Question ID 22a41819

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 22a41819
Rejecting the premise that the literary magazine Ebony and Topaz (1927) should present a unified vision of Black
American identity, editor Charles S. Johnson fostered his contributors’ diverse perspectives by promoting their authorial
autonomy. Johnson’s self-effacement diverged from the editorial stances of W.E.B. Du Bois and Alain Locke, whose
decisions for their publications were more ______.

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

A. proficient

B. dogmatic

C. ambiguous

D. unpretentious

ID: 22a41819 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. A person who is "dogmatic" believes strongly that their principles and opinions are
true. Because Du Bois and Locke are implied to have one "unified vision" of Black American identity that they
prioritize over the "diverse perspectives" of different writers, they can be described as dogmatic.

Choice A is incorrect. "Proficient" means "skilled." Du Bois and Locke are contrasted with Johnson, but nothing in
the text suggests that Johnson was not skilled at making editorial decisions. Based on the text, the three editors
just have different styles; they’re not necessarily more or less skilled. Choice C is incorrect. "Ambiguous" means
"unclear" or "open to multiple interpretations." However, it’s actually Johnson who encouraged multiple
interpretations ("diverse perspectives"). Since Du Bois and Locke are said to "diverge" from Johnson, we can
assume that the views they published were not ambiguous, but instead clear and firm (a "unified vision"). Choice
D is incorrect. "Unpretentious" means "not trying to impress others with greater skill or importance than is
actually possessed." Du Bois and Locke are contrasted with Johnson, but nothing in the text suggests that
Johnson is pretentious (trying to impress others).

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e35d481c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: e35d481c
Some economic historians ______ that late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century households in the United States
experienced an economy of scale when it came to food purchases—they assumed that large households spent less on
food per person than did small households. Economist Trevon Logan showed, however, that a close look at the available
data disproves this supposition.

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

A. surmised

B. contrived

C. questioned

D. regretted

ID: e35d481c Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of late nineteenth- and
early twentieth-century household food purchases. In this context, “surmised” means formed an idea or
assumption with little evidence. The text explains that certain economic historians “assumed” that large and
small households spent different amounts on food per person, but that another economist found this supposition
to be false based on evidence from available data. This context suggests that the economic historians made an
incorrect assumption without enough consideration of evidence.

Choice B is incorrect. In this context, “contrived” would mean brought about or created through trickery. Nothing
in the text suggests that the economic historians were deliberately trying to trick people with a claim about food
purchasing behaviors in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century households; the text simply suggests that
they made an assumption about those behaviors that another historian believes isn’t supported by the available
data. Choice C is incorrect because the text indicates that it’s Logan and not the economic historians who
“questioned,” or doubted, the assumption that large and small households in the late nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries spent different amounts on food per person; the economic historians are the ones who made
that assumption to begin with. Choice D is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that some economic
historians “regretted,” or felt sad or remorseful about, the food purchasing behaviors of late nineteenth- and early
twentieth-century households. The text focuses on the idea that the economic historians made an assumption
about those behaviors that may not be supported by available data, not on the historians’ emotional response to
what households did in the past.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 5e57efec
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 5e57efec
Economist Marco Castillo and colleagues showed that nuisance costs—the time and effort people must spend to make
donations—reduce charitable giving. Charities can mitigate this effect by compensating donors for nuisance costs, but
those costs, though variable, are largely ______ donation size, so charities that compensate donors will likely favor
attracting a few large donors over many small donors.

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

A. supplemental to

B. predictive of

C. independent of

D. subsumed in

ID: 5e57efec Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. We’re told that charities that pay donors back for nuisance costs will attract a few
large donors instead of many small donors. This suggests that nuisance costs are not linked to donation size.

Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. If nuisance costs are supplemental to (meaning in
addition to) donation size, that wouldn’t result in charities that compensate donors for those costs attracting a
few large donors over many small donors. Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. If nuisance
costs can predict donation size, that wouldn’t necessarily result in charities that compensate donors for those
costs attracting a few large donors over many small donors. Choice D is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the
text. If nuisance costs are subsumed in (meaning included in) donation size, that wouldn’t result in charities that
compensate donors for those costs attracting a few large donors over many small donors.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 93665100
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. repudiates

B. proclaims

C. foretells

D. recants

ID: 93665100 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e459076b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: e459076b
The following text is adapted from George Eliot’s 1871–72 novel Middlemarch.

[Mr. Brooke] had travelled in his younger years, and was held in this part of the country to have contracted a too
rambling habit of mind. Mr. Brooke’s conclusions were as difficult to predict as the weather.

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

A. Restricted

B. Described

C. Developed

D. Settled

ID: e459076b Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because as used in the text, “contracted” most nearly means developed. The text
explains that Mr. Brooke has a “too rambling habit of mind,” which the text likens to a disease, saying he is
thought to have contracted it. To contract a disease means to acquire or develop a disease. In other words, the
text indicates that Mr. Brooke is believed to have acquired, or developed, the habit of mind described in the text.

