Question ID e2693197

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: e2693197 1.1

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Oracles of the Pink Universe was a 2021 exhibition at the Denver Museum of Art in Colorado.
It featured eight artworks by South African artist Simphiwe Ndzube.
One of these works is a painting titled Assertion of Will.
Assertion of Will depicts three standing figures.
The figures wear clothing made of fabric pieces stitched to the painting’s canvas.
The student wants to describe how fabric is used in Assertion of Will. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. In Assertion of Will, the figures’ clothing is made of fabric pieces stitched to the painting’s canvas.
B. The exhibition Oracles of the Pink Universe featured artworks by artist Simphiwe Ndzube.
C. Depicting three standing, clothed figures, Assertion of Will is a painting by Simphiwe Ndzube.
D. Simphiwe Ndzube’s Assertion of Will was one of eight artworks exhibited in Oracles of the Pink Universe at the
Denver Museum of Art.
Question ID ca4ff52d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: ca4ff52d 1.2

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Muslins are woven cotton fabrics with a variety of uses.
Dhaka muslin is a handmade fabric produced in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
It has an extremely fine weave and is primarily used to make luxury clothing.
Sheeting muslin is a machine-made fabric produced in factories.
It has a coarse weave and is primarily used to upholster furniture and create backdrops for theater sets.
The student wants to emphasize a difference between the two muslins. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Dhaka muslin is a handmade fabric with an extremely fine weave, while sheeting muslin is machine made with
a coarse weave.
B. Dhaka muslin and sheeting muslin are two different types of woven cotton fabrics.
C. Muslins can be used in a variety of ways, from making luxury clothing to upholstering furniture and creating
backdrops for theater sets.
D. Sheeting muslin is machine made, has a coarse weave, and is used for furniture and theater sets.
Question ID 296801d2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 296801d2 1.3

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The Azores is a group of islands about 870 miles off the coast of Portugal.
Historians have long believed that in the fifteenth century Portuguese mariners were the first humans to
populate the Azores.
A 2015 study coauthored by Sofia Gabriel and Maria da Luz Mathias found that Vikings from Scandinavia
may have populated the Azores as early as the ninth century.
The researchers found a genetic connection between house mice in the Azores and house mice in
Scandinavia.
House mice may have traveled from Scandinavia to the Azores on Viking ships.
The student wants to specify who may have first populated the Azores, according to the 2015 study. Which
choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Historians have long believed that the first humans to populate the Azores, a group of islands about 870 miles
off the coast of Portugal, arrived in the fifteenth century.
B. Portuguese mariners may not have been the first humans to populate the Azores.
C. In their 2015 study, the researchers found a genetic connection between house mice in the Azores and those
in Scandinavia.
D. According to a 2015 study, the first humans to populate the Azores may have been Vikings from Scandinavia,
not mariners from Portugal as previously believed.
Question ID a3204ab0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: a3204ab0 1.4

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Yellowstone is a national park in the northwest United States.
In 1995, gray wolves were reintroduced into the park.
Since then, the number of gray wolves in the park has stabilized at roughly 100.
This number is believed to be the park’s carrying capacity.
Carrying capacity describes the maximum number of a species that a specific environment’s resources
can sustain over time.
The student wants to specify the number of gray wolves in Yellowstone. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Gray wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone, a national park in the northwest United States, in 1995.
B. As of 1995, there were gray wolves living in Yellowstone, a national park in the northwest United States.
C. The carrying capacity of an environment, such as Yellowstone, describes the maximum number of species that
the environment can sustain over time.
D. Yellowstone is a national park that has roughly 100 gray wolves living in it.
Question ID 00460c13
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 00460c13 1.5

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Novelist Willa Cather grew up in Nebraska and attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Some of Cather’s best-known novels are set in Nebraska.
Two such novels are O Pioneers! (1913) and My Ántonia (1918).
Cather’s novels describe the experiences of immigrants who settled in the Great Plains.
The student wants to identify the setting of Cather’s novel My Ántonia. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. My Ántonia is set in Nebraska, where Cather grew up.
B. Cather, author of My Ántonia, described the experiences of immigrants in her novels.
C. Among Cather’s best-known novels are O Pioneers! (1913) and My Ántonia (1918).
D. Cather attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and set some of her novels in Nebraska.
Question ID f4b63a04
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: f4b63a04 1.6

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 2013, paleontology professor Hesham Sallam and his students from Mansoura University in Egypt made
a discovery.
The team found a partial dinosaur skeleton at a site in Egypt’s Dakhla Oasis.
The skeleton belonged to a dinosaur species that lived approximately 80 million years ago.
The new species was named Mansourasaurus to recognize the team that discovered it.
The student wants to explain the origin of the species’ name. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Mansourasaurus, a new species discovered in Egypt in 2013, lived approximately 80 million years ago.
B. A partial dinosaur skeleton found in Egypt’s Dakhla Oasis belonged to a species named Mansourasaurus.
C. Mansourasaurus, a species that lived approximately 80 million years ago, was discovered in 2013 by Egyptian
paleontologist Hesham Sallam and a team of university students.
D. The new species was named Mansourasaurus to recognize the team that discovered it, a professor and
students from Mansoura University.
Question ID 1792fa73
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 1792fa73 1.7

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The tundra is a type of environment characterized by especially harsh winter conditions.
Winter temperatures in the tundra average a frigid −30 degrees Fahrenheit.
Animals that have adapted to these conditions can survive tundra winters.
During the tundra’s short growing season, average temperatures can reach a relatively mild 54 degrees
Fahrenheit.
Around 1,700 different kinds of plants are able to grow in the tundra.
The student wants to emphasize how harsh the conditions can be in the tundra. Which choice most effectively
uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Winters in the tundra are especially harsh, with temperatures averaging a frigid −30 degrees Fahrenheit.
B. Animals that have adapted to harsh winter conditions can survive tundra winters.
C. There are around 1,700 different kinds of plants that can live in the tundra, where average temperatures can
reach a mild 54 degrees Fahrenheit.
D. Along with animals that have adapted to the tundra’s conditions, around 1,700 different kinds of plants can live
in the tundra.
Question ID ff3865b3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: ff3865b3 1.8

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
A wok is a cooking pan that originated in China during the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE).
The wok’s round, wide base helps to cook food evenly.
The wok’s high, angled sides help to contain oil splatters.
Grace Young is a cook and culinary historian.
Her book The Breath of a Wok (2004) traces the history of the wok.
The student wants to describe the wok’s shape. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the
notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Grace Young’s 2004 book, The Breath of a Wok, traces the history of the cooking pan.
B. Able to cook food evenly and contain oil splatters, the wok is the subject of Grace Young’s 2004 book.
C. A wok is a cooking pan with a round, wide base and high, angled sides.
D. The design of a wok, a type of cooking pan that originated in China during the Han dynasty, helps the pan
cook food evenly and contain oil splatters.
Question ID 6b5bc97d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 6b5bc97d 1.9

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The Sasanian Empire lasted about 400 years (AD 224 to AD 651).
The Sasanians controlled an area spanning 1.4 million square miles.
This area included present-day Iran and Iraq.
The empire’s capital was the ancient city of Ctesiphon.
Ctesiphon was located near present-day Baghdad, Iraq.
The student wants to specify the location of Ctesiphon. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information
from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. The Sasanian Empire began in AD 224 and ended in AD 651.
B. The capital of the Sasanian Empire, which spanned 1.4 million square miles, was Ctesiphon.
C. The Sasanians controlled an area of 1.4 million square miles, including present-day Iran and Iraq.
D. Ctesiphon, the capital of the Sasanian Empire, was located near present-day Baghdad, Iraq.
Question ID fbffb352
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: fbffb352 1.10

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Archaeologist Dr. Sada Mire founded the Horn Heritage Foundation to preserve the cultural history of
regions in the Horn of Africa.
Horn Heritage has overseen a preservation project to create 3D digital scans of ancient rock art in
Somaliland.
Paintings found at the Laas Geel caves are included in the scans.
The Laas Geel paintings feature human figures and animals.
Paintings found at the Dhagah Nabi Galay caves are included in the scans.
The Dhagah Nabi Galay caves feature what are thought to be the earliest examples of writing in East
Africa.
The student wants to emphasize a similarity between the Laas Geel paintings and the Dhagah Nabi Galay
paintings. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. The earliest examples of writing in East Africa are thought to be featured in the paintings at the Dhagah Nabi
Galay caves in Somaliland.
B. The paintings at the Dhagah Nabi Galay caves feature examples of writing, while those at the Laas Geel caves
feature humans and animals.
C. In Somaliland, the paintings in the Laas Geel caves feature human figures and animals.
D. The Laas Geel paintings and the Dhagah Nabi Galay paintings are both examples of ancient rock art found in
Somaliland.
Question ID ba263620
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: ba263620 1.11

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 1897, African American inventor Andrew Beard invented an automatic coupler.
It improved on the existing design of train car couplers.
It made the job of connecting train cars safer.
In 1938, African American inventor Frederick Jones invented a mobile refrigeration system.
It improved on the existing design of food transport trucks.
It enabled trucks to carry perishable foods farther.
The student wants to emphasize a similarity between Beard’s invention and Jones’s invention. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Beard’s automatic coupler and Jones’s mobile refrigeration system both improved on existing designs.
B. In 1897, Beard invented an automatic coupler, which made the job of connecting train cars safer.
C. Beard’s invention made the job of connecting train cars safer, whereas Jones’s invention enabled food
transport trucks to carry perishables farther.
D. Jones’s mobile refrigeration system, which he invented in 1938, made it possible for food transport trucks to
carry perishable foods farther.
Question ID eaded344
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: eaded344 1.12

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The painter Frida Kahlo is one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century.
She was born in Coyoacán, Mexico, in 1907.
She is best known for her vivid and richly symbolic self-portraits.
The Two Fridas (1939) features two versions of Kahlo sitting together.
One version wears a European-style dress and the other a traditional Tehuana dress.
The student wants to introduce Kahlo to an audience unfamiliar with the artist. Which choice most effectively
uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Known for being vivid and richly symbolic, Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits include The Two Fridas (1939).
B. The 1939 painting The Two Fridas is one example of a self-portrait by Frida Kahlo.
C. One painting by Frida Kahlo features two versions of herself, with one version wearing a European-style dress
and the other a traditional Tehuana dress.
D. One of the most influential artists of the twentieth century, Mexican painter Frida Kahlo is best known for her
self-portraits, which are vivid and richly symbolic.
Question ID e3484c07
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: e3484c07 1.13

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Bioluminescence is the emission of light by living organisms.
This light is produced by chemical reactions in organisms’ cells.
Jellyfish emit flashes of blue light.
This behavior serves to startle predators.
Black dragonfish emit a steady red light.
This behavior helps them locate prey in deep waters.
The student wants to emphasize a difference between the behavior of jellyfish and that of black dragonfish.
Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Both jellyfish and black dragonfish are organisms that emit light, which is produced by chemical reactions in
these organisms’ cells.
B. Black dragonfish emit a steady red light, which helps them locate prey in deep waters.
C. Bioluminescence, the emission of light by living organisms, results from chemical reactions in organisms’
cells.
D. Jellyfish emit light to startle predators, whereas black dragonfish do so to locate prey.
Question ID d7f31e68
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: d7f31e68 1.14

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Annie Wu is a prominent American flutist who graduated from the New England Conservatory.
She has won multiple national flute competitions.
She is best known for a 2011 YouTube video that has been viewed over two million times.
The video shows her performing Three Beats for Beatbox Flute, an original work by composer Greg
Pattillo.
Wu combines flute playing and beatboxing in the video.
The student wants to emphasize Wu’s most well-known achievement. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Annie Wu, who has won multiple national flute competitions, has also combined flute playing and beatboxing.
B. Among her many achievements, prominent American flutist Annie Wu graduated from the New England
Conservatory and has won multiple national flute competitions.
C. Annie Wu is best known for a 2011 YouTube video performance of Three Beats for Beatbox Flute that has been
viewed over two million times.
D. Composer Greg Pattillo’s original work Three Beats for Beatbox Flute combines flute playing and beatboxing.
Question ID 25adba4e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 25adba4e
1.15
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 1897, twenty Black US Army infantrymen rode bicycles from Montana to Missouri.
The 1,900-mile journey took forty-one days. The goal was to test the idea of forming a military bicycle corps.
In 2022, Erick Cedeño, a Black long-distance cyclist, reenacted the journey.
Cedeño wanted to honor the infantrymen on the journey’s 125th anniversary.

The student wants to emphasize how far the infantrymen traveled. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information
from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. The US infantrymen rode their bicycles from Montana to Missouri—traveling a total of 1,900 miles.

B. The 125th anniversary of the infantrymen’s journey was in 2022.

C. The goal of the 1897 journey was to test the idea of forming a military bicycle corps.

D. Over a century later, Erick Cedeño honored the infantrymen by reenacting their 1897 journey.
Question ID d436a2b2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: d436a2b2
1.16
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Komodo dragons are the largest lizards in the world. They live on four islands in Komodo National Park, Indonesia.
The park has a total of twenty-nine islands.

The student wants to emphasize how many islands in Komodo National Park have Komodo dragons living on them. Which
choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Komodo dragons, the world’s largest lizards, live on islands in Komodo National Park, Indonesia.

