Question ID 6c086e70

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 6c086e70
Businesses typically try to promote themselves, but research by Michael Luca, Abhishek Nagaraj, and Gauri Subramani
suggests that some do not ______ their marketing. The researchers studied restaurants in Texas and found that those listed
on a popular review website (which can be done at no cost) had revenue increases of 5 percent on average, but 33 percent of
restaurants studied never listed on the site.

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

A. adorn

B. optimize

C. endorse

D. counteract

ID: 6c086e70 Answer

Correct Answer:
B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of business marketing practices. In
this context, "optimize" means make the most effective possible use of available opportunities. The text indicates that
though businesses typically try to promote themselves, they don’t always make use of effective tools for doing so, pointing
to research showing that 33 percent of restaurants failed to use a free listing service that increased revenue by 5 percent on
average for restaurants that did use the service. The text therefore suggests that by foregoing a free and effective marketing
tool, some businesses aren’t making the best use of, or optimizing, marketing opportunities.

Choice A is incorrect because in this context, "adorn" would mean decorate or enhance the appearance of, and there’s
nothing in the text to suggest that by failing to use a free and effective promotional tool, some businesses aren’t enhancing
the appearance of their own marketing. The example in the text illustrates that some businesses aren’t utilizing an effective
marketing opportunity, not that they aren’t improving the appearance of their marketing. Choice C is incorrect because in this
context, "endorse" would mean openly approve or recommend, and the text’s discussion of the fact that some businesses
have overlooked an effective marketing tool doesn’t support the idea that those businesses therefore don’t approve of their
own marketing. Choice D is incorrect because in this context, saying that businesses don’t "counteract" their marketing
would suggest that they don’t actively undermine it or make it ineffective. The text begins by stating that businesses typically
try to promote themselves but then continues to imply that some businesses fail to take advantage of good opportunities to
do so, citing the example of businesses that failed to use a free and effective marketing tool. Though it’s possible that those
businesses that did use the site therefore didn’t unintentionally counteract their own marketing, the first sentence conveys
that the text’s focus is on things that some businesses do and that some businesses don’t do when trying to promote
themselves, and it wouldn’t make sense to say that any businesses would actively try to undermine their own marketing in
pursuit of that goal.
Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 93665100
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 93665100
Seminole/Muscogee director Sterlin Harjo ______ television’s tendency to situate Native characters in the distant past: this
rejection is evident in his series Reservation Dogs, which revolves around teenagers who dress in contemporary styles and
whose dialogue is laced with current slang.

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

A. repudiates

B. proclaims

C. foretells

D. recants

ID: 93665100 Answer

Correct Answer:
A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Sterlin Harjo’s approach to
representing Native characters on television. As used in this context, “repudiates” means rejects or refuses to have anything
to do with. The text indicates that television shows tend to depict Native characters as living long ago, but that Harjo’s series
Reservation Dogs focuses on Native teenagers in the present day, representing a “rejection” of the typical approach to
depicting Native characters. This context thus indicates that Harjo repudiates television’s general tendency regarding Native
characters.

Choice B is incorrect because the text describes Harjo’s “rejection” of the typical approach to representing Native characters
on television, so it wouldn’t make sense to say that Harjo “proclaims,” or declares or affirms, television’s general tendency
regarding Native characters. Harjo is described as refusing to follow the pattern of depicting Native characters in the distant
past, not as proclaiming that pattern. Choice C is incorrect because the text describes television’s tendency to represent
Native characters in the distant past as something that is already occurring, not as something that Harjo “foretells,” or
predicts will happen in the future. The text is focused on Harjo’s “rejection” of this pattern, not on any predictions he may
have about it. Choice D is incorrect because saying that Harjo “recants” something would mean that he withdraws a
previously held belief, and it wouldn’t make sense to say that Harjo recants television’s tendency to represent Native
characters as living in the past. No beliefs previously held by Harjo are mentioned. Additionally, a tendency isn’t a belief and
thus isn’t something that can be recanted.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 6c9f1727
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 6c9f1727
One popular theory of the origin of the Moon, the “big whack,” posits that a protoplanet called Theia collided with Earth,
flinging debris into orbit that eventually coalesced into the Moon. Until recently, Theia was ______, but researcher Qian Yuan
and colleagues now claim to have identified pieces of the protoplanet in the lowermost section of Earth’s mantle.

