Easy Questions: Joe Gets Over 90% Correct

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the verbal portion of your SAT class. This class is intended to teach the strategies you need in order to perform better on the SAT Reasoning Test. The more effort you put into the class, the more you will get out of it.

Good luck!

1 Be Smart!

THE AVERAGE JOE

The average student is just that… AVERAGE. He is not too bright, but he is not too dumb, either. Due to the fact that he is so average, he is very predictable and we can use THE AVERAGE JOE to help beat ETS at their own game.

Easy Questions: Joe gets over 90% correct.

Medium Questions: Joe gets about 50% correct.

Difficult Questions: Joe gets none correct.

See how Joe takes the test and learn what NOT to do!

FASCINATING, ISN’T IT?

 There are three types of questions: easy, medium and difficult  Every question is worth the same amount – 1 point  Two-thirds of the questions are easy or medium

YOU SHOULD GUESS!!!

YES! You should guess! However, there are rules to guessing.

Correct answers: +1 point

Wrong answers: - ¼ point

Blank answers: 0 points

So, what does this mean to you? It means every time you use the process of elimination (POE) and can get rid of an answer choice, the probability of getting an answer correct, goes up!

2 YOUR PERSONAL ORDER OF DIFFICULTY (POOD)

When you take a test in class, don’t you answer the questions you know, the easy ones, first? Of course! ETS makes things easier for you by placing questions in difficulty order on the sentence completions and the grammar sections of the test. However, you need to figure out your POOD for the reading comprehension portion.

PACE YOURSELF

Each of the 25-minute Critical Reading sections will contain three types of questions: sentence completions, short reading, and critical reading. In general, the reading comprehension questions take longer to do than the sentence completions. If you have a good vocabulary, tackle the sentence completions first and then move on to the reading questions. If vocabulary is not your strong point, spend more time with the reading questions (but be sure to study vocabulary anyway; the better your vocabulary, the better your reading level – and your score). Use whatever time you have left to deal with the sentence completions.

The two Writing sections will contain questions broken down into three types: improving sentences, error identification, and improving paragraphs. The error identification questions generally take the least amount of time and should be done first. After you’ve finished them, move on to the improving sentences questions. Save the improving paragraphs questions for last.

You do not have to answer every question on the test to get a good score; it is okay if you skip questions as you work. However, as you learn the strategies in this book, you will see that on most questions you will be able to eliminate at least one answer. In that case, it pays to be aggressive and guess. The higher you aim to score, the more questions you will need to attempt.

3 In order to get a 400 you need a raw score of about 14. There are several ways to get a 14. For example, you could answer 14 questions correctly and leave the rest blank. Or you could answer 22 questions, but get 8 wrong. (Don’t forget you lose a ¼ of a point for every wrong answer).

This pacing chart is only an approximate guide. ETS has a way of changing things at the last minute. Don’t worry if there are slightly more or fewer questions in each section when you take the test. Just hold your pacing to your score level, and you will do fine!

Total To Get You Need 25-question 35-question 15-question Questions to (scaled score) (raw points) section section section Attempt

300 5 4 4 1 9

350 8 5 5 2 12

400 14 7 7 4 18

450 19 10 10 6 26

500 27 15 15 7 37

550 34 18 18 9 45

600 41 22 22 11 55

650 49 all all all 65

4 vOCABULARY

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW…

 The more words you know, the easier the test will be  Vocabulary is important for every verbal section of the test

5 VOCABULARY

1. Vocabulary: Why is it important?

2. THE LIST: Vocabulary words

3. Vocabulary Activities and Study Skills

a) Flash Cards

b) Flash Words

c) Vocabulary Notebooks

d) Vocabulary in Context

4. Understanding root words & prefixes

5. READ

WHY IS VOCABULARY IMPORTANT?

Your ability to recognize and use sophisticated vocabulary plays an important role in your success on the SAT. You will require a working knowledge of sophisticated vocabulary on the Sentence Completions section. You should also demonstrate your ability to use vocabulary when writing your essay. Working on vocabulary for the SAT will serve you well in other classes for which you are required to produce thoughtful writing! Impress your English teacher on your next essay, or your social studies teacher on your next DBQ. Actively using your newly acquired vocabulary is a great way to review!

THE LIST: SAT VOCABULARY

The following list represents words commonly used on the SAT. Some letters contain more words than others. While this list is comprehensive, there are many other sources that include other words that make recurring appearances on the SAT. Feel free to supplement this list with others that are readily available online, in bookstores, and in your local library. Take control of your vocabulary!

6 to renounce, repudiate, or retract, esp. with formal 1. solemnity; recant: to abjure one's errors. to renounce or give up under oath; forswear: to abjure 2. allegiance. Abjure (v) 3. to avoid or shun to shorten by omissions while retaining the basic 1. contents: to abridge a reference book to reduce or lessen in duration, scope, authority, etc.; 2. diminish; curtail: to abridge a visit; to abridge one's freedom Abridge (v) 3. to deprive; cut off

thought of apart from concrete realities, specific 1. objects, or actual instances: an abstract idea expressing a quality or characteristic apart from any 2. specific object or instance, as justice, poverty, and speed 3. theoretical; not applied or practical: abstract science Abstract (adj) 4. difficult to understand; abstruse: abstract speculations to welcome or salute with shouts or sounds of joy and 1. approval; applaud: to acclaim the conquering heroes. to announce or proclaim with enthusiastic approval: to 2. Acclaim (v) acclaim the new king. to show excessive admiration or devotion to; flatter or Adulation (v) admire (v) to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly: He advocated higher salaries for teachers

(n) a person who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person, cause, etc. (usually fol. by of): an advocate of Advocate peace a person, group, or force that opposes or attacks; 1. opponent; enemy; foe a person, group, etc., that is an opponent in a contest; 2. Adversary (n) contestant

7 a positive statement or declaration, often without 1. support or reason: a mere assertion; an unwarranted assertion 2. an act of asserting

Assertion (n) a formal agreement or treaty between two or more 1. nations to cooperate for specific purposes. a merging of efforts or interests by persons, families, 2. states, or organizations: an alliance between church Alliance (n) and state. keen insight; shrewdness: remarkable acumen in business Acumen (n) matters Artisan (n) a person skilled in an applied art; a craftsperson of keen penetration or discernment; sagacious: an 1. astute analysis clever; cunning; ingenious; shrewd: an astute 2. merchandising program; an astute manipulation of Astute (adj) facts self-governing; independent; subject to its own laws 1. only having autonomy; not subject to control from outside; 2. independent: a subsidiary that functioned as an Autonomous (adj) autonomous unit a strong feeling of dislike, opposition, repugnance, or antipathy (usually fol. by to): a strong aversion to snakes Aversion (n) and spiders the state of being in the ascendant; governing or controlling Ascendancy (n) influence; domination to long, aim, or seek ambitiously; be eagerly desirous, esp. for something great or of high value (usually fol. by to, after, or an infinitive): to aspire after literary immortality; to aspire Aspire (v) to be a doctor 1. constant; unremitting: assiduous reading constant in application or effort; working diligently at a 2. task; persevering; industrious; attentive: an assiduous Assiduous (adj) student Arbitrary (adj) subject to individual will or judgment without 1. restriction; contingent solely upon one's discretion: an arbitrary decision. 2. decided by a judge or arbiter rather than by a law or

8 statute. having unlimited power; uncontrolled or unrestricted 3. by law; despotic; tyrannical: an arbitrary government. unreasonable; unsupported: an arbitrary demand for 4. payment. promising success; propitious; opportune; favorable: 1. an auspicious occasion. Auspicious (adj) 2. favored by fortune; prosperous; fortunate to make larger; enlarge in size, number, strength, or extent; Augment (v) increase inclined or eager to fight; aggressively hostile; belligerent; pugnacious.

Bellicose (adj) characterized by or expressing goodwill or kindly 1. feelings: a benevolent attitude; her benevolent smile. desiring to help others; charitable: gifts from several 2. Benevolent (adj) benevolent alumni. shortness of time or duration; briefness: the brevity of 1. human life. the quality of expressing much in few words; 2. Brevity (n) terseness: Brevity is the soul of wit. to add to, support, or uphold (sometimes fol. by up): They bolstered their morale by singing. He bolstered up his claim with new evidence. Bolster (v) to show to be false; contradict: His trembling hands 1. belied his calm voice. 2. to misrepresent: The newspaper belied the facts. to act unworthily according to the standards of (a 3. tradition, one's ancestry, one's faith, etc.).

Belie (v)

to present as a gift; give; confer (usually fol. by on or 1. upon): The trophy was bestowed upon the winner. to put to some use; apply: Time spent in study is 2. Bestow (v) time well bestowed. 2. to strike or knock down with a bludgeon. to force into something; coerce; bully: The boss 3. Bludgeon (v) finally bludgeoned him into accepting responsibility. Behemoth (n) an animal, perhaps the hippopotamus, mentioned in 1. Job 40:15–24. 2. any creature or thing of monstrous size or power:

9 The army's new tank is a behemoth. The cartel is a behemoth small business owners fear. an exchange of light, playful, teasing remarks; good- Banter (n) natured raillery. Bravado (n) a pretentious, swaggering display of courage. Cajole (v) to persuade by flattery or promises; wheedle; coax. trickery or deception by quibbling or sophistry: He resorted Chicanery (n) to the worst flattery and chicanery to win the job. Conflagration (n) a destructive fire, usually an extensive one to sail or fly around; make the circuit of by 1. navigation: to circumnavigate the earth. to go or maneuver around: to circumnavigate the 2. Circumnavigate (v) heavy downtown traffic. going rapidly over something, without noticing details; Cursory (adj) hasty; superficial: a cursory glance at a newspaper article. Curtail (v) to cut short; cut off a part of; abridge; reduce; diminish. the state or quality of being frank, open, and sincere in speech or expression; candidness: The candor of the Candor (n) speech impressed the audience. of large scope; covering or involving much; inclusive: 1. Comprehensive a comprehensive study of world affairs. comprehending mentally; having an extensive 2. (adj) mental range or grasp. to express an unfavorable or adverse judgment on; 1. indicate strong disapproval of; censure. to pronounce to be guilty; sentence to punishment: 2. to condemn a murderer to life imprisonment. Condemn (v) strong or vehement expression of disapproval: The 1. newspapers were unanimous in their censure of the tax proposal. an official reprimand, as by a legislative body of one 2. Censure (n) of its members. to acknowledge as true, just, or proper; admit: He finally Concede (v) conceded that she was right. Confound (v) to confuse Conviction (n) a fixed or firm belief. willingness to believe or trust too readily, esp. without Credulity (n) proper or adequate evidence; gullibility. mysterious in meaning; puzzling; ambiguous: a cryptic Cryptic (adj) message. having a powerful and irresistible effect; requiring acute admiration, attention, or respect: a man of compelling Compelling (adj) integrity; a compelling drama. Curtail (v) to cut short; cut off a part of; abridge; reduce; diminish.

10 a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like; self- satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, Complacency (n) condition, etc. Coercion (n) force or the power to use force in gaining compliance Dogged (adj) persistent in effort; stubbornly tenacious: a dogged worker Decorum (n) dignified behavior, speech, dress, etc. Degradation (n) The state of being humiliated, dishonored, or degraded to Deprecate (n) To belittle or express disapproval of To move away from a central theme or topic in speech or Digress (v) writing showing good or outstanding judgment and Discerning (adj) understanding: a discerning critic of French poetry. feeling or showing profound hopelessness, dejection, discouragement, or gloom: despondent about failing Despondent (adj) health. a feeling of contempt for anything regarded as unworthy; Disdain (n) haughty contempt; scorn. Discordant (adj) disagreeable to the ear; dissonant; harsh. 1. falling off or shed at a particular season, stage of growth, etc., as leaves, horns, or teeth. Deciduous (adj) 2. not permanent; transitory. asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner; Dogmatic (adj) opinionated. deceitfulness in speech or conduct; speaking or acting in two different ways concerning the same matter with intent Duplicity (n) to deceive; double-dealing.

Disclose (v) to make known; reveal or uncover Disparity (n) lack of similarity or equality; inequality; difference Discourse (n) communication of thought by words; talk constant in effort to accomplish something; attentive and Diligent (adj) persistent in doing anything a particular principle, position, or policy taught or Doctrine (n) advocated, as of a religion or government Dubious (adj) doubtful; marked by or occasioning doubt composed of elements drawn from various sources or

Eclectic (adj) styles to leave one's place of residence or country to live

Emigrate (v) elsewhere Enigma (n) something hard to understand or explain; a mystery subject to two or more interpretations and usually used to Equivocal (adj) mislead or confuse

11 possessing or displaying learned behavior; one that is very Erudite (adj) educated Extricate (v) to free or remove from an entanglement or difficulty Extraneous (adj) not forming an essential or vital part; having no relevance Exalt (v) to raise in rank, power, or character the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression Euphemism (n) for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant tending to evade grasp or pursuit; hard to comprehend or

Elusive (adj) define Equanimity (n) evenness of mind especially under stress requiring or exhibiting knowledge that is restricted to a Esoteric (adj) small group to make beautiful with ornamentation; to heighten the Embellish (v) attractiveness of by adding decorative or fanciful details Emulate (v) to strive to equal or excel an intuitive grasp of reality through something; a sudden Epiphany (n) discovery or realization Enervate (adj) lacking physical, mental, or moral vigor Evanescent (adj) tending to vanish like vapor Exuberance (adj) the state or quality of being joyful and enthusiastic Furtive (adj) done in a sly or shifty manner excessively particular, critical, or demanding; hard to 1. please: a fastidious eater. requiring or characterized by excessive care or 2. Fastidious (adj) delicacy; Fervor (n) great warmth and earnestness of feeling not meant to be taken seriously or literally; amusing,

Facetious (adj) humorous characterized by lack of seriousness or sense;self- Frivolous (adj) indulgent, carefree Frugality (n) characterize by one who is thrifty and careful with money Fractious (adj) readily angered; peevish; irritable; quarrelsome existing in a natural state, as animals or plants; not Feral (adj) domesticated or cultivated; wild Feasible (adj) capable of being done, effected, or accomplished Frenetic (adj) frantic, frenzied a person who eats and drinks excessively or 1. voraciously. a person with a remarkably great desire or capacity 2. for something: a glutton for work; a glutton for Glutton (n) punishment. Gratuitous (adj) given, done, bestowed, or obtained without charge 1. or payment; free; voluntary.

