see this before you Plug In, don’t bother trying the answer:
just eliminate it!) Furthermore, this doesn’t help you decide whether you need a
lesser or greater value for x, so try the other middle answer, (C):
(0 + 6)2 _ 1
0 + 5 ~ 0 + 5
36 _l
5 ~ 5
This isn’t true; eliminate (C). You need to make the left numerator less, so you
need a lesser value for x: choose (A). If you aren’t sure which direction to go, keep
Plugging In!
*fc
••V*' V
i
Heart of Algebra Drill 1
For each question in this section, solve the problem and circle the letter of the answer that you think is the best of the
choices given.
A) -6
2. IfA)2x- 2 = -1, then x = B) 0-3
D)
B)
1 C) -2
C) -
-1.53
0.5
D)
A) 2
x + 2
6. If -3 = 2,thenx = B) 2
8. If 4(k + 1) = k + 10, then 3k =
A) 2 3
B) 4
C) 6
5
D) 8
C) 2
D) 6
3a + 2 1
9. If = 11, then what is the value of
A)
41
B) 4
C) 8
D) 11
a '
A)
10. What is the value of p if — — — 1 = 0?
1
B)
5
9
C)
5
D) 4
9
5
A) w > 9
B) w > 7 A) x> 6
C) w < 8 B) x > 5
D) w < 9 C) x < 6
D) x < -6
2. If 6t + 2 < 26, then which of the following is a pos¬ 4. If -13 < -2z - 3 < 1 , then which of the following
sible
A) value for t ? describes all possible values of z ?
B) 3.5
C) 4 A) -5 < z < 2
D) 4.5 B) -2<z<5
5 C) 2<z<5
D) -5<z<-2
4 4
B) d <-
1 j 1
2 2
D) — <d<-
A) 2 < z < 4
B) yfl < Z < yfS
C) 1 < z < 16
D) 2 < z < 32
A) I r- 20 I >20
B) I r - 500 I > 20
C) I r- 500 I <20
D) I r + 100 I > 20
79
Heart of Algebra Drills
Heart of Algebra Drill 3
For each question in this section, solve the problem and circle the letter of the answer that you think is the best of the
choices given.
A) 25
B) 55
C) 80
D) 130
81
Heart of Algebra Drill 4
For each question in this section, solve the problem and circle the letter of the answer that you think is the best of the
choices given.
-4<x<2
A)
1 . If 1 < r < 4 and 0 < s < 5, then what is the range of -1 <y < 3
r + 5?
A) -4 < r + s < 1
B) 1 < r + 5 < 9 3. Given the inequalities shown above, if x and y are
C) 0 < r + s < 5
integers,
B) C) then which of the following expresses all
D) 0 < r + s < 10 x x
the possible values of — , where — is defined?
D) y y
X
-12<“<6
x 2
— 4x2
<- <~
3 y 3
-2<-<-
-3 < —X < 1
y
y 3
D) 2
C) 5
D) 6
3(x + 2) x
4 — x
8. What are all possible values 6
of x if 2 — 1?
6. If — 1 , then which of the following expresses
A) 6
B) 8
C) 10
D) 14
a + s = 14
$5 ,52a + $3 ,49s = $73.22
2 a + 12s = 14
($3.49 + $5.52)(a + 5) = $73.32
a + s = 14
$3 .49a + $5,525 = $73.22
as = 14
$3.49a + $5,525 = $73.22
D) 2
A) (2,-)
B) (0,3)
C) No solutions
D) Infinitely many solutions
85
t*
Heart of Algebra Drill 6
For each question in this section, solve the problem and circle the letter of the answer that you think is the best of the
choices given.
A) 0
A) 1
B) 1
B) 2
C) 1.4 C) 3
D) 14 D) 4
A)
2. Line m contains the points (4, 16) and (0, 8). At 4. A yogaB)studio charges $8 dollars per student for its
what point will line m intersect with line n if the C) class and $16 dollars per student for its
morning
equation of line n is -8x +- 4y = 24 ? D) class. Three times as many students attended
evening
the evening class as attended the morning class. If
A) (0,0)
the yoga studio earned $2,520 on Friday, how many
B) (-4,0)
people attended the morning class?
C) These lines do not intersect
D) These lines intersect at infinite number of points 15
56
45
135
D) (4,-3)
4x- ly= 10
-4x+ ly = -10
87
Heart of Algebra Drills
Jf/
Heart of Algebra Drill 7
For each question in this section, solve the problem and circle the letter of the answer that you think is the best of the
choices given.
1. At 7:00 a. m., a sewage treatment tank contains 3. Bombast Cable Company charges a flat monthly rate
3,000,000 gallons of water. Starting at 7:00 a.m.,x of $22.95 for its basic cable package. For every addi¬
gallons per minute flow into the tank, and y gallons tional 10 channels added, a customer has an addi¬
per minute flow out of the tank. No water enters or tional monthly charge of $1 .25. Additional channels
leaves the tank otherwise. Which of the following can only be purchased in groups of 10. For example,
functions, /, models the number of gallons of water if a customer wants to add 12 channels, the customer
in the sewage treatment plant at 8:00 a.m.? (Note: 1 would actually be charged for 20 channels or two
hour = 60 minutes) groups of 10 channels. If a customer adds x channels
to the package then, in terms of x, what is the charge
A) fix, y) = 3,000,000 + 60xy after one year?
B) f(x, y) = 3 ,000,000 - 60(x + y)
C) f(x, y) = 3 ,000,000 + 60(x - y)
A) 22.95 + 1 .25
D) fix, y) = 3,000,000 + x - y
B) 12(22.95) + 12(1. 25) [—
C) 12(22.95) - 12(1.25)
12(1.25)
D) 22.95 + x_
10
B)
(0-0(2)
Kf~ 0- (-0.
B)
12 cans
When Marguerite has 8 cans, Whitney has
20 cans
372)
C) When Marguerite has 12 cans, Whitney has
C) Kf= [0- (-0.372)] (0.1) (2)
D) When Marguerite has 16 cans, Whitney has
24 cans
f 2-0.1
D) (0)^372)
A) P = 80r - 500
B) P = 80r- 1,000
C) P = 1 60r - 500
D) P= 160r- 1.000
B) 43>/2
LinA)
e p has
a slope
of zero
D) 5 and a y-
intercep t of 4.
. c) 4V2 Line
1 Which of
the follo
wing lines is p
erpendicu
la r to
A)
C) 0-5
D) 1 sJr
B) -1
6
nate
line d: 5x + 2 y is defined by d(x) =J{~x- 1), what is the value of
B) line e\ + II d{ 6)?
6
15
v;
line d: x + 5y =
. C) line e\ ’= 10
3x - y = = 6
-3x + 4y B) 1
2x + 2y :
line d: A)
D) =2 C) -1
3
line e: D) 5
line d: 2x - 4y = = 18
line e: 3x + 6y :
The
grap
h of
yfx)
is s
hown
abov
e. I
f the
func
tion
d
.
Which
of the fo
llowing sy
stems of e 31
quatio _4
ns define A)
s
( ’
63
B)
4 5
(O-7)
4
-?
i
Chapter 6
Heart of Algebra
Answers and
Explanations
1
1
ANSWER KEY
.
7. C
8. D
1. A Plug in! Make s = 5. If there are 5 students at the school, the students will throw away
5x2 = 10 pounds of garbage. The non-students throw away 350 pounds, so in total there
will be 10 + 350 = 360 pounds of garbage. This is your target. Plug In s = 5 and eliminate
any choice which does not equal 360. The only choice which works is (A).
= 1
2x — 2 = — 1
+ 2 +2
2. B Start by combining like terms. Add 2 to both sides:
2x
2x 1
3. B Start by getting rid of the fraction. Multiply both sides by 3, which will cancel with the
Next, combine like terms by subtracting q from both sides, which leaves you with 2 q - 6.
Finally, divide both sides by 2, and you find that q = 3, which is (B).
2(z+3) _ 6
4. D Rather than distributing the 2 on the left side of the equation, you can divide both sides by
2 (which will cancel the 2 on the left side) and save yourself a couple of steps: ^ ~ ^>
a + 3 = 3. Then subtract 3 from both sides, and you find that z - 0, which is (D).
5. C Start by multiplying both sides by 3 to cancel out the denominators. You are left with 2x +
1 = 4. Then subtract 1 from both sides, so you have 2x = 3. Finally, divide both sides by 2,
and you find that x = 1.5, which is (C).
x -f- 2
6. B Start by multiplying both sides by 3 to eliminate the denominator: (3) — ~ = 2(3)
x + 2 = 6. Next, subtract 2 from both sides: x = 4. This is (B).
z~^~ 1
7. C Multiply both sides by 3: (3)— j- = (3)0 ,2+1 = 0. Note that the question is asking for
like terms by subtracting k from both sides: 3k + 4 = 10. Last, subtract 4 from both sides:
3k = 6, which is (D).
l 2=8 a l
Divide both sides by 8, so a = ^ . However, the question asks for the value of a, so you need to take
10. D
M-, = o
This problem can be solved by starting with adding 1 to both sides:
4
+ 1 +1
5(l-D
= 1
4
Next, eliminate the denominator by multiplying both sides by 4:
5{p - 1) _ 4 4
3 ~~ 5 ’ P~X = 5
Drill 2
1. D To solve, divide both sides of the inequality by 3. This results in w < 9, (D).
2. A To solve, subtract 2 from both sides of the inequality to get 6t < 24. Then divide both sides of the
inequality by 6 to get t < 4. The only answer that is less than 4 is (A); the rest are too large for this
inequality to be true.
3. C To solve, distribute the 6 on the right side of the inequality to get x > 6x - 30. Then subtract 6x from
both sides to get -5x > -30. Divide both sides by -3, making sure to flip the inequality sign since you
are dividing by a negative number. This results in x < 6, (C).
Now solve -2z - 3 < 1. Add 3 to both sides of the inequality to get —2z < 4. Divide both sides by -2,
making sure to flip the inequality sign since you are dividing by a negative number. This results in
z > —2. Eliminate (A) and (C), leaving (B).
3. B Start by combining like terms. Add 14 to both sides of the inequality to get Is < 18 + 6s. Subtract 6s
from both sides to get s < 18. This makes (B) the correct answer.
6. D Add 16 to both sides of the inequality to get 24 < -3c. Divide both sides by -3, making sure to flip the
inequality sign since you are dividing with a negative number. This results in -8 > c. Since c has to be
less than —8, only (D) works as a correct answer choice.
2 Ad2 _ 2 ,2 1
7. D Multiply the left side to get ^ — . Simplify the fraction: Ad" < 1. Divide by 4. _ ^ . Now take
the square root of both sides, but be careful: Since d can be positive or negative, there will be two
solutions, and for the negative solution, you will need to flip the sign. The two solutions are d < —2 and
1
d> ~ — , so the correct answer is (D).
Translate the English into math: 1 < 9 < 4 . Square the fraction in the middle: 1 <lz ?< 4 . Multiply
all parts of the equation by 4: 4 < z2 < 16. Finally, take the square root of all three parts of the equa¬
tion: 2 < .z < 4. The correct answer is (A).
9. B Plug In! The question wants to know which inequality represents the number of rows Victoria will not
knit. Since the restrictions are 480 rows to 320 rows, select a number that is outside of that range and
eliminate any answer choices that are not true. For example, if r = 530:
Eliminate (A) and (D). Next, try plugging in with a number that shouldn’t work. If we try r = 500,
the inequalities should not work since that is a number of rows Victoria would knit:
1. D Plug In! Andy runs on Tuesday morning, so plug in an arbitrary value for x, such as x = 2. That means
that Andy has run a total of 5 miles, after adding on the initial 3 miles. Therefore, Andy burns 160
calories per mile for the first 3 miles for a total of 480 calories, and he burns 98 calories per mile for
the additional 2 miles for a total of 196 calories. Thus, the total number of calories he burns is 480
calories + 196 calories = 676 calories.
However, don’t forget to read the full question as it asks for the net number of calories Andy has lost.
Similar to plugging in for the variable x, also plug in for y. If plugging in y - 100 calories, subtract
that number from the calories burned as Andy is gaining calories instead of burning calories. Thus,
676 - 100 = 576, which is the target number for the answer choices. Plugging inx=2 andy = 100, (A)
equals 96, (B) equals 416, and (C) equals 776. Thus, (D), which is equal to 576, is the correct answer.
2. C Plug In! Assign arbitrary values such as a = 5 for the additional minutes she walks a dog and b - 2
dollars for each of those additional minutes. Thus, for the 5 additional minutes, Sheila charges a total
of $10 (5 additional minutes x 2 dollars per minute). Since she charges $20.00 for the first hour, she
will then charge a total of $20 + $10 = $30, which is your target number. Thus, (C) is the correct
answer.
3. C While this problem seemingly needs equations to solve, plugging in the answers can be a more effec¬
tive approach. Because the question asks for the value of y, label the answer choices with a column
header of y and begin with either (B) or (C). If beginning with (B), Sam has invested $8,600 in
a mutual fund (y). The mutual fund earned an interest rate of 1.5%, so (0.015) x $8,600 = $129.
Because Sam invested $8,600 in the mutual fund, he invested $1,400 in the CD since $10,000 -
$8,600 = $1,400. The interest rate earned on the CD was 2.0%, so (0.02) x $1,400 = $28. Since Sam’s
total amount of interest earned was $193 and $129 + $28 = $157, (B) is not the correct answer. Since
we need a larger amount of total interest, the amount invested in the account with the lower interest
rate must be smaller. Therefore, plug in $1,400 in (C) for the amount invested in the mutual fund
O') and repeat the same steps as done for (B). With an interest rate of 1.5%, the $1,400 in (C) would
result in an interest amount of $21. Then, $8,600 would have been invested in a CD, and with a 2.0%
interest rate, the CD would have earned an interest amount of $172. Therefore, with the $21 from the
mutual fund and $172 from the CD, Sam would earn a total interest amount of $193 by investing
$1,400 in a mutual fund, making (C) the correct answer.
4. B Plug In, and choose numbers that will make the arithmetic as straightforward as possible. Since the
question states that Hap loses lA of a gallon every ten minutes, plug in g - 2 and m = 10. If he pumps 2
gallons of gas in 10 minutes, he is losing !4 a gallon of gas during that total time. Since 1 gallon - 128
ounces, Hap pumps in a total of 256 ounces of gas (2 gallons x 128 ounces), and he loses 32 ounces
(1/4 x 128 ounces). 256 ounces pumped - 32 ounces lost = 224 ounces. Now, don’t forget that Hap
still has 1 gallon of gas in his tank. Therefore, his total amount of gas in ounces is the 224 ounces he
retained while pumping, plus an additional 128 ounces for the gallon already in his tank. 224 + 128 =
352 ounces total, so 352 is your target number. Therefore, the correct choice is (B).
5. A
By plugging in x - 5 andy = 10, the plane descends 5 feet per minute over ten minutes, giving a total
descent of 50 feet. Since the plane’s previous altitude is 40,000 feet, its altitude after ten minutes is
40,000 feet — 50 feet, or 39,950 feet. Thus, the correct choice is (A).
6. B
We can effectively solve this problem by plugging in the answers. Label the answers as “# of nickels”
and start with (B). If Sara has 55 nickels in the jar and she has a total of 135 coins, then she must
have 80 quarters (# of quarters is the second column header) in the jar. Since 55($0.05) + 80($0.25) =
$22.75, (B) is the correct answer.
Drill 4
1. B When adding two inequalities, the inequalities can sometimes be stacked as follows:
1 < r <4
+0 < s < 5
1 < r + s < 9
2. A You want to start by getting rid of the fraction. To do so, you multiply both sides by the denominator
of the fraction. Therefore, begin by multiplying both sides by 4:
3x-2
(4)^——— = (4)*
4
3x — 2 = Ax
Next, you want to collect all the x terms on one side of the equation, so subtract 3x from both sides:
3x — 2 = Ax
—3x — 3x
—2 — x
are 0, 1, and 2. However, you are looking for the range of values where y is defined. An expression
x
divided by 0 is undefined, so y can only equal 1 or 2. To find the range of y, rnake a chart testing the
-3 possible values of y:
extremes of x with the
-3 X
X y
y
-3
3
2
2
1 1 1
1
1 2
2
4. D Start by getting rid of the fraction. Multiply both sides by the denominator, 3:
5(x + 2)
(3) = (3)10
5(x + 2) = 30
You could distribute the 5 to the terms in the parentheses, but if you divide both sides by 5, the equa¬
tion will be easier to deal with:
5(x + 2) _ 30
5 ~ 3
x + 2 = 6
This is your answer. Be careful! The question is NOT asking for the value of x, so you’re done!
3. D Be careful here. If you simply stack and subtract the two equations, you’ll get (A), which is incorrect.
A better approach is to subtract both the upper and lower limits of q from both the upper and lower
limits of p. This gives you four possibilities:
-7- (-3)= -4
-7 - 9 = -16
8 -(-3) = 11
8 - 9 = -1
The range of p-q will be defined by the smallest and largest of these four options, so -16 <p- q < 11,
which is (D).
This is not true, so you can eliminate (A). You can also eliminate (C), because (C) would let x equal
You can also approach this problem algebraically. Start by multiplying both sides of the equation by
the denominator x— 1:
(x 1)———— (x 1)( 1)
x— 1
4— x= 1 -x
Add x to both sides, and you’re left with 4=1. This is obviously incorrect in all possible cases, which
means that no values of x solve the equation. Choose (D).
(4)^T^
4 = (4)9
3(x- 1) = 36
You could distribute the 3 to the terms in the parentheses, but if you divide both sides by 3, the equa¬
tion will be easier to deal with:
3(x-l) 36
x- 3 ” 3
1 = 12
This is your answer, (C). Be careful! The question is NOT asking for the value of x, so you’re done!
This works, so 2 needs to be part of the answer; eliminate (C). Next, try -2:
3(-2 + 2) -2
6 2
3(0)
6 (-0 = 1
1 = 1
This also works; eliminate (A). Finally, try any other real number. Make x = 0:
3(0 + 2) 0
3(2)
_ i
6 2~
6
1 = 1
If you want to approach this question algebraically, start by getting rid of the fractions. If you multiply
both sides by 6, -the
6(1)fractions will clear:
3(x + 2) x
6 2
3(x + 2) - 3 x = 6
Drill 5
1. 4
You want to isolate x. If you stack the equations and subtract, the y terms will cancel and you will be
left with x:
3x + y = 11
-[2 x+y = 7]
x =4
2. B
In order to solve this system of linear equations, one of the equations must be re-arranged so that it
can be plugged in to the other equation. Therefore, start with the first equation, solving for x results in
x = 9 — y. Now, plug this expression of x into the second equation and solve for y:
9 ~y + 3y = 15
Subtract 9 from both sides:
- y + 3y = 6
2y = 6
7=3
Thus, if7 = 3, then x = 6. Finally, since the question asks to solve for the expression x -y, we can plug
in the values for x and 7, respectively, to get 6 - 3 = 3. Therefore, (B) is the correct answer.
3. B First, start by translating the problem from English into Math. The first equation can be written as
a + 10 = 2b. We can use this information to now potentially eliminate some answer choices before
proceeding in the problem.
For (A), if b = 6, then a -2. The sum of a and b, or 8, IS divisible by 4, so eliminate this answer choice.
For (B), if b = 8, then a = 6. The sum of a and b, or 14, is NOT divisible by 4, so this is the correct
answer choice. For (C), if b - 10, then a = 10. The sum of a and b, or 20, IS divisible by 4, so (C) is
eliminated. For (D), if b = 14, then a = 18. The sum of a and b, or 32, IS divisible by 4, so (D) is also
eliminated.
4. C This is a great question to illustrate process of elimination (POE). Since the question states that a total
of 14 skeins of yarn are purchased, some of alpaca and some of s, then a + s = 14. Thus, eliminate (B)
and (D). The problem then states that each skein of alpaca was purchased for $3.49, and each skein of
silk was purchased for $5.52. This leaves (C) as this information is reflected in the second equation of
that answer choice. Choice (A) has the values corresponding to the incorrect type of yarn.
S*
N A to most ettcctivclv solve this problem, employ the St.icx .i.td-Sooe method by st.u x. ig me equ.;:to:rs
Once stacked, the equations can either he added or subtracted \\ e see that. bv sta. x.ng. tee vat table
can be eliminated it we add the two equations together as follows:
4*-/»9
+ -de +/= S
dr ~ = 14
O. B Again, stacking and adding these questions will result in the tbllow mg solution
7,v + 12y » 10
+ AV — 2y - 5
Hlv + lV=lS
Since the question asks tor the value ot Ac + m. di\ ide both, sides h\ ' to cot Ac - S
Ihus. vB'' is correct.
C
Start by isolating one ot the variables. It you ade. the two equations together. the • terms will cancel
and vou can solve tor v:
a* + 3jr =
+ [2x- 3> = 13 :
Ax =6
hoc- can do ice corn sices S h. and \ on hue that \ d Next, to deter u ie the \a tie ot >■. hst true
v = 2 in the hrst equation and solve:
A‘ J
v 3
It .v = d and ) = -3. then = — ~ =, (C).
7•» 4
v
— ,v+ — r = -t
dl.v = 8(3 - v)
8. D In rhe hrst equation, we have denominators of 2 and A so cancel the : «c tbn by multiplying every-
thing he the product ot'd and 3. which is o:
6(y*+ v r)=6(4)
21 a- + Sr = d-i
As you can see. the tw*o equations are identical. It two equations are* the same, there w ill be
an inh ere
number ot solutions, which is (DX
104
500* A act cc d jest ens v : *c \e,\ SAT
Y
-V
Drill 6
2s + lOr = 42
+ 4/ — 1 Or = 42
6s =84
Divide both sides by 6 and solve: / = 14. Plug that value back into one of the equations for / and solve
for r. 2(14) + lOr = 42. Therefore, r = 1.4, and the correct answer is (C).
2. C In order to solve this problem, first put line n into slope-intercept form by adding 8.x to both sides and
then dividing both sides by 4. Ibis will result in y = 2x + 6. You now know that the slope of line n is 2
and the ^-intercept is 6. Since you also know thej'-intercept of line m as it is given in point (0, 8), you
know these are not the same lines. Eliminate (D).
To determine whether or not (C) will be the answer, find the slope of line m by using the slope
formula:
8-16
0-4 sloPc = 2
Since both lines m and n have a slope of positive 2, they are parallel and will never intersect. Thus, (C)
is correct.
3. D 'Ihe question tells you that q = p- 3, so substitute p - 3 for the variable q in the second equation:
Ap + 4 = 20/> — 60
Combine like terms:
64 = \6p
4. B You can solve this problem either by plugging in the answers or by writing out equations and
substituting.
To solve by plugging in the answers, start by labeling your answers as the morning class, and begin
to work the problem with (B) or (C). If you use (B), then it is assumed there are 43 students in the
morning class. The question states that there are 3 times as many attendees of the evening class than
the morning class, so the evening class would have 135 attendees. The question says that the studio
charges $16 for the evening class, $8 for the morning class, and earned a total of $2,520 total. So we
need to multiply the 135 evening attendees by $16 and the 45 morning attendees by $8. This equals a
total of $2,520, so you can select (B) and stop.
Since y = -3, -3
y= eliminate (B) and (C). Now plug in y = -3 to the other equation to solve for x.
2x- 3 (-3) = 17
2x + 9 = 17
2x = 8
x = 4
Drill 7
1. C Plug In! Make x = 5 andy = 2. If 4 gallons per minute flow into the plant, then over an hour (60
minutes), there will be 5 x 60 = 300 gallons added to the plant. If 2 gallons per minute flow out of the
plant, then over an hour there will be 2 x 60 = 120 gallons removed from the plant. Therefore, after an
hour there will be 3,000,000 + 300 - 120 = 3,000,180 gallons in the plant. This is your target. Plug
x = 3 andy = 2 into each answer and eliminate any choice which doesn’t equal 3,000,180. The only
choice that works is (C).
2. A The freezing point depression constant is represented in the formula by Kf , so start by taking the
formula A T = Kfx m x i and solving it for Kf . Divide both sides by m x i and you’ll get £ _ ^
Now you can start filling in what you know about those variables. AT = freezing point of pure solvent
- freezing point of solution; here the freezing point of pure water is 0, and the freezing point of the
solution is -0.372, so AT = 0 - (-0.372). That should be in the numerator of your answer; that alone
gets you to choice (A). As for the rest of the variables, m is the molality of the solution, here given as
0.1, and i is the van ’t Hoff factor, here given as 2. Therefore, the denominator of your answer should
have (0.1)(2), which is also true only of (A).
3. B Plug in numbers to see which equation works. If the customer wants 37 channels to be added, he
would actually be billed for 40 channels, as per the company’s policy, so x = 40. Thus, the customer
has four additional monthly charges of $1.23, or a total additional monthly charge of $5.00. This
surcharge will be added to the monthly rate of $22.95. Finally, the question asks for the yearly cost, so
multiply the monthly charges by 12 for the yearly cost: 12($22.95) + 12($5.00) = $335.40, which is
your target answer. Therefore, (B) is the correct answer.
4. B
These scenarios can be re-written so that the numbers of cans that Marguerite and Whitney have,
respectively, can be represented as an ordered pair. Therefore, at the beginning of the can drive, when
they have yet to visit any homes, (0, 4) correctly illustrates that Marguerite has zero cans and Whitney
has four cans. In a graphical sense, this point would represent the y-intercept. Because they receive
an average of 2 cans per house, the equation y - 2x + 4 models the described scenario in the question.
Therefore, after plugging in all of the answer choices for which Marguerite’s number of cans represents
x and Whitney’s number of cans represents;/, (B) is the correct answer.
5. D
Because of the many nuances, it is best to solve this problem using bite-sized pieces. Let’s take Chad’s
weekly clientele. He will meet with 80 clients in one month if he has a weekly schedule of 20 clients.