Choice A is incorrect. Although “contracted” can mean limited or restricted in some contexts, here Mr. Brooke is
said to draw unpredictable conclusions, suggesting that he exhibits this “too rambling habit of mind,” not that it
has been somehow limited or restricted. Choice B is incorrect. Although the text describes Mr. Brooke’s habit of
mind, nothing suggests that those are his descriptions or, indeed, that he described his habit of mind at all.
Choice D is incorrect because settled means calmed or mitigated, but here Mr. Brooke is said to draw
unpredictable conclusions, suggesting that he exhibits this “too rambling habit of mind,” not that it has been
somehow calmed or mitigated.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 76e4c51d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 76e4c51d
The güiro, a musical instrument traditionally made from a dried and hollowed gourd, is thought to have originated with
the Taíno people of Puerto Rico. Players use a wooden stick to scrape along ridges cut into the side of the gourd, creating
sounds that are highly ______: the sounds produced by güiros can differ based on the distance between the ridges, the
types of strokes the player uses, and the thickness of the gourd.

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

A. overlooked

B. powerful

C. routine

D. variable

ID: 76e4c51d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the sounds made by
güiros. In this context, “variable” means able to change. The text begins by explaining that güiros are
instruments made out of hollowed gourds with ridges cut into their sides and that players scrape the ridges with
wooden sticks to produce sounds. The text goes on to say that güiros’ sounds can change depending on gourd
thickness, the distance between ridges, and the types of strokes the player uses, thus supporting the idea that
the sounds created by these instruments are variable.

Choice A is incorrect because “overlooked” means not being seen or noticed, and there is nothing in the text to
suggest that the sounds produced by güiros are overlooked or not noticed. Choice B is incorrect because in this
context, “powerful” would mean having a great ability to produce an effect. While it’s possible that the sounds
produced by güiros have a strong effect on listeners, the text doesn’t discuss this aspect of their sounds. Choice C
is incorrect because “routine” means usual and unvarying, and there is nothing in the text to suggest that the
sounds produced by güiros are unvarying. In fact, the text describes how the sounds produced by güiros can
differ based on several factors.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e8fb0744
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. inevitable

B. satisfactory

C. negligible

D. commonplace

ID: e8fb0744 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a756aa95
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. unobtrusive

B. concealed

C. approximate

D. peripheral

ID: a756aa95 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID dba9eaf8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. replicable

B. predetermined

C. operative

D. latent

ID: dba9eaf8 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 571cf537
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. disorienting

B. tenuous

C. nuanced

D. unoriginal

ID: 571cf537 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 4fa7e50e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. consistent with

B. representative of

C. overshadowed by

D. irrelevant to

ID: 4fa7e50e Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3f753a8e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. compliance with

B. exposure to

C. criteria for

D. forfeiture of

ID: 3f753a8e Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f83f0aab
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. predatory

B. obscure

C. diverse

D. localized

ID: f83f0aab Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3d658a5a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. depleted

B. homogeneous

C. immature

D. dispersed

ID: 3d658a5a Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 79fe7550
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. require

B. remember

C. foster

D. discourage

ID: 79fe7550 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e4f312c5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. hypothesis

B. affinity

C. anomaly

D. corroboration

ID: e4f312c5 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID f99847ed
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. restrained

B. inventive

C. inexplicable

D. mystifying

ID: f99847ed Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 5dce6cab
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. a discernible

B. a straightforward

C. an inconclusive

D. an unbiased

ID: 5dce6cab Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a60b0004
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. interjected

B. committed

C. illustrated

D. prescribed

ID: a60b0004 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e7d37666
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. substantial

B. satisfying

C. unimportant

D. appropriate

ID: e7d37666 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 3566120b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. Regret

B. Persist

C. Tolerate

D. Encourage

ID: 3566120b Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c14daa3c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. negating

B. prefiguring

C. entrenching

D. substantiating

ID: c14daa3c Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 98364791
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 98364791
In studying the use of external stimuli to reduce the itching sensation caused by an allergic histamine response, Louise
Ward and colleagues found that while harmless applications of vibration or warming can provide a temporary distraction,
such ______ stimuli actually offer less relief than a stimulus that seems less benign, like a mild electric shock.

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

A. deceptive

B. innocuous

C. novel

D. impractical

ID: 98364791 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Ward and colleagues’
findings. As used in this context, “innocuous” means mild or unharmful. The text describes the vibration and
warming that Ward and colleagues used to alleviate itching as “harmless applications” and goes on to contrast
these applications with another stimulus that actually offers more relief even though it seems to be stronger and
“less benign.” This context conveys the idea that vibration and warming were innocuous stimuli.