12 being without apparent reason, cause, or 2. justification: a gratuitous insult. social, genial, outgoing, convivial, companionable, friendly, Gregarious (adj) extroverted Gullible (adj) easily deceived or cheated Guile (n) crafty or artful deception; duplicitous in obtaining goals leadership or predominant influence exercised by one Hegemony (n) nation over others, as in a confederation. Haughty (adj) disdainfully proud; snobbish; scornfully arrogant composed of parts or elements that are all of the 1. same kind; not heterogeneous: a homogeneous population. Homogeneous 2. of the same kind or nature; essentially alike. (adj) overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance

Hubris (n) excessive pride or self-confidence; arrogance. Hackneyed (adj) made commonplace; stale Illusory (adj) causing illusion; deceptive; misleading to slow in movement or progress by means of obstacles or Impede (v) hindrances; obstruct; to hinder characterized by offensive boldness; insolent or

Impudent (adj) impertinent Intrepid (adj) resolutely courageous; fearless; brave existing as an essential constituent or characteristic;

Inherent (adj) intrinsic Inane (adj) one that lacks sense or substance Incorrigible (adj) incapable of being corrected or reformed; Firmly rooted Innocuous (adj) not likely to offend or provoke to strong emotion; insipid Incontrovertible impossible to dispute; unquestionable

(adj) Jurisprudence (n) a division or department of law Juncture (n) the act of joining or the condition of being joined having a buoyant or self-confident air; brisk; crisp and Jaunty (n) dapper in appearance; stylish Jostle (v) to come in rough contact while moving; push and shove (adj) having the same belief, attitude, or feeling

(n) relationship by birth or descent, or sometimes by Kindred marriage; kinship Loquacious (adj) very talkative mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated Lugubrious (adj) or ludicrous degree

13 lightness of manner or speech, especially when

Levity (n) inappropriate Lament (v) to express grief for or about; mourn of, causing, or characterized by lethargy, sluggishness, Lethargic (adj) inactivity, and apathy Laud (v) to praise; extol. Lofty (adj) to be grand or great; pompous; elevated in character having or showing little or no interest in anything; languid; Listless (adj) spiritless; indifferent a wordbook or dictionary, esp. of Greek, Latin, or 1. Hebrew. the vocabulary of a particular language, field, social 2. Lexicon (n) class, person, etc. Lavish (adj) Characterized by or produced with extravagance to inflict serious bodily harm on; to detract from the Marred (v) perfection or wholeness of; to spoil Morose (adj) having a sullen and gloomy disposition Mundane (adj) practical and ordinary Mitigate (v) to cause to become less harsh or hostile; to alleviate Modest (adj) neither bold nor self-assertive Melancholy (n) a state of being sad or depressed an independent individual who does not go along with a Maverick (n) group or party Miserly (adj) marked by meanness; stingy the act or process or an instance of naming; a system or set of terms or symbols especially in a particular science, Nomenclature (n) discipline, or art the quality or state of being easy, unconcerned or

Nonchalance (n) indifferent Novelty (n) something new or unusual Notoriety (n) the state of being notorious or well known to deny the existence or truth of; to cause or prove to be

Negate (v) invalid Nocturnal (adj) of, relating to, or occurring in the night deficient in worldly wisdom or informed judgment; Naïve (adj) inexperienced Nefarious (adj) wicked; evil Obsequious (adj) marked by or exhibiting attentiveness being or exhibiting an omen; foreboding or foreshadowing

Ominous (adj) evil Obscured (adj) not clearly seen or easily distinguished

14 strongly adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course in Obstinate (adj) spite of reason, arguments, or persuasion Oblivion (n) the condition or state of being forgotten or unknown Orator (n) one distinguished for skill and power as a public speaker Opulent (adj) having a large estate or property Ostentatious (adj) marked by vain and sometimes pretentious behavior Omnipotent (adj) having virtually unlimited authority or influence Opportunist (n) one who seeks out opportunity an outstandingly clear or typical example or archetype or

Paradigm (n) design Philanthropist (n) one who practices active effort to promote human welfare the quality or state of being pious: as a: fidelity to natural Piety (n) obligations (as to parents); dutifulness in religion strongly and actively opposed to conflict and especially

Pacifist (adj) war Pugnacious (adj) having a quarrelsome or combative nature to grow by rapid production of new parts, cells, buds, or Proliferate (v) offspring; to increase in number Putrid (adj) rotten; morally corrupt; totally objectionable to adopt an air of condescension toward : treat haughtily Patronizing (v) or coolly Placate (v) to soothe or mollify especially by concessions; to appease relating to matters of fact or practical affairs often to the exclusion of intellectual or artistic matters : practical as Pragmatic (adj) opposed to idealistic Quandary (n) a state of perplexity or doubt the essence of a thing in its purest and most concentrated Quintessential (n) form; the perfect example Quotidian (adj) occurring every day Reciprocal (adj) shared, felt, or shown by both sides Rancor (n) bitter deep-seated ill will Redundant (adj) repetitious; using more words than is necessary a gnawing distress arising from a sense of guilt for past

Remorse (n) wrongs Repel (v) to drive something or someone away Repudiate (v) to refuse to have anything to do with; to disown Reticence (n) the quality or state of being restrained or reserved Reverent (adj) characterizing one as worshipful Rhetorical (adj) asked merely for effect with no answer expected Sanguine (adj) relating to blood; cheerfulness, confidence, optimism to bring under control and governance as a subject; to Subjugate (v) make submissive

15 Sage (n) one (as a profound philosopher) distinguished for wisdom Supercilious (adj) coolly and patronizingly haughty or proud having moral integrity : acting in strict regard for what is Scrupulous (adj) considered right or proper Squander (v) to spend extravagantly or foolishly Surreptitious (adj) done, made, or acquired by stealth or in secret Superfluous (adj) beyond what is sufficient; unnecessary Servile (adj) of or befitting a slave or a menial position; submissive the study of the general principles of scientific classification; orderly classification of plants and animals Taxonomy (n) according to their presumed natural relationships. Tautology (n) needless repetition of an idea, statement, or word Tempestuous (adj) of, relating to, or resembling a tempest: turbulent, stormy (n) a person traveling about usually in search of work; one who is in constant transition Transient (adj) passing especially quickly into and out of existence Taciturn (adj) temperamentally disinclined to talk Terse (adj) smoothly elegant, polished Trite (adj) hackneyed or boring from much use : not fresh or original a state or condition of extreme confusion, agitation, or Turmoil (n) commotion Thrive (v) to grow vigorously and successfully to seize and hold (as office, place, or powers) in Usurp (v) possession by force or without right revealing or marked by a smug, ingratiating, and false Unctuous (adj) earnestness or spirituality Undermine (v) to weaken or ruin the state or quality of being uniform; overall sameness, or Uniformity (n) regularity Unwarranted (adj) Having no justification; groundless to move with a sinuous or wavelike motion; display a smooth rising-and-falling or side-to-side alternation of Undulate (v) movement Vehement (adj) strongly emotional; intense or passionate expressing or characterized by a lack of ideas or Vacuous (adj) intelligence; inane; stupid something regarded as drawing into its powerful current Vortex (n) everything that surrounds it Vilify (v) to speak ill of; defame; slander. Vocation (n) a particular occupation, business, or profession; calling. Verbose (adj) characterized by the use of many or too many words. tending or threatening to break out into open violence;

Volatile (adj) explosive Vacillate (v) 1. to waver in mind or opinion; be indecisive or irresolute

16 2. to sway unsteadily; waver; totter; stagger. Venerate (v) to regard or treat with reverence or respect; revere. Virtuoso (n) a person who has special knowledge or skill in a field anything odd or fanciful; a product of playful or capricious

Whimsy (n) fancy Wary (adj) watchful; being on one's guard against danger. full of, marked by, or proceeding from wiles; crafty;

Wily (adj) cunning. Wry (adj) bitterly or disdainfully ironic or amusing Waver (v) to feel or show doubt, indecision to roll about or lie in water, snow, mud, dust, or the 1. like, as for refreshment: Goats wallowed in the dust. to live self-indulgently; luxuriate; revel: to wallow in 2. luxury; to wallow in sentimentality. to flounder about; move along or proceed clumsily or 3. Wallow (v) with difficulty: A gunboat wallowed toward port.

17 VOCABULARY ACTIVITIES AND STUDY SKILLS  FLASH CARDS  FLASH WORDS  VOCABULARY NOTEBOOKS

STUDY SKILLS How do you study? Do you have a particular method of studying that helps you to focus and retain information? Most students struggle with identifying a way of studying that works well enough to make them successful in their class work. Having clear systems of studying in place is the first step toward success. Below details some suggested ways of studying vocabulary.

FLASH CARDS

Using flash cards for studying vocabulary works for many students. We all possess different learning styles. For this reason, flash cards is a style of studying that works very well for those of us who are visual learners. Flash cards are also very convenient as they are compact and can be carried around for studying almost anywhere.

Front of Card Back of Card

Vocabulary Word Definition

Suggestions

When studying multiple sets of vocabulary using flash cards, consider using different colors so that you can easily identify the different sets. You can now purchase sets of index cards that are bound with a spiral ring. This is very convenient since loose flash cards are so easy to lose. Check it out!

18 FLASH WORDS

The Flash Word study method is very similar to the simple flash card method. As mentioned previously, we all learn in different ways. Some of us are visual learners, while others are tactile learners who learn from actually touching or doing. For this reason, there is the Flash Word study method that appeals to different learning styles. Let’s take a look at the example below. Front of Card

Vocabulary Word Back of Card

Opposite Definition Definition

VOCABULARY WORD

An original sentence using the An original illustration that demonstrates definition of the word, NOT the word. understanding of the word.

Creating Flash Word flash cards can be fun. Don’t become preoccupied with trying to draw the perfect image; it should be simple and clear. You DO NOT have to be an artist to make effective cards.

19 VOCABULARY NOTEBOOKS Since we know that effective vocabulary is necessary, not just for the SAT, but for success in all of our classes we should be prepared to work on acquiring a vast set of new words. Yes? Yes! Creating a notebook just for our vocabulary is a great way to focus on this task.

In your vocabulary notebook, each page is dedicated to one word. These pages are very similar to your Flash Word flash cards. Let’s take a look.

WORD: Candor

PART OF SPEECH: noun

DEFINITION: Frankness; open honesty.

SYNONYMS: Honesty

SENTENCE: Dan underestimated the value of

candor; when he told his sister that she

looked chubby in her new dress, she

smacked him and then cried. ILLUSTRATION: Draw a picture here that demonstrates the meaning of the word CANDOR.

Like Flash Word flash cards, keeping a vocabulary notebook can be fun. If you decide to study vocabulary using this tool, consider purchasing a notebook with a fun cover or distinct color that stands out among all of your other books.

20 ROOT WORDS

All words have origins. They have been derived from other words. Understanding this often makes understanding complex words a little easier. The fundamental, and often most important, part of a word upon which other words can be created are called ROOT WORDS. Studying root words can, and will, help you determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.

Common Root Words

ROOT MEANING EXAMPLE acr Highest point Acrobat act Do Actor, reaction ann/annu/enni Year Annual, bicentennial Aqu Water Aquarium, aquatic Astr, aster Start Asteroid, disaster Aud Hear Audition, auditorium Bene Good Beneficial, benefactor Chron Time Chronic, chronological Cosm Universe; order Cosmic, cosmos Cred Believe; trust Credit, credible Dem/demo People Democracy Derm Skin Dermatologist Dic/dict Say Dictate, dictionary Equ/equi/iqui Equal Equitable, iniquity Fin End Finish, infinite Fort Strong Fortify Hydr Water Hydrate Ign Fire Ignite, ignition Judic Judgment Judicial Liber Free Liberate, liberal Loc Place Locate, relocate

21 ROOT MEANING EXAMPLE Locut/locu Speak Elocution, loquacious, colloquial Mal Bad Malicious, malevolent Man/manu Hand Manufacture, manual Mot Move Motor, emotion Nov New Novelty, renovate Onym Name Synonym, antonym Path Feel; suffer; disease Sympathy, pathology Psych Mind; soul Psychology, psychic Port Carry Transport, portable Reg Rule Register, regulate Rupt Break Rupture Scrib/script Write Prescription, describe Son Sound Sonic Spir Breathe Spirit, inspiration Terr/ter Earth Extraterrestrial, terrain Therm Heat Thermal Top Place Topography, topical Typ Stamp; model Type, typical Ver Truth Veracity, verifiable Vid/vis See Visual video Viv Alive Vivacious, vivid Vol/volv Turn Revolve, evolution

There are many root words not included in this list. Seek out the many resources available to acquire more word origins. Here are some suggestions:

www.firstschoolyears.com www.msu.edu www.prefixsuffix.com

22 PREFIXES

Root words can be found in PREFIXES. A prefix is a group of letters which you can add to the beginning of a root word* to change the meaning of the word.

For example: mis + fortune = misfortune

*A root word can stand on its own as a word but you can make new words from it by adding beginnings (prefixes) and endings (suffixes).

For example: 'comfort' is a root word. By adding the prefix 'dis' and the suffix 'able' you can make new words such as 'discomfort' and 'comfortable'.

Prefix meanings: Every prefix has a meaning;

For example: The prefix 'un' means 'not' The root word 'clear' means 'bright', 'free from difficulty'

un + clear = unclear which means 'not clear' or 'dim', 'difficult to see or understand'

There are no rules to help you remember which prefix you should use, although knowing the meaning of the prefix can help.

Here are some examples of prefixes and their meanings:

Prefix Meaning mis means 'wrong' or 'badly' e.g. 'misspelled' or misspelt means 'wrongly spelled' sub means under e.g. 'subway' means 'a way under the ground' pre means 'before in time', 'in front of' or 'superior' e.g. 'prepacked' means 'packed before' un means not (there are also several other prefixes which mean not) e.g. 'unhurt' means 'not hurt'

Again, understanding how words are created is the start to being able to decode unfamiliar words. Be proactive! Seek out other sources that can provide you with more prefixes and root words.

23 READ! READ! READ!

A great way to acquire new vocabulary is by READING! You have a wealth of reading material to choose from. Visit your teacher’s bookshelf or the bookstore at the local mall or the local library and select reading material that is of genuine interest to YOU! When you read regularly you are exposing yourself to new vocabulary and using context clues to understand unfamiliar words. Not only is reading a great habit to develop for acquiring new vocabulary, but it is also a great way to explore new and exciting topics for your SAT essay! Reading suggestions:

Autobiographies – Novels – Magazines – How-to-Books – Newspapers

24 THE ESSAY

 You will only need to write one essay  The essay is always the first section of the SAT  You will have only 25 minutes to write the essay

25 THE SAT ESSAY

1. The Format & Scoring Rubric 2. Sample Essays 3. Essay Planning 4. Preparing Your Sources a. Literature b. Scientific discovery c. Historic event d. Influential figures e. Current events f. Personal experience 5. Essay Practice

The Verbal Section of the SAT begins with an essay that is worth 30% of your overall writing score. This essay measures your ability to:

 develop a point of view on an issue presented in an excerpt  support your point of view using reasoning and examples from your reading, studies, experience, and/or observations  follow the conventions of standard written English

The essay will be scored by trained high school and college teachers. Each reader will give the essay a score from 1 to 6 (6 is the highest score) based on the overall quality of the essay and your demonstration of writing competence.

THE FORMAT

Each time you practice essay writing in SAT Prep, the format of your task will mirror the SAT essay format.

Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and assignment below.

Folk wisdom says that honesty is the best policy. American author Jessamyn West agrees: “I have done more harm by the falseness of trying to please than by the honesty of trying to hurt.” Yet some people believe that the truth, if it is not cushioned by tact, can hurt. In fact, the Roman writer Ausonius wrote, “Veritas odium parit,” or “Truth produces hatred.”

Assignment: What is your opinion of the claim that sometimes honesty is not the best policy? In an essay, support your position by discussing examples from literature, the arts, science, technology, history, current events, or your own experience or observation.

26 Directions

The essay gives you an opportunity to show how effectively you can develop and express ideas. You should, therefore, take care to develop your point of view, present your ideas logically and clearly, and use language precisely.

Your essay must be written on the lines provided on your answer sheet—you will receive no other paper on which to write. You will have enough space if you write on every line, avoid wide margins, and keep your handwriting to a reasonable size. Remember that people who are not familiar with your handwriting will read what you write. Try to write or print so that what you are writing is legible to those readers.

You will have 25 minutes to write your essay.

Important Reminders:

 A pencil is required for the essay. An essay written in ink will receive a score of zero.  Do not write your essay in your test book. You will receive credit only for what you write on your answer sheet.  An off-topic essay will receive a score of zero.  If your essay does not reflect your original and individual work, your test scores may be canceled.

27 SCORING OF THE ESSAY

The essay is scored by experienced and trained high school and college teachers. Each essay is scored by two people who won't know each other's score. They won't know the student's identity or school either. Each reader gives the essay a score from 1 to 6 (6 is the highest score) based on the SAT essay scoring guide. Those two scores are then added to create your final score. The scoring guide is the rubric by which your essay is scored.

Below you will find the essay scoring guide. Familiarizing yourself with the scoring guide and understanding the College Board’s expectations of you will help you produce a great essay!

Scoring Guide

SCORE OF 6 An essay in this category demonstrates clear and consistent mastery, although it may have a few minor errors. A typical essay

 effectively and insightfully develops a point of view on the issue and demonstrates outstanding critical thinking, using clearly appropriate examples, reasons, and other evidence to support its position  is well organized and clearly focused, demonstrating clear coherence and smooth progression of ideas  exhibits skillful use of language, using a varied, accurate, and apt vocabulary  demonstrates meaningful variety in sentence structure  is free of most errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics

SCORE OF 5 An essay in this category demonstrates reasonably consistent mastery, although it will have occasional errors or lapses in quality. A typical essay

 effectively develops a point of view on the issue and demonstrates strong critical thinking, generally using appropriate examples, reasons, and other evidence to support its position  is well organized and focused, demonstrating coherence and progression of ideas  exhibits facility in the use of language, using appropriate vocabulary  demonstrates variety in sentence structure  is generally free of most errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics

28 SCORE OF 4 An essay in this category demonstrates adequate mastery, although it will have lapses in quality. A typical essay

 develops a point of view on the issue and demonstrates competent critical thinking, using adequate examples, reasons, and other evidence to support its position  is generally organized and focused, demonstrating some coherence and progression of ideas  exhibits adequate but inconsistent facility in the use of language, using generally appropriate vocabulary  demonstrates some variety in sentence structure  has some errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics

SCORE OF 3 An essay in this category demonstrates developing mastery, and is marked by ONE OR MORE of the following weaknesses:

 develops a point of view on the issue, demonstrating some critical thinking, but may do so inconsistently or use inadequate examples, reasons, or other evidence to support its position  is limited in its organization or focus, or may demonstrate some lapses in coherence or progression of ideas  displays developing facility in the use of language, but sometimes uses weak vocabulary or inappropriate word choice  lacks variety or demonstrates problems in sentence structure  contains an accumulation of errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics

SCORE OF 2 An essay in this category demonstrates little mastery, and is flawed by ONE OR MORE of the following weaknesses:

 develops a point of view on the issue that is vague or seriously limited, and demonstrates weak critical thinking, providing inappropriate or insufficient examples, reasons, or other evidence to support its position  is poorly organized and/or focused, or demonstrates serious problems with coherence or progression of ideas  displays very little facility in the use of language, using very limited vocabulary or incorrect word choice  demonstrates frequent problems in sentence structure  contains errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics so serious that meaning is somewhat obscured

SCORE OF 1 An essay in this category demonstrates very little or no mastery, and is severely flawed by ONE OR MORE of the following weaknesses:

29  develops no viable point of view on the issue, or provides little or no evidence to support its position  is disorganized or unfocused, resulting in a disjointed or incoherent essay  displays fundamental errors in vocabulary  demonstrates severe flaws in sentence structure  contains pervasive errors in grammar, usage, or mechanics that persistently interfere with meaning

Essays not written on the essay assignment will receive a score of zero.

30 Strategies for Success on the SAT Essay from the College Board It seems like everybody has a different opinion about how to do well on the SAT essay. Some people say you should write a strict five-paragraph essay, with an introduction, a conclusion, and three specific examples. Some people say you should read well-known books like The Great Gatsby or The Scarlet Letter and refer to them as often as you can. Some people say that the real key is to write as much as humanly possible. Some say you should do all of these at once! We want students to know that there are no short cuts to success on the SAT essay. The high school and college teachers who will score your essay have seen it all before. These teachers are not going to give high scores to an essay just because it is long, or has five paragraphs, or uses literary examples. The scorers are experts at identifying truly good writing--essays that insightfully develop a point of view with appropriate reasons and examples and use language skillfully. So what can you do to write a successful SAT essay? Here are some strategies the College Board would like you to consider: Read the entire assignment. It's all there to help you. Every essay assignment contains a short paragraph about the issue, usually from a specific author or book. Don't ignore this important information in your rush to answer the question. Imagine that you are talking to the author of the paragraph about the issue. What would you say to him or her? Would you argue or agree? What other ideas or examples would you bring up? Answering these questions will help you develop your own point of view. Don't oversimplify. Developing your point of view doesn't mean coming up with as many examples as you can. Sometimes students cut a great example short to move on to something else, and end up oversimplifying. Take the time to really explain an example; that's the best way to fully develop your point of view. An essay with one or two thoughtful, well-developed reasons or examples is more likely to get a high score than an essay with three short, simplistic examples. There's nothing wrong with "I." You are asked to develop your point of view on the issue, not give a straight report of the facts. This is your opinion, so feel free to use "I," and give examples that are meaningful to you, even ones from your personal life or experiences. Of course you need to support your ideas appropriately, and show that you can use language well, but remember: the essay is an opportunity for you to say what you think about an important issue that's relevant to your life. So relax and be yourself, and you will do just fine. Have a plan! Knowing how much time you have to write your overall essay is a great start, but knowing in advance just how to use that time is crucial. Not completing your essay WILL affect your score. Be sure to consider the suggested plan in this guide.

Whether you choose to follow this guide’s plan or not, have a plan!

31 ORGANIZING YOUR ESSAY Good news! All of the hard work that you have invested in English class preparing for the New York State Regents exam is going to come in handy now! Since, as stated previously, the SAT essay will be assessing your ability to interpret an idea by making connections to that idea using a variety of sources, you should have recognized that this format can best be compared to the critical lens essay that you are “oh so” familiar with already! This IS good news! Here is a breakdown of how your essay should be organized:

32 SUGGESTED PLAN FOR YOUR ESSAY Use the following pointers to guide you. You have 25 minutes total.

Writing Your Thesis Statement (1-2 minutes) Let readers know your position. · Write a single sentence to focus your writing. · Make sure it clearly and fully states your viewpoint.

Prewriting (3-4 minutes) Plan your essay. · Reread the statement above to make sure that you understand it. · Start by narrowing the focus of your response. · Gather and list your ideas and group those that belong together. · List any key words you want to make sure to use. · Choose an organizational plan that will help readers follow your thoughts easily; it will serve as the outline for your essay.

Writing Your Draft (17-18 minutes) Present your ideas as effectively as you can. · Write quickly but legibly. · Hook readers with your first sentence. · Then use only your best ideas and support them with facts or examples. · Aim to make your paragraphs unified. · Use transitional words and phrases to show how ideas relate to one another. · Make your essay memorable; give it a catchy ending.

Editing and Revising Your Draft (2-3 minutes) Reread your essay and improve it. · Have you used the right words? · Have you used precise nouns, vivid verbs, and expressive modifiers? · Can you make the writing more appealing by inserting sensory details, figurative language, or colorful idiomatic expressions? · Have you chosen the most effective transitional words or expressions to make your writing coherent?

* * * As you practice your essay writing in this course, refer to this guide to help you produce an effective essay. Commit the timing schedule to memory since it is very important that you complete your essay.

33 Essay Prompt Example You have twenty-five minutes to write an essay on the topic assigned below. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.

Many persons believe that to move up the ladder of success and achievement, they must forget the past, repress it, and relinquish it. But others have just the opposite view. They see old memories as a chance to reckon with the past and integrate past and present.

—Adapted from Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, I've Known Rivers: Lives of Loss and Liberation Assignment: Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

34 Score Essay: Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present? Essay Without our past, our future would be a tortuous path leading to nowhere. In order to move up the ladder of success and achievement we must come to terms with our past and integrate it into our future. Even if in the past we made mistakes, this will only make wiser people out of us and guide us to where we are supposed to be. This past year, I was auditioning for the fall play, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." To my detriment I thought it would be a good idea to watch the movie in order to prepare. For two hours I studied Elizabeth Taylor's mannerisms, attitude, and diction, hoping I could mimic her performance. I auditioned for the part of "Maggie" feeling perfectly confident in my portrayal of Elizabeth Taylor, however, I was unaware that my director saw exactly what I had been thinking. Unfortunately, I didn't get the part, and my director told me that he needed to see "Maggie" from my perspective, not Elizabeth Taylor's. I learned from this experience, and promised myself I would not try to imitate another actress, in order to create my character. Persevering, I was anxious to audition for the winter play just two months later. The play was Neil Simon's "Rumors," and would get the opportunity to play "Chris," a sarcastic yet witty role, which would be my final performance in high school. In order to develop my character, I planned out her life just as I thought it should be, gave her the voice I thought was right, and the rest of her character unfolded beautifully from there. My director told me after the first show that "Rumors" was the best work he'd ever seen from me, and that he was amazed at how I'd developed such a believable character. Thinking back to my first audition I was grateful for that chance I had to learn and to grow, because without that mistake I might have tried to base "Chris" off of someone I'd known or something I'd seen instead of becoming my own character. I utilized the memory of the Elizabeth Taylor debacle to improve my approach to acting and gave the best performance of my life so far. Why this Essay Received a Score of 6 This essay effectively and insightfully develops its point of view ("In order to move up the ladder of success and achievement we must come to terms with our past and integrate it into our future") through a clearly appropriate extended example drawing on the writer's experience as an actor. The essay exhibits outstanding critical thinking by presenting a well-organized and clearly focused narrative that aptly illustrates the value of memory. The essay also uses language skillfully, demonstrating meaningful variety in sentence structure ("To my detriment I thought it would be a good idea to watch the movie in order to prepare. For two hours I studied Elizabeth Taylor's mannerisms, attitude, and diction, hoping I could mimic her performance. I auditioned for the part of "Maggie" feeling perfectly confident in my portrayal of Elizabeth Taylor, however,

35 I was unaware that my director…"). Despite minor errors, the essay demonstrates clear and consistent mastery and is scored a 6.

Score Essay: Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present? Essay Memories act as both a help and a hindrance to the success of someone. Many people advise you to learn from the past and apply those memories so that you can effectively succeed by avoiding repeating your past mistakes. On the other hand, people who get too caught up with the past are unable to move on to the future. Elie Wiesel's memoir Night perfectly exemplifies the double nature of memories. Wiesel, a Jewish man, suffered heavily throughout the Holocaust and Night is rife with horrific descriptions of his experience. These memories help to spread the view of what life was like. Through recounting these memories, Wiesel is able to educate world readers about the atrocities committed in hopes that the same blatant violations of human rights are never repeated again. Through reliving the Holocaust through his writing, Wiesel was inspired to become proactive in the battle for civil rights. Some would point to his peaceful actions and the sales of his book and label him a success. Despite the importance of recounting such memories, Wiesel acknowledges the damage that memories can also cause. Following his liberation from the Auschwitz concentration camp, Wiesel was a bitter, jaded man. He could not even write Night until several years later. The end of the novel describes Wiesel's gradual but absolute loss of faith throughout the experience. His past experiences haunted him for several years, rendering him passive. It was not until he set aside his past that he could even focus on the future. Had he remained so consumed with the pain and damage caused in the past, he may never have achieved the success that he has attained. Overall, Wiesel's experiences exemplify the importance of the past as a guide. Wiesel's past experiences helped to guide him in later life, but it was not until he pushed them aside that he could move on. To me this means that you should rely on your past without letting it control you. Allow your past to act as a guide, while making sure that you are also living in the present and looking to the future. Why this Essay Received a Score of 6 This essay exhibits outstanding critical thinking by effectively and insightfully developing its point of view ("you should rely on your past without letting it control you") through the clearly appropriate example of Elie Wiesel's Holocaust memoir, Night. The essay demonstrates clear coherence and smooth progression of ideas, carefully contrasting Wiesel's success in using his memories to gain attention for his cause with the difficulty Wiesel faced in dealing with those same

36 powerful memories. The essay uses language skillfully to convey Wiesel's struggle ("Despite the importance of recounting such memories, Wiesel acknowledges the damage that memories can also cause. Following his liberation from the Auschwitz concentration camp, Wiesel was a bitter, jaded man. He could not even write Night until several years later"). The essay demonstrates clear and consistent mastery and receives a 6.

Score Essay: Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present? Essay Memories and past experiences serve as a rail, a guiding support, for people in an effort to succeed in the present. People not only learn from the past, but the very act of going through something provides experience for a person who is to "move up the ladder of success and achievement". Some view failed experiences as a hinderance to future success. This is very untrue because history has a tendency of repeating itself, and in recognizing past failures, one can learn how to successfully approach similar situations in the future. An example of this is looking back in history to WWI. Sedition acts at this time allowed for the imprisonment of anyone who voiced an opinion against the president, or against the war. America recognized this shady time in its past, and instead of covering it up in a movement towards a more democratic nation, these acts were published in textbooks and taught to students. Americans saw the poor judgement of this situation and later with the war in Iraq, approached "patriotism" differently. With this present war, those adverse to the war are able to voice their opinions without fear of imprisonment or death. In seeing the undemocratic ways of an earlier era, America was able to recognize the bad and try to reform it. If the Sedition Acts had been forgotten then what is to say that they wouldn't come back? Remembering the failed times insures that improvement is possible. In my personal experience, I have found that the very act of living through something not only matures me, but also provides skills and knowledge. In remembering past events, I am able to use them as reference, and sometimes assurance. A personal example, somewhat juvenile, but also effective, is when my first pet died. I was devastated and wanted to just clear my mind of the event, but I didn't. After time, I recovered, but maintained the memory of this horrible tragedy. Later in life, another pet died. I looked back to that memory as a guide and learned from it that in time I would be fine and to just hang on. In this situation, a memory served as a reference and catalyzed in my personal growth and recovery. Memories, good or bad, assist people in obtaining success. Whether used as reference for guidance, or lessons on what not to do, past experiences can only offer a gap between the steps on the ladder of success. Forgetting the past can

37 and will only erase experience and knowledge from a person and in affect hinder one in seeking achievement. In looking at historical repeats and personal events, it is clear that old memories can only aid in success. Why this Essay Received a Score of 5 This essay effectively develops its point of view ("Memories and past experiences serve as a rail, a guiding support, for people in an effort to succeed in the present") through the appropriate examples of dissent during wartime and grieving for a pet, thus demonstrating strong critical thinking. Well organized and focused, the essay demonstrates coherence and progression of ideas ("In seeing the undemocratic ways of an earlier era, America was able to recognize the bad and try to reform it. If the Sedition Acts had been forgotten then what is to say that they wouldn't come back? Remembering the failed times insures that improvement is possible"). The essay also uses appropriate vocabulary and demonstrates effective variety in sentence structure. To earn a 6, this writer needs to achieve smoother progression of ideas by using language more skillfully (the phrase "past experiences can only offer a gap between the steps on the ladder of success" seems to express the opposite of what the writer intends). The essay demonstrates reasonably consistent mastery and receives a 5.

Score Essay: Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present?

Essay Interestingly enough, I fall in the middle of these statements. I believe that one should remember the past and learn from those events. However, I also believe that many bad memories harm the present and the future. The only way to continue, many times, is to forget and forgive. My brother, who is college, has proved to me the importance of getting good grades and actively participating in extracorrecular activities. These two ideas helped him to get into the prestegious college of the University of Notre Dame. His education there will allow him to have a prosperous career as an adult. Reviewing these facts and ideas has led me to believe if I do the same, I will have a similar promising career. Consequently, I have gotten good grades and have seen interest from many prestigious programs. Through my knowledge, I have learned that in many bad instances, time to forget is very important. Ireland, for example, had been persecuted for many hundreds of years from 1000 AD to 1900 AD. After being granted the Irish Free State, they attacked many parts of Britain for retribution of those many years of being oppressed. Consequently there has been on going hostility between the two peoples. This hostility has cost the lives of many hundreds of people. A quote once said, "Violence begets violence" is the perfect phrase for this warfare. The only way to stop the loss of life is to forget and forgive; start anew.

38 Different situations require different actions to proceed in a positive manner. Many times, people are required to use both elements. For example, let's forget this part and concentrate on how to bring this positive part into light. Both of the ideas on remembering and forgetting have their reasons for existing and both are positive.

Why this Essay Received a Score of 4 This essay provides adequate reasons and examples to support both aspects of its point of view ("I believe that one should remember the past and learn from those events. However, I also believe that many bad memories harm the present and the future"), thus demonstrating competent critical thinking. The essay is generally organized and focused and features coherence and progression of ideas. Facility in the use of language is adequate, despite some inconsistencies ("Through my knowledge, I have learned that in many bad instances, time to forget is very important"). The essay also has some errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics. To earn a higher score, the writer should provide additional appropriate evidence and use critical thinking to extend the discussion of situations in which "people are required to use both elements." The essay demonstrates adequate mastery and receives a 4.

Essay Memories can be helpful to some and hinder others. I believe that memories from different aspects of ones life have different consequences. One memory may be bad and it may be best forgotten about, when trying to succeed. Though some memories may give on strength to suceed in achieving a higher status in life. When a person completes a task they have done once before, it trigers a memory and lets the reader reflect on that particular time in life. For example, a sporting team at the local high school makes it to the state championships, but severly loses to their opponent, the next time they get to the state championships they may think about the past and how they lost before, and it may hinder there feelings and they may once again lose. This demonstrates how a memory can ruin a certain activity for ever. On the other hand a memory can also help someone to move up the ladder of success. As an example if a person has cancer and is given treatment then diagnosed in remission they feel like they have beat the cancer. When the patient in remission is later told that the cancer has grown back, the patient might feel that they can kill the cancer again because when looking at the past they see they have beat it once why not beat it again. This demonstrates how a memory can be helpful to a person. In this case it did not help the person

39 climb the ladder of success though it helped the to continue climbing the ladder of life to the extent that they were able to climb. Those two short examples just go to demonstrate how memories of the past can both help and hinder a person in their path of not only success but also in the path of life.

Why this Essay Received a Score of 3 This essay develops a point of view ("Memories can be helpful to some and hinder others") and shows some critical thinking by providing examples of the positive and negative effects of memories. However, the examples are limited in focus, featuring some lapses in coherence and progression of ideas, and are thus inadequate to support the position. The essay also demonstrates occasional problems in sentence structure and mechanics. To achieve a higher score, this writer needs to use critical thinking to clarify and expand each example by adding additional focused reasoning and details. The writer also needs to avoid using run-on sentences (". . . when looking at the past they see they have beat it once why not beat it again"). The essay demonstrates developing mastery and earns a 3.