B. The largest lizards in the world are found in Komodo National Park.

C. Only four of the twenty-nine islands in Komodo National Park have Komodo dragons living on them.

D. There are twenty-nine islands in Indonesia’s Komodo National Park.

Question ID b46e0c8a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: b46e0c8a 2.1

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Organisms release cellular material into their environment by shedding substances such as hair or skin.
The DNA in these substances is known as environmental DNA, or eDNA.
Researchers collect and analyze eDNA to detect the presence of species that are difficult to observe.
Geneticist Sara Oyler-McCance’s research team analyzed eDNA in water samples from the Florida
Everglades to detect invasive constrictor snake species in the area.
The study determined a 91% probability of detecting Burmese python eDNA in a given location.
The student wants to present the study to an audience already familiar with environmental DNA. Which choice
most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Sara Oyler-McCance’s researchers analyzed eDNA in water samples from the Florida Everglades for evidence
of invasive constrictor snakes, which are difficult to observe.
B. An analysis of eDNA can detect the presence of invasive species that are difficult to observe, such as
constrictor snakes.
C. Researchers found Burmese python eDNA, or environmental DNA, in water samples; eDNA is the DNA in
released cellular materials, such as shed skin cells.
D. Sara Oyler-McCance’s researchers analyzed environmental DNA (eDNA)—that is, DNA from cellular materials
released by organisms—in water samples from the Florida Everglades.
Question ID aa7e10d0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: aa7e10d0 2.2

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Species belonging to the Orchidaceae (orchid) family can be found in both tropical and temperate
environments.
Orchidaceae species diversity has not been well studied in temperate forests, such as those in Oaxaca,
Mexico.
Arelee Estefanía Muñoz-Hernández led a study to determine how many different Orchidaceae species are
present in the forests of Oaxaca.
Muñoz-Hernández and her team collected orchids each month for a year at a site in Oaxaca.
Seventy-four Orchidaceae species were present at the site.
The student wants to present the study and its findings. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information
from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. A study led by Arelee Estefanía Muñoz-Hernández identified a total of 74 Orchidaceae species in the
temperate forests of Oaxaca, Mexico.
B. There are orchids in many environments, but there are 74 Orchidaceae species in Oaxaca, Mexico.
C. Oaxaca, Mexico, is home to temperate forests containing 74 Orchidaceae species.
D. Arelee Estefanía Muñoz-Hernández and her team wanted to know how many different Orchidaceae species are
present in the forests of Oaxaca, Mexico, so they conducted a study to collect orchids.
Question ID 84e108cf
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 84e108cf 2.3

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Platinum is a rare and expensive metal.
It is used as a catalyst for chemical reactions.
Platinum catalysts typically require a large amount of platinum to be effective.
Researcher Jianbo Tang and his colleagues created a platinum catalyst that combines platinum with liquid
gallium.
Their catalyst was highly effective and required only trace amounts of platinum (0.0001% of the atoms in
the mixture).
The student wants to explain an advantage of the new platinum catalyst developed by Jianbo Tang and his
colleagues. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Researcher Jianbo Tang and his colleagues created a platinum catalyst that combines platinum, a rare and
expensive metal, with liquid gallium.
B. Like other platinum catalysts, the new platinum catalyst requires a particular amount of the metal to be
effective.
C. Platinum is a rare and expensive metal that is used as a catalyst for chemical reactions; however, platinum
catalysts typically require a large amount of platinum to be effective.
D. While still highly effective, the new platinum catalyst requires far less of the rare and expensive metal than do
other platinum catalysts.
Question ID 883493d5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 883493d5 2.4

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Allan Houser was a Chiricahua Warm Springs Apache sculptor, illustrator, and painter.
Many of his sculptures featured Native American figures.
He depicted this subject matter using abstract, modernist forms, developing a distinctive style that
influenced many other artists.
His well-known sculpture Sacred Rain Arrow was pictured on the State of Oklahoma license plate.
The student wants to describe the distinctive style of Houser’s sculptures. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. A sculptor, illustrator, and painter, Houser developed a distinctive style for portraying Native American figures.
B. Houser’s sculptures employ abstract, modernist forms to depict Native American figures.
C. Many other artists have been influenced by the style of Houser’s sculptures.
D. The sculpture Sacred Rain Arrow is a well-known example of Houser’s style.
Question ID 6249b173
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 6249b173 2.5

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 2018 researchers Adwait Deshpande, Shreejata Gupta, and Anindya Sinha were observing wild
macaques in India’s Bandipur National Park.
They saw macaques calling out to and gesturing at humans who were eating or carrying food.
They designed a study to find out if the macaques were intentionally communicating to try to persuade the
humans to share their food.
In the study trials, macaques frequently called out to and gestured at humans holding food.
In the study trials, macaques called out to and gestured at empty-handed humans less frequently.
The student wants to present the study’s results. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from
the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Macaques in the study called out to and gestured more frequently at humans holding food than at empty-
handed humans.
B. In 2018, researchers who had observed macaques in India’s Bandipur National Park calling out to and
gesturing at humans designed a study.
C. The researchers hoped to find out if the macaques were intentionally communicating to try to persuade
humans to share their food.
D. The researchers studied how macaques behaved around both humans holding food and empty-handed
humans.
Question ID dd11e5ab
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: dd11e5ab 2.6

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Muckrakers were journalists who sought to expose corruption in US institutions during the Progressive Era
(1897–1920).
Ida Tarbell was a muckraker who investigated the Standard Oil Company.
She interviewed Standard Oil Company executives, oil industry workers, and public officials.
She examined thousands of pages of the company’s internal communications, including letters and
financial records.
Her book The History of the Standard Oil Company (1904) exposed the company’s unfair business
practices.
The student wants to emphasize the thoroughness of Ida Tarbell’s investigation of the Standard Oil Company.
Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Ida Tarbell not only interviewed Standard Oil executives, oil industry workers, and public officials but also
examined thousands of pages of the company’s internal communications.
B. Ida Tarbell, who investigated the Standard Oil Company, was a muckraker (a journalist who sought to expose
corruption in US institutions during the Progressive Era, 1897–1920).
C. As part of her investigation of the Standard Oil Company, muckraker Ida Tarbell conducted interviews.
D. Published in 1904, muckraker Ida Tarbell’s book The History of the Standard Oil Company exposed the
company’s unfair business practices.
Question ID 74149724
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 74149724 2.7

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
John Carver was one of the 41 signatories of the Mayflower Compact.
The Mayflower Compact was a legal agreement among the pilgrims that immigrated to Plymouth Colony.
It was created in 1620 to establish a common government.
It states that the pilgrims who signed it wanted to “plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia”
under King James.
Carver became the first governor of Plymouth Colony.
The student wants to specify the reason the Mayflower Compact was created. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Stating that its signatories wanted to “plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia,” the Mayflower
Compact was a legal agreement among the pilgrims that immigrated to Plymouth Colony.
B. Created in 1620, the Mayflower Compact states that the pilgrims wanted to “plant the first colony in the
northern parts of Virginia.”
C. The Mayflower Compact was created to establish a common government among the pilgrims that immigrated
to Plymouth Colony.
D. The Mayflower Compact had 41 signatories, including John Carver, the first governor of Plymouth Colony.
Question ID 8432a140
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 8432a140 2.8

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Marine biologist Camille Jazmin Gaynus studies coral reefs.
Coral reefs are vital underwater ecosystems that provide habitats to 25% of all marine species.
Reefs can include up to 8,000 species of fish, such as toadfish, seahorses, and clown triggerfish.
The Amazon Reef is a coral reef in Brazil.
It is one of the largest known reefs in the world.
The student wants to introduce the scientist and her field of study to a new audience. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Located in Brazil, the Amazon Reef is one of the largest known coral reefs in the world.
B. Marine biologist Camille Jazmin Gaynus studies coral reefs, vital underwater ecosystems that provide homes
to 25% of all marine species.
C. Providing homes to 25% of all marine species, including up to 8,000 species of fish, coral reefs are vital
underwater ecosystems and thus of great interest to marine biologists.
D. As Camille Jazmin Gaynus knows well, coral reefs are vital underwater ecosystems, providing homes to
thousands of species of fish.
Question ID bce57278
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: bce57278 2.9

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Some US reformers sought to improve society in the 1800s by building utopias.
A utopia is a community intended to represent a perfect society based on a specific set of principles.
One such community was Brook Farm near Boston, Massachusetts.
It was founded in 1841 by writer George Ripley.
Ripley wrote in a letter that his goal for Brook Farm was “to guarantee the highest mental freedom, by
providing all with labor, adapted to their tastes and talents, and securing to them the fruits of their
industry.”
The student wants to explain the goal of Brook Farm using a quotation from George Ripley. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. In a letter, writer George Ripley explained his goal to “guarantee the highest mental freedom.”
B. Utopias, such as Brook Farm, founded by George Ripley in 1841, were based on a specific set of principles
intended to create a perfect society.
C. Founded by George Ripley near Boston, Massachusetts, Brook Farm was part of a trend in the 1800s, when
reformers in the United States built utopias.
D. Established in 1841, Brook Farm was a utopian community created to “guarantee the highest mental freedom,
by providing all with labor... [and] the fruits of their industry,” according to founder George Ripley.
Question ID 1b94a80a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 1b94a80a 2.10

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Wool is a natural—and economically important—fiber that is obtained from animals like sheep.
Australia is a leading producer of wool.
The thickness of wool fibers varies across sheep breeds.
Merino sheep produce fine wool that is used for apparel.
Rambouillet sheep produce fine wool that is used for apparel.
Romney sheep produce thick wool that is used for rugs and blankets.
The student wants to emphasize how Romney wool differs from Merino and Rambouillet wool. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Romney wool is just one of the many kinds of wools, each originating from a different breed of sheep.
B. Sheep wool varies from breed to breed, so Romney wool will be different than other kinds of wool.
C. The fine wool produced by Merino and Rambouillet sheep is used for apparel, whereas the thicker wool of
Romney sheep is used in rugs and blankets.
D. Wool is an economically important fiber—especially in Australia—that can be used to make apparel or even
rugs and blankets.
Question ID 56cad44a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 56cad44a 2.11

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Mexican tetras are a fish species with two distinct populations.
Surface-dwelling tetras live on the surface and are able to see.
Cave-dwelling tetras live in total darkness and have lost the ability to see.
Cave-dwelling tetras have asymmetrical skulls with more sensory receptors on one side than the other.
These receptors help cave-dwelling tetras navigate in darkness.
The student wants to emphasize a difference between surface-dwelling and cave-dwelling tetras. Which choice
most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Surface-dwelling and cave-dwelling tetras may belong to the same species, but they are quite different.
B. Cave-dwelling tetras can no longer see but use sensory receptors on their skulls to navigate.
C. Mexican tetras are a fish species with two distinct populations: surface-dwelling tetras and cave-dwelling
tetras.
D. Surface-dwelling tetras can see, whereas cave-dwelling tetras cannot.
Question ID 81315093
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 81315093 2.12

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
A marathon is a long-distance running race that is 26.2 miles long.
An ultramarathon is a long-distance running race of more than 26.2 miles.
The Kepler Challenge is a one-day, 37.3-mile ultramarathon in New Zealand.
The Spreelauf is a six-day, 261-mile ultramarathon in Germany.
The student wants to make a generalization about ultramarathons. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Examples of ultramarathons include the 37.3-mile Kepler Challenge in New Zealand and the 261-mile
Spreelauf in Germany.
B. A marathon is 26.2 miles long, but the Spreelauf ultramarathon, at 261 miles, is far longer.
C. Ultramarathons range widely in length, from a few dozen miles to a few hundred.
D. While the Kepler Challenge is a one-day ultramarathon, the Spreelauf is a six-day ultramarathon.
Question ID 49fe306b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 49fe306b 2.13

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
From Earth, all the meteors in a meteor shower appear to originate from a single spot in the sky.
This spot is called the meteor shower’s radiant.
The Perseid meteor shower is visible in the northern hemisphere in July and August.
Like many meteor showers, it is named for the location of its radiant.
Its radiant is located within the constellation Perseus.
The student wants to explain the origin of the Perseid meteor shower’s name. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. The Perseid meteor shower is named for the constellation Perseus, the location of the meteor shower’s
radiant.
B. A meteor shower’s name may be linked to a single spot in the sky.
C. The Perseid meteor shower, which has a radiant, is visible in the northern hemisphere in July and August.
D. From Earth, all the meteors in a meteor shower appear to originate from a radiant, such as the one within
Perseus.
Question ID 164a32e7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 164a32e7 2.14

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Claude McKay (1889–1948) was a Jamaican American writer.
Songs of Jamaica (1912) and Constab Ballads (1912) are two acclaimed poetry collections that McKay
published while living in Jamaica.
McKay moved to Harlem in New York City in 1914.
He is best known as a poet and novelist of the Harlem Renaissance, a literary and cultural movement of
the 1920s and 1930s.
His most famous works include the poetry collection Harlem Shadows (1922) and the novel Home to
Harlem (1928).
The student wants to emphasize Claude McKay’s accomplishments before moving to Harlem. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Jamaican American writer Claude McKay is the author of works such as Songs of Jamaica (1912), Constab
Ballads (1912), Harlem Shadows (1922), and Home to Harlem (1928).
B. Although he is best known as a Harlem Renaissance writer, Claude McKay had published two acclaimed poetry
collections in 1912 while living in Jamaica: Songs of Jamaica and Constab Ballads.
C. In 1914, Claude McKay moved to Harlem, where he would become known as a poet and novelist of the Harlem
Renaissance (a literary and cultural movement of the 1920s and 1930s).
D. Before moving to Harlem, Claude McKay—author of the poetry collection Harlem Shadows (1922) and the
novel Home to Harlem (1928)—lived in Jamaica.
Question ID 7aac173e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 7aac173e 2.15

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Architect Julian Abele studied Gregorian and neo-Gothic architecture in Europe.
Abele worked for an architecture firm that was hired in 1924 to design buildings for Duke University’s new
campus.
Most of the buildings on Duke’s campus were designed in the Gregorian or neo-Gothic architectural
styles.
At the time, Abele was not formally credited with designing the buildings.
Based on the buildings’ architectural styles, historians believe Abele designed most of the campus
buildings.
The student wants to specify why historians believe Abele designed most of Duke’s campus buildings. Which
choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Given that most of the buildings on Duke’s campus feature architectural styles that Abele had studied in
Europe, historians believe Abele is the one who designed them.
B. Though Abele wasn’t formally credited at the time, historians believe he designed most of the buildings on
Duke’s campus.
C. Most of Duke’s campus buildings, which were designed by a firm Abele worked for, were designed in the
Gregorian and neo-Gothic architectural styles.
D. Abele, an architect who studied Gregorian and neo-Gothic architecture in Europe, is believed to have designed
most of the buildings on Duke’s campus.
Question ID 34e1124f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 34e1124f 2.16

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In geology, an Aeolian landform is one that has been created by the wind.
In Greek mythology, Aeolus is the keeper of the winds.
Aeolian landforms are created when the wind erodes, transports, or deposits material.
A mushroom rock is a rock formation in which the top is wider than the base.
A mushroom rock can be formed when the wind erodes the base and the top at different rates.
The student wants to provide an explanation and an example of Aeolian landforms. Which choice most effectively
uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Aeolian landforms are created by different wind-based processes; for example, some are created by wind
erosion.
B. Aeolian landforms—landforms created by the wind—include the mushroom rock, a rock formation in which the
wind erodes the base of the rock faster than the top.
C. Erosion, transportation, and deposition are three examples of how the wind can create Aeolian landforms and
mushroom rocks.
D. A mushroom rock is a rock formation that owes its shape to the wind, a natural force associated with Aeolus in
Greek mythology.
Question ID ce282575
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: ce282575 2.17

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 novel The Hobbit features two maps.
The novel opens with a reproduction of the map that the characters use on their quest.
This map introduces readers to the fictional world they are about to enter.
The novel closes with a map depicting every stop on the characters’ journey.
That map allows readers to reconstruct the story they have just read.
The student wants to contrast the purposes of the two maps in The Hobbit. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. The Hobbit’s opening map introduces readers to the fictional world they are about to enter, while the closing
map allows them to reconstruct the story they have just read.
B. The Hobbit, a novel published by J.R.R. Tolkien in 1937, features a reproduction of a map that the characters
use on their quest, as well as a map that appears at the end of the novel.
C. The Hobbit’s two maps, one opening and one closing the novel, each serve a purpose for readers.
D. In 1937, author J.R.R. Tolkien published The Hobbit, a novel featuring both an opening and a closing map.
Question ID 1469d23a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 1469d23a 2.18

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Etel Adnan was a Lebanese American poet and artist known for making many leporellos.
A leporello is an artist’s book that is folded accordion style.
When the book is expanded, the artist’s work is revealed, and its zigzag shape allows it to stand on its
own.
Her leporello December from My Window (1993) features a panoramic landscape.
It is painted using ink and watercolor.
The student wants to describe Adnan’s December from My Window to an audience already familiar with
leporellos. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Featuring a panoramic landscape, the 1993 work is one of Adnan’s many leporellos, which are accordion-style
folded books that when expanded reveal the artist’s work.
B. When expanded, Adnan’s 1993 leporello December from My Window reveals a panoramic landscape painted in
ink and watercolor.
C. Known for making many other accordion-style folded books called leporellos, Adnan created December from
My Window in 1993.
D. A leporello, such as Adnan’s December from My Window, is folded accordion style, and due to its zigzag
shape it is able to stand on its own when fully expanded.
Question ID 3ea7372e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 3ea7372e 2.19