To account for Julia’s clientele as well, multiply 80 by 2 to get 160. Therefore, (A) and (B) can be
eliminated as they have a coefficient of only 80 in front of the hourly rate r. Then, the total rent for the
month of $1,000 (“...each pay $500...”) must be deducted from the overall revenue, so (C) is elimi¬
nated. Thus, (D) is the correct answer.
Drill 8
1 D
In order to solve this problem, re-write the equation in slope-intercept form:
3
3x-7y = 28-y = (7)x-4
3
Therefore, the slope of this line is — . In order for a line to be perpendicular, it must have a slope that
is the negative reciprocal of the slope of the given line. For (A), the line is 3 x-7y = 28, so it is elimi¬
nated. Choice (B) has a positive slope, so it cannot be correct. Eliminate it as well.
Choice (C) has a slope that is the opposite sign of the equation in the problem, but it is not the recip-
7
rocal. Eliminate it. Choice (D) has a slope that is 3 which is the negative reciprocal of the original
2. D
Draw both lines on an x, y-coordinate plane and solve. If line p has a slope of 0 and ay-intercept of 4,
then it is a horizontal line that lies ony = 4. If line q has a slope that is undefined and an x-intercept of
4, then it is a vertical line that lies on x = 3. These lines, therefore, intersect at point (3, 4).
Now draw a line from point (3, 4) to (0, 0) to form a right triangle with sides of 3 and 4. Therefore,
the length of the hypotenuse is 5, making (D) correct.
rv*
3. B This question is straightforward, but takes a bit of work, as to find the average, you 11 first have to find
the slope for each of the lines. Since you are given both end points of each line, the origin and the end
y2— y i ,
point written on the graph, apply each set of points to your slope formula, m = x _ x • Line OA s
slope = —4, line OB’s slope = 2, line OC’s slope = 1, line OD’s slope = —1, and line OEs slope = —3.
Now find the average of the slopes: ^ 4 + 1 + 2+ — 1+ 3) _ _ Thus, (B) is the correct answer.
4 D Two strategies could be used to solve this problem: Plug in values for x and y, or re-write the equations
in the answer choices in slope-intercept format and use process of elimination.
To plug in, use point (5,2) for line d and (0,3) for line e to find the following:
1
5. C First, plug in 6 into the expression for f. d(6) - f[ ~ (6 ) — \)=f{2). Then find 2 on the x-axis in the
graph provided. Draw a line up until you hit the/(x) line. Draw another line horizontally to they-axis.
They value for/{2) is 3, so (C) is correct.
and solve:
5 4 4 5
— x - = - x + —
9 7 7 9
71 _ 71
63 63
x = l
Only choice (A) has an x value of 1, but if needed, you can then plug x = \ into the equation for either
line and solve fory.
Another way to find the point of intersection is to graph both lines on your calculator. You’ll be able to
see that the lines intersect right at x - 1, which eliminates all answers other than (A).
You can also use Process of Elimination to Ballpark a few answers away. The y-intercept of line / is
4 5
(0, - ), so (0, ~ ) won’t be on line /; eliminate choice (B). The y-intercept of line m is given by the b
5 4
term: (0, — ). (0, - ) will therefore not be on line m\ eliminate choice (D). Finally, use the given equa-
_
tion of line m and Plug In the Answers. Making x = 1 will be much easier than making x = so test
A) 37
1. The table above shows the cost of the life span of B) 44
several different types of light bulb. What is the ratio C) 51
ofA)the cost, in cents per hour of life span, of a com¬ D) 55
pact florescent lamp to that of a light emitting diode?
B)
C) 1 .5 to 5
D) 3 to 8
3 to 10
4 to 5
$1.50 $0.98
$2.99 $1.99
$2.99
$2.55
$3.49 $4.98
$3.99
Aluminum /cm3)
(g1.71
Copper
9.0
Iron 7.87
Lead 11.4
Osmium ?
Silver 10.5
8.92
44.6
89.2
D) 62
A) 250 27
B) 630 82
C) 2,540 245
D) 4,015 528
6. A certain 3D printer has a maximum build volume 8. DuringA) the typical Indy 500, the average pit stop is
of 230 mm x 170 mm x 200 mm. If 1 inch equals B) C) long and involves 6 crew members. Each
15 seconds
25.4 millimeters, which of the following is the best of the 33 cars that race makes an average of 5 stops
per race. If all cars finish the race, using full crews
approximation of the printer’s maximum build vol¬
ume in cubic inches? and making the expected number of pit stops, what
D) total number of active work hours put in by the
is the
A) 782 crews during pit stops?
B) 477
4.125
C) 308 41.25
D) 148
206.25
247.5
115
Problem Solving and Data Analysis
^ sr
9. Superman can run so fast that he can run on water as
well as land, and he never gets tired. His average run¬
ning speed is Mach 4, or 4 times the speed of sound.
For fun, he decides to run around the Earth’s equator, a
distance of 40,075 kilometers. If the speed of sound is
340.29 meters per second, and there are 1 ,000 meters in
a kilometer, approximately how many hours will it take
A
for) Superman to complete his run?
B) 1.5
C)
8
D)
29
118
Questions 1 through 5 refer to the following graph. 3. The scatterplot to the left shows the income, in thou¬
sands, of all the employees of Company X, based on
years of experience in the industry. Based on the line
Income Based on Years of Experience at Company X
of best fit to the data represented, which of the fol¬
lowing is the expected income of an employee with
35 years of experience?
A) $61,800
B) $65,000
C) $83,000
D) $96,000
0 5 10 15 20 25
Years of Experience
A) $900
B) $1,800
C) $4,500
D) $9,000
A) 5
B) 5.55
C) 37
D) 74
A) y = 1 .8x + 20
B) y = 2x + 20,000
C) y = 10x + 25
D) y= l,800x + 20,000
2,
cCD
E
to
0
>
o
0
_c
M—
£
_3
Time (years)
1. When the vapor pressure of water at various temper¬ Questions 2 through 4 refer to the following
atures is graphed, the values for the pressure increase
information.
slowly at lower temperatures. As the temperatures
increase, the vapor pressure grows more rapidly. As A researcher is measuring the effects of anxiety
on performance of a certain task completed in the
the water reaches the boiling point of 100°C, the
vapor pressure reaches 1 atm, or one standard atmo¬ workplace. Subjects are asked to rate their subjective
sphere. If 760 mmHg is equivalent to one standard feelings of anxiety about the task on a scale of 1 to 10.
atmosphere, which of the following could be the The researcher measures their performance on the task
graph of the vapor pressure of water? based on an objective set of criteria. The curve of best
fit for the resulting data is shown below.
A) 0
B) 5
C) 5.5
D) 10
C) 4
D) 13
ffi*
6. If a point on the graph is to be defined as (x, y), 8. A hot new product, the Dadget, comes on the market
where the x-coordinate is the time in seconds and the at the beginning of the year. Sales quickly take off,
j-coordinate is the height of the ball in feet, which of until it is discovered that the Dadget tends to catch
the following shows the coordinates of the maximum fire easily. Sales plummet as the word spreads, while
height attained by the ball during its flight? engineers scramble to correct the problem. They finally
fix the issue, and sales increase once more, but lack of
A) (1.5,13)
B) (4,3) confidence in the Dadget prevents the company from
C)
7. According to the graph, what is the average change
in the height of the ball, in feet per second, during
the first third of its flight?
“O
A) 4
CD
B) 8
C) 9
D) 12
TJ
TO
C/3
D03
CD
C/D
03
D) U Time
C0
03
C/3
003
t o
03
0
*4—
Time
Velocity (m/s)
123
Problem Solving and Data Analysis
Problem Solving and Data Analysis Drill 5 A)
This section contains two types of questions. For multiple-choice questions, solve each problem and circle the letter of the
answer that you think is the best of the choices given. For Student-Response questions, denoted by the grid-in icon, write
your answer in the blank space provided. B)
Questions 1 through 5 refer to the following 3. According to the information in the table to the left,
information. C)
approximately what fraction of the jobs added in the
top five states for job growth were added in Utah?
Top Five States for New Job Growth per Capita, 25
1
D)
2011-2013
1
North
California Colorado Texas
Dakota Utah 20
Total 1
Jobs 5
904,500 146,325 65,450 794,250 98,600
Added in 9
State
20
New
Jobs per 275
235 300 330
10,000 945
Residents
A) 3.8 million
B) 21.2 million
C) 38.5 million
D) 90.5 million
A) 1 to 4
B) 2 to 9
C) 3 to 1
D) 4 to 1
year olds 50 90 36
30- to 39-
year olds 24
40- to 49- 78 16 24
year olds 82
50- to 64- 88 12 78 22
year olds
124 2 42 32
65 years
and older
A)
6. Based on the information in the table, people in
which of the following groups are most likely to
B)C)news from both digital and traditional
receive
sourcesD) and which are most likely to have no news
source at all?
125
Problem Solving and Data Analysis
7. Based on the information in the table, which type of
news source is inversely associated with age?
A) Traditional only
B) Digital only
C) Both traditional and digital
D) No news source
North
California Colorado Texas
Dakota Utah
Total
Jobs
904,500 146,325 794,250
Added in 65,450 98,600
State
New
Jobs per
235 275 945 330
10,000 300
Residents
Questions 1 through 7 refer to the following 2. Which of the following ages has the greatest range of
information . values for fruits and vegetables consumed daily?
A) Age 5
A dietician working in a pediatrician’s office is exam¬
ining the diets of the patients seen there. She has the B) Age 7
C) Age 9
parents of each patient record their child’s consump¬
tion of fruits and vegetables each day for four weeks. D) Age 12
She then averages the values for each child to find the
grams of fruits and vegetables consumed daily by that
child, rounded to the nearest quarter of a thousand.
M
(1) 6000-
X]
n
i
4-> DUUU
m
► •
> re ► 4►
■o <=> 4000-
re (D = > 4* 4> 3. The median consumption value for 8-year-olds is
</> E1 41 » 4» 4> how much greater than the median consumption
~ §
f.
► 4*
* --4 value for 1 3-year-olds?
P t/> oUUU ►
4►
<
io
•
•k • »
O O TV i !">» 4
4 •
» 4► 4
4>
L A) 2,750
(B zUUU «f <» »— " » B) 2,000
g-
» • < ►
o 4»> 4
C) 1,250
_ <
1UUU D) 750
• >
* . . T4... . .
Tj
»» 4
i— J -
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Age
4. Which of the following children has an average daily 6. Which of the following is the closest to the mean
consumption of fruits and vegetables, in grams, that consumption of fruits and vegetables, in grams, of
is farthest away from the mean for his age group? children over years nf acre?
group
office. of patients at one specific pediatrician's
D) No, because the data was provided by the
children’s parents and not the children
themselves.
Questions 1 and 2 refer to the following information. Questions 3 through 5 refer to the following
information.
An online payment system allows users to purchase a
virtual currency called “Dabcoin” with any legal cur¬ John is conducting an experiment for his Economics
rency, such as U.S. dollars or Japanese yen. When the class. Each morning on eight consecutive days, he
user purchases Dabcoins, the online payment system sells homemade waffles in front of the school cafete¬
converts the user’s home currency into Dabcoins at ria. On the first day, he charges $1 per waffle, and he
the daily exchange rate, and then charges a customer raises the price by one dollar per day for the duration
service fee that is 5% of the value of the customer’s of the experiment. He records both the price and his
Dabcoins.
net profits per day in the table below, but neglects to
fill in his profits on days 2 and 7. To find the missing
values for days 2 and 7, he writes a quadratic equa¬
tion that accurately models the relationship between
On Monday, the official exchange rate,
Q price and net profits.
T. in U.S. dollars per Dabcoin, is $34. If a
customer can spend a maximum of $750 on
Price per waffle
Dabcoins and is charged the 5% fee, what Net profits
(in dollars) (in dollars)
is the greatest number of Dabcoins the cus¬ 1 7
tomer can purchase, rounded to the nearest
whole number? 2
3 15
4 16
5 15
6 12
8 0
0
1 i
CT:
22 w 2
33 (3) 3
44 4 4
55 5 5
6
C6> <6> 6
77 m
e
i 9
Suppose that John added a ninth day to the
experiment, and raised the price of waffles
to $9 per waffle. If the quadratic equation
he wrote is accurate, what would John’s net
loss be, in dollars, on day 9? (Disregard the
$ sign when gridding in your answer.)
CANSWER KEY
.
Problem Solving and Data Analysis Drill 1 Problem Solving and Data Analysis Drill 3
.
1. B
2. C 2. D
3. A A
4. D 4. 2.3 or 2.33
3. B
5. 22.3
5.
6. CD
Problem Solving and Data Analysis Drill 2
1.200
7. B
2. A
Problem Solving and Data Analysis Drill 6
3. B
4. C
2. B
5. A
6. B 4.
3. AC
7. C
C
2. A
25
0
5. C
6. A
7. B
8. D
9. B
10. B
Drill 1
1. B
Start by calculating the cost of the CFL in cents per hour by dividing the cost, $1.50 or
150 cents, by the life span, 10,000 hours. 150 cents -s- 10,000 hours = 0.015. Do the same
for the LED: 1,000 cents 25,000 hours = 0.04. Now make the ratio of CFL cost to LED
cost: 0.015 to 0.04. This is not one of the choices, though, so you need to manipulate
0.015 the
ratio a bit. You can write ratios as fractions as well, so this one would be ^ , which
equals 0.375. Check the answer choices to see which one also equals 0.375 when written
as a fraction. Choice (B) does, so it is correct. Another approach could be to multiply the
ratio of 0.015 to 0.04 by 1,000 to get rid of the decimal. The new ratio is 15 to 40, which is
divisible by 5, simplifying to 3 to 8.
2. C The large shirts need a larger image, so the correct answer must be greater than 100%.
Eliminate (A). Now, Plug In the Answers, starting with (B). If the original height of 8
inches is printed out at 1075%, the result will be 8 x 1.075 = 8.6. This is not the required
height of 9, so eliminate (B) and try (C). Since 8 x 1.125 = 9, (C) has the correct height.
There is no need to try the width, since it must work; (D) would make both dimensions
too large.
3. A Find the maximum heart rate first. The difference between 220 and 35 is 185. The aerobic
75
rate is 75% of this number, so multiply by 185 to get 138.75. The fat-burning rate is
55% of 185, or (185) = 101.75. Now find the difference between these two heart rates:
4. D
Start by finding the total cost of the items purchased on Monday, then apply the discount
to them all at once. Add all 5 items for a total 75 of $14.96. The discount for these items
was 25%, so Anya paid 75% of their total cost. ($14.96) = $11.22. Now do the same
for Wednesday’s items. The total is $10.50. The discount is 30%, so Anya pays 70%, and
70 ($10.50) = $7.35. Add the totals for the two days and apply the tax all at once. $11.22
1 00
g 25
+ $7.35 = $18.57. Multiply this by to get an additional $1.16 in tax (once you round
down a bit), so the total bill is $18.57 + 1.16 = $19.73. This matches (D).
and lead. Find the numbers you need from the chart, 1.71 and 11.4 respectively, and write them as a
Cross multiply to get 1.71x = 34.2, then divide both sides by 1.71 to get x = 20. Now use this value in
osmium _ 20
Cross multiply to get 8(iosmium ) = 180, then divide both sides by 8 to get osmium - 22.5.
Drill 2
1. 200 The density of silver is given in “grams per cubic centimeter.” Even if you don’t remember that density
= mass + volume, you can figure out that you need to take the value in grams and divide it by the
value in cubic centimeters. Plug In the values you know and solve for the volume.
volume
2)100
10 5 = volume = 2,100 +• 10.5 = 200 cubic centimeters.
Therefore,
2. A The liter of water will be equivalent to 1,000 milliliters of water. Each of those milliliters is equiva¬
lent to one cubic centimeter, so the liter of water is equivalent to 1,000 cubic centimeters. Density is
defined as the mass divided by the volume. Even if you forget that, you are asked for the density “in
grams per cubic centimeter.” This means that the 1,000 grams get divided by the 1,000 cubic centi¬
meters, which equals 1.
block. Volume = length x width x height, so the volume of the block is 10 x 5 x 5 or 250 cubic centi¬
meters. Now Plug In what you know to find the density.
2, 230 grams
Density = 250 cm3 = 8.92 grams Per cubic centimeter.
matches. Together, the energy produced by the 3 matches equals 3 x 1,100 joules = 3,300 joules. Each
joule equals 0.239 calories, so multiply 3,300 by 0.239 to get 788.7 calories for the 3 matches. This
is not nearly enough, so eliminate (B) and the smaller answer in (A). Choice (B) produc
ed an answer
that was about a third of the required amount of 2,100 calories, so (C) is likely correct. Use the same
steps to calculate that 8 matches would produce 8,800 joules or 2,103. calories just slight
2 , ly more
than required. Therefore, (C) is the credited response.
6. B
Convert each of the dimensions given in millimeters to inches, using the conversion rate given, starting
with 230 mm.
25.4 mm _ 230 mm
1 inch x
/
Cross-multiply and solve for x to find that 230 mm equals about 9 inches. Follow the same method to
convert 170 mm to 6.7 inches and 200 mm to 7.9 inches. Since the question asks for an approxima¬
tion and the answers are not too close, you don’t have to get too specific with your decimals. Volume =
length x width x height, so multiply the three dimensions in inches to get the volume in cubic inches.
9 x 6.7 x 7.9 = 476. 37, so (B) is the closest approximation.
7. C The question gives the distance travelled in 1 second in both yards and feet. Since the other informa¬
tion in the problem regards feet per mile, focus on the measurement in feet. There are 60 seconds in
a minute, and in each the car travels 360 feet, so it travels 360 feet x 60 seconds = 21,600 feet in one
minute. There are 60 minutes in an hour, so multiply by 60 again to find that it travels at 1,296,000
feet per hour. Now set up a proportion to find out how many miles that would be:
1 mile _ x
8. A There are a few ways to solve this problem. You could calculate the time spent by one crew on one stop
and multiply that by the number of stops and cars racing. If 6 men work for 15 seconds each on one
pit stop, that stop totals 90 seconds of work time. Convert this to 1.5 minutes and multiply that by the
5 stops for that car to get 7.5 minutes. There are 33 cars, so 7.5 minutes x 33 cars = 247.5 minutes total
time. The question asks for work hours , and there are 60 minutes in an hour, so divide 247.5 by 60 to
get 4.125 hours of work time. You could also do the steps in a different order, converting 15 seconds to
0.25 minutes first, or finding the total number of crew members before calculating the time, but any
method should end up at the same answer if you calculate carefully.
137
Problem Solving and Data Analysis Answers and Explanations
9. B
Start by calculating Superman’s speed: Mach 4 = 4 x 340.29 = 1,361.16 meters per second. The
distance he plans to run is in kilometers, so multiply 40,075 kilometers by 1,000 to get a total distance
of 40,075,000 meters. Distance = rate x time, so 40,075,000 m = (1,361.16 mis) x time. Solve this to
get a time of 29,441.8 seconds. There are 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour, so one
hour has 3,600 seconds. Set up a proportion to find out how many hours 29,441.8 seconds equals:
1 hour _ x
3, 600 seconds 29,441.8 seconds
Cross multiply and solve for x to get 8.18 hours, which is closest to (B).
Drill 3
dollars, this will simply be 20, just as it’s written on the graph.
2. B Income is shown on the vertical axis of the graph, given in thousands of dollars. Look for the mark
indicating 30, or $30,000, on this axis, then draw a horizontal line from the mark at 30 to the line of
best fit. Once you hit it, draw a vertical line straight down to the horizontal axis. It should hit just to
the right of the mark for 5 years of experience. Therefore, (B) must be correct, since it is just slightly
more than 5. Draw your lines carefully, using your scantron sheet as a straightedge if necessary, to
avoid trap answers like the close-but-not-quite (A).
3. C The graph does not show employees with 35 years of experience. However, the line of best fit can be
expected to continue to fit the data once it goes off the end of the chart. At the high end of the data
shown, an employee is already making $65,000 with 25 years of experience. Therefore, with 10 more
years of experience, that employee should be making more than $65,000. Eliminate (A) and (B). You
can use some Ballparking now, if you continued the line of best fit off the right side of the graph, it
would hit somewhere just above $80,000 at 35 years of experience. Choice (D) is much too large, so
(C) must be the credited response. You can also solve for it more precisely by calculating the slope of
the line of best fit. Since the starting salary is $20,000 and the salary for an employee with 10 years of
experience is $38,000, we know that for every ten years of experience, the salary increases by $18,000.
Add $18,000 to the $65,000 salary for an employee with 25 years of experience to get $83,000.
4 B
At 0 years of experience, an employee makes $20,000, and at 25 years of experience, an employee
makes $65,000. That is an increase in income of $45,000 for an additional 25 years of experience. To
find the increase in income per year of experience, divide $45,000 by 25 years to get $1,800 per year.
3. D Pick a point on the line of best fit and Plug In the x- and y-values into the equation in each answer
choice. The correct equation will be true with the given values. Avoid using the point at which x = 0,
as the answer choices are usually written so that more than one will be true with those values. Try the
point (25, $65,000) and check all 4 equations. Choice (D) is true, so it is the credited response. Be
careful with (A) - Plugging In 25 for x gives you 65, but the graph shows incomes in the thousands, so
you want 65,000, not 65.
6. C
Check out each statement one at a time to see if it is supported by the graph. Choice (A) compares the
potential energy, read on the vertical axis, of the “reactants” and “products.” The section of the graph
labeled “reactants” has a higher potential energy than the section labeled “products,” so eliminate
(A). Choice (B) refers to the “transition state,” which is indicated as the rise in potential energy in the
middle of the reaction. This means the reaction’s potential energy is the highest in this state, not the
lowest, so eliminate (B) as well. Choices (C) and (D) refer to the reaction with the catalyst, which the
key indicates is the dashed line. This line definitely differs from the solid line graphing the potential
energy without the catalyst, so (D) can be eliminated. Choice (C) is the credited response, as the
potential energy is slightly lower during the transition state with the catalyst.
7. D Three of the four answer choices refer to t = 0, so look at that time on the graph. Time in years is on
<*
the horizontal axis, and t - 0 is all the way to the left of the graph. At this time, Annalee’s investment
was $25 and Bethany’s investment was $50. Be sure to read the lines carefully, since they cross each
other, to avoid mixing up the two amounts. Now check out the answers that refer to these values.
Choice (B) can be eliminated, since it is not true. Choice (C) indicates that Annalee’s investment has
twice the value of Bethany’s investment, but this is the opposite of what the graph shows, so eliminate
(C). Choice (D) refers to goals, which were $250 for both women. Annalee’s initial $25 investment is
10% of her $250 goal, and Bethany’s initial $50 investment is 20% of her $250 goal. Therefore, (D) is
the credited response. Choice (A) is false, since the curve of Annalee’s investment goes up faster than
that of Bethany’s, increasing about $75 in the first 15 years while Bethany’s only increases about $50.
Drill 4
1. C
The description of vapor pressure in the question says that it starts increasing slowly at first, and it
grows more rapidly as the temperature increases. This is describing an exponential relationship, not
a linear one, so the graphs with straight lines can be eliminated. This means the correct answer must
be (A) or (C). Now, look up the one specific value given in the question. At a temperature of 100° C,
the vapor pressure should be about 760 mmHg. The graph in (A) shows a temperature of 760° C
corresponding to a pressure of 100 mmHg. In other words, the numbers on the axes are reversed.
Eliminate (A) and choose (C), which has the correct values where they belong.
2. 2 or 9 Find the performance scores on the vertical axis and look for the mark indicating a score of 4. Draw
a horizontal line from this mark, using your scantron sheet as a straightedge if necessary, until you
intersect the graph. If you draw the line all the way across, you will hit the graph twice. Pick either
one of these points of intersection and drop a vertical line down from it to the horizontal axis, where
anxiety levels are measured. One point of intersection gives an anxiety level of 2 and the other gives
an anxiety level of 9. Either choice is correct.
3. C The highest level of performance is shown at the peak in the middle of the graph. This peak indicates
a performance level of just over 10. Use your scantron sheet as a straightedge to see the corresponding
anxiety level for a performance of just over 10. It should hit between the marks for 5 and 6, making
(C) the credited response.
ft**
(A) and
4. A Get out your scantron sheet for use as a straightedge and start drawing some lines. Start with
over to
an anxiety level of 2.5, read on the horizontal axis. Draw a vertical line up to the graph, then
level
the vertical performance axis. You should hit this axis at about 5.5. Do the same for the anxiety
are the
of 8.5, which should also hit at a performance score of 5.5. Since the two performance scores
None of
same, (A) is the credited response. Check out the other answer choices, just to be certain.
them give the same performance score.
5. C It can be assumed that the ball left the player’s hand at a time of 0. From there, it goes up and then
comes back down. At a time of 0, the height of the ball is 4 feet above the ground.
6. A The maximum height of the ball on the graph is 13 feet. Height is the y-coordinate, so eliminate all
answer choices except (A). Choice (D) is the trap — it switches the coordinates of the point in question.
7. B The ball is in the air for 3 seconds, so the time in question is the first third of that, or simply the first
second. At a time of 0, the ball was at a height of 4 feet above the ground. After one second, the height
had increased to 12 feet above the ground. This is a change in height of 8 feet. To find the average
per second, you need to divide the distance in feet by the number of seconds. 8 + 1 = 8, so (B) is the
credited response.
8. D The question describes an initial rapid increase in sales, so (A) can be eliminated. The increase in (C) is
not steep enough initially, so it can be eliminated as well. Choice (B) shows a steep initial increase and
the sharp drop in sales after the problem was discovered, but it doesn’t show the sales numbers going
back up. Therefore, (B) can also be eliminated, and (D) is the credited response.
