Question ID ed314256

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: ed314256 3.1

The most recent iteration of the immersive theater experience Sleep No More, which premiered in New York City
in 2011, transforms its performance space—a five-story warehouse—into a 1930s-era hotel. Audience members,
who wander through the labyrinthine venue at their own pace and follow the actors as they play out simultaneous,
interweaving narrative loops, confront the impossibility of experiencing the production in its entirety. The play’s
refusal of narrative coherence thus hinges on the sense of spatial fragmentation that the venue’s immense and
intricate layout generates.
What does the text most strongly suggest about Sleep No More’s use of its performance space?
A. The choice of a New York City venue likely enabled the play’s creators to experiment with the use of theatrical
space in a way that venues from earlier productions could not.
B. Audience members likely find the experience of the play disappointing because they generally cannot make
their way through the entire venue.
C. The production’s dependence on a particular performance environment would likely make it difficult to
reproduce exactly in a different theatrical space.
D. Audience members who navigate the space according to a recommended itinerary will likely have a better
grasp of the play’s narrative than audience members who depart from that itinerary.

ID: ed314256 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The text says that the production’s use of its large, winding space has a very
specific effect on the audience. Given that the space itself is so important to creating this effect, it would be
difficult to reproduce the production in a different space.

Choice A is incorrect. The fact that the venue is in New York City isn’t connected to the experimental nature of
the performance. It’s the size of the venue, not its location in New York, that affects the theatrical experience.
Choice B is incorrect. The text never suggests that audience members are disappointed because they can’t see
the entire production. In fact, it suggests that that’s an important part of the experience. Choice D is incorrect.
The text doesn’t mention a recommended itinerary for audience members.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1a2b29c9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 1a2b29c9 3.2

The following text is adapted from María Cristina Mena’s 1914 short story “The Vine-Leaf.”
It is a saying in the capital of Mexico that Dr. Malsufrido carries more family secrets under his hat than any
archbishop.
The doctor’s hat is, appropriately enough, uncommonly capacious, rising very high, and sinking so low that it
seems to be supported by his ears and eyebrows, and it has a furry look, as if it had been brushed the wrong
way, which is perhaps what happens to it if it is ever brushed at all. When the doctor takes it off, the family
secrets do not fly out like a flock of parrots, but remain nicely bottled up beneath a dome of old and highly
polished ivory.
Based on the text, how do people in the capital of Mexico most likely regard Dr. Malsufrido?
A. Many have come to tolerate him despite his disheveled appearance.
B. Few feel concerned that he will divulge their confidences.
C. Some dislike how freely he discusses his own family.
D. Most would be unimpressed by him were it not for his professional expertise.

ID: 1a2b29c9 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The text describes a saying in the capital that Malsufrido keeps more secrets than
an archbishop. It also says that when he takes off his hat, “the family secrets do not fly out… but remain nicely
bottled up,” suggesting that he will not betray his confidences.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice doesn’t reflect the text. While his hat is large and appears to have been
brushed in the wrong direction, Dr. Malsufrido does not seem to be regarded as ill-dressed or disheveled.
Choice C is incorrect. This choice is the opposite of what the text says. The secrets of families (his and others’)
remain “bottled up” in his head. Choice D is incorrect. This choice isn’t supported by the text. His professional
expertise is not discussed in the passage.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2fdfe002
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 2fdfe002 3.3

The following text is adapted from Countee Cullen’s 1926 poem “Thoughts in a Zoo.”
They in their cruel traps, and we in ours,
Survey each other’s rage, and pass the hours
Commiserating each the other’s woe,
To mitigate his own pain’s fiery glow.
Man could but little proffer in exchange
Save that his cages have a larger range.
That lion with his lordly, untamed heart
Has in some man his human counterpart,
Some lofty soul in dreams and visions wrapped,
But in the stifling flesh securely trapped.
Based on the text, what challenge do humans sometimes experience?
A. They cannot effectively tame certain wild animals because of a lack of compassion.
B. They cannot focus on setting attainable goals because of a lack of motivation.
C. They quickly become frustrated when faced with difficult tasks because of a lack of self-control.
D. They have aspirations that cannot be fulfilled because of certain limitations.

ID: 2fdfe002 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The text metaphorically likens humans to animals in a zoo, suggesting that
humans have dreams that they cannot fulfill because they are trapped.

Choice A is incorrect. The speaker says that the lion has an “untamed heart,” but the speaker doesn’t actually
mention anything about humans taming wild animals or a lack of compassion. Choice B is incorrect. The
speaker doesn’t suggest that humans lack motivation. Rather, the speaker thinks that humans are “trapped”
and prevented from achieving their dreams. Choice C is incorrect. The speaker doesn’t mention anything
about humans becoming frustrated or lacking self-control. Rather, the speaker thinks that humans are
“trapped” and prevented from achieving their dreams.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 96802cc0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 96802cc0 3.4

For centuries, the widespread acknowledgment of the involvement of the cerebellum—a dense brain structure in
vertebrates—in coordinating motor control in humans has hindered recognition of other possible functions of the
structure. Neuroscience research from the last two decades now suggests that the cerebellum regulates emotion
and social behavior, and recent research by Ilaria Carta and colleagues has identified a pathway connecting the
cerebellum to a center for motivation and reward processing known as the ventral tegmental area (VTA).
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. The recent verification of a pathway between the VTA and the cerebellum confirms the cerebellum’s long-
suspected role in motor coordination.
B. Recent advances in the field of neuroscience have challenged widely accepted claims about the function of a
pathway connecting the VTA and the cerebellum.
C. The cerebellum has primarily been thought to regulate motor functioning, but in recent years neuroscience
researchers have been uncovering additional functions.
D. Technological limitations have historically hindered the study of the cerebellum, but the recent development of
new technologies has led to greater insights into its functions.

ID: 96802cc0 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The text says that the cerebellum has long been thought to regulate motor
functioning, but new research shows that it may also have other functions—including regulating emotion and
social behavior and some connection to motivation and rewards processing.

Choice A is incorrect. The VTA is described as “a center for motivation and reward processing,” and the
discovery of the pathway between the VTA and the cerebellum supports the theory that the cerebellum is
involved in functions other than motor coordination. Choice B is incorrect. The text says that recent research
has identified this pathway, but it doesn’t discuss any previous “widely accepted claims” about the pathway’s
function. The “widespread acknowledgement” mentioned early in the passage is about the cerebellum alone,
not its connection to the VTA. Choice D is incorrect. The text never discusses any technological limitations or
any new technologies.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID d0fbf1ae
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: d0fbf1ae 3.5

Algae living within the tissues of corals play a critical role in keeping corals, and the marine ecosystems they are
part of, thriving. Some coral species appear brown in color when healthy due to the algae colonies living in their
tissues. In the event of an environmental stressor, the algae can die or be expelled, causing the corals to appear
white. To recover the algae, the bleached corals then begin to produce bright colors, which block intense sunlight,
encouraging the light-sensitive algae to recolonize the corals.
What does the text most strongly suggest about corals that produce bright colors?
A. These corals have likely been subjected to stressful environmental conditions.
B. These corals are likely more vulnerable to exposure from intense sunlight than white corals are.
C. These corals have likely recovered from an environmental event without the assistance of algae colonies.
D. These corals are more likely to survive without algae colonies than brown corals are.

ID: d0fbf1ae Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The text says that corals produce bright colors to block sunlight and encourage
algae to recolonize after “an environmental stressor.” From this, we can infer that corals that produce bright
colors have probably been subjected to an environmental stressor.

Choice B is incorrect. The text says that corals produce bright colors to block intense sunlight, which protects
the light-sensitive algae that keep the coral healthy. In other words, bright colors make the coral’s health less
vulnerable to intense sunlight. Choice C is incorrect. The text says that corals produce bright colors to
encourage algae to recolonize, not that they have recovered without the assistance of algae colonies. Choice D
is incorrect. The text never compares the likelihood of differently colored corals surviving without algae
colonies.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 14189fbb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 14189fbb 3.6

Having written the impassioned call to arms “Letter to the Spanish Americans” in 1791, Peruvian intellectual Juan
Pablo Viscardo y Guzmán is often considered a forerunner for the independence movements in Latin America. But
Viscardo’s role in history would have remained insignificant were it not for Venezuelan revolutionary Francisco de
Miranda, who was handed the unpublished letter after Viscardo’s death. Miranda not only helped circulate the
letter, but his edits and footnotes to the text position Miranda as a central figure in the text’s creation.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. The original authorship of “Letter to the Spanish Americans” is disputed by contemporary historians.
B. The majority of the most eloquently stated arguments in “Letter to the Spanish Americans” were written by
Miranda.
C. Miranda played a crucial role in influencing the content and distribution of “Letter to the Spanish Americans.”
D. “Letter to the Spanish Americans” persuaded many people in Latin America to pursue national independence.

