Question ID c843d63c

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: c843d63c
The artisans of the Igun Eronmwon guild in Benin City, Nigeria, typically ______ the bronze- and brass-casting techniques that
have been passed down through their families since the thirteenth century, but they don’t strictly observe every tradition; for
example, guild members now use air-conditioning motors instead of handheld bellows to help heat their forges.

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

A. experiment with

B. adhere to

C. improve on

D. grapple with

ID: c843d63c Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of bronze- and brass-casting
techniques used by the Igun Eronmwon guild. In this context “adhere to” would mean to act in accordance with. The text
states that although members of the Igun Eronmwon guild typically do something with techniques that have been passed
down since the thirteenth century, they “don’t strictly observe every tradition.” By establishing a contrast with not always
following traditions, the context suggests that guild members do typically adhere to traditional techniques.

Choice A is incorrect because in this context “experiment with” would mean to do something new with. Although using
motors rather than manual bellows is presented as a new approach, the text establishes a contrast between what the guild
members typically do with techniques that have been passed down over centuries and the idea that the members “don’t
strictly observe every tradition.” The phrase “experiment with” wouldn’t support the contrast because regularly trying new
things with the techniques would be an example of not strictly following all traditions. Choice C is incorrect because in this
context “improve on” would mean to make better. Although using motors rather than manual bellows might be an improved
approach, the text establishes a contrast between what the guild members typically do with techniques that have been
passed down over centuries and the idea that the members “don’t strictly observe every tradition.” The phrase “improve on”
wouldn’t support the contrast because regularly making changes to the techniques would be an example of not strictly
following all traditions. Choice D is incorrect because in this context “grapple with” would mean to try hard to solve a difficult
problem. Although bronze- and brass-casting are likely challenging tasks, nothing in the text suggests that the guild
members have any particular difficulties with the techniques passed down since the thirteenth century.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID e8fb0744
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: e8fb0744
As an undergraduate researcher in anthropology, Jennifer C. Chen contributed to a groundbreaking study challenging the
accepted view that among prehistoric peoples, female participation in hunting was ______. The research team’s review of
data from late Pleistocene and early Holocene burials in the Americas revealed that, in fact, as many as half of the hunters in
those populations were female.

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

A. inevitable

B. satisfactory

C. negligible

D. commonplace

ID: e8fb0744 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the study of female participation in
hunting among prehistoric peoples. In this context, “negligible” means not significant enough to be worth considering. The
text says that the study challenged the accepted view of female participation in hunting among prehistoric peoples. The text
goes on to say that the researchers found that “in fact, as many as half” the hunters in the groups studied were female. The
phrase “in fact” establishes a contrast indicating that the finding that as many as half the hunters were female differs from
the accepted view. This context suggests, then, that the accepted view is that female participation in hunting was negligible.

Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that the study challenged the accepted view by showing that as many as
half of hunters among prehistoric peoples were female, which suggests that the accepted view is that female participation
was low, not that female participation was “inevitable,” or unavoidable. Nothing in the text suggests that the accepted view is
that prehistoric peoples could not avoid female participation in hunting. Choice B is incorrect because nothing in the text
suggests that the accepted view of female participation in hunting among prehistoric peoples is that such participation was
“satisfactory,” or sufficient to meet a requirement or demand. There is no information in the text about any demands or
requirements regarding female participation in hunting, let alone any information about how much female participation in
hunting would be enough to satisfy those demands or requirements. Instead, the text indicates that the study challenged the
accepted view by showing that as many as half the hunters in the groups studied were female, suggesting that the accepted
view is that female participation in hunting was low. Choice D is incorrect because the text indicates that the study
challenged the accepted view by showing that as many as half of hunters among the prehistoric peoples studied were
female, which suggests that the accepted view is that female participation was low, not that female participation was
“commonplace,” or ordinary or unremarkable. Although the study under discussion suggests that female participation may
have been commonplace, that study is presented as challenging the accepted view, not as reinforcing the accepted view.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 8634bf4a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 8634bf4a
Diego Velázquez was the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV of Spain during the seventeenth century, but his
influence was hardly ______ Spain: realist and impressionist painters around the world employed his techniques and echoed
elements of his style.

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

A. derived from

B. recognized in

C. confined to

D. repressed by

ID: 8634bf4a Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the discussion of the artist Diego Velázquez’s influence
outside Spain. As used in this context, “confined to” means restricted to. The text says that Velázquez was the leading artist
in the Spanish court during the seventeenth century, but it also notes that other painters around the world were influenced by
his techniques and style. Thus, Velázquez’s influence was hardly (or almost not) confined to, or restricted to, Spain.

Choice A is incorrect because if Velázquez was a leading artist in Spain, it doesn’t make logical sense to claim that his
influence was hardly (or almost not) derived from, or obtained from, Spain. Moreover, the other painters around the world
who employed Velázquez’s techniques would by definition be influenced by Spanish style. Choice B is incorrect because if
Velázquez was a leading artist in the court of King Philip IV of Spain, then his influence must have been widely recognized, or
acknowledged, rather than being hardly (or almost not) recognized. Choice D is incorrect because the text gives no
indication that deliberately limiting Velázquez’s influence outside Spain was ever considered by anyone. Thus, even if it is
true that his influence was not repressed, or restrained, it doesn’t make logical sense to say so in this context.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID f52cc78c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: f52cc78c
Text 1
Polar bears sustain themselves primarily by hunting seals on the Arctic sea ice, but rising ocean temperatures are causing
the ice to diminish, raising concerns about polar bear population declines as these large predators’ seal-hunting habitats
continue to shrink. A 2020 study examining polar bear populations across the Arctic concluded that populations affected by
sea-ice loss are at great risk of extinction by the end of the twenty-first century.
Text 2
Monitoring carried out by researchers from the Norwegian Polar Institute shows that the polar bear population on the Arctic
archipelago of Svalbard remains stable and well nourished despite rapidly declining sea ice in recent years. The researchers
attribute this population’s resilience in part to a shift in feeding strategies: in addition to hunting seals, the Svalbard polar
bears have begun relying on a diet of reindeer meat and birds’ eggs.

Based on the texts, how would the researchers in Text 2 most likely respond to the conclusion presented in the underlined
portion of Text 1?

A. By noting that it neglects the possibility of some polar bear populations adapting to changes in their environment

By suggesting that it is likely incorrect about the rates at which warming ocean temperatures have caused sea ice to melt
B. in the Arctic

C. By asserting that it overlooks polar bear populations that have not yet been affected by loss of seal-hunting habitats

D. By arguing that it fails to account for polar bears’ reliance on a single seal-hunting strategy

ID: f52cc78c Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. Text 2 describes how the Svalbard polar bears have adapted to the loss of sea ice by
diversifying their diet and feeding on reindeer and seabird eggs, resulting in a “stable and well nourished” population despite
environmental challenges. This counters the underlined claim that polar bears facing a loss of sea ice are at “great risk of
extinction” by the end of the century.

Choice B is incorrect. Text 2 does not challenge the fact that sea ice is rapidly declining in the Arctic due to warming ocean
temperatures. In fact, it states that the Svalbard polar bears have faced “rapidly declining sea ice in recent years.” Choice C is
incorrect. The claim in Text 1 is specific to polar bear populations affected by the loss of seal hunting habitats, so unaffected
populations are irrelevant to the claim. Also, Text 2 doesn’t mention any polar bear populations that haven’t yet been affected
by loss of seal hunting habitats. It focuses on a population that has been affected by sea-ice loss but has managed to
survive and thrive nevertheless. Choice D is incorrect. Text 2 doesn’t imply that polar bears rely on a single seal-hunting
strategy. In fact, the researcher in Text 2 would say that Text 1 fails to account for polar bears’ ability to develop other
hunting strategies and food sources.
Question Difficulty: Medium
Question ID 9b01bcf4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 9b01bcf4
The 1967 release of Harold Cruse’s book The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual isolated him from almost all other scholars and
activists of the American Civil Rights Movement—though many of those thinkers disagreed with each other, he nonetheless
found ways to disagree with them all. He thought that activists who believed that Black people such as himself should
culturally assimilate were naïve. But he also sharply criticized Black nationalists such as Marcus Garvey who wanted to
establish independent, self-contained Black economies and societies, even though Cruse himself identified as a Black
nationalist.

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

A. It describes a direction that Cruse felt the Civil Rights Movement ought to take.

B. It indicates that Cruse’s reputation as a persistent antagonist of other scholars is undeserved.

C. It describes a controversy that Cruse’s work caused within the Black nationalist movement.

D. It helps explain Cruse’s position with respect to the community of civil rights thinkers.

ID: 9b01bcf4 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The text as a whole claims that Cruse disagreed with virtually all other Civil Rights scholars and
activists. The underlined sentence describes one way that Cruse both did and didn’t fit in with those thinkers: he criticized
Black nationalists, even though he identified as one.

Choice A is incorrect. The underlined sentence doesn’t do this. It describes Cruse’s criticisms—it never mentions what Cruse
did want the movement to do instead. Choice B is incorrect. This conflicts with the text, which argues that Cruse did disagree
with almost all other scholars of the Civil Rights Movement. Choice C is incorrect. This is a step too far. The text never says
that Cruse’s work caused controversy within the Black nationalist movement.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 35e21b06
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: 35e21b06
Text 1
Dominique Potvin and colleagues captured five Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen) to test a new design for attaching
tracking devices to birds. As the researchers fitted each magpie with a tracker attached by a small harness, they noticed
some magpies without trackers pecking at another magpie’s tracker until it broke off. The researchers suggest that this
behavior could be evidence of magpies attempting to help another magpie without benefiting themselves.
Text 2
It can be tempting to think that animals are deliberately providing help when we see them removing trackers and other
equipment from one another, especially when a species is known to exhibit other cooperative behaviors. At the same time, it
can be difficult to exclude the possibility that individuals are simply interested in the equipment because of its novelty,
curiously pawing or pecking at it until it detaches.

Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the researchers’ perspective in Text 1 on the
behavior of the magpies without trackers?

A. That behavior might have been due to the novelty of the magpies’ captive setting rather than to the novelty of the tracker.

That behavior likely indicates that the magpies were deliberately attempting to benefit themselves by obtaining the
B. tracker.

That behavior may not be evidence of selflessness in Gymnorhina tibicen because not all the captured magpies
C. demonstrated it.

That behavior might be adequately explained without suggesting that the magpies were attempting to assist the other
D. magpie.

ID: 35e21b06 Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it reflects how the author of Text 2 would most likely respond to the researchers’
perspective in Text 1 on the behavior of the magpies without trackers. According to Text 1, Dominique Potvin and colleagues
observed magpies without trackers pecking at a tracker on another magpie until the device fell off. The researchers
suggested that the birds might have been attempting to help the other bird, with no benefit to themselves. Text 2 generally
discusses scenarios in which animals have been observed removing trackers from each other. The text cautions that it
shouldn’t be assumed that these animals are helping one another deliberately, since they might simply be pecking at trackers
out of curiosity, causing them to fall off eventually. Therefore, the author of Text 2 would most likely respond to Potvin and
colleagues’ perspective in Text 1 by saying that the behavior of the magpies without trackers could be adequately explained
without suggesting that they were attempting to assist the other magpie.