9. B Following the description in the question, the reaction starts out with a constant level of potential
energy before it increases. Therefore, (C) and (D) can be eliminated, as they feature a drop in poten¬
tial energy, not an increase. The question also states that the “resulting products” have less potential
energy than the “reactants” at the start of the reaction. This means that the end of the line should be
lower than the start of the line, so (B) is the credited response.
straightforw
ard information is that the curves get broader as the temperature increases. This means
that the line for 900K should be wider than the one for 300K, which should have the skinniest peak.
Eliminate (A) and (D). The question also states that as the temperature increases, the most probable
speed increases. This means that the peak for 300K should be with the lower velocities on the left and
the peak for 900K should be further to the right, where the higher velocities are. Eliminate (C) and
choose (B).
Drill 5
dents in that state. Use that information to set up a proportion that can be used to solve for the popu¬
lation of California. It should look like this:
235 _ 904,500
10,000 population
1. C Now,chart
The cross-multiply to get 235 [population) = 10,000(904,500) = 9,045,000,000. Now divide both
shows the total number of jobs added in the state and the number added
per 10,000 resi¬
sides by 235 to get population = 38,489,361 or 38.5 million.
added. North Dakota’s per capita growth was 945, and California’s per capita growth was 235. The
ratio is 945 to 235, or approximately 4 to 1, making (D) the correct answer.
98,600
904,500 = 2,009,125. Of this total, Utah accounts for 98,600 jobs, so the fraction is 2 009 125‘
doesn’t simplify to any of the answers, but the decimal value is 0.049, which rounds to 0.05. Of the
given fractions, (B) is the closest.
\
4. 2.3 or 2.33
The chart shows the number of jobs added in total and the number per 10,000 residents in that state.
Use that information to set up a proportion that can be solved to find the population of Colorado. It
should look like this:
2.
D Get the data you need from
the chart, making sure to loo
275 _ 146,325 k at per capita numbers and
not total jobs
10, 000 population
sides by 275 to get population = 5,320,909. Now do the same for Utah to get a population of 2,987,878.
The difference between the two populations is 2,333,030, or 2.33 million. When rounding on grid-
ins, make sure to do it at the last step to get an answer that is as accurate as possible.
35. C Use the data on the second table to figure out what portion of the new Texas jobs were in manufac¬
.
B Add up all the values for
the total job s add new Texas jobs were in manu-
turing jobs. The second chart tells youed that 20,000
in the five sta . 65, 150,000
oftesevery
20,000 450 2 + 98,600 + 794,250 + 146,325 +
facturing. That part of the proportion would be 0Q0 or The total number of jobs created in
2 ’ _2
Texas was 794,250, so — of those are manufacturing jobs. Multiply ^ by 794,250 to get 105,900
jobs.
7. B To determine association of variables, you want to look for a pattern in the data. Look at the trends
in each column to see if the numbers are increasing, decreasing, or show no patterns. For (A), the
numbers in the Traditional Only column are kind of all over the place. There is no clear pattern and
no association. For the Digital Only column, the numbers decrease with increasing age. This is a
definite association, and an inverse one since the numbers go down as the age goes up. Check out (C)
and (D), just to be sure. The No News Source numbers go down for the most part, but they increase
slightly again with those 65 and over, so (B) is the best choice.
Drill 6
1. A Look at the row for 25- to 29-year-olds on the table. Those that got their news digitally are included
in both the Digital Only column AND the Both Traditional and Digital column. Those numbers
are 30 and 68, respectively, and those are in thousands, so 98,000 total people in this age group got
their news digitally. That is about half of the total 200,000 surveyed, so about half of all 21 million
25- to 29-year-olds would get news digitally. Use Ballparking to see that (A) is the closest to half of 21
million. To calculate exactly, divide 98,000 by 200,000 to get the portion of the age group you want,
then multiply that portion by the total 21 million people in the group. You get 10,290,000, which
rounds to 10.3 million.
2. B In the initial survey, 78,000 out of 200,000 people in this age group reported getting their news
from traditional media. If another 1,500 people were surveyed, the same portion is likely to also use
only traditional media. Set up a proportion with the given numbers and solve it for the number of
traditional-media-users in the new sample.
78,000 x
200,000 ~~ 1,500
Cross-multiply to get 200,000x = 117,000,000, then divide both sides to get x = 585.
3. C
In the follow-up survey, 375 out of 1,000 people in this age group (37.5 percent) preferred print media
for their news source. Since these people were selected randomly, their views should reflect the larger
group of 50- to 64-year-olds in the initial survey. One could expect that the same percent of all the
people in this age group would also prefer print media. Take 37.5 percent of that total, 88,000, to get
33,000 of the original group that prefer print media. Therefore, (C) is correct.
Drill 7
1. 2,250 The mode of a set of data is the number that appears on the list most frequently. To find the mode in
grams of fruits and vegetables consumed, look along each horizontal line representing one value in
grams and see which one has the most dots on it. For example, the line for 1,000 grams has 5 dots on
'
it, one for each of the ages 9, 10, 12, 13, and 15. Use your scantron sheet as a straight-edge to check
the values between thousands, as the ones off the gridlines are harder to see. For 2,250 grams, there
are 6 dots, meaning 6 kids had that average consumption. No other value has more dots, so 2,250 is
the mode.
2. A For each of the given ages, look up the largest consumption value and the smallest one. The range will
be the difference between the two values. For 5-year-olds, the largest value is 5,000 and the smallest is
1,500, so the range is 5,000 - 1,500 = 3,500. For 7-year-olds, the high value is the same as the one in
(A), but the low value is greater, so the range will be smaller. Eliminate (B) and try (C): the values for
9-year-olds are 4,250 and 1,000, and the range is 3,250, so (A) is still the greatest. Eliminate (C) and
move on to (D): for 12-year-olds the values are 3,500 and 250 for a range of 3,250. Eliminate (D) and
choose (A).
3. D Look up the values for 8-year-olds: they are 2,000, 2,250, 2,500, 3,000, 3,500, and 4,000. The median
is the middle number in a set, but this set has an even number of data points. In this case, average the
two middles ones (2,500 and 3,000) to get the median of 2,750 for the 8-year olds. The 13-year-olds
are easier: the middle number of the 5 values is 2,000. Make sure you don’t miss that outlier at the top.
The difference between these two medians is 2,750 — 2,000 = 750, which is (D).
4. B This is a question that might work for Ballparking, depending on the distribution of the data points. If
any one of these age groups had a cluster of data points in the middle, with one outlier point far away
from the rest, then that would be the likely answer. The 12-year-old group’s values seem pretty evenly
distributed and close together, so eliminate (C). The other three age groups have one outlier point, and
these points are the ones listed in the answer choices. The high value for the 13-year-olds seems closer
to the rest in that group than the lowest values in the 7- and 9-year-old groups, so that is not likely to
be the answer. Eliminate (D) and try (A) and (B). Check out each answer choice by calculating the
mean consumption for that group, then seeing how far away the given child is. For 7-year-olds, add
up all 7 values (1,750, 2,750, 3,250, 3,750, 4,000, 4,500, and 5,000) to get a total of 25,000. Divide
that by 7 to get an average of 3,571.4 grams daily for 7-year-olds. Tfie child in (A) consumes 1,750
grams, so he is 1,821.4 away from his age group’s average. Follow the same steps for 9-year-olds to find
that their average is 2,857.1. The child in (B) consumes 1,000 grams, for a difference of 1,857.1. This is
greater than the value for (A), so (B) is correct.
143
Problem Solving and Data Analysis Answers and Explanations
rft*
5. B This is a question that might work for Ballparking, depending on the distribution of the data points.
If any one of these age groups has a symmetrical spread of data points, with one right near the middle,
then that would be the likely answer. The 6-year-old group’s values are not evenly distributed, and
there is not one point right in the middle, so eliminate (A). The same is true of the 13-year-olds, so
eliminate (C). The other two age groups are both symmetrically distributed about a central value.
Check out each answer choice by calculating the mean consumption for that group, then seeing how
close that is to the median value. For 10-year-olds, add up all 7 values (750, 1,000, 1,500, 2,000,
2,250, 2,750, and 3,500) to get a total of 13,750. Divide that by 7 to get an average of 1,964.3 grams
daily for 10-year-olds. The median, or middle, value for 10-year-olds is 2,000, so the median and the
mean differ by 35.7 grams. Follow the same steps for 15-year-olds to find that their average is 1,050
grams daily. The median value is 1,000, for a difference of 50 grams. The difference for the 15-year-
olds is greater than the difference for the 10-year-olds. Therefore, (D) can be eliminated, and (B) is
correct.
6. A Very carefully look up and add all the values for children over 11 years of age — that is, those 12-15
years old. There are 23 values on the list, so take your time and enter them slowly and carefully into
your calculator. Once you get the sum, which is 34,500, you divide by the number of children, 23, to
get the mean. 34,500 +■ 23 = 1,500, which is (A). Another way to approach a tedious question like this
would be to Ballpark. If you don’t have time to add up all 23 numbers, look at what might be reason¬
able for the average or mean. All these values are between 250 and 3,500, and they are pretty evenly
distributed in that range. Choices (C) and (D) seem much too high for the mean of the data for kids
over 11, so guess (A) or (B) and keep moving.
7. C Start with Process of Elimination and get rid of answers that aren’t true. Just by looking at the graph,
choice (A) seems to be true, so hang on to it for now. Choice (B) is false, because the range for 8-year-
olds (2,000) is equal to that of 13-year-olds. Eliminate (B). Choices (C) and (D) are both possible, but
(D) is less likely to cause a problem with the conclusions. It is more likely that parents would accurately
record fruit and vegetable intake than 5- and 6-year-olds would. Eliminate (D). Between (A) and (C),
(C) is a better reflection of what one must do to draw conclusions about the general population. If the
dietician truly wants to draw conclusions about children in the United States as a whole, she needs to
study children from more than just one pediatrician’s office. The best she can conclude with the infor¬
mation in (A) is that, at this particular location, children who are 13 to 15 eat fewer grams of fruits and
vegetables than children who are 7 to 9 years old. Choice (C) is the best answer.
Drill 8
1. 21
Let jc equal the number of Dabcoins. Then write an inequality: 34x + — — (34x) <750. Simplify to get
35. 7x < 750, and solve to get x < 21.008. Rounding to the nearest whole number, we get x = 21.
2. 32 This question requires that the previous question be solved correctly. Since the number of Dabcoins is 21 on
both days, we can write a new inequality: 2\y+ (2 \y ) < 750 . Simplify: 23.436jy < 750. Then solve:
3. 19 Since the data can be represented by a quadratic equation, the graph of the data will be a parabola. A
parabola is symmetrical around its vertex, and day 4, the highest value, represents the vertex of this
parabola. Therefore, the profits on day 3 will equal the profits on day 5, the profits on day 2 will equal
the profits on day 6, and the profits on day 1 will equal the profits on day 7. The missing values are 7
and 12, so the sum is 19.
4. 20 The part of the equation that is squared can never be negative; it must be 0 or positive. Therefore, at
the vertex, which is day 4, {p - a) will be 0, which means c = 16. Since (p - a) = 0 on day 4, 4 — a = 0
and a = 4. Finally, 16 + 4 = 20.
5. 9
Plug the values generated from the previous question into the given equation: N = -(9 - 4)2 + 16.
N = -9, so the net loss is $9.
145
Problem Solving and Data Analysis Answers and Explanations
n
Chapter 9
Passport to
Advanced Math
Passport to Advanced Math Drill 1
For each question in this section, solve the problem and circle the letter of the answer that you think is the best of the
choices given.
1. Polymerase chain reaction is a technique used to 3. At launch, a space shuttle achieves an acceleration
copy a portion of DNA. An enzyme is added to a
of 3 g (where g = 9.8 m/s2). Which of the following
sample of DNA. The resulting mixture is then sub¬ functions, /, represents how far the space shuttle has
jected to a cycle of temperatures. During each cycle, traveled, in meters, after t seconds of accelerating at
each strand of DNA is copied, resulting in twice the this rate?
number of strands in the mixture. Which of the fol¬
(Note: to find displacement, use the equation
lowing equations accurately represents the resulting
number of strands in a sample with 5 initial strands
after c temperature cycles? selapsed.)
= 2<V2, where a is acceleration and t is time
A) V
2C“')
s(20 A) f(t) = 3t
C)
B) s(
D) sc /(/) == 29
B) f(t) .4t2
C) 14.7F
D) /(/) = 9.8F
A)
B) C)
2. What is the vertex of the parabola defined by the 4. The vertex form of 4afparabola’s equation is
equation y = x2 + 4x- 12? y = (x D--) 2x
h)2 ++ k, where point (h, k ) is the vertex of the
parabola. What is the vertex form of the parabola
A) (0,-12) represented by the standard form equation
B) (-6,0) 8?
C) (-2,-16)
+ 7
D) (2,-12)
+ 1
= (jc + + 8
x2 =- (*-
= (*-
= (*-
y=
y=
I)2
l)2
l)2
y= y--
y~-
A) /(f) = 2*
B) f(t) = 2'
C) /(f) = (f+ l)2
D) /(f) = t2
D) 15-(Vl5)'
B) 3i: 3 33
C) 33 : 3 3
D) 33 : 35
6
6
2 5 *
7. Which18x12
x24- of the following is equivalent to
+ 82?
A)
+8 y 3 =
X3
Vx
B) A)
2+
-
C) 3Vx2+512 y5 yfl
S )+ 1
C) (x12 - 9)2 2+
82
3V7+3V5127 D) (x2 - 9)12 + 1
D)
3V?727
5
_
5 5^
_
A)
4 9Y
B)
8 . Which of the following accurately rewrites the
6. Which of the following expressions is NOT equal to expression - — in the form A ■ B'l
4x2 - 32x + 64? C)
6 -2
A) 4(x2 - 8x + 16) D)
6
B) (2x-8)2 J,
C) 4(x + 4)(x-4)
36 f 37 9 v
\2y f
_5_
36
A) x3-2x2-4x + 7
C)
B) 2x5
x3 + + 2x2
2x4-Sx3
-\ + Wx2 + 14x- 12
D) 3x2 - 1
2. What is the positive difference between the roots of 4. For which value of c does the equation 2jF + c = 8.v
the equation (x + l)2 = 16? have exactly 1 value for x?
A) 2
B) 5 B) 0
C) 8 A) 2-8
C)
D) 16 D) 8
B) -7±V37
2
C)
-3±V-19
14
D)
3±V37
2
6. (5 z8 - 2 z3 + z) - (-4Z4 + 2z 3 + z) =
A) 5z8 + 4-z4
B) 5z*-4** + 2z
C) 5z® - 4z* - 4 z3 + 2z
D) 5z8 + 4Z4 - 4z3
,A
I**
Passport to Advanced Math Drill 4
This section contains two types of questions. For multiple-choice questions, solve each problem and circle the letter of the
answer that you think is the best of the choices given. For Student-Response questions, denoted by the grid-in icon, write
your answer in the blank space provided.
A) -5
B) -4 A) -3
C) 2
C) -2 B) 3-2
D)
D) 2
x2-x _ jc + 24
CD
2. If 3Jx + 3 = 2 ,thenv = Cfl)
(T)
If x+4
— t -
x+4 T , then what is the value of
o
xl
o
A) 5 cf) 1
2 2 2
S ft) a 3
B) 1 4
5
4
(2)
5
4
5 5
6 6 0 6
2 (7) 7 7
C) -1 a 8
m
8
D) -3
x + 12 _ x2
solution set of the equation -x- —3 - x- 3- ?
A) x = -4
B) x = -4, 3
C) x = -3, 4
D) x = 4
155
Passport to Advanced Math
Passport to Advanced Math Drill 5
This section contains two types of questions. For multiple-choice questions, solve each problem and circle the letter of the
answer that you think is the best of the choices given. For Student-Response questions, denoted by the grid-in icon, write
your answer in the blank space provided.
7 7 7
8
3
8
3
8 8
9
D)
B) 6-3
A) -7
B)C)
D)
A) 2x2 + 5x- 12 7
B) 2x2 + x - 1 2 3.5
C) 2x2 + 1 lx +- 12
D) 3x + 1
23(
2x3+x2)2
C)
D)
157
Passport to Advanced Math
A) 24
B) ^
x4-7x3+21x2- 30x + 18 9. If x2 - y2 = 13 and x — y = 12, then x
7. Where defined, x2-4x + 6
157
C> 12
A) x2 - 3x + 3
B) X2- llx+ 17 D131
) 12
C) x4 - 7x3 + 3 1 .5
D) x2 - 3x - 3 157
13
x-2x-8x‘+2x + 4
8. When x * -2, x + 2
A) x3 - 4x2 + 2
B) x3 - 8x + 5
C) x3 - 2X2 - 8x + 1
D) x3 - 4x + 2
y = ax2 + bx + c = 0. Which of the following must be pounds, exerted on an object by a wind can be found
3true of the graph of a quadratic equation when a < 0? using the equatio F - Ax (0.0025 x V2) x Cd,
n 6
. where A is the area of the object, V is the windspe
A) The parabola graphed opens downwards. e d
in miles per hour, and Cd is the drag coeffici of
B) The parabola graphed opens upwards. ent
the object. A boat has a square sail with a drag coef¬
C) There are two ^-intercepts.
ficie of 2. If the sides of the sail were halved, the
D) The slope of the graph is undefined for all values The gen nt
e r i c
velocity offortmhuelawind doubled and the drag coeffici
of x. for dete , ent
remaine t s t rwmini w b t c
d he ame, hen hat ng outlhde foerce,he hange
in force on the sail? F, in
.
1 The stan
dard for
m of a q A) The resulting force would be one-quarter the
uadratic
equation
is original force.
B) The resulting force would be one-half the
original force.
C) The resulting force would be equal to the
original force.
D) The resulting force would be double the original
force.
lo ac re the fu /(
wi cu pr nc x)
ng ra es ti ?
te en on
ly t
A) fix) = x(x + 3)(x + 4)s
B) fix) = (x - 3)(x - 4)
C) fix) = (x + 3)(x-4)
D) fix) - x(x - 3)(x - 4)
159
Passport to Advanced Math
graph of the function /(x) contains the points
6. The
C)
D)
.16
.
1 If /(a)
= 0.5 a3
- 4x2 +
x - 2, If g(x) = -/(a) + 1 , then which of the following
then /( could be the graph of g(a)?
2) =
The
gra
ph
of
/(a
)i
ss
how
n a
bov
e.
y bo
rrow
s x dol
lar s ag
ain st a
line
of cr
edit
and
y
162 500+ Practice Questions for the New SAT
3^|
5,
— +
2 3
Kinetic energy, K, in Joules (J), can be found using
1
( A f 3) + + can
5. The value of 1 +
the equation K — — mv , where m is the mass in
l 5J
kilograms (kg) and v is the velocity in meters per
, 5) v 5, ( *)
second (m/s). Which of the following equations rep¬ l 5the equation
be determined using T
1 — —
resents the velocity of a 17 kg object with a kinetic
energy of 19,763 J? s is theA) sum of the infinite geometric sequence , with
where
a common ratio less than 1 . Which of the following
2^19,763 equations could be used to determine the value of
17
A) v =
4 16 64 256 ?
^2 x 19,763 l + l + ± + *l+*L
17 1 s =
B) v =
2x19,763
4
17
C) v =
Vl7x 19,763
B) ^ 3
= 4
D) v
Q S=1+3
3
D) i_3
4
S = _J_
.. .
.
ANSWER KEY
.
C
.
.
2. C
2. A
.
3. C
C
4. C
4. A 3. A
A
B
5. C
6. A
6.
A
C B
2. C 9. A
A
3. C
4. D
8. D
6. AB
5.
Passport to Advanced Math Drill 3
11
7 D
2. C Passport to Advanced Math Drill 7
3. B
4. D 2. A
6. D 4. C
3. B
2. A
3. C
4.6
C
Drill 1
make s = 4 and c = 3. Each cycle doubles the number of strands in the mixture, so if the
mixture starts with 4 strands, then after the first cycle there will be 8 strands. After the
second cycle there will be 16 strands, and after the third 32. This is your target. Make s = 4
and c = 3 in each answer choice. Only (C) equals 32.
midpoint is the average of the x-values: = -2 . Only (C) has an x-coordinate of -2.
3. C An acceleration of 3 g is equal to 3 x 9.8 = 29.4 m/s2. This is your aa value for the displace¬
ment equation. The variable t represents time both in the function and the displacement
1
equation. Therefore, the function should be f(t) = ^ (29 A)(f), or \4.7t2. This matches (C).
2.
4.C A Iher
You are alooking
e are for an
few ways equation which is equivalent to the equation y = x2 - 2x + 8, so if
to sol ve this oblem. Th
you Plug In a value for x into this pr e answer
equation, the easiest will
is togive you
reme the same value for y.
mber that, given a
Make x = 2, and you findy = 22 - 2(2) + 8 = 8. That’s your target. Make x = 2 and elimi¬
nate choices which do not equal 8. The only choice which works is (A).
plug x = 1 into the equation: y= l2 - 2(1) + 8 = 7, so the vertex form should bey = (x- l)2
+ 7, (A).
5. B Plug In! In a case like this, where the growth is exponential, it’s best to start at t = 0 and
determine the first few values of f(t) one at a time. When t = 0, you’re at the start of the
experiment, so there’s only 1 bacterium in the petri dish. Choice (A) equals 0 when t =
0, so eliminate it. At t = 1, the bacterium has split into 2 bacteria, so /( 1) = 2. Out of the
remaining choices, only (Bj equals 2 when t= 1.
you Subtract exponents when you’re Dividing. In addition, when everything is multiplied together,
you can gather the terms in one fraction. Therefore, you can rewrite the expression as follows.
-+1 1—
32 -5 2= 32 -3 552 32-3-5
. 5
\ / A
Rewrite the exponent of 9 as a square root, and combine the terms with no exponent and the terms to
the exponent of t: \3“
f >Y
V 3-5 (Sj "3 Y
= 3 • 5 • V— =4= 152
3 V'5 )
( fY
V )
This is (A).
52 '
(75)
Drill 2
1. C The relationship between volume and side length in a cube is given by the equation V= s3. If Cube A
has a volume of 3, then 3 = s3. If you take the cube root of each side, then you find that the side of Cube
A is V3. Similarly, the side of cube B is x/9. The ratio of side lengths is therefore s/3 : x/9 . However, the
answer choices have fractional exponents. The cube root of a number is the same as that number to the
power of t . So, you can rewrite ^5 : as 33 ; 9 3. Closer, but you still need to get rid of that 9. 9 is
equal to 32, so you can substitute that into your ratio to get 3 3 : (32 ) 3 • The exponents rules tell you to
multiply exponents when there are parentheses; doing so gives you a ratio of 33 ; 3 3, which is (C).
2. C One approach is to Plug In! Make x = 3: 2(33) + 4(32) + 2(3) = 2(27) + 4(9) + 6 = 54 + 36 + 6 = 96. This
is your target. Make x = 3 in each answer choice and eliminate any choice which doesn’t equal 96. The
only choice which works is (C).
Another approach is to factor. All the terms are divisible by 2x, so you can factor that out, and you get
2x(a4 + 2x + 1). The quadratic expression in the parenthesis is the common quadratic x2 + 2 xy + yr =
(x + y)2, so you can factor the quadratic expression: 2x(x + l)2.
choice has a binomial squared. In this case, because the coefficient with x2 is not 1, completing the
square will be a pain. Instead, Plug In. Make x = 2. This makes the original expression 4(2)2 + 12(2)
+ 14 = 16 + 24 + 14 = 54. This is your target. Make x = 2 in each answer choice and eliminate what
doesn’t equal 54. Only (B) works.
Start by rewriting the equation with the x terms andy terms listed together:
x2 — 6x + y2 + 8y = 0
Next, to get the equation into standard form, you want to complete the square. Start with the x terms.
Take half of the coefficient on the x (-6), square it, and add that to both sides. Half of -6 is 3, and 32
is 9, so add 9 to both sides of the equation:
x2 — 6x+9+y2 + 8y=9
Now x2 - 6x + 9 is a perfect square; it factors into (x - 3)2, so you can rewrite the equation:
(x - 3)2 + y2 + 8y = 9
You can do the same to they terms. Half of 8 is 4, and 42 = 16, so add 16 to both sides of the equation:
(x — 3)2 + y2 + 8y + 16 = 9+ 16
Nowy2 + 8y + 16 is a perfect square; it factors into (x + 4)2, so you can rewrite the equation again:
(x- 3)2 + (y + 4)2 = 25
That matches (D). Note you do not need to take the square root of 25; that would change the value of
the equation. Instead, the radius is left squared.
The easiest way to approach this problem is to Plug In. Exponents with a denominator of 3 are the
same
2 as cube
5_ roots, so pick numbers which are easy to take the cube root of. Make x = 27 andy = 8:
273 + 8 (8)3 = (
^27 )2 +8 (^8 )5 = 32 +8 (25 ) = 9 + 256 = 265
265 is your target. Next. Make x = 27 andy = 8 in your answers. The only answer which works is (C).
Alternatively, you may remember your rules with regards to radicals: you can combine with addition
and subtraction only if the stuff within the radical is the same. In this case, the first term will have an
x in the radical, the second term ay. The radicals aren’t the same, so they can’t be combined. The only
choice which doesn’t combine the radicals is (C).
Plug in! Make x = 2. 4(22) - 32(2) + 64 = 16. This is your target. Make x = 2 in each answer choice and
look for the choice that does NOT equal 16. Choice (C) is your answer; it equals -48 when x = 2.
Another approach is to take each answer choice and expand it out. Choice (B) is the most easily elimi¬
nated, as 18x12 - 18x12 = 0, leaving you with x24 + 82, which won’t equal x24- 18x12 + 82. Choices
(A) and (C) are more easily evaluated if you remember the common quadratic (x - y)1 = x2 - 2 xy + y2.
Choice (A) therefore expands to x24 - 2x18 >fl8 + 18x12 + 82; not what you want. Choice (C) expands
to x24 — 18x12 + 81 + 1, or x24 — 18x12 + 82. Choose (C).
Choice (D) is nasty: (x2 - 9)12 is the same as (x2 — 9) (x2 - 9) (x2 - 9) (x2 - 9) (x2 - 9) (x2— 9) (x2 - 9)
(x2 - 9) (x2 - 9) (x2 - 9) (x2 - 9) (x2 - 9), which expands out to 13 separate terms. Definitely not what
we’re looking for.
Finally, you can try factoring the original expression. The trick here is recognizing that x24 - 18x12
+ 82 is almost x24 — 18x12 + 81, which, as discussed before, is (x12 — 9)2. Therefore, you’re looking for
(x12 - 9)2 + 1, which is (C).
8. D To put the expression in the form A • B' you need to separate the t exponents from the rest of the
expression. To do so, remember your MADSPM exponent rules. When you divide, you subtract
exponents, so the expression 32t 1 in the numerator is the equivalent of ~ . You multiply exponents
when you have parentheses, and you want to isolate the t as the only exponent in the expression to
get to A ■ B‘ form. Therefore, you can rewrite 32t as (32)', or 9‘. Therefore, 32t_1 = Similarly, in the
denominator, 2t + 1 = 2C + 2. \2t
With these factors in mind, we can turn to the original expression. Use the above equations and
substitute in to the expression:
5-3 2t-\
6-2 6- 2‘ ■ 2 cp
Move the 3 in the denominator of 7^ to the denominator
of the primary fraction and rearrange the
terms so the terms to the power of t are to the right of the terms that are to no power:
5
9‘
5-9' 5-9f
2- 3-6-2' 36-2' \2)
36
This is (D).
1. 11 The given equation is a quadratic. Start by setting the quadratic equal to 0: x2 - 12x +11=0. Next,
factor the quadratic. 11 is prime; it only has integer factors 1 and 11. Those equal to 12, so you can
factor this quadratic to (x — ll)(x- 1) = 0. This means that x = 11 or x = 1. However, the question indi¬
cated that x > 1, so the only possible value of x is 11.
2. C There are a few ways to approach this question. One way is to manipulate the quadratic equation into
the form ax1 + bx + c = 0 then factor or use the quadratic formula to solve. However, an easier way is
to begin by taking the square root of both sides:
-y/(x+l)2 = VT 6
x + 1 = ± 4
That means the two roots are when x + 1 = 4 and x + 1 = -4. Solving these two equations, you find
that the roots are at x = 3, -3. The difference between the roots is therefore 3 - (-3) = 8, (C).
3. B One approach to this question is to Plug In. Make x = 2. The question then becomes [23 - 2(2) + 3] +
[2(22) + 2(2) — 4] = [8 — 4 + 3] + [8 + 4 - 4] = 7 + 8 = 15. That is your target. Make x = 2 in each answer
choice and look for the choice which equals 15.
You can also add the terms together. Addition can be done in any order, so it’s best to start by rewriting
the terms in order from greatest to least degree:
x3 + 2X2 — 2x + 2x + 3 — 4
Then combine like terms:
x3 + 2X2 + Ox — 1
4. D The first step is to recognize that the equation is a quadratic function. As with all quadratic equations,
set the equation equal to 0:
2X2 + c - 8x
— 8x — 8x
2X2 — 8x + c = 0
Now, there are a few ways you can approach the problem at this point. First, you can Plug In the
Answers. The question wants the value of c, so start by testing (C) and making c = 2:
2x2 — 8x + 2 = 0
Now, solve the quadratic and determine whether there’s only one value of x. If you try to factor, you’ll
find that the quadratic doesn’t break into nice binomials; this is probably not the answer, so test
another answer. Try (D), c = 8:
2X2 — 8x + 8 = 0
Factor out a 2 then factor:
2(x2 - 4x + 4) = 0
2(x-2)(x-2) = 0
x— 2 = 0, sox=2
Alternatively, you can use the discriminant. In a quadratic function, the discriminant is b1 — 4ac,
when the quadratic is in the form ax1 + bx + c = 0. A quadratic will have exactly one value of x when
the discriminant is equal to 0.
Using the equation given, you can put in the values of a and b and solve for c:
(-8)2 - 4(2)(c) = 0
64- 8c = 0
-8c = -64
c = 8
This is (D).
B To solve this quadratic equation, first set the equation equal to zero by adding x1 to both sides; you
get x1 + lx + 3 = 0. This won’t factor nicely; 3 only has integer factors 1 and 3, which don’t add up to
7. Furthermore, the answer choices give away that the result isn’t pretty. In this case, use the quadratic
2 a
formula: x = — , when the equation is in the form ax1 + bx + c. In this case, a - 1 , b - 7,
2(1)
_ -7± V?2 -4(1)(3)
x =
-7 ± V49-12
2
x = -7±V37
This
X =
is (B).
6. D Start by distributing the negative in the second set of parentheses by switching all the “+” signs to
signs and vice versa:
Drill 4
= 3
ence of 3. 2 and 3 work. Because the b term (3x) is positive, make the larger factor positive:
(x + 5)(x-2)
x — 2
You can then cancel (x — 2) in the numerator and denominator, so you’re left with x + 5 = 3. Subtract
5 from both sides and you find that x = -2, which is (C).
Note that you can eliminate (D) immediately, as you cannot have a value of x which would cause the
1.C Factor the numera
denominator of ator
fraction
of thetofraction
equal .0. You want two numbers which are factors
of 10 and have a differ¬
(7771)3=23
x + 3 = 8
Subtract 3 from both sides:
x= 5
This is (A).
equation:
yll + 7 -2 = 1
79-2 = 1
3 - 2 = 1
2 1 = 1
.
A To clearThis works, so choose (C).
a cube r
oot, cube
both sid
es here’s
of the how go about this question. Start by adding x to both sides to
If you want to use algebra, equatto
ion:
isolate the radical:
y/x + 7 =X + 1
Square both sides to clear the radical. Don’t forget to FOIL the right side of the equation:
x+7 = x2 + 2x+ 1
0 = (x+ 3)(x— 2)
*=-3,2
Because your original equation contains a radical (and you’re stuck between two answers), you need to
check for extraneous solutions. You saw what happens when you plug x = 2 into the equation; see what
x + 12 = x2
Because this equation is a quadratic, set it equal to 0:
x2 -x - 12 = 0
Factor. 12 has factors 3 and 4 which have a difference of 1, so the quadratic factors as follows:
(x + 3)(x- 4) = 0
This means that x equals -3 or 4. Because your initial equation had fractions with variables in the
denominator, you need to check against the original. Neither -3 nor 4 make the denominators of the
original fractions equal to 0, so both are actual values of x.
Drill 5
1. 9 There are a couple ways to approach this problem. One would be to Plug In. Use the first equation and
make x = 5 andy = 2. Plug these values into the second equation and you get 52 - 2(5)(2) + 22 = 9.
Another approach is to recognize the common quadratic (x - y)2 = x2 - 2xy + y2. Therefore, if x-y = 3,
then x2 - 2 xy + y2 = (x~y)2 - 32 = 9.
2. A One approach is to use the FOIL technique: First, Outside, Inside, Last. In other words, you multiply
the first terms, then the outside terms, then the inside terms, then the last terms, then add the prod¬
ucts. Be careful with negatives:
(2x)(x) - 2X2
(2x)(4) - 8x
(-3)(x) = -3x
(-3) (4) = -12
2X2 + 8x + (-3x) + (-12) = 2X2 + 5x— 12
This is (A).
Alternatively, you can Plug In. Make x = 2, so (2(2) - 3) (2 + 4) = (1)(6) = 6. This is your target. Make
x = 2 in each answer choice. The only choice which equals 6 when x = 2 is (A).
4. C This question is testing your knowledge of the common quadratic (x + y)2 = x2 + 2 xy + y2. The key
to recognizing this is noticing that the question is asking for xy, which is half the middle term that
results when you square the first equation. The xy term is also conveniently left out of the second equa¬
tion; this is another clue that the common quadratic may be useful.
To solve this problem, square the first equation. You get x2 + 2 xy + y2 = 49. Now you can stack this
equation with the second equation and subtract to isolate the xy term:
x2 + 2 xy + y2 = 49
-[x2 +/=42]
2 xy = 7
To solve for xy, divide both sides of this equation by 2. You find that xy = 3.5, which is (C).
5. C Start by factoring the numerator and denominator of the fraction. Look for the greatest factors of the
terms; that way you determine the simplest form of the fraction. The greatest factor of 36x7 and 3 6x4 is
36x4, and the greatest factor of 48x6 and 24x4 is 24x4. You can use the Distributive Property to factor
36x4 from the numerator and 24x4 from the denominator:
6. A Start with the easiest piece of information first. You need the line y = 2x + 3 as part of your answer.
This equation is already in y = mx + b form, so you can look for the features of the line right from this
equation. This line has a positive slope of 2, so the line should go from bottom-left to upper-right;
eliminate (D). Next, the line has ay-intercept of 3, so it needs to cross they-axis at (0, 3); eliminate (B).
The other equation, x2 + y2 = 9, describes a circle centered on the origin using the circle equation
x2 + y2 = r2, where r is the radius of the circle. In this case, r2 = 9, so r = 3. Therefore, the point at the
top of the circle should be 3 units from the origin; in other words, point (0, 3), not (0, 9). Eliminate
(C) and choose (A). If you don’t remember how this formula works, plug the given points into the
equation and eliminate choices which are not true with those points.
175
Passport to Advanced Math Answers and Explanations
7. A The easiest way to approach this problem is to Plug In. Make x -2\
-6 is your target. Make x = 2 in each answer choice and eliminate any choice that doesn’t equal -6.
The only answer choice which equals -6 when x = 2 is (A).
9. A The first equation is the difference of squares. Factor the left side:
(x + y)(x—y) = 13
You can then substitute x—y = 12 for the right set of parentheses:
(x + y)(12) = 13
13
Divide both sides by 12:
x+y= X2
You now have two linear equations. To isolate x, you can stack the two equations and add; they terms
will cancel:
13
x—y = 12
+ x+y= 13
12
2x - 12 + x2
the value of 2x; to find x, divide by 2. You find that x = 24 > (A).
1. A
Plug In! It’s easiest to graph a quadratic if you make the equation as simple as possible. Make a - -1, b
= 0, and c - 0, so the equation is simply y - -x2. If you have a graphing calculator, you can graph it, or
you can sketch out points on a rough xy coordinate plane. Either way, you end up with a graph like
this:
This opens down, so keep (A) and eliminate (B). The parabola touches the x-axis only at point (0,
0), so (C) is also incorrect. Finally, an undefined slope is a vertical line; this graph isn’t vertical at all
points, so eliminate (D) and choose (A).
If (x + 2) is one of the factors of fix), then fix) = 0 when (x + 2) = 0. Solving (x + 2) = 0 for x shows you
that x = -2. This means that, on the graph of fix), when x = -2, y = 0. Point (-2, 0) therefore must be
included in the graph of fix)-, this is (C).
3. C
Because you have a square sail and the sides of the square are changing, you can substitute s2 for A in
the original equation. Because everything in the equation is multiplied, you can rearrange the terms
in the equation. Substituting A = s2 and Cd- 2 into the equation and moving the variables to the front,
the original force is as follows:
A=Ax V2 x 0.00236 x 2
r
The side of the sail is halved, so if the original side is s, the new side is ^ . Similarly, if the velocity is
doubled and the original velocity was V, the new velocity is 2V. The equation for the new force is as
follows:
F
f s /f2x (2 VO2 x 0.00256
vz x 2
F= 4V2 x 0.00256 x 2
This is what you started with, so the force on the sail hasn’t changed.
plug in the values ofxat the zeroes, the factor itself becomes zero. For instance, when x = 3, the factor
(x - 3) becomes (3 - 3) or 0. Therefore, your answer is (D).
If you don’t remember these rules, you can also Plug In on the question. The graph includes the points
(0,0), (3,0), and (4,0). Input those values for x in each function and eliminate the answer if the func¬
tion does not equal 0 when x equals 0, 3, or 4.
5. A The given equation is in the vertex form of a quadratic: y = a{x — h)2 + k. In this form, the vertex of the
equation is at point (h , k). The graph you’re looking for in the answers doesn’t change the vertex of the
original equation; eliminate (C) and (D), because they change the vertex. The variable a in the vertex
form makes the graph become wider or narrower. If a > 1, the graph becomes narrow; choose (A).
Choice (B) flipped the graph, which requires a negative value for a.
6. B
Plug In the points given into the answers. Make x = -2 into each answer and eliminate the choices
which do not equal 0:
Eliminate (A) and (C), because they do not equal 0 when x = -2. Try another point in the remaining
3
answers. ^ h unpleasant to deal with, so make x = 3 in (B) and (D):
B) /(f)= 2(f)3
7(^)5 + 30 = 0
7(T)2
D) /( “ ) = 2( - )3 + 3( 2 )2 - 17( 2 ) - 30 = -22.5
The answer is (B).
Now, you need to determine what the graph is going to look like. The degree of this function is 3
because the highest exponent on the variable is 3. The variable with the degree of 3 has a coefficient of
1. This means the graph should start out on the bottom-left and go upward as it goes right. Eliminate
(C), as it goes upward both to the left and to the right (this graph likely has an even degree). Next,
Plug In using the function. It’s probably easiest to start with x = 0, because /(0) = 03 + 0 + 3 = 3. Your
graph needs point (0,3), so eliminate (A). Comparing (B) and (D), the graphs most obviously differ
in the negative range, so choose a negative number. Make x = -2, so /(- 2) = (-2)3 + (-2) + 3 = -8 - 2
+ 3 = -7. Point (-2, -7) should be on the graph. Choice (B) does not have a negative value for /(- 2), so
eliminate it and choose (D).
To find the value of /(2) when given the equation of fix), you need to make x = 2 every time it appears
in the function:
/(2) = -12
This is (A).
179
Passport to Advanced Math Answers and Explanations
2. A Use the two equations provided, keeping in mind that x represents the initial amount on the line of
credit andy the initial amount on the credit card. The initial equation shows that x + y - 10,000, so
the debts of the line of credit and the credit card must add up to 10,000. The second equation has
the x value multiplied by 1.24. This must mean that the amount owed on the line of credit, x, is 1.24
times greater than the initial amount on the line of credit. Therefore, the amount Jerry owes on the
line of cred it must have increased, so choose (A).
Choice (B) cannot be true by using similar logic. Initially, Jerry owedy dollars on his credit card. After
six months, the value is 0.76y. The amount owed on the credit card after six months is 0.76 times
the initial amount. Because 0.76 is less than 1, the amount owed on the credit card decreased, not
increased, over the six month period.
Choices (C) and (D) require solving the system of equations. On the test, save answers like these until
you’ve considered all the other choices, as either one of the answers is definitely true (such as (A) here),
every answer but one is false (which makes the remaining answer correct), or multiple choices require
some work. We can use the work for (C) to work (D) here.
To solve the system of equations, you have a few options. Often it’s best to stack the equation and add
or subtract to cancel out a variable. Here, you can’t simply stack; you have to multiply one equation
first. Cancel out the x terms by multiplying the first equation by 1.24, then stacking and subtracting:
Divide both sides by 0.48 and you find that y = 4,000. Substitute y - 4,000 into the equation x + y =
10,000 and you find that x + 4,000 = 10,000, or x = 6,000. Therefore, initially Jerry owed 6,000 on
his line of credit and 4,000 on his credit card. This disproves (C). Six months later, he owes more on
his line of credit and less on his credit card, so (D) is definitely false as well.
3. B The transformations represented by g(x) = -fix) + 1 are as follows. The negative sign in front of fix)
means that gix) is flipped upside-down from fix); eliminate (C), as it’s the same direction as fix). The
“+ 1” moves the whole graph up one unit. The easiest point to look for is they-intercept. They-intercept
of fix) is at 0; the graph of g(x) therefore has ay-intercept of 1. Out of the remaining answers only (B)
has ay-intercept of 1.
19,763 = ~(l7)y2
Now you want to isolate v. Start by multiplying both sides by 2 to clear the fraction:
2 -19,763 = 17v2
Finally, take the square root of both sides. Be sure to take the square root of both the numerator and
denominator of = vthe fraction:
2-19,763
V 17
This is (C).
5. B There are a couple of ways to go about this question. One way is to grab your calculator and find the
3 9 27 81
value of 1 + ~ ~ + 2^, (stopping there and not going on forever). You find that it equals 3.05.
Because you stopped the sequence early (i.e. before the infinite term), you know the answer needs
to be greater than 3.05. Choice (A) equals 1.33; you can eliminate that answer. Choice (B) equals 4.
That’s greater than 3.05 (actually, a lot greater); it may seem too big, but it’s worth keeping for now.
’
16
Choice (C) equals 0.57; definitely too small, so eliminate it. Choice (D) equals 3; that’s close to 3.05,
but you know the answer MUST be greater than 3.05, so (D) can’t be the answer. Eliminate (D) and
choose (B).
Another approach is to use the equation provided and see how it applies to the second scenario. The
( 3
-\\ ( 3a\2 ( 3 2\3 ( a\4
first scenario, 1 + + + + , has the sum of a sequence in which the terms after
V 57
k 57 k 57
V 5,
_3 _3 ( a V 9
the first are consecutive powers of ^ . In the equation given we see the ^ in the denominator
3
'3 V 3 9 27 81 3 is equal
being subtracted from 1. In the new scenario, 1 + — + “ + — + 256 ’ 4 *S eclua^ to k 4 y
3
to
<4 , and so on. Therefore, all the terms after the first are consecutive powers of ^ . Our equation
1
1-
181
Passport to Advanced Math Answers and Explanations
\
Chapter 11
Additional Topics
Additional Topics Drill 1
This section contains two types of questions. For multiple-choice questions, solve each problem and circle the letter of the
'?
answer that you think is the best of the choices given. For Student-Response questions, denoted by the grid-in icon, write
your answer in the blank space provided.
A) B)
C)
D)
30
33
31
34
A) 5 m
A) 7.05
B) 10 m
C) 15 m B) 8.71
D) 20 m C) 9.72
D) 13.93
184 500+ Practice Questions for the New SAT
5. If r = -1 and (4 + 2/)(6 - ki) = 30, what
is the value of k ?
A) 3
B) 4
C) 6
D) 8
A) 1
B) 5
C) 9
D) 25
S'
Additional Topics Drill 2
For each question in this section, solve the problem and circle the letter of the answer that you think is the best of the
choices given.
- Jt
X
1. If 0 < x < —2 and sinx = y, what is the value of 3 . Points A and B lie on circle O as shown below.
-y
(Jt \
'ZBOA is 45°. If the area of circle O is 64 jt, what is
cos — in terms of y ?
the length of minor arc AB1
A) u )
B
B)
C)
D) y
f
f
l-
B) 4jt
C) 8ji
D) 16jc
B) 4it
C) 8ji
D) 1 6jc
A) 5
B) 8
C) 10
D) 16
B) 45 B) 18
C) 60 C) 24
D) 90 D) 36
e
Additional Topics Drill 3
B)
For each question in this section, solve the problem and circle the letter of theA)answer that you think is the best of the
choices given.
C)
1. In rectangle PQRS, shown below, the diagonal PR 3. A child sits in a tree 9 meters off the ground. His line
is 15 meters. If the sine of ZSPR is 7/10, what is the D)
value of RS7 of sight to the ground forms a 36° angle with the tree
If he is looking at a cat on the ground, approximately
how far is the cat from the base of the tree in feet?
6.5
11.0
13.8
15.0
A)
B)
C) 0.01
D) 0.70
7.0
10.5
B) p-q
2. In the figure below, ABC is an isosceles triangle. The
height of the triangle, BD, is 8 cm. AB = BC = 10.
What is the value of tan C? C) p2 + q 2
D) V/ + T
B
A) 10/6
B) 6/8
C) 8/6
D) 6/10
A) (x + 4)2+(y + 6)2=4
B) (x- 2)2 + (y - 5)2= 16
C) (x - 2)2 + (y + 3)2 = 4
D) (x + 2)2+ (y + 5)2= 16
p*c
Chapter 12
Additional Topics
Answers and
Explanations
1
.
ANSWER KEY
2. A
3. D
4. A
5. A
6. D
Drill 1
1. 170
Draw a diagonal line connecting opposite corners of the end of the rectangular solid. This
diagonal divides the 3x3 square into a pair of 45°-45°-90° right triangles, so the diagonal
is 3V2 . The diagonal is also the inside diameter of the tube, so the radius is
3V2 . The
formula for the volume of a cylinder is ter2/?, so the volume is n (12) = 169.64,
this: 1600 = (3.14)(102)A When you solve for h, you get a number very close to 5. Since the
question asks for the approximate depth of the water, (A) is the best answer.
3. D
Use SOHCAHTOA to find the trig function you need. For ZACB , we have the adja-
cent side, and we need the hypotenuse, so cos 20°= — . Rearrange this equation to get
32 *
0 32
A ~~ cos( 20° ) > then use y°ur calculator to find that x is just a tiny bit more than 34.
4. A
Start by findingXYZYXZ. It’s 90°! That makes things easier! To find XY, use the sine func-
tion: sin 36°= — , therefore (12) (sin36°) = 7.05. Remember not to trust the figure if it’s
not to scale.
3. A
Start by multiplying the equation out: 24 — Aki + 12 ki — = 30. Since , = —2k, and 24 — Aki
+ 12 ki - (-2k ) = 30. The only way that the left side of the equation can equal 30 is if all the
imaginary parts of the equation cancel out. Therefore, we can discard the remaining terms
that contain i, leaving 24 + 2k = 30. Solve this to get k=3. Alternatively, if imaginary parts
cancel out, we could set them equal to 0, so —Aki + 12 i = 0, and Ak = 12; therefore k - 3.
6. D
Use FOIL to multiply the expression to get 9 + 12/ - 12/ - 16/2. Since 1= -1, and the two
\2is cancel out, you are left with 9+16, which is 25.
is equal to the cosine of the other. Since 2 radians = 90°, these two angles are complementary, and
71
That makes ZPOQ 90°, so arc PQ is lA the circumference of the circle. That makes the circumference
1. B The answer is (B). When two angles are complementary (meaning they
add up
871. From there, you can find the radius of the circle, which is 4, making the toarea
90°),of the
the sine of one
circle 1671.
Since the shaded region of the circle is lA of the circle, the area of the shaded region is 47t.
I671. Since Z.BOA is 43°, which is 1/8 of the 360°of a circle, the length of arc AB will be 1/8 of the
circumference. 1/8 of 1671 is 2n, (A).
4. A Because QS and PT are parallel and both triangles share ZP, you know the two triangles are similar.
8 _ x
2. Therefore, the sides are proportional. Set up a proportion using similar sides: ^ — ^ q . Solve for x and
B Because OP and OQ are radii, triangle
you get 5. POQ_ is isosceles. This means that if
Z.PQO is 45°, so is z '.PQO .
5. C First label your figure. Since the missing side is between 4 and 8, you know ZC has to be larger than
AB but less than 90. Eliminate 90 and 30. Because the sides aren’t equal, the angles will not be equal
either, so you can eliminate (B). That leaves (C). You may also recognize that a right triangle with
a hypotenuse twice that of one of its sides is a 30-60-90 triangle, with the 60° angle opposite the
middle-length side.
6. D ZABC is equal to Z.CDE because they are formed by line b intersecting two parallel lines. Angles
BAC and CED are equal for the same reason. The 12two opposite angles at point C are equal, so triangles
3.
A You know the area is 647
t, so you can solve for
the radius, which is 8.
CDE and ABC are similar. Set up a proportion: ~ ~ . When you Thatsolve
makfor
es x,theyoucirfind thatencAB
cumfer is
e
36.
Drill 3
1. D If the sine of Z SPR is 7/10, that would mean the diagonal of the rectangle is 10. We know that it’s 15,
7 _ x
not 10, so we need to set up a proportion. Your proportion should look like this: ~ When you
solve for x, you get 10.5 meters.
2. C The height of the isosceles triangle forms a right angle with the base. Because you know BD is 8 and
BC is 10, you can either use the Pythagorean Theorem or Pythagorean triples to determine that CZ) is
6. Tan C is opposite/adjacent, which would be 8/6.
base
The distance between the cat and the tree is the base of triangle. Set up an equation: tan 36 = 9
When you solve for the base, you get approximately 6.5 meters.
4. D The equation of a circle centered at the origin is x2 + y2 = r, where x and y are any ordered point in the
circle (x, y ), and r is the radius. To solve for r, all we need to do is take the square root of both sides:
^1 x2+y 2 -yfr2 = r.
5. B Because you know the radius is 4, you can use POE to get rid of (A) and (C). Then use the center
points from the two remaining equations to see if they plug in to the original equation and give a true
statement. When you plug in the point from (B), (2, 5), your equation is true. It is not true for (D).
6. A In order to find the radius, you need to get the equation into the format of {x - h)2 + (y - k)1 = r2. To do
that, complete the square. First rearrange the equation so it looks like this: x2 - 6x + _ + f + Ay
+_ =12. When you add the numbers to the left to complete the square, don’t forget to add the
same numbers to the right side. You’ll get this: x2 - 6x + 9+ / + Ay + 4= 12 + 9 + 4. When you factor
the left and add up the right, you get (x - 3)2 + (y + 2)2 = 25. Based on the equation, you can then solve
for the radius, which would be 5.
Part IV
Reading
What Can You Expect to See on the Reading Test?
13 Reading Drills
14 Reading Answers and Explanations
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT TO SEE ON THE READING
TEST?
