Question ID 8b46bb51

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 8b46bb51
A journalist and well-respected art critic of nineteenth-century Britain, Lady Elizabeth Rigby Eastlake did not hesitate to publish reviews that went against popular opinion. One
of her most divisive works was an essay questioning the idea of photography as an emerging medium for fine art: in the essay, Eastlake ______ that the value of photographs
was informational rather than creative.

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

A. exposed

B. asserted

C. discovered

D. doubted

ID: 8b46bb51 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. "Asserted" means "stated confidently." Eastlake "did not hesitate to publish reviews going against popular opinion," so we can assume that she
was confident in sharing her opinions.

Choice A is incorrect. "Exposed" means "made visible by uncovering" and, when talking about ideas, tends to be used in relation to uncovering the truth. Eastlake was sharing
an opinion, not uncovering a truth. Choice C is incorrect. "Discovered" means "found," but Eastlake was writing an opinion essay. She was writing her own opinion, not
"discovering" a new universal truth. Choice D is incorrect. "Doubted" means "didn’t believe in." We’re told that Eastlake "questioned" the idea that photography could be fine art.
Placing "doubted" in the blank would actually suggest that Eastlake argued that photos were valuable for creativity and not for information, which is the opposite of what we
were told she believes.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 2b085bc6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 2b085bc6
The following text is adapted from Paul Laurence Dunbar’s 1902 novel The Sport of the Gods. Joe and some of his family members have recently moved to New York City.

[Joe] was wild with enthusiasm and with a desire to be a part of all that the metropolis meant. In the evening he saw the young fellows passing by dressed in their spruce
clothes, and he wondered with a sort of envy where they could be going. Back home there had been no place much worth going to, except church and one or two people’s
houses.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. It illustrates a character’s reaction to a new environment.

B. It explains why a character has traveled to a city.

C. It compares a character’s thoughts about an event at two different times of day.

D. It presents a character feeling regret over leaving home.

ID: 2b085bc6 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The narrator describes how Joe responds to being in “the metropolis”: he’s
excited and “wild with enthusiasm.” He also envies the young fellows who walk by because, dressed as they are, they look as if they have somewhere special to go. The text
contrasts this new place with the place Joe comes from, where apparently there wasn’t as much to do. Thus, the main purpose of the text is to illustrate Joe’s reaction to a
new environment.

Choice B is incorrect because the text makes no reference to why Joe has moved. The narrator indicates that Joe is enthusiastic about being in a city, but there’s no
explanation provided for the move. Choice C is incorrect because the text makes no reference to how Joe thinks about an event. The narrator describes young men passing by
in the evening and then recalls places worth going to at home—church and a few people’s houses—but there’s no explicit comparison made nor is a time of day mentioned for
these events back home. Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t support the idea that Joe feels regret over leaving home. Instead, Joe is described as “wild with
enthusiasm” at being in the city. Joe’s home is mentioned, but only to compare it unfavorably with the city.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 8963273a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 8963273a
Musician Joni Mitchell, who is also a painter, uses images she creates for her album covers to emphasize ideas expressed in her music. For the cover of her album Turbulent
Indigo (1994), Mitchell painted a striking self-portrait that closely resembles Vincent van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear (1889). The image calls attention to the
album’s title song, in which Mitchell sings about the legacy of the postimpressionist painter. In that song, Mitchell also hints that she feels a strong artistic connection to Van
Gogh—an idea that is reinforced by her imagery on the cover.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. It presents a claim about Mitchell, then gives an example supporting that claim.

B. It discusses Van Gogh’s influence on Mitchell, then considers Mitchell’s influence on other artists.

C. It describes a similarity between two artists, then notes a difference between them.

D. It describes the songs on Turbulent Indigo, then explains how they relate to the album’s cover.

ID: 8963273a Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it accurately describes the organization of the elements within the text. The text begins with the claim that Joni Mitchell’s album covers
use images she creates in order to emphasize ideas embedded in her albums. It then goes on to provide an example of how Mitchell’s self-portrait on the cover of Turbulent
Indigo resembles a painting by Van Gogh, which the text indicates helps emphasize the strong connection Mitchell feels toward Van Gogh, a connection that is also expressed
in the album’s title song.

Choice B is incorrect because there are no references in the text to artists other than Joni Mitchell and Van Gogh. Choice C is incorrect because there is nothing in the text that
calls attention to any similarities or differences between Joni Mitchell and Van Gogh. Instead, it mentions that Mitchell feels a strong “artistic connection” to Van Gogh. Choice
D is incorrect because the text discusses the cover before referring to any songs, and it only references one song from the album not all the songs.
Question Difficulty: Medium
Question ID c4900368
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: c4900368
The following text is from the 1924 poem “Cycle” by D’Arcy McNickle, who was a citizen of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
There shall be new roads wending,
A new beating of the drum—
Men’s eyes shall have fresh seeing,
Grey lives reprise their span—
But under the new sun’s being,
Completing what night began,
There’ll be the same backs bending,
The same sad feet shall drum—
When this night finds its ending
And day shall have come.....

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To consider how the repetitiveness inherent in human life can be both rewarding and challenging

B. To question whether activities completed at one time of day are more memorable than those completed at another time of day

C. To refute the idea that joy is a more commonly experienced emotion than sadness is

D. To demonstrate how the experiences of individuals relate to the experiences of their communities

ID: c4900368 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it accurately states the main purpose of the text. The text begins by discussing the promise of the future, with positive references to
renewal such as “new roads,” “new beating of the drum,” and “fresh seeing.” But with the “new sun,” the text continues, there will still be “the same backs bending” and “the
same sad feet” drumming, indicating that these difficulties will follow people into this new day. The poem thus considers both the rewards and challenges associated with the
repetitiveness of human life.

Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t say anything about how memorable activities are, let alone compare the memorability of activities completed at different times
of the day. Choice C is incorrect. Although the text contrasts hope with difficulty, it does not compare the relative frequency of joyful feelings with that of sad feelings. Choice
D is incorrect because the text makes no distinction between the experiences of individuals and the experiences of their communities.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 74446089
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 74446089
For his 1986 album Keyboard Fantasies, Beverly Glenn-Copeland wrote songs grounded in traditional soul and folk music, then accompanied them with futuristic synthesizer
arrangements featuring ambient sounds and complex rhythms. The result was so strange, so unprecedented, that the album attracted little attention when first released. In
recent years, however, a younger generation of musicians has embraced the stylistic experimentation of Keyboard Fantasies. Alternative R&B musicians Blood Orange and
Moses Sumney, among other contemporary recording artists, cite the album as an influence.

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

A. It urges contemporary musicians to adopt the unique sound of Keyboard Fantasies.

B. It responds to criticism of Keyboard Fantasies by some younger musicians.

C. It offers examples of younger musicians whose work has been impacted by Keyboard Fantasies.

D. It contrasts Keyboard Fantasies with the recordings of two younger musicians.

ID: 74446089 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole. The text’s subject is Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s
1986 album Keyboard Fantasies, notable for its innovative, experimental arrangements. According to the text, the album was not initially admired, but in recent years it has
become popular among younger musicians. The underlined portion of the text mentions two of those musicians, Blood Orange and Moses Sumney, who “cite the album as an
influence.” Therefore, the underlined portion of the text offers examples of younger musicians whose work has been impacted by Keyboard Fantasies.

Choice A is incorrect because even though the underlined sentence states that Blood Orange and Moses Sumney were influenced by Keyboard Fantasies, it doesn’t say that all
other musicians should also embrace the album’s experimental style. Choice B is incorrect. Although the text states that Keyboard Fantasies was not admired on its first
release, the text doesn’t present any criticism of the album by younger musicians: it only presents two younger musicians who cite it as an influence. Choice D is incorrect
because the underlined sentence doesn’t mention any differences between Keyboard Fantasies and the work of Blood Orange and Moses Sumney.
Question Difficulty: Medium
Question ID d3ca5d59
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: d3ca5d59
Stephen Hannock’s luminous landscape paintings are appealing to viewers but have elicited little commentary from contemporary critics, a phenomenon that may be due to
the very fact that the paintings seem so ______. Many critics focus their attention on art that is cryptic or overtly challenging.