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

A. desultory

B. spurious

C. veritable

D. notional

ID: 6c9f1727 Answer

Correct Answer:
D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Theia and the origin of the Moon. In
this context, "notional" means theoretical or only an idea. The text indicates that although something was once true of Theia,
the protoplanet one theory holds collided with Earth and created debris that became the Moon, researchers now claim to
have identified pieces of it deep in Earth’s mantle. In other words, having direct evidence of Theia is a new development. This
context suggests that before evidence was found, Theia was only theoretical—that is, that it was notional.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that Theia, a protoplanet, was "desultory," which in this context would
mean moving away from the matter at hand; indeed, the text focuses on the "big whack" theory of the origin of the Moon and
indicates that Theia is a central part of that theory. Choice B is incorrect because the text makes the point that something
was true of Theia until recently and suggests that this has changed now that researchers believe they have found pieces of
the protoplanet deep in Earth’s mantle. It wouldn’t make sense to say that Theia was actually "spurious," or false, until
researchers found direct evidence of the protoplanet. (Although Theia’s existence might not have been certain, it would not
have been false simply because there was no evidence of it.) Choice C is incorrect because the text makes the point that
something was true of Theia until recently and suggests that this has changed now that researchers believe they have found
pieces of the protoplanet deep in Earth’s mantle. It wouldn’t make sense to say that Theia was "veritable," or real, before
researchers found direct evidence of its existence: the evidence would instead confirm that Theia was real.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 105ea6de
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections

ID: 105ea6de
Text 1
Growth in the use of novel nanohybrids—materials created from the conjugation of multiple distinct nanomaterials, such as
iron oxide and gold nanomaterials conjugated for use in magnetic imaging—has outpaced studies of nanohybrids’
environmental risks. Unfortunately, risk evaluations based on nanohybrids’ constituents are not reliable: conjugation may
alter constituents’ physiochemical properties such that innocuous nanomaterials form a nanohybrid that is anything but.
Text 2
The potential for enhanced toxicity of nanohybrids relative to the toxicity of constituent nanomaterials has drawn deserved
attention, but the effects of nanomaterial conjugation vary by case. For instance, it was recently shown that a nanohybrid of
silicon dioxide and zinc oxide preserved the desired optical transparency of zinc oxide nanoparticles while mitigating the
nanoparticles’ potential to damage DNA.

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

A. By concurring that the risk described in Text 1 should be evaluated but emphasizing that the risk is more than offset by
the potential benefits of nanomaterial conjugation

B. By arguing that the situation described in Text 1 may not be representative but conceding that the effects of
nanomaterial conjugation are harder to predict than researchers had expected

C. By denying that the circumstance described in Text 1 is likely to occur but acknowledging that many aspects of
nanomaterial conjugation are still poorly understood

D. By agreeing that the possibility described in Text 1 is a cause for concern but pointing out that nanomaterial conjugation
does not inevitably produce that result

ID: 105ea6de Answer

Correct Answer:
D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The author of Text 2 acknowledges that nanohybrids may be more toxic than their constituent
parts, but also provides an example of a nanohybrid that has reduced toxicity compared to its components: silicon dioxide
and zinc oxide together have all the benefits of zinc oxide nanoparticles without any of the DNA harm zinc oxide has on its
own.

Choice A is incorrect. While the author of Text 2 gives an example of a nanohybrid that isn’t as toxic as its constituent parts,
they don’t argue that the benefit outweighs the risk. They merely argue that “the effects of nanomaterial conjugation vary by
case.” Choice B is incorrect. The author of Text 2 states that the effects of nanomaterial conjugation “vary by case,” and that
the attention that their potential toxicity has drawn is warranted. If the situation in Text 1 weren’t representative, then there
would be less attention to the potential danger of these materials. Furthermore, neither passage suggests that researchers
had expected that they could predict the effects of nanomaterial conjugation. Choice C is incorrect. The author of Text 2
agrees that the potential toxicity of nanohybrids “has drawn deserved attention,” so they aren’t denying the problem.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 5f56fdec
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 5f56fdec
The following text is from George Marion McClellan’s 1895 poem “Eternity.”

My spirit swoons, and all my senses cry

For Ocean’s breast and covering of the sky.
Rock me to sleep, ye waves, and outward bound,
Just let me drift far out from toil and care,
Where lapping of the waves shall be the sound,
Which mingled with the winds that gently bear
Me on between a peaceful sea and sky,
To make my soothing slumberous lullaby.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To illustrate the increasing intensity of the speaker’s desire to escape ongoing hardship by gliding on the ocean

B. To contrast the demands of the speaker’s everyday life with the serenity of being rocked to sleep by the ocean

C. To convey the speaker’s longing for the ocean to impart a sense of inner tranquility

D. To justify the speaker’s qualms about being transported by the ocean to a quiet destination

ID: 5f56fdec Answer

Correct Answer:
C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately states the main purpose of the text, which is to convey the speaker’s
longing for the ocean to impart a sense of inner tranquility, or peace. The text begins by expressing the speaker’s strong
desire to be on the ocean, appealing directly to the waves to rock the speaker to sleep. The poem then describes the
"slumberous lullaby" formed by the sound of the waves and the winds on which the speaker wishes to be carried
"gently...between a peaceful sea and sky." All these details serve to emphasize the speaker’s desire for the ocean to give
them a sense of inner tranquility.

Choice A is incorrect. Given the poem’s expression of a longing to achieve tranquility by drifting on the ocean, it can be
inferred that the speaker desires to escape something unpleasant in daily life. However, the poem doesn’t refer directly to
any such hardship—ongoing or otherwise. And since the poem doesn’t establish that the speaker is experiencing a desire to
escape ongoing hardship, it can’t be said that such a desire increases in intensity. Choice B is incorrect. The speaker does
express a desire for the serenity of being rocked to sleep by the ocean, and it can be inferred that this desire is a response to
demands that make the speaker’s daily life stressful. However, the poem doesn’t refer directly to such demands or contrast
them with the tranquility of drifting on the ocean. Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest the speaker has any
qualms, or reservations, about being transported by the ocean. On the contrary, the speaker actively desires to "drift far out"
and be carried by the waves and wind. Moreover, the poem doesn’t suggest that this drifting would have any particular
destination.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 89fbc3eb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 89fbc3eb
The Mission 66 initiative, which was approved by Congress in 1956, represented a major investment in the infrastructure of
overburdened national ______ it prioritized physical improvements to the parks’ roads, utilities, employee housing, and visitor
facilities while also establishing educational programming for the public.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. parks and

B. parks

C. parks;

D. parks,

ID: 89fbc3eb Answer

Correct Answer:
C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of main clauses within a sentence. This choice
uses a semicolon to correctly join the first main clause (“The Mission…parks”) and the second main clause that begins with
“it.”

Choice A is incorrect. When coordinating two longer main clauses such as these, it’s conventional to use a comma before
the coordinating conjunction. Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused
without punctuation and/or a conjunction. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction
following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses.

Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID 960dec02
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 960dec02
A recent study tracked the number of bee species present in twenty-seven New York apple orchards over a ten-year period.
______ found that when wild growth near an orchard was cleared, the number of different bee species visiting the orchard
decreased.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. Entomologist Heather Grab:

B. Entomologist, Heather Grab,

C. Entomologist Heather Grab

D. Entomologist Heather Grab,

ID: 960dec02 Answer

Correct Answer:
C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is punctuation use between a name and title and between a
subject and a verb. No punctuation is needed between the proper noun “Heather Grab” and “entomologist,” the title that
describes Grab. Additionally, no punctuation is needed between the sentence’s subject (“Entomologist Heather Grab”) and
the main verb (“found”) that indicates what Grab did.

Choice A is incorrect because no punctuation is needed between the subject and the verb. Choice B is incorrect because no
punctuation is needed. Setting the entomologist’s name off with commas suggests that it could be removed without
affecting the coherence of the sentence, which isn’t the case. Choice D is incorrect because no punctuation is needed
between the subject and the verb.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 7f226b4b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 7f226b4b
In a 2023 study, researchers documented a fascinating behavior in the aquatic plant Elodea densa. When exposed to low
levels of light, the plant’s ______ the cellular organs that generate energy from light—reshuffled to form a tightly packed,
glass-like surface ideal for collecting more light.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. chloroplasts

B. chloroplasts;

C. chloroplasts,

D. chloroplasts—

ID: 7f226b4b Answer

Correct Answer:
D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence.
The dash after "chloroplasts" pairs with the dash after "from light" to separate the supplementary element "the cellular
organs that generate energy from light" from the rest of the sentence. This supplementary element functions to define the
term "chloroplasts," and the pair of dashes indicates that this element could be removed without affecting the grammatical
coherence of the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element from the rest of
the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because a semicolon can’t be paired with a dash in this way to separate the
supplementary element from the rest of the sentence. Choice C is incorrect because a comma can’t be paired with a dash in
this way to separate the supplementary element from the rest of the sentence.

Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID 74ce2f05
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: 74ce2f05
A study led by scientist Rebecca Kirby at the University of Wisconsin–Madison found that black bears that eat human food
before hibernation have increased levels of a rare carbon isotope, ______ due to the higher 13C levels in corn and cane sugar.
Bears with these elevated levels were also found to have much shorter hibernation periods on average.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. carbon-13, (13C)

B. carbon-13 (13C)

C. carbon-13, (13C),

D. carbon-13 (13C),

ID: 74ce2f05 Answer

Correct Answer:
D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the punctuation of a supplementary element within a sentence.
The comma after “(13C)” pairs with the comma after “isotope” to separate the supplementary element “carbon-13 (13C)”
from the rest of the sentence. This supplementary element defines the “rare carbon isotope,” and the pair of commas
indicates that this element could be removed without affecting the grammatical coherence of the sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element “carbon-13
(13C)” from the rest of the sentence. Choice B is incorrect because it fails to use appropriate punctuation to separate the
supplementary element “carbon-13 (13C)” from the rest of the sentence. Choice C is incorrect because it fails to use
appropriate punctuation to separate the supplementary element “carbon-13 (13C)” from the rest of the sentence. The
comma after “carbon-13” isn’t necessary because the parentheses around “13C” already separate this element from the rest
of the sentence.

Question Difficulty:
Medium
Question ID eb95235b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Boundaries

Conventions

ID: eb95235b
The Limón technique, developed by Mexican-born dancer and choreographer Jose Limón, is known for its emphasis on
breath control and its interplay of weight and ______ dancers may explore, for example, the moment of mid-air suspension at
the top of a jump.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. weightlessness

B. weightlessness which

C. weightlessness,

D. weightlessness;

ID: eb95235b Answer

Correct Answer:
D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of punctuation within a sentence. This choice uses a
semicolon in a conventional way to join the first main clause ("The Limón…weightlessness") and the second main clause
("dancers…jump").

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. The two main clauses are fused without punctuation and/or a
conjunction. Choice B is incorrect. The relative pronoun "which" can’t be used in this way to join two main clauses. Choice C
is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. Without a conjunction following it, a comma can’t be used in this way to
join two main clauses.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 4c335aea
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 4c335aea
In a recent analysis of lyrical trends in 350,000 songs, researchers cite increases in certain measures, such as the ratio of
choruses to verses, as evidence music lyrics are becoming more repetitive. For instance, from 1970 to 2020, ______ chorus-
to-verse ratios trended similarly, with each genre’s data indicating that relative to the number of unique verses, the number of
repeated choruses in songs increased.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. rocks and raps

B. rock’s and rap’s

C. rocks and rap’s

D. rock and rap’s

ID: 4c335aea Answer

Correct Answer:
B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of possessive nouns. The singular possessive nouns
"rock’s" and "rap’s" correctly indicate that the chorus-to-verse ratios belong to the genres of rock and rap.

Choice A is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive nouns "rock’s" and "rap’s," not the plural nouns
"rocks" and "raps." Choice C is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun "rock’s," not the plural
noun "rocks." Choice D is incorrect because the context requires the singular possessive noun "rock’s," not the singular noun
"rock." This choice incorrectly suggests that there was a single chorus-to-verse ratio for rock and rap together, whereas the
ratio was calculated for each genre individually.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 8b017d4e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 8b017d4e
Supported by biochemical analyses of over 2,000 skeletons from the Middle Ages, ______

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. vegetables and grains were, a 2022 study found, the primary components of early medieval rulers’ diets.

B. early medieval rulers’ diets were found, in a 2022 study, to have primarily consisted of vegetables and grains.

C. the primary components of early medieval rulers’ diets were vegetables and grains, according to a 2022 study.

D. findings from a 2022 study suggested that vegetables and grains were the primary components of early medieval rulers’
diets.

ID: 8b017d4e Answer

Correct Answer:
D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes the noun phrase
"findings from a 2022 study" the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase
"supported...Ages." In doing so, this choice clearly establishes that the findings—and not another noun in the sentence—are
supported by the biochemical analyses.

Choice A is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of "vegetables and grains" immediately after
the modifying phrase illogically suggests that vegetables and grains are supported by biochemical analyses. Choice B is
incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of "early medieval rulers’ diets" immediately after the
modifying phrase illogically suggests that the rulers’ diets are supported by biochemical analyses. Choice C is incorrect
because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of "the primary components" immediately after the modifying
phrase illogically suggests that the primary components are supported by biochemical analyses.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID 9df6da04
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: 9df6da04
Entomologists Yash Sondhi and Samuel Fabian have tried to explain why moths fly erratically around light sources at night.
Knowing that flying insects keep their backs pointed toward sunlight during the day, ______

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. the researchers theorize that moths, mistaking nighttime lights for the Sun, continually try to reorient their bodies while
flying near such lights.

B. the researchers’ theory is that moths mistake nighttime lights for the Sun, continually trying to reorient their bodies while
flying near such lights.

C. moths mistake nighttime lights for the Sun and continually try to reorient their bodies while flying near such lights, the
researchers theorize.

D. moths continually try to reorient their bodies while flying near nighttime lights, the researchers theorize, mistaking such
lights for the Sun.

ID: 9df6da04 Answer

Correct Answer:
A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-modifier placement. This choice makes the noun phrase
"the researchers" the subject of the sentence and places it immediately after the modifying phrase "knowing…day." In doing
so, this choice clearly establishes that the researchers—and not another noun in the sentence—know that flying insects keep
their backs pointed toward sunlight during the day.

Choice B is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement of the noun phrase "the researchers’ theory"
immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that the researchers’ theory knows that flying insects keep their
backs pointed toward sunlight during the day. Choice C is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The placement
of the noun "moths" immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that moths know that flying insects keep
their backs pointed toward sunlight during the day. Choice D is incorrect because it results in a dangling modifier. The
placement of the noun "moths" immediately after the modifying phrase illogically suggests that moths know that flying
insects keep their backs pointed toward sunlight during the day.

Question Difficulty:
Hard
Question ID ae439895
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Standard English Form, Structure, and

Conventions Sense

ID: ae439895
In her 1983 book The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling, sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild first
explored at length her conception of a “sociology of emotions”—the idea that the various cultural and ideological frameworks
a person has internalized (class, gender, political affiliation, etc.) ______ each emotional reaction that person has within a
situation.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

A. underlies

B. is underlying

C. underlie

D. has been underlying

ID: ae439895 Answer

Correct Answer:
C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The plural verb "underlie" agrees in
number with the plural subject "frameworks."

Choice A is incorrect because the singular verb "underlies" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "frameworks."
Choice B is incorrect because the singular verb "is underlying" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject "frameworks."
Choice D is incorrect because the singular verb "has been underlying" doesn’t agree in number with the plural subject
"frameworks."

Question Difficulty:
Hard