Essay I think it is wrong to believe that to move up the ladder of success and achievement, that they must forget the past, repress it, and relinquish it. Everything you did and saw in the past helps you to move on. Every single happy moment, every mistake you make is getting a part of you. Your actions become habits which creates your personality and helps you to make your own experience. Therefore memories help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present. Everything we do has to do with our experiences in the past, the way we get along with people or treat them, the way we turn out to be an adult. If you don't live with making your own decisions, mistakes, and your experience with people and the world or school you won't have any examples to compare or to handle any coming situations in the future. If you get everything told you by someone, you will always wait for other people to make decisions for you and won't have your own point of view. For succeed you have to know what you want, to find that out, you have to have been through some difficult situations in the PAST.

Why this Essay Received a Score of 2 Although it expresses a point of view ("I think it is wrong to believe that to move up the ladder of success and achievement, that they must forget the past, repress it, and relinquish it"), this essay is seriously limited, exhibiting weak critical thinking, insufficient use of evidence, and serious problems with progression of ideas. The essay also demonstrates frequent problems in usage, grammar, and sentence structure. To achieve a higher score, the writer needs to

40 develop the point of view with reasons and specific examples instead of merely repeating the same vague ideas ("Everything you did and saw in the past helps you to move on. . . . Everything we do has to do with our experiences in the past"). The essay demonstrates little mastery and is scored a 2.

Essay My oppion on this topic are oposing memories and favoring them. People do succed with repeating their memories. They might have horrible memories but also succeed because they don't repeat the past. I also think memories should not rule the present. If you let the past overcome the preset you won't get any where. This is why memories should be guidelines, not rules. If you repeat the past it won't come out as well as it did because the world has changed. See the past will never change with the world, but the world will change to overcome the past. So in conclusion don't forget the past or live in it, and the past is only guidelines.

Why this Essay Received a Score of 1 This minimal essay demonstrates very little mastery, offering only a collection of general ideas in support of the writer's point of view ("don't forget the past or live in it, and the past is only guidelines"). The evidence presented is disorganized and unfocused, resulting in a disjointed essay. To earn a higher score, this writer needs to provide additional focused evidence that develops the point of view, including specific examples. The essay demonstrates very little mastery and receives a 1.

41 PREPARING YOUR ESSAY SOURCES

Since you only have 25 minutes with which to write your essay, it is crucial that you prepare your sources in advance. Taking the time to identify and study sources will pay off later as you will provide the well developed examples that will make your essay successful.

On your essay, you will write about two (2) sources. These two sources should be VARIED in subject matter. While you may be able to write an outstanding essay using two works of literature, you weaken a perfect score if you write about two works of literature, or two historic events, etc. Your essay, and your examples, should reflect your ability to connect broad ideas (the assignment) with the ideas that you have learned in school. This is where the SAT essay differs from the NYS Regents Critical Lens essay (where you WILL be writing about two works of literature). Don’t worry! You WILL be prepared.

Here are the steps you will follow:

1. List possible sources

2. Select your sources

3. Detail your sources

LIST POSSIBLE SOURCES

For each essay source category, brainstorm sources of which you are familiar. Do not add a source to the list if you cannot really remember the details. For example, you should not add William Shakespeare to the list if you can’t remember that his first name is William. The idea is to make your life easier by being prepared. Go with what you know!

Once you have created your lists, you will review them in order to select and commit to TWO (2) sources in each category.

42 LITERATURE

1. ______6. ______2. ______7. ______3. ______8. ______4. ______9. ______5. ______10. ______

CURRENT EVENTS

1. ______6. ______2. ______7. ______3. ______8. ______4. ______9. ______5. ______10. ______

HISTORIC EVENTS

1. ______6. ______2. ______7. ______3. ______8. ______4. ______9. ______5. ______10. ______

43 SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES

1. ______6. ______2. ______7. ______3. ______8. ______4. ______9. ______5. ______10. ______

INFLUNETIAL FIGURES

1. ______6. ______2. ______7. ______3. ______8. ______4. ______9. ______5. ______10. ______

44 SELECT YOUR SOURCES

Now that you have listed possible sources, you should review them carefully in order to narrow your sources to TWO (2) in each category. Be sure to consider the following:

 Choose unpredictable sources!

o When forced to write an SAT essay, students usually gravitate toward predictable sources like The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, The Holocaust, and Martin Luther King, Jr., among others. While these sources are valuable, the person scoring your essay will have probably already read a great number of essays that focus on the SAME sources. Write an essay that demonstrates your ability to retain information from a variety of sources and make sophisticated connections.

 DO NOT choose sources that you can only vaguely remember.

o Can’t remember where the Civil War occurred? Then choose another source! If you can’t remember key details about your source, you will set yourself up for disaster if you try to write about that source. Consider choosing sources that genuinely interest you and about which you are very familiar.

 Go controversial!

o Consider that the sources you choose to discuss show your ability to make connections between other people’s ideas and all that you have learned from your studies and your keen observations of the world! Do not be afraid to choose a source that some might consider controversial. Those scoring the SAT essays seem to very much appreciate these unexpected connections.

45 ESSAY SOURCES Commit to your sources by detailing each one using the spaces provided. Literature Title:

Author:

Major Characters:

Theme:

Supporting Details:

Literature Title:

Author:

Major Characters:

Theme:

Supporting Details:

46 History Event:

Important Dates:

Important People:

Major Conflict:

Supporting Details:

History Event:

Important Dates:

Important People:

Major Conflict:

Supporting Details:

47 Influential Figure Person:

Notable Accomplishments:

Important Dates:

Supporting Details:

Influential Figure Person:

Notable Accomplishments:

Important Dates:

Supporting Details:

48 Scientific Discovery Discovery:

Important people:

Importance of discovery:

Important Dates:

Supporting Details:

Scientific Discovery Discovery:

Important people:

Importance of discovery:

Important Dates:

Supporting Details:

49 Current Event Event:

Important people:

Importance of event:

Important Dates:

Supporting Details:

Current Event

Event:

Important people:

Important Dates:

Supporting Details:

50 Personal Experience Event:

Important people:

Important Dates:

Supporting Details:

Personal Experience Event:

Important people:

Important Dates:

Supporting Details:

51 Want to be even MORE prepared? It is suggested that you now take your sources and supplement them with as much detail as possible. This means, in order to ensure that your details are accurate and specific, that you take the time to research each source. Turn the cards on the previous pages into full pages of information. This may seem like a lot of work now, but it will surely pay off when you are writing your essay with details that are flowing freely from your memory. Students who have taken the time to acquire this information often find it extremely beneficial.

52 Essay Practice 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.

“If there were in the world today any large number of people who desired the happiness of others more than they desired their own happiness, we could have paradise in a few years.” - Bertrand Faberge ert ran Assignment: Is paradise something that you think is possible considering your own views on human nature? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

54 Essay Practice 2

Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.

“Don’t flatter yourself that friendship authorizes you to say disagreeable things to your intimates. The nearer you come into relation with a person, the more necessary do tact and courtesy become. Except in cases of necessity, which are rare, leave your friend to learn unpleasant things from his enemies; they are ready enough to tell them.” - Oliver Wendell Holmes, The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table ert Assignment: Should friends be honest with each other, even if a truthful comment could be hurtful? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Essay Practice 3

56 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are omnipotent. The slogan, “Press on!” has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” - Calvin Coolidge, Autobiography ert Assignment: Do you agree that persistence is the major factor in success, and that talent, genius, and education play, at best, secondary roles? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Essay Practice 4

Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below. “The weirder you’re going to behave, the more normal you should look. It works in reverse, too. When I see a kid with three or four rings in his nose, 58 I know there is absolutely nothing extraordinary about that person.” - P.J. O’Rourke ert ran Assignment: Does weird behavior indicate an extraordinary person? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Essay Practice 5

Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.

“Trouble is only opportunity in work clothes.” - Henry J. Kaiser

“The best way out is always through.” - Robert Frost

ert ran 60 Assignment: Is it true that one can always find opportunity, even in trouble? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Essay Practice 6 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.

“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark.” - Michelangelo ert ran Assignment: Do you believe, like Michelangelo, that it is better to risk failing in the attempt to do something too ambitious, or to succeed at something you were

62 already sure you could do? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

SENTENCE

64 COMPLETIONS

 Three sections of the test will include sentence completions  Questions are usually arranged in difficulty order  Sentence completions are all about vocabulary

VOCABULARY

In order to answer Sentence Completion questions, you need to know the meaning of words. Increasing your vocabulary will help boost your score.

 Whenever you read and do not know a word – LOOK IT UP! Nothing is worse than not looking up a word and then seeing it on the next test.

 Make flashcards of the words with their definitions and study them when you have a few minutes.

65  Even if you don’t know every ______in a sentence, you can use the context created by the words you do ______in order to understand the ______of the word you don’t know.

THE AVERAGE JOE METHOD

Let’s begin by looking at an example of a sentence completion that you will never see on the SAT:

1. Jane ______the VCR.

(A) installed (B) dropped (C) programmed (D) stole (E) shot

The Average Joe will read all the answer choices and enter each word into the sentence. He will then choose the answer that “sounds the best.” Try it now. Place each word into the blank. Which answer sounds the best to you? Oh… all of them sound good, right?

The way this sentence is written all of the answer choices could work. This is why this question would never appear on the SAT. Try the next sentence.

2. After trying unsuccessfully to program it for three hours, Jane ______the VCR.

To make sure that only one answer choice is correct per question, ETS will always provide you with a clue within the sentence itself. The clause “after trying unsuccessfully to program it for three hours…” gives away Jane’s state of mind, and helps us to choose the correct answer. Let’s look at the same sentence written several different ways. See if you can supply the missing word.

3. While trying to lift the VCR, Jane ______it.

66 (A) installed (B) dropped (C) programmed (D) stole (E) shot

4. Because she wanted to tape a show when she wasn’t home, Jane ______the VCR.

Each of these sentences contained a clue that led you to the correct answer. While the real SAT sentence completion questions are a bit more difficult, the same principle always applies. The way to answer a sentence completion question is to look for the clue that must be there, in order for the question to have one answer that is better than the others.

STRATEGIES

1. Cover the answers This is always the first step. Really! Take your hand and cover up all the answer choices. If you start by checking out the words ETS gives you, you will be more likely to fall for a trap answer. Instead, read through the sentence carefully to get an idea of what it is about.

2. Speak for yourself

67 Once you have a feel for the sentence, choose a word (or phrase) for the blank that makes sense based on what you have read. It is a good idea to write your word in the blank. You don’t need to come up with anything fancy. Let ETS do the hard work and come up with difficult vocabulary. As long as you understand the meaning of what should be in the blank, you are in great shape!

3. POE (Process of Elimination) Once you have spoken for yourself and chosen a word (or phrase) for the blank, uncover the answer choices and compare them to your word. Eliminate any answers that do not come close to the meaning of your word.

1. When the Hubble telescope was first launched into If you don’t know a word space, its mirrors were ______and therefore in an answer choice, provided blurred images. don’t eliminate it!!!

Your word: ______

(A) efficient (B) homogenous (C) augmented (D) imperfect Cover the answers! (E) enormous

2. Filmmaking is a ______effort, since the director, cinematographer, writer, editor, and many others must work together to produce a movie. Physically cross off Your word: ______answers that are not close to your word. (A) creative (B) lucrative (C) glamorous (D) collaborative (E) concentrated

3. Jazz singer Sarah Vaughan is known chiefly for her ______and inventiveness in scat singing, an improvisational vocal technique.

(A) apprehension (B) originality (C) perfection (D) terseness (E) conviction

68 THE CLUE Take a look at the following two questions.

1. The woman told the man, “You’re very ______.”

(A) handsome (B) sick (C) smart (D) foolish (E) good

2. The doctor told the man, “You’re very ______.”

(A) handsome (B) sick (C) smart (D) foolish (E) good

Which of these questions actually has only one correct answer, question 1 or 2? TIP: Always be on the lookout for the clue: the word or phrase that ETS gives you to help anticipate the word that will best fit in the blank.

Here’s an example: 1. So ______was the young boy’s behavior that his teachers decided to give him a gold star.

(A) exemplary (B) unruly (C) arrogant (D) radical (E) imaginative

Remember to use the strategies you have learned!

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU ARE CLUELESS???

If you cannot find the clue, ask yourself:

 Who or what is the sentence about?  How is the who/what being described?

69 After the second question has been answered, you have found the clue!!!

Try this strategy on the following examples.

1. By means of her ______demeanor, Lucy Ortiz calmly worked her way up to the position of head salesperson at the chaotic brokerage house.

Who or what is the sentence about? ______

How is this person or thing being described? ______

The missing word must mean: ______

2. Large facial features have often been the mark of successful people; many of our recent presidents have had ______noses.

Now, using the strategies you have learned, choose the best answer choice.

1. Sightings of the tern, a small marsh bird once considered endangered, are becoming almost ______.

(A) commonplace (B) erratic (C) precarious (D) virtuous

70 (E) uniform

2. Glaucoma, a serious eye ailment that can lead to blindness, is almost always ______if it is caught in its early stages.

(A) fatal (B) congenital (C) unethical (D) verifiable (E) treatable

3. The consummate opera singer Kathleen Battle has long had the reputation for being a difficult, even ______, personality.

(A) entertaining (B) malleable (C) contentious (D) deliberate (E) bland

Now, try finding the clue for the next sentence.

4. Some researchers have described light as ______even though it travels at nearly two hundred thousand miles per second.

THE TRIGGER

Certain words reveal a lot about the structure of a sentence. We call these words “trigger words.” Trigger words work with the clue to help you figure out the meaning of the word in the blank. Take a look at the following sentence:

You’re beautiful, but you’re …

71 What kind of word would go in the blank? Something negative, such as “rude” or “unpleasant.” The word “but” in the sentence above tells us all we have to know: Whatever has been expressed in the first half of the sentence is about to be contradicted in the second half. Words like “but” are structural clues to the meaning of the sentence.

TRIGGER WORDS

Same Direction Change Direction

Because However And Although/though Since But In fact In contrast to Colon (:) Rather Semicolon (;) Despite Yet

TIME TRIGGERS

Some sentences talk about two different time periods, and this in itself is a trigger, as in the following sentence:

Once a sad and lonely soul, Chip is now ______and ______.

In this case, the reference to the past (“once”) and the present (“now”) lets you know that the sentence is changing direction or degree.

For the following questions, underline the clue and circle the trigger (if any), then speak for yourself and eliminate any wrong answer choices.

1. Despite government efforts at population control, the number of people in China continues to ______rapidly.

(A) decline (B) increase Don’t forget to cover the answers!

72 (C) fluctuate (D) stabilize (E) deploy

2. Archeologists believed until recently that the ancient Mayans lived exclusively in permanent settlements, but new evidence suggests that some of the Mayans made seasonal ______.

(A) migrations (B) resolutions (C) renunciations (D) sanctions (E) speculations

3. During the height of the civil war, the diplomatic efforts by Sweden to enforce a cease-fire were regarded by both sides not only with ______but also with derision.

(A) delight (B) reverence (C) scorn (D) vigor (E) yearning

4. The museum has many fine paintings 5. Although many people at the by van Gogh, including his ______party accepted John’s account and haunted self-portrait with the bandaged ear. of the evening’s events, Jason believed it to be ______. (A) tranquil (B) haughty (A) generous (C) colorful (B) credible (D) repetitive (C) unusual (E) anguished (D) inferior (E) apocryphal

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY

Because all sentence completions are arranged in order of difficulty, you can frequently learn important things about a missing word simply by the question number, which tells you how hard the question is. The first two or three sentence completions in a group are supposed to be relatively easy. This means that the correct answer to one of these questions should be a relatively easy vocabulary word as well. The middle three or four sentence completions are supposed to be

73 of medium difficulty. The last two or three sentence completions are supposed to be quite difficult. The correct answers to these questions will be quite tough vocabulary words, or medium words that have secondary meanings.

If you didn’t know some of the words in a difficult sentence completion question, you might think that you would have to leave it blank – but that is not necessarily the case. Let’s see how you could use order of difficulty to eliminate answer choices from one of the last three sentence completion questions of an actual SAT question. Based on the fact that tough questions tend to have tough answers, which of these choices are unlikely to be the correct answer?

(A) cosmopolitan (B) wavering (C) plucky (D) vindictive (E) bellicose

Put it this way: Which of these words would be familiar to just about anyone? “Cosmopolitan” is a fairly common word, as are “wavering” and “plucky.” Therefore, if we were simply to guess the answer to this difficult sentence completion without the benefit of the sentence itself, we would be tempted to pick either D, “vindictive,” or E, “bellicose.” The correct answer to this real ETS question turns out to be choice E. Will this work every time? Of course not. This is merely a last-ditch guessing strategy if you don’t understand enough of the sentence to be able to search for contextual clues.

TIP: Remember that the answers to difficult sentence completions tend to use difficult vocabulary words.

The real value of this strategy comes when you have already eliminated several answer choices by other means: You’re down to two, and you can’t figure out which one is the answer. If the question is one of the last three sentence completions, you should pick the answer choice containing the more difficult word.

Pretend that the following are answer choices for the last, and therefore hardest, sentence completions in a set of ten. As a last-ditch guessing strategy, eliminate answer choices that seem too easy to be the correct answers to difficult problems.

1. (A) decline 3. (A) already eliminated (B) increase (B) indifference … legitimate (C) fluctuate (C) already eliminated (D) stabilize (D) immunity … hyperbolic

74 (E) deploy (E) already eliminated

2. (A) complexity (B) uniqueness (C) exorbitance (D) paucity (E) fragility

IS A MISSING WORD POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE?

While sometimes you may not be sure exactly what word would fit the blank, you may be able to get a feeling for whether the missing word should be generally positive or generally negative.

6. When Lattitia Douglas was ______by the railroad company in 1903, it represented a personal victory for her.

While we may not know exactly what word ETS was going to choose for this blank, we can be pretty sure it was a positive word based on the clue (“a victory”). Just as important, when we look at the answer choices, we may not know the meaning of every word, but we may have a “feeling” about certain words even without knowing their exact definitions. Here are the answer choices to the question:

(A) censured (B) lauded (C) rebuked (D) rebutted (E) undetermined

As you learn new vocabulary, you will probably be amazed at how often the words you have just learned come up on real SAT practice sections. This is because we try to use words that appear again and again on the test. However, for every new word that you learn, there will be several whose meanings you have not quite memorized yet – but that you have seen several times before.

TheseNOTE: are You the canwords only that decide you maythat abe word able is to negative identify oras positivepositive ifor you negative. have not By theseen way, it before.we don’t mean to suggest that you should try this technique with words you have never encountered before. Looking at a mystery word and saying, “Hmmm, I don’t like the look of that word,” does not count. You have to have seen it before and have a vague sense of what it means.

75 You may not know the exact meaning of each of the words above (remember to look them up when you are done with this example) but you may have a feeling about whether each is positive or negative.

TWO-BLANK SENTENCE COMPLETIONS

About half of the sentence completions on the SAT contain two blanks instead of one. The same clues we’ve already discussed above are vital in answering these questions, but to use these clues effectively, it helps to concentrate on one blank at a time. Think about it this way: When you go to buy a new pair of shoes, you can eliminate pairs that do not fit after trying on just one. If the left shoe does not fit, you do not bother trying on the right shoe. So try one blank at a time. If the answer choice does not fit for that one blank, you can eliminate it. Which blank should you start with? Whichever you think is easiest. Try the following sentence:

5. Although the food at the restaurant was usually ______, the main course was ______by an overabundance of salt.

(A) bland … enhanced (B) indifferent … supplanted (C) delectable … marred (D) distinguished … elevated (E) diverse … superb

TWO-BLANK POSITIVE/NEGATIVE

On two-blank problems, you will sometimes need to watch out for the relationship between the two blanks. For instance, the blanks will often have a generally positive/generally negative relationship. Take a look at the question below:

76 Although he was ______by nature, his duties as a prison guard forced him to be more ______.

As always, we want to try to supply our own words before we look at the answer choices, but sometimes (as in this case) the sentence is a little too vague for us to supply precise words. Let’s work with what we have. Did you notice the trigger word “although” at the beginning of the sentence? Because of this, we know that the first half of the sentence will contradict the second half. What kind of clues do we have in this sentence? In the second phrase, the sentence discusses how he must behave as a prison guard.

If you had to guess, do you think the second blank is going to be a generally positive word, or a generally negative word? Even though we do not know exactly what the word will be, the second blank is likely to be negative. And that means that the first blank is likely to be positive.

Now let’s look at the answer choices. It sometimes helps to actually write into the blanks the directions you think the words will go in, as shown:

6. Although he was (positive word) by nature, his duties as a prison guard forced him to be more (negative word).

(A) hermetic … lonely (B) lenient … strict (C) unhappy … stylized (D) gentle … witty (E) trite … tactful

Even though we have a general idea of both blanks, it still makes sense to work on one at a time. We are looking for a generally negative word for the second blank. So let’s eliminate any choices whose second words are positive.

Now let’s look at the first blank in the answer choices that remain. The first blank should be generally positive.

Does one word contradict the other? Yes.

Does the sentence make sense? You bet!

NEGATIVE/POSITIVE? POSITIVE/NEGATIVE? WHO KNOWS?

77 Probably the most difficult sentence completions are the ones in which all we know is the relationship between the blanks. Take a look at the following, and note the trigger word:

Although he was ______by nature, he has recently become more ______.

All that we really know about the missing two words in this sentence is that they must be opposites. Fortunately, problems like this appear infrequently on the SAT. When they do show up, you will be forced to go to the answer choices in search of opposites.

(A) generous … frugal (B) liberal … dependable (C) insensitive … indifferent (D) practical … cooperative (E) knowledgeable … casual

Which pair of words above are opposites?

In each of the following sentences, try to decide whether the blanks should be positive or negative, or whether it is impossible to tell.

1. The new law will be very unpopular with the citizens of New Mexico because it ______many ______beliefs.

2. Despite the ______of the men and women in the rescue team, their effort was ______.

3. The team had looked forward to the semi-final match with great ______, but the event proved to be ______.

4. Unlike their ______ancestors, the whales of today are ______.

5. For all their apparent ______, the rich are just as ______as the poor when it comes to an earthquake.

GUESSING AND PACING

Even if you do not know some of the vocabulary words in a sentence completion, it is difficult to imagine a case in which you will not be able to eliminate at least

78 one answer choice using the techniques we have just shown you. And if you eliminate one answer choice or more, then you must guess on the problem.

How long should you spend on each group of seven or eight sentence completions? Five to six minutes, if you plan to finish the Critical Reading section. This works out to 40-45 seconds per problem. Of course, in the real world, you won’t spend exactly the same amount of time on each question; some will take ten seconds, others will take much longer.

SENTENCE COMPLETION STRATEGIES

1. Cover the answers

2. Read the sentence

3. Find the clue and underline it  Who or what is the sentence about?  How is the who/what being described?

4. Find the trigger and circle it

5. Speak for yourself

6. Uncover the answers

7. POE

SENTENCE COMPLETIONS 1. Though he claimed that the computer he had just purchased contained the Practice Set 1 latest features, in fact it was already ______.

79 (A) predictable … on time (A) expensive (B) tardy … punctual (B) obsolete (C) generous … late (C) technical (D) unstable … tardy (D) unreliable (E) hostile … unprepared (E) impressive 6. Henrietta behaves in such ______2. The city planner argued that the manner that no one expects her to proposed convention center would accomplish anything. create new traffic patters, some of them benign, but others potentially (A) an intelligent ______. (B) a zealous (C) a slothful (A) unexpected (D) an imperious (B) productive (E) an efficient (C) older (D) harmful 7. In their efforts to ______the (E) conventional existence of a new strain of bacteria, scientists may be ______by the 3. For most film audiences, the lack of a suitable microscope. ______of a scary event is more ______than the (A) establish … hampered event itself. (B) eradicate … aided (C) disprove … defined (A) anticipation … frightening (D) justify … hindered (B) expectation … skeptical (E) substantiate … unmoved (C) experience … mundane (D) application … interesting 8. The young children who willingly stood (E) unfolding … formal on line for hours to get the basketball star’s autograph, referred to him only 4. It is unclear whether the new in the most ______terms. treatment will be approved for general use because its ______(A) cynical has not yet been ______. (B) detrimental (C) neutral (A) usefulness … denied (D) objective (B) diversity … proven (E) reverential (C) effectiveness … established (D) performance … preserved (E) integrity … lampooned

9. The doctor not only had ______for the new treatment, but he also found it ______. 5. Although Laura’s uncle was ______by nature, he was always ______(A) a contempt … necessary for his luncheon dates with his niece. (B) an esteem … contagious (C) a fondness … irredeemable

80 (D) a disgust … repugnant ______attention to detail that (E) a weakness … irrational verged on fussiness.

(A) a bohemian (B) a fastidious (C) an unconventional (D) an indelible (E) an opaque 10. In her later paintings, the artist exchanged her wild brush strokes and chaotic layerings of paint for

WORDS YOU DID NOT KNOW FROM PRACTICE SET 1

Take a minute to write down the words you did not know from the previous questions. Look them up and continue to review them.

WORD DEFINITION

______

SENTENCE COMPLETIONS Practice Set 2

81 1. The shark possesses ______sense 5. Character traits that are quickly learned of smell; in experiments, a small in social settings can often be altered just quantity of blood released into the as quickly; by contrast, ______ocean has ______sharks from characteristics are more difficult to as far away as three quarters of a mile. ______.

(A) a cautious … maimed (A) credible … respect (B) a keen … attracted (B) trivial … protect (C) a deficient … enticed (C) abrupt … supply (D) a negligent … repelled (D) tasteless … believe (E) a foul … frightened (E) innate … modify

2. When the computer chip first became 6. Although the number of opening moves available, many companies were quick in the game of chess is not ______, to ______it, hoping to ______there are more than enough to confuse this technological innovation. the beginner.

(A) reject … benefit from (A) circumscribed (B) deflate … succeed with (B) measurable (C) deny … participate in (C) estimable (D) embrace … profit from (D) familiar (E) accept … escape from (E) infinite

3. The witness accused the young man 7. The Big Bang theory is regarded as the of breaking the window, but later most likely explanation for the beginning ______the accusation. of the universe, but a few scientists, who regard the theory as ______, (A) recanted continue to search for an ______. (B) recounted (C) predicted (A) practical … estimate (D) arranged (B) proven … objective (E) supported (C) implausible … alternative (D) controversial … agenda 4. In his extraordinary ______of the (E) comprehensive … answer daily life of the early colonists, the historian captured the ______8. The composer saw his latest composition hardships of the first winter. not as ______the music he had traditionally composed but rather as a (A) revelation … tranquil ______progression. (B) evocation … bleak (C) premonition … dreary (A) a continuation of … lurid (D) exacerbation … tacit (B) an alternative to … contradictory (E) celebration … blithe (C) an affront to … despotic (D) a departure from … logical (E) an interpretation of … reasonable

9. When choosing works of art, museum curators should base their selections not on the artists’ current ______but

82 rather on the artists’ ______qualities, for the public can be very fickle.

(A) tableaus … trivial (B) standing … capricious (C) renown … enduring (D) aesthetics … impudent (E) philanthropy … innocuous

WORD DEFINITION

______

83 1. The association agreed to ______5. During a ten year period, Napoleon one of its members when she was conquered most of the Baltic States discovered to have ______an and______Spain as well. infraction of the association rules. (A) vanquished (A) discipline … prevented (B) forfeited (B) denounce … impeded (C) reiterated (C) censure … committed (D) transcended (D) honor … supported (E) refuted (E) promote … aided 6. Unlike the unequivocal accounts 2. While old books are often considered provided by eye-witnesses, the evidence ______by modern readers, provided by the flight recorder was more librarians see them as historic documents ______, leading to the development that allow us to look back through time. of several different theories to explain the crash. (A) reclusive (B) fascinating (A) indisputable (C) detrimental (B) ambiguous (D) relevant (C) lucid (E) obsolete (D) infallible (E) theoretical 3. The robin, a bird common to the northeast, is neither rare nor reclusive, 7. Engineers attribute the building’s but is as ______and ______during the earthquake, a bird as you can find. which destroyed more rigid structures, to the surprising ______of its steel (A) wily … tolerant girders. (B) amicable … wary (C) commonplace … amiable (A) obliteration … strength (D) vulnerable … capable (B) damage … weakness (E) powerful … fragile (C) survival … inadequacy (D) endurance … suppleness 4. The professor’s lecturing style was (E) devastation … inflexibility certainly ______, but he told his students that in teaching such a 8. By nature he was ______, generally complicated subject, clarity was more limiting his comments to ______important than levity. remarks.

(A) scintillating (A) reticent … terse (B) unbiased (B) stoic … superfluous (C) monotonous (C) trite … concise (D) arrogant (D) verbose … succinct (E) stimulating (E) arrogant … self-effacing

9. For several months, the broker persuaded ______tourists to

84 invest in ______real estate ventures that quickly went bankrupt.

(A) resourceful … urbane (B) insolent … dependable (C) gullible … spurious (D) prescient … fabricated (E) omniscient … meritorious

WORD DEFINITION

______

85 1. The orator was so ______that even 5. In his review, Greenburg argues that the those who were not interested in the subject ______nature of this artist’s paintings matter found themselves staying awake. ______the artist’s conviction that the twentieth century has spun wildly out of control. (A) tactful (B) listless (A) chaotic … reflects (C) pious (B) controlled … demonstrates (D) intriguing (C) disordered … belies (E) sullen (D) symmetrical … interprets (E) dangerous … saps 2. It was obvious from the concerned look on David’s face that his 6. Henry Kissinger argued that a successful spendthrift habits had placed him in a diplomat must always remain something of ______financial situation. a ______, which is why he counseled President Nixon, known for his tough stance (A) solvent on communism, to normalize relations with (B) solid communist China. (C) global (D) precarious (A) novice (E) benign (B) pioneer (C) paradox 3. To make sure their ______would be (D) raconteur heard, the coal workers went on strike to (E) sluggard protest the ______lack of safety precautions in the mines. 7. A recent barrage of media reports on the health benefits of physical activity has fostered a (A) voices … generous national ______exercise, but new studies (B) demands … deplorable show surprisingly little ______in the life- (C) complaints … uneventful expectancy of people who exercise. (D) neighbors … dangerous (E) case … immaculate (A) preoccupation with … improvement (B) revulsion toward … increase 4. Some crops do not need to be replanted every (C) obsession with … decline spring; a grape arbor, while initially requiring (D) conception of … speculation intensive ______, can produce ______(E) solution to … reduction harvests for many years afterward without much work. 8. Although the playwright Ben Johnson was not highly regarded by most Elizabethans of his day, (A) suffering … barren a few scholars of that time ______his work (B) negotiation … rich and ______many of his plays. (C) labor … cooperative 9. Previous(D) inertia to the… forgottendiscovery of one intact 10. Unfortunately, (A) championed during the … process obliterated of ancient(E) toil burial … abundant site in Central America, it making (B) a motion disparaged picture … it legitimized sometimes had been thought that all of the Mayan happens (C) that abetted ______… destroyed revisions, tombs had been ______by thieves. poor casting (D) revered decisions, … preservedand hasty compromises can be ______(A) eradicated the original intention of the authors. (B) exacerbated (C) prevaricated (A) well-planned … essential to (D) subordinated (B) ill-conceived … detrimental to (E) desecrated (C) uncompromising … divergent from 86 (D) meticulous … injurious to (E) distorted … fundamental to WORDS YOU DID NOT KNOW FROM PRACTICE SET 4

WORD DEFINITION

______

87 SENTENCE COMPLETIONS Practice Set 5

1. The sculptor avoided the sharp angles and geometric shapes of abstract art, instead creating ______4. Because the course was only an shapes that seemed to expand or introduction to the fundamentals contract as one looked at them. of biology, the students were surprised to be asked for such ______(A) static information on the exam. (B) infallible (C) fluid (A) irrelevant (D) methodical (B) mundane (E) residual (C) redundant (D) superficial 2. The initial ______of many of (E) esoteric the first-year law students ______when they discover 5. Torn between a vacation in Florida how many hours per week are and a vacation in Wyoming, Lisa necessary just to complete the ______for several weeks. course reading. (A) vacillated (A) apprehensiveness … subsides (B) mitigated (B) torpor … increases (C) terminated (C) courage … rebounds (D) speculated (D) enthusiasm … wanes (E) repudiated (E) satisfaction … continues 6. The lemur, a small, monkey-like animal 3. The graduate student’s radical native to Madagascar, is not, as was theories were ______by once mistakenly thought, a direct the elder scientist because ______of man; new discoveries they did not ______the elder reveal that the lemur and man once shared scientist’s own findings. a common ancestor but then proceeded on ______paths. (A) accepted … confirm (B) discounted … corroborate (A) relative … converging (C) confounded … disprove (B) ancestor … divergent (D) praised … prove (C) descendant … synchronous (E) tolerated … support (D) terrestrial … parallel (E) subordinate … similar

7. Although many believed that the problems of the community were ______, the members of the governing council refused

88 to give in and came up with several ______solutions.

(A) indomitable … ingenious (B) intractable … inconsequential (C) exorbitant … promising (D) irrelevant … lofty (E) obscure … meager

8. No details is too small for Coach Williams when her little league team is in a playoff game, but some parents find her to be too ______and wish that she would spend more time ______qualities such as good sportsmanship in her young charges.

(A) meticulous … instilling (B) circumstantial … finding (C) ambivalent … impeding (D) conspicuous … obstructing (E) ambidextrous … thwarting

9. Despite ______training, the new paratroopers awaited their first jump from an airplane with ______.

(A) paltry … alarm (B) comprehensive … assurance (C) extraneous … indifference (D) methodical … presumptuousness (E) extensive … trepidation

WORD DEFINITION

______

89 CRITICAL READING

 Three sections of the test will include critical reading  Questions are NOT arranged in difficulty order; however, some questions are easier to answer than others, so you should answer those first  There are long reading passages and short reading passages

90 TYPES OF PASSAGES

There are several different types of passages that you will come across on the Critical Reading sections of the SAT.

The Social Science Passage  This passage will be about a topic involving history, politics, economics, or sociology.

The Humanities Passage  This passage might range from an excerpt about an artist to an essay about literature, music, or philosophy.

The Science Passage  This passage is usually not too dry. It will frequently involve a discussion of a scientific discovery, a new scientific theory, or a controversy in any of the scientific fields.

The Narrative Passage  Often an excerpt from a novel or short story, this type of passage frequently has actual dialogue and is often the most fun to read.

The Dual Passage  One of the passages on the SAT will actually be two shorter passages giving two perspectives on one topic, followed by up to 13 questions. Recent dual passages have given two views of architecture in cities, two views on the jazz saxophonist Miles Davis, and two views on whether controversial books should be banned. Although the double passage is generally located in the 15-minute section of the test, it does not have to be.

91 STRATEGIES

1. Read the blurb The blurb is the italicized portion that comes before the passage. There is usually a blurb and it is important to read it because it will tell you what the passage is about.

2. Get the general idea of the passage Or, what we refer to as the GIST. Sometimes after you read the blurb you will be ready to move on to the questions. However, if you still want more information about the passage before you go to the questions, get the GIST. The GIST stands for General Idea, Structure and Tone.

3. Read through the questions Read each question and determine whether it is easy or more difficult to answer. Easy questions usually have a line reference or are vocabulary questions. More difficult questions will require you to do some thinking. Also, make sure you understand exactly what the question is asking. If the question does not end in a question mark, rephrase the question, so you know exactly what the question is asking.

4. Read what you need Do NOT read anything else. That’s right. You will no longer read an entire passage from start to finish. Only read the part of the passage that you need to answer that specific question. Use the line references and the order of the questions to help you find the place in the passage that you need.

5. Answer the question in your own words When you find the spot in the passage that contains the right answer, put the answer to the question in your own words. This will help you not become distracted by the answer choices already supplied.

6. POE (Process of Elimination) Use the process of elimination to choose the best answer choice.

92 TYPES OF QUESTIONS 1. Line Reference Line reference questions are great! They tell you exactly where to look for the answer to the question. Line reference questions ask about a part of the passage and tell you which lines the question refers. Line reference questions look like this:

 In paragraph 4, why does the author mention Harry McCallan?

Read only what you need. Find the line and then read five lines before and five lines after to make sure you understand the context. Only read more if you need to.

2. Vocab in Context Vocabulary-in-context questions always include the line numbers and ask you to pick alternate words for the quoted word or phrase. The thing to bear in mind in these questions is that ETS often picks words that have more than one meaning, and the words are generally not being used in their primary sense. For example, ETS’s answer to the following question about the meaning of the word “objective” was the word “material” – certainly not the first meaning anyone would think of picking.

 In line 44, “objective” most nearly means …

If you find yourself running out of time as you get to a critical reading passage then these are the questions to answer first. Not only do they take the least amount of time, but they also require the smallest amount of overall knowledge of the passage.

To answer vocab-in-context questions, use a method you already know – Sentence Completions. Cross out the word in question. Pretend this is the blank. Read the entire sentence and a little before and after. Look for the clue and any triggers. Fill in your own word and then use the process of elimination.

3. Reasoning Reasoning questions test how well you understood the author’s plan. An author writes to get information to the reader. There are many ways an author may choose to do this. However, you have a specific passage in front of you. This means you need to pay attention specifically to what this author has to say and why he chose to do so in this way. Reasoning questions look like this:

 The author mentions his visit to a farmer’s market (lines 14-18) primarily in order to point out that …

4. Lead Words

93 Sometimes, instead of a line or paragraph number, you will be asked about a proper name or important word or phrase that will be pretty easy to find in the passage. What could make a word or phrase easy to find? An example is:

 The author cites “many interesting creatures” on lines 34-36 in order to …

5. Suggestion Many questions will ask what the author or someone else from the passage suggests. Don’t forget: The SAT is a standardized test! ETS has to base the answer on what is there in the passage. Choose the answer that is best supported by the passage. An example of a suggestion question looks like this:

 In lines 69-113, Mrs. Pontellier’s reactions to her husband’s behavior on returning home suggest that …

6. Complex Complex questions are complicated. They not only test whether you understand what the passage says and what the author’s plan was, but also if you can apply that information to a new situation. They may ask if something will strengthen or weaken an author’s argument or if something is similar to what was already stated in the passage. Here are two examples:

 A situation analogous to the “insolence of office” described in paragraph 2 would be …  Which of the following if true would weaken the author’s contention about “lessons in cooperation” (line 39)?

7. General Usually there will be one general question per passage. It will probably look like one of the following:

 The main idea of this passage is …  The primary purpose of the passage is …  The passage is best described as …  The passage serves primarily to …  The author uses the example of the [Krakatoa eruption] primarily to …

We suggest that you save the general questions for last. By the time you have answered all of the line reference and lead word questions, you will have read enough of the passage that you will probably have a good idea of the main point. If not, try going back to the passage and re-reading the opening line of each paragraph. It is a good bet that these lines will be a good paraphrase of the main idea.

Vocab in Context

94 In the following passage excerpts, we’ve left out the vocab word being tested in the question. Use your own word to fill in the blank and use POE to cross off any choice that is not similar to your word. When you are done eliminating answer choices, pick the answer choice that best reflects the word you chose.

It is not as though the British even took 18. The word “heritage” in line 81 most nearly particularly good care of the marbles: they means have been scrubbed and rescrubbed to the point (A) lineage of damage, because English Victorian tastes (B) pride preferred statues to be pure white. The Greek (C) history plan to build a special museum to house the (D) art marbles, near the Parthenon where the (E) loot sculptures originally resided, should be taken up with haste. The marbles are part of the Greek ______and should be returned to the people whom Pericles hoped to inspire over two millennia ago.

Are we so starved for entertainment that we 8. Which of the following best expresses the must pry into the artists’ lives, as if by knowing meaning of the word “ossified” in line 27? the story behind the story, we will be afforded (A) hardened some extra thrill not found in fiction alone? (B) awkward As a writer myself, I might have argued along (C) liberal these lines in years past. More recently, I have (D) perplexing begun to rethink this ______position. (E) wonderful

Even very young animals, however, were unable 19. In context, “impenetrable” (line 123) most to manipulate their lips and palates to produce nearly means the wide variety of sounds that constitute words. (A) impassable The average human can distinguish between (B) immortal such sounds as “pa” and “ba,” but minute (C) inimitable differences seem to be ______for other (D) indigenous animals. (E) impudent

In the late seventies, for example, a Neolithic 12. The word “ubiquitous” as it is used in this stoneware pot from China was quite rare and passage in line 32 most nearly means valuable. Today, these pots are ______(A) untidy and have lost their value, disproving the old (B) collectible adage that art is a great investment that will only (C) scattered increase with time. (D) omnipresent (E) cluttering

Lead Word Practice

95 Circle the Lead Word or phrase that you would use to search for the correct answer to the following sample critical reading questions.

1. The author points out the modern day Japanese food “craze” in order to

2. The author mentions Romeo and Juliet in order to

3. According to the author of the passage, the heads displayed on the London Bridge were intended to evoke which emotion in the population of London?

4. The author refers to the “virtuosity of a sinewy piece of jade” in order to

5. The author discusses the book The Magus, by John Fowles, as

6. The reference to the ancient Greek mysteries serves to reinforce the point that

7. Cats were directly involved in the development of the Black Plague, according to the author specifically because

8. The passage suggests that David Innes’s willingness to work in the mines for two years arose primarily out of

96 Reading and Writing Workout for the SAT

112 SHORT READING PASSAGES

Each short reading passage will consist of a brief paragraph – usually no more than 150 words – followed by two questions. You might also see a pair of short passages followed by three or four questions. By using the approach shown in this section, you will learn not only the best way to tackle this type of problem, but also some effective strategies for eliminating wrong answers.

STRATEGIES

1. Read the questions first Before you dive into the passage, take a moment to read the questions first and figure out what type of information ETS is going to ask you about. Each passage contains a huge number of facts – most of which are completely irrelevant. Do not read the passage without knowing what you are looking for.

2. Read what you need The answer to the question is contained somewhere in the passage. Only read enough of the passage to answer the question ETS asks you.

Let’s take a look at a sample reading passage: Primaries and caucuses create a political patchwork system by which parties select their candidates for the presidential election in the United States. In both cases, voters decide which presidential candidate will be supported by their state’s delegates at the national party convention. However, the methods are strikingly dissimilar. Voters cast secret ballots in primary elections, with each candidate receiving support from the state’s delegates based on his or her percentage of the vote. In caucuses, voters assemble in local forums to discuss the options and choose delegates to represent their preferred candidates at the state level. These delegates then determine which one of the candidates will receive support from the entire state delegation. These different formats allow states to promote either individual political assessments to consensual democracy, and hence primaries and caucuses reflect the diversity and independence prevalent in the American federal system.

113 TYPES OF QUESTIONS

1. Information Retrieval Questions

Many of the questions on short reading passages will require you to find specific information contained within the paragraph. Use the line references or lead words that are found in the question to jump right to the appropriate part of the passage to find the answer.

Let’s return to our sample passage and take a look at question number one. 1. According to the passage, primaries and caucuses are “strikingly dissimilar” (line 9) because

(A) in primaries, voters openly discuss a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses, while in caucuses, voters use secret ballots (B) in primaries, voters choose which candidate will represent the party in the presidential election, while in caucuses, voters choose a local forum to elect the presidential candidate (C) in primaries, candidates receive a number of delegates proportionate to the number of votes received, while in caucuses, one candidate is eventually chosen to receive the votes of the entire state delegation (D) in primaries, the delegates selected are required to vote for a particular candidate, while in caucuses, the delegates can change their votes (E) in primaries, a true federalist system is used to select delegates, while in caucuses, a representative democratic system is employed

114 ETS will not always provide a line reference.. If this occurs, look for a lead word – a name, a date, or a term that will stand out as you skim the passage.

For example:

1. According to the passage, the methods employed in the primaries and caucuses differ primarily in that

If ETS had asked the above question, we would use “methods” as our lead word. In either case, our plan is the same: Locate the appropriate line reference or lead word in the passage and read a few lines before and a few lines after it. Keep reading until you find the answer to the question.

Let’s go back to the passage and read lines 9-19. Were you able to find the answer? If you said that the difference appears to be that primaries allot delegates based on a percentage of votes received, while caucuses result in one candidate receiving all the delegates, you are on the right track. Now find our paraphrase in the answer choices.

Inference Questions

The key to success in inference questions is to first understand what an inference is. An inference is a statement that must be true based on the information provided in the passage. In other words, you should never actually try to infer something in an inference question. Stick to the facts. Let’s try one: 2. It can be most reasonably inferred from the passage that

(A) delegates at national party conventions are selected only through the primary and caucus systems (B) the use of both primaries and caucuses is necessary to the diversity of the American federal system (C) presidential candidates prefer the caucus system because it gives them the chance to win all of a state’s delegates (D) corruption in a caucus system is most likely due to the multi-level selection of candidates (E) each state decides whether to use primaries or caucuses in the selection of presidential candidates

115 Where should you look to find the answer to this question? While it appears that there is no line reference or lead word, there actually is. With inference questions it is usually a good strategy to use lead words in the answer choices to help guide you to the right answer. Start with answer choice A and check the passage to see if delegates are selected only by primaries and caucuses. Can you prove that answer to be true with information from the passage? If not, it cannot be the correct answer. Check the other choices. Which one is supported by the passage?

Main Idea Questions

Main idea questions ask you to find the point of the entire paragraph. If possible, do a main idea question after doing any inference or information retrieval questions. On main idea questions, eliminate answers that are too broad or too specific. Here’s another passage and question:

116 Perhaps the scientists most excited about 3. The main idea of the above passage is most reigniting the lunar program are not lunar specialists, accurately described by which of the but astronomers studying a wide range of subjects. following statements? Such scientists would like new missions to install a huge telescope with a diameter of 30 meters on the (A) Most astronomers are in favor of far side of the moon. Two things that a telescope regniting the lunar program. needs for optimum operation are extreme cold and (B) New lunar missions could discover very little vibration. Temperatures on the moon can important new features of the moon. be as frigid as 200º C below zero in craters on the (C) The new lunar telescope will replace dark side. Because there is no seismic activity, the the defunct Hubble telescope. moon is a steady base. Permanent darkness means (D) Recent discoveries have been made the telescope can be in constant use. Proponents about weather on the dark side of the claim that under these conditions a lunar-based moon. telescope could accomplish as much in seventeen (E) Some scientists believe the moon is an days as the replacement for the Hubble telescope ideal location for an interplanetary will in ten years of operation. telescope.

A good way to tackle a main idea question is to read the first and last lines of the paragraph. From those two lines, we know that some scientists are excited about restarting the lunar program and that a lunar telescope would be very effective. Start eliminating answers right away.

117 Here’s another one to try:

Some historians believe that the English 1. The passage most strongly implies that Reformation actually began when Edward VI succeeded Henry VIII. By creating the Church of (A) by 1540, there were no monasteries left England in the 1530’s, Henry VIII not only in England annulled his marriage, but was also able to (B) Henry VIII was primarily interested in improve his bankrupt kingdom’s fortunes. By reforming the Church 1540, More than 500 Catholic monasteries were (C) Edward VI was not interested in the closed and their wealth was transferred to the financial aspects of the Reformation Crown. By the time of Edward VI’s succession, (D) Henry VIII had secular reasons for the fundamental changes had been made, so the creating the Church of England new king began a campaign against iconography. (E) Henry VIII and Edward VI shared the Starting in 1547, the order to remove religious same views on marriage icons from places of worship was carried out. Zealous followers of the Protestant monarch destroyed wall paintings, statues, and shrines, effectively divesting the country of most of its decorative religious art. 2. The reference to “zealous followers” (line 18) serves primarily to indicate that

(A) some of Edward’s subjects willingly obeyed the King’s edict (B) Edward’s followers were apathetic about this campaign (C) the English hated decorative art at that time (D) Protestants are passionate about their beliefs (E) the Church of England condoned iconography

118 OTHER QUESTION TYPES

Now let’s look at some other question types that may appear. These question types don’t show up as frequently as do information retrieval, inference, and main idea questions, but it is important to know how to approach them.

Structure Questions

Structure questions ask you how a particular sentence functions in the paragraph. Read the sentence in question and a sentence or two before and after it. Ask yourself “What does this sentence do?”

You wouldn’t know it if you’ve ever tried to talk to an infant, but we are all born with an ability to communicate. A capacity for language exists in our tiny, screaming bodies in the delivery room, along with our eyes, earls, arms, legs, and vital organs. Our language instincts must be stimulated – we need to hear people talk in order to form words – but we are born eager to speak. The newborn baby is patiently waiting for answers to these questions: “What will I call the objects that surround me? How will I form positive and negative sentences? How can I express feelings about objects and people? The child’s brain instinctively searches for answers to these questions and then, like a sponge, soaks them up.

119 1. In the fourth sentence, the author asks a series of questions in order to show that newborn babies

(A) are eager to communicate (B) can speak certain questions (C) are ignorant about language (D) are curious about their futures (E) are able to teach themselves to speak

Vocabulary in Context

These questions test your vocabulary. Luckily, you have some context to help you figure out the word. Always go back to the passage and look for clues and triggers, just as you would do for a sentence completion. Beware of Average Joe answers!

2. In the third sentence, the word “stimulated” most nearly means

(A) created (B) touched (C) aroused (D) encouraged (E) quickened 1. Which of the following would most strengthen the author’s claim about the development of wheat? The goal of plants, or any living organism, is to propagate as much as possible. To this end, (A) Scientists are now able to many plants in the wild, including wheat’s manipulate a plant’s genes to ancestor, have mechanisms that scatter seeds as achieve desired traits. widely as possible. However, this adaptation (B) There are presently 18 different makes it difficult to cultivate some plants; it is strains of wheat being cultivated in impossible to farm productively if a crop is spread different parts of the world. hitherArgument and thither! Questions Wild wheat had a number of (C) In the wild, an occasional wheat other mechanisms that supported its existence in plant develops that does not spread natureAn argumentbut lessened question its usefulness requires in the field.you to A strengthen or weaken its seeds. one of the author’s points. numberArgument of mutations questions had to can take be place tough in wild and are good questions (D) Wheat to skiphas an if unusuallyyou can stableafford to do wheatso. before it was a suitable candidate for genome, which rarely manifests agriculture, but these mutations did not take place any change. merely to benefit humans. Instead, humans (E) Wild wheat varies from domestic encouraged these mutations by providing a stable wheat only in an insignificant environment that favored and nurtured the manner. mutations that would have proven deleterious in the120 wild. Here’s another one to try: The Avon lady is getting a makeover. In an effort to improve sales in the teen and young adult market, Avon has launched a new line of cosmetics sold by young sales representatives. For example, female college students across the country are now coordinating makeup parties in their dorm rooms to peddle Avon’s wares. Winning the loyalty and name recognition of women between the ages of 16 and 24 is imperative for beauty companies who hope that the now-youthful customers will continue buying cosmetic products throughout their adult lives. One challenge faced by Avon’s new campaign, however, is the fickle nature of this demographic group and the need to keep products fresh and enticing.

121 1. The primary purpose of this passage is to 2. Which of the following statements would most weaken the author’s explanation for (A) describe a successful marketing the targeting of young women by cosmetics strategy employed by Avon companies? (B) provide a convincing argument for other companies to emulate Avon (A) Cosmetic sales for this demographic (C) explain why more cosmetics have group are already on the rise. recently been bought by teens and (B) Previous marketing campaigns aimed at young adults young women have failed. (D) understand the challenging aspects of (C) Avon’s strategy has not been tested marketing cosmetics to young women enough on the teen and young adult (E) discuss Avon’s approach for securing a market. new base of customers (D) There is little correlation between what women buy early in their lives and later in their lives. (E) Marketing aimed at younger customers will alienate older customers.

122 Guessing and Pacing Strategies for Short Reading Questions

Try to do all information retrieval, inference, and main idea questions. Remember to support your answers with information from the passage. If you cannot point to particular parts of passages that make your answers correct, do not pick them.

Process of elimination is a powerful tool on short reading passages. You should be able to eliminate at least one answer on every question. Be aggressive; the odds are in your favor if you can get rid of an answer or two. Eliminate answers that are not mentioned in the passage or use extreme language such as “all,” “always,” “never,” “impossible,” and “only.”

No matter how strange the question seems, keep in mind that the answer must be in the passage somewhere. Find it!

123 SHORT READING Practice Set 1

124 1. The main idea of the passage is that

(A) poetry is judged by different standards at different times (B) Jonson misjudged Donne’s worth (C) the value of Donne’s poetry was not Ben Jonson, a well-known playwright and really recognized until the twentieth seventeenth-century contemporary of John Donne, century wrote that while “the first poet in the world in (D) Donne was a deeply conflicted and some things,” Donne nevertheless “for not keeping complex man of an accent, deserved hanging.” Donne’s (E) Donne’s rough meter prevented him generation admired the depth of his feeling, but from being understood in his own time was puzzled by his often irregular rhythm and obscure references. It was not until the twentieth century and modern movements that celebrated emotion and allusion that Donne really began to be appreciated. Writers such as T. S. Eliot and W. B. Yeats admired the psychological intricacies of a poet who could one moment flaunt his earthly 2. It can be inferred from the passage that dalliances with his mistress and the next, W.B. Yeats was wretched, implore God to “bend your force, to break, blow, burn, and make me new.” (A) uninterested in meter and rhythm (B) a modern writer (C) close to T. S. Eliot (D) interested in imitating Donne’s technique (E) suspicious of solely religious poets

125 3. According to the passage, all of the following would affect space photography EXCEPT

(A) bulky clothing and gloves (B) moving heavy equipment Unlike photographers on Earth, astronauts (C) dirty windows have the opportunity to take photographs from (D) film exposed to radiation unprecedented perspectives. However, the fairly (E) floating in zero gravity easy task of taking a photograph on Earth is much more arduous in space. Zero gravity makes it difficult to stand still, but at least it makes it easy to move heavy camera equipment. On a more fundamental level, the spacesuits and other accessories worn by astronauts prove to be very cumbersome when trying to snap the shutter. Other technicalities also make space photography less than straightforward. For example, photos could be blurred by dirt on windows, and there is always the risk of damaging film due to exposure 4. It can be inferred from the passage that to just a small amount of radiation. (A) experience taking photographs on Earth is not as helpful when in space (B) it is better to have film exposed to radiation than to have dirt on a window (C) the absence of gravity is the greatest challenge faced by astronauts (D) astronauts are envious of photographers who take photographs on Earth (E) opportunities to take photographs in space are more abundant than on Earth

126 SHORT READING Practice Set 2 1. The fourth sentence (“Several decades … television program”) serves primarily to

(A) further describe the demographic nature of the audience (B) emphasize the historic nature of the event (C) explain the popularity of The Ed Sullivan Show February 9, 1964 marks an important date (D) compare the Beatles’ popularity in in American pop culture history: the Beatles 1964 with that of today performed live on The Ed Sullivan Show. (E) show the effect of television on Although the British rock group had appeared on American popular culture American television twice before, this particular performance was like any other. With more than 73 million viewers watching that night, it is not hard to understand how less than an hour of on-air time helped propel the Beatles to unprecedented international superstardom. Several decades later, the audience remains one of the largest ever to watch a television program. And the inimitable band, as well as the historic date, is still commemorated for changing the music scene in 2. It can be inferred from the passage that America. (A) the Beatles would have achieved great fame even without a television appearance (B) more than 73 million viewers tuned in to watch the Beatles’ performance (C) The Ed Sullivan Show provided a venue for musical performances in the 1960’s (D) the Beatles are the most celebrated rock band to have achieved international fame (E) the Beatles’ two earlier American television appearances are not forgotten

127 3. The author’s primary purpose is to

(A) praise Schuman for his innovative approach (B) re-evaluate the standing of Mendelsohn and Brahms (C) reassess a portion of Schuman’s portfolio (D) reaffirm the value of the piano (E) examine the influence of Schuman’s Robert Schuman’s orchestral music has performances been under-appreciated and misunderstood for many years by critics and audiences alike. The nineteenth-century virtuoso’s works for the piano are acknowledged as brilliant masterworks. However, his large scale orchestral works have always suffered by comparison to those of contemporaries such as Mendelsohn and Brahms. Perhaps this is because Schuman’s works should be measured with a different yardstick. His works are often considered poorly orchestrated, but they 4. The author’s argument would be most actually have an unusual aesthetic. He treats the weakened if it were true that orchestra as he does the piano: one grand instrument with a uniform sound. This is so (A) Schuman’s piano music was overrated different from the approach of most composers (B) Mendelsohn and Brahms wrote that, to many, it has seemed like a failing rather exceptional piano music than a conscious artistic choice. (C) Mendelsohn’s music was strongly influenced by that of Schuman (D) audiences find orchestral music easier to appreciate than piano music (E) most of Schuman’s critics did not evaluate music based on comparisons with other composers

128 SHORT READING Practice Set 3 1. According to the passage, American forces in New Orleans

(A) turned the tide of the war and helped secure an American victory (B) did not abide by the Treaty of Ghent (C) outnumbered the British at the end of the battle (D) lacked communications systems (E) defended the city against a larger contingent of British troops

129 Modern warfare is defined by real-time command-and-control using high-tech communications systems that allow military leaders to manage their forces instantaneously from thousands of miles away. In contrast, because of slow-moving communications systems, the greatest victory for U.S. forces during the War of 1812 actually occurred two weeks after a treaty was signed, officially ending the war. On January 8, 1815, the British, hoping to separate Louisiana from the rest of the United States, attacked American militiamen in New Orleans. In the 2. Which of the following best describes the failed attack, British casualties numbered structure of the paragraph? approximately 2,000. Even though they were grossly outnumbered at the onset, only eight (A) A generalization is stated and then is Americans died in the short battle. Unbeknownst followed by a specific exam[le than to the commanders in New Orleans, the leaders of undermines the generalization both countries had already signed a peace (B) A present-day reality is stated and then agreement in Ghent, Belgium, on December 24, is highlighted using a historical event 1814. Nonetheless, the victory served as a great as a contrasting example source of national pride for the Americans. (C) A historical era is described in terms of a significant battle (D) An argument is outlined, and counterarguments are mentioned (E) A diplomatic error is discussed and its implications are explained.

3. It can be inferred from the passage that

(A) the Knights Templar were interested in preventing crime, not practicing religion (B) the Knights’ actions conflicted with the Pope’s politics (C) monarchs had a financial motive in pressing for the Knight’s execution (D) the Knights are a powerful force in Scottish politics (E) the Knights were executed to protect Christian theology

130 The Knights Templar is a group shrouded in historical mystery. Originally formed to protect Christian pilgrims on the roads to Jerusalem, the Knights quickly gained significant political and financial power. The Knights became early moneylenders and advisors to monarchs in both Europe and the Middle East. Some historians say that the Knights’ rapidly expanding political power was in fact the cause of their demise. Regents, jealous of the Knights’ hold over medieval politics, pressured the Pope to brand the Knights as heretics. Orders to confiscate the property of the Knights and execute them arrived on October 13th, a date that to this day is 4. The tone of the passage is best described as considered unlucky. Many historians maintain this order was the end of the Knights Templar. Some (A) insincere conspiracy theorists, however, say the Knights (B) indifferent survived in Scotland and constitute a secret society (C) antithetical that is still alive today. (D) diffident (E) objective

131 SHORT READING Practice Set 4 1. The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A) establish that transgenic crops are safe (B) provide information about transgenic crops (C) critique the process of genetic modification (D) praise the virtues of genetically modified foods The term “genetic modification” refers to (E) Donne’s rough meter prevented him technology that is used to alter the genes of living from being understood in his own time organisms. Genetically modified organisms are overcome opposition to genetically called “transgenic” if genes from different modified foods organisms are combined. The most common transgenic organisms are crops of common fruits and vegetables, which are now grown in more than fifty countries. These crops are typically developed for resistance to herbicides, pesticides, and disease, as well as to increase nutritional value. Some of the transgenic crops currently under development might even yield human vaccines. Along with improving nutrition and alleviating hunger, genetic modification of crops 2. As used in the passage, the word “yield” may also help to conserve natural resources and most nearly means to improve waste management. (A) surrender (B) drive slowly (C) replace (D) back down (E) produce

132 3. The phrase “where historians usually tread” is used in the passage to indicate that

(A) a centuries-old rivalry exists between climatologists and historians (B) climatologists have been taking ships’ logs out of the historians’ office (C) climatologists find valuable books alongside the historians’ walking path (D) scientists are utilizing resources typically regarded as historical rather than scientific (E) scientists are more intrepid than historians have been in the past

133 Climatologists find it hard to determine if dramatic changes in weather are the result of pollution or part of a natural series of events. Modern weather records don’t extend far enough back in time to map out definitive cycles. Recently climatologists have begun digging up data where historians usually tread – in ships’ logs from the golden age of seafaring. England requires its formidable navy to keep records of each journey, a practice that became universal. Recording the wind speed and other climatic details was essential for navigation. On the open sea this was the only way for the crew to determine its location, so readings were taken every six hours. A vast amount of weather data from around the world dating back to the mid- eighteenth century can now be compared with 4. It can be most reasonably inferred from the measurements derived from ice core samples, phrase “ice core samples, sunspot activity, sunspot activity, and tree ring patterns. and tree ring patterns” in the last lines of the paragraph that

(A) meteorological data of the past can be deduced from ice-samples, sunspot activity, and tree rings (B) eighteenth-century ship captains collected samples of ice and wood from around the world (C) the yearly accumulation of ice and snow can be determined by the patterns left in tree rings. (D) only these items can give modern meteorologists clues to eighteenth- century weather (E) scientists no longer need to use this information now that the ships’ logs have been found

SHORT READING

134 Practice Set 5 1. The author argues that pictures taken during the Civil War are significant primarily because they

(A) display people who were unaware they were being photographed (B) show people who were not self- conscious in front of the camera (C) portray unkempt, unattractive men and If you could take a picture of the soul, it women might look something like the black and white (D) convey people who tried to express photos of certain slaves and soldiers during the emotions for the camera Civil War. They are men and women who didn’t (E) reveal that the soul is tangible and have time to look at themselves or worry about photographable their appearance, and it shows. Their faces convey their passions and experiences and never betray their character. One photo shows a large man with a hard stare and a spiky beard that conveys fierceness. In another, a mother’s wisdom can be seen in the dark circles under her eyes. A child’s skepticism is visible in his small, taut mouth. Somehow, their situations allowed their spirits to develop in their faces, untainted by luxury and 2. In the third sentence, the word “betray” self-examination. Thankfully, someone was able most nearly means to capture this era on film, as an example for our modern media-saturated times. (A) contradict (B) reveal (C) compromise (D) attack (E) debase

135 3. The primary purpose of the passage is to

(A) develop a general theory from a specific case (B) utilize scientific evidence to prove a theory (C) supply a logical reason for an apparently irrational action (D) suggest a method for developing a The emotional reaction of disgust is often defensive mechanism associated with the obdurate refusal of young (E) describe two functions served by the children to consume certain vegetables. While same reaction such disgust may seem absurd to parents determined to supply their children with nutritious foods, scientists interested in hygienic behavior have a rational explanation. This theory contends that people have developed disgust as a protective mechanism against unfamiliar and possibly harmful objects. A recent study shows that disgust not only deters the ingestion of dangerous substances, but also dissuades people from entering potentially contagious situations. For 4. According to the passage, the purpose of instance, subjects of the study declared crowded disgust is to railcars to be more disgusting than empty ones and lice more disgusting than wasps. Consequently, (A) prevent the ingestion of all dangerous parents should not be surprised when their children substances exhibit natural defenses by rejecting alien foods (B) protect people from wasps and other and foreign environments. stinging insects (C) limit overcrowding in railcars and other modes of public transportation (D) encourage the avoidance of detrimental materials and situations (E) give children a reason for refusing to eat nutritious foods

136 GRAMMAR

 Two sections of the test will include questions about grammar  Questions are usually arranged in difficulty order  There are three types of grammar questions: improving sentences, error identification and improving paragraphs  ETS prefers to test the same handful of rules over and over again

137 Before we can start learning any rules, we need to learn the parts of speech. In order to understand the rules, you need to understand the terminology. You won’t be able to figure out if the subject and verb agree if you do not know what a subject is (or a verb).

PARTS OF SPEECH

Nouns are people, places or things.

Subject nouns perform an action. Object nouns receive the action. Can you identify the subject and the object?

Nancy sent a letter.

Subject - ______Object - ______

Look around the room. Identify ten nouns.

1. ______6. ______

2. ______7. ______

3. ______8. ______

4. ______9. ______

5. ______10. ______

Pronouns

Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns. They are used to avoid long, repetitive sentences.

Nancy planned to send a birthday e-mail, but because Nancy’s computer broke, Nancy decided to send a card through the mail.

Versus

138 Nancy planned to send an e-card, but because her computer broke, she decided to send a birthday card through the mail.

Doesn’t that sound better?

What are some other pronouns you can think of?

1. ______6. ______

2. ______7. ______

3. ______8. ______

4. ______9. ______

5. ______10. ______

Verbs are words that express action or a state of being. Verbs can express obvious actions like running, jumping, eating, and sleeping. Other verbs are state of being verbs. These include: is, was, are, were, am, seem, appear, become, and remain. Other verbs are considered helping verbs. They include: can, will, shall, could, may, might, should and would.

Write down ten verbs.

1. ______6. ______

2. ______7. ______

3. ______8. ______

4. ______9. ______

5. ______10. ______

139 Adjectives

Adjectives are used to describe nouns. This is their ONLY function. If a word is describing anything other than a noun, it cannot be an adjective.

If you wanted a dog for your birthday, would you just tell your parents, “I want a dog.” Probably not. You would be more specific. “I want a large, slobbering, guard dog.”

Now, your parents have enough details to get you the dog you want. A large, slobbering, guard dog.

Write down ten adjectives.

1. ______6. ______

2. ______7. ______

3. ______8. ______

4. ______9. ______

5. ______10. ______

Do not forget that colors and numbers are ALWAYS adjectives.

Adverbs

Adverbs are words that describe verbs, adjectives and other adverbs.

She wanted a very large dog.

How large? Very large.

Here, the adverb very modifies the adjective large, telling you how large you want the dog.

Her parents reluctantly bought a huge, slobbering dog, named Bubba.