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

A. innovative

B. subversive

C. profound

D. accessible

ID: d3ca5d59 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. When talking about a thing, “accessible” means “easy to understand.” This sets up the contrast in the next sentence, which tells us that critics
mostly focus on art that is “cryptic or challenging” (meaning not easy to understand).

Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. The next sentence tells us that critics focus on art that is mysterious and challenging. If Hannock’s paintings are
“innovative” (meaning advanced and original), then critics probably would comment on them. Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. The next sentence tells
us that critics focus on art that is mysterious and challenging. If Hannock’s paintings are “subversive” (meaning disruptive and revolutionary), then critics probably would
comment on them. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. The next sentence tells us that critics focus on art that is mysterious and challenging. If
Hannock’s paintings are “profound” (meaning very deep and insightful), then critics probably would comment on them.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID c5b1afe5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: c5b1afe5
Bicycle sharing systems allow users to rent a bicycle at one location within a city and return it to any other designated location in that city, which can cause serious problems
of bicycle supply and user demand within the city’s system. Tohru Ikeguchi uses open-source data and statistical modeling to identify when a high number of users making
one-way trips is likely to leave some locations within the system ______ bicycles and other areas with insufficient supply.

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

A. susceptible to

B. contingent on

C. saturated with

D. depleted of

ID: c5b1afe5 Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Ikeguchi’s model of bicycle supply. In this context, “saturated with” means thoroughly
or completely supplied with. The text explains a problem encountered by some bicycle-sharing programs: users can return bicycles to different locations than where the users
picked up the bicycles to start, which can result in a mismatch between bicycle supply (that is, where the bicycles are currently located) and user demand (that is, the
locations where users are hoping to pick up bicycles). The text goes on to explain that Ikeguchi developed a way to identify when this mismatch is likely to occur. This context
suggests that Ikeguchi’s method will show when it is likely that some locations have an insufficient supply and other locations, by implicit contrast, are saturated with
bicycles.

Choice A is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that some locations are “susceptible to,” or sensitive to or easily influenced by, bicycles. The text describes the
phenomenon of bicycles being redistributed away from locations where users want them, not anything about those locations being influenced by the bicycles. Choice B is
incorrect because the text describes situations in which some locations have an insufficient supply of bicycles because the bicycles have been relocated elsewhere, which
suggests that the other locations have many bicycles, not that the other locations are “contingent on,” or dependent on, the bicycles. Nothing in the text suggests that the
locations themselves depend on the bicycles for anything. Choice D is incorrect because it would not make sense in context to say that some locations are “depleted of,” or
empty of, bicycles while others have an insufficient supply. The text describes situations in which bicycles have been relocated such that there is a mismatch between bicycle
supply and user demand—the bicycles are no longer at the locations where users want to pick them up. This means that some locations do not have enough bicycles, while
other locations must have many bicycles, not be depleted of bicycles.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 81a3a607
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 81a3a607
In the Indigenous intercropping system known as the Three Sisters, maize, squash, and beans form an ______ web of relations: maize provides the structure on which the bean
vines grow; the squash vines cover the soil, discouraging competition from weeds; and the beans aid their two “sisters” by enriching the soil with essential nitrogen.

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

A. indecipherable

B. ornamental

C. obscure

D. intricate

ID: 81a3a607 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the Three Sisters intercropping system. As used in this context, “intricate” would
mean made up of complexly related elements. The text indicates that in the Three Sisters system, maize, squash, and beans form a “web of relations” in which the crops
interact in various ways. The text’s description of these interactions—the bean vines growing on the maize stalks, the squash vines keeping weeds away, and the beans adding
nutrients that the maize and squash use—provides context suggesting that this “web of relations” is intricate.