ID: 14189fbb Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The text describes how Miranda circulated, edited, and added footnotes to “Letter
to the Spanish Americans,” and it claims that the letter and its author would have “remained insignificant” if it
weren’t for Miranda’s efforts.

Choice A is incorrect. The text only says that Viscardo wrote the letter and that Miranda edited it: it never
suggests that the original authorship of the letter is up for debate. Choice B is incorrect. This contradicts the
text. The text says that Miranda edited and footnoted the letter, but it identifies Viscardo as the letter’s author.
It also never identifies certain arguments as more eloquent than others. Choice D is incorrect. This is outside
the scope of the text. The paragraph describes Miranda’s role in the creation and distribution of the letter, but
it doesn’t get into the effects of the letter on other people.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 4d3e3c52
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 4d3e3c52 3.7

In a paper about p-i-n planar perovskite solar cells (one of several perovskite cell architectures designed to
collect and store solar power), Lyndsey McMillon-Brown et al. describe a method for fabricating the cell’s
electronic transport layer (ETL) using a spray coating. Conventional ETL fabrication is accomplished using a
solution of nanoparticles. The process can result in a loss of up to 80% of the solution, increasing the cost of
manufacturing at scale—an issue that may be obviated by spray coating fabrication, which the researchers
describe as “highly reproducible, concise, and practical.”
What does the text most strongly suggest about conventional ETL fabrication?
A. It is less suitable for manufacturing large volumes of planar p-i-n perovskite solar cells than an alternative
fabrication method may be.
B. It is more expensive when manufacturing at scale than are processes for fabricating ETLs used in other
perovskite solar cell architectures.
C. It typically entails a greater loss of nanoparticle solution than do other established approaches for ETL
fabrication.
D. It is somewhat imprecise and therefore limits the potential effectiveness of p-i-n planar perovskite solar cells
at capturing and storing solar power.

ID: 4d3e3c52 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. Conventional solar cell fabrication increases “the cost of manufacturing at scale,”
but spray coating might get rid of that problem.

Choice B is incorrect. This is not completely supported by the text. While it’s true that conventional ETL
fabrication is expensive at scale, there’s nothing in the text that mentions other perovskite solar cell
architectures. Choice C is incorrect. This choice does not match the text. Only one conventional method of ETL
fabrication is described, so we can’t compare the solution loss in this method to that of other conventional
methods. Choice D is incorrect. This choice isn’t supported by the text. The text never suggests that the
effectiveness of solar cells changes based on their method of fabrication.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID d1b8a9ad
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: d1b8a9ad 3.8

Disco remains one of the most ridiculed popular music genres of the late twentieth century. But as scholars have
argued, the genre is far less superficial than many people believe. Take the case of disco icon Donna Summer:
she may have been associated with popular songs about love and heartbreak (subjects hardly unique to disco, by
the way), but like many Black women singers before her, much of her music also reflects concerns about
community and identity. These concerns are present in many of the genre’s greatest songs, and they generally
don’t require much digging to reveal.
What does the text most strongly suggest about the disco genre?
A. It has been unjustly ignored by most scholars despite the importance of the themes addressed by many of the
genre’s songs.
B. It evolved over time from a superficial genre focused on romance to a genre focused on more serious
concerns.
C. It has been unfairly dismissed for the inclusion of subject matter that is also found in other musical genres.
D. It gave rise to a Black women’s musical tradition that has endured even though the genre itself faded in the
late twentieth century.

ID: d1b8a9ad Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The text argues that disco is "far less superficial" than its popular perception
might indicate, and that love and heartbreak are "subjects hardly unique to disco."

Choice A is incorrect. This choice conflicts with the text, which says that scholars argue that disco "is far less
superficial than many people believe." Choice B is incorrect. This choice says the opposite of what the text
suggests. The writer argues that the genre is not as superficial as commonly believed, but that it always
reflected "concerns about community and identity." Choice D is incorrect. The text doesn’t support this choice.
There’s nothing in the text about disco giving rise to an enduring Black women’s musical tradition.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID d2e0cba5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: d2e0cba5 3.9