Choice A is incorrect because Text 2 never discusses the novelty, or the newness and unusual quality, of the captive settings
in which animals have been observed to remove trackers from other animals, nor does it suggest that such novelty might
account for this behavior. Instead, the text suggests that it’s the novelty of the tracking equipment itself that might cause the
behavior: interested in the trackers because they’re unusual, animals might paw or peck at them until they fall off. Choice B
is incorrect because Text 2 never suggests that when animals remove trackers from other animals, they do so because they
wish to obtain the trackers for themselves. Instead, Text 2 argues that animals paw or peck at trackers because they are
merely curious about them. Choice C is incorrect because Text 2 doesn’t argue that when captured animals are observed
removing trackers from each other, their behavior should be regarded as selfless only if all of them participate in it. Instead,
the text argues that the behavior may not be selfless at all and may instead be attributed to animals’ curiosity about the new
and unusual trackers.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 88bb0f6f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: 88bb0f6f
Text 1
A team led by Bernardo Strassburg has found that rewilding farmland (returning the land to its natural state) could help
preserve biodiversity and offset carbon emissions. The amount of farmland that would need to be restored, they found, is
remarkably low. Rewilding a mere 15% of the world’s current farmland would prevent 60% of expected species extinctions
and help absorb nearly 299 gigatons of carbon dioxide—a clear win in the fight against the biodiversity and climate crises.
Text 2
While Strassburg’s team’s findings certainly offer encouraging insight into the potential benefits of rewilding, it’s important to
consider potential effects on global food supplies. The researchers suggest that to compensate for the loss of food-
producing land, remaining farmland would need to produce even more food. Thus, policies focused on rewilding farmland
must also address strategies for higher-yield farming.

Which choice best describes a difference in how the author of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 view Strassburg’s team’s
study?

The author of Text 2 approaches the study’s findings with some caution, whereas the author of Text 1 is optimistic about
A. the reported potential environmental benefits.

The author of Text 2 claims that the percentage of farmland identified by Strassburg’s team is too low for rewilding to
B. achieve meaningful results, whereas the author of Text 1 thinks the percentage is sufficient.

The author of Text 2 believes that the results described by Strassburg’s team are achievable in the near future, whereas
C. the author of Text 1 argues that they likely aren’t.

The author of Text 2 focuses on rewilding’s effect on carbon emissions, whereas the author of Text 1 focuses on its
D. effect on biodiversity.

ID: 88bb0f6f Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. Text 1 is extremely positive about Strassburg’s team’s findings, calling the potential results "a
clear win in the fight against the biodiversity and climate crises." Text 2 is not as positive, arguing that while the findings
point to "potential benefits," we also need to consider the "potential effects on global food supplies."

Choice B is incorrect. This isn’t a difference between the two views. Text 1 does present the 15% number as enough to
achieve meaningful results, but that’s not what Text 2 takes issue with: rather, Text 2 argues that we need to consider the
effect that rewilding this much farmland would have on food supplies. Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t a difference between
the two views. Neither text mentions the timeline for achieving the results described by Strassburg’s team. Choice D is
incorrect. This isn’t a difference between the two views. Text 1 focuses on rewilding’s effects on both carbon emissions and
biodiversity. Text 2 doesn’t focus on rewilding’s effect on carbon emissions at all. Instead, it focuses on a third factor: global
food supplies.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 441e2b9e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 441e2b9e
Researchers and conservationists stress that biodiversity loss due to invasive species is ______. For example, people can
take simple steps such as washing their footwear after travel to avoid introducing potentially invasive organisms into new
environments.

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

A. preventable

B. undeniable

C. common

D. concerning

ID: 441e2b9e Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of how biodiversity loss due to
invasive species can be avoided. As used in this context, “preventable” means able to be stopped or kept from happening.
The text indicates that “people can take simple steps” to avoid bringing possible invasive species into new environments. It
presents these steps as an example of how biodiversity loss due to invasive species is preventable.

Choice B is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that a simple step like washing your shoes after traveling is an
example of biodiversity loss due to invasive species being “undeniable,” or something that can’t be proved to be wrong.
Although the text may suggest that biodiversity loss due to invasive species is something that really happens, the word that
completes the text must make the first sentence into an assertion that is illustrated by the second sentence, and the second
sentence illustrates the idea that biodiversity loss due to invasive species is preventable, not undeniable. Choice C is
incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that a simple step like washing your shoes after traveling is an example of
biodiversity loss due to invasive species being “common,” or something that happens regularly. Additionally, the text doesn’t
provide any information about how frequently invasive species cause biodiversity loss. Choice D is incorrect because it
wouldn’t make sense to say that a simple step like washing your shoes after traveling is an example of biodiversity loss due
to invasive species being “concerning,” or something that is troubling or causes worry. Although the text implies that the
phenomenon of biodiversity loss due to invasive species is itself a concerning phenomenon, the word that completes the
text must make the first sentence into an assertion that is illustrated by the second sentence, and the second sentence
illustrates the idea that biodiversity loss due to invasive species is preventable, not concerning.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID a756aa95
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: a756aa95
The province of Xoconochco was situated on the Pacific coast, hundreds of kilometers southeast of Tenochtitlan, the capital
of the Aztec Empire. Because Xoconochco’s location within the empire was so ______, cacao and other trade goods
produced there could reach the capital only after a long overland journey.

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

A. unobtrusive

B. concealed

C. approximate

D. peripheral

ID: a756aa95 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the location of the province of
Xoconochco within the Aztec Empire. As used in this context, “peripheral” means situated toward the outer bounds rather
than the center. The text indicates that Xoconochco was located on a coast, hundreds of kilometers away from the capital of
the Aztec Empire. The text also states that trade between the province and the capital required “a long overland journey.”
This context suggests that Xoconochco was situated toward an edge of the empire’s territory rather than near its center.

Choice A is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context to refer to Xoconochco’s location within the Aztec Empire as
“unobtrusive,” or not blatant or undesirably prominent; it’s not clear how a province’s physical location would or wouldn’t be
blatant. Instead of focusing on how noticeable Xoconochco’s location was, the text emphasizes the province’s distance from
the capital of the empire, pointing out that because of this distance trade between the two required “a long overland journey.”
Choice B is incorrect because the text indicates that the province of Xoconochco was located on a coast far from the capital
of the Aztec Empire, not that it was “concealed,” or kept out of sight or hidden from view. Nothing in the text suggests that
Xoconochco was actually hidden such that people couldn’t see it, and being hidden wouldn’t necessarily result in trade
between the province and the capital requiring “a long overland journey.” Choice C is incorrect because to say that
Xoconochco’s location within the Aztec Empire was “approximate” would mean that the location either wasn’t precisely
correct or was close to some other location. Neither of these meanings would make sense in context because the text
indicates that Xoconochco’s location is known and that it was far from the empire’s capital, so there’s no reason to
characterize the location as either not precisely correct or close to another location.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID dba9eaf8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: dba9eaf8
Within baleen whale species, some individuals develop an accessory spleen—a seemingly functionless formation of
splenetic tissue outside the normal spleen. Given the formation’s greater prevalence among whales known to make deeper
dives, some researchers hypothesize that its role isn’t ______; rather, the accessory spleen may actively support diving
mechanisms.

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

A. replicable

B. predetermined

C. operative

D. latent

ID: dba9eaf8 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of baleen whale accessory spleens. In
this context, “latent” means dormant or functionless. The text sets up a contrast between the idea that baleen whale
accessory spleens appear not to have a function and the research indicating that the accessory spleen may actually have a
role in supporting the whales’ diving mechanisms. This context therefore conveys the idea that the assumption that baleen
whale accessory spleens are latent may be incorrect.

Choice A is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that the role of the accessory spleen is “replicable,” or capable
of being reproduced. The text indicates that the role of the accessory spleen seems to have no function, but some
researchers think it does have a role; the text doesn’t address whether the role of the accessory spleen could or couldn’t be
reproduced. Choice B is incorrect because suggesting that the role of the accessory spleen is “predetermined,” or decided in
advance, wouldn’t make sense in context. Although the researchers may agree that the role of the accessory spleen or any
other organ hasn’t been determined in advance, the text focuses on the idea that the accessory spleen was thought to have
been functionless but may in fact serve an active role for baleen whales. Choice C is incorrect because it’s the opposite of
what the context of the text is conveying. The second sentence of the text indicates that baleen whale accessory spleens
may not be useless, not that they aren’t “operative,” or functional.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 571cf537
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 571cf537
The author’s claim about the relationship between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens is ______, as it fails to account for several
recent archaeological discoveries. To be convincing, his argument would need to address recent finds of additional hominid
fossils, such as the latest Denisovan specimens and Homo longi.

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

A. disorienting

B. tenuous

C. nuanced

D. unoriginal

ID: 571cf537 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the author’s claim about the
relationship between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. As used in this context, “tenuous” means lacking substance. The end
of the first sentence states that the author’s claim didn’t consider certain key pieces of evidence—“recent archaeological
discoveries”—and is therefore weak.

Choice A is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context to refer to the author’s claim as “disorienting,” or confusing.
The text suggests that the author’s claim is insubstantial, not that it’s difficult to grasp. Choice C is incorrect because
referring to the claim as “nuanced,” or subtle, wouldn’t make sense in context. According to the text, the claim is incomplete
because it didn’t consider certain key information about recent archaeological finds; it doesn’t suggest that what’s in the
claim lacks precision. Choice D is incorrect because saying that the claim is “unoriginal,” or imitative, wouldn’t make sense in
context. The text faults the claim because it doesn’t consider certain key information about recent archaeological finds; it
doesn’t suggest that the author’s claim lacks originality.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 5fa165f7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 5fa165f7
In the 1960s, Sam Gilliam, a Black painter from the southern United States, became the first artist to drape painted canvases
into flowing shapes. He later explored a different style, ______ quilt-like paintings inspired by the patchwork quilting tradition
of Black communities in the South.

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

A. predicting

B. refusing

C. hiding

D. creating

ID: 5fa165f7 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Sam Gilliam’s artworks. As used in
this context, “creating” means producing or bringing something into existence. The text indicates that Gilliam is an artist who
made draped canvases and, later, quilt-like paintings. This context supports the idea that Gilliam explored different styles in
his art by creating special types of paintings.

Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that Gilliam actually explored and pursued the creation of quilt-like paintings;
he wasn’t just “predicting,” or declaring in advance, the existence of these paintings. Choice B is incorrect because in this
context “refusing” would mean rejecting, and there is nothing in the text to suggest that Gilliam rejected his quilt-like
paintings. Instead, the text indicates that he was exploring and pursuing a new art style in these paintings. Choice C is
incorrect because in this context “hiding” would mean concealing from view, and there is nothing in the text to suggest that
Gilliam attempted to conceal his quilt-like paintings. Instead, the text indicates that he was exploring and pursuing a new art
style in these paintings.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID f6352bd3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: f6352bd3
Many archaeologists assume that large-scale engineering projects in ancient societies required an elite class to plan and
direct the necessary labor. However, recent discoveries, such as the excavation of an ancient canal near the Gulf Coast of
Alabama, have complicated this picture. Using radiocarbon dating, a team of researchers concluded that the 1.39-kilometer-
long canal was most likely constructed between 576 and 650 CE by an Indigenous society that was relatively free of social
classes.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. It describes a common view among archaeologists, then discusses a recent finding that challenges that view.

B. It outlines a method used in some archaeological fieldwork, then explains why an alternative method is superior to it.

It presents contradictory conclusions drawn by archaeologists, then evaluates a study that has apparently resolved that
C. contradiction.

D. It identifies a gap in scientific research, then presents a strategy used by some archaeologists to remedy that gap.

ID: f6352bd3 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The text starts by introducing a common view among archaeologists about the need for an elite
class to direct large-scale engineering projects. Then, it discusses the discovery of a large canal most likely built by a society
without an elite class, which challenges the first view.

Choice B is incorrect. Although the text discusses carbon dating as an archaeological method, it doesn’t compare it to any
other alternative methods. Choice C is incorrect. The study doesn’t resolve any contradictions—rather, it introduces a
contradiction to the one view presented at the beginning of the text. Choice D is incorrect. The text never identifies any gaps
in scientific research.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID b4d29611
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: b4d29611
Michelene Pesantubbee, a historian and citizen of the Choctaw Nation, has identified a dilemma inherent to research on the
status of women in her tribe during the 1600s and 1700s: the primary sources from that era, travel narratives and other
accounts by male European colonizers, underestimate the degree of power conferred on Choctaw women by their traditional
roles in political, civic, and ceremonial life. Pesantubbee argues that the Choctaw oral tradition and findings from
archaeological sites in the tribe’s homeland supplement the written record by providing crucial insights into those roles.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

It details the shortcomings of certain historical sources, then argues that research should avoid those sources
A. altogether.