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In the art world, the term biennial traditionally refers to an art exhibition that takes place every two years in
a single location.
Such biennials are held in New York, Berlin, and Venice.
In 2006, artists Ed Gomez and Luis Hernandez founded the unconventional MexiCali Biennial.
The MexiCali Biennial hosts exhibitions in different venues on both sides of the US-Mexico border.
The MexiCali Biennial has taken place on an uneven schedule, with exhibitions in 2006, 2009–10, 2013,
and 2018–20.
The student wants to emphasize a difference between the MexiCali Biennial and traditional biennials. Which
choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. In 2006, artists Ed Gomez and Luis Hernandez founded the MexiCali Biennial, which has taken place in 2006,
2009–10, 2013, and 2018–20.
B. Unlike traditional biennials, the MexiCali Biennial hosts exhibitions in different venues on an uneven schedule.
C. The term biennial traditionally refers to an art exhibition that takes place every two years in a single location,
not to exhibitions hosted at a variety of times and venues.
D. Biennial exhibitions have been held in New York, Berlin, and Venice but also on both sides of the US-Mexico
border.
Question ID ed80971c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: ed80971c 2.20

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The Pueblo of Zuni is located about 150 miles west of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
It is the traditional home of the A:shiwi (Zuni) people.
The A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center was established by tribal members in 1992.
Its mission is stated on its website: “As a tribal museum and heritage center for the Zuni people and by the
Zuni people we work to provide learning experiences that emphasize A:shiwi ways of knowing, as well as
exploring modern concepts of knowledge and the transfer of knowledge.”
The student wants to emphasize how long the museum has existed. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. The Pueblo of Zuni is home to the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center, which was founded by tribal
members.
B. The A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center has served the Pueblo of Zuni since 1992.
C. According to its website, the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center (founded in the 1990s) works to
“emphasize A:shiwi ways of knowing.”
D. Knowledge has been one of the central themes of the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center from its
founding.
Question ID 5a5e22b5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 5a5e22b5 2.21

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Gravitational waves are powerful ripples that originate in deep space and eventually pass through Earth.
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) is a physics study that began in 2002.
LIGO’s goal is to detect and analyze gravitational waves.
LIGO uses a pair of massive gravitational wave detectors called interferometers that are thousands of
miles apart.
In 2015, for the first time in history, LIGO researchers detected a gravitational wave passing through Earth.
The student wants to present LIGO’s aim and methodology. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. In 2015, LIGO’s massive interferometers detected a powerful ripple that originated in deep space and
eventually passed through Earth.
B. Though the physics study LIGO began in 2002, its massive interferometers didn’t detect a gravitational wave
until 2015.
C. To achieve its aims, LIGO uses a pair of massive interferometers that are thousands of miles apart.
D. A physics study designed to detect and analyze gravitational waves, LIGO uses a pair of massive
interferometers that are thousands of miles apart.
Question ID efc19153
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: efc19153 2.22

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Just like states have state flags, some cities have city flags.
Over one hundred US cities have redesigned their flags since 2015.
The city of Pocatello, Idaho, redesigned its flag after it was named the most poorly designed flag in North
America.
Pocatello’s new flag better represents the city’s mountainous geography and civic priorities.
Residents consider the new flag to be a meaningful symbol of civic pride.
The student wants to make and support a generalization about the effect of redesigning a city flag. Which choice
most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Over one hundred US cities have redesigned their flags, including Pocatello, whose flag had been named the
most poorly designed flag in North America.
B. Pocatello is just one of over one hundred US cities that have redesigned their flags.
C. After it was named the most poorly designed flag in North America, the flag of Pocatello was redesigned to
better represent the city’s geography and civic priorities.
D. Redesigning a poorly designed city flag can create a meaningful symbol of civic pride, as was the case when
Pocatello redesigned its original flag to better represent its geography and civic priorities.
Question ID 835b101b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 835b101b 2.23

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Minnesota defines a lake as an inland body of water of at least 10 acres.
Wisconsin’s definition of a lake doesn’t take size into account.
By its own definition, Wisconsin has over 15,000 lakes, many smaller than 10 acres.
By Minnesota’s definition, Wisconsin has only about 6,000 lakes.
The student wants to contrast Minnesota’s definition of a lake with Wisconsin’s. Which choice most effectively
uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Wisconsin, which doesn’t take size into account in defining a lake, claims that it has over 15,000 lakes.
B. Because its definition of a lake is different from Minnesota’s, it is unclear how many lakes Wisconsin really has.
C. According to Minnesota’s definition of a lake—an inland body of water of at least 10 acres—Wisconsin has
about 6,000 lakes.
D. Minnesota’s definition of a lake—an inland body of water of at least 10 acres—is more restrictive than
Wisconsin’s, which doesn’t take size into account.
Question ID 92dec236
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 92dec236 2.24

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Maika’i Tubbs is a Native Hawaiian sculptor and installation artist.
His work has been shown in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Germany, among other places.
Many of his sculptures feature discarded objects.
His work Erasure (2008) includes discarded audiocassette tapes and magnets.
His work Home Grown (2009) includes discarded pushpins, plastic plates and forks, and wood.
The student wants to emphasize a similarity between the two works. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Erasure (2008) uses discarded objects such as audiocassette tapes and magnets; Home Grown (2009),
however, includes pushpins, plastic plates and forks, and wood.
B. Tubbs’s work, which often features discarded objects, has been shown both within the United States and
abroad.
C. Like many of Tubbs’s sculptures, both Erasure and Home Grown include discarded objects: Erasure uses
audiocassette tapes, and Home Grown uses plastic forks.
D. Tubbs completed Erasure in 2008 and Home Grown in 2009.
Question ID 7fa2b1ee
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 7fa2b1ee
2.25
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In meteorology, an air mass is a large body of air with generally uniform humidity and temperature.
Air masses are commonly classified by two-letter names.
The first letter indicates the humidity of the air mass, while the second letter indicates the temperature.
cA (continental arctic) means dry and cold, for example. mT (maritime tropical) means moist and warm.
This classification system is based on the work of a Swedish meteorologist named Tor Bergeron (1891–1977).

The student wants to provide an example of an air mass. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the
notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Air masses are large bodies of air with generally uniform humidity and temperature.

The air mass classification system uses two-letter names and is based on the work of Tor Bergeron, a Swedish
B. meteorologist.

C. Air masses are commonly classified by a two-letter name that indicates humidity and temperature.

D. One type of air mass is known as a cA, or continental arctic, air mass because it is dry and cold.
Question ID 28a46cb0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 28a46cb0
2.26
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The international Slow Food movement was founded in 1989 with the signing of the “Slow Food Manifesto.”
The movement promotes universal access to healthy, high-quality food.
It calls for sustainable food production practices that protect local environments, ecosystems, and biodiversity.
It advocates for fair treatment of and compensation for food production workers.
The Slow Food USA organization was founded in 2000.

The student wants to introduce the Slow Food movement to a new audience. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

The international Slow Food movement, founded in 1989, promotes universal access to healthy, high-quality food that is
A. produced sustainably by workers who are treated and compensated fairly.

The signing of the “Slow Food Manifesto” in 1989 marked the founding of the international Slow Food movement, while
B. the Slow Food USA organization was founded in 2000.

C. The Slow Food movement advocates for food production workers.

D. Goals of the movement include universal access to healthy, high-quality food and sustainable food practices.
Question ID 72ae9bca
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 72ae9bca
2.27
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In the early 1900s, suffragists organized marches for women’s voting rights.
Suffragists in the United Kingdom marched from Edinburgh to London.
This march began on October 12, 1912, and ended on November 16, 1912.
Suffragists in the United States marched from New York City to Albany, New York.
This march began on December 16, 1912, and ended on December 28, 1912.

The student wants to emphasize the order in which the two marches occurred. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

After suffragists in the UK marched from Edinburgh to London, suffragists in the US marched from New York City to
A. Albany, New York.

B. In the early 1900s, suffragists in the UK and the US marched for women’s voting rights.

A march from New York City to Albany, New York, was followed by one that began in Edinburgh and ended in London.
C.

D. From October 12 to November 16, 1912, suffragists in the UK marched from Edinburgh to London.
Question ID 804928b6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 804928b6
2.28
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Mary Kang is a Korean American portrait photographer. She is based in New York City and in Austin, Texas.
One of Kang’s photographs features artist Dominique Fung. In the portrait, Fung is seated on the floor.
Five of Fung’s paintings are resting against the wall behind her.

The student wants to describe where Fung is in the photograph to an audience already familiar with Kang and Fung. Which
choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Dominique Fung is in a photograph by Mary Kang, a portrait photographer based in New York City and Austin, Texas.

B. Mary Kang is a photographer based in both New York City and Austin, Texas.

C. Five paintings by artist Dominique Fung can be seen in the background of Mary Kang’s photograph.

D. In Kang’s portrait of her, Fung is seated on the floor, with five of her paintings resting against the wall behind her.
Question ID 35507eba
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 35507eba
2.29
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Pointillism is a painting technique in which small, distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image.
Betty Acquah is an artist from Ghana who uses pointillism in her work.
“By extending dabs of color in the subject matter into the background and vice-versa, an illusion of movement is
created,” she says about pointillism.
Her work often portrays Ghanaian women, whom she sees as the “unsung heroines of the Ghanaian Republic.”
Her pointillist painting “Exquisite” (2016) features five dancing women twirling their skirts.

The student wants to provide a quotation from Acquah that explains why she used pointillism in “Exquisite.” Which choice
most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

In painting “Exquisite,” Acquah applied pointillism to create what she called an “illusion of movement” within the
A. painting’s five dancing women and their twirling skirts.

B. Pointillism, the technique used in Acquah’s “Exquisite,” involves the application of small, distinct dots of color.

In “Exquisite,” Acquah uses a technique that she says involves “extending dabs of color in the subject matter into the
C. background and vice-versa.”

D. “Exquisite” portrays Acquah’s fellow Ghanaian women as she sees them: the “unsung heroes of the Ghanaian Republic.”
Question ID 6de02dfa
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 6de02dfa
2.30
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:​
Thailand’s annual Songkran Water Festival is held each April. It marks Songkran, the traditional Thai New Year.
People splash and spray each other for fun at the festival’s community-wide water fights.
In Bangkok, thousands gather along Silom Road for the city’s largest water fight.
In Chiang Mai, thousands gather at a historical monument called the Tha Phae Gate for the city’s largest water fight.

The student wants to emphasize a similarity in how people in Bangkok and Chiang Mai celebrate Songkran. Which choice
most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

The largest water fight in Bangkok takes place along a city street, whereas the largest water fight in Chiang Mai takes
A. place at a historical monument.

B. In both Bangkok and Chiang Mai, thousands gather to celebrate Songkran with water fights.

C. People in both Bangkok and Chiang Mai celebrate Songkran, but they don’t do so in exactly the same way.

D. Each April, people in Thailand celebrate Songkran, the traditional Thai New Year.
Question ID 94f48106
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 94f48106
2.31
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 2022, University of Miami researchers discovered brine pools in the Gulf of Aqaba.
A brine pool is an underwater lake that sits on the ocean floor.
The water in brine pools is three to eight times saltier than the surrounding ocean.
The extreme saltiness of this water makes it toxic to most sea life.
Some forms of bacteria are able to survive in brine pools.

The student wants to explain why brine pools are toxic to most sea life. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Though brine pools are toxic to most sea life, some bacteria can survive there.

B. The water in brine pools is toxic to most sea life because it is three to eight times saltier than the surrounding ocean.

C. The brine pools in the Gulf of Aqaba are toxic to most sea life and were discovered by researchers in 2022.

D. Brine pools are salty underwater lakes that sit on the ocean floor.
Question ID ff8d2125
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: ff8d2125
2.32
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Crown shyness is a phenomenon in which the tops (crowns) of neighboring trees grow close together but don’t
overlap.
To explain how this happens, Australian forester M.R. Jacobs proposes the mutual abrasion theory.
According to Jacobs’s theory, when trees brush against one another, branches break off.
Malaysian scholar Francis S.P. Ng posits the mutual shade avoidance theory.
According to Ng’s theory, when tree branches detect shade from nearby trees’ branches, they stop growing.

The student wants to compare the causes of crown shyness proposed in the two theories. Which choice most effectively
uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

While Jacobs proposes that crown shyness is caused by neighboring tree branches brushing against one another, Ng
A. posits that it occurs when branches detect shade from nearby trees’ branches.

B. Both Jacobs and Ng have proposed theories to explain what causes crown shyness.

C. Ng posits the mutual shade avoidance theory, whereas Jacobs proposes an alternative theory.

Jacobs’s mutual abrasion theory proposes that when neighboring trees brush against one another, branches break off,
D. resulting in a phenomenon in which the tops of trees grow close together but don’t overlap.
Question ID 1bb4aec8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 1bb4aec8
2.33
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Meteorites found on Earth are divided into two categories.
A meteorite that was observed falling to Earth before being recovered is known as a meteorite fall.
All other meteorites found on Earth are known as meteorite finds.
There have been about 1,200 recorded meteorite falls. There have been over 60,000 recorded meteorite finds.

The student wants to contrast the number of meteorite falls with the number of meteorite finds. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A meteorite that was observed falling to Earth before being recovered is known as a meteorite fall; all others are known
A. as meteorite finds.

B. Meteorites found on Earth are divided into two categories: meteorite falls and meteorite finds.

C. There have been about 1,200 recorded meteorite falls, or meteorites observed falling to Earth.

D. While there have been only about 1,200 recorded meteorite falls, there have been over 60,000 meteorite finds.
Question ID 259d16ac
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 259d16ac
2.34
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 1859, the novel Adam Bede was published in England.
According to the novel’s title page, the author’s name was George Eliot.
George Eliot was widely assumed to be a pseudonym.
A pseudonym is a fake name used to conceal an author’s identity.
A woman named Mary Ann Evans later revealed herself as the novel’s real author.

The student wants to identify the real author of Adam Bede. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from
the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. The real author of Adam Bede was Mary Ann Evans, who published the novel using the pseudonym George Eliot.

George Eliot, which Adam Bede’s title page indicated was the name of the novel’s author, was widely assumed to be a
B. pseudonym.

C. The title page of the novel Adam Bede indicated that the author’s name was George Eliot.

D. A woman who had used a pseudonym to conceal her identity later revealed herself as the real author of Adam Bede.
Question ID e6b57c9b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: e6b57c9b
2.35
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Iranian scholar Abu Rayhan al-Biruni studied Earth’s physical features.
He theorized that a large landmass existed west of Europe and east of Asia.
Al-Biruni published his landmass theory in 1037 CE.

The student wants to specify when al-Biruni published his landmass theory. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. In 1037 CE, al-Biruni published his theory that a large landmass existed west of Europe and east of Asia.

B. Al-Biruni, who studied Earth’s physical features, published a theory about a large landmass.

C. Al-Biruni was an Iranian scholar who studied Earth’s physical features.

An Iranian scholar who studied Earth’s physical features, al-Biruni theorized that a large landmass existed west of Europe
D. and east of Asia.
Question ID afec1a70
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: afec1a70 3.1

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
As engineered structures, many bird nests are uniquely flexible yet cohesive.
A research team led by Yashraj Bhosale wanted to better understand the mechanics behind these
structural properties.
Bhosale’s team used laboratory models that simulated the arrangement of flexible sticks into nest-like
structures.
The researchers analyzed the points where sticks touched one another.
When pressure was applied to the model nests, the number of contact points between the sticks
increased, making the structures stiffer.
The student wants to present the primary aim of the research study. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Bhosale’s team wanted to better understand the mechanics behind bird nests’ uniquely flexible yet cohesive
structural properties.
B. The researchers used laboratory models that simulated the arrangement of flexible sticks and analyzed the
points where sticks touched one another.
C. After analyzing the points where sticks touched, the researchers found that the structures became stiffer
when pressure was applied.
D. As analyzed by Bhosale’s team, bird nests are uniquely flexible yet cohesive engineered structures.
Question ID 16631d34
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 16631d34 3.2

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The Million Song Dataset (MSD) includes main audio features and descriptive tags for popular songs.
Audio features include acoustic traits such as loudness and pitch intervals.
Many algorithms use these audio features to predict a new song’s popularity.
These algorithms may fail to accurately identify main audio features of a song with varying acoustic traits.
Algorithms based on descriptive tags that describe fixed traits such as genre are more reliable predictors
of song popularity.
The student wants to explain a disadvantage of relying on audio features to predict a song’s popularity. Which
choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Many popularity-predicting algorithms are based on a song’s audio features, such as loudness and pitch
intervals.
B. Algorithms based on audio features may misidentify the main features of a song with varying acoustic traits,
making such algorithms less reliable predictors of popularity than those based on fixed traits.
C. Audio features describe acoustic traits such as pitch intervals, which may vary within a song, whereas
descriptive tags describe fixed traits such as genre, which are reliable predictors of popularity.
D. The MSD’s descriptive tags are reliable predictors of a song’s popularity, as the traits they describe are fixed.
Question ID 6c9df5d1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 6c9df5d1 3.3

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Some powerful works of literature have so influenced readers that new legislation has been passed as a
result.
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (1789) is the autobiography of a man who
endured slavery on both sides of the Atlantic.
Equiano’s book contributed to the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807.
The Jungle (1906) is a fictional work by Upton Sinclair that describes unsanitary conditions in US
meatpacking plants.
Sinclair’s book contributed to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906.
The student wants to emphasize a difference between the two books. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Although both are powerful works of literature that contributed to new legislation, Equiano’s book is an
autobiography, while Sinclair’s is fictional.
B. They may have written about different topics, but Equiano and Sinclair both influenced readers.
C. The 1807 Slave Trade Act resulted in part from a book by Equiano, while the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act
resulted in part from a book by Sinclair.
D. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano and The Jungle are two works of literature that
contributed to new legislation (concerning the slave trade and food safety, respectively).
Question ID 64e88c58
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 64e88c58 3.4

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 1971, experimental musician Pauline Oliveros created Sonic Meditations.
Sonic Meditations is not music but rather a series of sound-based exercises called meditations.
Each meditation consists of instructions for participants to make, imagine, listen to, or remember sounds.
The instructions for Meditation V state, “walk so silently that the bottoms of your feet become ears.”
Those for Meditation XVIII state, “listen to a sound until you no longer recognize it.”
The student wants to provide an explanation and an example of Oliveros’s Sonic Meditations. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Sonic Meditations is not music but rather a series of sound-based meditations that consist of instructions;
Meditation XVIII, for instance, instructs participants to “listen to a sound until you no longer recognize it.”
B. In 1971, Oliveros created Sonic Meditations, a series of meditations that consist of instructions for participants
to make, imagine, listen to, or remember sounds.
C. “Walk so silently that the bottoms of your feet become ears” is one example of the instructions found in
Oliveros’s Sonic Meditations.
D. While both meditations consist of instructions, Meditation XVIII instructs participants to “listen,” whereas
Meditation V instructs participants to “walk.”
Question ID af88c47a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: af88c47a 3.5

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Freddie Wong (born 1985) is a director and special effects artist from the United States.
He is best known for the action-comedy web series Video Game High School (VGHS).
VGHS premiered in 2012 on RocketJump, a YouTube channel that Wong cocreated.
The series was celebrated for its inventive video game–centric world and high-quality special effects.
VGHS was nominated for a Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Digital Series.
The student wants to begin a narrative about Wong’s award-nominated web series. Which choice most effectively
uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. In 2012, director and visual effects artist Freddie Wong launched a new action-comedy web series: Video
Game High School.
B. Video Game High School was celebrated for its inventive video game–centric world and high-quality special
effects, and it was nominated for a Producer’s Guild Award for Outstanding Digital Series.
C. Wong, cocreator of the YouTube channel RocketJump, would go on to see his web series be nominated for a
Producers Guild Award.
D. In 2012, Video Game High School premiered on RocketJump; it would later be nominated for an award.
Question ID fdd9a360
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: fdd9a360 3.6

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The popular wood-wide web theory posits that trees can communicate and exchange resources with one
another via common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs) of fungi.
Ecologist Dr. Suzanne Simard first suggested this theory in 1997.
She described trees as “super-cooperators.”
In the 2022 study “The Decay of the Wood-Wide Web?,” mycologist Dr. Justine Karst and colleagues
evaluated dozens of CMN studies.
They write that CMNs “have captured the interest of broad audiences. We are concerned, however, that
recent claims about CMNs in forests are disconnected from evidence.”
The student wants to use a quotation to emphasize a potential problem with the wood-wide web theory. Which
choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Describing trees as “super-cooperators,” Simard first suggested that trees can exchange resources with one
another in 1997.
B. In “The Decay of the Wood-Wide Web?,” Karst and colleagues note that common mycorrhizal networks “have
captured the interest of broad audiences.”
C. After evaluating dozens of CMN studies, Karst and colleagues expressed concern that recent claims about
common mycorrhizal networks are “disconnected from evidence.”
D. Despite the concerns expressed in the 2022 study “The Decay of the Wood-Wide Web?,” the wood-wide web
theory remains popular.
Question ID 10cd0327
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 10cd0327 3.7

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
A thermal inversion is a phenomenon where a layer of atmosphere is warmer than the layer beneath it.
In 2022, a team of researchers studied the presence of thermal inversions in twenty-five gas giants.
Gas giants are planets largely composed of helium and hydrogen.
The team found that gas giants featuring a thermal inversion were also likely to contain heat-absorbing
metals.
One explanation for this relationship is that these metals may reside in a planet’s upper atmosphere, where
their absorbed heat causes an increase in temperature.
The student wants to present the study’s findings to an audience already familiar with thermal inversions. Which
choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Heat-absorbing metals may reside in a planet’s upper atmosphere.
B. The team studied thermal inversions in twenty-five gas giants, which are largely composed of helium and
hydrogen.
C. Researchers found that gas giants featuring a thermal inversion were likely to contain heat-absorbing metals,
which may reside in the planets’ upper atmospheres.
D. Gas giants were likely to contain heat-absorbing metals when they featured a layer of atmosphere warmer
than the layer beneath it, researchers found; this phenomenon is known as a thermal inversion.
Question ID 1773fa73
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 1773fa73 3.8

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
A commodity chain is the series of links connecting the production and purchase of a commodity on the
world market.
Chinese American anthropologist Anna Tsing studies the contemporary commodity chain of matsutake
mushrooms.
At one end of the matsutake chain are mushroom pickers in Oregon.
At the other end are wealthy consumers who buy the costly matsutake in Japan.
According to Tsing, “Japanese traders began importing matsutake in the 1980s, when the scarcity of
matsutake in Japan first became clear.”
The student wants to provide an overview of the matsutake commodity chain. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. The contemporary matsutake commodity chain has its origins in the 1980s when, according to Tsing, “the
scarcity of matsutake in Japan first became clear.”
B. Commodity chains include the linked production and purchase of commodities, such as the matsutake
mushroom, on the world market.
C. Decades after the Japanese import of matsutake began, a commodity chain now links matsutake pickers in
Oregon with wealthy consumers of the costly mushrooms in Japan.
D. Wealthy consumers who buy the costly mushrooms in Japan are at one end of the matsutake commodity
chain.
Question ID 5b8b69a2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 5b8b69a2 3.9

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Archaeologist Jon Erlandson and colleagues argue that humans first arrived in the Americas by sea.
They propose that humans traveled between Pacific Ocean islands and coastlines from northeast Asia to
the Americas.
Many of these islands and coastal zones were later submerged as glaciers melted and sea levels rose.
The researchers think that “a coastal route, including kelp forests and estuaries, would have provided a
rich mix of marine, estuarine, riverine, and terrestrial resources” such as seaweeds, fish, and birds.
This proposed scenario is known as the kelp highway hypothesis.
The student wants to summarize the kelp highway hypothesis. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Pacific Ocean islands and coastlines likely contained “a rich mix of marine, estuarine, riverine, and terrestrial
resources” such as seaweeds, fish, and birds, according to researchers.
B. One argument about how humans first arrived in the Americas is the kelp highway hypothesis proposed by Jon
Erlandson and colleagues.
C. Humans may have first arrived in the Americas by sea, traveling between Pacific Ocean islands and coastlines
and subsisting on a variety of resources.
D. As glaciers melted and sea levels rose, many Pacific Ocean islands and coastal zones were submerged.
Question ID 5222ffab
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 5222ffab 3.10

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Neuroscientists Krishnan Padmanabhan and Zhen Chen sought to better understand the workings of the
brain’s olfactory system.
They devised a study using mathematical models.
They found that certain fibers allow the brain to toggle from one method of processing smells to another.
In one method, cells in the piriform cortex (where the perception of odor forms) capture olfactory
information at a given moment.
In the other, the cells track changes in olfactory information over time.
The student wants to summarize the study’s findings. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information
from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. To arrive at these findings, which describe dual methods of processing smells in the piriform cortex,
Padmanabhan and Chen devised a study using mathematical models.
B. Padmanabhan and Chen showed that olfactory information is captured by cells in the piriform cortex, where
the perception of odor forms.
C. Using mathematical models, Padmanabhan and Chen devised a study to better understand the workings of
the brain’s olfactory system.
D. According to Padmanabhan and Chen, the brain can toggle between capturing olfactory information at a given
moment and tracking changes in that information over time.
Question ID 3dcc7140
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 3dcc7140 3.11

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Nissologists are scientists who study islands.
Some nissologists define an island as any piece of land surrounded by water.
Using that definition, they determined that Sweden has 221,000 islands.
Other nissologists define an island as being 1 kilometer square, a certain distance from the mainland, and
having at least 50 permanent residents.
Using that definition, they determined that Sweden has 24 islands.
The student wants to make and support a generalization about nissologists’ definition of an island. Which choice
most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish these goals?
A. The definition of an island as any piece of land surrounded by water is supported by some nissologists,
scientists who study islands.
B. Multiple counts of Sweden’s islands have been based on different definitions of an island.
C. Based on a recent count, Sweden has a relatively small number of islands with at least 50 permanent
residents.
D. Nissologists’ different definitions can result in huge disparities in counts of islands, as the example of Sweden
shows.
Question ID 622a351d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 622a351d 3.12

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 1978, Sámi activists staged protests to block the construction of a dam on the Alta River in Norway.
The dam would disrupt Sámi fishing and reindeer herding.
The dam was ultimately built, but the Alta conflict had a lasting impact.
It brought international attention to the issue of Sámi rights.
It led to a set of 2005 legal protections establishing Sámi rights to lands, waters, and resources.
The student wants to make and support a generalization about the Alta conflict. Which choice most effectively
uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. During the Alta conflict, Sámi activists staged protests to block the construction of a dam on the Alta River in
Norway that would disrupt local fishing and reindeer herding.
B. Although the dam that the Sámi activists had protested was ultimately built, the Alta conflict had a lasting
impact.
C. Sámi rights to lands, waters, and resources received international attention and legal protections as a result of
the Alta conflict.
D. The Alta conflict had a lasting impact, resulting in international attention and legal protections for Sámi rights
to lands, waters, and resources.
Question ID db3ad406
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: db3ad406 3.13

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Stars form in a galaxy when gravity causes a massive cloud of dust and gas to collapse.
A galaxy in a phase of rapid star formation is called a starburst galaxy.
Quenching is a process in which a galaxy loses star-forming gas.
A galaxy that no longer forms stars is called a quenched galaxy.
A quenched galaxy has entered the poststarburst phase.
The student wants to explain what a quenched galaxy is. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information
from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Before quenching, a starburst galaxy will form stars at a rapid rate.
B. When it becomes quenched, a starburst galaxy enters the poststarburst phase.
C. Having entered the poststarburst phase, a quenched galaxy is one that no longer forms stars.
D. A starburst galaxy will lose star-forming gas and eventually become quenched.
Question ID 20733eac
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 20733eac 1.1

It has long been thought that humans first crossed a land bridge into the Americas approximately 13,000 years
ago. ______ based on radiocarbon dating of samples uncovered in Mexico, a research team recently suggested
that humans may have arrived more than 30,000 years ago—much earlier than previously thought.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. As a result,
B. Similarly,
C. However,
D. In conclusion,
Question ID f07570bb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: f07570bb 1.2

Researchers believe that pieces of hull found off Oregon’s coast are from a Spanish cargo ship that was lost in
1697. Stories passed down among the area’s Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians support this belief. ______
Siletz stories describe how blocks of beeswax, an item the ship had been carrying, began washing ashore after
the ship was lost.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. For this reason,
B. For example,
C. However,
D. Likewise,
Question ID 01c8c433
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 01c8c433 1.3

Before the 1847 introduction of the US postage stamp, the cost of postage was usually paid by the recipient of a
letter rather than the sender, and recipients were not always able or willing to pay promptly. ______ collecting this
fee could be slow and arduous, and heaps of unpaid-for, undeliverable mail piled up in post offices.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. Regardless,
B. On the contrary,
C. Consequently,
D. For example,
Question ID db8fe023
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: db8fe023 1.4

A potter choosing which type of clay to use for a piece considers two key factors: the desired look of the piece
and its intended use. ______ earthenware clay is often used for decorative pieces because of its rustic look. This
type of clay is not often used in industrial settings, though, because it is less durable than other clays.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. In other words,
B. Regardless,
C. In conclusion,
D. For example,
Question ID 04ad68ca
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 04ad68ca 1.5

In Gothic architecture, flying buttresses are large arches that help support a building’s exterior walls. Before the
Gothic era, cathedrals’ heavy ceilings had to be supported by thick, short walls, but the invention of flying
buttresses eliminated this need. ______ Gothic cathedrals could be built with thinner, higher walls.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. Similarly,
B. For instance,
C. Nevertheless,
D. As a result,
Question ID fc2bcc79
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: fc2bcc79 1.6

Tyrian purple was a highly prized dye among the Phoenicians (an ancient civilization located in present-day
Lebanon). The Phoenicians were famous for using this natural dye to color their clothes a distinctive purple.
______ the name “Phoenicia” itself, some historians claim, may have originally meant “land of purple.”
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. In fact,
B. Regardless,
C. Lastly,
D. On the contrary,
Question ID 1b219d14
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 1b219d14 1.7

As a young historian in the 1950s, Alixa Naff began interviewing fellow Arab American immigrants about their
experiences straddling two cultures. Over the next few decades, Naff conducted more than 450 such interviews,
also known as oral histories. ______ she collected photographs and other artifacts that represented her subjects’
experiences.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. In other words,
B. On the contrary,
C. In addition,
D. Today,
Question ID 47547d07
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 47547d07 1.8

In June, female loggerhead sea turtles will swim back to the sandy beaches where they were born to lay eggs of
their own. First, the turtle will dig her nest in the sand. ______ she will lay up to 100 eggs in the nest. Finally, she
will cover it all with sand, before returning to the ocean.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. By contrast,
B. Similarly,
C. Next,
D. For example,
Question ID b7571c0a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: b7571c0a 1.9

Practical movie effects, such as the use of actual locations in a film, provide a more realistic visual experience
than computer-generated imagery (CGI) does, but giving audiences the “real thing” can be prohibitively
expensive. ______ many filmmakers use a blended approach, employing practical effects whenever possible and
CGI elements as necessary to control costs.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. Similarly,
B. For this reason,
C. Furthermore,
D. In other words,
Question ID 0ee64efc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 0ee64efc 1.10

In the 1850s, William Still was instrumental in helping nearly 1,000 people escape from slavery, earning him the
moniker “the Father of the Underground Railroad.” ______ despite the fame of his contributions during his lifetime,
Still is discussed far less today than other prominent Black abolitionists from his era, such as Frederick Douglass
and Harriet Tubman.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. For example,
B. However,
C. Specifically,
D. Similarly,
Question ID 63c73b50
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 63c73b50 1.11

In 2018, Kurt Luther and Vikram Mohanty created the web-based tool Civil War Photo Sleuth (CWPS). A user
uploading an unknown Civil War soldier’s photograph to CWPS first tags the photo with all known information.
______ CWPS’s facial-recognition software analyzes twenty-seven different physical features and looks for
matches to tagged images already in the database.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. Then,
B. In fact,
C. Likewise,
D. For example,
Question ID 3831f2d7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 3831f2d7 1.12

Arkansas aviator Louise Thaden was already a record breaker when she won the inaugural National Women’s Air
Derby, a race from California to Ohio, in August of 1929. ______ in December of 1928, Thaden had set an aviation
record when she reached an altitude of 20,269 feet in a Travel Air biplane.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. Earlier,
B. However,
C. Next,
D. As a result,
Question ID 2b5e0731
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 2b5e0731 1.13

With darkness falling, a mother elephant loses sight of her calf and wants to make sure it is safe. ______ she
releases an infrasonic call for the calf to hear. Infrasonic sound is below the range of human hearing, but many
animals can hear these sounds from several miles away.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. For example,
B. For this reason,
C. Nowadays,
D. Similarly,
Question ID 1c36e3e1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 1c36e3e1 1.14

The number of dark spots that appear on the Sun, known as sunspots, can vary greatly. For example, there were
about 180 sunspots in November 2001. ______ there were only about 2 sunspots in December 2008.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. In other words,
B. Similarly,
C. Therefore,
D. By comparison,
Question ID ac8eb085
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: ac8eb085 1.15

“O2 Arena,” an award-winning science fiction story by Nigerian author Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, takes place
in an alternate version of Nigeria where breathable air is a rare commodity that is owned and sold by companies.
______ people must purchase it with currency called O2 credits.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. As a result,
B. In any case,
C. Nevertheless,
D. Earlier,
Question ID 37957752
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 37957752 1.16

As biologist Terrie Williams has documented, deep dives present a challenge for seals and other marine
mammals. A seal must exert enough energy to propel itself hundreds of meters downward, while keeping its heart
rate low enough that it doesn’t run out of oxygen while underwater. ______ a seal moves its flippers as little as
possible on a deep dive, gliding to conserve energy.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. In the first place,
B. On the other hand,
C. For this reason,
D. In comparison,
Question ID 90117366
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 90117366 1.17

To explore how blinking affects social interactions, Dutch researchers observed interactions between human
speakers and “listeners” (animated human faces on a screen). The researchers found that when the listeners
blinked slowly, the speakers tended to talk for less time. ______ quicker blinks were associated with longer talking
times.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. For example,
B. Specifically,
C. Firstly,
D. By contrast,
Question ID 4154a7a3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 4154a7a3 1.18

In 1891, dancer and choreographer Loie Fuller first performed her celebrated Serpentine Dance, artfully twirling
her long, flowing skirt to create striking visual effects. ______ in 1896, cinema pioneers Auguste and Louis
Lumière made a groundbreaking short film of Fuller’s dance.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. However,
B. In conclusion,
C. Later,
D. In other words,
Question ID d3898d32
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: d3898d32 1.19

Riley Black—the author of critically acclaimed books such as My Beloved Brontosaurus (2013)—is best known for
writing about dinosaurs, but she has also conducted hands-on fieldwork. ______ her fieldwork has included
paleontological digs in Utah, Montana, and Wyoming, and her dinosaur fossil discoveries can be seen at places
such as the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. Regardless,
B. Subsequently,
C. Specifically,
D. Conversely,
Question ID 6916c8e5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 6916c8e5 1.20

Laetitia Ky’s hair is her art. Inspired by hairstyles from various African tribes, the Ivorian artist uses wire and
thread to sculpt her hair into all kinds of shapes. ______ she once made her hair into the shape of the continent of
Africa—including the island of Madagascar!
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. Soon,
B. Elsewhere,
C. For example,
D. However,
Question ID de0bcf4f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: de0bcf4f
1.21
Spanish surrealist Oscar Dominguez, like many of his contemporaries, wanted to incorporate elements of chance and
randomness in his artistic process. ______ he employed techniques that produced random, unpredictable results, such as
decalcomania, which involved pressing a blank canvas onto a paint-covered surface to generate abstract patterns.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. With this in mind,

B. On the contrary,

C. In conclusion,

D. Regardless,
Question ID b5a399f1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: b5a399f1
1.22
Following the Mata Ortiz pottery technique, Mexican sculptor Juan Quezada Celado starts by creating the base of the pot
with a slab of clay. ______ he builds the pot walls by layering coils of clay around the perimeter of the base. Celado then
smooths out the pot’s walls with a hacksaw blade. At last, the pot is ready to be painted.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. For example,

B. However,

C. By contrast,

D. Next,
Question ID bfb4e85e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: bfb4e85e
1.23
Ballet dancer Misty Copeland has accomplished a lot. She has appeared on Broadway, toured with Prince, and even served
on the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition. ______ according to Copeland, nothing in her career matches the
honor of being the first African American woman named principal dancer at the prestigious American Ballet Theatre.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Thus,

B. However,

C. For example,

D. Second of all,
Question ID c4f7f726
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: c4f7f726
1.24
Many butterfly species have bold, brightly colored wings. ______ some butterfly species have wings that are almost
completely colorless and transparent. Glasswing butterflies, for example, have see-through wings that make them nearly
invisible.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Similarly,

B. Previously,

C. In other words,

D. However,
Question ID e965fd73
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: e965fd73
1.25
Preston Singletary is a Tlingit glass artist who often collaborates with other artists. ______ he has worked with Tewa pottery
artist Jody Naranjo several times. Together, Singletary and Naranjo have created pottery-inspired glass pieces such as
Sunset Stampede and Kiva Steps.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. In conclusion,

B. For example,

C. However,

D. In comparison,
Question ID d10e46a2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: d10e46a2
1.26
The ancient Spartans were known for their bitingly concise—or laconic—wit, a quality they maintained even in the face of
great peril. ______ when Philip II of Macedon threatened Laconia (the region of Greece containing Sparta), he said, “If I invade
Laconia, I shall turn you out.” The Spartans replied with a single word: “If.”

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Rather,

B. In other words,

C. That said,

D. For instance,
Question ID 7f20374f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 7f20374f
1.27
The 435 state districts in the US House of Representatives are designed to be roughly equal in population. These districts
average around 760,000 people in size. However, only about 730,000 people live in the state of Alaska. ______ Alaska has just
one House district, encompassing the entire state.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. As a result,

B. Instead,

C. Finally,

D. For instance,
Question ID 1996c104
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 1996c104
1.28
The liquid metals in Earth’s core circulate constantly, and this circulation generates electrical currents that flow between
Earth’s North and South magnetic poles. These electrical currents, ______ create a barrier around Earth that protects us from
radiation and charged particles coming from space.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. in turn,

B. likewise,

C. nevertheless,

D. in reality,
Question ID 42d92dea
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 42d92dea
1.29
Before it unveiled a massive new gallery in 2009, the Art Institute of Chicago was only able to display about 5% of its art
collection. ______ the museum is able to display close to 30% of its collection.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Additionally,

B. For example,

C. Nevertheless,

D. Today,
Question ID a40c7aa3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: a40c7aa3 2.1

Most of the planets that have been discovered outside our solar system orbit G-type stars, like our Sun. In 2014,
______ researchers identified a planet orbiting KELT-9, a B-type star more than twice as massive and nearly twice
as hot as the Sun. Called KELT-9b, it is one of the hottest planets ever discovered.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. likewise,
B. however,
C. therefore,
D. for example,
Question ID a819d8b6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: a819d8b6 2.2

In 1873, Spanish scientist Santiago Ramón y Cajal observed that brain fibers have distinct boundaries with clear
end points, a finding that went against earlier assumptions about the brain. ______ scientists had assumed that
the brain was a continuous web of fused fibers, not a vast network of distinct, individual cells.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. However,
B. Previously,
C. As a result,
D. Likewise,
Question ID 326017ce
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 326017ce 2.3

For years, biologists have experimented with using grime-eating bacteria rather than harsh chemicals to clean
artworks, and results have been impressive overall. ______ these bacterial strains—which can metabolize
centuries’ worth of oil, glue, dirt, and other surface impurities without creating harmful byproducts—have proven
more effective than traditional chemical cleaning methods.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. However,
B. In many cases,
C. As a result,
D. Additionally,
Question ID 221ecf0f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 221ecf0f 2.4

Alexander Lawrence Posey (1873–1908) varied his focus and tone depending on the genre in which he was
writing. In his poetry, he used heartfelt language to evoke the beauty and peacefulness of his natural
surroundings; in his journalism, ______ he employed humor and satire to comment on political issues affecting his
Muskogee Creek community.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. that is,
B. granted,
C. similarly,
D. by contrast,
Question ID 97e2e364
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 97e2e364 2.5

Okot p’Bitek’s poem Song of Lawino (1966) explores postcolonial Ugandan life through the eyes of a woman living
in a rural village. With its vibrant imagery, bitingly satiric tone, and dexterous use of traditional Acholi song and
phraseology, the poem inspired a generation of East African writers. ______ those who adopted its style are often
referred to as Okot School poets.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. Nevertheless,
B. Fittingly,
C. By comparison,
D. Instead,
Question ID 11df9b99
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 11df9b99 2.6

Because an achiral molecule is symmetrical, flipping it yields a structurally identical molecule. A flipped chiral
molecule, ______ can be compared to a glove that has been turned inside out: it produces a structurally inverted
molecule rather than an identical one.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. in other words,
B. by contrast,
C. for example,
D. similarly,
Question ID 30438650
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 30438650 2.7

Jhumpa Lahiri’s story collection Interpreter of Maladies features multiple stories about romantic relationships. In
“This Blessed House,” newlyweds argue over whether to replace items left by the previous owners of their new
home. ______ in “A Temporary Matter,” a husband and wife attempt to rekindle their relationship during a four-
night blackout.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. Granted,
B. For example,
C. Likewise,
D. Hence,
Question ID 388b45aa
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 388b45aa 2.8

Establishing Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is no easy task. Each month, readings of a single second from
atomic clocks around the world are taken and sent to the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) in
France. ______ BIPM metrologists perform the meticulous work of assembling these minutely disparate readings
into a globally shared time standard.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. There,
B. In particular,
C. For example,
D. Conversely,
Question ID 0c13dea9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 0c13dea9 2.9

The chemical trimethylamine N-oxide not only gives fish their fishy smell but also protects them from crushing
hydrostatic pressure in deep waters. Trimethylamine N-oxide strengthens the bonds between water molecules in
a fish’s body. ______ these water molecules maintain their linked structure at extreme depths, thus preventing
pressure-related damage.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. Nevertheless,
B. As a result,
C. However,
D. For instance,
Question ID eea351c4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: eea351c4 2.10

“Wishcycling”—putting nonrecyclable items into recycling bins under the mistaken belief that those items can be
recycled—ultimately does more harm than good. Nonrecyclable items, such as greasy pizza boxes, can
contaminate recyclable materials, rendering entire batches unusable. ______ nonrecyclable products can damage
recycling plants’ machinery.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. Fittingly,
B. On the contrary,
C. Moreover,
D. Nevertheless,
Question ID 39d1a519
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 39d1a519 2.11

To discover which fruit varieties were grown in Italy’s Umbria region before the introduction of industrial farming,
botanist Isabella Dalla Ragione often turns to centuries-old lists of cooking ingredients. ______ she analyzes
Renaissance paintings of Umbria, as they can provide accurate representations of fruits that were grown there
long ago.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. In sum,
B. Instead,
C. Thus,
D. Additionally,
Question ID 9e3a215b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 9e3a215b
2.12
A 2022 study by researchers Hala Altamimi and Qiaozhen Liu investigated the relationship between nonprofit arts
organizations’ spending and performance. ______ the researchers examined the correlation between how much 22,328 US
arts nonprofits spent on overhead—operational costs such as equipment and fundraising—and how many people attended
their events (a measure of overall success).