In a study of new technology adoption, Davit Marikyan et al. examined negative disconfirmation (which occurs
when experiences fall short of one’s expectations) to determine whether it could lead to positive outcomes for
users. The team focused on established users of “smart home” technology, which presents inherent utilization
challenges but tends to attract users with high expectations, often leading to feelings of dissonance. The
researchers found that many users employed cognitive mechanisms to mitigate those feelings, ultimately
reversing their initial sense of disappointment.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. Research suggests that most users of smart home technology will not achieve a feeling of satisfaction given
the utilization challenges of such technology.
B. Although most smart home technology is aimed at meeting or exceeding users’ high expectations, those
expectations in general remain poorly understood.
C. Research suggests that users with high expectations for a new technology can feel content with that
technology even after experiencing negative disconfirmation.
D. Although negative disconfirmation has often been studied, little is known about the cognitive mechanisms
shaping users’ reactions to it in the context of new technology adoption.

ID: d2e0cba5 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The passage begins by describing the study, and concludes with its results: "many
users employed cognitive mechanisms to mitigate those feelings [of negative disconfirmation]."

Choice A is incorrect. This is the opposite of what the text claims. Rather, the researchers found that "many
users" reversed "their initial sense of disappointment." Choice B is incorrect. This choice doesn’t reflect the
text. What the expectations of smart home tech users are is not discussed. Choice D is incorrect. This choice
doesn’t reflect the text. How often these topics have been studied is not mentioned.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 7c9a65bb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 7c9a65bb 3.10

Optical tweezers are specialized scientific tools—particularly useful in biology and medicine—that use high-
powered beams of light to trap and manipulate minuscule particles for study. Use of the tool has led to several
scientific and medical breakthroughs over the last few decades, but the particles are often under prolonged
exposure to the intense heat of the light beams. To overcome the risk of overheating, and thereby damage,
researchers sometimes attach nano-sized glass beads to particles, allowing the light to focus on the beads
instead of the particles.
Based on the text, what is one advantage of attaching glass beads to particles when using optical tweezers?
A. It decreases the time it takes for the optical tweezers to locate and capture the particles.
B. It facilitates the maneuvering of particles without directly heating the particles themselves.
C. It allows researchers to use weaker light beams to manipulate particles.
D. It adds a material to which particles can transfer any heat absorbed from the optical tweezers’ light beam.

ID: 7c9a65bb Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The text says that the glass beads get the "focus" of the light beams so that the
particles don’t overheat. From this, we can infer that the beads allow the particles to be manipulated without
being directly heated by the light beams.

Choice A is incorrect. The text never says that attaching the glass beads saves time in any way. Choice C is
incorrect. The text never says that attaching the glass beads allows researchers to use weaker light beams.
Choice D is incorrect. The text doesn’t say that the particles can transfer heat to the glass beads—rather, it says
the heat from the light focuses on the glass beads instead of the particles.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a3fb5e77
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: a3fb5e77 3.11

Some animal-behavior studies involve observing wild animals in their natural habitat, and some involve capturing
wild animals and observing them in a laboratory. Each approach has advantages over the other. In wild studies,
researchers can more easily presume that the animals are behaving normally, and in lab studies, researchers can
more easily control factors that might affect the results. But if, for example, the results from a wild study and a lab
study of Western scrub-jays (Aphelocoma californica) contradict each other, one or both of the studies must have
failed to account for some factor that was relevant to the birds’ behavior.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. When the results of a natural-habitat study and those from a lab study of a wild animal such as the Western
scrub-jay conflict, the study in the natural habitat is more likely than the lab study to have accurate results.
B. Studying wild animals such as the Western scrub-jay in both their natural habitat and lab settings is likely to
yield conflicting results that researchers cannot fully resolve.
C. Wild animals such as the Western scrub-jay can be effectively studied in their natural habitat and in the lab,
but each approach has drawbacks that could affect the accuracy of the findings.
D. Differing results between natural-habitat and lab studies of wild animals such as the Western scrub-jay are a
strong indication that both of the studies had design flaws that affected the accuracy of their results.

ID: a3fb5e77 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. The text begins by
explaining that wild animals can be studied in their natural habitat or in a laboratory setting, with each
setting offering unique advantages to researchers. The text then highlights an instance in which Western
scrub-jays were studied in both settings but with conflicting results, indicating that one or both studies may
have failed to account for the disadvantages of its research setting. Thus, the main idea of the text is that
while wild animals can be effectively studied in natural or lab settings, there are drawbacks to each that need
to be considered to ensure accurate results.