Choice A is incorrect because the text focuses on a distinction between harmless stimuli and those that seem to
be less benign. Nothing in the text suggests that any of the treatments are “deceptive,” or misleading; indeed,
even the less effective ones are described as offering some relief. Choice C is incorrect because the text focuses
on the amount of relief from itching offered by harmless stimuli and those that seem to be less benign. The text
doesn’t suggest that any of these stimuli are “novel,” or original and new; heat, vibration, and electricity aren’t
new inventions. Choice D is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to describe an application of vibration or
warming as “impractical,” or not suitable for use. The text indicates that these harmless applications are useful
in that they offer at least some temporary relief.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 54804e10
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 54804e10
While scholars believe many Mesoamerican cities influenced each other, direct evidence of such influence is difficult to
ascertain. However, recent excavations in a sector of Tikal (Guatemala) unearthed a citadel that shows ______ Teotihuacán
(Mexico) architecture—including a near replica of a famed Teotihuacán temple—providing tangible evidence of outside
influence in portions of Tikal.

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

A. refinements of

B. precursors of

C. commonalities with

D. animosities toward

ID: 54804e10 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of architectural influences
among Mesoamerican cities. In this context, “commonalities with” means similarities to or shared attributes
with. The text indicates that a recently discovered citadel in Tikal includes a close imitation of a famous temple
in Teotihuacán (another Mesoamerican city) and other evidence of Teotihuacán influence, which suggests that
the citadel possesses features that resemble architectural features found in Teotihuacán. This context thus
indicates that the Tikal citadel shows commonalities with Teotihuacán architecture.

Choice A is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text that suggests that the Tikal citadel shows “refinements
of,” or improvements on, Teotihuacán architecture. Although the text suggests that the architecture of
Teotihuacán influenced the architecture of the Tikal citadel, and although it’s possible that later architectural
designs could make improvements on earlier designs, the text doesn’t discuss whether, in imitating Teotihuacán
architecture, the Tikal citadel’s builders improved on it. Choice B is incorrect because describing the citadel in
Tikal as showing “precursors of” Teotihuacán architecture—or features that preceded and foreshadowed those of
Teotihuacán architecture—would imply the opposite of what the text suggests about the relationship between
the architecture found in Tikal and Teotihuacán. The text claims that the discovery of similarities between the
Tikal citadel and the architecture of Teotihuacán, including a replica of a temple in Teotihuacán, provides
evidence of outside influences on Tikal architecture. If the Tikal citadel was influenced by Teotihuacán
architecture, then the Teotihuacán architecture must predate the citadel, not the other way around. In this
context, therefore, it wouldn’t make sense to say that the Tikal citadel shows precursors of Teotihuacán
architecture. Choice D is incorrect because the text discusses how the citadel in Tikal indicates the influence of
Teotihuacán architecture, which implies that the makers of the Tikal citadel likely admired aspects of
Teotihuacán architecture enough to imitate it. Thus, there’s no reason to think that the Tikal citadel provides
evidence of the Tikal people’s “animosities toward,” or feelings of strong dislike or hostility toward, Teotihuacán
architecture.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 7bc05fa2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 7bc05fa2
Whether the reign of a French monarch such as Hugh Capet or Henry I was historically consequential or relatively
uneventful, its trajectory was shaped by questions of legitimacy and therefore cannot be understood without a corollary
understanding of the factors that allowed the monarch to ______ his right to hold the throne.

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

A. disengage

B. annotate

C. buttress

D. reciprocate

ID: 7bc05fa2 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the legitimacy of the
reigns of French monarchs such as Hugh Capet and Henry I. As used in this context, “buttress” means to
strengthen or defend. The text indicates that regardless of whether a French monarch’s reign was significant or
uneventful, each monarch faced questions about his right to the throne. The text goes on to say that in order to
understand the path of a French monarch’s reign, it’s important to understand what contributed to the monarch’s
ability to “hold the throne.” This context suggests that French monarchs such as Hugh Capet and Henry I had to
buttress, or defend, their right to be monarch.

Choice A is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context to discuss factors that enabled a monarch to
“disengage,” or withdraw his right to the French throne. The text focuses on an examination of people who
reigned as French monarchs, not on people who didn’t choose to rule. Choice B is incorrect because it wouldn’t
make sense in context to discuss factors that enabled a monarch to “annotate,” or add notes to or explain, his
right to the French throne. Nothing in the text suggests that the monarchs were writing notes about their right to
the throne; instead, faced with questions about the legitimacy of their reign, the monarchs defended their
right. Choice D is incorrect. Saying that a monarch who is faced with questions about the legitimacy of his reign
was able to “reciprocate” his right to the French throne would mean that he either returned his right to the
throne or that he responded in kind to the challenge. Neither of these meanings would make sense in context
because the text focuses on people who did reign as French monarchs and defended their right to do so.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID aaa3ee7c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. prevail

B. succumb

C. diverge

D. intersect

ID: aaa3ee7c Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a06c434d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. complementary

B. unknown

C. disparate

D. interchangeable

ID: a06c434d Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b411eb09
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. quarrel about

B. paucity of

C. profusion of

D. verisimilitude in

ID: b411eb09 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard