Question ID 84b5125b

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 84b5125b
Artist Marilyn Dingle’s intricate, coiled baskets are ______ sweetgrass and palmetto palm. Following a Gullah technique that
originated in West Africa, Dingle skillfully winds a thin palm frond around a bunch of sweetgrass with the help of a “sewing
bone” to create the basket’s signature look that no factory can reproduce.

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

A. indicated by

B. handmade from

C. represented by

D. collected with

ID: 84b5125b Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Marilyn Dingle’s baskets. In this
context, to say that Dingle’s baskets are “handmade from” particular plants means that Dingle creates baskets herself using
those plants but without using machines. The text says that Dingle “skillfully winds” parts of palmetto palm plants around
sweetgrass plants to make baskets with an appearance that “no factory can reproduce.” This context suggests that Dingle’s
baskets are handmade from sweetgrass and palmetto palm.

Choice A is incorrect because the text describes how Dingle uses sweetgrass and palmetto palm to create her baskets, not
how her baskets are “indicated by,” or signified by, sweetgrass and palmetto palm. Choice C is incorrect. Although Dingle’s
baskets are described as being made using sweetgrass and palm, there’s nothing in the text to suggest that the baskets are
“represented by,” or exemplified or portrayed by, sweetgrass and palmetto palm. Instead, the focus of the text is on Dingle’s
use of sweetgrass and palmetto palm and the impossibility of replicating the appearance of her baskets using machines.
Choice D is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that Dingle’s baskets are “collected with,” or brought
together in a group with, sweetgrass and palmetto palm. Instead, the text describes how Dingle uses those plants to make
her baskets.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID fa014d2d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: fa014d2d
The invention in 1958 of the integrated circuit (or microchip) radically altered the semiconductor industry. In fact, some
historians argue that it fundamentally ______ the industry by enabling it to take advantage of mass production methods for
the first time.

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

A. overwhelmed

B. bypassed

C. obstructed

D. transformed

ID: fa014d2d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the invention of the integrated
circuit. As used in this context, "transformed" means substantially changed in some way. The text states that the invention
radically altered the semiconductor industry, with some historians claiming that it had a fundamental effect on the industry
by allowing for mass production for the first time. This context conveys that the invention of the integrated circuit
transformed the semiconductor industry.

Choice A is incorrect. Although the text indicates that the invention of the integrated circuit significantly affected ("radically
altered") the semiconductor industry, it doesn’t indicate that the invention "overwhelmed" the industry, which in this context
would mean that it overcame the industry such that the industry struggled or was defeated. Instead, the text conveys that
the invention’s effect was positive, since it allowed the semiconductor industry to begin making use of mass production
methods. Choice B is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context to say that the invention of the integrated circuit
"bypassed" the semiconductor industry, which would mean it intentionally avoided the industry. The text indicates that the
invention directly affected the semiconductor industry, since it made it possible for the industry to begin engaging in mass
production methods. Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t indicate that the invention of the integrated circuit
"obstructed" the semiconductor industry, which would mean that it blocked or hindered the industry in some way. Instead,
the text indicates that the invention’s effect was positive, since it made it possible for the semiconductor industry to begin
engaging in mass production methods.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 359902ae
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 359902ae
The following text is adapted from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1837 story “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment.” The main character, a
physician, is experimenting with rehydrating a dried flower.

At first [the rose] lay lightly on the surface of the fluid, appearing to imbibe none of its moisture. Soon, however, a
singular change began to be visible. The crushed and dried petals stirred and assumed a deepening tinge of crimson,
as if the flower were reviving from a deathlike slumber.

As used in the text, what does the phrase “a singular” most nearly mean?

A. A lonely

B. A disagreeable

C. An acceptable

D. An extraordinary

ID: 359902ae Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because as used in the text, “singular” most nearly means extraordinary. The text portrays an
experiment in which a character rehydrates a dried rose by infusing it with moisture. After prolonged contact with the liquid,
the rose begins to absorb it, undergoing an exceptional transformation: its color deepens, its previously “crushed and dried”
petals shift, and the entire flower revives “from a deathlike slumber.” In other words, an extraordinary change is visible in the
flower.

Choice A is incorrect. Although in some contexts “singular” can mean of or relating to an individual or to a single instance of
something, this usage doesn’t imply loneliness or an otherwise unsatisfactory condition of isolation. Moreover, the text
doesn’t attribute such a condition to the rose. Choice B is incorrect. Although “singular” has several related meanings, none
of them relate to being disagreeable or unpleasant. Moreover, the text doesn’t portray the change undergone by the rose as
necessarily disagreeable. Choice C is incorrect because “singular” means extraordinary, not acceptable. The change is
portrayed as striking, not barely satisfactory.

Question Difficulty: Medium

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 c977cfcf
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: c977cfcf
According to a team of neuroeconomists from the University of Zurich, ease of decision making may be linked to
communication between two brain regions, the prefrontal cortex and the parietal cortex. Individuals tend to be more decisive
if the information flow between the regions is intensified, whereas they make choices more slowly when information flow is
______.

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

A. reduced

B. evaluated

C. determined

D. acquired

ID: c977cfcf Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of how the flow of information
between two regions of the brain may affect the ease of people’s decision making. In this context, "reduced" means
decreased. The text presents the finding from a team of neuroeconomists that decision making may be connected to
communication between the prefrontal cortex and the parietal cortex. In presenting this finding, the text suggests a contrast
between people who tend to be more decisive and people who make decisions more slowly. According to the text, people
tend to be more decisive when the flow of information between the two brain regions is intensified, or strengthened. On the
other hand, this context suggests that people make choices more slowly when the flow of information between the two brain
regions is decreased.

Choice B is incorrect because "evaluated" means assessed, which wouldn’t make sense in context. According to the text,
people tend to be more decisive when the flow of information between two brain regions is intensified, or strengthened. This
suggests that people’s ease of decision making varies based on the rate of information traveling between the regions, not
based on an effort to assess the information. Choice C is incorrect because "determined" means judged or influenced,
neither of which would make sense in context. According to the text, people tend to be more decisive when the flow of
information between two brain regions is intensified, or strengthened. This suggests that people’s ease of decision making
varies based on the rate of information traveling between the regions, not based on an effort to judge or influence the
information. Choice D is incorrect because "acquired" means developed or attained, neither of which would make sense in
context. According to the text, people tend to be more decisive when the flow of information between two brain regions is
intensified, or strengthened. This suggests that people’s ease of decision making varies based on the rate of information
traveling between the regions, not based on the development or attainment of the information.

Question Difficulty: Medium

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 45a109a3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 45a109a3
The following text is from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula. The narrator is being driven in a carriage through a remote
region at night.

The baying of the wolves sounded nearer and nearer, as though they were closing round on us from every side. I grew
dreadfully afraid, and the horses shared my fear. The driver, however, was not in the least disturbed; he kept turning his
head to left and right, but I could not see anything through the darkness.

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

A. Disorganized

B. Alarmed

C. Offended

D. Interrupted

ID: 45a109a3 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because as used in the text, “disturbed” most nearly means alarmed. The text portrays the
narrator traveling in a carriage as wolves howl in the surrounding darkness. The text contrasts the reaction of both the
narrator and the horses pulling the carriage with that of the driver of the carriage: the narrator and horses are “dreadfully
afraid,” but the driver is “not in the least disturbed.” In other words, the driver is not alarmed by the wolves nearby.

Choice A is incorrect. Although in some contexts, “disturbed” can mean disorganized, the text doesn’t portray a character
acting in a disorganized manner; instead, the driver continues to drive the carriage, even though the horses pulling it are
alarmed. Choice C is incorrect. Although in some contexts, “disturbed” can mean offended, the text doesn’t portray one
character feeling offended, or upset, by another’s actions; instead, it contrasts the fear felt by the narrator with another
character’s lack of fear. Choice D is incorrect. Although in some contexts, “disturbed” can mean interrupted, the text doesn’t
portray an action being interrupted; indeed, the travel depicted in the scene continues despite the threat of the wolves
outside the carriage.

Question Difficulty: Easy

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 757077f9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 757077f9
During a 2014 archaeological dig in Spain, Vicente Lull and his team uncovered the skeleton of a woman from El Algar, an
Early Bronze Age society, buried with valuable objects signaling a high position of power. This finding may persuade
researchers who have argued that Bronze Age societies were ruled by men to ______ that women may have also held
leadership roles.

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

A. waive

B. concede

C. refute

D. require

ID: 757077f9 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the significance of the 2014
archaeological finding at El Algar. In this context, “concede” means to admit something is true after first resisting that
admission. The text indicates that some researchers believe “Bronze Age societies were ruled by men.” But the Bronze Age
burial of a woman at El Algar included “valuable objects signaling a high position of power,” which would raise the possibility
that “women may have also held leadership roles.” Thus, the text is calling into question the notion that only men were
leaders in these societies and speculating that people holding this view may reconsider their opinion.

Choice A is incorrect because “waive” means to refrain from insisting that something, such as a right or a requirement, be
observed; the word isn’t used, however, in contexts where someone acknowledges that an opinion they hold may be invalid,
as is the case in the text. Choice C is incorrect. According to the text, the finding from the El Algar burial site undermines the
view that Bronze Age societies were exclusively ruled by men. However, “refute” means to demonstrate that something is
false and would not make sense in context. Lull and team’s finding supports the view that women may have also held
leadership roles, not that they did not participate in such roles. Choice D is incorrect because in this context, “require” means
to demand or specify as mandatory. However, it would not make sense for contemporary researchers to demand that Bronze
Age “women may have also held leadership roles.”

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID d4a8f7cb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: d4a8f7cb
Dance choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar aims to give people the opportunity to be ______ her creative process. For
example, live performances of her dance HairStories, which debuted in 2001, featured videos of people across the United
States talking about their hair and audience members sharing pictures of their interesting hairstyles.

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

A. nervous about

B. completed by

C. delayed by

D. involved in

ID: d4a8f7cb Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. “Involved in” means “playing an active role in.” This fits the context clues describing how Zollar
includes the audience in her shows by incorporating their stories and pictures.

Choice A is incorrect. “Nervous” means “worried or anxious about.” Nothing in the text suggests that people would be
nervous about Zollar’s creative process. Choice B is incorrect. “Completed by” means “made whole by.” It doesn’t make
sense to say that Zollar’s shows would make her audience complete. Choice C is incorrect. “Delayed by” means “made late
by.” Nothing in the text suggests that people would be delayed by Zollar’s creative process.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 84ece3f6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 84ece3f6
The following text is adapted from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1844 short story “Drowne’s Wooden Image.” Drowne, a young man,
is carving a wooden figure to decorate the front of a ship.
Day by day, the work assumed greater precision, and settled its irregular and misty outline into distincter grace and beauty.
The general design was now obvious to the common eye.

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

A. Acquired

B. Acknowledged

C. Imitated

D. Speculated

ID: 84ece3f6 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because as used in the text, “assumed” most nearly means acquired, or came to possess. The
text portrays a character named Drowne carving a figure out of wood. At first “irregular and misty,” or haphazard and
indistinct, the figure’s outline gradually showed “distincter grace and beauty” until the general design of the carved object
“was now obvious to the common eye,” or plainly recognizable to anyone. In other words, as Drowne continued to carve, the
wooden object came to possess, or acquired, greater precision, changing from an indistinct outline or shape into a graceful,
beautiful, and clearly recognizable form.

Choice B is incorrect. Although in some contexts “assumed” can mean acknowledged, or recognized, it doesn’t have that
meaning in this context because an inanimate object like the wooden figure can’t acknowledge its own precision. Choice C is
incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that the wooden figure merely imitated, or mimicked, precision.
Rather, the text suggests that as Drowne carved his wooden figure, it gradually became more precise. Choice D is incorrect.
Although in some contexts “assumed” can mean speculated, or supposed based on incomplete information, it doesn’t have
that meaning in this context because an inanimate object like the wooden figure can’t speculate about its own precision.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 95f037ad
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 95f037ad
The works of Chicana artist Ester Hernandez are now ______ in museums both in the United States and abroad, but the
murals she contributed to as a member of Las Mujeres Muralistas early in her artistic career were displayed in outdoor
public spaces across San Francisco.

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

A. invented

B. adjusted

C. featured

D. recommended

ID: 95f037ad Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Ester Hernandez’s art. In this
context, "featured" means shown prominently. The text focuses on where Hernandez’s works have been and continue to be
displayed, explaining that her early works, which consisted of murals, could be viewed in outdoor spaces in San Francisco.
The central contrast developed in the text is between where her early works could be viewed and where her works can be
viewed now, which is in museums across the United States and around the world. The context therefore supports the idea
that Hernandez’s works are now shown, or featured, in museums globally.

Choice A is incorrect because in this context "invented" would mean created something for the first time, which isn’t
supported since the text doesn’t discuss where Hernandez creates her works or whether they’re original or innovative.
Choice B is incorrect because "adjusted" in this context would mean adapted. Although the text mentions that many of
Hernandez’s early works were outdoor murals and thus it may be reasonable to infer that Hernandez altered her approach to
creating art so that her works could be displayed in indoor venues instead, the text makes no mention of how Hernandez’s
works might have been adapted for such venues. The text focuses on where Hernandez’s works have been and continue to
be displayed, not on how she or anyone else may have adapted, or adjusted, her works. Choice D is incorrect because
"recommended" in this context would mean endorsed or put forth as a suggestion for something that is worth seeing.
Although it may be reasonable to say that in choosing to display certain works, museum curators believe such works are
worth seeing, the text doesn’t discuss the reasons why museums display Hernandez’s works. Instead, the text mainly
develops a contrast between where Hernandez’s early works could once be viewed and where her work can be viewed now.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 97ab5669
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 97ab5669
Former astronaut Ellen Ochoa says that although she doesn’t have a definite idea of when it might happen, she ______ that
humans will someday need to be able to live in other environments than those found on Earth. This conjecture informs her
interest in future research missions to the moon.

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

A. demands

B. speculates

C. doubts

D. establishes

ID: 97ab5669 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Ochoa’s prediction that humans will
one day need to live in places other than Earth. As used in this context, “speculates” would mean puts forward an idea
without firm evidence. The text states that Ochoa “doesn’t have a definite idea” about when humans might need to live in
other environments and characterizes Ochoa’s prediction as a “conjecture,” or a conclusion presented without convincing
evidence. This context indicates that Ochoa speculates when she makes this prediction.

Choice A is incorrect because saying that Ochoa “demands,” or insists or requires, that humans will one day need to live in
other environments than Earth’s would not make sense in context. The text indicates that she’s unsure about the timing but
hypothesizes that it will someday happen. Choice C is incorrect because saying that Ochoa “doubts,” or questions or
disbelieves, that humans will one day need to live in other environments than Earth’s would not make sense in context. The
text indicates that although Ochoa is unsure about the timing, she hypothesizes that humans will need to live in places other
than Earth and encourages research into future travel to the moon. Choice D is incorrect because saying that Ochoa
“establishes,” or proves, that humans will one day need to live in other environments than Earth’s would not make sense in
context. Rather than stating that Ochoa discusses her idea with certainty and supports it with evidence, the text indicates
that Ochoa is unsure about when humans might need to live in other environments.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID be612a26
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: be612a26
Recent measurements of the mass of the W boson (a subatomic particle) were notable not only for the mere fact that the
particle’s mass differed from expectations but for the ______ of that difference: the measured mass of the W boson was
seven standard deviations higher than predicted by the standard model of particle physics.

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

A. cause

B. existence

C. implication

D. scale

ID: be612a26 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the W boson. In this context, "scale"
means size or extent. The text indicates that recent measurements of the W boson were remarkable because they revealed
the subatomic particle’s mass to be much greater ("seven standard deviations higher") than had been expected based on a
standard model. This context conveys not only that the measurements differed from predictions but also that the extent of
the difference was very large.

Choice A is incorrect. Although the text indicates that there was a very large difference between the predicted mass and the
actual measured mass of the subatomic particle, it doesn’t explain the cause of, or reason behind, that difference. Choice B
is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that the measurements of the subatomic particle were notable because
they differed from expectations and also because a difference existed between the measurements and what had been
predicted; the text would be repeating the idea that there was a difference instead of adding to that idea. Choice C is
incorrect because the text doesn’t convey any implications of, or consequences of or conclusions drawn from, the fact that
the mass of the subatomic particle differed from expectations; the context indicates only that the actual measured mass
was much higher than the predicted mass.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 06b96bfc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 06b96bfc
A musician and member of the Quechua of Peru, Renata Flores Rivera was eager to promote the Quechua language in her
music, but she was ______ speaking it. She met this challenge by asking her grandmother, a native speaker of Quechua, to
help her pronounce words in her song lyrics and also by taking classes in the language.

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

A. prepared for

B. inexperienced with

C. skilled in

D. excited about

ID: 06b96bfc Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Renata Flores Rivera’s use of
Quechua in her music. In this context, “inexperienced with” means not accustomed to. The text indicates that Flores Rivera
wanted to promote the Quechua language in her music and overcame a challenge by seeking help with pronunciation from
her grandmother and by taking language classes. This context conveys the idea that Flores Rivera was not sufficiently
familiar with Quechua to use it in her music without help. Thus, she was inexperienced with speaking the language, which
she addressed by seeking help.

Choice A is incorrect because describing Flores Rivera as “prepared for”—or ready for—speaking Quechua wouldn’t make
sense in context. The text indicates that speaking Quechua presented a challenge, but if she were ready to speak the
language, then there would be no challenge. Choice C is incorrect because describing Flores Rivera as “skilled in”—meaning
good at or capable of—speaking Quechua wouldn’t make sense in context. The text indicates that speaking Quechua
presented a challenge, but if she were capable of speaking the language, then there would be no challenge. Choice D is
incorrect. Flores Rivera was likely “excited about”—or thrilled or delighted with—speaking Quechua, but this wouldn’t make
sense in context. The text indicates that speaking Quechua presented a challenge, but if she were delighted with speaking
the language, then there would be no challenge.

Question Difficulty: Easy

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 0f040c50
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 0f040c50
The following text is from Yann Martel’s 2001 novel Life of Pi. The narrator’s family owned a zoo when he was a child.

It was a huge zoo, spread over numberless acres, big enough to require a train to explore it, though it seemed to get
smaller as I grew older, train included.
©2001 by Yann Martel

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

A. Hidden

B. Discussed

C. Extended

D. Coated

ID: 0f040c50 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because as used in the text, “spread” most nearly means extended. The text states that the zoo
is “huge,” that it covers “numberless acres,” and that it is large enough that a train is needed to explore it. Thus, the text’s
emphasis on the zoo’s size suggests that the zoo extended, or stretched, over a large area of land.

Choice A is incorrect because if the zoo covers “numberless acres,” then it could not reasonably be described as hidden, or
concealed from view. Choice B is incorrect because there is nothing in the text to suggest that the zoo was discussed, or
talked about. Rather, the text focuses on the zoo’s large size. Choice D is incorrect. Although in some contexts “spread” can
mean coated, it doesn’t have that meaning in this context because to coat something means to apply a thin layer of a liquid
substance, such as oil or paint, to a surface. Therefore, it would not be accurate to say that the zoo coated the acres on
which it sits.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID e1d5d5df
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: e1d5d5df
According to botanists, a viburnum plant experiencing insect damage may develop erineum—a discolored, felty growth—on
its leaf blades. A ______ viburnum plant, on the other hand, will have leaves with smooth surfaces and uniformly green
coloration.

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

A. struggling

B. beneficial

C. simple

D. healthy

ID: e1d5d5df Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of damage to viburnum plants. In this
context, “healthy” would mean not distressed or diseased. The text states that insect damage may cause viburnum plants to
be discolored and have abnormal growths. In the next sentence, the phrase “on the other hand” indicates a contrast with the
description of plants suffering from damage. Thus, the context contrasts the appearance of healthy, undamaged plants with
the appearance of damaged plants.

Choice A is incorrect because in this context, “struggling” would mean working against difficulties. The text first describes
viburnum plants experiencing damage by insects, and the phrase “on the other hand” then establishes a contrast with that
description. It wouldn’t make sense to contrast struggling viburnum plants with those being damaged by insects, because in
both cases the plants would be experiencing difficulties. Choice B is incorrect because in this context, “beneficial” would
mean producing good or helpful effects. The text doesn’t discuss how viburnum plants affect other things or suggest that
the plants are helpful in some way; rather, it focuses on how viburnum plants are affected by certain conditions. Choice C is
incorrect because in this context “simple” would mean plain or uncomplicated. The text doesn’t discuss whether certain
viburnum plants are complicated or uncomplicated; rather, it focuses on how viburnum plants are affected by certain
conditions.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 9e501aaf
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 9e501aaf
Research conducted by planetary scientist Katarina Miljkovic suggests that the Moon’s surface may not accurately ______
early impact events. When the Moon was still forming, its surface was softer, and asteroid or meteoroid impacts would have
left less of an impression; thus, evidence of early impacts may no longer be present.

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

A. reflect

B. receive

C. evaluate

D. mimic

ID: 9e501aaf Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the Moon’s surface. In this context,
“reflect” means show or make apparent. The text states that because the surface of the Moon was softer when the Moon
was still forming than it is now, early asteroid and meteoroid impacts “would have left less of an impression” and, as a result,
evidence of them may no longer exist. This context supports the idea that the surface of the Moon may not accurately show
signs of early impact events.

Choice B is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that the surface of the Moon may not accurately “receive,” or
acquire or experience, early impacts from asteroids or meteoroids. The text indicates that the impacts have already
occurred, and it isn’t clear how the Moon’s surface could be accurate or inaccurate in experiencing them. Choice C is
incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that the surface of the Moon may not accurately “evaluate,” or determine the
significance or condition of, early impacts from asteroids or meteoroids, since that would suggest that it’s possible for the
Moon’s surface to make a decision of any kind. Choice D is incorrect. In this context, “mimic” would mean to deliberately
simulate or closely imitate something. It wouldn’t make sense to say that the surface of the Moon may not accurately mimic
early asteroid and meteoroid impacts, since that would suggest that it’s possible for the Moon to deliberately imitate
something.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 9cdcd902
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 9cdcd902
Charles “Teenie” Harris was a photographer for the Pittsburgh Courier from 1936 to 1975. During his career he took over
70,000 photographs documenting everyday life in Pittsburgh’s Black communities. The Carnegie Museum of Art maintains
thousands of his photographs, carefully ______ them so that audiences can continue to view them well into the future.

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

A. replacing

B. inventing

C. preserving

D. counting

ID: 9cdcd902 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. "Preserving" means "maintaining" or "keeping in good condition," so preserving the photographs
means that audiences should be able to view them for a long time.

Choice A is incorrect. "Replacing" means "putting something new in place of" the photographs. Replacing the photos will
make it so that audiences can’t view them at all. Choice B is incorrect. "Inventing" means "creating a new idea, process, or
thing." The museum can’t invent photographs that already exist. Choice D is incorrect. Counting the photographs will not help
audiences view them well into the future.

Question Difficulty: Easy

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 4974b053
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 4974b053
Although science fiction was dominated mostly by white male authors when Octavia Butler, a Black woman, began writing,
she did not view the genre as ______: Butler broke into the field with the publication of several short stories and her 1976
novel Patternmaster, and she later became the first science fiction writer to win a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship.

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

A. legitimate

B. impenetrable

C. compelling

D. indecipherable

ID: 4974b053 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the discussion of Octavia Butler’s career. In this context,
“impenetrable” means impossible to enter. The text indicates that the field of science fiction was dominated by white males
when Butler, a Black woman, started writing, but she published several science fiction short stories and a novel and later won
a prestigious award; that is, Butler pursued science fiction writing and had success. This context suggests that Butler didn’t
view the genre as impossible to enter.

Choice A is incorrect. In this context, “legitimate” would mean genuinely good or valid. Nothing in the text suggests that
Butler didn’t think the science fiction genre was good or valid; in fact, it indicates that she pursued and made a successful
career of publishing work in that field. Choice C is incorrect. In this context, “compelling” would mean attracting or
demanding attention. The text indicates that Butler chose to write science fiction, so it wouldn’t make sense to say that she
didn’t see the field as drawing her attention. Choice D is incorrect. To say that Butler didn’t consider science fiction
“indecipherable,” or impossible to understand, would suggest that Butler did understand it. However, the text doesn’t address
Butler’s ability to interpret works in the genre; rather, it focuses on Butler’s successful pursuit of writing science fiction.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 3ec184af
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 3ec184af
Many ancient sculptures of people’s heads are missing their noses. This is because the nose is the most ______ part of a
sculpture of a person’s head. It is delicate and sticks out from the rest of the sculpture, making it especially easy to break.

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

A. recognizable

B. fragile

C. common

D. sophisticated

ID: 3ec184af Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of noses on ancient sculptures. In this
context, "fragile" means weak or delicate. This matches the text’s description of noses on ancient sculptures, which are often
missing from sculptures’ heads because they are "especially easy to break." Therefore, this context indicates that noses on
ancient sculptures are the most fragile part of the sculptures’ heads.

Choice A is incorrect. In this context, "recognizable" would mean identifiable, and since the text indicates that noses are
often missing from ancient statues, they therefore cannot be the most recognizable part of the statue. Choice C is incorrect
because the text indicates that many ancient statues are missing noses, so noses wouldn’t be "common," or frequent,
aspects of ancient statues; they would conversely be uncommon. Choice D is incorrect because the text only indicates that
noses on ancient statues often stick out and end up missing from the heads, which doesn’t relate to the noses being
"sophisticated," or knowledgeable or refined.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID e3f05561
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: e3f05561
In the 1970s, video cameras became increasingly affordable for ordinary consumers and gave Ulysses Jenkins and other
artists capabilities that were previously unavailable except to television broadcasters. Jenkins recognized and took full
advantage of this ______ access to powerful technology to create groundbreaking works of video art, such as Mass of
Images (1978).

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

A. newfound

B. delicate

C. inevitable

D. habitual

ID: e3f05561 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Ulysses Jenkins’s video art. As
used in this context, “newfound” means recently discovered or established. The text indicates that in the 1970s, video
cameras became cheaper and therefore more widely available than they had been in the past. The text goes on to say that
this development provided Jenkins and other artists with capabilities that they previously didn’t have. As a result, Jenkins
began producing groundbreaking works of video art. This context supports the idea that Jenkins took advantage of
newfound access to video cameras.

Choice B is incorrect because “delicate” means fine in texture or structure or easily broken, neither of which would make
sense in this context. The text doesn’t focus on describing what video art looks like or whether it’s breakable. Choice C is
incorrect because “inevitable” means impossible to avoid, which wouldn’t make sense in this context. The text doesn’t
discuss the likelihood of artists, or anyone else, gaining access to video cameras. Choice D is incorrect because “habitual”
means doing something regularly or repeatedly. Although the text does suggest that Jenkins created multiple pieces of
video art, its focus is on the fact that video cameras had only just become widely available to artists in the 1970s. Jenkins’s
ability to take advantage of video cameras to make art was therefore newfound, not habitual, at the time.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 710799ae
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 710799ae
Cuttlefish appear to be surprisingly ______ at exercising self-control: in a 2021 study conducted by behavioral ecologist
Alexandra Schnell, these cephalopods routinely demonstrated restraint by delaying gratification, waiting for a favorite treat
instead of instantly devouring a readily available meal.

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

A. awkward

B. imaginative

C. manageable

D. competent

ID: 710799ae Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of self-control in cuttlefish. In this
context, "competent" means capable. The text describes a study in which cuttlefish demonstrated an ability to exercise
restraint by waiting for a favorite treat instead of eating a meal that was already available to them. That is, by delaying
gratification, the cuttlefish in the study demonstrated that they were capable of, or competent at, exercising self-control.