Choice A is incorrect because describing the relationship among the crops in the Three Sisters system as “indecipherable,” or impossible to comprehend, would not make
sense in context. Although the text presents the relationship as complex, the text’s description of the role that each crop plays makes it clear that the relationship is well
understood, not indecipherable. Choice B is incorrect because the text discusses the practical benefits that each plant in the Three Sisters system provides to other members
of the system, showing that the relationship among the crops that make up the system is not “ornamental,” or mainly serving a decorative purpose. Choice C is incorrect
because describing the relationship among the crops in the Three Sisters system as “obscure,” or unknown or poorly understood, would not make sense in context. Although
the text presents the relationship as complex, the text’s description of the role that each crop plays makes it clear that the relationship is well understood, not obscure.
Question Difficulty: Medium
Question ID f2c48e47
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: f2c48e47
The following text is from Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s 1910 poem “The Earth’s Entail.” No matter how we cultivate the land, Taming the forest and the prairie free;
No matter how we irrigate the sand, Making the desert blossom at command, We must always leave the borders of the sea; The immeasureable reaches
Of the windy wave-wet beaches, The million-mile-long margin of the sea.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. The speaker argues against interfering with nature and then gives evidence supporting this interference.

B. The speaker presents an account of efforts to dominate nature and then cautions that such efforts are only temporary.

C. The speaker provides examples of an admirable way of approaching nature and then challenges that approach.

D. The speaker describes attempts to control nature and then offers a reminder that not all nature is controllable.

ID: f2c48e47 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. This best describes the overall structure of the text. In the first half of the text, the speaker describes our attempts to control nature: cultivating,
taming, and irrigating different kinds of land. In the second half, the speaker states that we can never tame the sea or the beach.

Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t describe the overall structure of the text. The speaker never argues that we should not interfere with nature. Rather, the speaker says that
we are able to tame many different kinds of land, but we are unable to tame the sea or beaches. Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t describe the overall structure of the text.
The speaker never describes our cultivation, taming, and irrigation of land as “temporary.” Rather, the speaker says that we are able to tame many different kinds of land, but
we are unable to tame the sea or beaches. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t describe the overall structure of the text. The speaker never describes our cultivation, taming,
and irrigation of land as an “admirable” approach to nature.” Rather, the speaker says that we are able to tame many different kinds of land, but we are unable to tame the sea
or beaches.
Question Difficulty: Medium
Question ID f1c9d2c1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: f1c9d2c1
Text 1
Stage lighting theorist Adolphe Appia was perhaps the first to argue that light must be considered alongside all the various elements of a stage to create a single, unified
performance. Researcher Kelly Bremner, however, has noted that Appia lacked technical expertise in the use of light in the theater. As a result of Appia’s inexperience, Bremner
argues, Appia’s theory of light called for lighting practices that weren’t possible until after the advent of electricity around 1881.
Text 2
Adolphe Appia was not an amateur in the practice of lighting. Instead, it is precisely his exposure to lighting techniques at the time that contributed to his theory on the
importance of light. When working as an apprentice for a lighting specialist in his youth, Appia observed the use of portable lighting devices that could be operated by hand.
This experience developed his understanding of what was possible in the coordination of elements on the stage.

Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the claim about Appia’s level of technical expertise made by Bremner in Text 1?

A. Many lighting technicians dismissed Appia’s ideas about light on the stage.

B. Appia likely gained a level of technical expertise during his time as an apprentice.

C. Theater practitioners who worked with Appia greatly admired his work.

D. Appia was unfamiliar with the use of music and sound in theater.

ID: f1c9d2c1 Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The author of Text 2 directly contradicts Bremner’s claim that Appia lacked technical expertise by stating that Appia was “not an amateur in the
practice of lighting.” His experience as a lighting specialist’s apprentice would have, the author of Text 2 argues, allowed Appia to “[develop] his understanding of what was
possible” with the elements of theatrical design.

Choice A is incorrect. Neither text describes how other lighting technicians responded to Appia’s ideas. Furthermore, this claim isn’t relevant to Bremner’s evaluation of Appia’s
technical expertise. Choice C is incorrect. Neither text mentions anything about the opinions of theater practitioners who worked with Appia, so this answer choice does not
relate to the claim about Appia’s level of technical expertise made by Bremner in Text 1. Choice D is incorrect. Neither text mentions anything about Appia’s familiarity with or
ignorance of the use of music and sound in theater. Both focus on his expertise (or lack thereof) in lighting.

Question Difficulty: Medium