One of the biggest changes to the SAT is that there are no more context-based
Sentence Completion questions. Instead, every problem in this section is tied to
one of five reading passages. (Well, six, if you account for one of those being a du¬
al-passage set.) You may also have to take the entire section in one go, so whereas
the test itself once split your work on passages across 20-25 minute chunks, you 11
have to more carefully manage your timing if you choose to do all five of the
Reading passages.
Moreover, if you’re hoping to delve into excerpts from the latest vampire novel
or the most recent stats on your favorite football hero, you may be disappointed.
Instead, you’ll see one U.S. or world literature passage, two history or social stud¬
ies passages, and two science passages. Some of the passages — specifically one or
two of the history or social studies passages, and one of the science passages — will
contain charts or graphs. In other words, these can be challenging, dense passages
with each of the passages being 500-750 words in length. Here are some funda¬
mental tips to help you take advantage of the structure and nature of passage-
based questions.
Staying Focused
Not surprisingly, one of the biggest complaints that students make about the
Reading section is that staying focused on the passages is often difficult. Even if
you enjoy reading, perusing a passage on the eating habits of Japanese mice or on
the best way to translate the word “taste” from Farsi to English may cause your
eyelids to begin to droop.
That said, your purpose when you read on the SAT is very different from your
purpose when you read in school. When you read in school, you’re hoping to learn
something. You know that you may be tested on the information at some later
date, and therefore you will need to remember something about what you’re read¬
ing. When you read on the SAT, however, you’re not trying to actually discover
new information. You’re unlikely, for example, to walk out of the SAT thinking,
“Wow, I never knew that about phosphorescent fish!” Instead, you’re merely read¬
ing so that you can answer questions about the passage, and since the SAT is an
open-book test, you can always go back to the passage if you missed something.
Therefore, rather than reading the whole passage before you start working the
questions, try going straight to your questions and reading only what you need to
• Line references. About 80% of your SAT Reading questions will re¬
fer you to a specific line or set of lines. It’s important to note, however,
that you’ll need to read more than just the lines referenced; to get a
solid understanding of the context, read a window of about five lines
above and five lines below each line reference.
• Lead words. Lead words are words that are easy to find in the pas¬
sage. These may be words that are italicized, in quotes, or have capital
The Approach
Once you’ve opened your test booklet and are looking at the Reading section,
what should you do? As you work through the practice passages in the pages that
follow, try out the approach below.
1. Start with the easiest passage. Not all passages are created equal.
You may find it easier to focus on a prose fiction passage about a
detective than on a science passage about causes of drought near the
Colorado River, for example. Additionally, questions with line refer¬
ences that tell you exactly where to find the answer in the passage are
often easier than those that simply refer to the passage in general, so
a passage that includes many line reference questions may be easier
than a passage that does not. Since you have a limited amount of time
on the test, focus on the easier passages first so that you can improve
your accuracy and thus your overall score. Rank your passages from
easiest to hardest, and work them in that order.
2. Read the blurb. Once you’ve chosen a passage, start by reading the
little italicized description at the beginning of the passage, as it will
help you understand the main idea of the passage.
3. Preview the questions. If you examine the questions before you go
to the passage, you’ll get a better sense of the topic of the passage, and
you’ll be able to determine the order in which you’ll work the ques¬
tions. Put a star next to any questions that contain line references,
and then go to the passage and mark the lines to which the questions
refer. Circle any lead words that appear in the questions.
they often make statements such as, “The author’s primary reason for
mentioning the gadfly is to,” and then the answer choices will follow.
Make sure that you understand the question by turning it back into a
question — that is, back into a sentence that actually ends with a ques¬
tion mark.
5. Read what you need. Many questions will refer you to a specific set
6. Predict the correct answer. SAT test writers do their best to distract
you by creating tempting but nevertheless wrong answers. However, if
you know what you’re looking for in advance, you’re less likely to fall
for a trap answer. Before you even glance at the answer choices, take
the time to think about how you would answer each question in your
own words based on the information in the passage.
and only one correct answer, so it’s much easier to find an incor¬
rect answer than it is to find a correct answer. If you can eliminate
the wrong answers, then whatever is left must be the correct answer.
Physically cross off wrong answers. Incorrect answers frequently con¬
tain the following:
• Information not mentioned in the passage
• Extreme language that goes beyond what is stated in the
passage
• Half-right but half-wrong information
Questions 1-9 are based on the following passage. In the more than 35 years since NATO came into
This passage is adapted from Christine Amancoeur, The existence, there have been many changes in the conditions
Rise of the Superpower States. (C) 1983 by Milleson Press. underlying NATO and in the character of the alliance
itself. No longer does the United States possess a
NATO was formed in April 1949 because of a fear
monopoly of nuclear weapons, as it did until the 1960s.
by its original signatories— Belgium, Canada, Denmark, 50 During the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, the Soviet Union
France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands,
had about seventy long-range missiles that took 10 hours
Line Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United to fuel. This made Soviet missiles easily vulnerable to an
5 States— that the Soviet Union posed a major threat to American attack before they could be launched. Even as
their security. Its central provision is Article 5, which late as the Yom Kippur war of 1973, the United States had
states: “The parties agree that an armed attack against 55 a superiority of about 8 to 1 in nuclear warheads.
one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be
In addition, NATO’s membership grew. Greece and
considered an attack against them all.” Turkey joined the alliance in 1952, and West Germany
to NATO is a grand alliance. It is, however, a grand entered in 1955. West German entrance into NATO was
alliance different from earlier alliances. When grand the immediate cause of the establishment in 1955 of the
alliances were formed in the past— such as those that put 60 equivalent Soviet alliance defense organization— the
down Napoleon, Kaiser Wilhelm, and Adolph Hitler— they Warsaw Pact. In 1982, Spain became the sixteenth member
were formed after an act of aggression occurred. The of NATO.
15 purpose of NATO is twofold: deterrence and defense.
The very act of forming a peacetime alliance, it was
1. The primary purpose of the passage is to
believed, would serve to deter aggression by the Soviet
Union. If deterrence failed, however, the alliance would be A) portray the Soviet Union as an aggressive force
politically united and militarily strong so as to protect its that could be controlled only by an alliance of
20 members from a Soviet victory. world powers
Certain factors underlay the formation of NATO. B) describe the influence the Marshall Plan of 1947
had on the creation of NATO
These involved supremacy of the United States as
a nuclear power, the fear of Soviet policies, and the C) identify the conditions that led to the creation of
economic conditions of the Europeans. First, in April 1949, NATO and outline the subsequent changes it has
undergone
25 the United States had a monopoly of nuclear weapons.
The United States could carry those weapons to the D) question the necessity of the NATO alliance
Soviet Union itself by relying on its air bases in Western following the breakup of the Soviet Union
Europe and Africa. NATO members could believe that
the American nuclear forces offered a credible deterrent to
2. In line 15, the word “deterrence” refers to
30 Soviet aggression.
A) the discouragement of attack by other nations,
Second, it seemed to NATO members that the Soviet
especially the Soviet Union
Union in particular and communism in general posed a
B) the strength of the NATO member nations with
threat to Western security. The post-World War II period regard to the rest of Europe
was characterized by such apparent threats as a civil war
C) the possible aggressive behavior of the Soviet
35 in Greece, communist takeover in France and Italy, a Union
Soviet-inspired communist takeover of Czechoslovakia in D) the high moral purpose of earlier alliances as
1948, and a blockade of allied surface routes to Berlin in
opposed to the superficial purpose of NATO
1948.
Third, Western Europe was devastated by World War
40 II. It depended upon the United States for its economic
support. The Marshall Plan of 1947, in which the United
States committed nearly $15 billion of economic aid to its
Western European allies, was a reflection of that economic
bond.
3. The purpose of the second paragraph (lines 10-20) in As used in line 55, “superiority” most nearly means
relation to the rest of the passage is to
A) more refined skill.
A) introduce the factors underlying the formation of B) arrogance.
NATO
C) greater number.
B) highlight a factor distinguishing NATO from
D) indifference
other pacts
C) define the term “deterrence” relative to the 8. The Warsaw Pact is similar to NATO in that
functionality of NATO
A) its formation was a peacetime reaction to a
D) identify the aggressors prompting the formation
of NATO potential threat
B) it was formed as a response to aggressive
behavior on the part of many Western European
4. The author mentions Napoleon, Kaiser Wilhelm, and nations
Adolph Hitler (line 13) in order to emphasize which
C) Warsaw Pact member nations have a
point about the NATO alliance?
correspondingly
democracy strong commitment to
A) It was specifically intended to stop the barbarism
promoted by Adolph Hitler. D) it too was created as a reaction to imperialistic
B) It was a peacetime alliance established to deter maneuvering on the part of certain European
future aggression. nations
C) It was the first alliance in which both the United
States and the United Kingdom were members. 9. Which choice provides the best evidence for the
D) The military alliance was politically united and answer to the previous question?
militarily strong.
A) Lines 16-17 (“The very act . . . Soviet Union”)
5. In context, lines 21-38 suggest that the formation B) Lines 26-28 (“The United States . . . Africa”)
of NATO occurred for all of the following reasons C) Lines 53-54 (“This made . . . launched”)
EXCEPT D) Lines 57-61 (“West German . . . Warsaw Pact”)
203
Reading Drills
rfl*
Passage 2
Questions 10-19 are based on the following passage.
35
When, O Catiline, do you mean to cease abusing our
In 63 b.c., after losing an election for the Roman senate,
patience? Do not the nightly guards placed on Palatine
the politician Catiline attempted, with the help of a band
Hill— does not the alarm of the people, and the union of
of co-conspirators, to take the office by force. When Cicero, all good men— does not the precaution taken of
the great Roman orator and philosopher who had defeated
assembling the senate in this most defensible place— do
Catiline in election, heard of this plot, he arrested and put not the looks and countenances of this venerable body
to death five of the conspirators. Catiline, however, had 40 here present, have any effect upon you? Do you not see
already fled. He escaped execution, but died in battle in
that your conspiracy is already arrested and rendered
Pistoia a month later. The first of the following passages
powerless by the knowledge which everyone here
is adapted from a speech by Catiline to his conspirators.
45
possesses of it?
The second is adapted from a speech against Catiline by You ought, O Catiline, long ago to have been led to
Cicero to the Roman senate.
execution by command of the consul. You are summoning
to destruction and devastation the temples of the immortal
Passage 1 gods, the houses of the city, the lives of all the citizens; in
As I have, on many remarkable occasions, experienced short, all Italy. Wherefore, since I do not yet venture to
your bravery and attachment to me, I have ventured to 50 do that which is the best thing, and which belongs to my
engage in a most important and glorious enterprise. I am office and to the discipline of our ancestors, I will do that
Line aware, too, that whatever advantages or evils affect you, which is more merciful if we regard its rigor, and more
5 the same affect me; and to have the same desires and the expedient for the state. For if I order you to be put to death,
same aversions is assuredly a firm bond of friendship. the rest of the conspirators will still remain in the republic;
My ardor for action is daily more and more excited 55 if, as I have long been exhorting you, you depart, your
when I consider what our future condition of life must companions, will be drawn off from the city too. Do you
be unless we assert our claims to liberty. For since the ask me, Are you to go into banishment? I do not order it;
w government has fallen under the power and jurisdiction but if you consult me, I advise it.
of a few, kings and princes have constantly been their For what is there, O Catiline, that can now afford you
tributaries; but all the rest of us have been regarded as 60
any pleasure in this city? For there is no one in it, except
a mere mob, without interest or authority. Hence all that band of profligate conspirators of yours, who does
influence, power, honor, and wealth, are in their hands; to not fear you— no one who does not hate you. What brand
15 us they have left only insults, dangers, persecutions, and of domestic baseness is not stamped upon your life? Is
poverty. To such indignities, O bravest of men, how long there one youth, when you have once entangled him in the
will you submit? 65
temptations of your corruption, to whom you have not held
But success (I call gods and men to witness!) is in our out a sword for audacious crime?
own hands. Our years are fresh, our spirit is unbroken; Since this is the case, do you hesitate, O Catiline,
20 among our oppressors, on the contrary, through age and to depart to some distant land? Make a motion to the
wealth a general debility has been produced. We have, senate and if this body votes that you ought to go into
therefore, only to make a beginning; the course of events 70
banishment, you say that you will obey. I will not make
will accomplish the rest. such a motion, it is contrary to my principles, and yet I
Will you not, then, awake to action? Behold that liberty will let you see what these men think of you. Do you not
25 for which you have so often wished, with wealth, honor, 75 perceive, do you not see the silence of these men? They
and glory, are set before your eyes. Let the enterprise itself, permit it, they say nothing; why wait you for the authority
then, let the opportunity, let your property, your dangers, of their words, when you see their wishes in their silence?
and the glorious spoils of war, animate you far more than one of the chief magistrates of the Roman Republic
my words. Use me either as your leader or your fellow
30 soldier; neither my heart nor my hand shall be wanting to
you. These objects I hope to effect, in concert with you, in
the character of consul*; unless, indeed, my expectation
deceives me, and you prefer to be slaves rather than
masters.
A) Passage 1 portrays him as a leader of men, while A) the execution of criminals and rebels is against
Passage 2 claims that even his co-conspirators his morals
do not subscribe to his beliefs. B) the senators have concluded that banishment is
B) Passage 1 portrays him as a proponent of more prudent than execution
peaceful change, while Passage 2 portrays him
as warlike. C) he fears that Catiline’s death could anger the
senate
C) Passage 1 portrays him as a liberator, while D) he believes that an alternative punishment is
Passage 2 portrays him as corrupt and more beneficial to the state
dangerous.
D) Passage 1 portrays him as selfless, while Passage 16. Which choice provides the best evidence for the
2 portrays him as one eager to rule. answer to the previous question?
205
Reading Drills
Questions 21-31 are based on the following passages. Passage 2
Passage 1 is adapted from John Richard Alden, George On April 14, 1789, Washington received formal
Washington. © 1984, by Louisiana State University
50
notification of his election. He set out in his coach “with
Press. Passage 2 is adapted from James Thomas Flexner, more anxious and painful sensations than I have words to
Washington: The Indispensible Man. © 1974 by Little,
Brown and Company. Among the worries that now bothered him was a
fear that the people might resent his return to public
express.”
Passage 1 office after his promise that he would never do so. The
55 enthusiasm with which he was greeted on the road not
At the end of his own time and for generations
thereafter, he was acclaimed at home and abroad as the only extinguished this fear but raised its opposite. As
founder of the American nation. He achieved sainthood in he moved, he could not see the countryside because
Line the minds of the Americans who came after him. There of the dust churned up by the horsemen who in relays
surrounded his carriage. At every hamlet there were
5 was a tendency to look upon him as an archangel who
60
possessed the genius of Caesar, the vision of Moses, and speeches; at every city he had to lead a parade and be
toasted at a sumptuous dinner; everywhere and always
the morals of Galahad. A change came. Later Americans
gave more and more attention to their rights, less and people were jostling him, shaking his hand, cheering and
cheering until his ears ached. Throughout the jubilations
less to the man who was the principal begetter of those
that stretched down the long days and late into the nights,
io rights. Scholars and teachers in America offered more
65
and more praise to men of the era of the Revolution Washington sensed a hysteria which he found “painful.”
How easily and with what frenzy could this irrational
who talked and wrote on behalf of liberty, to those
emotion turn, if the government did not immediately
who labored at European capitals for independence, to
those who remodeled American institutions, to Thomas please, “into equally extravagant (though I will fondly
hope unmerited) censures. So much is expected, so many
15 Paine, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander
70 untoward circumstances may intervene, in such a new and
Hamilton, and James Madison. There was also in the
critical situation that I feel an insuperable diffidence in my
twentieth century a school of biographical “debunkers”
who discovered that great men and women, American
own The
abilities.”
task which he was now approaching was both
as well as European, were inconstant and incontinent,
more uncertain and infinitely more important than that
20 addicted to profanity, and menaced by insanity. Among
75 which had lain before him when in 1775 he had ridden
them were writers who sought to destroy the hallowed
north to take command of the Continental Army. His
Washington, to reduce him to mortal or smaller
duty then had been to win military victory. Since such
proportions. They found sin in the saint. So doing,
victories had been won ten thousand times, there was no
they tended to make the Father of His Country into an 80
philosophical reason to doubt that success was possible.
25 important scamp. It was often forgotten that the sword can
And, if he did fail, the result would be sad for America,
be more potent than the pen, that the bayonet can speak
catastrophic perhaps for himself and his companions, but
more decisively than the tongue of the diplomat, that
no more than a tiny footnote in the history of mankind.
Washington was the one man essential to the triumph of
the Patriots in the War of Independence, to the creation of Washington’s present mission might change all history.
30 the American union, and perhaps even to the success of As he himself put it, “the preservation of the sacred fire
85 of liberty and the destiny of the republican model of
the democratic revolution throughout the world.
government are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as
It is no secret that Washington was not born to the
finally, staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands
imperial purple. Nor was he by birth a member of the First
Families of Virginia, the fabled Virginia aristocracy. He 90 of the American people.” He was on his way to lead an
enterprise which, if it succeeded, would prove to all the
35 opened his eyes without fanfare of trumpets, with modest
world, and for the future to time immemorial, the falsity
hereditary prestige, in a brick house near the junction of
of the contention that men were “unequal to the task of
Pope’s Creek with the Potomac River in Westmoreland
governing themselves and therefore made for a master.”
County, Virginia, at 10 a.m. on February 11, 1732— a day That contention had, down the ages, been accepted by
of the month that became February 22 when Britain and
many of the greatest thinkers. Supposing the failure of
40 the British empire afterward condescended to strike eleven
95 the American experiment should seem to prove them
days from their defective calendar to match it with that
of the remainder of the Western world. He was later duly right? How long would it be before this “awful monument”
to the death of liberty would be forgotten, before the
baptized in the Episcopal church. He was not christened
experiment was tried again? And if, through inability
after King George III, who came into the world six years
or misunderstanding, Washington contributed to the
45 later. It has been urged that he was named after a George
100 catastrophe, how deep and eternal would be his personal
Eskridge, a benefactor of Washington’s mother. It is not
unlikely that the parents had King George II in mind.
guilt?
22. The author of Passage 1 objects to the attitudes of D) Washington’s firm convictions about how the
certain “Later Americans” country must be run
(line 7) for which of the
following reasons?
A) Their admiration for Caesar, Moses, and 27. The distinction between Washington’s potential
Galahad was unjustified. success in his “task” (line 73) and his command of the
B) They tended to ignore the achievements of Continental Army might be best expressed in which of
the following ways?
Washington.
C) Their misconceptions of Washington could have A) The first had historical precedent, the second did
been easily avoided. not.
D) They took their personal rights for granted. B) The first was more easily accomplished than the
second.
C) The first was as yet untried by Washington, the
23. According to the author of Passage 1 , the “biographical
second was familiar and possible.
‘debunkers’” described in lines 17-20 were responsible
for
D) The first was Washington ’s responsibility, the
second was not.
A) discovering the greatness of American and
European men and women
B) expanding awareness of such historical figures 28. Which pair of words best describes the author’s view
as Jefferson and Franklin in Passage 2 of Washington’s “duty” (line 77) in the
continental Army and Washington’s presidency?
C) writing inaccurate portrayals of Washington’s
patriotism A) Abrasive and contentious
D) reducing Washington to a less than heroic status B) Impartial and disinterested
C) Unremarkable and momentous
24. Which choice provides the best evidence for the D) Uncertain and doubtful
answer to the previous question?
29. According to the author of Passage 2, which of the
A) Line 7 (“There was . . . Galahad”)
B) Lines 10-16 (“Scholars . . . Madison”) following is true about the statement that men “were
‘unequal to the task of governing themselves and
C) Lines 20-23 (“Among them . . . proportions”)
therefore made for a master’” (lines 91-92) ?
D) Lines 25-31 (“It was often . . . world”)
A) It was not a commonly held belief.
B) It was believed only by pessimistic philosophers.
25. In lines 59-73, the author of Passage 2 implies that the
wildly supportive crowd C) It would be disproved if Washington was
successful.
A) could help Washington succeed by supporting
his policies D) It was Washington’s credo.
B) could quickly turn on Washington if he did not
satisfy their needs
Reading Drills
207
*
fft
30. Which of the following best describes the primary
difference between Passage 1 and Passage 2 ?
Reading Drill 2
For each question in this section, circle the letter of the best answer from among the choices given.
Passage 2
Questions 1-11 are based on the following passages.
Passage 1 is adapted from Dwight McCabe, Little Boxes Difficult problems call for creative answers. Critics of
45 suburban growth point to a variety of problems caused by
and Big Boxes. © 2007 by Dwight McCabe. Passage 2 is
adapted from John Vespa, The Garden State Fights Sprawl. the seemingly quickening pace of so-called “sprawl,” a
©2011 by John Vespa. derisive term that refers to the spread of suburban housing
developments onto farms and unused plots of land. While
Passage 1 many of these complaints border on the histrionic, one
50 must concede that sprawl does detract from the beauty
Pull up to a traffic light in Anytown, U.S.A. and look
of the landscape and decrease the amount of open space
around. On one side sits a franchised burger joint or a
available for public use.
national clothing retailer; on the other, an expansive set of
Despite alarming forecasts enumerating the damage
Line cookie-cutter homes separated by perfectly trimmed lawns
to be wrought if growth is not stemmed, sprawl has
5 and wide streets named for bucolic features of the landscape
55 shown few signs of relenting, primarily because of the
long since obliterated. In front and behind lie endless
streams of red brake lights and bright white headlights public’s appetite for big suburban homes and easy access
emanating from blue, silver, and red hunks of steel. to shopping centers. In an attempt to address the problem
Welcome to Suburbia. While suburbs offer their of sprawl, the state of New Jersey proposed a program
intended to stem the tide of sprawl before it was too late.
10 residents convenient shopping and generally comfortable
60 The plan would allow the state to use taxpayer money
standards of living, they concomitantly promote a
uniformity that is a disservice to all. American suburbs to protect remaining open land— for years and years to
come— from mall builders, three-bedroom house owners,
arose in the 1940s as a way to effectively utilize large
or anyone else, for that matter.
tracts of land needed to house a booming population.
Through a statewide referendum, the state successfully
15 While the suburban building frenzy did make home
65 earned the support of its citizens to buy back up to one
ownership more accessible to the average American, the
million acres of land; the measure passed in 1998 with
resulting communities are mainly characterized by hyper¬
66 percent voter assent and was signed into law in June
organization and uniformity. But at what cost? Suburban
1999. For 10 years from the signing of the Garden State
culture and its principles of residential planning, instead
Preservation Trust Act, the state promised to spend
20 of improving our condition of life as intended, have in fact
70 $98 million a year to repurchase land. Residents, eager
diminished our standing as an inquisitive, expressive people.
to maintain the beauty of their areas, voted for the
Identical-looking, prefabricated houses have robbed us
referendum, despite the eventual increase in their own
of hundreds of years of original and beautiful home design;
taxes required by the act.
simple, efficient construction has trumped all. Suburban
25 sprawl has engulfed the natural landscape, a practice that
The “Garden State,” known as much for its boundless
75 suburban tracts as its beautiful beaches, farms, and
has laid the groundwork for a hotbed of consumerism made
pinelands, has demonstrated that it is possible to control
manifest in strip malls, gas stations, fast-food restaurants,
sprawl without unduly hurting economic growth or the
and chain music and video stores. Family-owned businesses fiscal health of the state. Homeowners are reminded
and independent merchants who specialize in the sale of
30 handcrafts and locally made products have been swept
through green-and-blue road signs that their tax dollars
80 are preserving the beauty of the state. The tourism
away, unable to compete economically against national and
industry has a new draw for visitors. And all residents
multinational corporate conglomerates. The ultimate results
of such rampant growth are communities with no center, no of the state may now rest assured that the state’s natural
charms will not soon disappear.
soul, few social bonds, and no reason to exist other than to
35 consume.
pll*-
1. In the first paragraph of Passage 1 , the author uses the 7. According to Passage 2, all of the following
term “Anytown, U.S.A (line 1) to statements about the “Garden State” are true EXCEPT
A) indicate that the described conditions are
A) Its governor authorized the repurchase of land
commonly found in the United States through executive order.
B) introduce the reader to a specific place B) It is well known for topographical features such
C) suggest that the description of the suburban
condition is mostly imaginary as pinelands.
C) Its implementation of an anti-sprawl effort has
D) imply that suburbia is common only in the been considered a success.
United States D) Evidence of a land repurchase program is visible
to the state’s residents.
2. In the context of Passage 1 , “concomitantly” (line 11)
most nearly means 8. The author of Passage 1 and the author of Passage 2
are similar in that both
A) simultaneously
B) in a widespread way A) argue the construction of typical suburban
C) with greedy intent houses has no benefit to homeowners
D) ostentatiously B) agree suburban sprawl has a negative impact on
the aesthetics of an area
3. The first sentence in the final paragraph of Passage 1 C) feel efforts to curb suburban sprawl have been
effective
(lines 36-39) serves to
D) feel suburban sprawl has been detrimental to
A) clarify the extent to which the author believes American culture
suburbs are a problem
B) exemplify the primary argument of suburbia’s 9. What would the author of Passage 2 most likely say
effects
about the arguments posed in the third paragraph of
C) summarize the collection of prior points about
Passage 1?
suburban sprawl
D) modify a previously made argument about A) They rely too heavily on a faulty premise.
standardized housing B) They make too many false assumptions.
C) They ignore the underlying problems associated
with the topic.
4. As used in line 39, “pervasive” most nearly means
D) They are excessively dramatic or emotional.
A) narrow.
B) physical.
10. Which choice provides the best evidence for the
C) widespread.
answer to the previous question?
D) intrusive.
A) Lines 48-52 (“While many . . . public use”)
5. The author of Passage 1 asserts that, to some degree, B) Lines 60-63 (“The plan . . . matter”)
suburban sprawl is responsible for C) Lines 70-73 (“Residents ... the act”)
A) a desire for individuality D) Lines 81-83 (“And all . . . disappear”)
B) an increase in conformity
11. Which best describes the relationship between
C) air pollution
Passage 1 and Passage 2 ?
D) a million acres of farmland and open space
A) Passage 2 argues for changes described in
Passage 1.
6. Which of the following relationships is most similar
to that between the government of New Jersey and B) Passage 2 debunks the arguments made in
Passage 1 .
suburban sprawl legislation as described in Passage 2?
C) Passage 2 describes one solution to a problem
A) An adult lion protecting her cub described in Passage 1 .
B) A homeowner purchasing a fence to keep out
destructive animals D) Passage 2 provides a theoretical argument
that offsets the practical argument provided in
C) A man depositing money into his bank account Passage 1 .
D) A locksmith changing the lock on a door
A) Ellington’s primary concern was to help his A) Ellington’s pride in the color of his skin
band members realize their full potential as
B) Ellington’s European sensibility
composers.
C) Ellington’s genuine innocence
B) Ellington and his band collaborated as equals in
D) Ellington’s ability to write hit songs
the development of new compositions.
true of “Black, Brown, and Beige” (line 53) ? A) At what age did Ellington achieve success as a
musician?
A) It tells the story of several major black historical
figures. B) By what process did Ellington develop his
B) Its title refers to color both literally and orchestral compositions?
metaphorically.
C) What are the characteristics of Ellington’s jungle
C) It is comprised of three distinct sections.
style?
D) It was written on commission for a national
D) What is considered Ellington’s best-known
celebration. composition?
1*'
25. In context, the phrase “information saturation” (line 31. In lines 40-44 (“Indeed ... foreign”), the author notes
11) describes the
a parallel between
A) mode of thinking that has crippled contemporary A) contemporary research and the makeup of mall
research methods. food courts.
B) contrast between effective and ineffective B) the amount of information and the excesses of
methods of acquiring information. consumerism.
C) moment at which an intelligent human being can C) trends in research and preferences for foreign
no longer learn new information.
D) emerging situation in which information D) the range of available information and economic
becomes too much for one person to know. goods.
globalization.
A) online databases.
B) universal knowledge.
C) faith-based interpretations. 79) is to
D) a knowable world. A) doubt that the new modes of acquiring
information will ever generate important
discoveries.
28. The author mentions researchers (line 24) and a
3 scholar (line 26) primarily to B) suggest that some compromise is possible
between old and new ways of acquiring
A) underline the importance of traditional modes of information.
. study.
C) long for an earlier mode of research that relied
B) warn against the dangers of traditional research.
on the deep study of long printed books.
C) compare the researchers of previous ages
D) outline the differences between those who use
unfavorably to those of today.
computers to access information and those who
D) demonstrate instances of one type of study. do not.
A) hopeless.
B) collaborative.
C) inundated.
D) smarter.
Reading Drill 3
For each question in this section, circle the letter of the best answer from among the choices given.
/
6described should be considered
2 most likely consider another apocalyptic (line 39)
. idea?
A) rapid.
Which of the fo
B) suspicious. ll ing argues
A) An editorialowthat would that the
the au trend toward
thor of Passage
C) inevitable. the
text messaging has led to a decline in
1. Lines
D) 3-5 (“In a . . . half’) sugges
essential. number of E-mails sent per year
t that the situation
B) An article that shows that reading among
teenagers has increased since the popularization
2. The author of Passage 1 suggests that a set of data of e-readers
In
con
tex
of the following would most likely be the title of a
study of human personality in the twentieth century?
account for
9The.
auA)
thor hold.
refers to a
“c
B) understand. ultural shift” (line
46) to help
C) imprison.
D) restrain.
.
d in
line 5
1 , “co
n tain”
most
nearly
means
Still, his relationship to civil rights and the African A) details of Toomer’s later life are insufficient to
American community has been difficult to determine. explain his personal attitudes.
After the success of Cane, Toomer contributed only a few B) Toomer’s fame in literary circles was not
more essays before withdrawing from the literary world acknowledged by white authors.
40 altogether. In the 1930s, he had nearly disappeared from
C) Toomer’s essays provide inconsistent
the literary scene, and his two marriages, in 1931 and representations of his views.
1934, were interracial, both to white women. Although D) evidence shows that Toomer worked against the
intermarriage between blacks and whites was still socially Civil Rights movement.
27. “These scraps” (line 49) most directly refer to importance of Toomer’s influence
evidence that
28. In lines 50-53, the author discusses race activism B) Those in the Civil Rights movement
were correct to dismiss Toomer as a
primarily to
counterproductive force.
A) demonstrate that Toomer’s racial attitudes were C) Toomer had more advanced views than most
atypical. African American authors from the 1920s.
B) praise the achievements of the Civil Rights
. movement. D) Toomer’s personal views on race remain
complex even in our own day.
C) refer to a major equality movement in American
history.
Questions 1-12 are based on the following passage. as 2003, in a war that was billed as one of self-defense,
45 George W. Bush was promising Americans, “Helping
Iraqis achieve a united, stable, and free country will
This passage is adapted from a 2009 book looking at
Western (that is, European and American ) attempts to require our sustained commitment.”
Bush is the inheritor of a long tradition of this belief
modernize the Middle East and other regions.
in the power of Western influence. This influence, though,
50 has not been a pure force for good. While Western systems
The international history of the twentieth century of government were created as responses to nation states
is overflowing with Western projects to modernize and royal traditions, non-Western nations have their own
set of foundations and traditions. The earliest colonial
the Middle East. The United States, and England to a
governments in these non-Western regions were run by
Line lesser degree, have tried to bring freedom to oppressed
55 Westerners. But now that the colonial governments have
5 peoples throughout the region, and as the word “freedom” been kicked out, a system of rule by the actual people who
implies, this was a philanthropic mission. President
live in these non- Western nations must be something else.
Bill Clinton, for example, is still praised for his role in
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, even as his other failures To take one example, the name “Iraq” is not quite
and accomplishments gained front page news in the mid- as applicable to all its citizens as the names “France,”
60 “Portugal,” or “The United States” are in their own
10 1990s. His even-handed, mediating role helped to save
regions. For many Westerners, nationality is a given
these warring states from total destruction. This attitude
and ultimately trumps the more local identifications of
toward non-Western regions, the belief that the West's town, city, or state. In Iraq, as the Bush administration
systems of government can help save the people of the
learned, religious distinctions are more meaningful than
Middle East, Africa, or Latin America, is a holdover from
65 national similarities. Approximately 65 percent of those
15 an imperial moment, when European nations conquered
living in Iraq are Shia Muslims, but does this make it a
these regions with militaries rather than diplomats. It may
Shia country? To an extent, maybe, but Sunni Muslims
be time to start asking, however, whether Western systems
represent a powerful and vocal minority, and the northern
of government are universally applicable. That is to say,
regions of Iraq comprise a semiautonomous region of a
perhaps the Western value of “freedom”— as it relates to 70 third group, the Kurds. The Western notions of nation-
20 markets, speech, and behaviors— is not one that is shared
by people outside the West. Unrest in the Middle East and above- all and religious coexistence can’t maintain in
this and other countries because the value systems have
other non-Western regions can only continue until new developed so independently of these notions.
systems of governance begin to emerge from the regions
themselves. As in many other parts of the world, “Iraqi freedom”
75 was defined by someone other than the Iraqis themselves.
25 These modernization projects bear an eerie
Western civilizing efforts have always been based on
resemblance to the “civilizing missions” of European the unfortunate premise that non-Westerners cannot
nations in the nineteenth century. These missions
govern themselves, often on no other evidence than
always begin with the premise that those in non-Western
nations are unable to govern themselves. In most cases, Westerners’ firm belief in the success of their own political
80 systems. The refusal to accept that the basic principles
30 the result is little more than a large-scale, prolonged
of democracy and free-market capitalism may not be
clash of cultures, in which prejudices toward the “poor universally applicable has always compromised efforts at
souls” who can’t take care of themselves only become Western modernization because these efforts have lacked
that much firmer in the minds of the un-self-conscious
the appropriate local perspectives. Certainly, Western
interlopers. The native peoples who are then forced to
85 nations are today more sensitive to cultural differences
35 live under the new government’s rule become extremely than they have ever been. It remains to be seen, however,
skeptical of it, as its supposed successes are measured
whether this new multicultural stance is a genuine change
by seemingly irrelevant metrics. Many ancient and
or a simple repackaging of an old product.
historical societies come from these regions, but since the
seventeenth century, these regions have been considered
40 almost universally backward. This notion persists in
contemporary politics, and in the United States, the idea
that the U.S. is making the world safe for democracy is
common among both major political parties. As recently
build.
4. Which of the following best states how the peoples
mentioned in line feel about West-influenced
governments?
ma in lin 7 (“ . . . th
A) They despise the governments because they are de es 4-75 As em
s
A) The Western influence in theelMiddle ve East has
hopelessly corrupt. s”
not been able to overcome internal ) divisions
B) They question the ability of their fellow citizens
amonggroups within Iraq.
to govern them.
B) Many representatives from the Middle East
C) They doubt that the governments have delivered have been crucial to developing the government
on all that they have promised.
systems that exist in the Middle East today.
D) They support the new regime because it
represents a change from old ways. C) Contemporary styles of government in the
Middle East can be traced back to principles
developed in Europe in the late 1700s.
D) Famous diplomats such as Bill Clinton have
continued to offer guidance to those in the
Middle East and elsewhere.
1*
y'
10. Which of the following best describes the sentence in
lines 84-86 (“Certainly . . . been”)?
.
hor
woul
d mo
st likel
y co
nsid
er w
hich
inadvertently.
Questions 13-22 are based on the following passage.
This situation leaves both the reader and the critic at an
This passage is adapted from Jennifer O’Sullivan,
Reflection or Reimagining: Examining Authorial Intent intriguing impasse: when can we know when a seemingly
55 autobiographical image in a fictional work is actually
in Twentieth Century Fiction.© 2013 by The Gazette of
Literary Criticism. meaningful? When, in Ulysses, Joyce’s literary alter
ego Stephen Dedalus muses on whether Shakespeare’s
The Irish author James Joyce (1882-1941) created characters were all based on actual people that he knew,
some of the most unique and personal, yet controversial is this an example of Joyce commenting indirectly on
and inaccessible, literature of the last century. With 60 Shakespeare, or of Joyce alluding to his own work?
Line his modernist, experimental narrative style, his close Regardless of how tempting it may be for the reader to
5 attention to the details of ordinary life, his novel technical read Ulysses or A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
innovations, and his recurring themes of isolation and solely through the biography of Joyce, such a technique is
exile, Joyce created fictional worlds at once stark and fraught with danger, since we can ultimately never be sure
foreign, yet simultaneously rich and familiar. 65 exactly what any author means to express through his or
In order to better decipher the seemingly endless her art.
18. In line 10, “conundrum” most nearly means A) themes of isolation and exile
B) a character who worked as a sailor in Trieste
A) conception
C) a character who is persecuted for his religious
B) intuition beliefs
C) parody
D) the character of Stephen Dedalus
D) puzzle
Questions 23-32 are based on the following passage. in relatively calm denial of this possibility, until he had
This passage is adapted from Arthur Loman, Life of a 55 driven many more miles and passed several other turns.
Salesman. © 2007 by Arthur Loman. “This road doesn’t look like it goes the right way,” he
would grumble. “Too many other people are turning off
William was completely lost, that much he knew.
here; I don’t want to get stuck in traffic.” And maybe, just
Unfortunately, that was all he knew.
maybe, he hadn’t missed his turn, and it was going to
Of course, he hated to admit it when he was lost, so
Line 60 appear around the next bend in the road. “No way to find
much so that when he did get lost, it would inevitably
5 out but to keep on going.” Obviously, the sensible thing to
create a tragic episode of the grandest proportions, rather do would be to pull over, and consult a map, or perhaps
than a minor inconvenience. In a way, that made it easier use the cell phone to call for assistance. Neither of these
for him to explain his tardiness to others. It was certainly things was an option as far as William was concerned.
easier to evade responsibility for a huge, unforeseeable
65 The cell phone, as he put it, “should be used only in
mishap chan for a series of small, yet obvious, errors.
10 emergencies.” Since nothing that ever happened to him
These situations always started out the same way.
constituted an “emergency” in his mind, he never once
William would be setting out to drive to a business actually used the phone.
appointment. Before leaving he would verify that he had As to maps, he never carried one. He claimed that most
everything he needed for the day. First he checked to see
70 of them were useless to him, as they were “organized and
that he had his briefcase. He then checked and rechecked
15 planned so badly.” In any event, what need did he have
the contents of the briefcase to see that every possible for maps when he always had his directions written out so
carefully?
document he might need was there, not to mention extra
pens, notepads, a calculator, spare calculator batteries, his So on and on he drove, hoping that some type of
cell phone, and spare cell phone battery. 75 resolution would eventually reveal itself to him, that it
He even insisted upon carrying a miniature tape would suddenly occur to him where to turn around, what
20 recorder, and spare batteries for that, as well. The to do. On one occasion, he drove through three different
inclusion of this last item was particularly perplexing to states before finding his way back to the office, well after
his coworkers, as there was no possible use for it in his dark, his suit rumpled, but his blue necktie still flying
work. When casually queried about the tape recorder, 80 proudly.
on such occasions (a practical impossibility since William D) explain a man’s lateness to his co-workers
would never drive with anyone in the car during business
hours, not that anyone was anxious to, of course), you 24. The list of items in William’s briefcase (lines 15-18)
45
would hear him muttering a litany of lefts and rights; serves to
Reading Drills
227
25. The attitude of William’s coworkers toward him can 31. The reference to maps (line 69) implies that William
best be described as
A) has much to learn about navigation
A) mildly curious relies more on instinct than reason
B)
B) coldly indifferent
C) overtly condescending C) questions the mapmaker’s eye for detail
D) does not trust the orderliness of most maps
D) deeply intrigued
A) professional
B) careless
C) useful
D) fruitless
Questions 1-11 are based on the following passage. military and sought it in more disciplined fields such as
This passage is adapted from Marcantonio Raimondi , law, medicine, and business. The famous “Organization
From Reproduction to Objet: Printmaking in America. © Man” could hardly have had such success if this less
2011 by Art History Quarterly. independent group had not also made a major contribution
to post-war society.) In the late 1940s, then, one could
“Printmaker!” The connotation of this word, curiously so observe the beginnings of a phenomenal expansion of
absent from other languages, began to have some meaning art education in institutions of higher learning, where art
only after World War II. Surely, before the war, and often departments attracted returning G.I.s who had completed
Line
in the long, splendid history of prints, there had been their undergraduate work before the war, and in older,
5
artists who created nothing but prints. However, in most established art schools that were filled to capacity with
cases the artists drew a composition before going to the 55 those who had finished only high school. Students who fell
plate or block of stone, rather than working directly on under the spell of Lasansky during his first years at the
these materials exclusively. Even this is not the entire State University of Iowa went on to found print workshops
distinction between earlier artists like Callot and Meryon in other universities. Soon students of these workshops
10 and those followers of Hayter who could be called pioneered others, so that in a very short time there were
only “printmakers.” Callot and Meryon made prints that, 60 facilities for the study of printmaking in most universities
following the original object of working in a multiple in the United States.
medium, were meant to be printed in large numbers for The proliferation of places where printmaking was
wide distribution of the image. Indeed, many painters taught and the subsequent increase in the number of
15 made prints for this sole reason. But the printmakers of printmakers led to the birth of ancillary institutions: the
the second half of the twentieth century have found that
65 Brooklyn Museum’s annual National Print Exhibition,
creating in a print medium is itself totally satisfying; an open exhibition, in contrast with the traditional
they often care not at all if no more than a few copies invitational showings of the Society of Etchers (note
are made before they go on to the next image. It is the that these artists referred to themselves as etchers, not
20 complex techniques of printmaking that entrance them. In
printmakers) or the other one -medium groups such as
the words of Sylvan Cole, former Director of Associated 70 the National Serigraph Society; the International Group
American Artists (AAA, the largest print gallery in Arts Society, a membership/subscription organization the
America and publisher of over 1,500 prints since 1934), purpose of which was to publish and sell prints by new
“The change that was taking place was the breakup with artists of less conservative nature than those sponsored
25
the artist/painter (or Abstract Expressionist) who was not by AAA; and regional and international exhibitions
interested in printmaking, and out of this came a man 75 devoted exclusively to prints, such as the Northwest
called a printmaker, people like Karl Schrag, Peterdi, Printmakers Society, the Philadelphia Print Club, and
Lasansky, Misch Kohn— who built their reputations as international biennials of prints in Cincinnati, Ljubljana,
and Tokyo. Thus, in the United States and elsewhere, the
30 printmakers.”
Before the war, artists made considerable numbers of need to show and distribute the outpourings of the print
prints. This was their only work; no doubt it was often a 80 workshops produced new organizations that in turn further
matter of survival, not preference. Dozens of prints in a encouraged the creation of prints.
relatively new medium, silkscreen, were turned out for the
adornment of schools and other government buildings.
35 The G.I. Bill filled the colleges, universities, and art
schools of post-war America during a period of prosperity 1. Which of the following could be expected of a
that encouraged such institutions to enlarge their facilities disciple of Lasanky?
or open new ones, particularly those devoted to the arts.
Many veterans who would never have had the opportunity A) Viewing the intricacies of print production as a
40 necessary but uninteresting part of their art
to attend college if they had not been drafted had little
B) Focusing on the mass production or distribution
direction — were “lost,” so to speak — and found that the
of new prints
unrestrained atmosphere of the post-war art schools and
art departments represented just the sort of freedom they C) Forgoing the composition stage in the creation
of new art
needed after years of military conformity. (Many others,
45 D) Advocating that artists work in multiple medium
of course, had profited from the organized lifestyle of the formats
B) introduce the term “Abstract Expressionist” and 11. In the final paragraph, the author cites which of the
examine its place in the art movement
following effects of the “proliferation of places where
C) explain the relationship between printmaking
printmaking was taught” (line 63) in the United
and painting States?
D) provide support for his assertions about the new
A) The increased opportunities to display
developments in printmaking
printmakers’ work encouraged the production of
more prints.
6. The purpose of the second paragraph (lines 30-34) in B) The financial success of the AAA encouraged
relation to the passage is to
many businesses to establish their own
A) provide support for the idea that modem institutions.
printmaking emerged only after World War II C) Attempts to expose the public to the works of
B) acquaint the reader with the long established less conservative artists produced a backlash
history of printmaking as a distinct art form against all printmakers.
C) question the originality of such artists as Callot D) Increased publicity spurred a rise in public
and Meryton who claimed to have invented appreciation and financial support.
modem printmaking
D) argue for the recognition of artists who were
forced to create prints for the government
Reading Drills
231
y tr
12. With which of the following statements would the
16. As used in line 33, “scant” most nearly means
author of this article be most likely to agree?
A) I only
B) I and II
C) I and III
D) II and III only
23. As used in line 17, the word “exhausts” most nearly 29. In can be inferred that the emission from mini black
means
holes is significant only for the smallest black holes
A) uses up. (lines 57-58) because
B) squanders. A) the amount of radiation released by mini black
C) fatigues. holes is miniscule compared to that emitted by
D) emits. larger black holes.
B) nearly all notable astronomers have attempted to
24. The author of Passage 1 refers to the Crab Nebula in disprove the trend.
order to C) emissions from black holes are inversely
proportional to the size of black holes.
A) discuss relevant Chinese astronomers.
D) larger black holes disappear before they have a
B) prove the existence of black holes. chance to emit radiation.
C) give an example of what leftover star mass can
form.
30. The last paragraph of Passage 2 uses the spaceship
D) describe the process a star goes through to
scenario in order to
become a black hole.
27. The primary purpose of Passage 2 is to 32. With which of the following statements would the
A) discuss the theoretical existence of black holes author of Passage 2 most likely dispute the statement
of extreme sizes.
put forth in lines 6-8 of Passage 1?
B) explain the ratio of mass to density within mini
A) It is possible for only extraordinarily powerful
black holes.
energy emissions to escape black holes.
C) describe Stephen Hawking’s significance as a B) While nothing can escape a black hole, it is
premier physicist. unlikely that any matter can go in.
D) cite the many different mini black holes
C) Hawking theorized that matter can, in fact,
observed by astronomers.
escape a mini black hole.
D) Black holes do exist, but it is impossible to
28. As used in line 44, the word “elementary” most nearly theorize about their gravitational pull.
means
A)
B) basic.
C) scholastic.
D) theoretical
electric.
...
.
.
.
.C
A CC
A
ANSWER KEY
Reading Drill 1 Reading Drill 2 ReadingD
Drill 3 Reading Drill 4 Reading Drill 5
B
2. A 2. A 2. B 2. A 2. A
3. B 3. A
4. C 4.
3. BD 4. C
4. B 4. C
3. D 3. B
5. A
6. C 6. B 6. AD
5. 6. CB
5. 6. A
7. C 7. A
8. A 8. B 7.
8. BD 8. DA
7. 8. BB
7.
9. D 9. D
10. A 9.
10.CA 9.
10. C 10.BD 10. B
11. D 11. C 9. C
11. C 11. C 11. A
12. C 12. D 12. C
12. B 12. B
13. C 13. B 13. C 13. A 13. D
14. B 14. C
14. A 14. D 14. B
15. D 15. D 15. D
15. D 15.
16. D
A
16. B 16. B 16. C 16. B
17. D 17. C 17. D 17. A 17. B
18. A 18. C 18. C 18. D 18. D
19. B 19. A 19. D 19. A 19. A
20. A 20. A 20. B 20. B 20. C
21. D 21. A 21. D 21. C 21. D
22. B 22. B 22. A 22. B 22. D
23. D 23. D 23. B 23. B 23. A
24. C 24. A 24. D 24. A 24. C
Drill 1
1. c
The passage as a whole is informative and provides a description of how NATO was formed. Choice
(A) is too strong. Choice (B) indicates that the main focus is the Marshall Plan, not NATO. In (D),
question does not reflect the informative tone of the passage. Choice (C) is the best match.
2. A
After line 13, the passage describes deterrence in that forming a peacetime alliance would deter ag¬
gression by the Soviet Union. So we need an answer that means “to preserve peace” or “prevent fight¬
ing.” Only (A) the discouragement of attacks and specifically mentions the Soviet Union. The other
answers are not supported by the passage.
3. B The second paragraph overall describes what makes NATO different from other alliances that
came before. This is paraphrased in (B) highlight a factor distinguishing NATO from other pacts.
Choice (A) is mentioned in the next paragraph, but does not answer the question asked. The rest of
the answers are not supported by the paragraph or the passage as a whole.
4. B In the passage, the three men are cited as leaders put down by a grand alliances that differed from
NATO in that the grand alliances were formed specifically after an act of aggression to get rid of
those leaders, whereas the NATO alliance was to form in peacetime to prevent any aggressive acts
from occurring. This is paraphrased best in (B). Choice (A) is contradicted by the passage, and
there is no evidence for (C) or (D) in the passage.
5. A Go through each answer choice, and eliminate those supported by evidence in the passage. Choice
(A) is not a reason for the formation of NATO. While France is mentioned, it was not democratic
uprisings but communist political strength in France that served as a reason that NATO was formed.
The rest of the answers are paraphrases of the reasons listed in lines 21-38.
6. C Choice (A) is not true: While the U.S. no longer had a monopoly , the passage states that the U.S.
had a superiority of about 8 to 1. Choice (C) gives a paraphrase of this, and is the correct answer.
There is no evidence for (B), and (D) is too strong.
7. C Go back to the passage and use the context to come up with a word or phrase to replace superiority.
The sentence indicates the number of nuclear warheads the United States had in relation to the So¬
viet Union. Only (C) refers specifically to numbers, so it is the correct answer. Choices (A) and (B)
are alternate meanings of the word superiority, but do not work in context. Choice (D) is irrelevant
to the sentence.
8. A
Choice (B) is not true: there was no aggressive behavior, both were established in peacetime. Choice
(C) is incorrect because the Warsaw Pact was a Soviet alliance defense organization, and so commu¬
nist, not democratic. Choice (D) is out: there is no evidence for imperialism.
\
9. D in the last paragraph. Lines 54-57 describe a peacetime event, West
The Warsaw Pact is mentioned
German entrance into NATO, that was the immediate cause of the establishment of . . . the Warsaw
Pact, so (D) is the correct answer. While (A) and (C) mention the Soviet Union or its missiles, they
do not mention the Warsaw Pact. Choice (B) also does not mention the Warsaw Pact.
best paraphrased in (C). The other answers do not have the correct relationship to the ideas ex¬
pressed in the passage.
11. c
The question is rhetorical, and not meant to be answered, so eliminate (A). The purpose of a rhetori¬
cal question is to emphasize the speaker’s main point. The speech as a whole is an attempt to rally
followers to rebel against the people in charge. Just before the question, Catiline mentions how
those in the government have all the power, honor, and wealth, while the common people that he is
trying to gather to fight have only insidts, dangers, persecutions, and poverty. The question is supposed
to inspire the people to fight the unjust situation he described. This is best paraphrased in (C).
12. B
In the third paragraph, the speaker tells why he thinks they will succeed: his side is fresh and un¬
broken while the other side has a debility caused by age and wealth. This is paraphrased in (B). In
lines 18-19 the speaker mentions that success is in our own hands. Choices (A) and (C) are extreme.
Choice (D), kings, is mentioned in the passage, but not in relation to the success of Catiline and his
followers.
13. C The venerable body mentioned in line 40 are the senators in the senate that the speaker in Passage 2
describes as a place that Catiline has the freedom be in despite his personal beliefs and actions. The
clue looks and countenances, mentioned in the passage just before the quote in the question, helps
explain what is referred to. The look on a person’s face is a clue to their emotions, such as an angry
look or a pleased look. It turns out that the word countenance actually does have the meaning of
“face,” but look may be enough to identify that we are talking about emotion or expressions as in (C).
