Set 1 Questions ❮ 11
Passage 1
It is well known and documented that pregnancy in women over 40 brings an
increased probability of health complications for the baby. For example, a woman’s
risk of having a baby with chromosomal abnormalities increases with her age. The
most well-known complication of advanced maternal age is Down syndrome, a
genetic disorder where the baby presents with both cognitive problems and physi- 5
cal irregularities.
What is not commonly known is that recent studies have revealed that men
over 40 also risk passing on serious medical conditions to their children. In addi-
tion to problems such as low birth weight, advanced paternal age can cause schizo-
phrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism. Scientists are focusing their research on 10
sperm—mainly its genetic quality, but also its volume and mobility, all of which
typically decrease with age—as a possible cause.
Passage 2
The cerebral cortex is the outside part of the brain that looks like a maze. Much
like the intestines, the shape allows for more surface area in a confined space. The
cerebral cortex plays a fundamental role in memory, attention, perceptual aware- 15
ness, thought, language, and consciousness.
Studies have found that in people with brain disorders that originate during
fetal development, such as autism, certain areas of the cerebral cortex are shaped
differently than those of healthy people.
Therefore, there must be a link between problems in the physical development 20
of the brain during pregnancy and mental illnesses.
24. Which one of the following statements can be inferred from Passage 1?
(A) Medical, intelligence, and psychiatric screening should be mandatory
for all parents.
(B) Until recently, the role of older fathers in health problems was not
public knowledge or fully investigated by scientists.
(C) Too much sperm creates problems for the children of older fathers.
(D) The number of older fathers has decreased in the past couple of
decades.
(E) More research could lead to better therapies or cures for these mental
illnesses.
25. What topic do Passages 1 and 2 have in common?
(A) The shape of the cerebral cortex
(B) New treatments and therapies for autism patients
(C) The risks of pregnancy in women over 40
(D) Causes of health problems during pregnancy
(E) Research into the paternal age effect
12 ❯ McGraw-Hill’s 500 SAT Critical Reading Questions
26. As used in line 5 of Passage 1, the word “presents” most nearly means
(A) exhibits
(B) emulates
(C) vindicates
(D) reproaches
(E) quells
27. Which one of the following statements best supports the main point
of Passage 2?
(A) Dolphins, whales, apes, and even dogs have similar folds in their
cortexes.
(B) The size of a person’s brain indicates certain personality traits and
intellectual ability.
(C) Disorders may be triggered when the nerves that pull the cortex into
place are damaged during fetal development.
(D) Parents can mold the size and shape of their child’s brain after birth
through vitamin supplements.
(E) Phrenology has been increasingly accepted as more than just a
pseudoscience.
28. The phrase “chromosomal abnormalities” in line 3 of Passage 1 refers to
(A) mental illnesses
(B) the cerebral cortex
(C) physical deformities
(D) genetic malformation
(E) low birth weight
29. Which of the following, if true, would most undermine the assertion in
the second sentence of Passage 1?
(A) The reported link between autism and vaccines has been completely
discredited.
(B) Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal abnormality
in humans.
(C) Complications during the fetal stage are less likely to occur in teen
pregnancies.
(D) In a recent study, only 13 percent of people polled knew that
Down syndrome is a health complication from pregnancy in women
over 40.
(E) Mothers from middle- and upper-class families are less likely to
experience fetal health problems.
Set 1 Questions ❮ 13
30. The author of Passage 2 mentions the intestines in order to
(A) illustrate the meandering nature of the brain’s structure
(B) emphasize the size of the human appetite
(C) suggest a link between the brain and the digestive system
(D) imply that the brain is analogous to the stomach
(E) provide a contrast to the shape of the kidneys
31. In line 6 of Passage 1, the word “irregularities” most nearly means
(A) deviations
(B) rejuvenations
(C) avarices
(D) mercenaries
(E) prodigies
32. The major difference between the passages is that Passage 1 is concerned
with
(A) pregnancy, while Passage 2 is concerned with fertility
(B) physical irregularities, while Passage 2 is concerned with mental
illness
(C) Down syndrome, while Passage 2 is concerned with autism
(D) genetics, while Passage 2 is concerned with fetal development
(E) advanced maternal age, while Passage 2 is concerned with advanced
paternal age
33. As used in line 15 of Passage 2, the word “fundamental” most nearly
means
(A) intolerant
(B) disreputable
(C) essential
(D) generic
(E) tranquil
Set 1 Questions ❮ 21
Passage 1
The Sumer was an extraordinary civilization in Mesopotamia (now southern
Iraq) that lasted nearly 3,000 years. Historians believe that the Sumer civilization
began possibly around 5,000 BC and was the first to practice full-scale agriculture,
which gave rise to urban settlements. This is because the farming and cultivation
created a surplus of storable food, so people no longer had to migrate. 5
As these remarkable people began to create permanent settlements, it initiated
a need for the division of labor and the organization of the labor force. These
advancements in human society created the need for recordkeeping, and thus they
began to develop the written word around 3,500 BC.
Their exceptional achievements of agriculture, city settlements, and writing are 10
why the Sumer civilization deserves the title of “cradle of civilization” for all of
humanity.
Passage 2
The history of wine is intriguing, but remarkably unclear. We do not have
indisputable proof of where wine was first created.
Evidence of early winemaking has been found from North Africa to South 15
Asia. It is plausible that early foragers made alcoholic beverages from wild fruits,
including grapes. That means that people may have been making wine for more
than 10,000 years. Experts believe that they discovered that fermented fruit bever-
ages were safe to drink by accident, after attempts to store fruit for later consump-
tion were unsuccessful. 20
So while we have evidence of the consumption of wild fruits as part of the
human diet, we cannot prove definitively where and when they were used to make
wine. Early humans would have likely created small rations of wine, for consump-
tion by family members only. The earliest evidence we have of full-scale agriculture
sites that focused on wine production dates to 4,500 BC. 25
We also cannot gather archaeological evidence of winemaking before the use of
pottery as a storage vessel for wine, which did not take place until around 6,000
BC. After the pottery is dated to a specific time period, we can then look for the
organic compounds that are commonly found in wine. For now, using current
scientific methods, there is simply no way to know exactly where and when wine 30
was first made.
53. According to lines 2–3 in Passage 1, the Sumer civilization was the first
(A) to practice full-scale agriculture
(B) group of people to set foot in Mesopotamia
(C) to outlaw migration
(D) to invade urban settlements
(E) civilization to cook food
22 ❯ McGraw-Hill’s 500 SAT Critical Reading Questions
54. In lines 4–5 of Passage 1, the author states that the people of the Sumer
civilization no longer needed to migrate because they
(A) moved from Mesopotamia to southern Iraq
(B) developed the written word
(C) created a surplus of storable food
(D) had an organized labor force
(E) no longer needed recordkeeping
55. It can be inferred from Passage 2 that
(A) large-scale production of wine must have been in the region where
wild grapes were first domesticated
(B) evidence of wine has only been conclusive when taken from hard,
nonwooden vessels with porous surfaces
(C) wine production didn’t take root in Europe until the Greeks began
producing it around 4,500 BC
(D) the ancient Chinese made wine from native wild grapes until they
imported European grape seeds in the second century
(E) while pottery was used as far back as 25,000 BC, the earliest known
use of pottery as a vessel for food was around 10,500 BC
56. The authors of both passages discuss
(A) differences in regional wine production
(B) the development of language
(C) the first use of pottery as a storage vessel
(D) the early stages of full-scale agriculture
(E) the beginnings of the written word
57. All of the following are reasons given in Passage 1 for the development
of the written word EXCEPT
(A) creation of permanent settlements
(B) the need for the division of labor
(C) migration away from Mesopotamia
(D) the need for recordkeeping
(E) organization of the labor force
Set 1 Questions ❮ 23
58. Which of the following is a primary difference between passages 1
and 2?
(A) The dates regarding the Sumer civilization in Passage 1 are more
specific than the dates regarding the earliest wine production in
Passage 2.
(B) Passage 1 is more speculative about early human behavior than
Passage 2.
(C) Agriculture is the focus of Passage 1 but is largely ignored
in the discussion about winemaking in Passage 2.
(D) Passage 2 discusses the advantages of staying in one place more than
Passage 1 does.
(E) Sumer is inferred to be one of the earliest wine producers in Passage
1, while Passage 2 states this directly.
59. As used in line 14 of Passage 2, the word “indisputable” most nearly means
(A) pugnacious
(B) litigious
(C) palatial
(D) subservient
(E) irrefutable
60. In the last paragraph of Passage 1, the author expresses
(A) disdain for permanent urban settlements
(B) confusion over the need for recordkeeping in ancient societies
(C) admiration for the accomplishments of the Sumerians
(D) disappointment in the writings of Mesopotamian cultures
(E) support for modern labor unions
61. In Passage 2, the author mentions “current scientific methods” (lines
29–30) in order to
(A) emphasize the scale of early winemaking vineyards
(B) provide a timeline that illustrates just how old the practice of
winemaking is
(C) imply that current archaeological evidence is invalid
(D) commemorate the achievements of early scientific investigations
(E) suggest that with more advanced technology, we may be able to prove
wine’s origins
24 ❯ McGraw-Hill’s 500 SAT Critical Reading Questions
62. Compared to the tone of Passage 2, the tone of Passage 1 is more
(A) laudatory
(B) frustrated
(C) apathetic
(D) patronizing
(E) compassionate
63. The conclusion of Passage 1 is most weakened by all of the following
statements EXCEPT
(A) Large, complex cities in India date as far back as 3,300 BC.
(B) Writing developed in China around 4,000 BC and in Mesoamerica
around 900 BC.
(C) The Olmec of south-central Mexico laid the foundation for the
Mesoamerican civilizations that followed it.
(D) Agriculture allowed people to be artisans and priests instead of just
hunters.
(E) The Xia Dynasty in China had sophisticated urban settlements and
bronze tools dating to 2,100 BC.
64. According to Passage 2, winemaking began as a result of
(A) trade between Europe and the spice islands of Asia
(B) trial and error with early attempts at food storage
(C) the practices of early medicine men
(D) scavenging the forests for food left by animals
(E) children being left in charge of storage containers
65. As used in line 10 of Passage 1, the word “exceptional” most nearly means
(A) deliberate
(B) incomparable
(C) harrowing
(D) saccharine
(E) hackneyed