It describes a problem that arises in research on a particular topic, then sketches a historian’s approach to addressing
B. that problem.

C. It lists the advantages of a particular research method, then acknowledges a historian’s criticism of that method.

It characterizes a particular topic as especially challenging to research, then suggests a related topic for historians to
D. pursue instead.

ID: b4d29611 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The text begins by stating a problem with research on the status of Choctaw women in the
1600s and 1700s: written primary sources underestimate the power they had in their traditional roles. Then it presents one
historian’s solution: looking to oral tradition and archeological findings for more insight into these roles.

Choice A is incorrect. This isn’t the overall structure. The text never says that research should avoid written primary sources,
just that research should also use oral tradition and archeological sites as sources. Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t the
overall structure. The text never mentions the advantages of using written primary sources. Choice D is incorrect. This isn’t
the overall structure. The text never says that the status of Choctaw women during the 1600s and 1700s is too challenging
to research. And it doesn’t mention any other topics to research instead.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 6bc0ba75
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 6bc0ba75
The mimosa tree evolved in East Asia, where the beetle Bruchidius terrenus preys on its seeds. In 1785, mimosa trees were
introduced to North America, far from any B. terrenus. But evolutionary links between predators and their prey can persist
across centuries and continents. Around 2001, B. terrenus was introduced in southeastern North America near where
botanist Shu-Mei Chang and colleagues had been monitoring mimosa trees. Within a year, 93 percent of the trees had been
attacked by the beetles.

Which choice best describes the function of the third sentence in the overall structure of the text?

A. It states the hypothesis that Chang and colleagues had set out to investigate using mimosa trees and B. terrenus.

B. It presents a generalization that is exemplified by the discussion of the mimosa trees and B. terrenus.

C. It provides context that clarifies why the species mentioned spread to new locations.

D. It offers an alternative explanation for the findings of Chang and colleagues.

ID: 6bc0ba75 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the third sentence within the overall
structure of the text. The third sentence makes a generalization, asserting that evolutionary links between predators and prey
can persist across great expanses of time and distance. This generalization is exemplified by the text’s discussion of the
relationship between mimosa trees and B. terrenus beetles. When mimosa trees were introduced to North America in 1785,
no B. terrenus beetles were present, so the relationship between the trees and the beetles that exists in their native East Asia
was disrupted. When the beetles were introduced to North America more than 200 years later, however, they quickly attacked
mimosa trees, illustrating the generalization that links between predators and prey "can persist across centuries and
continents."

Choice A is incorrect because the third sentence doesn’t indicate that Chang and colleagues were investigating any
hypothesis. According to the text, Chang and colleagues were simply monitoring mimosa trees when the beetles happened
to be introduced to the area. Choice C is incorrect because the third sentence doesn’t discuss any particular species, let
alone the species mentioned elsewhere in the text, nor does the sentence explain why species spread to new locations.
Choice D is incorrect because the third sentence offers a generalization about the relationship between predators and prey,
not an explanation for the findings by Chang and colleagues that’s an "alternative" to an explanation presented elsewhere in
the text.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 213248f7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 213248f7
The following text is adapted from Lewis Carroll’s 1865 novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

“The second thing is to find my way into that lovely garden. I think that will be the best plan.” It sounded like an excellent
plan, no doubt, and very neatly and simply arranged; the only difficulty was, that Alice had not the smallest idea how to
set about it.

As used in the text, what does the word “simply” most nearly mean?

A. Faintly

B. Hastily

C. Easily

D. Foolishly

ID: 213248f7 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because as used in the text, “simply” most nearly means easily, or involving minimal difficulty or
effort. The text first provides Alice’s reflections on her plan to gain access to a garden and then offers commentary on her
plan by the novel’s narrator. The text indicates that a reason Alice likes her plan despite not being fully thought through is
that she nonetheless believes it can be efficiently arranged. In other words, the text indicates that one of the supposed
benefits of Alice’s plan is that it can be easily arranged.

Choice A is incorrect because the text describes how Alice’s plan can be arranged, and it wouldn’t make sense to say that it
can be arranged “faintly,” or with little strength or not strongly. Instead, the text indicates that the plan can be arranged with
little difficulty. Choice B is incorrect. Although in some contexts “simply” can mean quickly, hastily, or hurriedly, the word
“hastily” indicates that something is done too quickly. Although it may be true that Alice’s plan was made in haste, the text
doesn’t focus on this aspect of her plan. Instead, the text focuses on the plan’s seemingly good qualities, saying that Alice
thinks of it as “the best,” and the narrator refers to it as “excellent” and “neatly,” or efficiently, arranged. Choice D is incorrect.
Although in some contexts “simply” can mean foolishly, or lacking good sense, it doesn’t have this meaning in this context.
Although the text says that Alice doesn’t know how to go about her plan, it begins by presenting her plan in a positive light:
Alice describes her plan as “the best,” and the narrator refers to the plan as “excellent” and “neatly,” or efficiently, arranged.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 6977d22b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: 6977d22b
Text 1
Ecologists have long wondered how thousands of microscopic phytoplankton species can live together near ocean surfaces
competing for the same resources. According to conventional wisdom, one species should emerge after outcompeting the
rest. So why do so many species remain? Ecologists’ many efforts to explain this phenomenon still haven’t uncovered a
satisfactory explanation.
Text 2
Ecologist Michael Behrenfeld and colleagues have connected phytoplankton’s diversity to their microscopic size. Because
these organisms are so tiny, they are spaced relatively far apart from each other in ocean water and, moreover, experience
that water as a relatively dense substance. This in turn makes it hard for them to move around and interact with one another.
Therefore, says Behrenfeld’s team, direct competition among phytoplankton probably happens much less than previously
thought.

Based on the texts, how would Behrenfeld and colleagues (Text 2) most likely respond to the “conventional wisdom”
discussed in Text 1?

A. By arguing that it is based on a misconception about phytoplankton species competing with one another

By asserting that it fails to recognize that routine replenishment of ocean nutrients prevents competition between
B. phytoplankton species

C. By suggesting that their own findings help clarify how phytoplankton species are able to compete with larger organisms

By recommending that more ecologists focus their research on how competition among phytoplankton species is
D. increased with water density

ID: 6977d22b Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because based on Text 2, it represents how Behrenfeld and colleagues would most likely
respond to the “conventional wisdom” discussed in Text 1. The conventional wisdom cited holds the opinion that when there
is species diversity within a phytoplankton population, “one species should emerge after outcompeting the rest”—that is,
after being so successful in competing for resources that the other species vanish from the population. However, Text 2
explains that according to Behrenfeld and colleagues, phytoplankton are so small and spaced so far apart in the water that
there is “much less” direct competition for resources within phytoplankton populations than scientists had previously
thought.

Choice B is incorrect because Text 2 never discusses whether routine replenishment of ocean nutrients affects competition
between phytoplankton species. Choice C is incorrect because the interspecies competition discussed in both texts is
specifically between phytoplankton species, and neither text considers whether phytoplankton compete for resources with
larger nonphytoplankton species. Choice D is incorrect because according to Text 2, Behrenfeld and colleagues argue that
water density decreases, not increases, competition between phytoplankton species.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c106b9f7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: c106b9f7
Text 1
American sculptor Edmonia Lewis is best known for her sculptures that represent figures from history and mythology, such
as The Death of Cleopatra and Hagar. Although Lewis sculpted other subjects, her career as a sculptor is best represented by
the works in which she depicted these historical and mythical themes.
Text 2
Art historians have typically ignored the many portrait busts Edmonia Lewis created. Lewis likely carved these busts
(sculptures of a person’s head) frequently throughout her long career. She is known for her sculptures that represent
historical figures, but Lewis likely supported herself financially by carving portrait busts for acquaintances who paid her to
represent their features. Thus, Lewis’s portrait busts are a central aspect of her career as a sculptor.

Based on the texts, both authors would most likely agree with which statement?

A. Lewis’s portrait busts have overshadowed her other work.

B. The Death of Cleopatra is Lewis’s most famous piece.

C. Sculpting representations of historical figures was a short-lived trend.

D. Lewis’s works are varied in the subjects they depict.

ID: c106b9f7 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. Author 1 acknowledges that Lewis sculpted other subjects besides historical and mythical
figures, suggesting a variety of subjects depicted. Author 2 mentions that Lewis carved portrait busts as well as historical
sculptures, which also implies variation among Lewis’s subjects.

Choice A is incorrect. Neither text suggests that Lewis’s portrait busts have received more attention or appreciation than her
other work. Author 1 briefly mentions her “other works,” but mostly focuses on her historical and mythical works. Author 2
states that art historians have typically ignored her portrait busts, which suggests that they haven’t overshadowed her other
work. Choice B is incorrect. Neither text explicitly states that The Death of Cleopatra is Lewis’s most famous piece. Author 1
mentions it as one example of her historical works, but does not single it out as being more important or influential than
Hagar. Author 2 does not mention it at all, focusing instead on her portrait busts. Choice C is incorrect. This choice isn’t
supported by the texts. Neither text suggests that sculpting historical figures was a trend that faded quickly.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 8bc66f89
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 8bc66f89
Part of the Atacama Desert in Peru has surprisingly rich plant life despite receiving almost no rainfall. Moisture from winter
fog sustains plants once they’re growing, but the soil’s tough crust makes it hard for seeds to germinate in the first place.
Local birds that dig nests in the ground seem to be of help: they churn the soil, exposing buried seeds to moisture and
nutrients. Indeed, in 2016 Cristina Rengifo Faiffer found that mounds of soil dug up by birds were far more fertile and
supported more seedlings than soil in undisturbed areas.

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

A. It elaborates on the idea that the top layer of Atacama Desert soil forms a tough crust.

B. It describes the process by which seeds are deposited into Atacama Desert soil.

C. It identifies the reason particular bird species dig nests in Atacama Desert soil.

D. It explains how certain birds promote seed germination in Atacama Desert soil.

ID: 8bc66f89 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined portion functions in the text as a
whole. The first two sentences establish a natural phenomenon: there is a richness of plant life found in the Atacama Desert
despite the hard soil that makes it challenging for seeds to germinate. The next sentence, which contains the underlined
portion, offers a potential explanation for the phenomenon: local birds dig ground nests exposing seeds to moisture and
materials in the soil necessary for germination. The last sentence summarizes a study that compared the fertileness of
mounds of dirt dug up by birds to mounds that were undisturbed to support the explanation in the underlined portion. Thus,
the underlined portion mainly functions to explain how certain birds promote seed germination in the Atacama Desert soil.

Choice A is incorrect because the underlined portion doesn’t address the topic of the soil’s tough crust or its formation.
Instead, the text elaborates on the idea that local birds that build ground nests may help seeds germinate in the hard
soil. Choice B is incorrect because the underlined portion describes how some birds may support seed germination in
Atacama Desert soil but doesn’t describe how the seeds are deposited into the soil before germination begins. Choice C is
incorrect because neither the underlined portion nor the text as a whole identifies a reason that a particular bird species may
choose to dig ground nests in the Atacama Desert soil.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 7b55e895
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: 7b55e895
Text 1
Some animal species, like the leopard, can be found in many kinds of areas. On the other hand, tropical mountain bird
species tend to be limited in the types of spaces they can call home. This is because many mountain bird species are only
able to survive at very specific elevations. Over time, these species have likely become used to living at a specific
temperature. Therefore, these species struggle to survive at elevations that are warmer or colder than they are used to.
Text 2
A new study reviewed observations of nearly 3,000 bird species to understand why tropical mountain bird species live at
specific elevations. They noted that when a mountain bird species was found in an area with many other bird species, it
tended to inhabit much smaller geographic areas. It is thus likely that competition for resources with other species, not
temperature, limits where these birds can live.

Based on the texts, both authors would most likely agree with which statement?

A. Tropical mountain bird species are restricted in where they can live.

B. Scientists have better tools to observe tropical mountain birds than they did in the past.

C. Little is known about how tropical mountain birds build their nests.

D. Tropical mountain bird species that live at high elevations tend to be genetically similar.

ID: 7b55e895 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. Both texts state that tropical mountain bird species have limited ranges or habitats, although
they disagree on the reason for this. Text 1 claims that temperature is the main factor that determines where these birds can
live, while Text 2 claims that competition with other species is the main factor. However, both texts agree that these birds are
not able to survive in many kinds of areas.

Choice B is incorrect. Neither text mentions the tools or methods that scientists use to observe these birds, either now or in
the past. Choice C is incorrect. Neither text mentions anything about how these birds build their nests. Choice D is incorrect.
Neither text provides any information about the genetic similarity of these birds, so we have no evidence that either author
would agree with this statement.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 94eb800d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 94eb800d
For a 2020 exhibition, photographer and neurobiologist Okunola Jeyifous ______ a series of new images based on a series of
alphabet posters from the 1970s known as the “Black ABCs,” which featured Black children from Chicago. Jeyifous
photographed the now-adult models and layered the photos over magnified images of the models’ cells, resulting in what he
called “micro and macro portraiture.”

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

A. validated

B. created

C. challenged

D. restored

ID: 94eb800d Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically and precisely completes the text’s discussion of Jeyifous’s series of
images for the 2020 exhibition. In this context, “created” means produced. The text explains that Jeyifous, a photographer
and neurobiologist, photographed adults who had appeared as children in posters from the 1970s, then combined those
photographs with magnified images of the adults’ cells—a process that resulted in what he called “micro and macro
portraiture.” This context suggests that Jeyifous drew on his dual interests in photography and neurobiology to produce the
images for display in the exhibition.

Choice A is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that Jeyifous “validated,” or corroborated, the series of
images. The text describes Jeyifous’s process for composing the images but doesn’t describe Jeyifous making an effort to
evaluate the images for their artistic or scientific legitimacy. Choice C is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to
suggest that Jeyifous “challenged,” or disputed, an aspect of the images; rather, the focus of the text is on the inspiration
behind the images and the method Jeyifous used to achieve them. Choice D is incorrect because the text indicates that
Jeyifous made the images himself using a combination of photography and magnified pictures of cells, not that he
“restored,” or reconditioned, the images from a deteriorated state.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 4fa7e50e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 4fa7e50e
According to a US tax policy expert, state taxes are ______ other factors when considering an interstate move. Even
significant differences in state taxation have almost no effect on most people’s decisions, while differences in employment
opportunities, housing availability, and climate are strong influences.

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

A. consistent with

B. representative of

C. overshadowed by

D. irrelevant to

ID: 4fa7e50e Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the factors that influence peoples’
decisions to move to a different state. As used in this context, “overshadowed by” means to be surpassed by or caused to
seem less important than other factors affecting a move. The text indicates that, according to a US tax policy expert, when
people think about an interstate move, state taxes have little effect on their decisions, while employment opportunities,
housing availability, and climate have a very strong effect. This context suggests that people consider these other factors to
be more important than state taxes.

Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that state taxes aren’t as important a consideration as other factors when
people are thinking of moving to another state. The context doesn’t suggest that state taxes are “consistent with,” or in
agreement with these other factors. Choice B is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context to say that state taxes
are “representative of,” or typical of, other factors. Taxes aren’t an example of employment opportunities, housing availability,
and climate, which are the other factors listed in the text. Choice D is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context to
say that state taxes are “irrelevant to,” or unconnected or unimportant to other factors. State taxes are irrelevant to peoples’
decisions, not to other factors. In other words, although the text suggests that state taxes may be irrelevant to people
considering a move to another state, the other factors mentioned in the text, such as employment opportunities, are unable
to have an opinion about state taxes. Furthermore, the text indicates that significant differences in state taxes have almost
no effect on peoples’ choices to move, but they aren’t completely unimportant.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3f753a8e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 3f753a8e
Investigating whether shared false visual memories—specific but inaccurate and widely held recollections of images such as
product logos—are caused by people’s previous ______ incorrect renditions of the images, researchers Deepasri Prasad and
Wilma Bainbridge found that, in fact, such memories are often not explained by familiarity with erroneous versions of the
images.

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

A. compliance with

B. exposure to

C. criteria for

D. forfeiture of

ID: 3f753a8e Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. "Exposure to" means "having contact with." It makes sense that Prasad and Bainbridge were
investigating whether seeing false versions of images was a cause of false visual memories. Notice how "exposure to
incorrect renditions" matches the idea of "familiarity with erroneous versions," which appears later in the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect. "Compliance with" means "going along with a command or directive." False versions of images can’t
give commands or directives, so this doesn’t apply. Choice C is incorrect. "Criteria" means "standards by which to judge
something." It’s not clear how people would come to have standards for the wrong version of an image in the first place, let
alone how those standards would cause them to falsely remember the correct version. In other words, this choice would
result in a confusing, unclear sentence. Choice D is incorrect. "Forfeiture of" means "a giving up of something." It wouldn’t
make sense to say that false memories of an image might be caused by giving up the wrong version of the image.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID de2c2f57
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: de2c2f57
Text 1
The fossil record suggests that mammoths went extinct around 11 thousand years (kyr) ago. In a 2021 study of
environmental DNA (eDNA)—genetic material shed into the environment by organisms—in the Arctic, Yucheng Wang and
colleagues found mammoth eDNA in sedimentary layers formed millennia later, around 4 kyr ago. To account for this
discrepancy, Joshua H. Miller and Carl Simpson proposed that arctic temperatures could preserve a mammoth carcass on
the surface, allowing it to leach DNA into the environment, for several thousand years.
Text 2
Wang and colleagues concede that eDNA contains DNA from both living organisms and carcasses, but for DNA to leach
from remains over several millennia requires that the remains be perpetually on the surface. Scavengers and weathering in
the Arctic, however, are likely to break down surface remains well before a thousand years have passed.

Which choice best describes how Text 1 and Text 2 relate to each other?

Text 1 discusses two approaches to studying mammoth extinction without advocating for either, whereas Text 2
A. advocates for one approach over the other.

Text 1 presents findings by Wang and colleagues and gives another research team’s attempt to explain those findings,
B. whereas Text 2 provides additional detail that calls that explanation into question.

Text 1 describes Wang and colleagues’ study and a critique of their methodology, whereas Text 2 offers additional details
C. showing that methodology to be sound.

Text 1 argues that new research has undermined the standard view of when mammoths went extinct, whereas Text 2
D. suggests a way to reconcile the standard view with that new research.

ID: de2c2f57 Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. Text 1 introduces Wang and colleagues’ study and its surprising results, and then mentions
Miller and Simpson’s hypothesis as a possible way to explain them. Text 2, however, challenges Miller and Simpson’s
hypothesis by pointing out the difficulties of preserving mammoth carcasses on the surface for thousands of years:
“scavengers and weathering” are the additional details that complicate the Miller/Simpson hypothesis.

Choice A is incorrect. Neither text compares two different approaches for studying mammoth extinction. Text 1 describes
one study and one hypothesis pertaining to it. Text 2 critiques that hypothesis. Choice C is incorrect. Text 1 does not
describe a critique of Wang and colleagues’ methodology, but rather an interpretation of their results by Miller and Simpson.
Text 2 does not offer additional details showing that methodology to be sound, but rather casts doubt on the Miller/Simpson
explanation. Choice D is incorrect. Both components mentioned here (the new “undermining” research and the theory for
reconciling this discovery) are contained in Text 1. Text 2 then shows how the attempt to reconcile the standard view and
new research is flawed, and still fails to explain the discrepancy.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c885c38b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: c885c38b
Text 1
Conventional wisdom long held that human social systems evolved in stages, beginning with hunter-gatherers forming small
bands of members with roughly equal status. The shift to agriculture about 12,000 years ago sparked population growth that
led to the emergence of groups with hierarchical structures: associations of clans first, then chiefdoms, and finally,
bureaucratic states.
Text 2
In a 2021 book, anthropologist David Graeber and archaeologist David Wengrow maintain that humans have always been
socially flexible, alternately forming systems based on hierarchy and collective ones with decentralized leadership. The
authors point to evidence that as far back as 50,000 years ago some hunter-gatherers adjusted their social structures
seasonally, at times dispersing in small groups but also assembling into communities that included esteemed individuals.

Based on the texts, how would Graeber and Wengrow (Text 2) most likely respond to the “conventional wisdom” presented in
Text 1?

By conceding the importance of hierarchical systems but asserting the greater significance of decentralized collective
A. societies

B. By disputing the idea that developments in social structures have followed a linear progression through distinct stages

C. By acknowledging that hierarchical roles likely weren’t a part of social systems before the rise of agriculture

D. By challenging the assumption that groupings of hunter-gatherers were among the earliest forms of social structure

ID: c885c38b Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it describes the most likely way that Graeber and Wengrow (Text 2) would respond to
the “conventional wisdom” presented in Text 1. According to Text 1, the conventional wisdom about human social systems is
that they developed through stages, beginning with hunter-gatherer bands, then moving to clan associations, then
chiefdoms, and finally arriving at states with bureaucratic structures. Text 2 indicates that Graeber and Wengrow believe that
human social systems have been flexible, shifting between different types of structures, including both hierarchical and
collective systems, and that these shifts may have even occurred seasonally. This suggests that Graeber and Wengrow
would dispute the idea that developments in social structures have followed a linear progression through distinct stages.

Choice A is incorrect because nothing in Text 2 suggests that Graeber and Wengrow believe that decentralized collective
societies are more significant than hierarchical systems. Text 2 is focused on Graeber and Wengrow’s view that humans
have flexibly shifted among various social structures, not on the importance of particular structures relative to
others. Choice C is incorrect because Text 2 doesn’t include any information suggesting that Graeber and Wengrow believe
that hierarchies didn’t emerge until after the rise of agriculture. In fact, Text 2 indicates that Graeber and Wengrow cite
evidence suggesting that some hunter-gatherer groups formed social structures with hierarchical elements (“communities
that included esteemed individuals”) 50,000 years ago, long before the rise of agriculture, which Text 1 says occurred around
12,000 years ago. Choice D is incorrect because there’s no information in Text 2 suggesting that Graeber and Wengrow
would challenge the assumption that groupings of hunter-gatherers were among the earliest forms of social structure.
Although Text 1 does indicate that hunter-gatherer groups are assumed to be the earliest human social system, Text 2 says
only that Graeber and Wengrow believe that some hunter-gatherer groups made use of different social structures at different
times. Text 2 doesn’t imply that Graeber and Wengrow doubt that hunter-gatherer groups preceded most other social
structures.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f83f0aab
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: f83f0aab
Some scientists have suggested that mammals in the Mesozoic era were not a very ______ group, but paleontologist Zhe-Xi
Luo’s research suggests that early mammals living in the shadow of dinosaurs weren’t all ground-dwelling insectivores.
Fossils of various plant-eating mammals have been found in China, including species like Vilevolodon diplomylos, which Luo
says could glide like a flying squirrel.

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

A. predatory

B. obscure

C. diverse

D. localized

ID: f83f0aab Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the kinds of mammals alive during
the Mesozoic era. As used in this context, “diverse” means to have a significant amount of variety. The text indicates that
some scientists have suggested that Mesozoic mammals can’t be characterized in a certain way, then contrasts the view put
forward by those scientists with Luo’s research, which shows that Mesozoic mammals “weren’t all ground-dwelling
insectivores” and instead were “various.” This context suggests that some scientists have viewed Mesozoic mammals as
being all alike, or not a very diverse group.

Choice A is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that some scientists have suggested that Mesozoic mammals
weren’t very “predatory,” or that they didn’t prey on other animals, since the text establishes a contrast between what some
scientists have suggested and Luo’s research showing that Mesozoic mammals “weren’t all ground-dwelling insectivores.”
This context suggests that some scientists have regarded Mesozoic mammals as all being insectivores, or animals that prey
on insects, not that some scientists have suggested that Mesozoic mammals didn’t prey on other animals. Choice B is
incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that some scientists have suggested that Mesozoic mammals weren’t very
“obscure,” or concealed or not well known, since the text establishes a contrast between what some scientists have
suggested and Luo’s research showing that Mesozoic mammals were a varied group. There’s no contrast between saying
that the mammals weren’t concealed or well known and the mammals being varied. Choice D is incorrect because it wouldn’t
make sense to say that some scientists have suggested that Mesozoic mammals weren’t very “localized,” or confined to a
particular area, since the text establishes a contrast between what some scientists have suggested and Luo’s research
showing that Mesozoic mammals were a varied group. There’s no contrast between saying that the mammals weren’t
localized and the mammals being varied. Although the text mentions mammal fossils found in China, nothing in the
discussion of Luo’s research addresses the limits of Mesozoic mammal habitats.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID d0198544
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: d0198544
Text 1
In 2007, a team led by Alice Storey analyzed a chicken bone found in El Arenal, Chile, dating it to 1321–1407 CE—over a
century before Europeans invaded the region, bringing their own chickens. Storey also found that the El Arenal chicken
shared a unique genetic mutation with the ancient chicken breeds of the Polynesian Islands in the Pacific. Thus, Polynesian
peoples, not later Europeans, probably first introduced chickens to South America.
Text 2
An Australian research team weakened the case for a Polynesian origin for the El Arenal chicken by confirming that the
mutation identified by Storey has occurred in breeds from around the world. More recently, though, a team led by Agusto
Luzuriaga-Neira found that South American chicken breeds and Polynesian breeds share other genetic markers that
European breeds lack. Thus, the preponderance of evidence now favors a Polynesian origin.

Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the underlined claim in Text 1?

By broadly agreeing with the claim but objecting that the timeline it presupposes conflicts with the findings of the genetic
A. analysis conducted by Storey’s team

By faulting the claim for implying that domestic animals couldn’t have been transferred from South America to the
B. Polynesian Islands as well

By critiquing the claim for being based on an assumption that before the European invasion of South America, the
C. chickens of Europe were genetically uniform

By noting that while the claim is persuasive, the findings of Luzuriaga-Neira’s team provide stronger evidence for it than
D. the findings of the genetic analysis conducted by Storey do

ID: d0198544 Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it accurately describes how the author of Text 2 would most likely respond to the
underlined claim in Text 1. Text 1 indicates that Storey found a genetic mutation in South American chickens from before the
European invasion and in Polynesian chickens, which implies that chickens were first brought to South America by
Polynesian people. Text 2 explains that the genetic mutation Storey found is in chickens from all over the world, thus
undercutting the mutation as evidence of a Polynesian origin. However, Text 2 goes on to say “[m]ore recently” Luzuriaga-
Neira and colleagues found multiple genetic markers shared by South American and Polynesian chickens but “that European
breeds lack,” which strongly suggests a Polynesian origin for the South American chickens. This indicates that the author of
Text 2 believes Luzuriaga-Neira’s evidence for a Polynesian origin is compelling while Storey’s evidence has been
undermined. Thus, the author of Text 2 would most likely agree with the underlined statement and believes Luzuriaga-Neira
and colleagues’ evidence for the statement is stronger than Storey’s evidence is.

Choice A is incorrect because both texts indicate that chickens were introduced to South America before the arrival of
Europeans. Text 1 states that the El Arenal chicken bone dates from “1321–1407 CE—over a century before Europeans
invaded the region” and concludes that these chickens were likely brought to South America by Polynesians. While Text 2 is
not as explicit about the time period as Text 1 is, nothing in Text 2 undermines the timing of events ascribed to Storey’s
account in Text 1. Choice B is incorrect because both texts agree that chickens were first brought to South America by
Polynesian peoples (the underlined claim), and nothing in Text 2 suggests that this claim is in any way deficient because the
possibility that animals could have been transferred from South America to Polynesia was not explicitly addressed. Choice C
is incorrect because the criticism that Text 2 raises about the ideas in Text 1 is specifically about whether the single genetic
mutation cited by Storey in fact supports the idea of a Polynesian origin for South American chickens. There is nothing in
Text 2 to suggest that the underlined sentence (Storey’s conclusion) is deficient because it is based on an assumption about
the genetic uniformity of European chickens.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 17bf10de
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: 17bf10de
Text 1
Despite its beautiful prose, The Guns of August, Barbara Tuchman’s 1962 analysis of the start of World War I, has certain
weaknesses as a work of history. It fails to address events in Eastern Europe just before the outbreak of hostilities, thereby
giving the impression that Germany was the war’s principal instigator. Had Tuchman consulted secondary works available to
her by scholars such as Luigi Albertini, she would not have neglected the influence of events in Eastern Europe on Germany’s
actions.
Text 2
Barbara Tuchman’s The Guns of August is an engrossing if dated introduction to World War I. Tuchman’s analysis of primary
documents is laudable, but her main thesis that European powers committed themselves to a catastrophic outcome by
refusing to deviate from military plans developed prior to the conflict is implausibly reductive.

Which choice best describes a difference in how the authors of Text 1 and Text 2 view Barbara Tuchman’s The Guns of
August?

The author of Text 1 argues that Tuchman should have relied more on the work of other historians, while the author of
A. Text 2 implies that Tuchman’s most interesting claims result from her original research.

The author of Text 1 believes that the scope of Tuchman’s research led her to an incorrect interpretation, while the author
B. of Text 2 believes that Tuchman’s central argument is overly simplistic.

The author of Text 1 asserts that the writing style of The Guns of August makes it worthwhile to read despite any
perceived deficiency in Tuchman’s research, while the author of Text 2 focuses exclusively on the weakness of Tuchman’s
C. interpretation of events.

The author of Text 1 claims that Tuchman would agree that World War I was largely due to events in Eastern Europe,
while the author of Text 2 maintains that Tuchman would say that Eastern European leaders were not committed to
D. military plans in the same way that other leaders were.

ID: 17bf10de Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. Both texts are critical of The Guns of August, but for different reasons: the author of Text 1
argues that Tuchman missed an important factor leading up to the war because she didn’t consult secondary sources, and
the author of Text 2 argues that Tuchman’s main thesis is "reductive," which is a close synonym for "overly simplistic."

Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t accurately describe the difference. This choice’s summary of Text 1 is accurate, but Text 2
never says that Tuchman’s most interesting claims result from her original research. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t
accurately describe the difference. Text 1 never says that The Guns of August is worthwhile to read despite its research
weaknesses. Text 2 does call out a weakness of Tuchman’s interpretation of events, but it also praises her analysis of
primary sources. Choice D is incorrect. This doesn’t accurately describe the difference. Text 1 actually says that Tuchman
"fails to address" the influence of events in Eastern Europe, while Text 2 says that Tuchman’s thesis was that European
powers (not Eastern European leaders) were committed to military plans.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3d658a5a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 3d658a5a
Some foraging models predict that the distance bees travel when foraging will decline as floral density increases, but
biologists Shalene Jha and Claire Kremen showed that bees’ behavior is inconsistent with this prediction if flowers in dense
patches are ______: bees will forage beyond patches of low species richness to acquire multiple resource types.

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

A. depleted

B. homogeneous

C. immature

D. dispersed

ID: 3d658a5a Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Jha and Kremen’s finding about
bees’ foraging behavior. In this context, “homogeneous” means uniform or of the same kind. The text indicates that some
models predict that the distance that bees travel when they’re foraging declines as the density of flowers increases. The text
goes on to say, however, that Jha and Kremen identified a circumstance in which bees don’t behave this way. Specifically, if
bees encounter “patches of low species richness”—that is, patches in which the flowers are largely from the same species—
they’ll travel beyond those patches to get varied food resources. This context thus suggests that bees don’t behave as some
models predict if the dense patches of flowers the bees encounter are homogeneous.

Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that Jha and Kremen found that bees will behave differently than some
models predict if the bees encounter flower patches that are not rich in species, not if the flowers are “depleted,” or emptied
or reduced in quality or quantity. Although it could be true that bees are likely to leave depleted patches in search of more
resources, the text doesn’t indicate that Jha and Kremen investigated that possibility. Choice C is incorrect because there’s
no information in the text suggesting that bees will not behave as some models predict if flowers in patches are “immature,”
or not fully developed. Instead, the text indicates that Jha and Kremen found that bees will behave contrary to some models’
predictions if the flower patches are not rich in species. Choice D is incorrect because the text indicates that bees’ behavior
will be inconsistent with the predictions of some models if the flower patches that the bees encounter are of low species
richness, not if the flowers are in patches that are “dispersed,” or widely scattered. Although the text does describe bees as
leaving patches that are not rich in species to forage elsewhere, there’s no suggestion that Jha and Kremen found that the
distance between dense flower patches affects whether the bees behave as some models predict.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a70cbc53
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: a70cbc53
Raymond Antrobus, an accomplished poet and writer of prose, recently released his debut spoken word poetry album, The
First Time I Wore Hearing Aids, in collaboration with producer Ian Brennan. The album contains both autobiographical and
reflective pieces combining Antrobus’s spoken words with Brennan’s fragmented audio elements and pieces of music to
convey how people who are deaf may experience sound, both its presence and absence. Some critics suggest that the
album questions the function of sound in the world, highlighting that the experience of sound is multifaceted.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

It introduces a collaborative spoken word poetry project, details the approach taken to produce the work, and then
A. provides an example of critique the album received upon release.

It mentions a collection of spoken word poems, distinguishes one poem as being an exemplar on the album, and then
B. offers a summary of the subject matter of the whole collection.

It summarizes the efforts to produce a collection of spoken word poems, presents biographies of two people who
C. worked on the album, and speculates about the meaning behind the poetry.

It connects two artists to the same spoken word poetry project, explains the extent of their collaboration on each poem,
D. and then provides an overview of the technique used to produce the work.

ID: a70cbc53 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The text first introduces the album as being a collaboration between Antrobus and Brennan,
then describes the approach taken to produce it, then mentions how critics have said that it calls into question the function
of sound.

Choice B is incorrect. While the text does mention a collection of spoken word poems, it doesn’t single out one poem as
being particularly noteworthy. Additionally, the text doesn’t simply summarize the subject matter—it goes into detail about
the content and production of the album. Choice C is incorrect. The text doesn’t provide biographical information about the
two artists, and the text doesn’t speculate about the meaning behind the poetry—instead, it relays what some critics have
said about the album. Choice D is incorrect. The text doesn’t provide just an overview of the production techniques used but
instead goes into more detail about the content and audio elements of the album, as well as critical response to the album.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 4eee64fa
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 4eee64fa
Space scientists Anna-Lisa Paul, Stephen M. Elardo, and Robert Ferl planted seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana in samples of
lunar regolith—the surface material of the Moon—and, serving as a control group, in terrestrial soil. They found that while all
the seeds germinated, the roots of the regolith-grown plants were stunted compared with those in the control group.
Moreover, unlike the plants in the control group, the regolith-grown plants exhibited red pigmentation, reduced leaf size, and
inhibited growth rates—indicators of stress that were corroborated by postharvest molecular analysis.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

It describes an experiment that addressed an unresolved question about the extent to which lunar regolith resembles
A. terrestrial soils.

B. It compares two distinct methods of assessing indicators of stress in plants grown in a simulated lunar environment.

C. It presents evidence in support of the hypothesis that seed germination in lunar habitats is an unattainable goal.

D. It discusses the findings of a study that evaluated the effects of exposing a plant species to lunar soil conditions.

ID: 4eee64fa Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The text describes an experiment wherein space scientists compared plant growth in terrestrial
and lunar soil conditions. It then discusses the findings of the study, including the fact that all the seeds germinated but that
the plants grown in lunar soil exhibited signs of stress.

Choice A is incorrect. The text doesn’t address this question, and never describes any specific characteristics of either soil. It
merely describes the outcome of an experiment that exposed a plant species to lunar soil conditions. Choice B is incorrect.
The text never compares methods of assessing indicators of stress—instead, it simply mentions several stress indicators
observed in the study (red pigmentation, reduced leaf size, and inhibited growth rates). Choice C is incorrect. The text doesn’t
present any evidence that we could never achieve seed germination in lunar habitats, and in fact states that the seeds in the
lunar soil did germinate.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 0a04cac5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 0a04cac5
The following text is adapted from Jane Austen’s 1814 novel Mansfield Park. The speaker, Tom, is considering staging a play
at home with a group of his friends and family.
We mean nothing but a little amusement among ourselves, just to vary the scene, and exercise our powers in something
new. We want no audience, no publicity. We may be trusted, I think, in choosing some play most perfectly unexceptionable;
and I can conceive no greater harm or danger to any of us in conversing in the elegant written language of some
respectable author than in chattering in words of our own.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To offer Tom’s assurance that the play will be inoffensive and involve only a small number of people

B. To clarify that the play will not be performed in the manner Tom had originally intended

C. To elaborate on the idea that the people around Tom lack the skills to successfully stage a play

D. To assert that Tom believes the group performing the play will be able to successfully promote it

ID: 0a04cac5 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately portrays the main purpose of the text. At the beginning of the text,
Tom asserts that he and the other people staging the play are doing so only for “a little amusement among ourselves” and
aren’t interested in attracting an audience or any attention with the production. Then, Tom promises that the play they chose
is modest and appropriate, and he further reasons that using the well-written prose of “some respectable author” is better
than using their own words. Overall, the main purpose of the text is to convey Tom’s promise that the play will be inoffensive
and involve only a few people.

Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t indicate that Tom had earlier intentions for the play’s performance or that
anything has changed since the group first decided to stage a play. Instead, the text focuses on how harmless the entire
endeavor will be. Choice C is incorrect. Although Tom mentions that using the words of a “respectable author” will be better
than using their own words, he never addresses the idea that the people around him generally aren’t skilled enough to stage
a play. Choice D is incorrect because in the text Tom specifically says that they “want no audience, no publicity,” which
indicates that they don’t plan on promoting the play at all.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 79fe7550
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 79fe7550
Researcher Haesung Jung led a 2020 study showing that individual acts of kindness can ______ prosocial behavior across a
larger group. Jung and her team found that bystanders who witness a helpful act become more likely to offer help to
someone else, and in doing so, can inspire still others to act.

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

A. require

B. remember

C. foster

D. discourage

ID: 79fe7550 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Jung and her team’s study of acts
of kindness. In this context, “foster” means encourage or promote the development of. The text indicates that Jung and her
team found that seeing a helpful (or prosocial) act makes a bystander more likely to help someone else, which can in turn
inspire additional people to help others. That is, the team showed that single acts of kindness can foster additional prosocial
acts across a group.

Choice A is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that Jung and her team found that single acts of kindness
“require,” or depend on or make obligatory, broader prosocial (or helpful) behavior across a group. There’s no suggestion in
the text that individual acts of kindness can only occur if other prosocial acts have already occurred, and the text indicates
only that an act of kindness can inspire additional helpful acts, not that it necessarily will do so. Choice B is incorrect
because the text focuses on a possible direct effect of individual acts of kindness, or single helpful actions, and it wouldn’t
make sense to suggest that actions can “remember,” or hold a memory of, something. Choice D is incorrect because the text
doesn’t indicate that Jung and her team found that single acts of kindness can “discourage,” or hinder, prosocial (or helpful)
behavior across a group. On the contrary, the text states that Jung and her team found that seeing a helpful act makes a
bystander more likely to help someone else, which can in turn inspire even more people to help others.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e4f312c5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: e4f312c5
While most animals are incapable of passing somatic mutations—genetic alterations that arise in an organism’s
nonreproductive cells—on to their offspring, elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) presents an intriguing ______: in a 2022 study,
researchers found that elkhorn coral produced offspring that inherited somatic mutations from a parent.

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

A. hypothesis

B. affinity

C. anomaly

D. corroboration

ID: e4f312c5 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. An "anomaly" is something that deviates from norms or expectations. In this case, the elkhorn
coral is an anomaly because it can pass on somatic mutations, whereas most other animals can’t.

Choice A is incorrect. A "hypothesis" is "a theory about something," but no theories are provided about elkhorn coral in this
text, just facts. Choice B is incorrect. "Affinity" represents "an inclination or liking toward something." As genetic mutations
tend to occur without any conscious effort, you can’t really have an inclination toward passing on somatic mutations. Choice
D is incorrect. "Corroboration" means "evidence to support or prove something." Because elkhorn coral do the opposite of
what most animals do, they do not provide corroboration of the theory that somatic mutations can’t be passed onto
offspring. Rather, they show the opposite.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 5e101c70
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: 5e101c70
Text 1
Most animals can regenerate some parts of their bodies, such as skin. But when a three-banded panther worm is cut into
three pieces, each piece grows into a new worm. Researchers are investigating this feat partly to learn more about humans’
comparatively limited abilities to regenerate, and they’re making exciting progress. An especially promising discovery is that
both humans and panther worms have a gene for early growth response (EGR) linked to regeneration.
Text 2
When Mansi Srivastava and her team reported that panther worms, like humans, possess a gene for EGR, it caused
excitement. However, as the team pointed out, the gene likely functions very differently in humans than it does in panther
worms. Srivastava has likened EGR to a switch that activates other genes involved in regeneration in panther worms, but
how this switch operates in humans remains unclear.

Based on the texts, what would the author of Text 2 most likely say about Text 1’s characterization of the discovery involving
EGR?

It is reasonable given that Srivastava and her team have identified how EGR functions in both humans and panther
A. worms.

B. It is overly optimistic given additional observations from Srivastava and her team.

C. It is unexpected given that Srivastava and her team’s findings were generally met with enthusiasm.

D. It is unfairly dismissive given the progress that Srivastava and her team have reported.

ID: 5e101c70 Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it reflects how the author of Text 2 would most likely respond to Text 1 based on the
information provided. Text 1 discusses the discovery of a regeneration-linked gene, EGR, in both three-banded panther
worms (which are capable of full regeneration) and humans (who have relatively limited regeneration abilities). Text 1
characterizes this discovery as “especially promising” and a sign of “exciting progress” in understanding human
regeneration. The author of Text 2, on the other hand, focuses on the fact that the team that reported the EGR finding pointed
out that while EGR’s function in humans isn’t yet known, it’s likely very different from its function in panther worms.
Therefore, the author of Text 2 would most likely say that Text 1’s enthusiasm about the EGR discovery is overly optimistic
given Srivastava’s team’s observations about EGR in humans.

Choice A is incorrect because the author of Text 2 explains that Srivastava and her team explicitly reported that they haven’t
yet identified how EGR functions in humans; therefore, the author of Text 2 wouldn’t say that Text 1’s excitement is
reasonable for the stated reason. Instead, the author of Text 2 would likely characterize Text 1’s excitement as premature
and overly optimistic. Choice C is incorrect because Text 1 does treat Srivastava’s team’s findings with enthusiasm; it
describes the discovery of EGR in both three-banded panther worms and humans as promising and exciting. It would be
illogical for the author of Text 2 to say that because most others treat the discovery with enthusiasm, Text 1’s enthusiastic
characterization of the discovery is unexpected. Choice D is incorrect because Text 1 isn’t at all dismissive of Srivastava’s
team’s findings; instead, Text 1 is optimistic about the EGR discovery, characterizing it as promising and exciting. There’s
nothing in Text 2 to suggest that the author of Text 2 would say that Text 1’s praise for the discovery is dismissive, or
disdainful.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f99847ed
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: f99847ed
For her 2021 art installation Anthem, Wu Tsang joined forces with singer and composer Beverly Glenn-Copeland to produce a
piece that critics found truly ______: they praised Tsang for creatively transforming a museum rotunda into a dynamic exhibit
by projecting filmed images of Glenn-Copeland onto a massive 84-foot curtain and filling the space with the sounds of his
and other voices singing.

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

A. restrained

B. inventive

C. inexplicable

D. mystifying

ID: f99847ed Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the art installation Anthem. In this
context, “inventive” means characterized by invention and creativity. The text explains that critics’ responses to the
installation involved praise for Tsang’s creative transformation of a space into a dynamic exhibit with huge images and lots
of sound. This context conveys that the critics found the piece particularly creative.

Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that critics praised the installation for being dynamic and including huge
images and lots of sound, and it wouldn’t make sense to describe such an exhibit as “restrained,” or limited and not
extravagant or showy. Choice C is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that critics found the installation
“inexplicable,” or incapable of being explained or interpreted, since the critics were able to explain their praise for the
installation’s transformation of a space with huge images and lots of sound. Choice D is incorrect because the text focuses
on the idea that critics praised Tsang for creatively transforming a space into a dynamic exhibit, not that they found the
installation “mystifying,” or bewildering and hard to understand. Nothing in the text suggests that the critics couldn’t
understand the piece.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 5dce6cab
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 5dce6cab
Given that the conditions in binary star systems should make planetary formation nearly impossible, it’s not surprising that
the existence of planets in such systems has lacked ______ explanation. Roman Rafikov and Kedron Silsbee shed light on the
subject when they used modeling to determine a complex set of factors that could support planets’ development.

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

A. a discernible

B. a straightforward

C. an inconclusive

D. an unbiased

ID: 5dce6cab Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s description of efforts to explain the existence of
planets in binary star systems. As used in this context, describing an explanation as “a straightforward” one would mean that
the explanation is direct and uncomplicated. The text asserts that since it should be “nearly impossible” for planets to form
in binary star systems, it’s “not surprising” that there isn’t a straightforward explanation for the existence of planets in such
systems; the fact that one potential approach involves “complex” factors offers further contextual support for this idea.

Choice A is incorrect because it would not make sense in context to say that there isn’t “a discernible” explanation—meaning
an explanation capable of being perceived—for the existence of planets in binary star systems. The text discusses just such
an explanation offered by Roman Rafikov and Kedron Silsbee, which indicates that their explanation can be
discerned. Choice C is incorrect because the text emphasizes how difficult it is to explain the existence of planets in binary
star systems, suggesting that the situation isn’t marked by the lack of “an inconclusive” explanation—an explanation that
does not resolve the issue—but rather that if any explanations have been offered, they’ve likely been inconclusive
ones. Choice D is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that there is a lack of “an unbiased,” or impartial and
unprejudiced, explanation for the existence of planets in binary star systems. The text indicates that it’s difficult to explain
the existence of planets in such systems and it describes one attempt to do so, but there is no evidence that explanations
from Roman Rafikov and Kedron Silsbee or others are biased.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6a1dc7c5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: 6a1dc7c5
Text 1
Virginia Woolf’s 1928 novel Orlando is an oddity within her body of work. Her other major novels consist mainly of scenes of
everyday life and describe their characters’ interior states in great detail, whereas Orlando propels itself through a series of
fantastical events and considers its characters’ psychology more superficially. Woolf herself sometimes regarded the novel
as a minor work, even admitting once that she “began it as a joke.”
Text 2
Like Woolf’s other great novels, Orlando portrays how people’s memories inform their experience of the present. Like those
works, it examines how people navigate social interactions shaped by gender and social class. Though it is lighter in tone—
more entertaining, even—this literary “joke” nonetheless engages seriously with the themes that motivated the four or five
other novels by Woolf that have achieved the status of literary classics.

Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the assessment of Orlando presented in Text 1?

By conceding that Woolf’s talents were best suited to serious novels but asserting that the humor in Orlando is often
A. effective

By agreeing that Orlando is less impressive than certain other novels by Woolf but arguing that it should still be regarded
B. as a classic

By acknowledging that Orlando clearly differs from Woolf’s other major novels but insisting on its centrality to her body of
C. work nonetheless

By concurring that the reputation of Orlando as a minor work has led readers to overlook this novel but maintaining that
D. the reputation is unearned

ID: 6a1dc7c5 Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it reflects how the author of Text 2 would most likely respond to the assessment of
Orlando in Text 1. Both authors agree that Orlando is unusual for Woolf: Text 1 states that the novel examines its characters’
psychologies more superficially than Woolf’s other novels do, and Text 2 describes it as being lighter in tone. However, while
Text 1 calls Orlando an “oddity” and mentions that Woolf “began it as a joke,” Text 2 asserts that Orlando engages the same
themes as Woolf’s other great novels. Hence, the author of Text 2 would most likely accept that Orlando differs from Woolf’s
other novels but would also insist on its importance in the context of Woolf’s work as a writer.

Choice A is incorrect. Text 2 does suggest that the humor in Orlando is effective. However, there’s nothing in Text 2 to
suggest that the author would agree that Woolf’s talents were best suited to serious novels. Rather, the author of Text 2
compares Orlando favorably to other novels by Woolf that are implied to be darker in tone. Choice B is incorrect because the
author of Text 2 does not indicate that Orlando is less impressive than Woolf’s other novels, but instead points out that it
engages the same themes as other novels by Woolf that are considered classics. Choice D is incorrect because there’s
nothing in Text 1 or Text 2 to suggest that readers have generally ignored Orlando because of its reputation.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e4e2aeb3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: e4e2aeb3
Text 1
Like the work of Ralph Ellison before her, Toni Morrison’s novels feature scenes in which characters deliver sermons of such
length and verbal dexterity that for a time, the text exchanges the formal parameters of fiction for those of oral literature.
Given the many other echoes of Ellison in Morrison’s novels, both in structure and prose style, these scenes suggest Ellison’s
direct influence on Morrison.
Text 2
In their destabilizing effect on literary form, the sermons in Morrison’s works recall those in Ellison’s. Yet literature by Black
Americans abounds in moments where interpolated speech erodes the division between oral and written forms that
literature in English has traditionally observed. Morrison’s use of the sermon is attributable not only to the influence of Ellison
but also to a community-wide strategy of resistance to externally imposed literary conventions.

Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely characterize the underlined claim in Text 1?

As failing to consider Ellison’s and Morrison’s equivalent uses of the sermon within the wider cultural context in which
A. they wrote

B. As misunderstanding the function of sermons in novels by Black American writers other than Ellison and Morrison

C. As disregarding points of structural and stylistic divergence between the works of Ellison and those of Morrison

As being indebted to the tradition of resisting literary conventions that privilege written forms, such as novels, over
D. sermons and other oral forms

ID: e4e2aeb3 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The author of Text 2 argues that Morrison’s use of the sermon is not only influenced by Ellison,
but also by a “community-wide strategy of resistance” to literary conventions practiced by Black American authors. Ellison,
Text 2 alleges, is only one of many influences on Morrison.

Choice B is incorrect. Neither text specifically mentions sermons in works by authors other than Morrison or Ellison, only a
tendency towards eroding “the division between oral and written forms” among Black American writers. Choice C is
incorrect. Both texts describe similarities between the works of Ellison and Morrison, and neither points out instances of
divergence. Text 2 simply suggests that Morrison was influenced by more than just Ellison. Choice D is incorrect. While Text
2 does discuss Morrison’s resistance to certain literary conventions, it’s unclear what it would mean for the underlined claim
to be “indebted” to that tradition. This choice recycles language from the text, but not in a way that makes any coherent
point.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a60b0004
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: a60b0004
Scholarly discussions of gender in Shakespeare’s comedies often celebrate the rebellion of the playwright’s characters
against the rigid expectations ______ by Elizabethan society. Most of the comedies end in marriage, with characters returning
to their socially dictated gender roles after previously defying them, but there are some notable exceptions.

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

A. interjected

B. committed

C. illustrated

D. prescribed

ID: a60b0004 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of gender roles in Shakespeare’s
comedies. As used in this context, “prescribed” would mean laid down as rules. The text indicates that the characters in the
comedies often defy gender roles that are “socially dictated” (even if most characters do return to those roles eventually)
and that scholars have been very interested in these acts of defiance. This context indicates that what the characters are
rebelling against are standards of behavior prescribed by the society of the time.

Choice A is incorrect because saying that expectations about gender were “interjected,” or suddenly inserted between other
things, wouldn’t make sense in context. There’s no suggestion in the text that the issue of gender roles was inserted between
other things or was an interruption in a larger discussion. Choice B is incorrect because the text indicates that Shakespeare
depicts characters rebelling against expectations about gender that have been “socially dictated,” not expectations that
society has “committed,” or carried out, entrusted, or promised. Choice C is incorrect because the text indicates that
Shakespeare depicts characters rebelling against expectations about gender that have been “socially dictated,” not
expectations that have been “illustrated,” or clarified with examples. Although it’s possible for expectations about gender
roles to be illustrated, there’s nothing in the text to indicate that characters in Shakespeare’s comedies rebel against
illustrations of gender expectations.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 570970cd
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 570970cd
The following text is adapted from Indian Boyhood, a 1902 memoir by Ohiyesa (Charles A. Eastman), a Santee Dakota writer.
In the text, Ohiyesa recalls how the women in his tribe harvested maple syrup during his childhood.
Now the women began to test the trees—moving leisurely among them, axe in hand, and striking a single quick blow, to
see if the sap would appear. The trees, like people, have their individual characters; some were ready to yield up their life-
blood, while others were more reluctant. Now one of the birchen basins was set under each tree, and a hardwood chip
driven deep into the cut which the axe had made. From the corners of this chip—at first drop by drop, then more freely—the
sap trickled into the little dishes.

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

A. It portrays the range of personality traits displayed by the women as they work.

B. It foregrounds the beneficial relationship between humans and maple trees.

C. It demonstrates how human behavior can be influenced by the natural environment.

D. It elaborates on an aspect of the maple trees that the women evaluate.

ID: 570970cd Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text’s overall portrayal
of how the women in Ohiyesa’s tribe harvested maple syrup. The text states that the women used an axe to strike the maple
trees in order to find out which ones would produce sap. The underlined sentence compares the trees to people, with the sap
described as the trees’ “life-blood.” Some of the trees are ready to give out their sap, while others are unwilling to do so.
Using personification, the sentence provides greater detail about the aspect of the maple trees—their potential to give sap—
that the women are evaluating.

Choice A is incorrect because the personalities of the women are not discussed in the text. Although the underlined
sentence does mention “individual characters,” this reference is not to the women in the text but rather to the maple trees,
which the sentence compares to people with individual character traits. Choice B is incorrect because the underlined
sentence focuses on the trees’ willingness or refusal to yield sap, not on the beneficial relationship between the women and
the trees. Additionally, although the text does suggest that the women and their tribe benefit from the maple trees since the
trees allow the women to harvest syrup, there is nothing in the text to suggest that the trees benefit from this relationship in
turn. Choice C is incorrect because the underlined sentence is comparing maple trees to humans, not addressing the
influence of the natural environment on how the actual humans in the text, the women, behave.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e7d37666
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: e7d37666
It is by no means ______ to recognize the influence of Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch on Ali Banisadr’s paintings; indeed,
Banisadr himself cites Bosch as an inspiration. However, some scholars have suggested that the ancient Mesopotamian
poem Epic of Gilgamesh may have had a far greater impact on Banisadr’s work.

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

A. substantial

B. satisfying

C. unimportant

D. appropriate

ID: e7d37666 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the sentence about the influences on Banisadr’s work. In
context, “It is by no means” followed by “unimportant” conveys how it is relevant to recognize Bosch’s influence on Banisadr.
The text points out that the artist himself cites Bosch as an inspiration, and then goes on to claim that The Epic of Gilgamesh
has had a more significant influence than Bosch.

Choice A is incorrect because “substantial,” which means weighty or meaningful, incorrectly suggests that it wouldn’t be
meaningful to acknowledge Bosch’s influence on Banisadr. The phrase “indeed, Banisadr himself cites Bosch as an
inspiration” doesn’t support this suggestion. Choice B is incorrect because “satisfying,” which means pleasing, incorrectly
suggests that it wouldn’t be pleasing to acknowledge Bosch’s influence on Banisadr. The phrase “indeed, Banisadr himself
cites Bosch as an inspiration” doesn’t support this suggestion. Choice D is incorrect because “appropriate,” which means
suitable, incorrectly suggests that it wouldn’t be proper to acknowledge Bosch’s influence on Banisadr. The phrase “indeed,
Banisadr himself cites Bosch as an inspiration” doesn’t support this suggestion.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 34d7bb25
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 34d7bb25
According to Indian economist and sociologist Radhakamal Mukerjee (1889–1968), the Eurocentric concepts that informed
early twentieth-century social scientific methods—for example, the idea that all social relations are reducible to struggles
between individuals—had little relevance for India. Making the social sciences more responsive to Indians’ needs, Mukerjee
argued, required constructing analytical categories informed by India’s cultural and ecological circumstances. Mukerjee thus
proposed the communalist “Indian village” as the ideal model on which to base Indian economic and social policy.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

The text recounts Mukerjee’s early training in the social scientific disciplines and then lists social policies whose
A. implementation Mukerjee oversaw.

The text mentions some of Mukerjee’s economic theories and then traces their impact on other Indian social scientists of
B. the twentieth century.

The text presents Mukerjee’s critique of the social sciences and then provides an example of his attempts to address
C. issues he identified in his critique.

The text explains an influential economic theory and then demonstrates how that theory was more important to
D. Mukerjee’s work than other social scientists have acknowledged.

ID: 34d7bb25 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The text does indeed present Mukerjee’s critique of the social sciences—that they were too
Eurocentric—and then provides an example of how he attempted to address the issues he identified: by suggesting a social
science model based on the Indian village.

Choice A is incorrect. The text doesn’t discuss Mukerjee’s early training or his oversight of the implementation of social
policies at all. Choice B is incorrect. The text never discusses any other Indian social scientists. Choice D is incorrect. The
text never mentions other social scientists’ responses to Mukerjee’s work.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3566120b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 3566120b
The following text is adapted from Oscar Wilde’s 1895 play The Importance of Being Earnest. CECILY: Have we got to part?
ALGERNON: I am afraid so. It’s a very painful parting.
CECILY: It is always painful to part from people whom one has known for a very brief space of time. The absence of old
friends one can endure with equanimity. But even a momentary separation from anyone to whom one has just been
introduced is almost unbearable.

As used in the text, what does the word “endure” most nearly mean?

A. Regret

B. Persist

C. Tolerate

D. Encourage

ID: 3566120b Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because as used in the text, “endure” most nearly means tolerate. In the text, Cecily and
Algernon discuss parting, or saying goodbye. Cecily remarks on the deep pain of saying goodbye to people whom one has
only known briefly and then comments on the equanimity, or calm steadiness, one experiences when separated from old
friends. The text sets up an ironic contrast: one can easily tolerate, or put up with, the absence of close friends, but even a
very short separation from a new acquaintance is unbearable.

Choice A is incorrect. Nothing in the text suggests that Cecily associates regret, or a feeling of sorrow, with the absence of
old friends. Rather, the text sets up an ironic contrast between the feeling of calm steadiness one feels when separated from
old friends and the unbearable pain of being separated from new acquaintances. Choice B is incorrect. Although in some
contexts “endure” can mean persist, or proceed stubbornly, it doesn’t have that meaning in this context because what is
being endured is the absence of old friends. Whereas one can persist despite the absence of someone else, one can’t persist
the absence itself. Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t convey that Cecily encourages, or urges, old friends to be
absent. Although it may be that Cecily prefers new acquaintances to friends she has known for a long time, the text focuses
on her feelings as a result of others’ absences, not on her treatment of others.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 84dbd633
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: 84dbd633
Text 1
The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction event is usually attributed solely to an asteroid impact near Chicxulub,
Mexico. Some scientists argue that volcanic activity was the true cause, as the K-Pg event occurred relatively early in a long
period of eruption of the Deccan Traps range that initially produced huge amounts of climate-altering gases. These
dissenters note that other mass extinctions have coincided with large volcanic eruptions, while only the K-Pg event lines up
with an asteroid strike.
Text 2
In a 2020 study, Pincelli Hull and her colleagues analyzed ocean core samples and modeled climate changes around the K-
Pg event. The team concluded that Deccan Traps gases did affect global conditions prior to the event, but that the climate
returned to normal well before the extinctions began—extinctions that instead closely align with the Chicxulub impact.

Based on the texts, how would Hull’s team (Text 2) most likely respond to the argument in the underlined portion of Text 1?

A. By agreeing that the Chicxulub impact changed the climate and that the Deccan Traps eruption caused the K-Pg event

B. By declaring that the changes in climate caused by the Deccan Traps eruption weren’t the main cause of the K-Pg event

C. By questioning why those scientists assume that the Chicxulub impact caused the Deccan Traps eruption

By asserting that the Deccan Traps eruption had a more significant effect on global conditions than those scientists
D. claim

ID: 84dbd633 Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it describes how Hull’s team would most likely respond to the argument in the
underlined portion of Text 1, which asserts that volcanic activity in the Deccan Traps range led to changes in the climate and
caused the K-Pg mass extinction event. According to Text 2, although Hull’s team found that activity in the Deccan Traps did
indeed alter the climate before the K-Pg event, the team determined that the climate had returned to normal before mass
extinctions began. This finding and the observation that the K-Pg extinctions closely align with the Chicxulub asteroid impact
suggest that Hull’s team would likely dispute the claim in the underlined portion of Text 1 and say that the climate changes
caused by the Deccan Traps activity were not the main cause of the extinctions.

Choice A is incorrect because Text 2 describes how Hull’s team found that the climate had recovered from the changes
brought about by the Deccan Traps activity before the K-Pg event occurred, which suggests that Hull’s team would disagree
that the Deccan Traps activity caused the K-Pg event. Additionally, the claim in the underlined portion of Text 1 says nothing
about how the Chicxulub impact changed the climate, so while Hull’s team might believe that the impact did in fact change
the climate, they could not be said to agree with the claim in Text 1 on this point. Choice C is incorrect because there is no
indication in either text that any scientists assume that the Chicxulub impact caused the Deccan Traps activity, so there is no
reason to conclude that Hull’s team would question why the scientists referred to in Text 1 make such an
assumption. Choice D is incorrect because Text 2 describes how Hull’s team found that the climate had recovered from the
changes brought about by the Deccan Traps activity before the K-Pg event occurred, which suggests that Hull’s team would
say that the Deccan Traps activity had a less enduring effect on global conditions than the scientists referenced in Text 1
believe, not that the effect on global conditions was more significant than those scientists claim.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c14daa3c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: c14daa3c
Close analysis of the painting Girl with a Flute, long attributed to the seventeenth-century Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer,
has revealed subtle deviations from the artist’s signature techniques. These variations suggest that the work may be that of
a student under Vermeer’s tutelage—potentially ______ our understanding of Vermeer as a solitary artist.

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

A. negating

B. prefiguring

C. entrenching

D. substantiating

ID: c14daa3c Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. "Negating" means "reversing" or "making invalid." Proving that Vermeer worked with students
would reverse the view of him as a solitary artist.

Choice B is incorrect. "Prefiguring" means "being an early indicator of." There already existed views of Vermeer as a solitary
painter, so a new painting would not be an early indicator of those views. Rather, a painting proving that Vermeer had a
student would contradict those earlier views. Choice C is incorrect. "Entrenching" means "solidifying." A painting proving that
Vermeer had a student would not solidify views of him as solitary, but would rather contradict those views. Choice D is
incorrect. "Substantiating" means "supporting with proof." A painting proving that Vermeer had a student would not support
views of him as solitary, but would rather contradict those views.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b411eb09
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: b411eb09
New and interesting research conducted by Suleiman A. Al-Sweedan and Moath Alhaj is inspired by their observation that
though there have been many studies of the effect of high altitude on blood chemistry, there is a ______ studies of the effect
on blood chemistry of living in locations below sea level, such as the California towns of Salton City and Seeley.

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

A. quarrel about

B. paucity of

C. profusion of

D. verisimilitude in

ID: b411eb09 Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically and precisely completes the text’s discussion of studies of altitude’s
effect on blood chemistry. In this context, “paucity of” means lack of. In describing the inspiration behind Al-Sweedan and
Alhaj’s research, the text uses the word “though” to suggest a contrasting relationship between two types of studies: those
examining the effect on blood chemistry of living at a high altitude and those examining the effect on blood chemistry of
living in locations below sea level. This contrasting relationship and the text’s use of the word “many” provide context
suggesting that there are few, if any, examples of the second type of study, whereas there are numerous examples of the first
type.

Choice A is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context for there to be a “quarrel about,” or open disagreement
about, studies of the effect on blood chemistry of living in locations below sea level. The text’s use of the words “though” and
“many” suggests a contrasting relationship in terms of amount between two types of studies: those examining the effect on
blood chemistry of living at a high altitude and those examining the effect on blood chemistry of living in locations below sea
level. There’s nothing in the text to suggest that the contrast between the two types of studies involves the extent to which
researchers broadly agree or disagree about the contents of either type. Choice C is incorrect because it wouldn’t make
sense in context for there to be a “profusion of,” or great abundance of, studies of the effect on blood chemistry of living in
locations below sea level. The text’s use of the words “though” and “many” suggests a contrasting relationship in terms of
amount between two types of studies: those examining the effect on blood chemistry of living at a high altitude and those
examining the effect on blood chemistry of living in locations below sea level. Rather than logically completing this contrast,
“profusion of” would indicate that the two types of studies are similar in terms of amount, with many examples existing of
both types. Choice D is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context for there to be a “verisimilitude in,” or
appearance of truth in, studies of the effect on blood chemistry of living in locations below sea level. The text’s use of the
words “though” and “many” suggests a contrasting relationship in terms of amount between two types of studies: those
examining the effect on blood chemistry of living at a high altitude and those examining the effect on blood chemistry of
living in locations below sea level. There’s nothing in the text to suggest that the contrast between the two types of studies
involves the extent to which either type of study presents an appearance of truth.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a06c434d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: a06c434d
The work of Kiowa painter T.C. Cannon derives its power in part from the tension among his ______ influences: classic
European portraiture, with its realistic treatment of faces; the American pop art movement, with its vivid colors; and flatstyle,
the intertribal painting style that rejects the effect of depth typically achieved through shading and perspective.

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

A. complementary

B. unknown

C. disparate

D. interchangeable

ID: a06c434d Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the artistic styles that have
influenced Cannon’s work. As used in this context, “disparate” means distinct or dissimilar. The text indicates that a tension
exists among the styles that have influenced Cannon’s work and goes on to describe how those styles differ: classic
European portraiture favors realism, American pop art uses vivid colors, and intertribal flatstyle rejects the use of shading
and perspective to achieve depth. This context suggests that the styles that have influenced Cannon’s work are disparate.

Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that there is a tension among the influences on Cannon’s artwork, so it
wouldn’t make sense to say that the influences are “complementary,” or that they complete one another or make up for one
another’s deficiencies. Choice B is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to characterize Cannon’s influences as
“unknown,” or not familiar; it’s clear that the influences are known because the text goes on to list them. Choice D is incorrect
because the text indicates that there is a tension among the influences on Cannon’s work, not that they are
“interchangeable,” or capable of being used in one another’s place.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 975b0602
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 975b0602
A number of Indigenous politicians have been elected to the United States Congress since 2000 as members of the country’s
two established political parties. In Canada and several Latin American countries, on the other hand, Indigenous people have
formed their own political parties to advance candidates who will advocate for the interests of their communities. This
movement has been particularly successful in Ecuador, where Guadalupe Llori, a member of the Indigenous party known as
Pachakutik, was elected president of the National Assembly in 2021.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To trace the history of an Indigenous political movement and speculate about its future development

B. To argue that Indigenous politicians in the United States should form their own political party

C. To highlight two approaches to achieving political representation for Indigenous people

To consider how Indigenous politicians in the United States have influenced Indigenous politicians in Canada and Latin
D. America

ID: 975b0602 Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text, which is to illustrate two
approaches that Indigenous politicians have taken to achieve political representation for their communities. The text begins
by explaining that one approach is exemplified by Indigenous politicians in the United States who, in an effort to ensure that
the interests of their communities are represented in government, joined preexisting political parties and were subsequently
elected to Congress. The text goes on to highlight a second approach adopted by Indigenous leaders in Canada and several
Latin American countries: rather than joining established political parties, many Indigenous politicians in these countries
have instead formed their own parties to promote candidates for office who support causes that are important to their
communities.

Choice A is incorrect because the text’s focus is on the contrasting approaches adopted by different Indigenous political
movements in different countries; thus, it isn’t accurate to say that the text traces the history of one political movement.
Moreover, the text only discusses examples from 2000 to 2021, a relatively short period of time; therefore, it provides very
little in the way of discussion of larger historical developments, nor does it make any predictions about how these
movements might continue to develop in the future. Choice B is incorrect because the text never urges Indigenous
politicians in the US to alter their strategy of striving for representation through the established political parties, nor does it
suggest that this strategy is inferior to that of Indigenous politicians in Canada and Latin America, who have formed their
own parties. In fact, the text notes that both strategies have resulted in the election of Indigenous politicians to national
governments. Choice D is incorrect because the text never suggests that Indigenous politicians in the US have influenced
those in Canada and Latin America; instead, it stresses how Indigenous politicians’ approach toward achieving
representation in the US government has differed from the approach Indigenous politicians have taken to achieve
representation in national governments elsewhere in the Americas.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID aaa3ee7c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: aaa3ee7c
Critics have asserted that fine art and fashion rarely ______ in a world where artists create timeless works for exhibition and
designers periodically produce new styles for the public to buy. Luiseño/Shoshone-Bannock beadwork artist and designer
Jamie Okuma challenges this view: her work can be seen in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and purchased through her
online boutique.

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

A. prevail

B. succumb

C. diverge

D. intersect

ID: aaa3ee7c Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion about the relationship between fine art
and fashion. As used in this context, “intersect” means to connect or overlap. The text indicates that Jamie Okuma
challenges the position held by critics because her work can be seen at an art museum and can be bought by the public from
her online boutique. The text also presents the critics’ view as being influenced by a perception that fine artists create works
that are “timeless” and meant for exhibition, whereas fashion designers periodically produce new styles that are meant for
purchase. This context suggests that the critics believe that fine art and fashion tend not to overlap—in other words, that
they rarely intersect.

Choice A is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context to say that critics contend that fine art and fashion rarely
“prevail,” or prove to be triumphant or widespread. The text indicates that Okuma is an example of an artist who
demonstrates that it’s possible to make fine art that is also available to the public as fashion. Choice B is incorrect because
it wouldn’t make sense in context to say that fine art and fashion rarely “succumb,” or surrender. The text establishes that
unlike what critics believe, Okuma creates works that are in art museums and available for the public to purchase,
suggesting that critics believe fine art and fashion rarely overlap, not that they rarely succumb. Choice C is incorrect because
saying that critics believe that fine art and fashion rarely “diverge,” or disagree or move in different directions, wouldn’t make
sense in context. The text presents Okuma’s work as both fine art and fashion, thereby undermining what the critics assert.
This suggests that the critics believe that fine art and fashion rarely intersect rather than that the two rarely diverge.

Question Difficulty: Hard