Choice A is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that in demonstrating self-control, cuttlefish are "awkward," or
lacking skill or grace. If anything, the text indicates that cuttlefish appear to be surprisingly skilled at exercising self-control.
Choice B is incorrect because in this context, "imaginative" would mean creative, and there’s nothing in the text to suggest
that cuttlefish demonstrate creativity. Instead, the text focuses on the fact that cuttlefish seem to be capable of exercising
restraint and self-control. Choice C is incorrect because in this context, "manageable" would mean capable of being
controlled. Although the text indicates that the cuttlefish in the study demonstrated restraint by waiting for a favorite treat
instead of devouring a readily available meal (which suggests their ability to control themselves), it doesn’t suggest that
cuttlefish are thus also able to be managed or controlled by others.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 4a2b2535
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 4a2b2535
A brief book review cannot fully convey the ______ of Olga Tokarczuk’s novel The Books of Jacob, with its enormous cast of
characters, its complicated, wandering plot, and its page numbers that count backward (beginning at 965 and ending at 1).

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

A. accuracy

B. inactivity

C. complexity

D. restraint

ID: 4a2b2535 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Olga Tokarczuk’s novel The Books
of Jacob. As used in this context, “complexity” means having many complicated parts that when taken as a whole are
difficult to follow or explain. The text indicates that The Books of Jacob has a large cast of characters, a complicated and
wandering plot (that is, a plot that is difficult to follow), and reverse page numbering. Together, these features make up a
novel that’s challenging to read and summarize. This context supports the idea that a brief book review can’t do justice to the
novel’s complexity.

Choice A is incorrect. Although the word “accuracy,” or being free from error or falsehood, can sometimes be used to
describe a novel, the text doesn’t discuss whether Tokarczuk’s novel has this quality. Instead, the text describes the novel as
having a large cast of characters, a difficult-to-follow plot, and reverse page numbering. These features suggest complexity,
not accuracy. Choice B is incorrect because “inactivity” means being in a state of idleness or doing nothing, neither of which
would make sense in this context. The text describes Tokarczuk’s novel, and although it’s possible the novel could portray its
characters as inactive, it wouldn’t make sense to describe the novel itself as such. Choice D is incorrect because in this
context “restraint” would mean holding back or showing self-control, and the text doesn’t indicate that Tokarczuk’s novel has
either of these qualities. In fact, the features of the novel that the text describes, such as a large cast of characters, a
complicated and wandering plot, and reverse page numbering, suggest excess and complexity, not restraint.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 9ccf463e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 9ccf463e
The following text is from Nella Larsen’s 1928 novel Quicksand.

The trees in their spring beauty sent through her restive mind a sharp thrill of pleasure. Seductive, charming, and
beckoning as cities were, they had not this easy unhuman loveliness.

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

A. Demanding

B. Signaling

C. Inviting

D. Shifting

ID: 9ccf463e Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because as used in the text, “beckoning” most nearly means “inviting,” or attractive. The text
portrays a woman who is looking at “trees in their spring beauty.” She compares them to cities, which have their own
pleasures even if they do not have the “easy unhuman loveliness” of trees: she thinks of cities as “seductive” and “charming,”
both adjectives that signify something that is enticing, or attractive. Therefore, cities that are seductive and charming would
also be described as inviting people closer to them.

Choice A is incorrect because there is no indication in this context that cities are “demanding,” or requiring effort. Choice B is
incorrect. Though “signaling,” or communicating something, might be considered a key feature of the act of “beckoning,” in
the context here, “beckoning” suggests that cities have attractive qualities that naturally draw people to them. Such attractive
qualities are not described by the word “signaling” alone. Therefore, “signaling” is an incorrect answer because it is
insufficiently precise. Choice D is incorrect because there is no reason to think in this context that the cities are “shifting,” or
changing shape.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID ca47273b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: ca47273b
Biologist Jane Edgeloe and colleagues have located what is believed to be the largest individual plant in the world in the
Shark Bay area of Australia. The plant is a type of seagrass called Posidonia australis, and it ______ approximately 200
square kilometers.

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

A. acknowledges

B. produces

C. spans

D. advances

ID: ca47273b Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. “Spans” means “extends over a distance of” or “encompasses.” Since we’re talking about the
world’s largest plant, it makes sense to say that it “spans” about 200 square kilometers.

Choice A is incorrect. “Acknowledges” means “recognizes” or “admits the truth of.” Either way, it doesn’t make sense here: a
plant can’t “acknowledge” a distance. Choice B is incorrect. “Produces” can mean “makes,” “causes,” or “presents.” But none
of those definitions make sense here: a plant can’t make, cause, or present a distance. Choice D is incorrect. This doesn’t fit
the logic of the text. “Advances” means “moves forward” or “progresses.” But the plant isn’t necessarily moving forward.
Rather, the text suggests that it already covers a distance of 200 square kilometers.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 69a6d050
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 69a6d050
In the early 1800s, the Cherokee scholar Sequoyah created the first script, or writing system, for an Indigenous language in
the United States. Because it represented the sounds of spoken Cherokee so accurately, his script was easy to learn and
thus quickly achieved ______ use: by 1830, over 90 percent of the Cherokee people could read and write it.

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

A. widespread

B. careful

C. unintended

D. infrequent

ID: 69a6d050 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the writing system created by
Sequoyah. In this context, “widespread” means widely accepted or practiced. The text indicates that because Sequoyah’s
script accurately represented the spoken sounds of the Cherokee language and was easy to learn, nearly all Cherokee people
were able to read and write it soon after it was created. This context demonstrates that the script was widely used by the
Cherokee people.

Choice B is incorrect. In this context, “careful” would mean exercised with care and attentive concern. Although the work of
creating a writing system likely involved great care, the text indicates that the system was “easy to learn,” which conflicts
with the idea that using this system requires a noteworthy amount of care. Choice C is incorrect because in this context
“unintended” means not deliberate. The idea that using Sequoyah’s script was unintentional conflicts directly with the claim
that it was easy to learn and used by “over 90% of the Cherokee people” by 1830. In fact, because one had to learn this
system, it’s not clear how one could use it unintentionally. Choice D is incorrect because in this context “infrequent” means
rare or not occurring often, which conflicts directly with the claim that “over 90% of the Cherokee people” were using
Sequoyah’s script by 1830.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID e41dfaab
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: e41dfaab
In 1929 the Atlantic Monthly published several articles based on newly discovered letters allegedly exchanged between
President Abraham Lincoln and a woman named Ann Rutledge. Historians were unable to ______ the authenticity of the
letters, however, and quickly dismissed them as a hoax.

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

A. validate

B. interpret

C. relate

D. accommodate

ID: e41dfaab Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of letters allegedly exchanged
between President Lincoln and Rutledge. In this context, “validate” means to confirm that something is real or correct.
According to the text, it was alleged, or claimed, that the newly discovered letters had been written by Lincoln and Rutledge.
The text also indicates that historians ultimately decided the letters were a hoax, or fraudulent. This context suggests that
the historians couldn’t confirm that the letters were authentic.

Choice B is incorrect. The text focuses on the authenticity of the letters, which were claimed to have been written by Lincoln
and Rutledge and were then quickly dismissed as fraudulent by historians. Rather than conveying that the historians simply
weren’t able to “interpret,” or explain in an understandable way, the letters’ authenticity, the text suggests that the historians
decided the letters lacked authenticity altogether. Choice C is incorrect. The text states that the historians quickly dismissed
the letters claimed to have been written by Lincoln and Rutledge as fraudulent; this suggests that rather than being unable to
“relate,” or tell others about, the letters’ authenticity, the historians were able to share what they’d decided about the letters.
Choice D is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to suggest that the historians couldn’t “accommodate,” or give
consideration to, the authenticity of the letters claimed to have been written by Lincoln and Rutledge; the text states that the
historians decided that the letters were fraudulent, which indicates that they did consider whether the letters were authentic.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 4d1a9c0d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 4d1a9c0d
Following the principles of community-based participatory research, tribal nations and research institutions are equal
partners in health studies conducted on reservations. A collaboration between the Crow Tribe and Montana State University ­‐
______ this model: tribal citizens worked alongside scientists to design the methodology and continue to assist in data
collection.

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

A. circumvents

B. eclipses

C. fabricates

D. exemplifies

ID: 4d1a9c0d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the collaboration between the Crow
Tribe and Montana State University. As used in this context, “exemplifies” means demonstrates. The text conveys how the
Crow Tribe–Montana State University collaboration serves to illustrate the model of community-based participatory research
introduced earlier in the text and expanded on later in the text.

Choice A is incorrect because referring to “circumvents,” or avoids, wouldn’t make sense in context. The text suggests that
the Crow Tribe–Montana State University collaboration serves as an example of the principles of community-based
participatory research, not that the collaboration evades this model. Choice B is incorrect because referring to “eclipses,” or
overshadows, wouldn’t make sense in context. The text describes the Crow Tribe–Montana State University collaboration as
an equal partnership, which indicates that it’s an example of the community-based participatory research model, not that it
overshadows the model. Choice C is incorrect because saying that the collaboration “fabricates,” or creates, the model
wouldn’t make sense in context. The text indicates that the Crow Tribe–Montana State University collaboration serves as an
example of the model, not that it created the model.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 5effa190
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 5effa190
The process of mechanically recycling plastics is often considered ______ because of the environmental impact and the loss
of material quality that often occurs. But chemist Takunda Chazovachii has helped develop a cleaner process of chemical
recycling that converts superabsorbent polymers from diapers into a desirable reusable adhesive.

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

A. resilient

B. inadequate

C. dynamic

D. satisfactory

ID: 5effa190 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion about recycling plastics. In this
context, “inadequate” means not satisfactory. The text indicates that the mechanical plastic-recycling process affects the
environment and causes “the loss of material quality.” The text contrasts that with Chazovachii’s chemical plastic-recycling
process, which is cleaner and produces a desirable product. The text’s emphasis on the negative aspects of mechanical
recycling suggests that it is inadequate in terms of environmental impact and the quality of the material the process yields.

Choice A is incorrect because in this context “resilient” would mean able to withstand difficulty and the text does not
characterize the plastic-recycling process as having this quality or describe any difficulties that these processes might need
to overcome. Choice C is incorrect because in this context “dynamic” would mean constantly changing. Although the text
suggests that there have been changes in the field of recycling, as is the case with the advent of Chazovachii’s chemical
recycling process, there is nothing to suggest that the mechanical process itself has changed or is prone to change. Choice
D is incorrect because in this context “satisfactory” would mean acceptable but not perfect. The text mentions only
shortcomings of the mechanical process (environmental effects and lower material quality), so the text more strongly
supports a negative view of this process and provides no evidence that it would be considered satisfactory.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID f3fac04f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: f3fac04f
Bioluminescent beetles called fireflies may seem to create flashes of light randomly, but each species of firefly actually has
its own special series of repeated flashes and pauses. These unique ______ allow fireflies of the same species to find each
other.

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

A. quantities

B. decorations

C. patterns

D. agreements

ID: f3fac04f Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the flashes created by fireflies. In
this context, “patterns” means distinct and predictable sequences. The text indicates that although the flashes that fireflies
produce appear to occur randomly—that is, without any particular sequence or rhythm—each species actually produces its
own special series of flashes and pauses. Indeed, these series of flashes are so unique that fireflies can use them to find
other members of their species. Therefore, this context supports the idea that fireflies produce flashes in distinct and
recognizable patterns.

Choice A is incorrect because “quantities” means certain amounts or numbers of something. Although the text discusses
how different firefly species produce flashes and pauses in unique sequences that help other members of their species to
find them, it doesn’t mention the number of flashes that are used in these sequences. Choice B is incorrect because in this
context, “decorations” would mean things that make an object more beautiful. Although it may be reasonable to say that
firefly flashes are beautiful, the text focuses on the fact that fireflies use these unique sequences of flashes to find other
members of their own species, not that the flashes make fireflies more beautiful. Choice D is incorrect because in this
context, “agreements” would refer to deals that individuals have discussed and come to a consensus about. Since fireflies
aren’t capable of making such agreements, it wouldn’t make sense to use this word to refer to the signals they send each
other with their flashes.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 6d5ddea4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 6d5ddea4
According to Potawatomi ecologist Robin Wall Kimmerer, the Indigenous method of harvesting Hierochloe odorata, or
sweetgrass, by snapping the plant off at the root actually ______ wild populations: it may seem counterintuitive, she says, but
this method of removal allows new sweetgrass plants to repopulate the space, with an overall increase in number and vigor.

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

A. selects

B. originates

C. conditions

D. replenishes

ID: 6d5ddea4 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the Indigenous method of
harvesting Hierochloe odorata. As used in this context, “replenishes” means helps increase the population or helps it recover.
The text explains that although snapping off a wild plant at the root might seem detrimental to the wild population, it actually
helps Hierochloe odorata, increasing both their “number and vigor.” This context conveys the idea that even though it seems
counterintuitive, the Indigenous method of harvesting Hierochloe odorata actually replenishes the wild population.

Choice A is incorrect. Although a harvesting method could be used to select for certain traits in plants, it’s not clear what it
would mean for a harvesting method to select “wild populations” of plants. Choice B is incorrect because as used in this
context, “originates” means creates. The text doesn’t address the origin of Hierochloe odorata, but rather how the Indigenous
harvesting method affects it. Choice C is incorrect because in this context, “conditions” means to influence someone or
something to behave in a certain way, and the text doesn’t suggest the new plants that replace the harvested ones differ in
any meaningful way, or in any way that could be the result of conditioning.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 5a278f24
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 5a278f24
The work of molecular biophysicist Enrique M. De La Cruz is known for ______ traditional boundaries between academic
disciplines. The university laboratory that De La Cruz runs includes engineers, biologists, chemists, and physicists, and the
research the lab produces makes use of insights and techniques from all those fields.

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

A. epitomizing

B. transcending

C. anticipating

D. reinforcing

ID: 5a278f24 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. Based on the text, we’re looking for a word that means something similar to "mak[ing] use of
insights and techniques from all those fields." "Transcending" means "going beyond," so "transcending traditional boundaries"
would mean crossing into all those various fields of research, which is exactly the meaning we want.

Choice A is incorrect. This isn’t a logical word choice. Based on the text, we’re looking for a word that means something
similar to "mak[ing] use of insights and techniques from all those fields." To "epitomize" means to "be a perfect example of,"
so "epitomizing traditional boundaries" would mean the opposite of what we want: keeping the fields of research separate.
Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t a logical word choice. Based on the text, we’re looking for a word that means something
similar to "mak[ing] use of insights and techniques from all those fields." "Anticipating" means "expecting" or "waiting for,"
and would result in a confusing sentence with an unclear meaning. Choice D is incorrect. This isn’t a logical word choice.
Based on the text, we’re looking for a word that means something similar to "mak[ing] use of insights and techniques from
all those fields." "Reinforcing traditional boundaries" would mean the opposite: keeping the fields of research separate.

Question Difficulty: Medium

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 d2eb1df1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: d2eb1df1
In recommending Bao Phi’s collection Sông I Sing, a librarian noted that pieces by the spoken-word poet don’t lose their
______ nature when printed: the language has the same pleasant musical quality on the page as it does when performed by
Phi.

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

A. scholarly

B. melodic

C. jarring

D. personal

ID: d2eb1df1 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. Based on the text, we’re looking for a word that means something similar to “pleasant musical
quality.” That’s exactly what “melodic” means.

Choice A is incorrect. This isn’t a logical word choice. Based on the text, we’re looking for a word that means something
similar to “pleasant musical quality.” “Scholarly” would suggest something that is academic or well-researched, which
doesn’t match the meaning we’re looking for. Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t a logical word choice. Based on the text, we’re
looking for a word that means something similar to “pleasant musical quality.” “Jarring” would suggest the opposite:
something unpleasant or discordant. Choice D is incorrect. This isn’t a logical word choice. Based on the text, we’re looking
for a word that means something similar to “pleasant musical quality.” “Personal” would suggest something that is
expressive or intimate, which doesn’t match the meaning we’re looking for.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 7d84fe2b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 7d84fe2b
Particle physicists like Ayana Holloway Arce and Aida El-Khadra spend much of their time ______ what is invisible to the
naked eye: using sophisticated technology, they closely examine the behavior of subatomic particles, the smallest
detectable parts of matter.

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

A. selecting

B. inspecting

C. creating

D. deciding

ID: 7d84fe2b Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the work of particle physicists. In
this context, “inspecting” means viewing closely in order to examine. The text indicates that as particle physicists, Arce and
El-Khadra’s work involves using advanced technology to “closely examine” subatomic particles. In other words, they use
technology to inspect small parts of matter that can’t be seen by the naked eye.

Choice A is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that Arce and El-Khadra spend time “selecting,” or choosing,
subatomic particles for some purpose; the text simply states that the particle physicists use advanced technology to see
and study the behavior of those tiny parts of matter. Choice C is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that Arce and
El-Khadra spend time “creating” subatomic particles, or bringing them into existence; the text simply states that the particle
physicists use advanced technology to see and study the behavior of those tiny parts of matter. Choice D is incorrect. In this
context, “deciding” would mean making a final choice or judgment about something. It wouldn’t make sense to say that
particle physicists get to choose what is and isn’t visible to the naked eye, especially when the text presents it as fact that
subatomic particles are “the smallest detectable parts of matter” and would therefore be invisible. The text focuses on Arce
and El-Khadra’s close observation of those particles, not on any decisions they might make.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID d91e5499
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: d91e5499
A team of paleontologists has found a rich fossil deposit near Gulgong, Australia. The fossils are so well preserved that the
team has been able to ______ detailed information about the life forms that left them behind, such as color patterns and how
they interacted with other species.

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

A. occupy

B. hoard

C. reserve

D. obtain

ID: d91e5499 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the fossil deposit. In this context,
"obtain" means gain or acquire. According to the text, a team of paleontologists has found fossils that are very well
preserved. For this reason, the text suggests, the paleontologists have been able to gain detailed information from the
fossils, such as the color patterns of the life forms that left them behind.

Choice A is incorrect because "occupy" means engage or inhabit, neither of which would make sense in context. It’s unclear
what it would mean for detailed information revealed by fossils to be engaged or inhabited. Choice B is incorrect because
the text gives no indication that the paleontologists wanted to "hoard," or collect and hide, the detailed information revealed
by the well-preserved fossils. Choice C is incorrect because the text gives no indication that the paleontologists wanted to
"reserve," or withhold, the detailed information revealed by the well-preserved fossils.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID e0656211
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: e0656211
In Nature Poem (2017), Kumeyaay poet Tommy Pico portrays his ______ the natural world by honoring the centrality of nature
within his tribe’s traditional beliefs while simultaneously expressing his distaste for being in wilderness settings himself.

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

A. responsiveness to

B. ambivalence toward

C. renunciation of

D. mastery over

ID: e0656211 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s description of how Pico feels about the natural
world. In this context, to say that Pico portrays his “ambivalence toward” nature would mean that he portrays his mixed
feelings about nature. The text explains that Pico “honors the centrality of nature” and also makes it clear that he doesn’t
enjoy being in nature. This context suggests that Pico feels ambivalence toward nature.

Choice A is incorrect because saying that Pico portrays his “responsiveness to” nature would mean that he portrays himself
as quick to react to nature, which isn’t supported by the text. Instead, the text focuses on Pico’s mixed feelings toward
nature, describing him as both honoring nature’s role in his tribe’s beliefs and expressing his personal dislike for being in
nature. Choice C is incorrect because saying that Pico portrays his “renunciation of” nature would mean that he portrays
himself as rejecting nature, which isn’t supported by the text. The text conveys that Pico demonstrates both positive and
negative responses toward nature, not that he’s giving it up completely. Choice D is incorrect because saying that Pico
portrays his “mastery over” nature would mean that he portrays himself as having control over nature, which isn’t supported
by the text. The text focuses on Pico’s mixed feelings about nature; nothing in the text suggests that Pico feels mastery over
nature.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID a4ca92fd
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: a4ca92fd
Beginning in the 1950s, Navajo Nation legislator Annie Dodge Wauneka continuously worked to promote public health; this
______ effort involved traveling throughout the vast Navajo homeland and writing a medical dictionary for speakers of Diné
bizaad, the Navajo language.

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

A. impartial

B. offhand

C. persistent

D. mandatory

ID: a4ca92fd Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Annie Dodge Wauneka’s work as a
Navajo Nation legislator. As used in this context, “persistent” means existing continuously. The text states that Wauneka
“continuously worked to promote public health,” traveling extensively and authoring a medical dictionary; this indicates that
Wauneka’s effort was persistent.

Choice A is incorrect because describing Wauneka’s effort related to public health as “impartial,” or not partial or biased and
treating all things equally, wouldn’t make sense in context. The text suggests that Wauneka’s continuous work was partial in
one way, as she focused specifically on promoting public health throughout the Navajo homeland and to speakers of the
Navajo language. Choice B is incorrect because the text emphasizes that Wauneka’s effort to promote public health as a
Navajo Nation legislator was continuous and extensive, involving wide travels and the authoring of a medical dictionary.
Because this work clearly involved care and dedication, it wouldn’t make sense to describe it as “offhand,” or casual and
informal. Choice D is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that Wauneka’s effort to promote public health was
“mandatory,” or required by law or rule, even though Wauneka was a Navajo Nation legislator. Rather than suggesting that
Wauneka’s effort was required for any reason, the text emphasizes the continuous and extensive nature of her work.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 9107ad5c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 9107ad5c
Stars form in cloudlike swirls of gas and dust that cannot be touched‚ but astrophysicist Nia Imara believes these formations
need not remain completely ______ to researchers: she uses simulation data and sophisticated 3D printers to produce
interactive models of these stellar nurseries.

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

A. repeatable

B. explicable

C. regrettable

D. intangible

ID: 9107ad5c Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of how Nia Imara facilitates the study
of star formations. As used in this context "intangible" means unable to be physically handled or touched. The text states
that star formations cannot be touched, and then goes on to explain that Imara created a special model to research star
formations. In other words, despite the fact that real star formations are intangible, thanks to Imara, researchers can handle
models of star formations to better understand them.

Choice A is incorrect because "repeatable" means can be duplicated or done again, which wouldn’t make sense in context.
The text indicates that the swirls of gas and dust in which stars form are untouchable, but that Nia Imara has produced
interactive models of them. It would therefore be illogical to suggest that Imara believes that the formations need not be
duplicated and then go on to say that she has copied them. Choice B is incorrect because "explicable" means explainable or
understandable, which wouldn’t make sense in context. The text does not suggest that Nia Imara believes that star
formations can be fully explained but rather that she produced interactive models to physically study them because
researchers are unable to touch them directly. Choice C is incorrect because "regrettable" means distressing or unfortunate,
which wouldn’t make sense in context. The text does not suggest that Imara believes the researchers regret the star
formations or find them distressing, but rather that she uses interactive models to physically study them.

Question Difficulty: Medium

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 a2835734
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: a2835734
Visual artist Gabriela Alemán states that the bold colors of comics, pop art, and Latinx culture have always fascinated her.
This passion for the rich history and colors of her Latinx community translates into the ______ artworks she produces.

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

A. vivid

B. unknown

C. definite

D. reserved

ID: a2835734 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. "Vivid" can mean "colorful" or "bright-colored." This definition fits the context clues about
Alemán’s fascination with and passion for bold colors.

Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. Nothing in the text indicates that Alemán’s artworks are "unknown."
Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. "Definite" means "certain" or "decided." It wouldn’t make sense to
describe artwork as "definite." Choice D is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. "Reserved" can either mean "slow to
reveal emotions" or "booked." But the clues suggest that Alemán’s artworks are boldly colorful—almost the opposite of
"reserved."

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID be94c9fc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: be94c9fc
The following text is adapted from James Baldwin’s 1956 novel Giovanni’s Room. The narrator is riding in a taxi down a
street lined with food vendors and shoppers in Paris, France.

The multitude of Paris seems to be dressed in blue every day but Sunday, when, for the most part, they put on an
unbelievably festive black. Here they were now, in blue, disputing, every inch, our passage, with their wagons,
handtrucks, their bursting baskets carried at an angle steeply self-confident on the back.
©1956 by James Baldwin

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

A. Arguing about

B. Disapproving of

C. Asserting possession of

D. Providing resistance to

ID: be94c9fc Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because as used in the text, "disputing" most nearly means providing resistance to. The narrator
is in a taxi as it drives down a street lined with so many food vendors and shoppers that the narrator describes them as "the
multitude of Paris," meaning an immense group of people. The street is essentially a large open-air market, and there are so
many people pushing small wagons of goods and carrying shopping baskets that "every inch" of the taxi’s progress is
impeded. In other words, the people are providing resistance to the taxi’s attempt to drive down the street.

Choice A is incorrect. Although in some contexts, "disputing" can mean arguing, the narrator doesn’t portray the shoppers
and vendors as arguing with the driver of the taxi or, indeed, arguing at all. Choice B is incorrect. Although in some contexts,
"disputing" can mean expressing disapproval, the narrator doesn’t suggest that the shoppers and vendors necessarily
disapprove of the taxi’s attempt to drive down the street. Instead, their combined presence along the street has the effect of
impeding the taxi’s progress. Choice C is incorrect because, as the narrator explains, both the multitude of people and the
taxi are using a public space (a street) at the same time. The narrator doesn’t go so far as to suggest that the people feel
that they, and not the taxi, possess exclusive access to the street.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID cb526866
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: cb526866
The recent discovery of a carved wooden figure dating to around 2,000 years ago in a ditch in England was truly surprising.
Wooden objects ______ survive for so long due to their high susceptibility to rot, but archaeologists suspect layers of
sediment in the ditch preserved the figure by creating an oxygen-free environment.

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

A. sturdily

B. carelessly

C. rarely

D. simply

ID: cb526866 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the discovery of a carved wooden
figure dating to around 2,000 years ago. In this context, “rarely” means infrequently. The text states that the discovery of the
figure was “truly surprising” and notes that wooden objects are highly prone to rot. This context conveys the idea that
wooden objects infrequently survive for as long as the carved figure has survived.

Choice A is incorrect because “sturdily” means strongly, which wouldn’t make sense in context. If wooden objects in general
could strongly survive for long periods of time, then the discovery of a wooden figure that’s around 2,000 years old wouldn’t
be surprising. Choice B is incorrect because “carelessly” means accidentally. The text conveys the idea that wooden objects
in general don’t survive for very long because they rot, not that wooden objects in general accidentally survive despite this.
Choice D is incorrect because the text conveys the idea that wooden objects in general don’t survive for very long because
they rot, not that wooden objects in general “simply,” or merely, survive for long periods of time. If wooden objects in general
could merely survive for as long as the figure has survived, then the discovery of the figure wouldn’t have been surprising.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 83687083
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 83687083
Due to their often strange images, highly experimental syntax, and opaque subject matter, many of John Ashbery’s poems
can be quite difficult to ______ and thus are the object of heated debate among scholars.

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

A. delegate

B. compose

C. interpret

D. renounce

ID: 83687083 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of John Ashbery’s poems. As used in
this context, “interpret” would mean decipher the meaning of. The text indicates that Ashbery’s poems have many unusual
features, that it’s difficult to tell what exactly the poems’ subject matter is, and that scholars strongly disagree about the
poems. This context conveys the idea that it’s difficult to interpret Ashbery’s poems.