Choice A is incorrect because the text does not position one study setting (natural or lab) as superior to the
other; rather, the text states that each one has advantages over the other. Choice B is incorrect. The text
provides a hypothetical example of two studies in different environments with conflicting results, but this
single example cannot be extrapolated to a general claim about the likelihood that results of studies in
different environments will conflict. Additionally, the text does not assert anything about how researchers can
or cannot resolve conflicting study results. Choice D is incorrect because the text does not state that
discrepancies between natural-habitat and lab-based animal behavior studies are due to both of the designs
being flawed. Rather, the text states that the conflict in results can be the consequence of one or both of the
studies having failed to account for some factor.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6762772f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 6762772f
3.12
Artificial leaves are a developing renewable energy technology that mimics the process of photosynthesis in plants. These
devices are silicon-based solar cells coated in chemical catalysts that activate reactions that split water molecules into
hydrogen and oxygen gas. The technology, while generating lots of interest, is not yet commercially viable as a large-scale
energy source. To meet this challenge, scientists from many fields are researching ways to store, transport, and distribute
the energy the devices produce while other scientists are working to improve the cost and efficiency of the devices.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

Continued research and development in artificial-leaf technology is needed before the devices can be widely used as an
A. energy source.

The recent increase in the commercial use of artificial leaves as an energy source has encouraged many scientists to
B. research ways to improve the technology.

Artificial leaves split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen gas using catalysts more efficiently than plants do using
C. the process of photosynthesis.

Artificial leaves were developed to mimic the natural process of photosynthesis in plants in order to store energy for long-
D. term commercial use.

ID: 6762772f Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. According to the text, artificial
leaves are a renewable energy technology that’s in development and generating interest. The text goes on to state that
artificial-leaf technology "is not yet commercially viable as a large-scale energy source" and that scientists from several
fields are doing additional research to refine the technology. Thus, the main idea is that continued research and development
in artificial-leaf technology is needed before the devices can be widely used as an energy source.

Choice B is incorrect. While the text does state that scientists from many fields are researching artificial leaves, they’re doing
so to address the fact that the leaves are not yet commercially viable, rather than in response to an increase in commercial
use. Choice C is incorrect. Although the text does explain that artificial leaves help split water molecules into oxygen and
hydrogen gas using catalysts, it doesn’t argue that this process is more efficient than photosynthesis. This is merely a detail
of the text and not the main idea, which is about the additional research needed to improve the cost and efficiency of these
artificial leaves. Choice D is incorrect. Although the text indicates that artificial leaves mimic photosynthesis in plants, this is
an incidental detail in support of the main idea that additional research is needed to make artificial leaves commercially
viable.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2df56712
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 2df56712
3.13
Electronic music pioneer Wendy Carlos is credited with the music for three feature films: A Clockwork Orange (1971), The
Shining (1980), and Tron (1982). However, her musical score for A Clockwork Orange is mostly made up of her arrangements
of Ludwig van Beethoven’s work. Also, almost all the music that she and Rachel Elkind composed for The Shining was
unused by director Stanley Kubrick. It did not appear in the film. Of the three films, Tron is the one in which audiences can
hear the most of Carlos’s original compositions.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A. Of the three films for which Carlos is credited, Tron features the most original music from her.

B. The director of The Shining used most of the music that Carlos composed for it.

C. Beethoven is widely considered to be a more important composer than Carlos.

D. Carlos is a notable innovator among film composers in the 1970s and 1980s.

ID: 2df56712 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it best states the main idea of the text. The text indicates that Wendy Carlos scored
three feature films: A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, and Tron. It also indicates that Carlos’s work on A Clockwork Orange
consisted primarily of electronic arrangements of Beethoven compositions and that very little of what she and Rachel Elkind
composed for The Shining was used in the film. But the soundtrack for Tron consists largely of music composed by Carlos,
so it contains more of her original music than do the soundtracks for the other two films. Thus, the main idea of the text is
that of the three films for which Carlos is credited, Tron features the most original music from her.

Choice B is incorrect because it directly contradicts the text’s claim that "very little of what she and Rachel Elkind composed
for The Shining was used in the film." Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t address the perceived quality of different
composers, instead, it discusses how much of Carlos’s original work was used in each of the three films she scored. Choice
D is incorrect because it doesn’t relate to any of the major themes of the text: the work Wendy Carlos did for three feature
films, how much of that work was composed by Carlos, and how much of her original work was ultimately used in the film.

Question Difficulty: Hard