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Thus,

B. In addition,

C. By comparison,

D. Specifically,
Question ID 25361ec6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 25361ec6
2.13
Scientists long debated the origins of chondrules, tiny glass beads that formed in meteors billions of years ago. For decades,
different theories were proposed, from lightning strikes to powerful rock collisions, but none had sufficient evidentiary
support. ______ scientists found strong evidence that chondrules were formed by shock waves in nearby nebulae.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. For example,

B. Therefore,

C. Similarly,

D. Finally,
Question ID e3edc138
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: e3edc138 3.1

In a heated debate in biogeography, the field is divided between dispersalists and vicariancists. ______ there are
those who argue that dispersal is the most crucial determining factor in a species’ distribution, and those who
insist that vicariance (separation due to geographic barriers) is. Biogeographer Isabel Sanmartín counts herself
among neither.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. Furthermore,
B. By contrast,
C. Similarly,
D. That is,
Question ID 00221c00
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 00221c00 3.2

In 1815, while in exile in Jamaica, Venezuelan revolutionary Simón Bolívar penned a letter praising England’s
republican government and expressing hope that Latin American nations seeking independence from Spain might
achieve something similar. The letter was addressed to a local merchant, Henry Cullen; ______ though, Bolívar’s
goal was to persuade political leaders from England and Europe to support his cause.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. additionally,
B. ultimately,
C. accordingly,
D. consequently,
Question ID 8e9677e6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 8e9677e6 3.3

In 2009, the Craft and Folk Art Museum in Los Angeles hosted a special exhibition, Sueños/Yume, showcasing the
works of local sculptor Dora de Larios. As suggested by the show’s title (sueños and yume mean “dreams” in
Spanish and Japanese, respectively), de Larios’s art reflects a mix of cultural influences. ______ her work is
grounded in the artistic traditions of both Mexico and Japan.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. In addition,
B. In contrast,
C. Specifically,
D. Therefore,
Question ID 6e0c60da
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 6e0c60da 3.4

When one looks at the dark craggy vistas in Hitoshi Fugo’s evocative photo series, one’s mind might wander off to
the cratered surfaces of faraway planets. ______ it’s the series’ title, Flying Frying Pan, that brings one back to
Earth, reminding the viewer that each photo is actually a close-up view of a familiar household object: a frying
pan.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. Consequently,
B. Alternatively,
C. Ultimately,
D. Additionally,
Question ID 2df7b582
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 2df7b582 3.5

Plato believed material objects to be crude representations of unseen ideal forms. In his view, such abstract,
nonmaterial forms are the ultimate source of knowledge. Aristotle disagreed, positing that knowledge is best
obtained through direct engagement with the material world; ______ sensory experience of the material is the
ultimate source of knowledge.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. regardless,
B. admittedly,
C. in other words,
D. meanwhile,
Question ID 00e0170f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 00e0170f 3.6

Magnetic levitation (maglev) trains are suspended above a track by powerful electromagnets, reducing friction
and thus allowing for much faster speeds. Though maglev advocates in the US have long imagined these trains
crisscrossing the country, their dream remains unrealized. ______ of the handful of maglev trains currently in
operation, all are in Asia.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. In fact,
B. To that end,
C. Nevertheless,
D. That said,
Question ID c071eca2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: c071eca2 3.7

Iraqi artist Nazik Al-Malaika, celebrated as the first Arabic poet to write in free verse, didn’t reject traditional forms
entirely; her poem “Elegy for a Woman of No Importance” consists of two ten-line stanzas and a standard number
of syllables. Even in this superficially traditional work, ______ Al-Malaika was breaking new ground by
memorializing an anonymous woman rather than a famous man.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. therefore,
B. in fact,
C. moreover,
D. though,
Question ID 176edca6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 176edca6 3.8

A 2017 study of sign language learners tested the role of iconicity—the similarity of a sign to the thing it
represents—in language acquisition. The study found that the greater the iconicity of a sign, the more likely it was
to have been learned. ______ the correlation between acquisition and iconicity was lower than that between
acquisition and another factor studied: sign frequency.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. In fact,
B. In other words,
C. Granted,
D. As a result,
Question ID 9f1a0d91
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 9f1a0d91 3.9

“Tulip mania”—the rapid rise and sudden fall of the price of tulip bulbs in seventeenth-century Amsterdam—is
often cited as an example of the perils of rampant market speculation. However, recent research has
demonstrated that the episode was neither as frenzied nor as disastrous as has been thought. The popular myth
surrounding it, ______ should be regarded with some skepticism.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. for example,
B. by contrast,
C. nevertheless,
D. therefore,
Question ID 47e238be
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 47e238be 3.10

Seismologists Kaiqing Yuan and Barbara Romanowicz have proposed that the magma fueling Iceland’s more than
30 active volcano systems emerges from deep within Earth. The great depths involved—nearly 3,000 km—mark
Iceland’s volcanoes as extreme outliers; ______ many of Earth’s volcanoes are fed by shallow pockets of magma
found less than 15 km below the surface.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. indeed,
B. nevertheless,
C. in addition,
D. consequently,
Question ID ad729337
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: ad729337 3.11

With its clichéd imagery of suburban lawns and power lines, John Ashbery’s 2004 poem “Ignorance of the Law Is
No Excuse” may seem barren terrain for critical analysis. ______ cultural critic Lauren Berlant finds fertile ground
in just its first two stanzas, devoting most of a book chapter to deciphering the “weight of the default space”
Ashbery creates in this poem.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. Likewise,
B. Nonetheless,
C. In turn,
D. That is,
Question ID ecb31049
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: ecb31049 3.12

The Sun and other stars are powered by nuclear fusion reactions, in which two atoms collide to form a single
heavier atom, releasing energy. Scientists have long believed that fusion has the potential to meet humanity’s
clean energy needs. ______ prior to December 2022, no fusion reaction in a laboratory setting had ever
generated a net energy gain.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. For this reason,
B. Moreover,
C. Specifically,
D. That said,
Question ID 1e31470f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 1e31470f
3.13
To perform a quad axel, a figure skater must leap into the air and complete four and a half rotations before landing, an
extreme feat. ______ in 2022, when 17-year-old Ilia Malinin landed the first quad axel—considered the most difficult quad
jump—in a high-level competition, the audience was left awestruck.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Moreover,

B. Fittingly,

C. Next,

D. However,
Question ID 9dc4e640
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 9dc4e640
3.14
The mineral mtorolite is most commonly found in Zimbabwe. Mtorolite is cryptocrystalline, meaning that its crystalline
structure is so fine that the individual crystals cannot be distinguished by the naked eye or even under a microscope. The
crystals in microcrystalline minerals are also not visible to the naked eye; ______ they can usually be seen under a
microscope.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. thus,

B. for example,

C. that said,

D. similarly,
Question ID 8112b7e3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 8112b7e3
3.15
Ugandan American professor Peter Nazareth believed that Elvis Presley’s music is best understood not as a homogeneous
collection but as an anthology (because Elvis showcased the contributions of a wide range of gospel, blues, and rock
artists). ______ Nazareth entitled his college course on Elvis and his music, which focused on Elvis’s many musical
influences, “Elvis as Anthology.”

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. To that end,

B. In sum,

C. That is,

D. In addition,
Question ID 57485f5e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 57485f5e 1.1

The following text is adapted from Johanna Spyri’s 1881 novel Heidi (translated by Elisabeth Stork in 1915). Eight-
year-old Heidi and her friend’s grandmother are looking at some illustrated books.
Heidi had come and was looking with wondering eyes at the splendid pictures in the large books, that
Grandmama was showing her. Suddenly she screamed aloud, for there on the picture she saw a peaceful
flock grazing on a green pasture. In the middle a shepherd was standing, leaning on his crook. The setting
sun was shedding a golden light over everything. With glowing eyes Heidi devoured the scene.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. Heidi is upset until she sees a serene image of a pasture in one of Grandmama’s books.
B. Heidi is delighted and fascinated by an image she sees in one of Grandmama’s books.
C. Heidi is initially frightened by an image in one of Grandmama’s books but quickly comes to appreciate its
beauty.
D. Heidi is inspecting an image in one of Grandmama’s books because she has never seen a shepherd with his
sheep before.
Question ID 8a8236e1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 8a8236e1 1.2

Scent is tightly interwoven with our daily lives, often evoking significant memories and important social events.
This connection is of growing interest to archaeologists who hope to use it to better understand ancient rituals,
trade, social hierarchies, and medicine. Although the speed at which odor molecules dissipate makes identifying
ancient scents challenging, advancements in biomolecular technologies show promise in unlocking ancient
aromas from preserved artifacts. Archaeological studies making use of these advancements may provide new
insights into past societies.
According to the text, what is one reason some archaeologists are interested in recovering scents from ancient
artifacts?
A. They are investigating whether people’s sense of smell has declined in recent centuries.
B. They believe the scents could illuminate important aspects of ancient life.
C. They think that ancient scents would be enjoyable to people today.
D. They hope to develop new medicines using ancient scent molecules.
Question ID 2592e0de
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 2592e0de 1.3

Bicycles were first mass-produced in the late nineteenth century throughout Europe and North America, allowing
individuals remarkable freedom to travel longer distances quickly and comfortably. This freedom, coupled with
the affordability of the vehicle, made the bicycle immensely popular. Individuals were able to live farther from their
workplaces, easily visit neighboring towns, and participate in new leisure and sport activities. Bicycling quickly
became a popular social endeavor, with enthusiasts forming local cycling clubs to enjoy these newfound activities
with others.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. The widespread adoption of the bicycle in the late nineteenth century provided new opportunities for people.
B. The affordability of the bicycle in the late nineteenth century made it the preferred way to travel.
C. The popularity of the bicycle in the late nineteenth century gave rise to the first cycling clubs.
D. The mass production of the bicycle in the late nineteenth century made it safer for people to use.
Question ID 89961e26
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 89961e26 1.4

Artist Justin Favela explained that he wanted to reclaim the importance of the piñata as a symbol in Latinx culture.
To do so, he created numerous sculptures from strips of tissue paper, which is similar to the material used to
create piñatas. In 2017, Favela created an impressive life-size piñata-like sculpture of the Gypsy Rose lowrider car,
which was displayed at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California. The Gypsy Rose lowrider was
famously driven by Jesse Valadez, an early president of the Los Angeles Imperials Car Club.
According to the text, which piece of Favela’s art was on display in the Petersen Automotive Museum in 2017?
A. A painting of Los Angeles
B. A sculpture of a lowrider car
C. A painting of a piñata
D. A sculpture of Jesse Valadez
Question ID de0a5b4e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: de0a5b4e 1.5

In 2022, researchers rediscovered ancient indigenous glyphs, or drawings, on the walls of a cave in Alabama. The
cave’s ceiling was only a few feet high, affording no position from which the glyphs, being as wide as ten feet,
could be viewed or photographed in their entirety. However, the researchers used a technique called
photogrammetry to assemble numerous photos of the walls into a 3D model. They then worked with
representatives of tribes originally from the region, including the Chickasaw Nation, to understand the
significance of the animal and humanoid figures adorning the cave.
According to the text, what challenge did the researchers have to overcome to examine the glyphs?
A. The cave was so remote that the researchers couldn’t easily reach it.
B. Some of the glyphs were so faint that they couldn’t be photographed.
C. The researchers were unable to create a 3D model of the cave.
D. The cave’s dimensions prevented the researchers from fully viewing the glyphs.
Question ID 6675c5c3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 6675c5c3 1.6

The following text is from Shyam Selvadurai’s 1994 novel Funny Boy. The seven-year-old narrator lives with his
family in Sri Lanka. Radha Aunty is the narrator’s aunt.
Radha Aunty, who was the youngest in my father’s family, had left for America four years ago when I was three,
and I could not remember what she looked like. I went into the corridor to look at the family photographs that
were hung there. But all the pictures were old ones, taken when Radha Aunty was a baby or young girl. Try as I
might, I couldn’t get an idea of what she looked like now. My imagination, however, was quick to fill in this void.
©1994 by Shyam Selvadurai.
According to the text, why does the narrator consult some family photographs?
A. He wants to use the photographs as inspiration for a story he is writing.
B. He is curious about how his father dressed a long time ago.
C. He hopes the photographs will help him recall what his aunt looked like.
D. He wants to remind his aunt of an event that is shown in an old photograph.
Question ID 0b696a0c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 0b696a0c 1.7

NASA’s Cassini probe has detected an unusual wobble in the rotation of Mimas, Saturn’s smallest moon. Using a
computer model to study Mimas’s gravitational interactions with Saturn and tidal forces, geophysicist Alyssa
Rhoden and colleagues have proposed that this wobble could be due to a liquid ocean moving beneath the
moon’s icy surface. The researchers believe other moons should be examined to see if they too might have
oceans hidden beneath their surfaces.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. Rhoden and colleagues were the first to confirm that several of Saturn’s moons contain hidden oceans.
B. Research has failed to identify signs that there is an ocean hidden beneath the surface of Mimas.
C. Rhoden and colleagues created a new computer model that identifies moons with hidden oceans without
needing to analyze the moons’ rotation.
D. Research has revealed that an oddity in the rotation of Mimas could be explained by an ocean hidden beneath
its surface.
Question ID 23a7038f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 23a7038f 1.8

Shimmering is a collective defense behavior that researchers have observed in giant honeybee colonies. When
shimmering, different groups of bees flip their bodies up and down in what looks like waves. This defense is
initiated when hornets hover near a colony, serving to deter the hornets from approaching the bees. Researchers
hypothesize that this behavior is a specialized defense response to hornets, as it is not observed when other,
larger predators approach the colony.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. Researchers are unsure how giant honeybees defend against predators larger than hornets.
B. Researchers think that shimmering in giant honeybees is a specific defense against hornets.
C. Hornets are known to be the main predator of giant honeybees.
D. Several different species of insects use shimmering to defend against hornets.
Question ID 7921b86b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 7921b86b 1.9

Oluwaseyi Moejoh cofounded U-recycle Initiative Africa when she was only a teenager. Moejoh and her team
founded the organization to teach young people how their actions affect the environment and why recycling is
important. For example, the organization put on an exhibit of art made using recycled materials.
According to the text, what is one reason Moejoh and others founded U-recycle Initiative Africa?
A. To bring attention to overlooked African artists
B. To teach young people why recycling is important
C. To help adults gain important outdoor skills
D. To give teenagers advice about starting businesses
Question ID dc5edbf6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: dc5edbf6 1.10

Microplastics are pieces of plastic that are smaller than a grain of rice. These small plastics can be found in large
quantities in ocean waters. Ecologist Jessica Reichert and her team are studying the role reef-building corals have
in capturing microplastics from ocean waters. Through research, her team has found that these corals may be
storing up to 20 million kilograms of microplastics each year in their skeletons and tissues.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. Ecologists are interested in learning more about how certain corals build large reefs.
B. Questions remain around the impact certain corals have on ocean ecosystems.
C. Microplastics are small pieces of plastic that can be found in ocean waters.
D. Ecologists predict that corals store large amounts of microplastics from ocean waters.
Question ID d8758c3b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: d8758c3b 1.11

Psychologists wanted to test how young children think about rewards and fairness. In an experiment, two teachers
handed out rewards while children (ages four to six) watched. The teachers gave out the same number of
rewards, but one of them counted the rewards out loud. The children were then asked who was fairer. 73% chose
the teacher who counted. The psychologists think that counting showed the children that the teacher wanted to
be fair. The children may have believed that the teacher who did not count did not care about fairness.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. Psychologists think children cannot understand the concept of fairness until they are six years old.
B. An experiment found that counting out loud is the best way to teach mathematical concepts to children.
C. Psychologists think young children expect to be rewarded when the children show that they care about
fairness.
D. An experiment showed that the way rewards are given out may affect whether young children think the
situation is fair.
Question ID 0e3b4967
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 0e3b4967 1.12

Scrapbooks of saved fabric pieces were commonly kept by women in the nineteenth-century United States, but
few are as meticulously detailed as Hannah Ditzler Alspaugh’s work. Alongside each piece of fabric, Alspaugh
recorded intimate memories, such as dressmaking with her sister. Additionally, she listed the prices and how she
used the fabric. Historians note that by representing fifty years of changing textures, patterns, and dress styles,
the scrapbook is a record of nineteenth-century textiles and dressmaking as well as Alspaugh’s life.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. Alspaugh inspired other women to save pieces of fabric in scrapbooks and provide historical records of
nineteenth-century fashions in the United States.
B. Historians rely on fabric scrapbooks to understand how fashions changed throughout the nineteenth-century
United States.
C. Fabric scrapbooks were a popular hobby for many women in the nineteenth-century United States.
D. Alspaugh’s scrapbook provides a detailed account of her life and historical record of fashion trends in the
nineteenth-century United States.
Question ID a842db60
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: a842db60 1.13

To make her art more widely available, graphic artist Elizabeth Catlett turned to linocuts. In linocut printing, an
artist carves an image into a sheet of linoleum to create a stamp that is used to mass-produce prints. In the
linocut series The Black Woman (1946–1947), Catlett depicts the everyday experiences of Black women
alongside the achievements of well-known Black women. This pairing invites the viewer to draw connections
among the women. The linocut process enabled Catlett’s work to reach a wide audience and supported her aim to
unite Black women through her art.
According to the text, what is significant about Catlett’s use of linocut printing?
A. Linocut printing involved using materials that were readily available to Catlett.
B. Linocut printing helped Catlett use art to connect people, especially Black women.
C. Catlett became commercially successful once she started using linocut printing.
D. Catlett was one of the first Black artists to use linocut printing.
Question ID 1e85caa9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 1e85caa9 1.14

The following text is from Edith Nesbit’s 1902 novel Five Children and It. Five young siblings have just moved with
their parents from London to a house in the countryside that they call the White House.
It was not really a pretty house at all; it was quite ordinary, and mother thought it was rather inconvenient,
and was quite annoyed at there being no shelves, to speak of, and hardly a cupboard in the place. Father
used to say that the ironwork on the roof and coping was like an architect’s nightmare. But the house was
deep in the country, with no other house in sight, and the children had been in London for two years, without
so much as once going to the seaside even for a day by an excursion train, and so the White House seemed
to them a sort of Fairy Palace set down in an Earthly Paradise.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. Although their parents believe the house has several drawbacks, the children are enchanted by it.
B. The children don’t like the house nearly as much as their parents do.
C. Each member of the family admires a different characteristic of the house.
D. The house is beautiful and well built, but the children miss their old home in London.
Question ID 41d5c33e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 41d5c33e
1.15
The following text is from Beatrice Harraden’s 1894 novel Ships that Pass in the Night.

In an old second-hand bookshop in London, an old man sat reading Gibbon’s History of Rome. He did not put down his
book when the postman brought him a letter. He just glanced indifferently at the letter, and impatiently at the postman.
Zerviah Holme did not like to be interrupted when he was reading Gibbon; and as he was always reading Gibbon, an
interruption was always regarded by him as an insult.

Based on the text, how did Zerviah Holme most likely feel when the letter was delivered?

A. He felt relieved because he had been expecting an important letter.

B. He felt excited because the letter was from a good friend.

C. He felt sad because the postman did not stop to talk with him before leaving.

D. He felt annoyed because he was interrupted while reading his favorite author.
Question ID 87aa7bab
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 87aa7bab 2.1

A common assumption among art historians is that the invention of photography in the mid-nineteenth century
displaced the painted portrait in the public consciousness. The diminishing popularity of the portrait miniature,
which coincided with the rise of photography, seems to support this claim. However, photography’s impact on the
portrait miniature may be overstated. Although records from art exhibitions in the Netherlands from 1820 to 1892
show a decrease in the number of both full-sized and miniature portraits submitted, this trend was established
before the invention of photography.
Based on the text, what can be concluded about the diminishing popularity of the portrait miniature in the
nineteenth century?
A. Factors other than the rise of photography may be more directly responsible for the portrait miniature’s
decline.
B. Although portrait miniatures became less common than photographs, they were widely regarded as having
more artistic merit.
C. The popularity of the portrait miniature likely persisted for longer than art historians have assumed.
D. As demand for portrait miniatures decreased, portrait artists likely shifted their creative focus to photography.
Question ID 602b47c7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 602b47c7 2.2

Biologists have predicted that birds’ feather structures vary with habitat temperature, but this hadn’t been tested
in mountain environments. Ornithologist Sahas Barve studied feathers from 249 songbird species inhabiting
different elevations—and thus experiencing different temperatures—in the Himalaya Mountains. He found that
feathers of high-elevation species not only have a greater proportion of warming downy sections to flat and
smooth sections than do feathers of low-elevation species, but high-elevation species’ feathers also tend to be
longer, providing a thicker layer of insulation.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. Barve’s investigation shows that some species of Himalayan songbirds have evolved feathers that better
regulate body temperature than do the feathers of other species, contradicting previous predictions.
B. Barve found an association between habitat temperature and feather structure among Himalayan songbirds,
lending new support to a general prediction.
C. Barve discovered that songbirds have adapted to their environment by growing feathers without flat and
smooth sections, complicating an earlier hypothesis.
D. The results of Barve’s study suggest that the ability of birds to withstand cold temperatures is determined
more strongly by feather length than feather structure, challenging an established belief.
Question ID 11a9f635
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 11a9f635 2.3

Paleontologists searching for signs of ancient life have found many fossilized specimens of prehistoric human
ancestors, including several from the Pleistocene era discovered in a geological formation in the Minatogawa
quarry in Japan. However, to study the emergence of the earliest multicellular organisms to appear on Earth,
researchers must turn elsewhere, such as to the Ediacaran geological formation at Mistaken Point in Canada. A
UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 146-hectare reserve contains more than 10,000 fossils that together document
a critical moment in evolutionary history.
What does the text indicate about the geological formation at Mistaken Point?
A. It holds a greater number of fossils but from a smaller variety of species than the formation in the Minatogawa
quarry does.
B. It has provided evidence that the earliest human species may have emerged before the Pleistocene era.
C. It is widely considered by paleontologists to be the most valuable source of information about prehistoric life
forms.
D. It contains specimens from an older time period than those found in the formation in the Minatogawa quarry.
Question ID e677fa6c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: e677fa6c 2.4

The following text is adapted from Edgar Allan Poe’s 1849 story “Landor’s Cottage.”
During a pedestrian trip last summer, through one or two of the river counties of New York, I found myself, as
the day declined, somewhat embarrassed about the road I was pursuing. The land undulated very
remarkably; and my path, for the last hour, had wound about and about so confusedly, in its effort to keep in
the valleys, that I no longer knew in what direction lay the sweet village of B——, where I had determined to
stop for the night.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. The narrator remembers a trip he took and admits to getting lost.
B. The narrator recalls fond memories of a journey that he took through some beautiful river counties.
C. The narrator describes what he saw during a long trip through a frequently visited location.
D. The narrator explains the difficulties he encountered on a trip and how he overcame them.
Question ID 5325b3cc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 5325b3cc 2.5

Philadelphia’s Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, founded by Jeri Lynne Johnson, performs classical music, from
well-known compositions by Beethoven to contemporary works by Jessie Montgomery. For the orchestra’s
iConduct! program, Johnson invites community members to learn some basic elements of conducting and then
experience conducting the Black Pearl orchestra themselves.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. The Black Pearl orchestra performs music from all over the world but mostly performs music composed by
Philadelphians.
B. Johnson founded the Black Pearl orchestra to perform classical music by contemporary artist Jessie
Montgomery.
C. The Black Pearl orchestra gives community members the chance to both listen to and participate in classical
music performance.
D. Johnson has community members conduct an orchestra to demonstrate how difficult the task is.
Question ID dc3ea63e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: dc3ea63e 2.6

To dye wool, Navajo (Diné) weaver Lillie Taylor uses plants and vegetables from Arizona, where she lives. For
example, she achieved the deep reds and browns featured in her 2003 rug In the Path of the Four Seasons by
using Arizona dock roots, drying and grinding them before mixing the powder with water to create a dye bath. To
intensify the appearance of certain colors, Taylor also sometimes mixes in clay obtained from nearby soil.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. Reds and browns are not commonly featured in most of Taylor’s rugs.
B. Taylor draws on local resources in the approach she uses to dye wool.
C. Taylor finds it difficult to locate Arizona dock root in the desert.
D. In the Path of the Four Seasons is widely acclaimed for its many colors and innovative weaving techniques.
Question ID a59245a1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: a59245a1 2.7

The painter María Izquierdo played an important role in the development of twentieth-century Mexican art, but her
work has never been well-known in the United States except among art historians. One reason for Izquierdo’s
relative obscurity is the enormous popularity of some of her peers. In particular, the painters Frida Kahlo and
Diego Rivera have so captivated the interest of US audiences that Izquierdo and other Mexican artists from the
period often get overlooked, despite the high quality of their work.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. Izquierdo’s work is not as well-known in the United States as it should be because Kahlo and Rivera draw so
much of the public’s attention.
B. During Izquierdo’s lifetime, her paintings were displayed in galleries in the United States much more frequently
than paintings by Kahlo and Rivera were.
C. Izquierdo painted some of the same subjects that Kahlo and Rivera painted but used different techniques than
they used.
D. Few of Izquierdo’s works are in galleries today because she produced only a small number of paintings.
Question ID f8befe75
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: f8befe75 2.8

Many intellectual histories of the Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s rely heavily on essays and other
explicitly ideological works as primary sources, a tendency that can overrepresent the perspectives of a small
number of thinkers, most of whom were male. Historian Ashley D. Farmer has shown that expanding the array of
primary sources to encompass more types of print material—including political cartoons, advertisements, and
artwork—leads to a much better understanding of the movement and the crucial and diverse roles that Black
women played in shaping it.
Which choice best describes the main idea of the text?
A. Farmer’s methods and research have enriched the historical understanding of the Black Power movement and
Black women’s contributions to it.
B. Before Farmer’s research, historians had largely ignored the intellectual dimensions of the Black Power
movement.
C. Other historians of the Black Power movement have criticized Farmer’s use of unconventional primary
sources.
D. The figures in the Black Power movement whom historians tend to cite would have agreed with Farmer’s
conclusions about women’s roles in the movement.
Question ID 3f05e40f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 3f05e40f 2.9

In many of his sculptures, artist Richard Hunt uses broad forms rather than extreme accuracy to hint at specific
people or ideas. In his first major work, Arachne (1956), Hunt constructed the mythical character Arachne, a
weaver who was changed into a spider, by welding bits of steel together into something that, although vaguely
human, is strange and machine-like. And his large bronze sculpture The Light of Truth (2021) commemorates
activist and journalist Ida B. Wells using mainly flowing, curved pieces of metal that create stylized flame.
Which choice best states the text’s main idea about Hunt?
A. He often depicts the subjects of his sculptures using an unrealistic style.
B. He uses different kinds of materials depending on what kind of sculpture he plans to create.
C. He tends to base his art on important historical figures rather than on fictional characters.
D. He has altered his approach to sculpture over time, and his works have become increasingly abstract.
Question ID 659c6c1d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 659c6c1d 2.10

The following text is adapted from Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel Treasure Island. Bill is a sailor staying at
the Admiral Benbow, an inn run by the narrator’s parents.
Every day when [Bill] came back from his stroll he would ask if any seafaring men had gone by along the road. At
first we thought it was the want of company of his own kind that made him ask this question, but at last we began
to see he was desirous to avoid them. When a seaman did [stay] at the Admiral Benbow (as now and then some
did) he would look in at him through the curtained door before he entered the parlour; and he was always sure to
be as silent as a mouse when any such was present.
According to the text, why does Bill regularly ask about “seafaring men”?
A. He’s hoping to find an old friend and fellow sailor.
B. He’s trying to secure a job as part of the crew on a new ship.
C. He isn’t sure that other guests at the inn will be welcoming of sailors.
D. He doesn’t want to encounter any other sailor unexpectedly.
Question ID d5c2a4d4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: d5c2a4d4 2.11

The following text is adapted from Guy de Maupassant’s nineteenth-century short story “The Trip of Le Horla”
(translated by Albert M. C. McMaster, A. E. Henderson, Mme. Quesada, et al.). The narrator is part of a group
traveling in a hot-air balloon at night.
The earth no longer seems to exist, it is buried in milky vapors that resemble a sea. We are now alone in
space with the moon, which looks like another balloon travelling opposite us; and our balloon, which shines
in the air, appears like another, larger moon, a world wandering in the sky amid the stars, through infinity. We
no longer speak, think nor live; we float along through space in delicious inertia. The air which is bearing us
up has made of us all beings which resemble itself, silent, joyous, irresponsible beings, peculiarly alert,
although motionless.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. The narrator feels a growing sense of isolation even though his companions are nearby during the balloon ride.
B. The narrator and his companions are completely absorbed in the change in perspective they gain while riding
in the balloon.
C. The narrator and his companions are troubled by the disorienting effects of the altitude while riding in the
balloon.
D. The narrator is pleasantly surprised by his companions’ unrestrained enthusiasm about the sensation of riding
in the balloon.
Question ID ad680167
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: ad680167 2.12

The recovery of a 1,000-year-old Chinese shipwreck in the Java Sea near present-day Indonesia has yielded a
treasure trove of artifacts, including thousands of small ceramic bowls. Using a portable X-ray fluorescence
analyzer tool, Lisa Niziolek and her team were able to detect the chemical composition of these bowls without
damaging them. By comparing the chemical signatures of the bowls with those of the materials still at old Chinese
kiln sites, Niziolek and her team can pinpoint which Chinese kilns likely produced the ceramic bowls.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. Because of a new technology, researchers can locate and recover more shipwrecks than they could in the
past.
B. Researchers have been able to identify the location of a number of Chinese kilns in operation 1,000 years ago.
C. With the help of a special tool, researchers have determined the likely origin of bowls recovered from a
shipwreck.
D. Before the invention of portable X-ray fluorescence, researchers needed to take a small piece out of an artifact
to analyze its components.
Question ID adbcbce0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: adbcbce0 2.13

The following text is adapted from Christina Rossetti’s 1881 poem “Monna Innominata 2.”
I wish I could remember that first day,
First hour, first moment of your meeting me,
If bright or dim the season, it might be
Summer or Winter for [all] I can say;
So unrecorded did it slip away,
So blind was I to see and to foresee,
So dull to mark the budding of my tree
That would not blossom yet for many a May.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. The speaker celebrates how the passage of time has strengthened a relationship that once seemed
unimportant.
B. Because the speaker did not anticipate how important a relationship would become, she cannot recall how the
relationship began, which she regrets.
C. As the anniversary of the beginning of an important relationship approaches, the speaker feels conflicted
about how best to commemorate it.
D. After years of neglecting a once valuable relationship, the speaker worries it may be too late for her to salvage
the relationship.
Question ID 95146ebb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 95146ebb 2.14

The ice melted on a Norwegian mountain during a particularly warm summer in 2019, revealing a 1,700-year-old
sandal to a mountaineer looking for artifacts. The sandal would normally have degraded quickly, but it was instead
well preserved for centuries by the surrounding ice. According to archaeologist Espen Finstad and his team, the
sandal, like those worn by imperial Romans, wouldn’t have offered any protection from the cold in the mountains,
so some kind of insulation, like fabric or animal skin, would have needed to be worn on the feet with the sandal.
What does the text indicate about the discovery of the sandal?
A. Temperatures contributed to both protecting and revealing the sandal.
B. The discovery revealed that the Roman Empire had more influence on Norway than archaeologists previously
assumed.
C. Archaeologists would have found the sandal eventually without help from the general public.
D. The sandal would have degraded if it hadn’t been removed from the ice.
Question ID 409058ee
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 409058ee 2.15

To protect themselves when being attacked, hagfish—jawless marine animals that resemble eels—will release
large quantities of slimy, mucus-like threads. Because these threads are unusually strong and elastic, scientist
Atsuko Negishi and her colleagues have been trying to recreate them in a lab as an eco-friendly alternative to
petroleum-based fibers that are often used in fabrics. The researchers want to reproduce the threads in the lab
because farming hagfish for their slime would be expensive and potentially harmful to the hagfish.
Which choice best states the text’s main idea?
A. The slimy threads that hagfish release might help researchers create a new kind of fabric.
B. Hagfish have inspired researchers to develop a new petroleum-based fabric.
C. Hagfish are not well suited to being raised in captivity.
D. The ability of hagfish to slime their attackers compensates for their being jawless.
Question ID 3cc7d73b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 3cc7d73b
2.16
Using the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a team of astronomers mapped out the magnetic field
of G47, one of the Milky Way’s galactic bones (dense clouds of gas and dust that run through the middle of the arm of a
spiral galaxy). Surprisingly, the map revealed a magnetic field with no clear pattern or direction. The researchers had
expected the magnetic field to be similar to the more uniform fields seen in galactic bones in other arms of the Milky Way.

According to the text, what was surprising about the researchers’ mapping of the magnetic field of galactic bone G47?

A. It showed a weaker magnetic field than expected.

B. It implied that previous mappings of the magnetic field were inaccurate.

C. It produced magnetic field measurements similar to those for other galactic bones.

D. It revealed a magnetic field that wasn’t uniform.

Question ID 668f75cb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 668f75cb
2.17
The following text is from Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar’s 1961 novel The Time Regulation Institute (translated from the Turkish in
2014 by Maureen Freely and Alexander Dawe). The narrator was once involved with the Time Regulation Institute, a fictional
bureaucracy that regulates the time of Turkey’s clocks.

I may be the most humble and absurd man in the world and, as my wife says, the most slovenly creature you may ever
meet—that is, before the founding of our institute—but I did come to know a truly great man who possessed a natural
genius for invention. I spent years at his side. I watched the way he worked. I witnessed how an idea would suddenly
catch fire in his mind and take shape, like a tree sprouting shoots and branches, before coming into being.
©2014 by Maureen Freely and Alexander Dawe

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A. A person was fortunate enough to have found love despite his obvious shortcomings.

B. An exceptionally talented person professes humility to avoid intimidating others.

C. A person appreciates the extensive time he passed in the company of someone he deeply admired.

D. A truly brilliant person lets ideas mature in his mind before expressing them aloud.
Question ID 04dff083
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 04dff083
2.18
In present-day Chiapas, Mexico, archaeologist Robert Rosenswig, remote-sensing specialist Ricardo López-Torrijos, and
colleagues have located 41 smaller settlements surrounding the ancient Mesoamerican city of Izapa. The researchers have
concluded that these settlements were culturally linked to Izapa because each of the settlements is the same age and
configured in the same manner as Izapa, with a pyramid to the north and a plaza to the south. Their shared structural
orientation suggests that residents of the settlements likely performed some of the same cultural ceremonies as residents
in Izapa did.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

Researchers have determined that the arrangement of Izapa’s structures was based on those of other nearby
A. settlements.

Cultural ceremonies in Izapa seem to have played a more important role for its residents than those in smaller,
B. surrounding settlements did.

Although archaeologists have learned much about Izapa over years of research, they have only recently found the smaller
C. settlements that surrounded it.

Researchers have inferred that Izapa was related to the smaller settlements that surrounded it based in part on the
D. similarity of their construction.
Question ID 0d81b7d9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 0d81b7d9
2.19
Paleontologist Alan Tennyson and colleagues studied fossil bones found in New Zealand that are more than 55 million years
old. The researchers determined that the fossil bones belonged to two previously unknown species of prehistoric penguins.
Moreover, they estimated that one of the two penguin species was more than three times the size of the emperor penguin,
which is the largest penguin species that exists today.

Based on the text, which choice best describes the two previously unknown penguin species?

A. They are frequently studied by paleontologists.

B. They are no longer living species.

C. They were smaller than penguin species that exist today.

D. They spent little of their lives in water.

Question ID 11c68ded
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 11c68ded
2.20
A contraction of “you all,” the pronoun “y’all” has long been used as a plural version of “you” in the South and in Black
communities around the US. In recent decades, most other English-speaking communities in the US have begun to use
“y’all.” What explains its rise in popularity? Many varieties of English have no pronoun that specifically addresses more than
one person and instead must use “you” to address both one person and more than one. But “y’all” always refers to two or
more people. As a result, it conveys the speaker’s meaning more precisely than “you” can.

Which question does the text most directly attempt to answer?

A. How many other plural versions of the pronoun “you” are there in English, besides “y’all”?

B. Why has the pronoun “y’all” become more widely used in the US?

C. When was the first recorded use of the pronoun “y’all” in the English language?

D. Is “y’all” commonly used in English-speaking regions of the world besides the US?
Question ID 8c1be131
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 8c1be131
2.21
During the World War II era, some Mexican American women adopted a striking new look called pachuca style. They wore
altered men’s jackets or zoot suits (wide-legged, long-coated suits) and dramatic makeup, and they combed their hair into
high, rounded shapes. Some people criticized pachuca style, saying it was dangerous and women should dress traditionally.
But historians see things differently. They see pachuca style as a form of rebellion against the era’s rigid social expectations
for women. They say that it showed a desire for self-expression and freedom on the part of women who adopted the style.

According to the text, how do historians view pachuca style?

They think that pachuca style was such a popular trend that it continues to influence fashion in the United States to the
A. present day.

They think that pachuca style was a way for some Mexican American women to express themselves and resist strict
B. social expectations.

They think that pachuca style was celebrated because it enabled some Mexican American women to show their support
C. for the United States during World War II.

They think that pachuca style was similar to other fashion trends that different groups of women adopted in the same
D. period.
Question ID ed314256
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: ed314256 3.1

The most recent iteration of the immersive theater experience Sleep No More, which premiered in New York City
in 2011, transforms its performance space—a five-story warehouse—into a 1930s-era hotel. Audience members,
who wander through the labyrinthine venue at their own pace and follow the actors as they play out simultaneous,
interweaving narrative loops, confront the impossibility of experiencing the production in its entirety. The play’s
refusal of narrative coherence thus hinges on the sense of spatial fragmentation that the venue’s immense and
intricate layout generates.
What does the text most strongly suggest about Sleep No More’s use of its performance space?
A. The choice of a New York City venue likely enabled the play’s creators to experiment with the use of theatrical
space in a way that venues from earlier productions could not.
B. Audience members likely find the experience of the play disappointing because they generally cannot make
their way through the entire venue.
C. The production’s dependence on a particular performance environment would likely make it difficult to
reproduce exactly in a different theatrical space.
D. Audience members who navigate the space according to a recommended itinerary will likely have a better
grasp of the play’s narrative than audience members who depart from that itinerary.
Question ID 1a2b29c9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 1a2b29c9 3.2

The following text is adapted from María Cristina Mena’s 1914 short story “The Vine-Leaf.”
It is a saying in the capital of Mexico that Dr. Malsufrido carries more family secrets under his hat than any
archbishop.
The doctor’s hat is, appropriately enough, uncommonly capacious, rising very high, and sinking so low that it
seems to be supported by his ears and eyebrows, and it has a furry look, as if it had been brushed the wrong
way, which is perhaps what happens to it if it is ever brushed at all. When the doctor takes it off, the family
secrets do not fly out like a flock of parrots, but remain nicely bottled up beneath a dome of old and highly
polished ivory.
Based on the text, how do people in the capital of Mexico most likely regard Dr. Malsufrido?
A. Many have come to tolerate him despite his disheveled appearance.
B. Few feel concerned that he will divulge their confidences.
C. Some dislike how freely he discusses his own family.
D. Most would be unimpressed by him were it not for his professional expertise.
Question ID 2fdfe002
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 2fdfe002 3.3

The following text is adapted from Countee Cullen’s 1926 poem “Thoughts in a Zoo.”
They in their cruel traps, and we in ours,
Survey each other’s rage, and pass the hours
Commiserating each the other’s woe,
To mitigate his own pain’s fiery glow.
Man could but little proffer in exchange
Save that his cages have a larger range.
That lion with his lordly, untamed heart
Has in some man his human counterpart,
Some lofty soul in dreams and visions wrapped,
But in the stifling flesh securely trapped.
Based on the text, what challenge do humans sometimes experience?
A. They cannot effectively tame certain wild animals because of a lack of compassion.
B. They cannot focus on setting attainable goals because of a lack of motivation.
C. They quickly become frustrated when faced with difficult tasks because of a lack of self-control.
D. They have aspirations that cannot be fulfilled because of certain limitations.
Question ID 96802cc0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 96802cc0 3.4

For centuries, the widespread acknowledgment of the involvement of the cerebellum—a dense brain structure in
vertebrates—in coordinating motor control in humans has hindered recognition of other possible functions of the
structure. Neuroscience research from the last two decades now suggests that the cerebellum regulates emotion
and social behavior, and recent research by Ilaria Carta and colleagues has identified a pathway connecting the
cerebellum to a center for motivation and reward processing known as the ventral tegmental area (VTA).
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. The recent verification of a pathway between the VTA and the cerebellum confirms the cerebellum’s long-
suspected role in motor coordination.
B. Recent advances in the field of neuroscience have challenged widely accepted claims about the function of a
pathway connecting the VTA and the cerebellum.
C. The cerebellum has primarily been thought to regulate motor functioning, but in recent years neuroscience
researchers have been uncovering additional functions.
D. Technological limitations have historically hindered the study of the cerebellum, but the recent development of
new technologies has led to greater insights into its functions.
Question ID d0fbf1ae
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: d0fbf1ae 3.5

Algae living within the tissues of corals play a critical role in keeping corals, and the marine ecosystems they are
part of, thriving. Some coral species appear brown in color when healthy due to the algae colonies living in their
tissues. In the event of an environmental stressor, the algae can die or be expelled, causing the corals to appear
white. To recover the algae, the bleached corals then begin to produce bright colors, which block intense sunlight,
encouraging the light-sensitive algae to recolonize the corals.
What does the text most strongly suggest about corals that produce bright colors?
A. These corals have likely been subjected to stressful environmental conditions.
B. These corals are likely more vulnerable to exposure from intense sunlight than white corals are.
C. These corals have likely recovered from an environmental event without the assistance of algae colonies.
D. These corals are more likely to survive without algae colonies than brown corals are.
Question ID 14189fbb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 14189fbb 3.6

Having written the impassioned call to arms “Letter to the Spanish Americans” in 1791, Peruvian intellectual Juan
Pablo Viscardo y Guzmán is often considered a forerunner for the independence movements in Latin America. But
Viscardo’s role in history would have remained insignificant were it not for Venezuelan revolutionary Francisco de
Miranda, who was handed the unpublished letter after Viscardo’s death. Miranda not only helped circulate the
letter, but his edits and footnotes to the text position Miranda as a central figure in the text’s creation.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. The original authorship of “Letter to the Spanish Americans” is disputed by contemporary historians.
B. The majority of the most eloquently stated arguments in “Letter to the Spanish Americans” were written by
Miranda.
C. Miranda played a crucial role in influencing the content and distribution of “Letter to the Spanish Americans.”
D. “Letter to the Spanish Americans” persuaded many people in Latin America to pursue national independence.
Question ID 4d3e3c52
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 4d3e3c52 3.7

In a paper about p-i-n planar perovskite solar cells (one of several perovskite cell architectures designed to
collect and store solar power), Lyndsey McMillon-Brown et al. describe a method for fabricating the cell’s
electronic transport layer (ETL) using a spray coating. Conventional ETL fabrication is accomplished using a
solution of nanoparticles. The process can result in a loss of up to 80% of the solution, increasing the cost of
manufacturing at scale—an issue that may be obviated by spray coating fabrication, which the researchers
describe as “highly reproducible, concise, and practical.”
What does the text most strongly suggest about conventional ETL fabrication?
A. It is less suitable for manufacturing large volumes of planar p-i-n perovskite solar cells than an alternative
fabrication method may be.
B. It is more expensive when manufacturing at scale than are processes for fabricating ETLs used in other
perovskite solar cell architectures.
C. It typically entails a greater loss of nanoparticle solution than do other established approaches for ETL
fabrication.
D. It is somewhat imprecise and therefore limits the potential effectiveness of p-i-n planar perovskite solar cells
at capturing and storing solar power.
Question ID d1b8a9ad
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: d1b8a9ad 3.8

Disco remains one of the most ridiculed popular music genres of the late twentieth century. But as scholars have
argued, the genre is far less superficial than many people believe. Take the case of disco icon Donna Summer:
she may have been associated with popular songs about love and heartbreak (subjects hardly unique to disco, by
the way), but like many Black women singers before her, much of her music also reflects concerns about
community and identity. These concerns are present in many of the genre’s greatest songs, and they generally
don’t require much digging to reveal.
What does the text most strongly suggest about the disco genre?
A. It has been unjustly ignored by most scholars despite the importance of the themes addressed by many of the
genre’s songs.
B. It evolved over time from a superficial genre focused on romance to a genre focused on more serious
concerns.
C. It has been unfairly dismissed for the inclusion of subject matter that is also found in other musical genres.
D. It gave rise to a Black women’s musical tradition that has endured even though the genre itself faded in the
late twentieth century.
Question ID d2e0cba5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: d2e0cba5 3.9

In a study of new technology adoption, Davit Marikyan et al. examined negative disconfirmation (which occurs
when experiences fall short of one’s expectations) to determine whether it could lead to positive outcomes for
users. The team focused on established users of “smart home” technology, which presents inherent utilization
challenges but tends to attract users with high expectations, often leading to feelings of dissonance. The
researchers found that many users employed cognitive mechanisms to mitigate those feelings, ultimately
reversing their initial sense of disappointment.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. Research suggests that most users of smart home technology will not achieve a feeling of satisfaction given
the utilization challenges of such technology.
B. Although most smart home technology is aimed at meeting or exceeding users’ high expectations, those
expectations in general remain poorly understood.
C. Research suggests that users with high expectations for a new technology can feel content with that
technology even after experiencing negative disconfirmation.
D. Although negative disconfirmation has often been studied, little is known about the cognitive mechanisms
shaping users’ reactions to it in the context of new technology adoption.
Question ID 7c9a65bb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: 7c9a65bb 3.10

Optical tweezers are specialized scientific tools—particularly useful in biology and medicine—that use high-
powered beams of light to trap and manipulate minuscule particles for study. Use of the tool has led to several
scientific and medical breakthroughs over the last few decades, but the particles are often under prolonged
exposure to the intense heat of the light beams. To overcome the risk of overheating, and thereby damage,
researchers sometimes attach nano-sized glass beads to particles, allowing the light to focus on the beads
instead of the particles.
Based on the text, what is one advantage of attaching glass beads to particles when using optical tweezers?
A. It decreases the time it takes for the optical tweezers to locate and capture the particles.
B. It facilitates the maneuvering of particles without directly heating the particles themselves.
C. It allows researchers to use weaker light beams to manipulate particles.
D. It adds a material to which particles can transfer any heat absorbed from the optical tweezers’ light beam.
Question ID a3fb5e77
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

ID: a3fb5e77 3.11

Some animal-behavior studies involve observing wild animals in their natural habitat, and some involve capturing
wild animals and observing them in a laboratory. Each approach has advantages over the other. In wild studies,
researchers can more easily presume that the animals are behaving normally, and in lab studies, researchers can
more easily control factors that might affect the results. But if, for example, the results from a wild study and a lab
study of Western scrub-jays (Aphelocoma californica) contradict each other, one or both of the studies must have
failed to account for some factor that was relevant to the birds’ behavior.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. When the results of a natural-habitat study and those from a lab study of a wild animal such as the Western
scrub-jay conflict, the study in the natural habitat is more likely than the lab study to have accurate results.
B. Studying wild animals such as the Western scrub-jay in both their natural habitat and lab settings is likely to
yield conflicting results that researchers cannot fully resolve.
C. Wild animals such as the Western scrub-jay can be effectively studied in their natural habitat and in the lab,
but each approach has drawbacks that could affect the accuracy of the findings.
D. Differing results between natural-habitat and lab studies of wild animals such as the Western scrub-jay are a
strong indication that both of the studies had design flaws that affected the accuracy of their results.
Question ID 6762772f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

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

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

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

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

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

Artificial leaves were developed to mimic the natural process of photosynthesis in plants in order to store energy for long-
D. term commercial use.
Question ID 2df56712
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details

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

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

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

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

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

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