Choice A is incorrect because “delegate” means to assign someone as a representative of another person or to entrust
something to someone else, neither of which would make sense in context. The text is focused only on the difficulty that
readers have interpreting Ashbery’s poems due to their many unusual features; it doesn’t suggest anything about the poems
being difficult to delegate. Choice B is incorrect because describing Ashbery’s poems as difficult to “compose,” or put
together or produce, would make sense only if the text were about Ashbery’s experience of writing the poems. It could be
true that it was difficult for Ashbery to compose his poems, but the text doesn’t address this; it instead discusses how
readers interpret and engage with the poems. Choice D is incorrect because describing Ashbery’s poems as being difficult to
“renounce,” or give up or refuse, wouldn’t make sense in context. The text focuses on the idea that features of Ashbery’s
poems are odd or unclear and have caused heated scholarly debate. This context suggests that the poems are difficult to
interpret, not that the poems are difficult to renounce.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 637d0878
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 637d0878
The Appalachian Trail is a hiking path in the eastern United States. Much of the 2,000 mile trail passes through wilderness
areas. In order to ______ those areas, the United States Congress passed the National Trails System Act in 1968, ensuring
that the trail would not be sold or commercially developed.

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

A. borrow

B. postpone

C. protect

D. decorate

ID: 637d0878 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. "Protect" means "preserve" or "keep safe from." By ensuring that the wilderness areas along the
Appalachian Trail can’t be sold or developed, the National Trails System Act protects them.

Choice A is incorrect. "Borrow" means "to take something with intent to return it." The text doesn’t say anything about taking
and returning the wilderness that surrounds the Appalachian Trail. Choice B is incorrect. "Postpone" means "to put off until
later." Nothing in the passage suggests that Congress wants to "postpone" the wilderness areas (and that doesn’t make
sense anyway—they can postpone doing something to the wilderness areas, but they can’t postpone the areas themselves).
Choice D is incorrect. "Decorate" means "to adorn" or "add extra items or pictures to make more attractive." No details in the
text suggest that Congress wishes to make the trail fancier or more attractive.

Question Difficulty: Easy

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 6cf906fc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 6cf906fc
The following text is adapted from José Martí’s 1891 poem “At the Salon” (translated by Cecil Charles in 1898). The speaker
describes a painting featuring a female figure.

From the sterile soil no ray Of hope in a blade of green, Nor sheltering roof is seen—
Though the skies are heavy and gray. Ah, this is the woman fair Who stole away my heart
In the splendid halls of art Yester-e’en as I wandered there!

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

A. Protective

B. Restrictive

C. Affectionate

D. Suspicious

ID: 6cf906fc Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because as used in the text, "sheltering" most nearly means protective. In the text, the speaker
describes a painting featuring a female figure. The speaker ultimately confesses to falling in love with the woman in the
painting, who has "stole[n] away" the speaker’s heart, but first the speaker describes elements of the painting’s setting. These
include sterile soil, barren fields with "no ray / Of hope in a blade of green"—a description that conveys a mood of melancholy
and forlornness, possibly reflecting the speaker’s own sadness at falling in love with an image that can’t return the speaker’s
love. The text continues by stating that there’s no "sheltering roof" in the painting, even though the "skies are heavy and gray,"
showing signs of an impending storm. Generally, a roof’s intended purpose is to provide protection from the elements, and in
this context, a roof would offer shelter and protection from the gathering storm.

Choice B is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that a roof would be restrictive—that is, that it would limit or
restrain something in some way. Although a roof would provide some cover from stormy winds and rain, it wouldn’t limit the
wind and rain, only deflect them. Choice C is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that if a "sheltering roof"
were present in the painting, it would be affectionate, or loving and tender. In the text, the immediate context in which the
word "sheltering" appears refers to the absence of a roof that would provide protection from the oncoming storm depicted in
the painting, not to the idea that such a shelter would be loving and tender if it were present. Choice D is incorrect because in
this context, suspicious would mean questionable or dubious, and there’s nothing in the text to suggest that if any roofs were
present in the painting, they would be questionable or cause any suspicion.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 47955354
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 47955354
Sumerian civilization (which lasted from around 3300 to 2000 BCE) ______ many concepts that persist into present-day
civilizations: for example, the first description of the seven-day week appears in the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh.

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

A. transformed

B. introduced

C. inherited

D. overlooked

ID: 47955354 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the contributions of the Sumerian
civilization. In this context, “introduced” means brought into practice or use. The text states that the first reference to a
seven-day week appears in the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh. The text presents this information about the seven-day week as
an example of a concept introduced by the Sumerian civilization that persists into present-day civilizations.

Choice A is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that the Sumerian civilization “transformed,” or changed the
nature of, concepts that persist into present-day civilizations. Instead, the text’s presentation of a Sumerian literary work that
contains the first description of the seven-day week is an example of the phenomenon described in the first half of the
sentence, suggesting that the Sumerians invented many concepts that still persist. Choice C is incorrect because the
information that a Sumerian literary work includes the first description of the seven-day week suggests that Sumerian
civilization may have originated the seven-day week and other concepts that persist into present-day civilizations, not that it
“inherited” the concepts, or received them from an ancestral figure or culture. Choice D is incorrect because the information
that Sumerian civilization produced the first description of the seven-day week is presented as an example of the
phenomenon described in the first half of the sentence, suggesting that Sumerian civilization originated this and other
concepts that still persist, not that the Sumerians “overlooked,” or failed to notice or consider, such concepts.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID cf9a3f34
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: cf9a3f34
The following text is adapted from Elizabeth von Arnim’s 1922 novel The Enchanted April. Mrs. Wilkins and her friend Rose
are traveling in Italy.

“I’m going to have one of these gorgeous oranges,” said Mrs. Wilkins, staying where she was and reaching across to a
black bowl piled with them. “Rose, how can you resist them. Look—have this one. Do have this beauty—” And she held
out a big one.

As used in the text, what does the phrase “reaching across to” most nearly mean?

A. Joining with

B. Gaining on

C. Stretching toward

D. Arriving at

ID: cf9a3f34 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because as used in the text "reaching across to" most nearly means stretching toward. The text
begins with Mrs. Wilkins stating that she wants to have one of the oranges that she’s admiring. The text then indicates that
Mrs. Wilkins, staying where she is, holds out a big orange to her friend. This context suggests that when the text describes
Mrs. Wilkins as reaching across to the bowl of oranges, it means that she is stretching toward the bowl.

Choice A is incorrect because the text never suggests that Mrs. Wilkins is joining with, or becoming attached to, the bowl of
oranges. Rather, the text indicates that she is stretching toward the bowl so she can pick out oranges for herself and her
friend Rose to eat. Choice B is incorrect because the text never suggests that Mrs. Wilkins is gaining on, or overtaking in a
competition or race, the bowl of oranges. The text suggests instead that the bowl is sitting still on a surface and that Mrs.
Wilkins is extending her arm toward the bowl so she can pick out oranges for herself and her friend Rose to eat. Choice D is
incorrect because the text doesn’t indicate that Mrs. Wilkins is arriving at the bowl of oranges. In fact, the text states that
Mrs. Wilkins stays where she is when reaching across to the bowl, meaning that she remains at a distance from it.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 31d0bd9a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 31d0bd9a
The parasitic dodder plant increases its reproductive success by flowering at the same time as the host plant it has latched
onto. In 2020, Jianqiang Wu and his colleagues determined that the tiny dodder achieves this ______ with its host by
absorbing and utilizing a protein the host produces when it is about to flower.

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

A. synchronization

B. hibernation

C. prediction

D. moderation

ID: 31d0bd9a Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of a relationship between the dodder
plant and its host plant. As used in this context, “synchronization” means the act of things happening at the same time. The
text indicates that the dodder and its host plant flower in unison and that this synchronization occurs because the dodder
makes use of a protein produced by the host shortly before flowering.

Choice B is incorrect because referring to “hibernation,” or the state of being dormant or inactive, wouldn’t make sense in
context. The text focuses on something the dodder plant actively engages in—making use of a protein and producing
flowers. Choice C is incorrect because stating that the dodder plant and its host engage together in “prediction,” or the act of
declaring or indicating something in advance, wouldn’t make sense in context. Rather than indicating that the dodder plant
and its host plant make a prediction about flowering activity, the text suggests that the host produces a protein as part of its
regular flowering process and that the dodder then absorbs and uses that protein to flower at the same time. Choice D is
incorrect because referring to “moderation,” or the act of causing something to become less intense or extreme, wouldn’t
make sense in context. Although the text states that the dodder plant absorbs and uses a protein made by its host plant, it
doesn’t suggest that the dodder lessens the host plant’s flowering activity; the two plants simply flower in unison.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID bcc91b1e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: bcc91b1e
The spacecraft OSIRIS-REx briefly made contact with the asteroid 101955 Bennu in 2020. NASA scientist Daniella
DellaGiustina reports that despite facing the unexpected obstacle of a surface mostly covered in boulders, OSIRIS-REx
successfully ______ a sample of the surface, gathering pieces of it to bring back to Earth.

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

A. attached

B. collected

C. followed

D. replaced

ID: bcc91b1e Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft’s contact
with the asteroid 101955 Bennu. In this context, “collected” means acquired and took away. The text indicates that although
the boulders on the asteroid’s surface caused some unforeseen problems, OSIRIS-REx was able to gather a sample to return
to Earth. This context suggests that OSIRIS-REx successfully collected a sample of 101955 Bennu.

Choice A is incorrect because in this context “attached” means connected or affixed. The text indicates that OSIRIS-REx
gathered pieces of 101955 Bennu to bring to Earth; it doesn’t suggest that the spacecraft attached anything to the asteroid.
Choice C is incorrect because in this context “followed” means tracked or traveled behind and the text discusses OSIRIS-
REx’s brief encounter with 101955 Bennu during which the spacecraft gathered a sample to bring to Earth. The text doesn’t
suggest that the spacecraft tracked the sample, and it’s not clear what it would mean for the spacecraft to travel behind the
sample it collected. Choice D is incorrect because in this context “replaced” means put back or returned. The text indicates
that OSIRIS-REx gathered pieces of 101955 Bennu to bring to Earth but doesn’t suggest that anything was returned to the
asteroid.

Question Difficulty: Easy

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 85083d4d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 85083d4d
Disproving the common misconception of Native art as ______, the painters whose work appears in the collection at the
National Museum of the American Indian employ a range of styles. There are artists working in the traditional arts of their
specific tribal communities, artists working in European modernist or American abstract expressionist art traditions, and
artists blending various traditions into something wholly new.

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

A. uncontroversial

B. individualistic

C. theoretical

D. homogeneous

ID: 85083d4d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the art at the National Museum of
the American Indian. In this context, "homogenous" means uniform or highly similar. The text explains that the painters
whose works are included in this museum’s collection employ an array of artistic styles, both Native and non-Native,
traditional and new. Given this high degree of stylistic diversity, it is a misconception that Native art is uniform, or
homogenous.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t consider whether Native art is controversial, or causes disagreement or
discussion; instead, the text discusses the stylistic diversity of the collection of the National Museum of the American
Indian. Choice B is incorrect. Although the text indicates that some of the artists whose work is represented in the collection
of the National Museum of the American Indian blend various artistic traditions into highly individual styles of their own, this
is not the primary focus of the text. Instead, the text is concerned with how Native art is often mistakenly perceived as
uniform, when in fact it is stylistically diverse. Choice C is incorrect because the text never implies that people mistakenly
conceive of Native art as theoretical, or concerned with philosophical or abstract issues; instead, the text’s discussion of
Native art is framed around this art’s stylistic diversity versus the misconception of it as homogenous.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 8d579825
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 8d579825
The printing of Virginia Woolf’s novels featured a creative ______ between Woolf and her sister Vanessa Bell: a talented
painter, Bell worked closely with Woolf to create original cover art for most of the novels.

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

A. rebellion

B. partnership

C. discovery

D. disagreement

ID: 8d579825 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the cover art of Virginia Woolf’s
novels. In this context, “partnership” means collaboration or joint effort. The text states that Woolf’s sister Vanessa Bell was
a talented painter and that Bell worked with Woolf to provide the cover art for most of Woolf’s novels. Thus, this context
suggests that Woolf and Bell pursued a creative partnership in order to produce several of Woolf’s novels.

Choice A is incorrect because there is no indication that Woolf or Bell were undergoing a “rebellion,” or revolt, against
anything in particular. Instead, the text focuses on how they worked together in some aspects of the production of Woolf’s
novels. Choice C is incorrect because there is nothing in the text to indicate that Woolf or Bell made a “discovery,” or
encountered anything new for the first time as they worked together. The text suggests that Woolf had already written her
novels and that Bell then assisted Woolf with the cover art for many of them. Choice D is incorrect because the text implies
that Woolf and Bell had a positive relationship. According to the text, the sisters “worked closely” together to produce the
cover art for many of Woolf’s novels; the text doesn’t mention whether while working together, Woolf and Bell had a
“disagreement,” or conflict.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 81a3a607
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 81a3a607
In the Indigenous intercropping system known as the Three Sisters, maize, squash, and beans form an ______ web of
relations: maize provides the structure on which the bean vines grow; the squash vines cover the soil, discouraging
competition from weeds; and the beans aid their two “sisters” by enriching the soil with essential nitrogen.

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

A. indecipherable

B. ornamental

C. obscure

D. intricate

ID: 81a3a607 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the Three Sisters intercropping
system. As used in this context, “intricate” would mean made up of complexly related elements. The text indicates that in the
Three Sisters system, maize, squash, and beans form a “web of relations” in which the crops interact in various ways. The
text’s description of these interactions—the bean vines growing on the maize stalks, the squash vines keeping weeds away,
and the beans adding nutrients that the maize and squash use—provides context suggesting that this “web of relations” is
intricate.

Choice A is incorrect because describing the relationship among the crops in the Three Sisters system as “indecipherable,”
or impossible to comprehend, would not make sense in context. Although the text presents the relationship as complex, the
text’s description of the role that each crop plays makes it clear that the relationship is well understood, not
indecipherable. Choice B is incorrect because the text discusses the practical benefits that each plant in the Three Sisters
system provides to other members of the system, showing that the relationship among the crops that make up the system is
not “ornamental,” or mainly serving a decorative purpose. Choice C is incorrect because describing the relationship among
the crops in the Three Sisters system as “obscure,” or unknown or poorly understood, would not make sense in context.
Although the text presents the relationship as complex, the text’s description of the role that each crop plays makes it clear
that the relationship is well understood, not obscure.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 9d73c9eb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 9d73c9eb
Osage Nation citizen Randy Tinker-Smith produced and directed the ballet Wahzhazhe, which vividly chronicles Osage
history and culture. Telling Osage stories through ballet is ______ choice because two of the foremost ballet dancers of the
twentieth century were Osage: sisters Maria and Marjorie Tallchief.

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

A. a suitable

B. a determined

C. an arbitrary

D. an unpredictable

ID: 9d73c9eb Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. “Suitable” means “appropriate for a particular purpose.” Since the text indicates that two of the
best ballet dancers of the twentieth century were Osage, we can infer that the author believes that ballet is a very suitable
artform for telling Osage stories.

Choice B is incorrect. The text never suggests that Tinker-Smith’s choice was determined. That would imply that Tinker-
Smith initially faced some kind of obstacle or opposition, and nothing like that is mentioned in the passage. Choice C is
incorrect. The text implies the opposite of this. “Arbitrary” means “based on random choice or whim rather than reason.” But
the text does give us a good reason behind the choice to tell Osage stories through ballet: two of the best ballet dancers of
the twentieth century were Osage. Choice D is incorrect. The text never suggests that Tinker-Smith’s choice was
“unpredictable.” Rather, the fact that two of the best ballet dancers of the twentieth century were Osage makes ballet
especially appropriate for telling Osage stories.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID c5b1afe5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: c5b1afe5
Bicycle sharing systems allow users to rent a bicycle at one location within a city and return it to any other designated
location in that city, which can cause serious problems of bicycle supply and user demand within the city’s system. Tohru
Ikeguchi uses open-source data and statistical modeling to identify when a high number of users making one-way trips is
likely to leave some locations within the system ______ bicycles and other areas with insufficient supply.

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

A. susceptible to

B. contingent on

C. saturated with

D. depleted of

ID: c5b1afe5 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Ikeguchi’s model of bicycle supply.
In this context, “saturated with” means thoroughly or completely supplied with. The text explains a problem encountered by
some bicycle-sharing programs: users can return bicycles to different locations than where the users picked up the bicycles
to start, which can result in a mismatch between bicycle supply (that is, where the bicycles are currently located) and user
demand (that is, the locations where users are hoping to pick up bicycles). The text goes on to explain that Ikeguchi
developed a way to identify when this mismatch is likely to occur. This context suggests that Ikeguchi’s method will show
when it is likely that some locations have an insufficient supply and other locations, by implicit contrast, are saturated with
bicycles.

Choice A is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that some locations are “susceptible to,” or sensitive to or easily
influenced by, bicycles. The text describes the phenomenon of bicycles being redistributed away from locations where users
want them, not anything about those locations being influenced by the bicycles. Choice B is incorrect because the text
describes situations in which some locations have an insufficient supply of bicycles because the bicycles have been
relocated elsewhere, which suggests that the other locations have many bicycles, not that the other locations are “contingent
on,” or dependent on, the bicycles. Nothing in the text suggests that the locations themselves depend on the bicycles for
anything. Choice D is incorrect because it would not make sense in context to say that some locations are “depleted of,” or
empty of, bicycles while others have an insufficient supply. The text describes situations in which bicycles have been
relocated such that there is a mismatch between bicycle supply and user demand—the bicycles are no longer at the
locations where users want to pick them up. This means that some locations do not have enough bicycles, while other
locations must have many bicycles, not be depleted of bicycles.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 417f8dfa
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 417f8dfa
The following text is from Darcie Little Badger’s 2021 novel A Snake Falls to Earth. Nina is looking at old family photographs.

Nina couldn’t stop looking at the sepia-toned photograph in an oak frame. Propped on the window ledge, it featured a
portrait of Great-Great-Grandmother Rosita as a young woman.
©2021 by Darcie Little Badger

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

A. Displayed

B. Questioned

C. Approved

D. Ignored

ID: 417f8dfa Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because as used in the text, "featured" most nearly means displayed. The text describes Nina’s
fascination with a framed photograph. It then goes on to describe what the photograph showed, or displayed, which is a
portrait of Nina’s great-great-grandmother Rosita as a young woman. Thus, the text indicates that the photograph displayed a
portrait of Rosita.

Choice B is incorrect because the text identifies the person shown in the photograph as Nina’s great-great-grandmother; it
gives no indication that the contents of the photograph were questioned, or asked about. Choice C is incorrect because
approved means expressed a favorable opinion of, and there’s nothing to suggest that the photograph of Nina’s great-great-
grandmother has received approval or been viewed favorably, only that Nina is unable to stop looking at it. Choice D is
incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that the photograph Nina is fascinated with ignored, or refused to take notice
of, Nina’s great-great-grandmother Rosita. Rather, the text indicates that the photograph was a portrait of Rosita.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 760ee1db
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 760ee1db
Although the playwrights hoped that their play would be ______ when performed live, critics generally agreed that the
production and performances had the opposite effect, wearying audiences instead of energizing them.

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

A. multifaceted

B. realistic

C. rousing

D. subtle

ID: 760ee1db Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the play’s effect on audiences. As
used in this context, “rousing” means exciting or energizing. The text indicates that critics found the play to have “the
opposite effect” on audiences of what the playwrights hoped for. The critics, the text says, thought the play was wearying
rather than energizing to viewers. This context supports the idea that the playwrights hoped live performances of the play
would be energizing, or rousing, to audiences.

Choice A is incorrect because there’s no information in the text suggesting that the playwrights hoped live performances of
the play would be “multifaceted,” or be varied or have many aspects. The text indicates that critics found the play to be
wearying to audiences and that this was the opposite of what the playwrights hoped for. Multifaceted is not the opposite of
wearying, but rousing is, which suggests that the playwrights hoped the play would be rousing. Choice B is incorrect because
there’s no information in the text suggesting that the playwrights hoped live performances of the play would be “realistic,” or
lifelike or sensible. The text says that critics found the play to be wearying to audiences and that this was the opposite of
what the playwrights hoped for. Realistic is not the opposite of wearying, but rousing is, which suggests that the playwrights
hoped the play would be rousing. Choice D is incorrect because there’s no information in the text suggesting that the
playwrights hoped live performances of the play would be subtle, or complex or understated. The text says that critics found
the play to be wearying to audiences and that this was the opposite of what the playwrights hoped for. Subtle is not the
opposite of wearying, but rousing is, which suggests that the playwrights hoped the play would be rousing.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 0ee67e09
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 0ee67e09
Anthropologist Kristian J. Carlson and colleagues examined the fossilized clavicle and shoulder bones of a 3.6-million-year-
old early hominin known as “Little Foot.” They found that these bones were ______ the clavicle and shoulder bones of modern
apes that are frequent climbers, such as gorillas and chimpanzees, suggesting that Little Foot had adapted to life in the
trees.

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

A. surpassed by

B. comparable to

C. independent of

D. obtained from

ID: 0ee67e09 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the fossilized bones of the hominin
known as Little Foot. As used in this context, “comparable to” would mean similar to. The text indicates that the relationship
between the fossilized clavicle and shoulder bones of Little Foot and the clavicle and shoulder bones of “frequent climbers,”
such as chimpanzees and gorillas, suggests that Little Foot had adapted to moving around in trees. This context suggests
that the relationship between the fossilized bones of Little Foot and the bones of chimpanzees and gorillas is one of
similarity—the Little Foot fossils are likely comparable to the modern ape bones.

Choice A is incorrect because if the fossilized bones of Little Foot were “surpassed by,” or exceeded by or made inferior to,
the bones of modern apes that are frequent climbers, it wouldn’t suggest, as the text says, that Little Foot was adapted to
moving around in trees. If anything, learning that Little Foot’s clavicle and shoulder bones were surpassed by those of
chimpanzees and gorillas would suggest that Little Foot was poorly adapted to climbing. Choice C is incorrect because if
Little Foot’s fossilized clavicle and shoulder bones were “independent of,” or not influenced by or affiliated with, the bones of
modern apes that climb often, it wouldn’t suggest, as the text says, that Little Foot was adapted to moving around in
trees. Choice D is incorrect because the text indicates that Little Foot’s fossilized bones date to 3.6 million years ago, so they
couldn’t have been “obtained from,” or acquired from, the bones of modern apes.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 7a327791
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 7a327791
Novelist Leon Forrest admired William Faulkner’s writing style. Forrest’s novel Divine Days contains a long passage in tribute
to Faulkner that is a perfect ______ of Faulkner’s style: anyone familiar with Faulkner’s writing would see the resemblance.

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

A. forgetting

B. rejection

C. imitation

D. opinion

ID: 7a327791 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of novelist Leon Forrest’s admiration
of William Faulkner’s writing style. In this context, "imitation" means something that resembles or reproduces something
else. The text states that Forrest admired Faulkner’s style and that anyone familiar with Faulkner’s style would be able to see
the stylistic similarities between a particular passage in Forrest’s novel Divine Days and Faulkner’s writing, a fact that
supports the idea that Forrest’s novel pays tribute to Faulkner by reproducing, or imitating, Faulkner’s style.

Choice A is incorrect because in this context, a "forgetting" would mean an instance in which something is overlooked or not
remembered. The text emphasizes Forrest’s admiration for Faulkner’s style and the fact that Forrest’s writing in some
instances closely resembles Faulkner’s stylistically. It therefore wouldn’t make sense to say that in trying to pay tribute to
Faulkner’s style, Forrest failed to remember it. Choice B is incorrect because in this context, a "rejection" would mean a
dismissal of something as unworthy. The text emphasizes Forrest’s admiration for Faulkner’s writing style, stating that parts
of Forrest’s writings indicate efforts to copy that style. It wouldn’t make sense therefore to suggest that Forrest had rejected
or dismissed Faulkner’s style as unworthy. Choice D is incorrect because in this context, an "opinion" would mean a view or
judgment. Although the text focuses on Forrest’s admiration of Faulkner, which suggests that Forrest had formed a positive
judgment of Faulkner’s style, the word opinion wouldn’t make sense in this sentence: the sentence doesn’t say that the
passage from Forrest’s novel expresses his view of Faulkner’s style; rather, it suggests that stylistically, the passage closely
resembles, or imitates, Faulkner’s writing.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID d3ca5d59
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: d3ca5d59
Stephen Hannock’s luminous landscape paintings are appealing to viewers but have elicited little commentary from
contemporary critics, a phenomenon that may be due to the very fact that the paintings seem so ______. Many critics focus
their attention on art that is cryptic or overtly challenging.

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

A. innovative

B. subversive

C. profound

D. accessible

ID: d3ca5d59 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. When talking about a thing, “accessible” means “easy to understand.” This sets up the contrast
in the next sentence, which tells us that critics mostly focus on art that is “cryptic or challenging” (meaning not easy to
understand).

Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. The next sentence tells us that critics focus on art that is
mysterious and challenging. If Hannock’s paintings are “innovative” (meaning advanced and original), then critics probably
would comment on them. Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. The next sentence tells us that critics
focus on art that is mysterious and challenging. If Hannock’s paintings are “subversive” (meaning disruptive and
revolutionary), then critics probably would comment on them. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t fit the logic of the text. The
next sentence tells us that critics focus on art that is mysterious and challenging. If Hannock’s paintings are “profound”
(meaning very deep and insightful), then critics probably would comment on them.

Question Difficulty: Medium

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 2e8ab360
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 2e8ab360
Eighteenth-century historian Edward Gibbon thought the only character defect of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius was
his mild temperament—though the emperor was widely considered virtuous, his overly permissive nature led him to ______
the vices of those who surrounded him.

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

A. indulge

B. despise

C. moderate

D. criticize

ID: 2e8ab360 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the Roman emperor Marcus
Aurelius. In this context, "indulge" means treat with excessive leniency. The text states that according to historian Edward
Gibbon, Marcus Aurelius, who was widely considered virtuous, had only a single character flaw: his mild temperament. The
text suggests that because of this flaw, Marcus Aurelius had an overly permissive nature. This context, in turn, supports the
idea that Marcus Aurelius treated the vices, or evils, of those around him with excessive leniency, indulging rather than
punishing those vices.

Choice B is incorrect. While the text does state that Marcus Aurelius was widely considered virtuous, it gives no indication
that he was inclined to "despise," or hate, others’ vices. Rather, the text suggests that he showed undue tolerance for these
vices because of his overly permissive nature—that is, his inclination to allow others to do as they wished. Choice C is
incorrect because the text’s description of Marcus Aurelius as overly permissive suggests that he showed undue tolerance
for others’ vices, not that he tried to "moderate" those vices, or lessen their intensity. Choice D is incorrect because the text’s
description of Marcus Aurelius as overly permissive suggests that he showed undue tolerance for others’ vices, not that he
attempted to "criticize," or speak disapprovingly of, those vices.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 52fe862a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 52fe862a
Researcher Lucy Salazar is using radiocarbon dating to study Machu Picchu, an ancient Incan fortress in the Andes
Mountains. She and her colleagues have found that the site’s age differs from the ______ estimate: it is approximately 20
years older than scholars thought when first encountering Machu Picchu in 1911.

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

A. genuine

B. intentional

C. independent

D. original

ID: 52fe862a Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the dating of Machu Picchu. In this
context, "original" means first or initial. The text indicates that Lucy Salazar and her colleagues have determined the age of
Machu Picchu and that the age differs from another estimate of the site’s age, explaining that the site is about 20 years older
than scholars thought in 1911 when they initially encountered Machu Picchu. In other words, Salazar and her team found
that the site’s age differs from the first estimate.

Choice A is incorrect. The text’s structure indicates that the missing word describes the estimate made by scholars when
they first encountered Machu Picchu in 1911 in relation to the age determined by Salazar and her colleagues. It wouldn’t
make sense to suggest that the estimate by earlier scholars was "genuine," or actual and true, while the one by Salazar’s
team wasn’t, since the text treats the finding by Salazar’s team as true and as invalidating the earlier estimate ("it is
approximately 20 years older than scholars thought"). Choice B is incorrect. The text’s structure indicates that the missing
word describes the estimate made by scholars when they first encountered Machu Picchu in 1911 in relation to the age
determined by Salazar and her colleagues. It wouldn’t make sense to suggest that the estimate by earlier scholars was
"intentional," or done on purpose, while the one by Salazar’s team wasn’t; the text indicates that Salazar and her colleagues
were deliberately using radiocarbon dating to study Machu Picchu. Choice C is incorrect. The text’s structure indicates that
the missing word describes the estimate made by scholars when they first encountered Machu Picchu in 1911 in relation to
the age determined by Salazar and her colleagues. There’s no reason to suggest that the estimate by earlier scholars was
"independent," or not controlled by or affiliated with others, while the one by Salazar’s team wasn’t; there’s no mention of any
outside influence on the work by Salazar and her team or by scholars in 1911.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 479c7e82
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 479c7e82
Although critics believed that customers would never agree to pay to pick their own produce on farms, such concerns didn’t
______ Booker T. Whatley’s efforts to promote the practice. Thanks in part to Whatley’s determined advocacy, farms that
allow visitors to pick their own apples, pumpkins, and other produce can be found throughout the United States.

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

A. enhance

B. hinder

C. misrepresent

D. aggravate

ID: 479c7e82 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Booker T. Whatley. In this context,
“hinder” means hold back or obstruct. The text explains that Whatley encouraged farms to allow customers on site to pick
their own produce for a fee. He did so despite critics’ concerns that the customers would never pay to do so. This context
establishes that the critics’ concerns didn’t hinder Whatley’s efforts to promote the practice.

Choice A is incorrect. The text indicates that critics’ skepticism of the idea that customers would pay to pick their own
produce didn’t have some effect on Whatley’s promotion of the practice. The text illustrates this assertion by describing
Whatley’s “determined advocacy” for the practice. This context suggests that critics’ concerns didn’t obstruct Whatley’s
efforts, not that critics’ concerns didn’t “enhance,” or increase or improve, Whatley’s efforts. Choice C is incorrect because in
this context, “misrepresent” would mean portray inaccurately, and the text includes no information relevant to the issue of
how Whatley’s efforts were portrayed by critics of the practice of charging customers to pick their own produce. Choice D is
incorrect. The text indicates that critics’ skepticism of the idea that customers would pay to pick their own produce didn’t
have some effect on Whatley’s promotion of the practice. The text illustrates this assertion by describing Whatley’s
“determined advocacy” for the practice. This context suggests that critics’ concerns didn’t obstruct Whatley’s efforts, not
that critics’ concerns didn’t “aggravate,” or irritate or make more severe, Whatley’s efforts.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 1ad04ea0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 1ad04ea0
In habitats with limited nutrients, certain fungus species grow on the roots of trees, engaging in mutually beneficial
relationships known as ectomycorrhizae: in this symbiotic exchange, the tree provides the fungus with carbon, a nutrient
necessary for both species, and the fungus ______ by enhancing the tree’s ability to absorb nitrogen, another key nutrient,
from the soil.

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

A. overreacts

B. reciprocates

C. retaliates

D. deviates

ID: 1ad04ea0 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of ectomycorrhizae relationships. In
this context, “reciprocates” means responds in kind or degree. The text indicates that the relationship between certain fungi
and trees in some habitats is “mutually beneficial” and involves a “symbiotic exchange” in which each organism helps the
other access an important nutrient. In other words, each organism provides the same kind of benefit it receives: the tree
provides a nutrient (carbon) for the fungus and the fungus reciprocates by helping the tree to absorb more of another
nutrient (nitrogen).

Choice A is incorrect because the text emphasizes that the relationship between certain fungi and trees in some habitats
involves a “symbiotic exchange” in which each organism helps the other access an important nutrient. Nothing in the text
suggests that the fungus “overreacts,” or responds too strongly, by allowing the tree to be better able to absorb a beneficial
nutrient. Choice C is incorrect because “retaliates” means responds to a harmful action with a similarly harmful action. The
text indicates that the relationship between certain fungi and trees in some habitats is “mutually beneficial” and involves a
“symbiotic exchange” in which each organism helps the other, not that the relationship is one in which the organisms harm
one another. Choice D is incorrect. In this context, “deviates” would mean departs from an established course or norm. The
text explains that the relationship between certain fungi and trees in some habitats involves a “symbiotic exchange” in which
each organism helps the other access an important nutrient. Because the relationship involves benefits for both the fungus
and the tree, it wouldn’t make sense to say that the fungus deviates by helping the tree be better able to absorb a beneficial
nutrient.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID b411eb09
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. quarrel about

B. paucity of

C. profusion of

D. verisimilitude in

ID: b411eb09 Answer

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 05575bca
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 05575bca
The following text is adapted from Lewis Carroll’s 1871 novel Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There.
Alice, a child, is talking to her cat.

“Do you hear the snow against the window-panes, Kitty? How nice and soft it sounds! Just as if someone was kissing
the window all over outside.”

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

A. Gentle

B. Sensitive

C. Shapeless

D. Bland

ID: 05575bca Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because as used in the text, "soft" most nearly means gentle. The text portrays Alice speaking
about the snow falling against the window, describing it as sounding "nice" and similar to someone "kissing the window."
These details most strongly suggest that Alice thinks the sound made by the snow falling against the window is gentle.

Choice B is incorrect. Although in some contexts, "gentle" can mean sensitive, or caring about others’ feelings, that isn’t the
meaning in this context; it doesn’t make sense to say that Alice thinks the sound of the snow cares about anything. Choice C
is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that Alice thinks the sound of the snow is shapeless, or lacks a definite shape;
she isn’t indicating how anything looks or feels but, rather, is describing how "nice" and gentle the snow sounds. Choice D is
incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that Alice thinks the sound of the snow is bland, or uninteresting; rather, she
notices the sound and comments on how "nice" it is.

Question Difficulty: Easy

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 9671d61d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 9671d61d
The following text is from Claude McKay’s 1922 poem “Morning Joy.” The speaker is looking out a window and observing a
wold, or large area of land.

At night the wide and level stretch of wold, Which at high noon had basked in quiet gold,
Far as the eye could see was ghostly white; Dark was the night save for the snow’s weird light.
I drew the shades far down, crept into bed; Hearing the cold wind moaning overhead
Through the sad pines, my soul, catching its pain, Went sorrowing with it across the plain.

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

A. Pulled

B. Drained

C. Inspired

D. Sketched

ID: 9671d61d Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because as used in the text, “drew” most nearly means pulled. In the text, the speaker stands at
a window, looking out on a landscape at night. The speaker then “drew the shades far down, crept into bed.” That is, the
speaker pulled down, or lowered, the shades until they were completely shut before going to sleep.

Choice B is incorrect. Although in some contexts, “drew” can refer to draining or removing liquid, especially water, as when
someone draws water from a well, in this context it refers to the speaker pulling down window shades for the night. Choice C
is incorrect. In some contexts, “drew” can be used to describe how a person or thing inspires, or elicits, a response from
someone, as when a performer draws applause from an audience. But in this context it refers to the speaker pulling down
window shades for the night. Choice D is incorrect. Although “drew” has several meanings, including sketched, or illustrated
with a pen or pencil, in this context it refers to the speaker pulling down window shades for the night.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID f7d58b53
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: f7d58b53
Like other tribal nations, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation is self-governing; its National Council generates laws regulating
aspects of community life such as land use and healthcare, while the principal chief and cabinet officials ______ those laws
by devising policies and administering services in accordance with them.

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

A. implement

B. presume

C. improvise

D. mimic

ID: f7d58b53 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of self-government among the
Muscogee (Creek) Nation. In this context, “implement” means to carry out or put into effect. The text states that the National
Council generates laws, while the principal chief and cabinet officials are responsible for “devising policies and administering
services in accordance with” those laws. This context suggests that the principal chief and cabinet officials implement the
laws: they put the laws into effect by creating policies and administering services that accord with those laws.

Choice B is incorrect because “presume” in this context would mean to assume based on incomplete information, and the
text does not suggest that the principal chief and cabinet officials either made assumptions about the content of the laws or
had incomplete information about them. Choice C is incorrect because in this context “improvise” would mean to create
something without preparation, and the text does not suggest that the principal chief and cabinet officials create policies
and administer services without advance preparation. Choice D is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that the
principal chief and cabinet officials “mimic,” or imitate, the laws generated by the National Council. To mimic laws would
mean to generate new laws that are imitations of existing laws, but the text indicates that the National Council, not the
principal chief and cabinet officials, is responsible for generating laws. Instead of generating laws, the principal chief and
cabinet officials put laws into effect by “devising policies and administering services in accordance with” the laws.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 6286dd96
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 6286dd96
The following text is adapted from Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1905 novel A Little Princess. Sara is a young student at a
school in London.

Sara not only could tell stories, but she adored telling them. When she sat or stood in the midst of a circle and began to
invent wonderful things, her green eyes grew big and shining, her cheeks flushed, and, without knowing that she was
doing it, she began to act and made what she told lovely or alarming by the raising or dropping of her voice.

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

A. Mislead

B. Disguise

C. Create

D. Discover

ID: 6286dd96 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because as used in the text, "invent" most nearly means create or make up. The text begins by
stating that Sara likes to tell stories and thoroughly enjoys telling them. The rest of the text describes how she looks and
acts when she invents, or creates, "wonderful things" in her stories ("what she told").

Choice A is incorrect. Although the text suggests that Sara makes up "wonderful things," nothing suggests that she does so
to mislead, or intentionally deceive, others; there is no reason to assume that Sara’s listeners don’t know that she’s creating
the stories she shares. Choice B is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that Sara is disguising, or trying to cover
up or conceal, "wonderful things" when she tells stories; rather, she is creating them and presenting them in ways that make
them "lovely or alarming" for her listeners. Choice D is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that Sara is
discovering, or unexpectedly finding, "wonderful things" in the stories she loves to tell; rather, that she is making things up as
she tells the stories.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 8b46bb51
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 8b46bb51
A journalist and well-respected art critic of nineteenth-century Britain, Lady Elizabeth Rigby Eastlake did not hesitate to
publish reviews that went against popular opinion. One of her most divisive works was an essay questioning the idea of
photography as an emerging medium for fine art: in the essay, Eastlake ______ that the value of photographs was
informational rather than creative.

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

A. exposed

B. asserted

C. discovered

D. doubted

ID: 8b46bb51 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. "Asserted" means "stated confidently." Eastlake "did not hesitate to publish reviews going
against popular opinion," so we can assume that she was confident in sharing her opinions.

Choice A is incorrect. "Exposed" means "made visible by uncovering" and, when talking about ideas, tends to be used in
relation to uncovering the truth. Eastlake was sharing an opinion, not uncovering a truth. Choice C is incorrect. "Discovered"
means "found," but Eastlake was writing an opinion essay. She was writing her own opinion, not "discovering" a new universal
truth. Choice D is incorrect. "Doubted" means "didn’t believe in." We’re told that Eastlake "questioned" the idea that
photography could be fine art. Placing "doubted" in the blank would actually suggest that Eastlake argued that photos were
valuable for creativity and not for information, which is the opposite of what we were told she believes.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 44cc5f75
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 44cc5f75
Artificially delivering biomolecules to plant cells is an important component of protecting plants from pathogens, but it is
difficult to transmit biomolecules through the layers of the plant cell wall. Markita del Carpio Landry and her colleagues have
shown that it may be possible to ______ this problem by transmitting molecules through carbon nanotubes, which can cross
cell walls.

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

A. conceptualize

B. neglect

C. illustrate

D. overcome

ID: 44cc5f75 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of delivering biomolecules to plant
cells. In this context, “overcome” means to succeed in dealing with an obstacle. The text suggests that although it’s difficult
to move biomolecules through plant cell walls, Landry and her colleagues have shown that carbon nanotubes may be useful,
since they can cross cell walls. This context conveys that Landry and her colleagues think it’s possible, using carbon
nanotubes, to succeed in dealing with the obstacle of transmitting biomolecules to plant cells.

Choice A is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context to say that Landry and her colleagues have shown that it
may be possible to “conceptualize,” or form an idea of, the difficulty of transmitting biomolecules through the walls of plant
cells. The text presents this difficulty as a known problem that Landry and her colleagues think they may have solved, not as
a mysterious occurrence that they have yet to form ideas about. Choice B is incorrect because the text suggests that Landry
and her colleagues think it may be possible to successfully deal with the problem of transmitting biomolecules through the
walls of plant cells, not that Landry and her colleagues think it may be possible to “neglect,” or simply to disregard and ignore
the problem. Choice C is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context to say that Landry and her colleagues have
shown that it may be possible to “illustrate,” or demonstrate, the difficulty of transmitting biomolecules through the walls of
plant cells by using carbon nanotubes. According to the text, carbon nanotubes allow molecules to be transmitted to plant
cells—something that is otherwise difficult to do. The text therefore presents carbon nanotubes as a way of possibly solving
a problem, not as a means of demonstrating the problem.

Question Difficulty: Easy

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 afd2a9eb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: afd2a9eb
Manul cats are small, shy felines. They live mostly alone in out-of-the-way parts of Asia, such as on Mount Everest. These
cats have been difficult to research because their habitats are so ______ large populations of humans.

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

A. full of

B. drawn to

C. responsible for

D. distant from

ID: afd2a9eb Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of manul cats. The text states that
manul cats live in "out-of-the-way parts of Asia" (citing the famously remote Mount Everest as an example) and indicates that
it is difficult to research the cats because of the location of their habitats. By emphasizing that the habitats are remote in
relation to humans, the text conveys that being "distant from," or far from, large groups of humans makes manul cats
challenging to study.

Choice A is incorrect because saying that the habitats of manul cats are "full of large populations of humans" would indicate
that the cats cohabitate with many humans, which would directly contradict the text’s claim that the cats live in "out-of-the-
way" areas. Choice B is incorrect because the missing words describe an aspect of manul cats’ habitats, or the areas where
they live, and it wouldn’t make sense to say that areas could be "drawn to," or attracted by, large groups of humans. Choice C
is incorrect. In this context, "responsible for" would mean either having an obligation to care for something or being the
cause of something, and it wouldn’t make sense to say that the habitats of manul cats (the areas where the cats live) would
need to care for humans or that the habitats somehow created large human populations.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 03f5a9b7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 03f5a9b7
When marine biologist Brittany Williams played different ocean recordings to groups of oyster larvae, groups that heard
sounds of a healthy oyster reef were the most ______. They were twice as likely as other groups to show signs of making a
permanent home. This suggests that playing recordings of a healthy ocean reef may encourage oysters to create such a
reef.

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

A. responsive

B. inactive

C. liked

D. distressed

ID: 03f5a9b7 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of oysters and ocean recordings. As
used in this context, "responsive" means reacting positively. The text presents a finding and describes it as suggesting that
healthy ocean sounds may encourage oyster larvae to establish a reef (a permanent home): groups of oyster larvae that
heard recorded sounds of a healthy oyster reef were two times more likely to show signs of forming their own reef than
groups that heard different ocean recordings were. This context conveys that the groups that heard healthy reef sounds had
a more positive reaction than the other groups did—that is, they were the most responsive.

Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t indicate that hearing sounds of a healthy oyster reef caused some groups of
oyster larvae to become "inactive," or to stop engaging in work or activity. Instead, the text conveys that the groups that heard
those sounds were observed engaging in activity: they were two times more likely to create a reef (a permanent home) than
groups that heard different ocean sounds were. Choice C is incorrect because describing the groups of oyster larvae that
heard sounds of a healthy oyster reef as most "liked," or regarded with pleasure, wouldn’t make sense in context. The text
focuses on the idea that a study found that healthy reef sounds may encourage groups of oyster larvae to form reefs
(permanent homes), not on the idea that some of the groups in the study were liked more than others. Choice D is incorrect
because the text doesn’t indicate that hearing sounds of a healthy oyster reef caused some groups of oyster larvae to be
"distressed," or to experience difficulty or begin to decline. Instead, the text indicates that the sounds increased the likelihood
that groups of larvae would establish a reef (a permanent home), suggesting that the sounds had a positive effect on the
larvae.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 3654202f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 3654202f
Radar and sonar can detect objects or people through walls, but they are too costly for consumer use. Researchers Fadel
Adib and Dina Katabi have shown, however, that there may be a comparatively ______ alternative: small changes to the Wi-Fi
technology used in smartphones can give users a cheap way to count people or even identify their gestures through walls.

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

A. infrequent

B. inexpensive

C. unmistakable

D. impractical

ID: 3654202f Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of ways to detect people through
walls. In this context, "inexpensive" means less costly or low in price. The passage describes two kinds of methods that can
be used to "detect objects or people through walls": radar and sonar, and changes to the Wi-Fi technology used in
smartphones. The word "comparatively" before the blank indicates that the best answer would be one that helps to describe
a comparison between the two. Radar and sonar are described as "costly," while the method that uses Wi-Fi technology is
described as "cheap"; therefore, it would be comparatively affordable, or inexpensive.

Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that a small modification to the smartphones that many consumers already
own would presumably result in consumers using that technology to detect objects or people through walls more regularly,
or frequently; therefore, it would not be true that such technology would be comparatively infrequent, or uncommon. Choice
C is incorrect because there is nothing in the text to indicate that either radar and sonar or changes to smartphone Wi-Fi
technology are capable of being misunderstood or mistaken for something else; therefore, it would not make sense to
describe changes to Wi-Fi smartphone technology as comparatively unmistakable, or indisputable. Choice D is incorrect
because the text indicates that a small modification to the smartphones that many consumers already own and carry with
them would be more functional or practical than radar and sonar, not more impractical, or unrealistic.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID edd64a4a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: edd64a4a
The following text is adapted from Charles Chesnutt’s 1899 story “The Wife of His Youth.” Mr. Ryder is hosting a formal
gathering where he will propose marriage to the woman he has been courting.

[A] younger and less cautious man would long since have spoken. But he had made up his mind, and had only to
determine the time when he would ask her to be his wife. He decided to give a ball in her honor, and at some time
during the evening of the ball to offer her his heart and hand.

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

A. Choose

B. Influence

C. Demonstrate

D. Measure

ID: edd64a4a Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because as used in the text, "determine" most nearly means choose or decide. The text indicates
that Mr. Ryder "had made up his mind" to ask a woman to marry him but had not yet "spoken"—that is, he had not yet asked
her. The text also indicates that Mr. Ryder "decided" to throw a party for the woman and ask her during it. This context
conveys that after making up his mind to propose, what Mr. Ryder had to do was determine, or choose, the time to do it.

Choice B is incorrect because in this context, "determine" doesn’t mean influence, or affect or control. The text isn’t indicating
that Mr. Ryder is controlling time itself; such a thing isn’t possible. Rather, the text conveys that after making up his mind to
ask a woman to marry him, Mr. Ryder had to make another decision about his own actions by selecting a time to propose.
Choice C is incorrect. The text focuses on Mr. Ryder’s plan to ask a woman to marry him and his decision about when to ask
her. This context conveys that after making up his mind to propose, Mr. Ryder had to choose the time, not that he had to
demonstrate, or show, the time; it’s not clear what it would mean to demonstrate a time. Choice D is incorrect because in this
context, "determine" doesn’t mean measure, or control with careful restraint. The text isn’t indicating that Mr. Ryder is
carefully controlling time itself; such a thing isn’t possible. Rather, the text conveys that after making up his mind to ask a
woman to marry him, Mr. Ryder had to make another decision about his own actions by selecting a time to propose; it’s Mr.
Ryder’s decision that is measured, not the time he eventually chooses.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID f8ca5766
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: f8ca5766
Nigerian American author Teju Cole’s ______ his two passions—photography and the written word—culminates in his 2017
book, Blind Spot, which evocatively combines his original photographs from his travels with his poetic prose.

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

A. indifference to

B. enthusiasm for

C. concern about

D. surprise at

ID: f8ca5766 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Cole’s book Blind Spot. In this
context, “enthusiasm for” means excitement about. The text explains that Blind Spot consists of original photographs as
well as poetic prose—two elements that correspond to Cole’s passions, identified in the text, for photography and the written
word. This context suggests that Cole’s excitement about photography and writing led him to create a book that successfully
combines the two mediums.

Choice A is incorrect because describing Cole as feeling “indifference to” his two passions wouldn’t make sense in context. If
Cole is indifferent to his passions, that would mean he doesn’t care about photography or writing—in which case they
wouldn’t be his passions at all. Choice C is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that Cole feels “concern
about,” or uneasiness about, his passions. The text’s use of the word “culminates” indicates that Blind Spot represents a
triumphant climax of Cole’s passions, not a work that results from his sense of discomfort with photography and writing.
Choice D is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that Cole feels “surprise at,” or astonished by, his
passions. The text indicates that Cole’s feeling about his passions “culminates” in a book that “evocatively” combines
photographs and writing, suggesting that Cole has a long-standing and skillful relationship to his passions, not that he is
startled by them.

Question Difficulty: Easy

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 d7dccee7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: d7dccee7
In a 2019 study, Jeremy Gunawardena and colleagues found that the single-celled protozoan Stentor roeseli not only uses
strategies to escape irritating stimuli but also switches strategies when one fails. This evidence of protozoans
sophisticatedly “changing their minds” demonstrates that single-celled organisms may not be limited to ______ behaviors.

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

A. aggressive

B. rudimentary

C. evolving

D. advantageous

ID: d7dccee7 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of single-celled organism behavior. As
used in this context, “rudimentary” means basic or unsophisticated. According to the text, a study of the single-celled
protozoan Stentor roeseli showed that the organisms can switch strategies for escaping certain stimuli, “sophisticatedly
‘changing their minds’” and using new strategies should other strategies fail. This context suggests that single-celled
organisms may not be limited to behaviors that are basic or rudimentary, since the study showed that single-celled
protozoans can respond complexly to irritating stimuli.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that single-celled organisms may not be limited to behavior that is
“aggressive,” or threatening. Rather, the text suggests that single-celled organisms may not be limited to behaviors that are
basic, since the study of Stentor roeseli showed that single-celled protozoans can respond complexly to irritating stimuli.
Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that single-celled organisms may not be limited to behavior that is
“evolving,” or advancing. Rather, the text suggests that single-celled organisms may not be limited to behaviors that are
basic, since the study of Stentor roeseli showed that single-celled protozoans can respond complexly to irritating stimuli.
Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that single-celled organisms may not be limited to behavior that is
“advantageous,” or helpful. Rather, the text suggests that single-celled organisms may not be limited to behaviors that are
basic, since the study of Stentor roeseli showed that single-celled protozoans can respond complexly to irritating stimuli.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 1107e7dc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 1107e7dc
Economists often assert that countries looking to increase their reliance on solar energy should expand their capacity for
storage; having an ample reserve of stored energy can mitigate the effects of ______ solar energy collection caused by
unpredictable shifts in cloud cover and haze.

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

A. developments of

B. fluctuations in

C. calibrations with

D. incentives for

ID: 1107e7dc Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of solar energy collection and storage.
In this context, "fluctuations in" means irregular changes in. The text notes that economists recommend that countries that
want to rely more on solar energy (energy captured from sunlight) should attempt to expand their storage capacity. The text
goes on to explain that having a large amount of stored solar energy can lessen the negative effect of "unpredictable shifts
in cloud cover and haze"—that is, unpredictable changes in environmental conditions that at times limit sunlight. This context
suggests that having ample solar energy stored and ready to use can mitigate the issue of fluctuations in solar energy
collection caused by irregular patterns of sunlight availability.

Choice A is incorrect because in this context, "developments of solar energy collection" would most clearly refer to the
creation of ways to collect solar energy (energy captured from sunlight). The text focuses on collection and the idea that
having stored energy can mitigate, or make less bad, the effects of a problem caused by unpredictable changes that affect
sunlight ("cloud cover and haze"); there’s no reason to think that the creation of new collection methods would be viewed as
a problem that would need to be mitigated. Choice C is incorrect because in this context, "calibrations with" would most
clearly refer to precise adjustments for a particular purpose. The text focuses on the collection of solar energy (energy
captured from sunlight) and the idea that having stored energy can mitigate, or make less bad, the effects of a problem
caused by unpredictable changes that affect sunlight ("cloud cover and haze"); there’s no reason to think that precision in
something related to solar energy collection would be viewed as a problem that would need to be mitigated. Choice D is
incorrect. The text focuses on the collection of solar energy (energy captured from sunlight) and the idea that having stored
energy can mitigate, or make less bad, the effects of a problem caused by unpredictable changes that affect sunlight ("cloud
cover and haze"); nothing in the text suggests that "incentives for," or rewards for, solar energy collection would be viewed as
a problem that would need to be mitigated, especially in countries that want to rely more on solar energy than they already
do.
Question Difficulty: Medium
Question ID 9b2fbb2e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 9b2fbb2e
Logically, a damaged fossil should provide less information than an intact one, but for paleontologist Brigitte Schoenemann,
a broken area on a fossilized trilobite (a crustacean-like creature) ______ fresh insight, allowing her to view the inner structure
of the organism’s eye.

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

A. resolved

B. adjusted

C. offered

D. directed

ID: 9b2fbb2e Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion about how, for Schoenemann, a
damaged trilobite fossil was informative. In context, “offered” means provided or gave. The text suggests that although it
may seem counterintuitive, a broken fossilized trilobite allowed Schoenemann to observe more details of the trilobite’s eye
than an intact fossilized trilobite would. This context conveys the idea that a damaged fossil offered, or provided, fresh
insight into the structure of a trilobite’s eye.

Choice A is incorrect because “resolved” means determined or figured out, which wouldn’t make sense in this context. The
text focuses on how Schoenemann was able to get more information from a broken fossil than an intact one. Although the
damaged fossil may have allowed her to determine certain information, as an inanimate object the fossil isn’t capable of
resolving anything. Choice B is incorrect because saying that the broken part of a trilobite fossil “adjusted,” or changed or
modified, fresh insight wouldn’t make sense in this context. The text focuses on how Schoenemann was able to get more
information from a broken fossil than an intact one. This context suggests that the fossil offered fresh insight, or
understanding, not that it adjusted fresh insight. Choice D is incorrect because “directed” means managed or instructed,
which wouldn’t make sense in this context. The text focuses on how Schoenemann was able to get more information from a
broken fossil than an intact one. This context suggests that the fossil offered fresh insight, or understanding, not that it
directed fresh insight.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID fce80a36
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: fce80a36
In 2008 a complete set of ancient pessoi (glass game pieces) was uncovered from beneath a paving stone in modern-day
Israel. Due to their small size, pessoi were easily misplaced, making a whole set a rare find. This has led some experts to
suggest that the set may have been buried intentionally; however, without clear evidence, archaeologists are left to ______
what happened.

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

A. speculate about

B. dismiss

C. expand on

D. catalog

ID: fce80a36 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. "Speculate" means "to form a theory or guess without any clear evidence." This makes sense
because, due to the lack of "clear evidence," the archaeologists can only guess how the pessoi set might have come to be
there.

Choice B is incorrect. "Dismiss" can mean "send away" or "treat as unworthy of consideration." The text implies that the
archaeologists are trying to figure out the truth—they wouldn’t "dismiss" what really happened. Choice C is incorrect. "Expand
on" means "give more details about," but there aren’t any details to give. Without any "clear evidence," the archaeologists can’t
give any more details. Choice D is incorrect. "Catalog" means "carefully record" or "make a list of." However, there’s no "clear
evidence," so there’s no real information to "catalog."

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 0d402146
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 0d402146
US traffic signals didn’t always contain the familiar three lights (red, yellow, and green). Traffic lights only ______ red and
green lights until the three-light traffic signal was developed in the 1920s.

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

A. avoided

B. featured

C. appreciated

D. disregarded

ID: 0d402146 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of traffic signals. As used in this
context, “featured” means had as a characteristic or part. The text indicates that although US traffic signals have lights of
three different colors (red, yellow, and green), this wasn’t the case until the 1920s, when the three-light signal was first
developed. Before then, the text suggests, traffic signals had fewer lights (as indicated by the word “only” in the second
sentence). This context supports the idea that before the 1920s, traffic signals featured only red and green lights.

Choice A is incorrect because “avoided” means kept away from someone or something or prevented something from
occurring, neither of which would make sense in context. The text doesn’t discuss keeping away from someone or
something but instead focuses on what US traffic signals look like. The text states that they didn’t have lights of three
different colors until the three-light signal was developed in the 1920s. Choice C is incorrect because “appreciated” means
admired or increased in value, neither of which would make sense in context. The text focuses solely on the fact that US
traffic signals have contained lights of three colors only since the three-light signal was developed in the 1920s. The text
doesn’t mention how this characteristic or traffic signals in general are perceived or what their value is. Moreover, the blank
portion of the text describes “traffic signals,” which are lifeless objects and therefore unable to admire or increase the value
of something. Choice D is incorrect because “disregarded” means ignored or treated something as unworthy of notice,
neither of which would make sense in context. The text doesn’t discuss how people react to traffic signals; rather, it
addresses the idea that US traffic signals have contained lights of three colors only since the three-light signal was
developed in the 1920s. Moreover, the blank portion of the text describes “traffic signals,” which are lifeless objects and
therefore unable to ignore or treat something in a particular manner.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID e37b9e34
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: e37b9e34
Some researchers believe that the genes that enable groundhogs and certain other mammals to hibernate through the
winter by slowing their breathing and heart rates and lowering their body temperature may be ______ in humans: present yet
having essentially no effect on our bodily processes.

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

A. decisive

B. lacking

C. variable

D. dormant

ID: e37b9e34 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it logically completes the text’s discussion about genes related to hibernation. In this
context, “dormant” means inactive. The text explains that the same genes that enable certain nonhuman mammal species to
hibernate during the winter by altering their bodily processes are also found in our species but have “essentially no effect” on
humans’ bodily processes. In other words, these genes don’t function in humans.

Choice A is incorrect because in this context, “decisive” means has the power to affect the outcome of something, but the
text states that genes related to hibernation are instead inactive in humans—that is, the genes don’t affect humans’ bodily
processes, although they are present in their bodies. Choice B is incorrect because in this context, “lacking” means missing,
but the text states that the genes are present in humans, though inactive. Choice C is incorrect because “variable” means
characterized by the potential to change, but the text indicates that these genes don’t change in their effect on humans’
bodily processes; instead, the genes are consistently inactive in humans.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID fa7a89f1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: fa7a89f1
Studying how workload affects productivity, Maryam Kouchaki and colleagues found that people who chose to do relatively
easy tasks first were less ______ compared to those who did hard tasks first. Finishing easy tasks gave participants a sense
of accomplishment, but those who tackled hard tasks first actually became more skilled and productive workers over time.

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

A. secretive

B. efficient

C. outgoing

D. unsympathetic

ID: fa7a89f1 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion about Kouchaki and colleagues’
research into how workload affects productivity. In context, “efficient” means effective or well organized. The text indicates
that, according to Kouchaki and colleagues’ research, people who worked on hard tasks first were “more skilled and
productive” than those who did easy tasks first. This context conveys the idea that despite their sense of accomplishment,
the people who chose to do the easy tasks first were less efficient or productive than those who tackled hard tasks first.

Choice A is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that workers who do easy tasks first are less “secretive,”
or uncommunicative or silent, than those who do hard tasks first. Rather, the text suggests that people are less skillful or
efficient if they tackle easy tasks before the hard ones. Choice C is incorrect because “outgoing” means openly friendly,
which wouldn’t make sense in this context. The text focuses on Kouchaki and colleagues’ research in which people who
worked on hard tasks first were “more skilled and productive” than those who did easy tasks first and were therefore less
efficient. Choice D is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that workers who do easy tasks first are less
“unsympathetic,” or insensitive or unkind, than those who do hard tasks first. Rather, the text suggests that people are less
skillful or efficient if they tackle easy tasks before the hard ones.

Question Difficulty: Easy

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 a4f50d30
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: a4f50d30
Scientists previously thought that all electric eels belong to a single species, but a team of researchers led by zoologist C.
David de Santana proved this idea wrong by ______ that there are in fact three distinct species of electric eels.

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

A. pretending

B. complaining

C. requiring

D. demonstrating

ID: a4f50d30 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. “Demonstrating” means “showing,” and the text describes how de Santana disproved a previous
belief in only one species of electric eel by showing that three electric eel species actually exist.

Choice A is incorrect. Pretending that there are three species of electric eel might be a fun game for marine biologists, but it
wouldn’t prove the existence of more than one species. Choice B is incorrect. Complaining won’t prove anything about eels,
so de Santana could not have proved wrong the idea of only one species of electric eel by complaining about it. Choice C is
incorrect. “Requiring” means “needing.” It wouldn’t make sense to say that de Santana “needed” there to be three distinct
species of electric eel.

Question Difficulty: Easy

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 d4e8662d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: d4e8662d
The percentage of US forest land that a 2023 federal report identified as being either mature or old growth exceeds other
recent estimates. Given how little ______ there is among scientists regarding the scope of these categories, this discrepancy
shouldn’t be surprising: forest researchers regularly dispute one another’s classifications.

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

A. deliberation

B. vigilance

C. interest

D. consensus

ID: d4e8662d Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of US forest land classifications. In
this context, "consensus" means agreement. The text indicates that a percentage given in a US forest land report differs
from other estimates and that this discrepancy isn’t surprising, given that forest researchers regularly dispute one another’s
classifications of parts of US forest land as either mature or old growth. This context conveys that there is little agreement
when it comes to these categories.

Choice A is incorrect because the text states that there is often dispute among forest researchers about classifications of
US forest land as either mature or old growth, which directly indicates that when it comes to these categories, there is much
"deliberation," or discussion and consideration, not little deliberation. Choice B is incorrect because the text indicates that
there is often dispute among forest researchers about classifications of US forest land as either mature or old growth; this
doesn’t imply that there is little "vigilance," or careful attention, among researchers when it comes to these categories but
rather conveys that researchers do pay attention to forest land classifications and question one another’s decisions. Choice
C is incorrect because the text indicates that there is often dispute among forest researchers about classifications of US
forest land as either mature or old growth; this doesn’t imply that there is little "interest," or concern, among researchers
when it comes to these categories but rather conveys that researchers are concerned with forest land classifications and
pay attention to one another’s classifications.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID b0ea8c28
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: b0ea8c28
Sueño de Familia is an exhibition of drawings, paintings, and ceramics that explores the artistic heritage of US-based artist
Yolanda González. The exhibition ______ five generations, featuring works by González’s great-grandfather, grandmother,
mother, and niece as well as González herself.

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

A. borrows

B. spans

C. judges

D. neglects

ID: b0ea8c28 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the Sueño de Familia art exhibition.
In this context, “spans” means extends across or covers. The text states that the exhibition explores González’s artistic
heritage and features artwork by her great-grandfather, grandmother, mother, and niece. This context conveys the idea that
the exhibition spans, or extends across, five generations of González’s family.

Choice A is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that the exhibition “borrows,” or acquires, five generations of
González’s family. The text indicates that the exhibition features artwork by family members from five generations, not that
the five generations themselves have been acquired for inclusion in the exhibition. Choice C is incorrect because the text
indicates that the purpose of the exhibition is to highlight artwork, not to “judge,” or give an opinion on, five generations of the
artist’s family. Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that the exhibition “neglects,” or gives little attention to,
five generations of González’s family. On the contrary, the text indicates that the exhibition is dedicated to exploring
González’s artistic heritage and therefore designed to bring attention to her family members and their artwork.

Question Difficulty: Easy

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 a3761c7e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: a3761c7e
Physicist Joseph Weber performed ______ work in gravitational wave research in the 1960s and 1970s, conducting key
experiments that scientists later used as the basis for their own investigations that led to the first verified detection of a
gravitational wave in 2015.

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

A. foundational

B. supplementary

C. repetitive

D. ineffective

ID: a3761c7e Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of physicist Joseph Webster’s
research on gravitational waves. In this context “foundational” means the basis on which something else develops. The text
indicates that Webster’s experiments in the 1960s and 1970s were earlier than, and “key” to, the work of later scientists in
the field; thus, Webster’s work was foundational to the later scientists’ experiments and the eventual detection of a
gravitational wave in 2015.

Choice B is incorrect because the text does not suggest that Webster’s work was supplementary, or an additional element of
an existing, larger project, but rather it was “the basis for” later experiments. Choice C is incorrect because the text does not
assert that Webster’s work was repetitive, or involved doing something the same way many times. Rather, the text indicates
that Webster’s work formed the basis for later investigations in the field of gravitational wave research. Choice D is incorrect
because the text does not state that Webster’s work was ineffective, or failed to produce the desired outcome. Rather, the
text strongly implies that Webster’s work was productive and extremely important to later work in the field of gravitational
wave research.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 80ebb189
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 80ebb189
As an architect in Los Angeles in the 1950s, Helen Liu Fong became known for avoiding ______ designs in her buildings.
Instead of using standard shapes and colors, she typically explored innovative forms and daring hues.

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

A. creative

B. bold

C. traditional

D. understandable

ID: 80ebb189 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Helen Liu Fong’s architectural
designs. In this context, “traditional” means conventional. The text states that rather than use “standard shapes and colors,”
Fong pursued “innovative” and “daring” design choices in her work. Fong’s style is depicted as inventive, so it therefore
makes sense in this context that she avoided mainstream, traditional designs in her buildings.

Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that Fong’s work is innovative and experimental. Thus, Fong’s design
choices could reasonably be considered creative, or original. She likely would have pursued creative designs, not avoided
them. Choice B is incorrect because the text indicates that Fong used “daring” hues in her designs. Thus, Fong likely would
have pursued bold, or brave and vivid design choices; she wouldn’t have avoided them. Choice D is incorrect because the text
doesn’t address whether Fong’s designs are understandable, or reasonable or expected. The text focuses on certain
characteristics of Fong’s designs, not on how people received or understood them.

Question Difficulty: Easy

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 683f66c9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 683f66c9
Though not closely related, the hedgehog tenrecs of Madagascar share basic ______ true hedgehogs, including protective
spines, pointed snouts, and small body size—traits the two groups of mammals independently developed in response to
equivalent roles in their respective habitats.

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

A. examples of

B. concerns about

C. indications of

D. similarities with

ID: 683f66c9 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because in context, sharing "similarities with" means having some resemblance to. The text
establishes a comparison between two groups of mammals, stating that although they aren’t closely related, hedgehog
tenrecs and true hedgehogs play similar roles in their habitats, a circumstance that has resulted in the independent
development of some of the same physical traits. This context supports the idea that hedgehog tenrecs resemble, or share
basic similarities with, true hedgehogs in some respects.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that hedgehog tenrecs are "examples of," or representative of, true
hedgehogs. The text states that despite some shared physical traits, the two groups of mammals aren’t closely related;
therefore, hedgehog tenrecs can’t be examples of true hedgehogs. Choice B is incorrect because in this context, "concerns
about" would mean worries about or interests in. The text focuses on the various physical traits that hedgehog tenrecs and
true hedgehogs share. There’s nothing in the text to suggest why hedgehog tenrecs would be worried about true hedgehogs,
or why they would be interested in them. Choice C is incorrect because in this context, "indications of" would mean evidence
of. By listing a set of traits that hedgehog tenrecs share with true hedgehogs, the text establishes a comparison between the
two groups of mammals, and saying that the traits shared within one group of mammals provide evidence of another group
of mammals wouldn’t be an effective way to establish the similarities between the two groups.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID a1ff8ce3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: a1ff8ce3
As discussed by scholar Anna Mladentseva, many artworks produced in the mid-1990s to the early 2000s exclusively for
exhibition on the internet, such as Sinae Kim’s Genesis (2001), have become inaccessible because viewing them requires the
use of ______ software (most notably Adobe Flash, discontinued in 2021).

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

A. defunct

B. arcane

C. ubiquitous

D. extraneous

ID: a1ff8ce3 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of artworks that were produced for
exhibition on the internet. In this context, "defunct" means no longer existing or functioning. According to the text, many
artworks that were produced in the mid-1990s to the early 2000s for exhibition on the internet have become inaccessible
due to their reliance on certain software. As an example, the text cites Sinae Kim’s Genesis, which relied on software that
was discontinued in 2021. This context supports the idea that the software is defunct.

Choice B is incorrect because the text indicates that viewing artworks produced in the mid-1990s to the early 2000s for
exhibition on the internet requires the use of software. Artists generally want their works to be seen by many people, so it
wouldn’t make sense for creators of internet art to require the use of software that is "arcane," or known or knowable to only
a few people. Moreover, the text states that a prominent example of software used to view these artworks is Adobe Flash,
which was discontinued in 2021, meaning it’s now defunct. Choice C is incorrect because "ubiquitous" would mean found
everywhere, which wouldn’t make sense in this context. The text indicates that the reason why many artworks that were
produced in the mid-1990s to the early 2000s for exhibition on the internet have become inaccessible has to do with the
software required for viewing them. According to the text, one example of such software is Adobe Flash, which was
discontinued in 2021, meaning it’s now defunct. Choice D is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that the software
used to view artworks produced in the mid-1990s to the early 2000s for exhibition on the internet is "extraneous," or
irrelevant. Instead, the text indicates that use of specific software is required to view certain artworks from this period and
that the discontinuation of the software renders the works inaccessible.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 7b4dde72
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 7b4dde72
In 1891, design artist William Morris cofounded the Kelmscott Press, which printed editions of books using preindustrial
methods. Historians argue that Morris’s repudiation of industrialization is ______ the Kelmscott editions’ use of handmade
materials and intricate ornamentation reminiscent of medieval manuscripts: these meticulously handcrafted elements
exemplify the artistry involved.

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

A. insensible to

B. manifest in

C. scrutinized by

D. complicated by

ID: 7b4dde72 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the Kelmscott Press’s books. In this
context, "manifest in" means evident or apparent from. The text states that the Kelmscott Press, which was cofounded by
William Morris, produced its books using preindustrial methods. The text notes the similarity between those methods, which
include the use of handmade materials and intricate ornamentation, and methods used in the creation of medieval
manuscripts. This context suggests that Morris’s repudiation of industrialization is apparent from, or manifest in, the
methods and materials his company employed.

Choice A is incorrect because there is nothing in the text to suggest that Morris’s repudiation of industrialization is
"insensible to," or unaware of or lacking perception of, the use of handmade materials and intricate ornamentation in the
production of the Kelmscott editions. Instead, the text suggests that the methods and materials used to produce the
Kelmscott editions are evidence of Morris’s repudiation of industrialization. Choice C is incorrect because it would not make
sense to say that Morris’s repudiation of industrialization was "scrutinized by," or examined closely by, the Kelmscott editions’
use of handmade materials and intricate ornamentation. Although creating the Kelmscott editions may have involved
examining the books closely, the text does not mention this aspect of Morris’s work, and in any case, the action of using
certain materials to create those editions cannot scrutinize Morris’s attitude toward industrialization. Choice D is incorrect
because the text gives no indication that Morris’s repudiation of industrialization is "complicated by," or made more complex
or difficult by, the Kelmscott Press’s use of preindustrial methods and handcrafted elements to produce books. Instead, the
text presents those methods as exemplifying Morris’s repudiation of industrialization.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 428cd2c1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 428cd2c1
Some people have speculated that two helmets with attached horns discovered in Denmark in 1942 belonged to Vikings, but
scholars have long been skeptical. Archaeologist Helle Vandkilde and colleagues recently provided radiocarbon dates for the
helmets, and their findings ______ scholars’ skepticism: the helmets date to the Nordic Bronze Age, centuries before the
Vikings existed.

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

A. anticipate

B. inspect

C. reveal

D. justify

ID: 428cd2c1 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the helmets found in Denmark. In
this context, “justify” means confirm or give reasons for. The text indicates that scholars have long been skeptical about the
supposed Viking origin of two helmets found in Denmark. The radiocarbon dating of the helmets conducted by Vandkilde
and colleagues demonstrates that the helmets date from the Nordic Bronze Age, making the helmets too old to have
belonged to Vikings. This context supports the idea that the scholars’ skepticism is justified.

Choice A is incorrect because “anticipate” means expect or come before, neither of which would make sense in context. The
text indicates that scholars have long been skeptical of the idea that the helmets belonged to Vikings. Because the
skepticism has existed for a long time, Vandkilde and colleagues’ research couldn’t be said to anticipate it. Instead, the
radiocarbon dating results justify or confirm the scholar’s skepticism. Choice B is incorrect because “inspect” means
examine or review, which wouldn’t make sense in this context. Research findings are inanimate and therefore unable to
inspect scholars’ skepticism. The text focuses on the origin of two helmets, which some people believe belonged to Vikings.
Vandkilde and colleagues found that the helmets are from the Nordic Bronze Age and therefore much older than the Vikings.
This context suggests that the researchers’ findings justify, not inspect, the scholars’ skepticism. Choice C is incorrect
because “reveal” means uncover or report, which wouldn’t make sense in context. The text focuses on the origin of two
helmets, which some people believe belonged to Vikings. Vandkilde and colleagues tested the helmets and found that they
date to the Nordic Bronze Age and therefore are much older than the Vikings. This context suggests that the researchers’
findings confirm or justify the scholars’ skepticism, which was already known so didn’t need to be revealed.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 5179fd36
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 5179fd36
Urban planning expert Francisco Lara-Valencia and colleagues have argued that managing environmental matters along the
US-Mexico border ______ coordination between the two countries’ governments. Since ecosystems extend across the border,
actions taken on one side can have environmental effects on the other side, making international cooperation essential.

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

A. requires

B. praises

C. reports

D. advises

ID: 5179fd36 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of environmental management along
the US and Mexican border. In this context, "requires" means needs in order to perform a task. The text indicates that
because ecosystems span the border, actions taken by the government on one side of the border can affect the environment
in the nation on the other side of the border, which makes international cooperation crucial. In other words, because actions
on one side of the US and Mexican border can affect the other side of the border, managing environmental matters along the
border requires coordination between the two governments.

Choice B is incorrect because "praises" in this context would mean to express a favorable judgment, but the text doesn’t
describe approval expressed by anyone, and it wouldn’t make sense to say that environmental management itself praises
intergovernmental coordination. Choice C is incorrect. In this context, "reports" would mean gives an account. Although
coordination between the US and Mexican governments likely would involve some sort of reporting, the text doesn’t describe
any such practice. Choice D is incorrect. In this context, "advises" would mean recommends a course of action, and although
governments can advise one another, it wouldn’t make sense to say that environmental management itself makes
recommendations.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 84a7fbca
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 84a7fbca
When Mexican-American archaeologist Zelia Maria Magdalena Nuttall published her 1886 research paper on sculptures
found at the ancient Indigenous city of Teotihuacan in present-day Mexico, other researchers readily ______ her work as
groundbreaking; this recognition stemmed from her convincing demonstration that the sculptures were much older than had
previously been thought.

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

A. acknowledged

B. ensured

C. denied

D. underestimated

ID: 84a7fbca Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Nuttall’s 1886 research paper. In
this context, “acknowledged” means recognized as having a certain status. The text indicates that other researchers
recognized Nuttall’s work as groundbreaking because of its “convincing demonstration” related to the age of the ancient
sculptures. In other words, the researchers recognized the groundbreaking status of Nuttall’s work.

Choice B is incorrect because in this context, “ensured” would mean to have guaranteed or made sure something was the
case. The text states that other researchers gave Nuttall’s work recognition after it was published, but there’s no indication
that they contributed to the work or had any involvement that would have allowed them to make sure the work would be
groundbreaking. Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that other researchers “denied,” or refused to admit
or accept, that Nuttall’s work was groundbreaking; on the contrary, it indicates that researchers praised the work, recognizing
it as groundbreaking due to its “convincing demonstration” related to the age of the ancient sculptures. Choice D is incorrect
because the text doesn’t suggest that other researchers “underestimated,” or undervalued, Nuttall’s work; on the contrary, it
indicates that researchers praised the work, recognizing it as groundbreaking due to its “convincing demonstration” related
to the age of the ancient sculptures.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID a7991da1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: a7991da1
A unique dialect, or regional variety, of Spanish is spoken in Puerto Rico. It contains many words borrowed from the
language of the Taínos, the Indigenous people of Puerto Rico. African languages also made important contributions to the
Puerto Rican dialect. For example, the way certain vowel sounds are pronounced in it can be ______ to how they are
pronounced in Yoruba, a West African language.

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

A. traced

B. surrendered

C. announced

D. offered

ID: a7991da1 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the origins of the unique dialect of
Spanish spoken in Puerto Rico. In this context, "traced" means tracked back to. The text notes that the regional variety of
Spanish spoken in Puerto Rico has its roots in the language of the Taínos and in the West African language of Yoruba. This
context supports the idea that the way certain vowel sounds are pronounced in the Puerto Rican dialect can be traced back
to Yoruba.

Choice B is incorrect because the text presents the statement about the relationship between vowel pronunciation in the
Puerto Rican dialect of Spanish and in Yoruba as an example to support the claim that African languages have contributed
to the Puerto Rican dialect. It therefore wouldn’t make sense to say that the pronunciation of certain vowel sounds in the
Puerto Rican dialect can be "surrendered," or handed over on demand, to the pronunciation in Yoruba. Choice C is incorrect
because the text gives no indication that the way certain vowel sounds are pronounced in the Puerto Rican dialect of
Spanish has been "announced," or officially declared or proclaimed. According to the text, elements of the dialect have been
inherited or borrowed from African languages, and the relationship between the pronunciation of certain vowels in the
Puerto Rican dialect and in Yoruba is an example of this inheritance, suggesting that the pronunciation in the Puerto Rican
dialect can be traced to Yoruba. Choice D is incorrect because the text presents the statement about the relationship
between vowel pronunciation in the Puerto Rican dialect of Spanish and in Yoruba as an example to support the claim that
African languages have contributed to the Puerto Rican dialect. It therefore wouldn’t make sense to say that the
pronunciation of certain vowel sounds in the Puerto Rican dialect can be "offered," or presented as a gift, to the
pronunciation in Yoruba.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID aa7ae735
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: aa7ae735
The following text is adapted from Mohsin Hamid’s 2017 novel Exit West. Saeed lives with his mother and father.
On cloudless nights after a daytime rain, Saeed’s father would sometimes bring out the telescope, and the family would sip
green tea on their balcony, enjoying a breeze, and take turns to look up at objects whose light, often, had been emitted before
any of these three viewers had been born—light from other centuries, only now reaching Earth.
©2017 by Mohsin Hamid

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

A. Arriving at

B. Consulting with

C. Running to

D. Clinging to

ID: aa7ae735 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The word "reaching" in this text means "to arrive" at Earth. Before, the light had been traveling
across space; now, it had arrived at Earth.

Choice B is incorrect. "Consulting with" means "seeking advice or information from someone." Light is not alive, so it can’t
consult with Earth. Choice C is incorrect. It’s confusing to say that starlight is "only now running to Earth," both because light
doesn’t literally "run" and because the text is describing the moment the light touches Earth, not the period of time when it’s
traveling to Earth. Choice D is incorrect. This might be tempting, as "clinging to" has a connotation of "sticking to." It wouldn’t
make sense to say that the light was "only now" clinging to Earth.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 01de46bb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 01de46bb
The Menominee and Anishinaabe peoples have been growing wild rice—known as manoomin in the Ojibwe language—in the
Great Lakes region of North America for centuries, but climatic changes are causing lakes to get deeper, thereby threatening
wild rice. These plants are extremely ______ to water depth during the “floating leaf” stage of development, and if the water is
too deep, the buoyancy of the young wild-rice plants can literally uproot them from the lake bottom, destroying them.

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

A. immune

B. sensitive

C. limited

D. receptive

ID: 01de46bb Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of wild rice. As used in this context,
"sensitive" means vulnerable or easily affected. The text indicates that climate change is causing the lakes to get deeper,
which consequently threatens the wild rice that grows in the area. The text goes on to state that deep water can cause young
wild-rice plants to uproot from the bottom of the lake. This context supports the idea that the plants are sensitive to water
depth during early stages of development.

Choice A is incorrect because "immune" means protected or shielded, which wouldn’t make sense in this context. The text
explains that deep water can cause young wild-rice plants to become uprooted and destroyed, indicating that these plants
are harmed by deep water, not protected from it. Choice C is incorrect because "limited" means confined or restrained, which
wouldn’t make sense in this context. The text explains that water depth can negatively affect young wild-rice plants but
doesn’t suggest that water depth limits or restrains the plants. Choice D is incorrect because "receptive" means open or
tolerant, which wouldn’t make sense in this context. The text doesn’t indicate that the wild-rice plants are open to or tolerant
of an increase in water depth but rather the opposite: an increase in water depth can harm young wild-rice plants.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID f6d1f735
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: f6d1f735
Researchers have struggled to pinpoint specific causes for hiccups, which happen when a person’s diaphragm contracts
______. However, neuroscientist Kimberley Whitehead has found that these uncontrollable contractions may play an
important role in helping infants regulate their breathing.

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

A. involuntarily

B. beneficially

C. strenuously

D. smoothly

ID: f6d1f735 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of diaphragm contractions and
hiccups. In this context, “involuntarily” means done without any control, or by reflex. The text explains that when a person’s
diaphragm repeatedly contracts and results in hiccups (which may be beneficial for infants), those muscle contractions are
“uncontrollable.” This context indicates that the diaphragm contractions occur without the person’s control.

Choice B is incorrect because it wouldn’t support the logical relationship established in the text’s discussion of diaphragm
contractions and hiccups. The text indicates that although specific causes for hiccups haven’t been identified, it may be the
case that the muscle contractions that occur have an important purpose in infants. It wouldn’t make sense to say that even
though the contractions occur “beneficially,” or with a good or helpful effect, they might play a positive role in infants’
breathing regulation. Choice C is incorrect because the text indicates that the diaphragm contractions that result in hiccups
are “uncontrollable.” Because those muscle contractions are described as happening automatically and without the person’s
control, it wouldn’t make sense to describe them as occurring “strenuously,” or in a way that requires great effort or energy.
Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t describe the quality of the diaphragm contractions that result in hiccups
beyond stating that they are “uncontrollable.” Nothing in the text indicates that those muscle contractions occur “smoothly,”
or evenly and continuously.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 49bbe4d7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 49bbe4d7
For painter Jacob Lawrence, being ______ was an important part of the artistic process. Because he paid close attention to
all the details of his Harlem neighborhood, Lawrence’s artwork captured nuances in the beauty and vitality of the Black
experience during the Harlem Renaissance and the Great Migration.

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

A. skeptical

B. observant

C. critical

D. confident

ID: 49bbe4d7 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Jacob Lawrence’s artistic process.
In this context, “observant” means watchful and perceptive. The text emphasizes that the “close attention” Lawrence paid to
“all the details” of his neighborhood allowed him to reflect subtle elements of “the beauty and vitality of the Black
experience” in his artwork. This context indicates that being observant of his surroundings was an important part of
Lawrence’s work as an artist.

Choice A is incorrect because the text gives no indication that Lawrence was “skeptical,” or had an attitude of doubt in
general or about particular things, let alone that skepticism was important to him as an artist. Rather than indicating that he
was skeptical, the text focuses on how Lawrence paid careful attention to everything around him and reflected his
observations in his artwork. Choice C is incorrect because the text gives no indication that Lawrence was “critical,” which in
this context would mean inclined to criticize harshly or unfairly. Rather than indicating that Lawrence found fault in things,
the text suggests that he paid careful attention to everything around him and that his artwork reflects this careful attention.
Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that Lawrence was “confident,” or self-assured. Rather than
addressing how Lawrence felt about himself and how that feeling affected his artistic process, the text emphasizes the
careful attention Lawrence paid to everything around him—attention that allowed him to capture subtle elements of a
particular place and time in his artwork.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 1fa751f1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 1fa751f1
Handedness, a preferential use of either the right or left hand, typically is easy to observe in humans. Because this trait is
present but less ______ in many other animals, animal-behavior researchers often employ tasks specially designed to reveal
individual animals’ preferences for a certain hand or paw.

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

A. recognizable

B. intriguing

C. significant

D. useful

ID: 1fa751f1 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion about handedness in animals. As used
in this context, “recognizable” means apparent or identifiable. The text indicates that handedness is “easy to observe in
humans,” but that animal-behavior researchers use special tasks to determine handedness in other animals. This context
and the use of “less” before the blank indicate that compared with handedness in humans, handedness in other animals is
less recognizable.

Choice B is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that handedness is less “intriguing,” or fascinating, in
nonhuman animals than it is in humans. The text focuses on how easy it is to observe handedness in humans as compared
with other animals; the text doesn’t suggest that handedness is more fascinating in humans. Choice C is incorrect because
there’s nothing in the text to suggest that handedness is less “significant,” or important or meaningful, in nonhuman animals
than it is in humans. The text focuses on how easy it is to observe handedness in humans as compared with other animals;
the text doesn’t suggest that handedness is more significant in humans. Choice D is incorrect because “useful,” or functional
or helpful, wouldn’t make sense in context. The text focuses on the ease with which researchers can determine whether an
animal or person is right- or left-handed, not on how useful handedness in nonhuman animals is compared with handedness
in humans.

Question Difficulty: Medium

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 d8d33cc5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: d8d33cc5
The early British postal system required the cost of mail delivery to be paid upon receipt, a system which encouraged
inventive strategies by the intended recipient to avoid payment. To improve this system, ______ were proposed in 1837,
including the use of a postage stamp, a small receipt pasted to the mail indicating that delivery costs had been paid by the
sender.

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

A. investigations

B. expansions

C. reforms

D. possessions

ID: d8d33cc5 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the early British postal system. In
this context, "reforms" most nearly means attempts at improving something. The text indicates that the pay-upon-delivery
postage method led to fee avoidance on the part of recipients. It then says that action was taken to improve the postal
system, giving examples such as the move to having the sender pay and affixing stamps to indicate payment had been
received. These represent revisions to the system intended to improve its functioning; therefore, "reforms" most logically
completes the text.

Choice A is incorrect. In this context, "investigations" most nearly means attempts to understand something. And although it
is plausible that an attempt to improve the postal system would involve investigations, nothing in the text provides a logical
basis for understanding the example of changes like affixing stamps to letters as an investigation. Choice B is incorrect. In
this context, "expansions" most nearly means additions to something. Although the text indicates that some new policies
were adopted, nothing in the text suggests that the overall number of policies increased, which expansions would seem to
entail. Choice D is incorrect. In this context, "possessions" most nearly means items of personal property or things that
otherwise belong to, or are part of, something. The text provides no logical context for understanding changes like affixing
stamps to letters as possessions.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID faa5696c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: faa5696c
Arturo A. Schomburg was dedicated to preserving books, art, and other materials from peoples of African descent around
the world. To get these items, Schomburg ______ friends and colleagues, whom he asked to bring back rare and valuable
objects from their international travels. Now, Schomburg’s collection is a valuable resource for scholars of Black history and
culture.

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

A. admired

B. disagreed with

C. warned

D. depended on

ID: faa5696c Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Arturo A. Schomburg’s collection. In
this context, the phrase “depended on” means relied on. The text explains that Schomburg, wanting to preserve “books, art,
and other materials” created by peoples of African descent from around the world, built a large collection of these objects.
The text also states that in order to obtain these items, Schomburg asked friends and colleagues who were traveling
internationally to bring them back for him. This implies that he wouldn’t have been able to create his collection without help.
Thus, the context supports the idea that Schomburg relied on, or depended on, friends and colleagues to build his collection.

Choice A is incorrect because “admired” means respected and approved of. Although it’s reasonable to expect that
Schomburg respected his friends and colleagues, the text doesn’t discuss any such aspect of their relationships. The text
focuses instead on what Schomburg asked his friends and colleagues to do to help build his collection. Choice B is incorrect
because “disagreed with” means held an opposing belief, and nothing in the text suggests that Schomburg and his friends or
colleagues held opposing views on any subject. In fact, the text strongly implies that Schomburg’s friends and colleagues
supported him in his goal of preserving objects of importance for Black history and culture by bringing him such objects
from around the world. Choice C is incorrect because “warned” means informed someone in advance about something
dangerous, which wouldn’t make sense in this context. Nothing in the text suggests that Schomburg thought his friends and
colleagues were in any danger, let alone that he warned them of danger.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID b622fb78
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: b622fb78
The following text is from the 1913 story “The King’s Coin” by Emily Pauline Johnson, a Kanienkahagen (Mohawk) writer also
known as Tekahionwake. Fox-Foot, a young Ojibwe man, is guiding a group of fur traders who are traveling by canoe and
suspects that they are being followed.

At supper time, Fox-Foot would allow no fire to be built, no landing to be made, no trace of their passing to be left. They
ate canned meat and marmalade, drank again of the stream and pushed on, until just at dusk they reached the edge of
a long, still lake, with shores of granite and dense fir forest.

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

A. Evidence

B. Blemish

C. Amount

D. Sketch

ID: b622fb78 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because the text indicates that Fox-Foot doesn’t let the group build a fire or create a canoe
landing when it’s time for supper. This context suggests that he doesn’t want anyone who might be following the group to
see any sign of them or their activities. In other words, Fox-Foot doesn’t want there to be any trace, or evidence, of the
group’s movements ("their passing") through the area.

Choice B is incorrect because the text conveys that Fox-Foot doesn’t want the group to be detected, not that he doesn’t want
their presence to create a blemish, or a spoiling flaw, in the area; human activity could disturb a natural environment, but the
context emphasizes that Fox-Foot is instead focused on avoiding giving any sign of the group’s movements through a place
("their passing") to anyone who might be following them. Choice C is incorrect because the text focuses on Fox-Foot’s desire
to avoid detection by those who might be following the group. This context conveys that Fox-Foot doesn’t want to create any
signs or evidence of the group moving through a place ("their passing"), not that he doesn’t want to leave behind some
quantity of their presence; indeed, it isn’t clear what an amount of a group’s movement would be. Choice D is incorrect
because nothing in the text suggests that the group has a sketch, or rough drawing, of their movements through that area
("their passing") that might be left behind. Rather, the context emphasizes that Fox-Foot is focused on ensuring that the
group doesn’t give any kind of indication of their presence, as he wants to avoid detection by anyone who might be following
the group.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 21d95d1d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 21d95d1d
Ofelia Zepeda’s contributions to the field of linguistics are ______: her many accomplishments include working as a
linguistics professor and bilingual poet, authoring the first Tohono O’odham grammar book, and co-founding the American
Indian Language Development Institute.

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

A. pragmatic

B. controversial

C. extensive

D. universal

ID: 21d95d1d Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of how Ofelia Zepeda has contributed
to the field of linguistics. As used in this context, “extensive” means having a wide or considerable extent. The text indicates
that Zepeda’s many accomplishments in linguistics are varied, including teaching linguistics, writing poetry in more than one
language, creating a grammar book, and co-founding a language institute. This context supports the idea that Zepeda’s
contributions to the field are extensive.

Choice A is incorrect because the sentence presents Zepeda’s accomplishments as examples to support the claim made in
the first part of the sentence. It wouldn’t make sense to say that achievements as a professor, poet and author, and co-
founder of a language institute demonstrate that Zepeda’s contributions in her field are “pragmatic,” or related to practical
matters and not involving intellectual or artistic matters. Choice B is incorrect because the sentence presents Zepeda’s
accomplishments as a professor, poet and author, and co-founder of a language institute as examples to support the claim
made in the first part of the sentence. There’s no reason to believe that the positive achievements listed demonstrate that
Zepeda’s contributions in her field are “controversial,” or have caused disputes and opposing viewpoints. Choice D is
incorrect because in this context, “universal” would mean including or covering everything in a group. The sentence presents
Zepeda’s accomplishments as examples to support the claim made in the first part of the sentence, and it wouldn’t make
sense to say that these specific achievements—particularly as the author of a grammar book specific to the Tohono
O’odham language—demonstrate that Zepeda’s contributions relate to everything in the field of linguistics.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 3118ca93
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 3118ca93
The fashion resale market, in which consumers purchase secondhand clothing from stores and online sellers, generated
nearly $30 billion globally in 2019. Expecting to see continued growth, some analysts ______ that revenues will more than
double by 2028.

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

A. produced

B. denied

C. worried

D. predicted

ID: 3118ca93 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the fashion resale market’s
continued growth. As used in this context, “predicted” means forecast, or indicated that something would happen in the
future. The text indicates that the fashion resale market made a lot of money in 2019 and that some analysts expected the
market to continue to grow. This context suggests that the analysts believed that the fashion resale market was going to
make more money than it had already made, with the analysts indicating that revenues would more than double by 2028.

Choice A is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context to say that some analysts “produced,” or manufactured or
brought about, the increase in future revenues of the fashion resale market. The analysts themselves couldn’t have brought
about the future revenue growth, since, as the text suggests, they were merely in the position of drawing conclusions about
future fashion resale market revenue based on 2019 revenue. Choice B is incorrect because the text indicates that some
analysts expected the fashion resale market to continue to grow in the future, not that they “denied,” or rejected, this notion.
Nothing in the text supports the idea that these analysts thought the revenues wouldn’t grow. Choice C is incorrect because
the text indicates that some analysts expected the fashion resale market to continue to grow in the future, not that they
“worried,” or felt concerned, that revenue would significantly increase by 2028. Nothing in the text suggests that the analysts
felt concerned about the increase; rather, the text suggests that the increase would represent a favorable outcome, since it
would mean that the fashion resale market grew to generate even more revenue.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID f773a56b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: f773a56b
As Mexico’s first president from an Indigenous community, Benito Juarez became one of the most ______ figures in his
country’s history: among the many significant accomplishments of his long tenure in office (1858–1872), Juarez
consolidated the authority of the national government and advanced the rights of Indigenous peoples.

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

A. unpredictable

B. important

C. secretive

D. ordinary

ID: f773a56b Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Juarez. In this context, “important”
means marked by significant work or consequence. The text indicates that Juarez, who was the first president of Mexico
from an Indigenous community, became a certain kind of figure in Mexico’s history. It then supports that claim by describing
some of the “many significant accomplishments” from Juarez’s long tenure in office. This context conveys that Juarez is a
significant and consequential figure in Mexico’s history.

Choice A is incorrect because the text focuses on Juarez’s role as the first president of Mexico from an Indigenous
community and on his many major accomplishments during his lengthy time in office; nothing in the text suggests that
Juarez was “unpredictable,” or tended to behave in ways that couldn’t be predicted. Choice C is incorrect because nothing in
the text suggests that Juarez was a particularly “secretive” figure, or that he tended to keep things private or hidden from
others. Instead, the text focuses on things that are known about Juarez: that he was the first president of Mexico from an
Indigenous community, that he had a lengthy tenure, and that his many major accomplishments included consolidating the
national government’s authority and advancing Indigenous rights. Choice D is incorrect because the text focuses on the idea
that Juarez, who was the first president of Mexico from an Indigenous community, had many major accomplishments during
his lengthy time in office. Rather than suggesting that Juarez was an “ordinary,” or common and typical, figure in Mexico’s
history, this context conveys that Juarez was instead a notable figure.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID d8d1ecaa
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: d8d1ecaa
Business researcher Melanie Brucks and colleagues found that remote video conference meetings may be less conducive to
brainstorming than in-person meetings are. The researchers suspect that video meeting participants are focused on staring
at the speaker on the screen and don’t allow their eyes or mind to wander as much, which may ultimately ______ creativity.

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

A. recommend

B. criticize

C. impede

D. construct

ID: d8d1ecaa Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The first sentence tells us that video meetings are “less conducive to” (meaning less good for)
brainstorming. This suggests that the video meeting participants’ focus is bad for their creativity. “Impede” means “delay” or
“prevent,” which works perfectly in this context.

Choice A is incorrect. This choice is too positive to fit the context. The first sentence tells us that video meetings are “less
conducive to” (meaning less good for) brainstorming. This suggests that the video meeting participants’ focus is bad for
their creativity. Choice B is incorrect. This choice doesn’t make sense. The participants’ intense focus on the screen is the
subject of the missing verb. It wouldn’t make sense to say that their over-focusing “criticizes” their creativity. Choice D is
incorrect. “Construct” means “build” or “make,” which is too positive to fit the context. The first sentence tells us that video
meetings are “less conducive to” (meaning less good for) brainstorming. This suggests that the video meeting participants’
focus is bad for their creativity.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID b4c6cff6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: b4c6cff6
The following text is adapted from Karel Čapek’s 1920 play R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots), translated by Paul Selver
and Nigel Playfair in 1923. Fabry and Busman are telling Miss Glory why their company manufactures robots.
FABRY: One Robot can replace two and a half workmen. The human machine, Miss Glory, was terribly imperfect. It had to
be removed sooner or later.
BUSMAN: It was too expensive.
FABRY: It was not effective. It no longer answers the requirements of modern engineering. Nature has no idea of keeping
pace with modern labor.

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

A. Explains

B. Rebuts

C. Defends

D. Fulfills

ID: b4c6cff6 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because as used in the text, “answers” most nearly means fulfills. In the text, Fabry and Busman
claim that the robots manufactured by their company are more efficient than human workers, which they refer to as “the
human machine.” Fabry observes that the human machine “no longer answers the requirements of modern engineering.”
That is, human workers are incapable of meeting the rigorous needs of modern, industrialized workplaces.

Choice A is incorrect. Although in some contexts “answers” can mean explains, it doesn’t have that meaning in this context
because the topic under discussion is human beings’ inability to perform labor efficiently, not their inability to engage in
discussion or explanation. Choice B is incorrect. Although in some contexts “answers” can mean rebuts, or proves a claim or
argument to be false, it wouldn’t make sense to speak of proving requirements to be false; requirements might or might not
be reasonable, but they can’t be verified as truthful or untruthful, as claims or accusations can. Choice C is incorrect.
Although in some contexts, “answers” can mean defends against criticism, or justifies, it doesn’t have that meaning in this
context because the opinion that Fabry expresses is that human workers can no longer fulfill the requirements of modern
workplaces, not that they have ceased to justify those requirements or to defend them against criticism; indeed, there is no
suggestion in the text that workers ever defended those requirements.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID cd2ce51f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: cd2ce51f
Like the 1945 play it reimagines—Federico García Lorca’s The House of Bernarda Alba—Marcus Gardley’s 2014 play The
House That Will Not Stand prominently features women. In both plays, the all-female cast ______ an array of female
characters, including a strong mother and several daughters dealing with individual struggles.

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

A. engulfs

B. encourages

C. comprises

D. provokes

ID: cd2ce51f Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Gardley’s play. In this context,
“comprises” means constitutes or makes up the totality of, and the text indicates that The House That Will Not Stand had an
“all-female cast” that stands in some relationship to “an array of female characters” in the play. Because all cast members
are female, the characters must be played by these female cast members; therefore the cast constitutes, or comprises, the
collection of characters.

Choice A is incorrect. In this context, “engulfs” would mean encloses or overwhelms, and although it is fairly common to
describe an actor as embodying (or personifying realistically) a character, there is nothing in the text to suggest that the cast
members enclosed or overwhelmed the characters they played. Choice B is incorrect because in this context, “encourages”
would mean inspires with courage or hope. Although the text does mention “a strong mother and several daughters dealing
with individual struggles,” which might suggest that there are moments of encouragement among the characters during the
play, there is nothing to suggest that the cast members encouraged the characters they portrayed. Choice D is incorrect
because, in this context, “provokes” would mean instigates or incites to anger. Nothing in the text addresses provocation or
what it might mean for actors to provoke the characters they are playing.

Question Difficulty: Medium

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 c2c26e20
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: c2c26e20
The following text is adapted from Sadakichi Hartmann’s 1894 short story “Magnolia Blossoms.” The narrator is standing on
the deck of a boat.

What a night it was! My soul had left its body to lose itself in the wild unrestrained beauty around me—from where it
came—and only left a trembling suggestion of its existence within me. The other passengers moved around me like
shadows, and again and again my eyes drank in all the glory and wealth of that night.

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

A. Trace

B. Opinion

C. Dispute

D. Command

ID: c2c26e20 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because as used in the text, “suggestion” most nearly means trace. The text portrays the
narrator standing on the deck of a boat, admiring the view of nature afforded by this position: “My soul had left its body to
lose itself in the wild unrestrained beauty around me,” says the narrator, “and only left a trembling suggestion of its existence
within me.” This intense response to beauty is such that the narrator’s soul seems to disengage from its body, leaving behind
only a barely detectible indication of its presence there. In other words, the narrator senses only a trace of soul left in the
body.

Choice B is incorrect. Although in some contexts “suggestion” can refer to an implied or indirectly expressed opinion, the text
doesn’t portray the narrator expressing an opinion; instead, the narrator is explaining an experience of intense emotion.
Choice C is incorrect. While “suggestion” might be used in some contexts to refer to the tactful expression of a differing
viewpoint, it doesn’t refer to the dispute or difference of opinion itself. Moreover, the text doesn’t portray a dispute between
characters with differing viewpoints. Choice D is incorrect. Although in some contexts, “suggestion” might be used to refer to
a politely worded command, the text doesn’t portray a scenario in which someone receives such a command.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 62a18353
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 62a18353
The following text is adapted from Zora Neale Hurston’s 1921 short story “John Redding Goes to Sea.” John wants to travel
far beyond the village where he lives near his mother, Matty.

[John] had on several occasions attempted to reconcile his mother to the notion, but found it a difficult task. Matty
always took refuge in self-pity and tears. Her son’s desires were incomprehensible to her, that was all.

As used in the text, what does the phrase “reconcile his mother to” most nearly mean?

A. Get his mother to accept

B. Get his mother to apologize for

C. Get his mother to match

D. Get his mother to reunite with

ID: 62a18353 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The expression “reconcile to” means “to cause (a person) to accept something difficult or
disagreeable.” The text suggests that John wants his mother to accept his desire to travel, even though she doesn’t like that
idea.

Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t make sense. John doesn’t want his mother to apologize for his own desire to travel—he
wants her to accept his desire to travel. Choice C is incorrect. The text doesn’t suggest that John wants his mother to match
his desire to travel. Rather, he wants her to accept his desire to travel even though she doesn’t like it. Choice D is incorrect.
This is tempting, because it seems to pick up on the idea of people “reconciling” after a fight, but it actually doesn’t make
sense. The text never suggests that John’s mother was “united with” the idea of him traveling in the past—if anything, it
seems like she’s always been against it. Besides, it would be strange to say that a person “reunites with” a notion.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID f4166aae
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: f4166aae
In addition to being an accomplished psychologist himself, Francis Cecil Sumner was a ______ increasing the opportunity for
Black students to study psychology, helping to found the psychology department at Howard University, a historically Black
university, in 1930.

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

A. proponent of

B. supplement to

C. beneficiary of

D. distraction for

ID: f4166aae Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Francis Cecil Sumner. As used in
this context, “proponent of” means supporter of. The text says that Sumner helped to found the psychology department at
historically Black Howard University in 1930. This is evidence that Sumner supported increasing the opportunity for Black
students to study psychology.

Choice B is incorrect because the phrase “supplement to,” or addition to, wouldn’t make sense in context. The text discusses
Sumner’s efforts to increase the number of Black psychology students, but it doesn’t make sense to describe him as an
addition to his efforts. Choice C is incorrect because Sumner was already an accomplished psychologist himself when he
helped to found the Howard University psychology department. While Black students were the beneficiaries of his efforts—
that is, they received help because of his efforts—it wouldn’t make sense in this context to describe Sumner as a “beneficiary
of” opportunities, because he was the one doing the helping. Choice D is incorrect because founding a psychology
department at Howard University wouldn’t be a “distraction for” Sumner’s aim to increase the opportunity for Black students
to study psychology—that is, it wouldn’t be something that draws Sumner’s attention away from that goal, but rather the
opposite.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 1fbf276a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 1fbf276a
Interruptions in the supply chain for microchips used in personal electronics have challenged an economist’s assertion that
retailers can expect robust growth in sales of those devices in the coming months. The delays are unlikely to ______ her
projection entirely but will almost certainly extend its time frame.

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

A. dispute

B. withdraw

C. underscore

D. invalidate

ID: 1fbf276a Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the economist’s claim about sales
of personal electronic devices. In this context, “invalidate” most nearly means nullify or make invalid. The text indicates that
interruptions in the supply of microchips for personal electronics “have challenged” the economist’s claim that sales of
personal electronics will show strong growth in the coming months. The text goes on to clarify the effect of the delays on the
economist’s projection, stating that the delays are very likely to extend the time frame over which the projected growth in
sales will occur. This context suggests that the delays are unlikely to invalidate the economist’s projection entirely—the
delays will probably alter the time frame of the projection, not nullify it or make it invalid.

Choice A is incorrect because saying that the delays are unlikely to “dispute,” or argue against, the economist’s projection
wouldn’t make sense. Since the delays are an inanimate circumstance, they couldn’t argue against a prediction about the
sales of personal electronics. Choice B is incorrect because saying that the delays are unlikely to “withdraw,” or remove from
consideration, the economist’s projection wouldn’t make sense. Although the economist could withdraw her projection
because of the delays, the delays themselves couldn’t withdraw her projection since they’re an inanimate circumstance and
thus can’t choose to remove something from consideration. Choice C is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to
suggest that the delays will “underscore,” or emphasize, the economist’s projection. Instead, the text suggests that the
delays are likely to extend the time frame of the economist’s projection but not to undermine the projection entirely.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID d5235d39
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: d5235d39
The Mule Bone, a 1930 play written by Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes, is perhaps the best-known of the few
examples of ______ in literature. Most writers prefer working alone, and given that working together cost Hurston and Hughes
their friendship, it is not hard to see why.

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

A. characterization

B. interpretation

C. collaboration

D. commercialization

ID: d5235d39 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it logically and precisely completes the text’s discussion of The Mule Bone, a play that
Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes wrote together. In this context, “collaboration” means working together with
someone to write a literary work. The text indicates that most writers prefer to work alone and that working together
destroyed the friendship between Hurston and Hughes. This establishes that The Mule Bone is a relatively rare example of
collaboration in literature.

Choice A is incorrect because in this context, “characterization” would mean a literary work’s portrayal of characters’
psychological experiences and motivations, but the text doesn’t discuss characterization in The Mule Bone specifically or in
collaborative works more generally. Choice B is incorrect because in this context, “interpretation” would mean the
explanation of a literary work’s meaning or significance, but the text doesn’t discuss how readers or critics have interpreted
The Mule Bone; instead, the text discusses how the play was written collaboratively and how the writing process affected
the two authors. Choice D is incorrect because in this context, “commercialization” would mean writing a literary work in
such a way as to ensure its commercial appeal, but the text never discusses commercial appeal as a factor in the writing of
The Mule Bone specifically or the writing of collaborative works more generally.

Question Difficulty: Easy

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 bce627d9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: bce627d9
Mineralogical differences are detectable in samples collected from two locations on the near-Earth asteroid Ryugu, but such
differences may not indicate substantial compositional variations in the asteroid. Cosmochemist Kazuhide Nagashima and
colleagues note that at the small scale of the samples, the distribution of minerals is unlikely to be ______.

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

A. neglected

B. redundant

C. ongoing

D. uniform

ID: bce627d9 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The text tells us that the samples are too "small scale" to reflect the composition of the
asteroid, which probably doesn’t show the same variation on a large scale. This suggests that the mineral composition of the
samples are unlikely to be exactly the same from sample to sample.

Choice A is incorrect. "Neglected" means "suffering a lack of proper care" or "abandoned," which doesn’t work here. The text
never suggests that the distribution of minerals in the samples would be neglected, so this statement doesn’t logically
follow. Choice B is incorrect. "Redundant" means "not or no longer useful or needed," which is too strong. The text doesn’t
suggest that the variation between the samples isn’t a useful finding at all—just that we can’t assume that the large-scale
composition of the asteroid will show the same variation. But the composition of the samples might be useful for something
else. Choice C is incorrect. "Ongoing" means "still in progress," which doesn’t make sense: the distribution of minerals in a
sample can’t be "ongoing."

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID e56b66e5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: e56b66e5
Set in a world where science fiction tropes exist as everyday realities, Charles Yu’s 2010 novel How to Live Safely in a
Science Fictional Universe traces a time traveler’s quest to find his father. Because the journey at the novel’s center is so
______, with the protagonist ricocheting chaotically across time, the reader often wonders whether the pair will ever be
reunited.

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

A. haphazard

B. premeditated

C. inspirational

D. fruitless

ID: e56b66e5 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Yu’s novel. In this context,
“haphazard” means marked by a lack of plan or order. The text indicates that the quest featured in the novel, which involves
the protagonist bouncing across time, is chaotic and causes the reader to often wonder what will happen. This context
suggests that the protagonist’s journey seems to be marked by a lack of order.

Choice B is incorrect because the text indicates that the journey featured in Yu’s novel involves a character “ricocheting
chaotically,” or bouncing in a disordered way, across time and causes the reader to often wonder what will happen. It
wouldn’t make sense to say that a chaotic journey seems “premeditated,” or characterized by forethought and planning.
Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t give any indication that readers regard the journey in Yu’s novel as
“inspirational,” or as causing extraordinarily creative or brilliant thoughts or actions; instead, the text focuses on the idea that
the protagonist’s journey is chaotic, or disordered, and doesn’t give readers a clear sense of what will happen. Choice D is
incorrect. Rather than suggesting that the journey featured in Yu’s novel is “fruitless,” or has an unsuccessful outcome, the
text focuses on the idea that while reading about the protagonist’s chaotic movements across time, readers are often unsure
of what will happen—that is, they don’t know whether the protagonist will be successful in finding his father.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID a318c1ef
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: a318c1ef
The Cambrian explosion gets its name from the sudden appearance and rapid diversification of animal remains in the fossil
record about 541 million years ago, during the Cambrian period. Some scientists argue that this ______ change in the fossil
record might be because of a shift in many organisms to body types that were more likely to be preserved.

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

A. catastrophic

B. elusive

C. abrupt

D. imminent

ID: a318c1ef Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically and precisely completes the text’s discussion of the fossil record from
the Cambrian period. In this context, “abrupt” means sudden. The text explains that the fossil record reflects the unexpected
appearance and rapid diversification, or increase in variety, of animal remains during the Cambrian period. This context
establishes that these remains’ entry into the fossil record was sudden.

Choice A is incorrect. Although the word “explosion” appears in the name of the event marked by the fossil record change,
the text never suggests that the change was “catastrophic,” or disastrous. In context, “explosion” refers to the rapid
diversification, or the swift increase in variety, of animal remains in the fossil record—a phenomenon that the text presents in
a relatively neutral manner, without commenting on whether it was negative or positive. Choice B is incorrect because the
text never suggests that the change toward greater diversification is “elusive,” or difficult to locate, in the fossil record.
Rather, the text notes that the change occurred about 541 million years ago, suggesting that scientists have indeed been
able to locate it. Choice D is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context to describe the change in the fossil record
as “imminent,” or about to occur, since the text indicates that the change already occurred millions of years ago.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 53542eb5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 53542eb5
Shoppers can help keep money cycling within a community by making purchases at small local businesses instead of large
retailers. Some cities are ______ programs to encourage this behavior, establishing reward points and other incentives for
shopping at small businesses.

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

A. instituting

B. occupying

C. underestimating

D. encountering

ID: 53542eb5 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of programs that encourage money to
cycle within a community. In this context, "instituting" means initiating. The text indicates that making purchases at small
local businesses can help keep money cycling within a community. The text goes on to state that some cities are
establishing incentives to promote small business shopping. This context supports the idea that some cities are instituting
programs to encourage this consumer behavior.

Choice B is incorrect because saying that some cities are "occupying," or forcibly holding possession or control of, programs
that encourage shoppers to make purchases at small local businesses wouldn’t make sense in context. The text doesn’t
discuss who controls these programs but instead indicates that some cities are establishing incentives that encourage
shoppers to make purchases at small local businesses. Furthermore, it wouldn’t make sense to say that a city is occupying a
program. Choice C is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that cities are "underestimating," or failing to understand
the value of, programs that encourage consumers to shop at small local businesses. The text indicates that some cities are
establishing incentives to encourage small business shopping, which suggests that these cities understand the value of
such programs. Choice D is incorrect because saying that some cities are "encountering," or coming into contact with,
programs that encourage consumers to shop at small local businesses wouldn’t make sense in context. The text indicates
that some cities are already establishing incentives to encourage shoppers to make purchases at small businesses. This
context suggests that the cities are instituting the programs, not that they are encountering them.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 6c64a8f3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 6c64a8f3
Ecologist Exequiel Ezcurra and colleagues found that the inhabitants of the Mexica empire used natural landmarks to track
time with a high degree of ______. By observing the sun’s position in relation to various points on the mountains surrounding
the Basin of Mexico, the Mexica were able to precisely identify the dates when significant events such as solstices occurred.

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

A. precariousness

B. exactitude

C. resilience

D. inconspicuousness

ID: 6c64a8f3 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the method the inhabitants of the
Mexica empire used to track time. In this context, "exactitude" means precision. The text indicates that the Mexica used the
sun’s position relative to various natural landmarks to track the passage of time, explaining that such methods allowed the
Mexica to accurately determine the dates of important events such as solstices. This context supports the idea that the
Mexica people were able to track time with a high degree of precision, or exactitude.

Choice A is incorrect because in this context "precariousness" would mean instability, and there’s nothing in the text to
suggest that the method used by the Mexica people to track time was unstable or produced unstable results. Rather, the text
indicates that the method yielded precise results, allowing the Mexica to accurately determine the dates of significant
events. Choice C is incorrect because in this context "resilience" would mean persistence, and there’s nothing in the text to
suggest that the Mexica worked stubbornly in spite of obstacles in order to track time. Choice D is incorrect because in this
context "inconspicuousness" would mean discreetness, and there’s nothing in the text to suggest that the Mexica wanted to
track time without being noticed.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 82b7c3b2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 82b7c3b2
The following text is from Booth Tarkington’s 1921 novel Alice Adams.

Mrs. Adams had always been fond of vases, she said, and every year her husband’s Christmas present to her was a
vase of one sort or another—whatever the clerk showed him, marked at about twelve or fourteen dollars.

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

A. Staged

B. Priced

C. Stained

D. Watched

ID: 82b7c3b2 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The text suggests that Mrs. Adam’s typical Christmas present from her husband was a vase
that cost, or was "priced at," about twelve or fourteen dollars.

Choice A is incorrect. This isn’t the meaning of "marked" as used here. It wouldn’t make sense to say that a vase was "staged
at twelve or fourteen dollars." Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t the meaning of "marked" as used here. It wouldn’t make sense
to say that a vase was "stained at twelve or fourteen dollars." Choice D is incorrect. This isn’t the meaning of "marked" as
used here. It wouldn’t make sense to say that a vase was "watched at twelve or fourteen dollars."

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID e1e89221
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: e1e89221
The following text is from Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1911 novel The Secret Garden. Mary, a young girl, is outside trying her
new jump rope.

The sun was shining and a little wind was blowing—not a rough wind, but one which came in delightful little gusts and
brought a fresh scent of newly turned earth with it. She skipped round the fountain garden, and up one walk and down
another.

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

A. Harsh

B. Scratchy

C. Basic

D. Vague

ID: e1e89221 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because as used in the text, "rough" most nearly means harsh, or forceful and unpleasant. The
text describes Mary’s surroundings as she plays: the sun is out and there’s "a little wind." To further illustrate the wind, the
narrator contrasts the word "rough" with a description of the wind blowing in "delightful little gusts," suggesting that the wind
is not unpleasant or harsh at all.

Choice B is incorrect. Although in some contexts "rough" objects, or objects with irregular surfaces, can sometimes be
scratchy, rough doesn’t mean scratchy in this context. The text explains that the wind is not rough but rather gentle,
"delightful little gusts," which suggests that the use of "rough" here is referring to the degree of force of the wind. Choice C is
incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that the wind wasn’t "basic," or simple and uncomplicated. Instead,
the text describes the wind as blowing not roughly or harshly but in "delightful little gusts." Choice D is incorrect because the
word "vague" means not clearly expressed or seen. Nothing in the text indicates that the wind was barely noticeable to Mary
as she played outside, but rather the text states that it was delightful.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID b11bb2a3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: b11bb2a3
The following text is adapted from Amy Lowell’s 1912 poem “Summer.”

It is summer, glorious, deep-toned summer, The very crown of nature’s changing year
When all her surging life is at its full. To me alone it is a time of pause, A void and silent space between two worlds,
When inspiration lags, and feeling sleeps, Gathering strength for efforts yet to come.

As used in the text, what does the phrase “a void” most nearly mean?

A. A useless

B. An empty

C. A forgotten

D. An incomplete

ID: b11bb2a3 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because as used in the text, a span of time is described as "a void" space, which most nearly
means an empty or vacant one. In the text, the speaker describes summertime in counterintuitive terms: although nature’s
"surging life is at its full" during the season, the speaker feels summer to be "a time of pause, / A void and silent space
between two worlds." The speaker says further that during summer, "feeling sleeps / Gathering strength" for future efforts.
Thus, the speaker regards summer as an empty stretch of time, to be followed by a period of greater activity.

Choice A is incorrect. Although the text does present summer as a time of inactivity, it doesn’t characterize that inactivity as
useless, or as having no purpose; in fact, the speaker regards summer as a time when "feeling" gathers "strength for efforts
yet to come." Choice C is incorrect. Although the text characterizes summer as a time "when inspiration lags, and feeling
sleeps," it doesn’t discuss the season’s relationship to the speaker’s memory or suggest that summer can easily be
forgotten. Choice D is incorrect. In some contexts, "void" can mean devoid of, or lacking, a particular element, and such a
lack could be conceived of as incompleteness. However, the text doesn’t portray summer as not being complete or whole;
instead, it characterizes vacancy or inactivity as being an essential quality of the season, as experienced by the speaker.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 9c35759f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 9c35759f
Novelist N. K. Jemisin declines to ______ the conventions of the science fiction genre in which she writes, and she has
suggested that her readers appreciate her work precisely because of this willingness to thwart expectations and avoid
formulaic plots and themes.

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

A. question

B. react to

C. perceive

D. conform to

ID: 9c35759f Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Jemisin’s writing. In this context,
“conform to” means to act in accordance with something. The text suggests that in her science fiction writing, Jemisin’s
willingness to go against expectations and not use plots and themes that seem to follow a formula reflects how she treats
the standard practices of the genre. This context conveys that Jemisin chooses not to act in accordance with those
conventions.

Choice A is incorrect. In this context, “question” would mean doubt or object to. The text indicates that Jemisin is willing to
go against expectations and not use formulaic plots and themes in her science fiction writing, suggesting that she may
actually object to those conventions of the genre, not that she chooses not to question them. Choice B is incorrect because
the text indicates that in her science fiction writing, Jemisin is willing to go against expectations and not use formulaic plots
and themes. Rather than suggesting that Jemisin chooses not to “react to,” or act in response to, the standard practices of
the genre, this context suggests that she is acting in response to such conventions by deliberately avoiding them. Choice C
is incorrect. In this context, “perceive” would mean become aware of or understand. The text indicates that in her science
fiction writing, Jemisin is willing to go against expectations and not use formulaic plots and themes. This context conveys
that Jemisin is aware of and deliberately avoids those conventions of the genre, not that she chooses not to be aware of
them.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 6a1194e8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 6a1194e8
Rydra Wong, the protagonist of Samuel R. Delany’s 1966 novel Babel-17, is a poet, an occupation which, in Delany’s work, is
not ______: nearly a dozen of the characters that populate his novels are poets or writers.

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

A. infallible

B. atypical

C. lucrative

D. tedious

ID: 6a1194e8 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Samuel R. Delany’s character Rydra
Wong. As used in this context, “atypical” would mean unrepresentative or not common. The text indicates that Wong is one
of “nearly a dozen” characters in Delany’s novels who are poets or writers. This context conveys that being a poet isn’t an
atypical occupation for a character in one of Delany’s works.

Choice A is incorrect because “infallible” means to be accurate or without fault, which wouldn’t make sense in context. The
text focuses on the fact that Delany has written many characters who are poets and writers. This context suggests that the
occupation isn’t atypical for Delany, not that the occupation isn’t infallible, or problematic. Choice C is incorrect because
“lucrative” means to be profitable, which wouldn’t make sense in context. If writing poet characters weren’t profitable, it
wouldn’t be logical to explain this by citing that Delany gave many of his characters the same occupation. Choice D is
incorrect because “tedious” means to be boring, which wouldn’t make sense in context. The text focuses on the fact that
Delany has written many characters who are poets and writers. This context suggests that the occupation isn’t atypical for
Delany, not that the occupation isn’t tedious.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 490b205f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 490b205f
In editor Lisa Yaszek’s introduction to her anthology The Future Is Female! More Classic Science Fiction Stories by Women,
Yaszek identifies an increasing sense of ______ feminist mode of writing in the 1970s, in contrast to many woman-authored
science fiction stories of the 1920s to 1960s whose politics were less deliberately signaled.

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

A. a prudently

B. an overtly

C. a cordially

D. an inadvertently

ID: 490b205f Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Yaszek’s introduction to her science
fiction anthology. In this context "overtly" means openly or without concealment. The text draws a contrast between the lack
of "deliberately signaled" political themes in women-authored science fiction from the 1920s to the 1960s and what Yaszek
notes about women-authored science fiction from the 1970s. This contrast implies that the work from the 1970s did clearly
reflect feminist political themes. In other words, the text indicates that unlike women who wrote science fiction in the 1920s
to the 1960s, the women who wrote science fiction in the 1970s expressed overtly feminist themes.

Choice A is incorrect. In this context "prudently" would mean cautiously, which might plausibly describe the women who
wrote science fiction from the 1920s to the 1960s, in that they tended to avoid revealing their political views; however, the
text contrasts these authors with the women writing science fiction in the 1970s, thereby suggesting that the authors writing
in the 1970s were not restrained in that way. Choice C is incorrect because in this context "cordially" would mean politely,
and nothing in the text indicates that politeness was a significant factor for women writing science fiction either from the
1920s to the 1960s or in the 1970s. The text draws a contrast between the lack of "deliberately signaled" political themes in
women-authored science fiction from the 1920s to the 1960s and what Yaszek notes about women-authored science fiction
from the 1970s. It’s unclear how "less deliberately signaled" politics and an increasing sense of politeness toward feminism
would constitute a meaningful contrast. Choice D is incorrect because in this context, "inadvertently" would mean
unintentionally, and nothing in the text suggests that Yaszek thought the feminist elements of the women-authored science
fiction from the 1970s arose without deliberate effort.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 4fa7e50e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. consistent with

B. representative of

C. overshadowed by

D. irrelevant to

ID: 4fa7e50e Answer

Correct Answer: C

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID aad56f2b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: aad56f2b
As a young photographer in the 1950s, William Klein ______ the conventions of photography by creating images that were
high contrast and included blurred and distorted elements—features generally seen as flaws. So unorthodox was Klein’s
work that he had difficulty finding a publisher for his now-iconic 1956 photo book Life is Good & Good for You in New York.

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

A. reviewed

B. defied

C. respected

D. prevented

ID: aad56f2b Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. "Defied" means "resisted" or "deliberately disobeyed," which matches the way Klein broke from
the conventions of photography in his time by including features that were generally seen as flaws.

Choice A is incorrect. "Reviewed" means "analyzed" or "evaluated," but that doesn’t really fit the context here. Klein isn’t
directly providing any thoughtful examination of the conventions of photography: he’s just breaking all the rules. Choice C is
incorrect. "Respected" can mean "admired" or "followed" (as in the case of conventions). It’s clear that Klein didn’t respect
conventions, given his use of photographic features that were generally considered "flaws." Choice D is incorrect. "Prevented"
means "stopped," and Klein did not stop the conventions—they still existed. Instead, he made images that were seen as
"flawed" under those conventions.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID e7b709fc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: e7b709fc
Archaeologists studying an ancient amphitheater in Switzerland believe that it dates back to the fourth century CE. Their
discoveries of a coin made between 337 and 341 CE and era-appropriate building materials ______ evidence for this theory.

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

A. dismiss

B. provide

C. regulate

D. refuse

ID: e7b709fc Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the archaeologists’ study of the
ancient amphitheater in Switzerland. In this context, “provide” means make available or supply. The text states that the
archaeologists believe that the amphitheater dates to the fourth century CE. The text goes on to say that the archaeologists
discovered a coin made between 337 and 341 CE (that is, made during the fourth century CE) and building materials
appropriate to the era in question. This context suggests that these discoveries provide evidence for the archaeologists’
theory about the dating of the amphitheater.

Choice A is incorrect because the archaeologists’ discoveries are presented as supplying evidence in favor of their theory
about the dating of the amphitheater, not something that would “dismiss,” or reject serious consideration of, evidence for
that theory. Choice C is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that the archaeologists’ discoveries would “regulate,”
or govern or bring order to, evidence for the archaeologists’ theory about the dating of the amphitheater. The discoveries are
presented as supplying evidence for the archaeologists’ theory, not as changing how evidence for the theory is controlled or
ordered. Choice D is incorrect because the archaeologists’ discoveries are presented as supplying evidence in favor of their
theory about the dating of the amphitheater, not something that would “refuse,” or be unwilling to accept, evidence for the
archaeologists’ theory.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 94eb800d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. validated

B. created

C. challenged

D. restored

ID: 94eb800d Answer

Correct Answer: B

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID dc0bca21
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: dc0bca21
It would be a mistake to ______ the exhibit that artist and curator Joe Baker, who is a member of the Lenape (Delaware)
people, has organized at the Brooklyn Public Library. The exhibit, which includes Lenape beadwork from the 1850s as well as
modern works that use traditional patterns, is essential viewing.

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

A. complicate

B. amplify

C. overlook

D. assemble

ID: dc0bca21 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of an exhibit at the Brooklyn Public
Library. In this context, "overlook" means to ignore or to miss. The text states that artist and curator Joe Baker organized an
exhibit that features Lenape beadwork in historical and modern works. The text describes the exhibit as "essential viewing,"
suggesting that it’s an important exhibit that people should make an effort to visit; this context conveys that it would be a
mistake to overlook the exhibit.

Choice A is incorrect. In this context, "complicate" would mean to add difficulty, and there’s no reason to think the text would
need to directly caution against complicating Baker’s exhibit; the text focuses on the idea that the exhibit is "essential
viewing," not on the idea of a potential difficulty that could be raised. Choice B is incorrect. In this context, "amplify" means to
increase, and there’s no reason to believe the text would indicate that it would be a mistake to increase an exhibit the text
describes as "essential viewing." Choice D is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense to say that it would be a mistake to
"assemble," or put together, Baker’s exhibit: the text makes it clear that the exhibit has already been put together and, further,
praises the exhibit as "essential viewing."

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 2c82068f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 2c82068f
The following text is from Mark Oshiro’s 2018 novel Anger Is a Gift. In the novel, Moss and his friends are on a subway train
in Northern California.

Lights from the outside world then filled the train car as it rose out of the ground and climbed the elevated track. As
long as Moss had lived in West Oakland, he’d never tired of this specific view, so he pointed toward the windows.
“Check it,” he said, and the Port of Oakland began to pass by them.
©2018 by Mark Oshiro

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

A. Imaginary

B. Energetic

C. Correct

D. Particular

ID: 2c82068f Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because as used in the text, "specific" most nearly means particular. The text is referring to the
particular view of the Port of Oakland as seen from a subway train as it rises from underground. This specific, or particular,
view has always been special to Moss, a lifetime resident of West Oakland.

Choice A is incorrect. Although the text itself is a work of fiction, the view is something Moss can point out to his
companions on the train, so the view itself is presumably not imaginary. Choice B is incorrect. Although this view of the Port
of Oakland is significant to Moss, nothing in the text describes the view as particularly energetic as opposed to calming, for
example. Choice C is incorrect. The point of the text is that the view of the Port of Oakland from the subway train as it rises
from underground is significant to Moss, not whether it is described as being correct, which the text does not address.

Question Difficulty: Easy

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 5444db38
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 5444db38
To demonstrate that the integrity of underground metal pipes can be assessed without unearthing the pipes, engineer Aroba
Saleem and colleagues ______ the tendency of some metals’ internal magnetic fields to alter under stress: the team showed
that such alterations can be measured from a distance and can reveal concentrations of stress in the pipes.

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

A. hypothesized

B. discounted

C. redefined

D. exploited

ID: 5444db38 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of using magnetism to detect stress in
buried metal pipes. In this context, "exploited" means made productive use of. The text indicates that the magnetic fields of
some metals change under stress and that Saleem and colleagues showed that it is possible to measure those changes
from a distance, thereby demonstrating that the integrity of underground metal pipes can be evaluated without having to
unearth them. This context thus indicates that Saleem and colleagues made productive use of, or exploited, this tendency of
the metals’ magnetic fields.

Choice A is incorrect because in this context, "hypothesized" would mean made a tentative assumption to be evaluated in a
study or experiment. Although Saleem and colleagues may have had one or more hypotheses for these experiments, the text
presents the information about the tendency of some metals’ magnetic fields to change under stress as a known fact that
the researchers made productive use of, not as a hypothesis to be evaluated. The text after the colon indicates that the
researchers were not evaluating whether such changes occur but whether those changes can be measured at a distance.
Choice B is incorrect because in this context, "discounted" would mean downplayed or ignored, but the text does not suggest
that Saleem and colleagues minimized or ignored the tendency of the magnetic fields of some metals to change under
stress. Rather, the text indicates that this tendency is the basis for Saleem and colleagues’ method of assessing the pipes’
integrity. Choice C is incorrect because nothing in the text indicates that Saleem and colleagues "redefined," or reevaluated or
reformulated, the tendency of some metals’ magnetic fields to change under stress. Instead, the text indicates that the
researchers made use of that tendency to demonstrate that it is possible to evaluate the integrity of underground pipes
without unearthing them.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 5fa165f7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. predicting

B. refusing

C. hiding

D. creating

ID: 5fa165f7 Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID d3104a68
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: d3104a68
Birds sing to communicate over potentially great distances. For this reason, many researchers believe that birds in densely
vegetated habitats generally sing at lower frequencies than birds living in comparatively sparse habitats, since dense
vegetation tends to ______ the distance that high-frequency sounds can travel.

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

A. exceed

B. diminish

C. encompass

D. conceal

ID: d3104a68 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of birdsong. In this context, "diminish"
means reduce or lessen. The text establishes that birds sing to communicate over potentially large distances and that
researchers believe that birds that live in densely vegetated habitats sing at lower frequencies than birds that live in
comparatively sparsely vegetated habitats. The text then explains that researchers hold this belief due to some effect of
dense vegetation on the distance that high-frequency sounds can travel. If birds sing to communicate over long distances, it
would be logical to conclude that researchers believe that birds in densely vegetated habitats sing at lower frequencies than
birds in relatively sparse habitats do because dense vegetation diminishes the distance that high-frequency sounds can
travel.

Choice A is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that dense vegetation can "exceed," or surpass or go beyond, the
distance that high-frequency sounds can travel. The text suggests that dense vegetation reduces the distance that high-
frequency sounds can travel, not that dense vegetation goes farther than that distance. Choice C is incorrect because it
would not be sensible to say that dense vegetation can "encompass," or enclose or encircle, the distance that high-frequency
sounds can travel. The distance that sounds can travel is not an object that can be enclosed or encircled by vegetation.
Choice D is incorrect because there is no information in the text indicating that dense vegetation can "conceal," or hide or
keep from being observed, the distance that high-frequency sounds travel. Instead, the text suggests that dense vegetation
reduces the distance that high-frequency sounds can travel.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 213248f7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

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

A. Faintly

B. Hastily

C. Easily

D. Foolishly

ID: 213248f7 Answer

Correct Answer: C

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID b93428a6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: b93428a6
Animal researcher Amalia P.M. Bastos led a 2021 study about a wild kea parrot that used small stones as tools to preen its
feathers. Skeptical colleagues had initially suggested to Bastos that the kea’s interactions with the stones might simply be
______, but Bastos and her team showed that the kea was using the stones deliberately.

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

A. intriguing

B. obvious

C. accidental

D. observable

ID: b93428a6 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Bastos’s study of a wild kea parrot.
In this context, "accidental" means unplanned or unintentional. The text first describes Bastos’s study, which concerns a kea
that is observed using small stones to preen its feathers. The text then mentions colleagues who are skeptical (that is, they
have doubt) about Bastos’s findings, and finally describes how Bastos and her team responded to the skepticism of those
colleagues. Given that the colleagues mentioned in the text expressed skepticism regarding Bastos’s findings, the best
answer choice must be one that completes the text in a manner such that the skeptics’ opinion regarding the kea’s use of
stones disagrees with that held by Bastos and her team. Since Bastos and her team showed that the kea’s use of stones was
deliberate (that is, intentional), the skeptics’ opinion in this context must be that the kea’s use of stones was unintentional, or
accidental.

Choice A is incorrect because the best answer choice is one that portrays skepticism, or doubt, of Bastos’s claim that the
kea’s usage of stones was deliberate, or intentional. If the skeptics found the kea’s usage of stones "intriguing," or
fascinating, this would not be at odds with the position of Bastos and her team; in fact, it is reasonable to believe that
someone who agreed that the kea’s stone usage was deliberate would also find it intriguing. Choice B is incorrect because if
the skeptics believed that the kea’s usage of small stones was "obvious," or evident, this would not be contrary to the
observation of Bastos and her team that the kea’s usage of stones was deliberate: in fact, these opinions would be
consistent with each other. Choice D is incorrect because if the skeptics believed that the kea’s usage of small stones was
"observable," or visible, this would not conflict with the claim of Bastos and her team that the kea’s usage of stones was
deliberate: instead, these positions would agree.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID a756aa95
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. unobtrusive

B. concealed

C. approximate

D. peripheral

ID: a756aa95 Answer

Correct Answer: D

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

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

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 0ed8f24f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 0ed8f24f
K.D. Leka and colleagues found that the Sun’s corona provides an advance indication of solar flares—intense eruptions of
electromagnetic radiation that emanate from active regions in the Sun’s photosphere and can interfere with
telecommunications on Earth. Preceding a flare, the corona temporarily exhibits increased brightness above the region
where the flare is ______.

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

A. antecedent

B. impending

C. innocuous

D. perpetual

ID: 0ed8f24f Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of advance indications of solar flares.
In this context the word "impending" means imminent or approaching. The text mentions a study by Leka and colleagues
that found that the Sun’s corona provides an advance indication of solar flares. The text then points out why such an
advance indication would be useful—solar flares can interfere with communications on Earth—and concludes by describing
the characteristic of the corona that gives warning of a solar flare. The text indicates that this characteristic—increased
brightness in a particular region of the corona—comes before the appearance of the flare. Therefore, in context, the best
answer would indicate that the flare is approaching, or impending.

Choice A is incorrect. The best answer would be one that indicates that the increased brightness of the Sun’s corona
precedes the appearance of the flare. But if the flare were "antecedent," or previous, then the flare would instead precede the
appearance of the increased brightness of the corona, a statement that is logically inconsistent. Choice C is incorrect. The
word "innocuous," or harmless, does not logically complete the text; since solar flares can interfere with communications on
Earth, they cannot reasonably be described as innocuous. Choice D is incorrect. If the solar flares have an advance
indication of their appearance, then there must therefore be a time before the appearance of the flares when they do not
exist. But the word "perpetual," or never-ending, would in context indicate that the flare exists at the same time as the
advance indication provided by the Sun’s corona, which would not make logical sense.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 441e2b9e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. preventable

B. undeniable

C. common

D. concerning

ID: 441e2b9e Answer

Correct Answer: A

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

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

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 8634bf4a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. derived from

B. recognized in

C. confined to

D. repressed by

ID: 8634bf4a Answer

Correct Answer: C

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID b507f90f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: b507f90f
Latro, the main character of Gene Wolfe’s novel Soldier of the Mist, is a man in ancient Greece. He completely loses his
memory whenever he sleeps. So, before sleeping, Latro records the important experiences of each day on a scroll, carefully
choosing which ones to ______.

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

A. suspect

B. preserve

C. suggest

D. imagine

ID: b507f90f Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text about Latro, the main character in Gene Wolfe’s
novel Soldier of the Mist. In this context, "preserve" means save or keep from destruction or loss. The text describes Latro as
a character who loses his memory whenever he sleeps. The text goes on to explain that before going to sleep, Latro records
his most important memories to prevent him from forgetting, or losing, them. The context therefore supports the idea that
Latro records his most important experiences in an effort to save, or preserve, his memory of them from loss.

Choice A is incorrect because "suspect" would mean mistrust, which wouldn’t make sense in this context. The text
emphasizes that in writing down his experiences, Latro carefully chooses those which are most important to him and thus
worth remembering later, not that he is mistrustful or has reason to doubt the experiences he records. Choice C is incorrect
because in this context, "suggest" would mean propose for consideration. The text emphasizes the fact that Latro actually
records those experiences that he has decided are most important to him, not that he merely proposes which experiences to
consider for inclusion in his scroll. Choice D is incorrect because in this context, "imagine" would either mean form a mental
image of or fabricate, neither of which would logically complete the text. Although it’s possible that reviewing records from
previous days might enable Latro to reconstruct mental images of what has happened to him in the past, the text
emphasizes the fact that Latro carefully selects and writes down his experiences so he will remember them in the future, not
so that he can form mental pictures of them as he writes them down. In a similar vein, the text emphasizes that Latro is
recording experiences that have actually happened to him, not that he’s fabricating the experiences he records.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 2390e956
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 2390e956
Ronyoung Kim creatively captures the Korean American immigrant experience in her novel Clay Walls by writing about a
family from three ______ perspectives. The first section of the novel is from the mother Haesu’s perspective, the second is
from the father Chun’s perspective, and the last is from the daughter Faye’s perspective.

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

A. distinct

B. required

C. unintended

D. unknown

ID: 2390e956 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Ronyoung Kim’s novel Clay Walls. In
this context, "distinct" means clearly separate and different. The text indicates that the novel consists of three sections and
that each section is narrated from the perspective of a different character. This context supports the idea that Kim’s novel
features three distinct perspectives.

Choice B is incorrect because describing the three perspectives in Kim’s novel as "required," or demanded as necessary to be
done or provided, wouldn’t make sense in context. When writing a novel, a novelist is free to choose to narrate the story from
any number of perspectives. There’s nothing in the text to indicate that providing three perspectives was demanded of Kim.
Instead, the text focuses on identifying the three different perspectives featured in Kim’s novel. Choice C is incorrect because
describing the three perspectives in Kim’s novel as "unintended," or not planned as a purpose or goal, wouldn’t make sense in
context. Authors make deliberate choices about the perspectives they feature in their works, and the text indicates that Kim
chose to incorporate three different perspectives in her novel. Choice D is incorrect because describing the three
perspectives in Kim’s novel as "unknown," or not revealed, wouldn’t make sense in context. The text directly identifies the
three perspectives that appear in her novel as those of Faye and her two parents, Haesu and Chun, which indicates that the
novel’s perspectives are in fact known.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID c843d63c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. experiment with

B. adhere to

C. improve on

D. grapple with

ID: c843d63c Answer

Correct Answer: B

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

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

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID e8fb0744
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

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

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

A. inevitable

B. satisfactory

C. negligible

D. commonplace

ID: e8fb0744 Answer

Correct Answer: C

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

Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that the study challenged the accepted view by showing that as many as
half of hunters among prehistoric peoples were female, which suggests that the accepted view is that female participation
was low, not that female participation was “inevitable,” or unavoidable. Nothing in the text suggests that the accepted view is
that prehistoric peoples could not avoid female participation in hunting. Choice B is incorrect because nothing in the text
suggests that the accepted view of female participation in hunting among prehistoric peoples is that such participation was
“satisfactory,” or sufficient to meet a requirement or demand. There is no information in the text about any demands or
requirements regarding female participation in hunting, let alone any information about how much female participation in
hunting would be enough to satisfy those demands or requirements. Instead, the text indicates that the study challenged the
accepted view by showing that as many as half the hunters in the groups studied were female, suggesting that the accepted
view is that female participation in hunting was low. Choice D is incorrect because the text indicates that the study
challenged the accepted view by showing that as many as half of hunters among the prehistoric peoples studied were
female, which suggests that the accepted view is that female participation was low, not that female participation was
“commonplace,” or ordinary or unremarkable. Although the study under discussion suggests that female participation may
have been commonplace, that study is presented as challenging the accepted view, not as reinforcing the accepted view.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 5d48f889
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 5d48f889
The following text is adapted from Mercedes de Acosta’s 1921 poem “Spring and You.”

Now, Love and April, and the gold of your hair, Are all mingled together Like the blending of an exotic dream plant
With the fragrant perfume of a strange, frail flower.

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

A. Identified

B. Combined

C. Remembered

D. Celebrated

ID: 5d48f889 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because as used in the text, "mingled" most nearly means combined. In the text, the speaker
refers to several concepts mingling together and then compares this to "the blending of" two other things (an exotic plant
and the fragrance of a strange flower). This comparison conveys that the speaker views the concepts of love, April, and the
gold of someone’s hair as being blended together, or combined.

Choice A is incorrect because "mingled" means combined, not identified. The speaker names several concepts (love, April,
and the gold color of someone’s hair) and then moves to a comparison of their mingling together to "the blending of" a plant
and the scent of a flower, conveying the idea that the speaker views the concepts as blended together, or combined. Choice
C is incorrect. The text as a whole may refer to a memory, but the comparison of the mingling of several concepts (love, April,
and the gold color of someone’s hair) to "the blending of" a plant and the scent of a flower conveys that the speaker views
those concepts as actually blended together, or combined, and not simply remembered at the same time. Choice D is
incorrect. The speaker refers to several concepts (love, April, and the gold color of someone’s hair) and then compares the
mingling together of those concepts to "the blending of" a plant and the scent of a flower; rather than suggesting that the
concepts are celebrated, this comparison conveys that the speaker views the concepts as blended together, or combined.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 849bf8d7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 849bf8d7
In the mid-nineteenth century, some abolitionist newspapers ______ westward migration in the United States; by printing a
letter that described the easy fortunes and high salaries miners could make in California during the Gold Rush, Frederick
Douglass’s newspaper North Star was one such publication that inspired readers to relocate.

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

A. stimulated

B. assigned

C. opposed

D. disregarded

ID: 849bf8d7 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. "Stimulated" means "encouraged interest or increased activity in." Because the newspapers
discussed the benefits of westward migration and "inspired readers to relocate," we can infer that they encouraged people to
move west.

Choice B is incorrect. "Assigned" means "gave a job or duty." Newspapers do not have the power to assign people to move
west, although they can encourage it. Choice C is incorrect. "Opposed" means "disapproved of." We can tell that this isn’t the
case, because the newspapers discussed "the easy fortunes and high salaries miners could make in California" and "inspired
readers to relocate." Choice D is incorrect. "Disregarded" means "ignored." If the newspapers are writing about the west and
"inspir[ing] readers to relocate," they can’t be ignoring it at the same time.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 74ee7737
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 74ee7737
Whether Carmen Lomas Garza is creating small paintings and illustrations or large public artworks—such as Baile, a copper
cutout of traditional Mexican dance in the San Francisco International Airport—she is ______ direct experience, drawing from
memories of her childhood in Texas or details of her current surroundings in California.

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

A. complimented by

B. uncertain about

C. unbothered by

D. inspired by

ID: 74ee7737 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Carmen Lomas Garza’s artistic
process. In this context, "inspired by" means influenced by or motivated by. The text refers to how, regardless of the scale of
the work, Garza uses her memories of Texas and details from California to create her art. If Garza is basing her work on her
direct experiences, then they play a part in her artistic process. This context thus suggests that Garza’s art is inspired by the
experiences of her childhood in Texas and her current life in California.

Choice A is incorrect because it wouldn’t make logical sense to indicate that Garza is "complimented by"—or praised by—
something inanimate such as direct experience. Choice B is incorrect because describing Garza as "uncertain about"—or
unsure or doubtful of—direct experience would suggest that she had misgivings about it. If Garza were unsure of her
experiences, that would suggest that she couldn’t recall them, and Garza wouldn’t be able to represent direct experience in
her art if she were uncertain of the memories or details. Choice C is incorrect because describing Garza as "unbothered by"—
or uninterested in—her experience would imply the opposite of what the text suggests about Garza’s artistic process. The
text indicates that Garza’s art comes from memories of her childhood in Texas and details of her surroundings in California.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID b44066dc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: b44066dc
Economist Jingting Fan argues that the effects of international trade may display spatial variation at sub-national levels. For
instance, imported goods may reduce expenses for a country’s average consumer, but for consumers living far from ports,
high intranational transport costs could ______ the price advantages associated with imports.

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

A. nullify

B. denigrate

C. underestimate

D. misconstrue

ID: b44066dc Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it logically completes the text’s discussion of imported goods and consumer prices. In
this context, "nullify" most nearly means negate or undermine. The text indicates that importing goods to a country can
reduce consumer prices in that country, then cautions that the costs of transporting goods within the country is also a factor.
These transportation costs likely raise the prices that must be paid by people who live far from the ports of entry. Therefore,
the intranational transportation costs could nullify the price advantages to consumers of importing goods.

Choice B is incorrect. In this context, "denigrate" would most nearly mean disparage or deny the importance of. Since
transportation costs would not be capable of denying the importance of price advantages, it would not make sense to state
that intranational transportation costs denigrate the price advantages of importing goods. Choice C is incorrect. In this
context, "underestimate" would most nearly mean predict a lower value for, or to undervalue, someone or something. Though
transportation costs might be undervalued, they cannot themselves undervalue something else, so it would not make sense
to state that intranational transportation costs underestimate the price advantages of importing goods. Choice D is
incorrect. In this context, "misconstrue" would most nearly mean misunderstand. Since transport costs are not capable of
understanding, it would not make sense to claim that intranational transportation costs misconstrue the price advantages of
importing goods.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID b92c13fa
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: b92c13fa
According to statistician Nassim Nicholas Taleb, the best way to predict the amount of time a nonperishable entity (such as
a building or a technology) will continue to exist is to examine how long it has survived so far. In this view, an item’s age is
the strongest ______ how much longer it will last.

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

A. uncertainty about

B. indicator of

C. motivation for

D. criticism of

ID: b92c13fa Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. “Indicator” means “something that shows or suggests,” which matches Taleb’s argument that an
item’s age can suggest how much longer it will last.

Choice A is incorrect. The passage tells us that examining an item’s age is the best way to predict how much longer it will
last. Therefore, according to Taleb’s theory, an item’s age should add more certainty about how much longer it will last.
Choice C is incorrect. A “motivation” is “a reason for doing.” Items don’t have feelings and motivations, so it wouldn’t make
sense to say that their age is a motivation for how much longer they will last. Choice D is incorrect. “Criticism” can mean
“describing faults or problems” or “an analysis of an artistic work.” Neither of these definitions makes sense here. An item’s
age can’t criticize how much longer it will last.

Question Difficulty: Easy

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 1455b754
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 1455b754
While recent scholarship has undermined claims that the works of twelfth-century Islamic philosopher Ibn Rushd were ______
other Muslim philosophers of his time, it is indisputable that his location in the Muslim-ruled area of what is now Spain
meant that his works were primarily available thousands of miles west of the era’s center of Islamic thought.

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

A. controversial among

B. antagonistic toward

C. imitated by

D. inconsequential to

ID: 1455b754 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the twelfth-century Islamic
philosopher Ibn Rushd. As used in this context, "inconsequential to" means not significant to. According to the text, Ibn
Rushd’s works were primarily available in Spain, where he lived, far from central areas of the Muslim world, a fact that could
support the conclusion that his influence on Muslim contemporaries was limited. The text implies, however, that recent
scholarship has shown that his works still had an impact on other Muslim philosophers of his time. This context supports
the idea that his works weren’t inconsequential to Islamic thought in this period.

Choice A is incorrect because the issue under consideration in the text is whether other Muslim philosophers of Ibn Rushd’s
time had access to his works, not whether his works were "controversial among," or causing dispute among, other
philosophers. Choice B is incorrect. The text implies that other Muslim philosophers of Ibn Rushd’s era were aware of his
works, not that they were "antagonistic toward," or hostile toward, them. There is no suggestion that Ibn Rushd’s writings
elicited hostility from his contemporaries. Choice C is incorrect because in this context, "imitated by" would mean followed
as a model by. Although the text implies that Ibn Rushd’s works were at least somewhat available in regions that were at the
center of Islamic thought during the period, it doesn’t specifically address in what ways his works influenced contemporary
Muslim philosophers. Thus, the text doesn’t support the idea that other philosophers modeled their own works after Ibn
Rushd’s works.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 4830ab87
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 4830ab87
The way in which individual elements are balanced within a photographic image tends to affect how viewers perceive it:
symmetry tends to give the elements equal importance, asymmetry emphasizes differences, and radial balance (organizing
the elements around a central point) emphasizes the center over the periphery. What a photograph conveys is therefore
largely ______ how it is balanced.

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

A. inhibited by

B. contingent on

C. obligated to

D. reserved for

ID: 4830ab87 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of visual balance in photography. In
this context, "contingent on" means conditional upon, or determined by. The text indicates that different ways of balancing
elements in a photograph convey different ideas to viewers (for example, symmetrical composition tends to emphasize
similarity among elements, whereas asymmetry tends to emphasize difference). Thus, there is a strong connection between
what a photograph conveys and how its elements are balanced. Therefore, what a photo conveys is contingent on how it is
balanced.

Choice A is incorrect. In this context, "inhibited by" most nearly means hindered or undermined by. The text indicates that
different ways of balancing elements in a photograph convey different ideas to viewers, thereby indicating a relationship
between image balance and what is conveyed. Although this explanation is consistent with a photographer choosing
asymmetrical balance even while intending to convey similarity (associated with symmetrical balance), there is nothing to
indicate that messages generally are inhibited by balance. Rather the implication is that balance is a tool photographers can
use to craft their messages. Choice C is incorrect. In this context, "obligated to" means duty bound toward or answerable to.
In context, it would not make sense to assert that a photograph’s message is obligated to how that photograph is balanced.
Choice D is incorrect. In this context, "reserved for" most nearly means solely available to someone or held aside for some
purpose. The text as a whole does not support the claim that a photograph’s message is reserved for how that photograph is
balanced.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID e8c26398
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: e8c26398
To develop a method for measuring snow depth with laser beams, NASA physicist Yongxiang Hu relied on ______; identifying
broad similarities between two seemingly different phenomena, Hu used information about how ants move inside colonies
to calculate how the particles of light that make up laser beams travel through snow.

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

A. a collaboration

B. an accessory

C. a contradiction

D. an analogy

ID: e8c26398 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The text after the semicolon tells us that Hu "identif[ied] broad similarities between two
seemingly different phenomena," comparing ants with light particles. Since an analogy seeks similarities between seemingly
unrelated phenomena, this fits the context perfectly.

Choice A is incorrect. "A collaboration" refers to "an act of working with others," but what comes after the semicolon doesn’t
describe collaboration with other researchers. Instead, it shows a comparison between two different (but ultimately similar)
scientific phenomena. Choice B is incorrect. "An accessory" can refer to "something added to increase attractiveness or
usefulness." No accessories are described in this text. Choice C is incorrect. "A contradiction" means "a set of ideas or things
that are opposed to or inconsistent with each other." The text describes how Hu used the similarity between ant and light
particle movement to develop his method, so a word that refers to difference would not make sense here.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID bdab32fc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: bdab32fc
Cucurbits, a group of plants that includes squash and melons, relied on mastodons to spread their seeds in the Ice Age.
When these animals died out, cucurbits faced extinction in turn, having lost their means of seed dispersal. Around this time,
however, the ancestors of Indigenous peoples in North America began raising cucurbits as crops, thus ______ the plants’
survival.

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

A. verifying

B. multiplying

C. comforting

D. ensuring

ID: bdab32fc Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of cucurbits. In this context, “ensuring”
means guaranteeing, or making sure of, the cucurbits’ survival. The text states that cucurbits faced extinction in the past
because their means of seed dispersal disappeared, but the ancestors of Indigenous peoples in North America began
farming cucurbits around that same time, so the crops were no longer threatened. Therefore, the context supports the idea
that the ancestors of Indigenous peoples in North America helped with ensuring the cucurbits’ survival.

Choice A is incorrect because in this context verifying means making sure that something is accurate. In the text, the
ancestors of Indigenous peoples in North America were ensuring the survival, not the accuracy of, the cucurbits. Choice B is
incorrect. Although the cucurbit crops themselves were multiplying, or growing in number, as a result of the work of the
ancestors of Indigenous peoples in North America, it wouldn’t make sense in context to say that the survival of the plants
was multiplying. Choice C is incorrect because according to the text, in raising cucurbits as crops, the ancestors of
Indigenous peoples in North America were attempting to help the plants grow and survive; they weren’t attempting to
comfort, or free the plants from pain.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 5514fd1f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 5514fd1f
Archaeologist Erika Karuzas works with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of Montana to preserve culturally
significant sites. In 2015 they decided that creating a new national trail connecting many of these sites would ______ their
preservation efforts, because the US government provides some protections to national trails that aren’t given to other areas.

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

A. inspire

B. ignore

C. promote

D. reduce

ID: 5514fd1f Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the preservation efforts undertaken
by Erika Karuzas and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of Montana. In this context, "promote" means play a part
in the success or growth of something or someone. The text indicates that Karuzas and the Confederated Salish and
Kootenai Tribes work to preserve culturally important sites. It goes on to say that their decision to create a national trail
connecting the sites was motivated by the fact that such a trail would receive protections from the US government that the
sites wouldn’t otherwise receive. Thus, such a decision would promote the preservation efforts.

Choice A is incorrect because "inspire" means motivate or influence, which wouldn’t make sense in context. The text
establishes that Karuzas and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of Montana work to preserve culturally significant
sites and that their decision to create a new national trail occurred as a result of a desire to add protections to the sites that
they wouldn’t otherwise receive. Thus, creating the trail wouldn’t inspire the efforts to preserve the sites; instead, it would
promote the efforts. Choice B is incorrect because "ignore" means overlook, which wouldn’t make sense in context. The text
indicates that Karuzas and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of Montana work to preserve culturally significant
sites and that they decided to create a national trail connecting the sites because such a trail would receive protections from
the US government that the sites wouldn’t otherwise receive. Thus, the creation of the trail would promote, not ignore, the
preservation efforts. Choice D is incorrect because "reduce" means decrease or restrict, which wouldn’t make sense in
context. The text indicates that Karuzas and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of Montana work to preserve
culturally significant sites and that they decided to create a national trail connecting the sites because such a trail would
receive protections from the US government that the sites wouldn’t otherwise receive. The decision would therefore promote,
not reduce, the preservation efforts.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID daaed806
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: daaed806
Mônica Lopes-Ferreira and others at Brazil’s Butantan Institute are studying the freshwater stingray species Potamotrygon
rex to determine whether biological characteristics such as the rays’ age and sex have ______ effect on the toxicity of their
venom—that is, to see if differences in these traits are associated with considerable variations in venom potency.

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

A. a disconcerting

B. an acceptable

C. an imperceptible

D. a substantial

ID: daaed806 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the research that Lopes-Ferreira
and her colleagues are conducting on the stingray species Potamotrygon rex. As used in this context, “a substantial” effect
means an effect that is sizable or noteworthy. The text indicates that the researchers are seeking to determine whether there
are “considerable variations” in the potency of stingray venom that are associated with variation in the stingrays’ age and
sex. This context suggests that the researchers want to find out whether stingray age and sex have a substantial effect on
venom toxicity.

Choice A is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text that suggests that the researchers have been studying whether the
stingrays’ age and sex have “a disconcerting,” or an unsettling and disturbing, effect on the stingrays’ venom. The text
indicates that the researchers wish to determine if stingray age and sex cause large variations in the toxicity of stingray
venom, not if the effect of age and sex is disconcerting. Choice B is incorrect because the text indicates that researchers
want to find out whether differences in stingray age and sex produce differences in stingray venom, not that the researchers
want to find out whether age and sex have “an acceptable,” or a satisfactory, effect on venom. The text makes no mention of
what would make an effect on venom toxicity acceptable and gives no indication that the researchers are interested in that
question. Choice C is incorrect because it wouldn’t make sense in context for the researchers to be looking for “an
imperceptible,” or an unnoticeable, effect of age and sex on stingray venom. The text says that the researchers are trying to
determine if there are “considerable variations” in venom toxicity linked to age and sex, not that the researchers are trying to
find effects that they can’t perceive.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 4480fae9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 4480fae9
The following text is adapted from Sui Sin Far’s 1912 short story “Mrs. Spring Fragrance.” Mr. and Mrs. Spring Fragrance
immigrated to the United States from China.

Mrs. Spring Fragrance was unaware that Mr. Spring Fragrance, tired with the day’s business, had thrown himself down
on the bamboo settee on the veranda, and that although his eyes were engaged in scanning the pages of the Chinese
World, his ears could not help receiving the words which were borne to him through the open window.

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

A. Denying

B. Entering

C. Carrying

D. Hearing

ID: 4480fae9 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because as used in the text, “receiving” most nearly means hearing, or perceiving sound. The
text describes Mr. Spring Fragrance as he reads a newspaper, focusing on his eyes and ears. While his eyes look at the
newspaper, he is unwillingly distracted by words coming through a nearby open window (that is, “his ears could not help
receiving the words”). The words are being perceived specifically by his ears and not his eyes, and ears are the organs of
sense with which one hears, so therefore Mr. Spring Fragrance is hearing the words through the open window.

Choice A is incorrect because there is no indication in the text that Mr. Spring Fragrance is denying, or refusing the truth of,
the words coming to him through the window. He is merely distracted by them. Choice B is incorrect because it wouldn’t
make sense to say that Mr. Spring Fragrance’s ears couldn’t help entering, or coming into, the words coming to him through
the window. Instead, the text indicates that the opposite occurs: that is, when Mr. Spring Fragrance hears the words, they
enter his ears, but his ears don’t enter the words. Choice C is incorrect because it doesn’t make sense in this context to think
of Mr. Spring Fragrance as carrying the words coming to him through the window, even though the word “carry” can have a
number of different meanings depending on context: for example, he is not lifting them, he is not supporting them, and he is
not accepting blame for them (as one “carries the blame” for a mistake).

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 5d2fd27d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 5d2fd27d
While we can infer information about climate activity in Earth’s distant past from physical evidence, we of course cannot
observe past climates directly. To study early Earth’s climate in action, we must ______ that climate using computer models
that represent various climate conditions consistent with the physical evidence.

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

A. invent

B. simulate

C. exaggerate

D. preserve

ID: 5d2fd27d Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of climate activity in Earth’s distant
past. In this context, to “simulate” most nearly means to represent a natural process using computer models. According to
the text, understanding Earth’s early climate is difficult because we cannot make direct observations of the distant past.
Instead, scientists must create computer models that approximate early climate conditions, based on the physical evidence
that those conditions left behind on Earth’s surface. This context supports the idea that computer models simulate Earth’s
climate in the distant past.

Choice A is incorrect because scientists use existing physical evidence as a basis for developing computer models that
describe what Earth’s actual past climate might have been like. The models are not being used to “invent,” or imagine, a
completely fictional climate. Choice C is incorrect because the computer models are being used in an attempt to describe as
accurately as possible what Earth’s past climate might have been like. They are not attempting to “exaggerate,” or distort,
those features. Choice D is incorrect because the computer models do not “preserve,” or protect from deterioration, Earth’s
early climate; instead, they attempt to reproduce the characteristics of that climate, based on the remaining physical
evidence of that climate.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 9aa44886
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 9aa44886
The following text is from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby.

[Jay Gatsby] was balancing himself on the dashboard of his car with that resourcefulness of movement that is so
peculiarly American—that comes, I suppose, with the absence of lifting work in youth and, even more, with the formless
grace of our nervous, sporadic games. This quality was continually breaking through his punctilious manner in the
shape of restlessness.

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

A. Standard

B. Prestige

C. Characteristic

D. Accomplishment

ID: 9aa44886 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. “This quality” refers to Gatsby’s “resourcefulness of movement,” which is described as a
characteristic or trait of his.

Choice A is incorrect. This isn’t what “quality” means in this context. Here, “this quality” refers to Gatsby’s “resourcefulness of
movement,” which is described as a characteristic or trait of his. “Standard” is a synonym for a different definition of
“quality”: the degree of excellence of something. Choice B is incorrect. This isn’t what “quality” means in this context. Here,
“this quality” refers to Gatsby’s “resourcefulness of movement,” which is described as a characteristic or trait of his.
“Prestige” would suggest a high status or an admirable reputation, which doesn’t match that description. Choice D is
incorrect. This isn’t what “quality” means in this context. Here, “this quality” refers to Gatsby’s “resourcefulness of
movement,” which is described as a characteristic or trait of his. “Accomplishment” would suggest an achievement, which
doesn’t match that description.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID afd48140
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: afd48140
In 1877, 85% of California’s railways were already controlled by the Southern Pacific Railroad. The company further solidified
its ______ in rail access to the state’s Pacific coast when it completed the Sunset Route in 1883: running from Louisiana to
Southern California, the route established the first transcontinental rail line across the southern United States.

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

A. dominance

B. creativity

C. insignificance

D. neutrality

ID: afd48140 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most logically and precisely completes the text’s discussion of the Southern Pacific
Railroad. As used in this context, "dominance" means the state of being more successful than others. The text states that
the Southern Pacific Railroad already controlled 85% of California’s railways in 1877, and that the Sunset Route it constructed
in 1883 was the first transcontinental rail line across the southern United States. Therefore, the Southern Pacific Railroad
would be more successful than other railroads in the area, and the construction of the Sunset Route would further solidify its
dominance in rail access to California’s coast.

Choice B is incorrect. Although the construction of the Sunset Route must have required some creativity, or use of
imagination, the word "creativity" would not also encompass the fact that the Southern Pacific Railroad already controlled
85% of California’s railways. The text is more focused on the railroad’s control of the field and overall success rather than its
imaginative thought processes. Choice C is incorrect because if the Southern Pacific Railroad controlled the majority of
California’s railways, it would not make sense to refer to its "insignificance," or the state of being unimportant. Rather, the
opposite would be true. Choice D is incorrect because in context it would not make sense to refer to the Southern Pacific
Railroad’s "neutrality," or absence of strong opinion on a matter, since no opinions are mentioned. Nor would "neutrality" in
the sense of impartiality in a conflict be a logical or precise choice since no conflict is explicitly described. There might be an
implied conflict between the Southern Pacific Railroad and other railroads doing business in California, but that is not a
conflict in which the Southern Pacific Railroad would take an impartial position.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 9b22bf7b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Words in Context

ID: 9b22bf7b
The following text is from the 1989 novel The Ancient Child by Kiowa writer N. Scott Momaday. The main character has
achieved tremendous commercial success as a painter.

More and more often he was asked to compromise his art or himself in one way or another, and more often than not he
did so, for he was inclined to be passive and naïve; it was difficult for him to say no. Those who exhibited his work, who
praised and purchased it, and who demanded its proliferation began to determine it.
©1989 by N. Scott Momaday

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

A. Conclude

B. Dictate

C. Evaluate

D. Select

ID: 9b22bf7b Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because as used in the text "determine" most nearly means "dictate." The text describes the
relationship between the main character and those who exhibit, praise, and purchase his artwork. The text states that the
main character is often asked to change his art or himself based on outside influences, and he usually acquiesces. Because
the main character admits that those who support his work often shape it based on their demands, it follows that those
outside influences dictate, or guide or dominate, the direction his work takes.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that outside influences "conclude," or end, the main character’s work.
The text states that many supporters of the main character’s art "demand its proliferation," not its conclusion. Choice C is
incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that outside influences are "evaluating," or judging the main character’s work.
According to the text, the main character’s art has already achieved great commercial success, with many people exhibiting,
purchasing, and praising his work. Thus, outsiders have already supported the main character’s work and are not questioning
or evaluating its success or worth. They are instead influencing its initial direction. Choice D is incorrect because the text
doesn’t suggest that outside influences "select," or choose the main character’s work. According to the text, the main
character’s art has already achieved great commercial success, with many people exhibiting, purchasing, and praising his
work. Thus, outsiders have already supported the main character’s work and are not selecting it. They are instead influencing
its initial direction.

Question Difficulty: Hard