14. A
In lines 36-44 the orator lists the things that should be convincing Catiline that he is in the wrong
and has been defeated by those in charge of the city. This is best paraphrased in (A). There is no
evidence of isolation, for the orator to exploit in (B). In fact, later, the orator even mentions the
freedoms that Catiline is allowed. There are alarmed people mentioned in the passage but the mea¬
sures listed are not meant to alert them. The list is about things that should be making Catiline feel
remorseful for his actions, not to appeal to his national pride as in (D).
15. D The evidence for why the orator is against executing Catiline is in lines 49-53: The speaker states
that he will do that which is . . . more expedient for the state, which best matches (D). Choice (A)
is not true: the blurb mentions that Cicero had previously ordered executions. There is no evidence
that the reason involved the senators in (B), or angering the senate as in (C). Cicero is concerned
about the followers staying in town after Catiline died.
240 I 500+ Practice Questions for the New SAT
V
Catiline s execution. Choices (A) and (D) are in the wrong parts of the passage. In the sentence in
(B), the speaker says he will do that which is more expedient for the state, which directly supports (D)
in the previous question. In the sentence in (D), the speaker indicates what he wants Catiline to do,
16. B but not
The why.paragr
second aph of passage 2 is where the speaker discusses his reason
s for not calling for
17. D Go back to the passage and use the context to come up with a word to replace afford. In the pas¬
sage, the orator is implying that nothing could “give” Catiline any pleasure, because everyone in
the city hated him. Only (D) provide has a meaning close to give. Choice (A), purchase, is a word
that connects with a different meaning of afford and does not fit into the context of the sentence in
the passage.
18. A In lines 72—75, the orator points out the silence of the senators to show that they agree with him in
his condemnation of Catiline and his activities. The orator’s speech is pretty harsh on Catiline, so
the correct answer indicates that the senators feel negatively toward Catiline. Choice (A) is the best
match. Although (B) also mentions Catiline, the silence had nothing to do with their willingness to
execute him. There is no evidence for (C), and (D) is the opposite of what is presented in the passage.
19. B The orator in Passage 1 is pro-Catiline (he is Catiline) and would respond in way that agrees with the
main idea of Passage 1 . Passage 1 was about how the people were being unfairly treated by those in pow¬
er, and the people needed to rise up and claim their liberty and right to wealth and power. Violence is
advocated in Passage 1, so (A) is not true. Choice (B) invokes the unfairness (oppressiveness ) of
the situation and mentions the rights of citizens, so it is a good match. Choice (C) is out because
inevitably is too strong and impossible to demonstrate in the situation described. Choice (D) is the
opposite of what is expressed in Passage 1.
20. A See what you can eliminate. Only Passage 1 brings up the point in (B). Choice (C) is shown to be
untrue in the second paragraph of Passage 2, in which the freedoms that are allowed even to those
who express disagreement are mentioned. Choice (D) is not correct because it is impossible to say if
things will change drastically or if the current situation will simply be strengthened or stabilized.
describes George Washington’s position in relation to Americans’ rights. In the first sentence,
Washington is described as the founder of the American nation, so look for a word that means
something similar to founder. He was not the owner of anyone’s rights, so eliminate (A). Because
Americans did not have legal rights before the nation was established, Washington could not have
been the reformer of those rights, so eliminate (C). Although procreator is an alternate definition of
begetter, it is usually used in the context of having children. Procurer means a person who obtains
things. Washington helped obtain legal rights for Americans, so (D) is the correct answer.
241
Reading Answers and Explanations
22. B The sentence that begins with Later Americans describes them as people who enjoy their rights
but forget about the person (Washington) who established some of those rights. This is best para¬
phrased in (B). They tended to ignore Washington. There is no evidence in the passage for any of the
other answers.
23. D The debunkers are people who tried to find out improper things about the people we hold up as
examples of goodness in order to destroy or reduce them. This is expressed in (D), reducing to a less
than heroic status. Choice (A) is the opposite of what the debunkers are doing. Chocie (B) is not
negative enough to describe the debunkers’ activities. Choice (C) is incorrect because the focus is
not about Washington’s patriotism but his very character.
24. C The biographical ‘ debunkers are described as finding sin in the saint, or questioning a purely posi¬
tive view of an important figure. Choice (A) is incorrect because it describes the opposite viewpoint.
Choice (B) describes scholars whose attention strayed from Washington, but not the biographical
‘debunkers’ themselves. Choice (C) accurately describes what the ‘debunkers’ did, so it is the correct
answer. Choice (D) describes a reason they may have thought as they did, but not what they were
responsible for.
25. B In the paragraph that mentions the wildly supportive crowd the author describes their hysteria and
then asks How easily and with what frenzy could the emotion turn if the government did not please.
So he’s worried that the crowd could turn on him, and be the opposite of supportive if the govern¬
ment doesn’t do what the people want. Only (B) reflects this.
26. A Go back to the passage where insuperable diffidence is mentioned. This is the end of the paragraph
in which Washington is worrying about whether he’ll do a good enough job as president to keep
the people from turning on him. He’s worried he won’t measure up to his duties, so a good word
for the spot that insuperable diffidence is taking up is “insecurity.” In (A) lack of self confidence is a
good match for insecurity. There is no difference in belief mentioned in the paragraph. Eliminate
(C) and (D) because they are the opposite of what we’re looking for.
27. C The task is described in the passage as more uncertain and important than his Continental Army
command. He felt about the Continental Army role that there was no reason to doubt that success was
possible. Only (C) indicates that Washington was untried or uncertain about the first situation and
that the second was possible. Choice (A) is the opposite of what we’re looking for. Choice (B) is not
mentioned in the passage. Choice (D) is not true because the responsibility in both cases definitely
belonged to Washington.
28. C The pair of words that best describes Washington’s Continental Army duty and the presidency that
Washington is about to assume in the passage is (C), Unremarkable and momentous. The Army
duty described in lines 76-77 had been won ten thousand times, which supports unremarkable. The
author describes the presidency in line 83 as Washingtons present mission as something that might
change all history, which supports momentous. None of the other answers are supported by the
passage.
29. C
In Passage 2, the quote is mentioned as something that Washington will prove untrue if his presi¬
dency is a success. Choice (A) is unrelated to Washington proving anything. Choice (B) is out be¬
cause the passage mentions that the idea had been accepted by many of the greatest thinkers , not just
pessimistic ones. Choice (C) mentions that the quote would be disproved if he was successful , so it is
a very good match. There is no evidence that the quote was Washington’s credo as in (D): in fact, it
was something that he wanted to disprove.
30. A Choice (A) best describes the main difference between the passages. The most striking thing in the
second passage is that it tells about the beginning of the American presidency in a reflective way
from Washington’s view of the event, booking just at the descriptions of Passage 2 in the answers,
eliminate any that are not close to the main point of Passage 2. We can keep (A) for Washington’s
view of his place in history. In (B), perfect has no support from the passage. Choice (C) is incorrect
because Passage 2 is about worries at the time of becoming president, not military successes. Choice
(D) is wrong because there is no mention of academics changing their position in Passage 2. This
leaves only (A), and the first part of the answer, describes the myths, does actually reflect what is
happening in Passage 1.
31. D Both passages support the statement in (D): Passage 1 mentions that Washington was the one man
essential to the triumph. ..to the creation of America, and the success of the democratic revolution (lines
28—31). Passage 2 mentions that Washington’s present mission might change all history (line 83).
Choice (B) is extreme, and there is no support in the passage for any of the other answers.
Drill 2
1. A The term Anytown, U.S.A., implies that the conditions described could be found in practically any
town in the United States. Choice (A) captures exactly what the term implies, while (B) expresses
the opposite. For (C), while Anytown may be imaginary, this is not the author’s point. Choice (D)
is incorrect because the author does not discuss whether suburbs are common outside the United
States.
2. A
If we cross out the word we’re trying to understand, what word could we put in its place? The
sentence suggests that suburbs offer some good things, but also offer some bad things at the same
time. Thus, we’re looking for a word that means “also or at the same time.” Choice (A) means “at
the same time” — keep it! Choices (B), widespread, and (C), greedy, may describe suburbia, but they
don’t mean “also or at the same time,” so eliminate them. Choice (D) means “in a showy fash¬
3. A The author uses the phrase too much of a stretch (line 36) to show his or her belief that all modern
problems are not caused by suburbia. Choice (A) captures the meaning for which we are looking.
Choices
Choice (B) is wrong because nothing in this answer is reflected in the author’s statements.
lines was not mentioned before, so the
(C) and (D) are incorrect, since the list of problems on these
for a word that agrees with that idea. Narrow means the opposite of pervasive, so eliminate (A). Not
all social problems are physical, so eliminate (B). Pervasive means widespread, so (C) is correct.
5. B Choice (B), suburban conformity, is what Passage 1 is all about. Choices (A), (C), and (D) are men¬
tioned in the passage, but not as results of suburban sprawl.
6. B A homeowner spends money to limit property damage, just as the government spends money to
protect state land from the potential damage of suburban sprawl, so (B) is correct. A mother lion
protects her cub out of instinct; the New Jersey government is not acting on instinct, so eliminate
(A). The New Jersey government is trying to save something but not in the sense of putting money
in a safe place to earn interest that can be spent later; eliminate (C). The government’s action is not
like changing a lock; rather, it is like putting a lock on where none existed. Therefore, eliminate (D).
7. A Four of the answer choices are mentioned in the passage; we’re looking for the one that is not.
Choice (A) is wrong because, as line 64 shows, New Jersey residents voted for the measure in a
referendum; it was not implemented through executive order. Choice (B) is incorrect because the
pinelands are mentioned in line 76. Choice (C) is wrong since lines 76-77 states the anti-sprawl ef¬
fort has demonstrated that it is possible to control sprawl. We can eliminate (D) based on lines 78-80.
8. B The author of Passage 1 laments that suburban sprawl has robbed us of hundreds of years of origi¬
nal and beautiful home design (lines 22-23) and the author of Passage 2 must concede that sprawl
does detract from the beauty of the landscape (lines 50-51). Choice (B) best sums up these concerns.
Choice (A) is extreme — neither author argues that there’s no benefit whatsoever to suburban con¬
struction. The author of Passage 1 would disagree with (C), and the author of Passage 2 would
disagree with (D).
the histrionic (line 49), which means “excessively emotional or dramatic.” Choices (A), (B), and (C)
are not specifically mentioned in Passage 2, and don’t describe the criticism we’re looking for.
10. A The third paragraph of Passage 1 criticizes suburban sprawl. The sentence in (A) indicates the opin¬
ion of the author of Passage 2 towards critics of suburban growth: many of these complaints border
on the histrionic, which supports (D) in the previous question. None of the other choices refer to
11. C Passage 1 outlines, in vivid detail, the problem posed by suburban sprawl. Passage 2 describes how
New Jersey fought back. This is most like (C). Passage 1 doesn’t advocate specific changes, so strike
(A). While Passage 2 contradicts parts of Passage 1, it doesn’t debunk, or “expose the falseness or
ridiculousness of,” Passage 1, so eliminate (B). Choice (D) is wrong because it reverses the two ar¬
guments (Passage 1 is more theoretical while Passage 2 is more concrete and practical).
12. C
The process was one of collaboration, with different people bringing in ideas until the song is im¬
provised into being, although it was Ellington who headed the collective. Only (B) and (C) come close
to the description in the passage, and (B) can be ruled out because the members band were not
13. B
The working relationship between Ellington and his band members is described in the first para¬
graph. Choice (B) best describes how Ellington would decide what to use from an improvisation
session with the band when writing his compositions. Choice (A) describes how the composition
of a new song would begin, but does not fully describe the process. Choices (C) and (D) are in the
wrong part of the passage.
14. B
Go back to the passage and use the context to come up with a word to replace accenting. In the pas¬
sage, Ellington is “bringing out” the melodies of the piece from the background. This is closest to
(B), emphasizing. More to the point, there is no evidence for the rest of the answers in the passage.
15. D
The description in the fifth paragraph provides some of the ideas behind some of Ellington’s works.
This is best paraphrased in (D). The rest of the answers are not supported by the passage.
16. B
The paragraph describes the colors of the title in two ways, as the colors of people’s skin and not
only in color, but in his being as well, using color describing the state of the world as a metaphor. This
is reflected best in (B).
17. C Go back to the passage and use the context to come up with a phrase to replace larger forms. Larger
forms are introduced in the context of Ellington’s critics. Later in the fourth paragraph, Ellington’s
medleys — long series of his many successful tunes are mentioned as the thing that upset many of his more
sophisticated fans. Therefore, the larger forms are the same as the medleys, as in (C). A symphony orches¬
tra, as in (A), is never mentioned in the passage. Choice (B) describes large instruments, but not the
songs discussed in the passage. Choice (D) recycles some words from the fourth paragraph, but also
does not refer to the songs.
18. C
The author follows the description of the criticisms with a discussion about Ellington’s astonishing,
amiable naivete and gives examples of how Ellington failed to see that his choices were not sophisticat¬
ed. This sense of naivete is best captured in the innocence in (C). Choice (A) is not mentioned in the
correct part of the passage to answer this question. Choice (B) is the actual criticism, not the author’s
response to it.
19. A
Always go back to the passage: we need to find out how the attitude of the fans is described. The
fans were upset by Ellington’s use of medleys of his successful tunes. This is best summarized in (A).
There is no evidence for (B), (C) is extreme and attributes naivete to the wrong individuals, and (D)
is the attitude of the critics, not the fans.
20. A
Only (A ), famous paintings, is not mentioned in the passage. Choice (B) is in lines 53-57 (C) is in
lines 9-18, and (D) is in 59-62.
245
S’ Reading Answers and Explanations
✓
21. A Fletcher Henderson is mentioned as the person from whom Ellington rather directly got three of his
four styles. So Henderson was an inspiration or model for Ellington. This is best captured in (A),
influence on. Choice (B) reverses the relationship. It is clear that Henderson came first, so they were
not contemporaries as in (C). Choice (D) is not supported by the passage.
22. B While the passage mentions Ellington’s age at the time he wanted to become a painter, it does not
give the age at which he became a musical success: eliminate (A). The jungle style is mentioned, but
not described in detail: eliminate (C). The passage does not provide the title of Ellington’s best-
known composition; eliminate (D). Only the question in (B) could be answered by information in
the passage.
23. D Each sentence in the first paragraph refers to something about the new wealth of information avail¬
able. The first sentence mentions all the information we could ever need. The second mentions the
profusion of information. Although the author does go on to say that our approach to this infor¬
mation has changed, he does not speak of it disparagingly, as (A) and (C) suggest. And although
the author discusses distinctions between old and new methods of research, he doesn’t discuss
distinctions between old and new topics, which eliminates (B).
24. A The previous generations of scholars is described as slaving] away at libraries, pulling dusty books
from the shelves and hoping that those books could reveal all the world’s secrets. This information
is given in contrast to the first sentence of the first paragraph, which shows that now that informa¬
tion is all more readily available. The author does not indicate a preference in these lines for either
method, which eliminates (D). And while (B) may be true, the author does not state it, and it is not
his main point.
25. D The term information saturation refers back to all the information we could ever need and the
profusion of information mentioned in the previous paragraph. The term does not refer to a mode
of thinking, which eliminates (A). Nor does the author suggest that contemporary human beings
are unable to learn any new information, eliminating (C). The author writes only that there is too
much available information for any single human being to know, as in (D).
26. C The author continually refers to the new wealth of information as available (as in (C)), but he does
not indicate that we have a complete grasp or understanding of that information, which eliminates
(A) and (D).
which might lead one to pick (A) or (B). Instead, it asks from what this underst is a shift
andin g
away. Note the next line: where we once thought of the ‘heavens’ as the things that we could see in
the sky. In other words, the universe used to be knowabl
e because it was something we could see,
as in (D).
28. D The researchers and scholar mentioned in this part of the passage are given as examples of the older
mode of study. While they might be contrasted with newer scholars, they are not being contrasted
with newer researchers in these lines, eliminating (C). Choices (A) and (B) can be eliminated be¬
cause the author is either not warning against this mode of study or emphasizing its importance;
he is merely describing it. Only (D) can work because, while it is less specific than the others, it
does not contain any errors.
29. A Note the contrast between (A) and (B). These two answers have some similarities, but (B) is more
extreme and should therefore be eliminated. Choice (A) is supported in the transition between the
third and fourth paragraphs: A scholar like James Frazer, author of The Golden Bough (1890), could
be fairly certain that he was assembling all of the world’s myths and folklore in a single book. Now,
we know that Frazer’s project was a very limited one.
30. C Read the fourth paragraph carefully: Because we know how much information is out there, we
can’t possibly dream of trying to assemble it all into anything as manageable as a single book. We
instead generate theories to support our impossible positions. The author’s use of hyperbole here is
used to underline the extent to which contemporary researchers are overwhelmed or “inundated,”
as in (C), by the wealth of information available.
31. D In this part of the passage, the author discusses goods from different countries and then goes on
to say that ours is truly a world community, where the lines between nations have become blurred
and where people have more in common than ever before. As with all the information that is
constantly at our fingertips, so too is the world constantly at our fingertips. This agrees with (D).
Choice (A) is not supported by the passage. Choice (B) refers to consumerism as “excess,” a value
judgment that the author does not place on consumerism. Choice (C) refers to a preference for for¬
eign goods, where the author refers only to their availability.
32. D The mention of the “computer-savvy researcher” appears in the following line: “The computer-
savvy researcher of today, by contrast, can have that information instantaneously and can even
search within it for whatever bits of information seem relevant.” In other words, this researcher has
an abundance of information available to him at all times, as (D) suggests.
33. B The crucial line appears near the end of the final paragraph: “It is at the very least my hope — and
the hope, I suspect, of many others — that there must be some way between the two extremes.”
This “way” agrees with the “compromise” mentioned in (B). The author is dismissive of neither the
new nor the old modes of research, which eliminates (A) and (C). Choice (D) can be eliminated
because the differences between users is not discussed here.
247
Reading Answers and Explanations
1. A The full lines read as follows: In a span of only thirty years, the number of children who play musical
instruments has been cut in half The word “only” indicates the quickness with which this transfor¬
mation has occurred, lending support to (A). The author goes on to list the troubling aspects of
this trend, so none of the other choices work in this context.
2. B The author of Passage 1 discusses the survey in the first part of the second paragraph: Music in
Peril is not the collection of urban legends that most of its critics will accuse it of being. It is a set of data
collected from elementary and middle schools all over the country. With schools represented from each
of the 50 states, it accounts for all the great diversity in this country. From this statement, it can be
inferred that the author disapproves of urban legends and approves of data collected from all over
the country that accounts for all the great diversity in this country. The author is most concerned with
span and diversity, as (B) suggests. While (C) does partially describe Music in Peril's data, it does
not account for all the data, so it can be eliminated. Choice (D) addresses the issue of race, but not
3. B The author of Passage 2 does not dispute the methods employed by the statisticians described in
Passage 1. She instead thinks the criteria should be changed. As she writes in the last paragraph,
The survey can’t capture the fact that classical music is not the only place to find interesting, complex mu¬
sic anymore, except by the most conservative, crustiest definitions. In this sense, the author of Passage
2 would likely consider the diversity of the groups surveyed irrelevant because the survey is based
on faulty premises, as suggested in (B). The author of Passage 2 does not take issue with Passage l’s
data but more with its premises and conclusions.
musical proficiency is the result of many years of encouraging musical education, and not only for those
who eventually become musicians. Ours is a dire world indeed when not only have our musicians lost
the ability to play but also the broader populace has lost the discernment and ability to hear them. In
other words, musical education does not only affect schoolchildren but affects society as a whole,
as (D) paraphrases. While (B) may be implied in the passage, it is never directly stated, so this an¬
swer choice has to be eliminated.
5. A The author of Passage 2 refers to Passage l’s conclusions as apocalyptic and evidence that all the bad
things we suspect are worse than we even knew. Passage 2’s sarcastic, dismissive language suggests
that the author thinks Passage l’s conclusions are a bit dramatic, or overstated, as (A) suggests. Al¬
though she disagrees with these conclusions, she does not refer to the author of Passage 1 as dishon¬
est, merely misguided, eliminating (D).
negative trend, eliminating (B) and (C). Choice (A) describes a trend, but it is one that is simply
true. It does not contain within it the value judgment that (D) does. Only (D) remains, as exactly
the kind of apocalyptic survey she considers commonplace.
7. B The third paragraph of Passage 2 states the following: Music programs have been slashed at many
public schools, and less than half as many children today are learning instruments than were the genera¬
tions offorty or fifty years earlier. And this statistical certainty is not limited to the less fortunate areas
of the country. Words like many and limited refer to the range of the problem, as (B) suggests. The
author of Passage 2 does accuse Music in Peril of both conservatism and bias , but in these lines, she
is conceding that the study describes a wide-ranging trend, eliminating (C) and (D).
8. D The word landscape is used in the beginning of the fourth paragraph: The musical landscape is
changing, yes, but not in the distressing way that Music in Peril wants to suggest. The survey cant
capture the fact that classical music is not the only place to find interesting, complex music anymore. In
other words, the typical definition suggests that classical music is the only interesting, complex type
of music — a claim that the author disputes, lending support to (D). Choice (C) is correct to say
shifting, but the trend is not impossible to describe, as the author does try to describe it.
9. C Throughout the fourth paragraph, the author uses terms like most conservative , traditional, musical
categories that don’t apply anymore, institutions of old, and irrelevant. In other words, the categories
are still being used even though they have not changed to reflect current realities and are therefore
inflexible, as (C) suggests. Other terms may provide alternate meanings for the slangy word crusty,
but they do not apply here.
10. A The last sentence of Passage 2 says the following: All that is happening is that the institutions of old are
trying to hold on for dear life and actually belong in the same irrelevant pile as studies on the decline of
cursive or telephone conversations. The key word here is irrelevant, and the author of Passage 1 would
likely respond by noting the larger relevance of the project, as (A) does. There is no support in Pas¬
sage 1 for (B) and (C). Choice (D) may be true, but it would not respond to Passage 2’s criticism.
11. D
Compare the first sentences of both passages. Passage 1 states, Music in Peril confirms most of our
worst suspicions, suggesting a concerned or saddened tone. Passage 2 states, Music in Peril is hardly
surprising in our era of apocalyptic surveys, yet more evidence that all the bad things we suspect are
worse than we even knew, which is far more sarcastic and dismissive. Choice (A) is correct only for
Passage 1, and (C) is correct only for Passage 2. The only choice that correctly identifies the tone in
each of the passages is (D).
249
Reading Answers and Explanations
12. B Passage 2 is primarily a critique of the ideas in Passage 1, which eliminates (C) and (D). Passage 2
does not, however, provide new findings or new data, which eliminates (A). Only (B) remains, and
it correctly identifies Passage 2’s issue with the premises of Passage l’s argument, namely that clas¬
sical music is the main outlet for interesting, important music.
13. C The phrase to spin yarns appears in the first sentence, and it is reiterated in the later sentences in
the paragraph, which refer to some kind of narrative and our minds wanting stories. While (A), (B),
and (D) offer alternate meanings of the word yarns, only (C) works in this context.
14. D The metaphor of connecting dots appears in this context: We want any nearby dots to be connected.
Effect with no cause, correlation with no causation: we cant assimilate these ideas because they don’t
have that narrative structure. In other words, even if these dots aren’t connected, our minds want
them to be and thus connect them, as (D) suggests. Although the connections may not exist in the
real world, the passage does not imply that the details themselves do not exist, thus eliminating (B).
15. D The full sentence reads as follows: Our minds want stories, even if those stories need to be twisted and
mangled into existence. In other words, we can have a difficult time creating stories, but we have
the need nonetheless, as (D) suggests. The author does not reflect on whether this is a good or bad
trait, thus eliminating (A). The discussion of history does not come until later in the passage, thus
eliminating (B).
16. C The phrase appears in this context: Historians and onlookers alike have spent over a century debating
the causes, the effects, and the place of this event in the ongoing plot of American history. Neuroscientists
have referred to a “need for narrative. ” The passage as a whole is about narrative, and the word plot
relates to narratives, suggesting that the history of the American Civil War is another one of these
narratives, full of related events, as (C) indicates. Choice (B) cannot work because the plot referred
to here is not that of a mystery , nor are any historical mysteries discussed. The author does not refer
to this need for narrative as a special talent , thus eliminating (D).
17. D The first two paragraphs discuss the need for narrative in a general way, even citing the findings of
neuroscientists and the work of historians. The third and fourth paragraphs focus more specifically
on personality, which can be explained with a specific application of the general theory of the need
for narrative. Choice (D) best captures this transition. The latter half does discuss literary texts,
but not exclusively, and the first half is focused on much more than historical events, so (A) can be
eliminated. Choice (C) cannot work because the “need for narrative” is ultimately a psychological
concept that is discussed throughout the passage, and it is not critiqued.
19. D This shift away from religious certainty is discussed in these lines: In the early twentieth century, the
very notion of consistent stories broke down, and characters became less rigidly defined as a result.
Suddenly, amid a cultural shift away from religious certainty, one’s environment, one’s historical era,
one sfamily history could all come to bear on the maze of human personality. In other words, personal¬
ity had become a newly complex object with many things influencing it, as (D) suggests. Choice
(A) cannot work because understandings of personality have not been consistent throughout his¬
tory. Choice (C) does not work because there is no evidence in the passage that non-psychologists
critique the theories of psychologists.
20. B The word contain appears in this sentence: Psychologists began to spend entire careers studying human
personalities, but for all these changes, the goal was still the same: contain the human experience, find
the story that can encapsulate all of human complexity. Use the second part of the sentence as a clue.
The word contain must mean something like find the story that can encapsulate, and the closest ap¬
proximation from this list of answer choices is (B). The other choices offer synonyms for the word
contain, but they do not work in this particular context.
21. D The last sentence of a passage will typically offer some kind of summary of a passage, and this sen¬
tence does just that. The passage as a whole discusses the need for narrative in many aspects of life,
including how we understand ourselves. The last sentence asks, rhetorically, Because after all that
has come before us, and all that will come later, if we’re not part of the big story, what are we? Choice
(D) captures this basic idea well in suggesting that without the big story, our lives would be dif¬
ferent. Although the last sentence does look to the future a bit, it does not make any claims about
the stories that people in the future will tell themselves, thus eliminating (B). Also, while there are
some implied comparisons between the “narrative” of history and that of fiction, these compari¬
sons are not addressed in this final sentence, eliminating (C).
22. A Although the first few paragraphs detail Toomer’s importance during the Harlem Renaissance, the
end of the passage states that Toomer’s early literary output can be more thoroughly understood than
his later personal life. Choice (B) is disproven in the first paragraph, and (D) is disproven in the
fourth paragraph. Choice (C) is also slightly off: it cannot be said that Toomer’s essays were incon¬
sistent, only that there were so few of them.
24. D Because Braithwaite’s review of Cane is so glowing, his praise can be described as total or complete ,
as in (D). All other choices provide alternate meanings of the word “unreserved,’ but they do not
work in this context.
23. D The first paragraph states, Toomer gained huge accolades from the white literary world as well, and
well-known authors such as Sherwood Anderson and Waldo Frank considered him one of their own. In
this context, Sherwood Anderson and Waldo Frank are used as representatives of the white literary
world, lending support to (D). Choice (A) cannot work because there is no indication that Toomer
was courting this white readership, particularly not with any urgency.
26. D The sentence in question is the topic sentence of the second paragraph. It introduces the ideas that
are to come. The paragraph goes on to say that Toomer could incorporate influences from white as
well as black artists, and he melded them into a new, innovative style that mixed poetry, prose, jazz,
folklore, and spiritualism. As in (D), these are aspects of Toomer’s art that showed black and white
artists alike a new artistic freedom.
27. A The sentence that directly precedes “These scraps” is as follows: Toomer himself may not have thought
of these marriages as interracial: particularly by the 1940s, Toomer insisted that his race was American’
and by the end of his life, he may have even identified as a white man. The repetition of the word may
shows the author’s uncertainty as to Toomer’s exact attitudes. “These scraps” must then refer to the
scant biographical evidence that literary historians have in piecing together Toomer’s later life, as
suggested by (A).
28. A The fourth paragraph discusses the increase in race activism, though it says of Toomer, By then,
and until his death in 1967, Toomer was much more taken with local issues, and his main concern was
with his church, the Friend’s Society of Quakers, and the high school students whom he taught there. In
other words, Toomer was not as interested in race activism as were many of his African American
contemporaries. In this sense, his views were atypical, as suggested by (A). Choice (D) offers a
similar answer, but it is too extreme and is disproven by the quotation in the following paragraph.
It was not that he had no interest in contemporary race relations but more that his interest was dif¬
ferent.
29. C Pay careful attention to the sentence that contains the word in question: By then, and until his
death in 1967, Toomer was much more taken with local issues, and his main concern was with his
church, the Friend’s Society of Quakers, and the high school students whom he taught there. “Taken
with” in this context means “occupied with” or “interested in,” and as the sentence then states,
Toomer was much more interested in smaller, local problems than in national race problems.
30. B
The topic sentence of this paragraph reads as follows: If Toomer’s early literary output can be more
thoroughly understood than his later personal life, or his later racial identification, it can only be be¬
cause Toomer himself wanted it to be so. This sentence suggests that the paragraph itself will discuss
Toomer s own attitudes, eliminating (A). We learn in earlier paragraphs that Toomer did not have
a typical “commitment to racial equality,” eliminating (D), and he did not contradict himself in
public and private, eliminating (C). Only (B) reflects the actual content of the paragraph.
31. D As the quotation from Toomer demonstrates, he saw race as a more complex thing than mere
black and white. We can deduce, then, that he would’ve found the contemporary debates far too
simple, as (D) suggests. His own views were “racially complex,” but “black and white” refers to the
contemporary debates in which Toomer was not a participant, eliminating (C). We may consider
his views “socially progressive,” but the passage does not state that they are, so (B) must also be
eliminated.
32. B The sentence before the one cited in the question reads as follows: Because Toomer was such a truly
great artist, literary historians will always long for more information about his life. In other words, lit¬
erary historians would like more information about his life. Among the answer choices, (B) would
best supply this information.
33. D The full sentence in question reads as follows: We should be wary of the rigid categories that Toomer
fought against all his life, and if anything, perhaps Toomer’s refusal to fit into these categories can help us
to modify our own. This sentence is a reference to our own contemporary views on race, which, the
sentence suggests, Toomer might be able to help us modify, as paraphrased in (D). Although we may
consider his views more advanced, the passage does not refer to them in this way, eliminating (C).
Drill 4
i. c
The word “overflowing” suggests that there have been many Western projects to modernize the Mid¬
dle East. This is a fairly general statement, so the specifics in (A) and (B) cannot be supported.
Choice (D) does not address these Western projects at all, so it too can be eliminated.
2. A
The sentence in which Bill Clinton appears reads as follows: President Bill Clinton, for example, is
still praised for his role in Israeli-Palestinian talks, and a few sentences later, the author goes on to say,
This attitude toward non-Western regions, the belief that the West’s systems of government can help save
of
the people of the Middle East. . .. Therefore, it can be inferred that Bill Clinton is a representative
be
this attitude, as (A) suggests. The author goes on to criticize this attitude, so (B) and (D) can
eliminated. Choice (C) can also be eliminated because Clinton is the only example given.
those outside the West, as (D) indicates. The author goes on to suggest a need for more non-West-
ern perspectives, therefore eliminating (A) and (B). Choice (C) is too extreme in its use of the word
only, so it can be eliminated. Choice (D) remains as the correct answer.
4. C
The relevant lines state the following: The native peoples who are then forced to live under the new
government’s rule become extremely skeptical of it, as its supposed successes are measured by seemingly ir¬
relevant metrics. The key words here are extremely skeptical, which agree most closely with (C) and
disagrees with (D). The information in the passage is not specific enough to support (B). Choice
(A) is too extreme in its use of the word despise, so it can be eliminated.
5. C The relevant lines state the following: Many of the great ancient and historical societies come from
these regions, but since the seventeenth century, these regions have been considered almost universal¬
ly backward. In other words, these regions were once considered “great” but are now considered
“backward,” as (C) suggests. These lines do not address contemporary governments, which elimi¬
nates all other choices.
6. B This paragraph discusses the influence of George W. Bush and others, suggesting that this influ¬
ence has not been a good one, as (B) suggests. The lines do not contain specific support for the
other choices, so (A), (C), and (D) can be eliminated.
7. D Cross out the word in the context and replace it with your own: F<?r many Westerners, nationality
is a given and ultimately _ the more local identifications of town, city, or state.. A word like
supersedes or replaces would work here, in which case only (D) comes close. The other choices may
represent other meanings for the word trumps, but they do not work in this context.
8. A Cross out the word in the context and replace it with your own: The Western notions of nation-
above- all and religious coexistence can’t _ in this and other countries because the value sys¬
tems have developed so independently of these notions. Some word like apply or function would work
here, in which case only (A) comes close. The other choices may represent other meanings for the
word maintain , but they do not work in this context.
9. B This question asks for a statement that would refute the author’s claim in the lines, As in many
other parts of the world, “Iraqi freedom” was defined by someone other than the Iraqis themselves. Any
statement that would suggest that Iraqis or some other Middle Eastern group had a role in defining
their own government systems would refute this claim, so (B) provides the best refutation. Choices
(A), (C), and (D) all support the author’s central claim that the West has had a too-powerful influ¬
ence in the region.
and slight change of tone. It does not reflect the author’s broader point, however, which eliminates
(B) and (C). Finally, there is no evidence that the author is writing these lines in response to his
critics, which eliminates (A).
11. C The relevant sentence says the following: It still remains to be seen, however, whether this new multi¬
cultural stance is a genuine change or a simple repackaging of an old product. In this case, the simple
repackaging is contrasted with a genuine change. The author is therefore skeptical that this new ap¬
proach is a genuine change, as suggested in (C). The author does not hope for this simple repackaging,
eliminating (A) and (B). Choice (D) takes the word product too literally.
12. D The author argues throughout the passage that the influence of the West has been too strong in the
Middle East and that there needs to be more local influence in government policy. Choice (D) best
reflects this main idea. Choices (A) and (C) go against this goal. Choice (B) is also an example of a
Western ideal, so it too can be eliminated.
13. A Choice (B) is not indicated and is too extreme. There is no mention that Joyce’s critics were against
an autobiographical interpretation of his work, so eliminate (C). Joyce may have spoken through the
character of Dedalus, but it is too extreme to say this always occurred, so (D) is wrong.
14. C The author states towards the beginning of the passage that it is worth turning one’s attention to
events in Joyce’s life that may help the reader understand some of the sources of his creative inspiration,
but ends the passage by saying that reading his books solely through the biography. . . is fraught with
danger. Choice (C) best reflects this two-sided attitude towards the extent to which one can read
Ulysses as an autobiography. Choices (A) and (B) each only represents one aspect of the author’s
opinion. Choice (D) is too strong; since this passage is only about Joyce, we don’t know how the
author views Ulysses in relation to other books.
15. D The author believes that understanding Joyce’s biography may help the reader understand some of
the sources of his creative inspiration, but warns that reading Ulysses solely through the biography. . . is
fraught with danger. Choice (D) provides the best support for this double-sided attitude, as the
word solely in line 58 indicates that the biography is still useful to some degree. Choice (A) de¬
scribes Joyce in general, but not Ulysses in particular. Choices (B) and (C) each only support one
16. B Choice (B) is correct, as Joyce fled for reasons both personal and professional (line 22). Choice (A) is
reasons for his leav¬
wrong because while Joyce did find inspiration abroad, the passage offers other
Choice (B) is
ing. Choices (C) and (D) are wrong because they are not mentioned in the passage.
the best paraphrase of the two reasons.
255
Reading Answers and Explanations
fr
17. A Choice (A) is not mentioned. Eliminate (B) because Joyce wrote in a modernist, experimental nar¬
rative style. Choice (C) is incorrect because the passage tells us that Joyce is regarded as one of the
greatest writers ever. Eliminate (D) because Joyce lived between 1882 and 1941.
18. D A conundrum is a predicament or a puzzling statement. The word inaccessible in the first sentence
supports this idea. Choice (D), puzzle, is closest to this meaning.
19. A The author of the passage claims that the reader can understand a writer’s work by studying that
person’s biography. Then he or she describes elements from James Joyce’s life in Trieste that are
reflected in his writing. Lastly, the author moves from a discussion of Joyce’s work to pose a more
general question about how to interpret autobiographical elements in a writer’s work. This struc¬
ture most closely agrees with (A). Choice (B) is incorrect because three theories are not mentioned.
Choice (C) is wrong; the author doesn’t criticize other writers. Finally, eliminate (D), since the
author never says this.
20. B The word inadvertently means the author may misrepresent reality without meaning to do so.
Choice (A) is not mentioned. Both (C) and (D) are about readers, but the statement at issue is
about writers.
21. C Choice (C) may be one way to interpret Dedalus’s claim. Choice (A) is wrong because the author
states we can’t know for sure exactly what Joyce meant here, and we aren’t given any information
about Dedalus’s profession. For (B), even if Joyce used Dedalus to voice an opinion, nowhere does
it say that he had reason to fear making this claim. There is no evidence in the passage for (D).
22. B Joyce was not a sailor (the passage says he’s an author), so such a character would not be auto¬
biographical. Choices (A) and (C) are described in the passage as characteristics of Joyce’s life. As
for (D), Stephen Dedalus is described as Joyce’s literary alter ego (line 52), meaning the character
through whom Joyce speaks in this book.
23. B The primary purpose of a passage is what the author is trying to accomplish in his or her writing.
This is a fictional piece, written to tell a story and the focus from the very first sentence is about
how an individual with odd habits is always lost and late. Choice (A) does not mention how weird
some of William’s behavior is. Choice (B) is good because chronicles means to tell a story, and it
mentions idiosyncrasies of a salesman. Choice (C) does not mention any weirdness about the day or
the salesperson. The passage is not directed to William’s coworkers as in (D) — they’re fictional!
liam makes for a business trip. The passage indicate that he would verify that he had everyt
s hing he
needed for the day , and also that some of the items he felt he needed were perplexi
ng to his coworkers.
Choice (A) best describes these two ideas, that William paid a lot of attentio to his prepar
n ations
,
but that they were also a bit odd. Choice (B) is too strongly worded Choice (C) and (D) lack any
. s
sense of the strange nature of William’s behavior.
dressing in identical clothes every day indicates that they have been interested enough to discuss
his behavior and want to understand why he does things in his peculiar way. The coworkers seem
mildly curious, (A). The emotion in (B) coldly indifferent is not supported by the passage. There is
no evidence of the coworkers being condescending, (C). Choice (D) deeply intrigued is too strong
compared to the level of interest expressed in the passage.
26. B Choice (B) indicates that William’s coworkers found some things about him odd, which indicates
mild curiosity. Choices (A), (C), and (D) all describe William, without mentioning his coworkers.
27. C William’s answer is that he might need the tape recorder. There is no mention of knowledge of technol¬
ogy in (A). Choice (B) is incorrect because the passage states that there was no possible use for it in his
work. Bringing something that one might need is a way of being prepared, so hold on to (C) and check
the other two answers. There is no evidence that William feels the questions are rude as in (D).
28. D William’s preparations are painstaking: he checks and rechecks his possessions, his directions are
neatly written out, but it’s all for nothing. William has packed useless items, and he never gets
to use any of his meeting supplies because he doesn’t make it to the meeting; his neatly writ¬
ten directions get him lost. The useless energy put into preparations “all for nothing” situation is
best described by fruitless, (D), which means “useless or unproductive.” Choice (A), professional
is incorrect, because William’s coworkers wouldn’t think he was odd if he were acting profession¬
ally. While William does not pay attention on his way and gets lost, his preparations themselves
are not careless, (B). The preparations are not useful, (C), because William has unnecessary items
and doesn’t get where he plans to go. There is no evidence that William or anyone else thought his
29. B Go back to the passage and use the context to come up with a word to replace anxious. The sen¬
tence indicates that the possibility of someone riding in the car with William is a practical impos¬
sibility, and the phrase containing the word anxious agrees with the idea that no one would be in
the car with him. Look for a word that means something like excited. Choices (A), (C), and (D) are
all alternate meaning of the word anxious , but don’t work in this context. Choice (B) is the closest
to meaning excited, so it is the correct answer.
30. D Go back to the passage and use the context to come up with a word to replace command. The sen¬
tence in question describes William realize that he stopped following his direction, so look for a
word that means he lost track of the directions. Only (D), control, gives the appropriate meaning.
Choices (A) and (B) gives alternate definitions of command that do not work in context. Choice (C)
is a person who might hold command, but also does not work in context.
states that he doesn’t need maps because he has the directions written down. These directions end
up getting him lost, so it is further evidence that William has much to learn about navigation.
32. B
The blue necktie is still flying proudly despite William’s disastrous day and the poor state of the rest
of his clothes. Just as in a sentence completion, the word but indicates the opposite of what comes
before. In this case, the necktie is a positive symbol in contrast to the other aspects of Williams
behavior. Choice (C) is too literal: this isn’t about the variety of his wardrobe.
Drill 5
i. c Lasanky is used in the passage as an example of the new, post-World War II, type of printmaker,
who built their reputations as printmakers. Choices (B) and (D) both describe the older, pre-war
printmakers. Choice (A) is the opposite of how the new printmakers felt: It is the complex tech¬
niques of printmaking that entrance them. The idea of drawing a composition before going to the plate
or block of stone describes how the older printmakers worked, specifically in contrast to the newer
printmakers such as Lasanky, so (C) is the best answer.
2. A
Choice (A) describes how the older, pre-World War II printmakers worked, and is used specifically
as a contrast between them and the newer, post-war printmakers like Lasanky, so it provides the
best support for (C) above. Choice (B) describes the post-war printmakers, but is unrelated to any
answer choices for the above question. Choice (C) describes the pre-war printmakers, not Lasanky.
Choice (D) describes what some of Lasanky ’s students did, but is also not related to any answer
choices for the above question.
3. B The assertion is that Callot and Meryon made prints that. . . were meant to be printed in large numbers.
Eliminate (A): the term printmakers represents the “other side” in a distinction between Callot and
Meyron and those followers ofHayter. Choice (B) is correct because it addresses the large numbers of
prints. The complete satisfaction in (C) is extreme. Choice (D) is incorrect: a distinction is provided
in lines 8-14.
4. C
In the passage in lines 14-17, the printmakers are described as having found that creating in a print
medium is... totally satisfying. This is best paraphrased in (C), fulfilled. There is no evidence for the
other answers in the passage.
6. A The question asks what the second paragraph does to help the passage. The short paragraph
discusses that Before the war printmakers made only prints, and made lots of them. In the first
paragraphs, the point was made that there was a big change from prolific printmaking for mass
distribution to smaller runs of prints as art. The third paragraph discusses how the number of
people studying printmaking changed drastically because of programs for those who fought in
the war. We need an answer that mentions both war and that printmaking changed. Choice (A)
mentions both of these and seems reasonable, but take a quick look at the rest of the answers: (B)
is the opposite of what we are looking for. Callot and Mery on in (C) were only discussed in the first
paragraph. Choice (D) is not mentioned in the passage.
7. B Go back to the passage and use the context to come up with a word to replace adornment. In the
passage, adornment describes the use of artwork in schools and government buildings. While many
of the answers could refer to prints, in this case, these visual artworks are more for decoration than
just for enjoyment so (B) is closest.
8. B The passage states that the G.I. Bill gave veterans the opportunity to attend college (lines 39-40).
This is stated to be during a period of prosperity (line 36), so it meant that opportunity was that the
government paid the schools the money for the veterans’ education. Choice (B) is the best para¬
phrase of these elements. The opposite of (A) is true. The G.I. Bill was not just for lost veterans.
Choice (D) has the wrong chronology: students using the GI Bill directed money to institutions
that used the funds to expand.
9. C Go back to the passage and use the context to come up with a word to replace lost. In lines 40-41
of the passage, the “lost” are described as those that had little direction — they didn’t know what to
do with themselves. The word aimless in (C) describes this quality best. While lost can have the
meaning of some of the other words in the answers, these do not fit in the context of the passage.
atmosphere of art departments was appealing, and in lines 51-55, the expansion is described at two
levels: new and advanced programs for those with college degrees at institutions of higher learning,
and older, established schools for beginning students that were filled to capacity. This is all ad¬
dressed in the education experiences listed in (B). The membership of the army (A) is not a reason,
but the number of those using the G.I. Bill to obtain art education. Choice (C) is not mentioned,
and (D) does not refer to art at all.
11. A The best supported answer is (A). The effect of the proliferation is mentioned in lines (62-78) the
passage as causing an increase in the number of printmakers, which in turned caused more institu¬
tions whose. purpose was to exhibit and publish and sell prints. To fill all this demand, more organi¬
zations were created in order to encourage the creation of prints. There is no evidence for (B) or (D),
and (C) is extreme due to the use of all.
12. C The author of this passage shows an interest in informing readers about CMEs, but the author also
explains that scientists (and, implicitly, readers can do little to predict these storms or prevent the
damage they cause. Choice (A) is extreme: the author cites countermeasures in the final paragraph,
so there are some things that can be done to minimize impact. Choice (B) is also extreme: the au¬
thor has not provided evidence that identifies so precisely the time or effects of future CMEs. The
first half of (D) is reasonable, but the second half overstates the author’s view of how prepared our
society will be.
13. D The 1989 storm is described as a major CME. The author also states that since our society is in¬
creasingly dependent on technology, the potential havoc wrought by a major CME becomes even
more distressing. Choices (A), (B), and (C) are not supported by any information in the passage.
14. B In lines 15-16 of the passage, the author claims that the last recorded instance of a major CME
occurred in 1989. According to the graph, the biggest change in the Disturbance Storm Index oc¬
curred in 1989, when the line drops to its lowest point. This data supports the author’s claim. The
claims listed in (A), (C), and (D) are mentioned in the passage, but are not supported by the data
in the graph.
15. D The data points on the graph do not follow any discernably predictable pattern, and thus no trend
can be identified, (D).
16. A The researchers have scant information about the CMEs because there are few existing records.
Therefore, we’re looking for a word that means only a few, or not enough. Choice (A) is a good
match. Choices (B) and (C) are opposite (and distracting). Choice (D) simply doesn’t have the
nating on the sun can, in fact, have serious consequ on Earth, (B). The author cites geomag¬
en ces
netic storms as one such phenomen
on.
18. D The answer to the previous question, the author’s claim that certain events on the sun can have seri¬
ous consequences on Earth, is best supported by the example of the results of the 1989 geomagnetic
storm, which knocked out a power grid and thus deprived millions of people of electricity, (D).
19. A Compounded means increased or added to.” Scientists’ inability to determine the orientation of a
magnetic field more than 30 minutes before it reaches the atmosphere increases, or adds to, the diffi¬
culties of prediction. Choice (A) best expresses this problem. Choice (B) is close but not quite right.
The author already says that there is little time to predict CMEs, and just uses compounded by to
show that the situation is even worse than previously asserted. Choice (C) is incorrect because the
author does not try to disprove this idea. There is nothing in the passage to support (D).
cess of Elimination. The second-to-last paragraph discusses how rare CMEs are, and therefore,
how little data exists that would allow scientists to predict future occurrences. Ill is therefore true,
so eliminate (A) and (B). The same paragraph also mentions how little time there would be to react
to and study a CME, so I is true. This eliminates (D), leaving (C) as the only possible answer.
21. D Choice (D) accurately reflects both the author’s effort to inform and warn readers about CMEs
and the author’s explanation of the challenges researchers are facing. Choices (A) and (B) accu¬
rately describe only one part of the passage. Choice (C) is wrong because most of the passage is not
persuasive in style.
22. D There is evidence for three of the choices in the passage: (A), lines 13-15, Our sun would have to be
only a few miles in diameter to become a black hole. It isn’t, therefore it won’t become a black hole;
(B), lines 20-21; and (C), lines 15-16. Choice (D) is correct because it is the only one NOT in the
20
C answer Indeed,
To passage.
. the opposite of this is true: the sun would have to be heavier to have enough grav¬
this question, we must det
ermine the
ity to pull it down into a black hole, suggesting trut
thath its
of gravitational
the given statem
pull andenough
entiss not to make a
rely upo n Pro¬
black hole.
23. A Try replacing the word exhausts with what would make sense in the sentence. A good phrase to re¬
place exhausts is “uses all.” Choice (A), “uses up,” comes closest to this meaning. None of the other
answer choices comes close. Choice (B) means “to spend or use up senselessly. Choice (C) means
“to tire or make weary.” Choice (D) means “to give off or send out.
24. C Choice (A) is mentioned in the passage, but is not the reason that the author mentions the Crab
Nebula. Choice (B), prove , is extreme (and not the focus). There is no evidence for (D) in the pas¬
sage. The author mentions the Crab Nebula in conjunction with the neutron star (lines 26-31).
25. B There is no evidence for any of the answer choices in the passage except (B). Choice (B) is correct
black holes have
because of evidence in the last paragraph of the passage. Lines 38-39 state that
enough gravity to make x-rays come out.
261
Reading Answers and Explanations
26. D The answer to the previous question, that the best way to find a black hole is to look for evidence of
x-ray emissions, is best supported by the information In the final paragraph; in particular, in lines
38-39 the author states that a black hole has strong enough gravity to make x-rays come out , (D). This
statement indicates that while black holes are nearly impossible to detect, the best way to do so is
to look for x-rays.
27. A Choices (B) and (C) are mentioned in the passage, but are both too narrow to accurately reflect
the main idea of the whole passage. Choice (D) contradicts the passage; the mini black holes have
not been observed. Choice (A) is correct because Passage 2 is primarily about the theory that mini
black holes exist.
28. A The clue to the meaning of elementary particles, neutrinos, refers to the smallest, or most basic (A)
units that make up neutrons, protons, and electrons. Choices (B), (C), and (D) can thus be elimi¬
nated. (Think elementary school, which is basic compared to high school or college).
29. C Choices (A), (B), and (D) take bits and pieces from the passage, so they all “sound’' pretty good.
However, we ’re asked to select what can be inferred-, that is, what do we know for a fact passed on
the passage? Choice (C) is correct because the passage states in lines 35-56 that the amount of radia¬
tion increases sharply as we consider less and less massive black holes. This is an inverse relationship,
since the more radiation, the smaller the size.
30. B Choice (B) is correct because the paragraph describes the experience you would have on the edge of
a black hole, incorporating such mundane details as checking the time. Choice (A) is too strong —
scientific proof takes more than an analogy. There is no evidence of warning, as in (C). Choice (D)
is insulting to the author, and thus cannot be correct.
31. D Lines 3-4 of Passage 1 state that mass in a small enough package is a black hole, and go on to discuss
why our sun is not likely to become a black hole because of its density. The second paragraph of
Passage 2 also discusses mass and density. There is no evidence in either passage that (A), (B), or
(C) are factors enabling us to identify a star that is capable of becoming a black hole. Choice (D)
matches the statements noted.
doesn’t come out. There is no evidence for (A) in the passage. Choice (B) and (D) are cont
s radicted
by information in the passage. Choice (C), Hawking’s theory of mini black holes, does the most to
dispute the statement.
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