Here, the adverb reluctantly modifies the verb bought, describing how her parents bought the dog.

140 It turned out that the dog her parents so reluctantly bought, ended up being the best guard dog ever.

Here, the adverb so modifies the adverb reluctantly, further describing how reluctant her parents were. Keep in mind that many words that end in –ly are adverbs.

Try to write down ten adverbs, but try to find a few that do not end in –ly.

1. ______6. ______

2. ______7. ______

3. ______8. ______

4. ______9. ______

5. ______10. ______

Prepositions

Prepositions are the little words in sentences that describe time or place relationships between words.

The letter Nancy sent to Rose sat in the mailbox for several days while Rose was on vacation in the Caribbean.

Can you think of ten other prepositions?

1. ______6. ______

2. ______7. ______

3. ______8. ______

4. ______9. ______

5. ______10. ______

141 Conjunctions

Conjunctions are words used to link one idea to another.

Sheryl wanted a vanilla and chocolate ice-cream cone, but they were out of those flavors, so she settled for strawberry instead.

Remember the mnemonic FANBOYS for remembering conjunctions. For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, and So.

Practice Identifying the Parts of Speech

Adam asked his parents for money to buy tickets to the hip-hop concert. A B C D E F

A) ______D) ______

B) ______E) ______

C) ______F) ______

Scott is vigorously training with his team for the volleyball playoff game. A B C D E F

A) ______D) ______

B) ______E) ______

C) ______F) ______

Bob was quite exhausted by the end of his very busy week. A B C D E F

A) ______D) ______

B) ______E) ______

C) ______F) ______

142 Fortunately, we do not need to teach you every grammar rule there is to know in order for you to do well on the SAT. Rather, the grammar sections require you to know only a few basic rules. ETS will test these rules with three types of questions: improving sentences, error identification, and improving paragraphs.

Improving Sentences Questions

Anywhere from 12 to 30 of the questions in a grammar section will be of the improving sentences variety. These questions require you to not only identify an error, but also to fix it. Here is what an improving sentence question looks like:

1. The Macaroni Penguin, along with the Erect- Crested, Fjordland, Rockhopper, Royal, and Snare Island Penguins, have a crest of yellow feathers on their heads.

(A) have a crest of yellow feathers on their heads (B) has a crest of yellow feathers on its head (C) having crests of yellow feather on their heads (D) all have a crest of yellow feathers on its head (E) each with a crest of yellow feathers on its head

Answer choice A is always a reproduction of the underlined portion of the sentence as written. However, this sentence is not correct. What is the correct answer?

Key Points

 Since answer choice A is always the same as the underlined portion, you never need to read A. You already did when you read the sentence.  About one-fifth of improving sentences are correct as written, so do not be afraid to choose answer choice A. You should expect about 4-6 A’s out of your 25 Sentence Improvement questions.  The NON-underlined portion of the sentence is always correct. Read it carefully. Often, you can only find the error (if there is one) by reading the rest of the sentence.  Do not try to revise the sentence in your head; you do not know how ETS is going to correct it and there is often more than one way to correct it. Your way of revising the sentence may not be listed, but the sentence could still have an error.

143 STRATEGIES

1. Ask yourself: Do I spot an error?

2. If you answer “yes”: Eliminate answer A and any other answers with the same error. If you answer “no”: Compare answers to find any errors.

3. Compare answer choices that are left. Cross out any answer choice with an error.

4. Use POE

Continue this process until you have one choice left, or you can guess.

Two Good Rules to Abide By

Here is some advice you might find helpful when answering Sentence Improvement questions:

 Eliminate any answer choice that changes the (intended) meaning of the original sentence.  If you are down to two answer choices and need to guess, choose the shorter one.

Try this: 2. The vivid descriptions and lively characterizations in the novel Ahab’s Wife give the reader a sense of participating in Una’s story.

(A) give the reader a sense of participating in (B) let the one who is reading have a sense of participating in (C) gives the one who reads it a sense of participating in (D) gives one a sense of participation in the reading (E) give one the sense, in the reading of it, of participating in

144 Grammar: The Rules You Need to Know

Agreement

Agreement is one of the most heavily tested rules on the SAT.

A singular subject needs a singular verb, and a plural subject needs a plural verb. (Reminder: The verb is the action in a sentence. The subject is who or what does the action).

What’s wrong with this sentence?

Lydia’s frightening fancy for shoulder pads have led to her nomination as “Most Tragic Fashion Victim” in her class.

When a verb is underlined, determine what its subject is, and make sure that the subject and verb agree.

Singular with singular and plural with plural

ETS Trick #1

Subjects and Verbs Separated by Lots of Other Words 3. A number of the childhood possessions of former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, including her books and toys, selling off at auction.

(A) selling off at auction (B) will be sold off at auction (C) are selling off at auction (D) are being selling off at auction (E) to be sold off at auction

145 What is the verb? Singular/Plural

What is the subject? Singular/Plural

By separating the subject and verb, ETS will try to trick you. Keep track of both the subject and the verb. Make sure they agree!

ETS Trick #2

Collective Nous with Plural Verbs

What is a collective noun? It is a noun that names a group of people or things.

Some examples include: family, orchestra, committee, jury

Can you name a few other collective nouns?

______

146 4. The Philippines, although not famous for its agriculture, they produce some of the best tropical fruit in the world.

(A) agriculture, they produce (B) agriculture, produces (C) agriculture, produce (D) agriculture though producing (E) agriculture and it produces

What is the verb?

What is the subject?

The trick here is to remember that collective nouns are grammatically singular. Remember to pair them with singular verbs.

ETS Trick #3

Nouns Joined by a Conjunction

Pick the right verb in the following sentences:

1. My brother and my best friend ______both competitive soccer players. (are/is)

2. Neither my parents nor my grandparents ______fluent in Dutch. (are/is)

3. Neither my sister nor my brother ______particularly funny. (are/is)

Remember the following rules:

 Two singular nouns joined by “and” make a plural subject. (Think 1+1=2) or (Singular + Singular = Plural)

147  If two or more nouns are joined by “or” or “nor,” the verb agrees in number with the last element in the list.

5. Sweetened fruit juices, gummy candies, and chocolate, the relative importance of which differs from dentist to dentist, is the reason behind much tooth decay.

(A) differs from dentist to dentist, is (B) differ from dentist to dentist, is (C) differ from dentist to dentist, are (D) differs from dentist to dentist, are (E) differs between dentists, is

Pronoun Agreement

A pronoun is a word that stands in for a noun. Look at the following sentence:

The coach said that everyone on the football team will be required to get their physicals by the start of Tuesday’s practice.

This sentence may sound good to you, but it actually contains a grammatical error. Their is a plural pronoun referring to everyone, which is singular. Be careful not to be the Average Joe and fall into the trap of what “sounds good.” 6. Because the dress is lined with pockets of When a pronoun is underlined,down, they cannot determine very easily which be hemmed noun it. is replacing and check to make sure they agree. Singular pronoun with a singular noun and a plural pronoun (A) with they a pluralcannot noun.very easily be hemmed (B) it cannot very easily be hemmed (C) they cannot all that easily be hemmed (D) it cannot be hemmed easy (E) they cannot be hemmed

148 7. The more we complain about the level of homework given by the teacher, the more you are likely to receive increasing amounts with each week.

(A) The more we complain about the level of homework (B) With more complaining about the level of homework (C) By complaining about the level of homework more and more (D) In more complaining about the level of homework (E) The more you complain about the level of homework

Tricky Pronouns

With some pronouns it may be unclear which are singular and which are plural. These are the tricky pronouns. ETS likes to test the pronouns because they believe you will get them wrong. Prove them wrong by learning the following:

The following pronouns are SINGULAR:

Anybody Everybody Somebody Nobody Anyone

Everyone Someone No one Anything Everything

Something Nothing Either Neither Each

The following pronouns are PLURAL:

149 Few Many Both Several

The following pronouns can be singular OR plural, depending on how they are used:

All Most Some None

More Any Less

To figure out whether a pronoun is singular or plural, check to see what the pronoun is referring to.

Take the word “Most,” for example. Ask yourself whether you are talking about “Most of it,” or “Most of them.”

 Most of the winners were happy when they received the award. (We’re talking about most of them).

 Most of the cupcake was eaten. (We’re talking about most of it). 8. Each of Henrietta’s students, some of whom had been working with her for years, were accomplished violinists who could perform even under the most trying circumstances.

(A) were accomplished violinists who could perform even under the most trying circumstances (B) was an accomplished violinist who can perform under even the most trying circumstances (C) were accomplished violinists; who could have performed under the most trying circumstances (D) was an accomplished violinist who could perform under even the most trying circumstances (E) was an accomplished violinist; and so they could have performed under even the most trying circumstances

150 Noun Agreement 9. High school students who take challenging courses are more likely to become a successful college student.

(A) are more likely to become a successful college student (B) are more likely to become successful college students (C) is more likely to be successful in college (D) is more likely to be a successful college student (E) are more likely to be a success when they go to college

Misplaced Modifiers

What is wrong with this sentence?

Running down the street, a brick fell on my head.

When using a modifier, the noun being modified should follow directly after the modifying phrase. In this sentence, the modifier is “running down the street” but the

151 noun directly after it is “a brick.” It appears that the brick is running down the street, not the person. Make sure your modifiers refer to the correct noun.

Rewrite the following sentences, so there are no misplaced modifiers.

1. Driving home late last night, a deer suddenly appeared in our headlights.

______

2. Three bicycles were reported stolen by the police yesterday.

______

3. After years of neglect in a basement closet, I found my old teddy bear and brought it to my room.

______

4. Skiing on a cold, snowy day, icicles began to form on my eyelashes.

______

5. With their cute, little, furry bodies, people adore golden retriever puppies.

______

10. Universally considered one of the best books of the year, the reading public enthusiastically embraced Jonathan Franzen’s novel The Corrections.

(A) the reading public enthusiastically embraced Jonathan Franzen’s novel The Corrections. (B) the Jonathan Franzen’s novel The Corrections, was enthusiastically embraced by the reading public. (C) The Corrections, by Jonathan Franzen, the reading public enthusiastically embraced novel. (D) The Corrections, by Jonathan Franzen, generated an enthusiastic embrace from the reading public. 152 (E) The Corrections was enthused by an embrace from the public.

11. Reading the satellite photographs, the hurricane’s path was easily predicted and scientists could warn the residents of the towns that lay in its path.

(A) Reading the satellite photographs, the hurricane’s path was easily predicted and scientists could warn the residents of the towns that lay in its path. (B) Reading the satellite photographs, the hurricane’s path could warn the residents of the towns and was easily predicted by the scientists. (C) Reading the satellite photographs, the hurricane’s path, in the way of towns, could be predicted by scientists who could warn. (D) Reading the satellite photographs, scientists could predict the hurricane’s path and warn the residents of the towns that lay in its path. (E) Reading the satellite photographs, scientists could warn the residents of the towns that lay in its path and predict the hurricane.

Parallelism

When making a list of items, make sure all parts of the list are in the same form.

The following sentence is incorrect:

Ricky wanted to finish his homework, take a walk, and to be in bed by ten o’clock.

153 The correct form should be:

Ricky wanted to finish his homework, take a walk, and be in bed by ten o’clock. 12. Modern-day furniture must be practical in addition to being simple enough to fit in with pieces already present in a home.

(A) in addition to being simple enough (B) as well as being as simple enough (C) and simple enough (D) and to be simple enough (E) and being simple enough

13. When the filmmakers sought to bring a modern-day version of the story of Grendel to the screen, they wanted to bring the palpable terror of the story, but were not trying to show its datedness.

(A) they wanted to bring the palpable terror of the story, but were not trying to show its datedness. (B) and they wanted to bring the palpable terror of the story, but not try to show its datedness. (C) and they were wanting to bring the palpable terror of the story, but not trying to show its datedness. (D) and they wanted to bring the palpable terror of the story, not trying to show its datedness (E) they wanted to bring the palpable terror of the story without showing its datedness Comparisons

If you are making a comparison, make sure the two things being compared are similar.

John’s drumming style is more explosive than Keith.

This sentence is incorrect because we need to compare John’s drumming style to Keith’s drumming style.

14. The health of a child in a developing country is not as good as a child in the first world.

(A) a child in the first world (B) like a child in the first world (C) like the first world’s child (D) that of a child in the first world (E) such of a child in the first world

GRAMMAR

Subject-Verb Agreement Practice

Identify and correct any subject-verb agreement errors in the following sentences:

155 1. The rise of “527s” – political organizations 6. Research on vitamins and supplements not officially connected to particular reveal that products produced by Brand X campaigns – has been both lauded and tend to be more effective than those decried by both sides of the political produced by Brand Y. spectrum. 7. The main excuses Dr. Klein’s patients give 2. The beneficial properties of dark green for neglecting to exercise is that they have vegetables is increasingly gaining more very full schedules and find it difficult to scientific evidence. stay motivated.

3. The crux of the defense’s argument, 8. The beneficial effects of exercise, including were whether the defendant had been seen lowering blood pressure and regulating at the scene of the crime. body weight, has been widely recognized.

4. The new commercial airplane, the first one 9. Each of the contestants in the beauty able to seat 900 passengers, were flying its competition are required to participate in maiden voyage and landed safely after four the bathing suit competition, talent section hours in the air. and question and answer session.

5. The new train line connecting Tokyo and 10. An understanding of irony and sarcasm are Osaka, consisting of several hundred miles usually the last steps in learning a of perfectly straight track, provide a very language. smooth ride.

1. When one is happy, one/they should celebrate.

2. Each of the members presented their/his own view of the book.

3. Anyone who attends college is going to have the best few years in their/his life.

4. The band was asked to wait in the classroom until it was time for their/its performance. Pronoun Agreement Practice 5. One thing everyone knows about newspaper news is that they/it should not be biased.

6. Each of the children wanted his/their report card.

7. When one needs to give a speech, you/one should be prepared.

8. Everyone who visits the ice-cream factory, feels as if they want/she wants to taste every flavor.

1569. The group of students raised their/its hand to answer the question.

10. Nobody wanted to attend the graduation ceremony without their/his family. Improving Sentences Practice

1. Highly sociable animals living in pods 2. In the 1970’s, after The Beatles came to that are fairly fluid, dolphin interactions the United States, Rock and Roll became with other dolphins from other pods is the most popular music form with fairly common. American youngsters, unlike during the current decade, in which anything goes. (A) dolphin interactions with other dolphins from other pods is fairly (A) the most popular music form with common American youngsters, unlike during (B) dolphins commonly interact with the current decade , in which other dolphins from other pods anything goes. (C) dolphins interact commonly with (B) the most popular music form with other dolphins from other pods American youngsters, unlike during (D) dolphin interactions with other the current decade, in which dolphins from other pods are a anything is popular with kids common phenomenon (C) the most popular music form with (E) dolphins can be found commonly American youngsters, unlike during interacting with other dolphins from the current decade, in which young other pods. Americans listen to all types of music (D) the most popular music form with American youngsters, unlike during the current decade, in which various music forms are well accepted by the American youth (E) the most popular music form with American youngsters, unlike during the current decade, in which all music forms is accepted

157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 3. In the summer, the Ruddy Duck male, 6. If you enjoy downhill skiing, although who lives in marshes, have chestnut sometimes done in unbearably cold colored plumage and its bill is blue, but in climates, you will love the trails at the the winter, the male is brown with a Forest Pines Resort in Vermont. creamy colored face. (A) If you enjoy downhill skiing, although (A) male, who lives in marshes, have sometimes done in unbearably cold (B) male was living in marshes and has climates, you will love (C) male that lives in marshes and has (B) If you enjoy downhill skiing, although (D) male lives in marshes with its being done in unbearably cold (E) male, which lives in marshes, has climates, you will love (C) If you enjoy downhill skiing, although 4. Today’s progressive companies are it’s sometimes done in unbearably cold looking to recruit job candidates who are climates, will love educated, outgoing, and with proven (D) If you enjoy downhill skiing, a sport track records within their industries, often done in unbearably cold climates, decreasing the need to spend valuable you will love company dollars on training. (E) If you enjoy downhill skiing, although you’re doing it in unbearably cold (A) are educated, outgoing and with climates, you will love proven track records within their industries 7. Notwithstanding having spent several hours (B) are educated, outgoing, and have in meetings with each other and with an proven track records within their arbitrator, the parties were unable to reach industries an agreement. (C) have higher degrees of education, outgoing qualities, and proven track (A) Notwithstanding having spent several records within their industries hours (D) have higher degrees of education, (B) Notwithstanding several hours to be have outgoing qualities, and have spent with proven track records within their (C) Although the parties spend several industries hours (E) are educated, are outgoing, and who (D) Notwithstanding to have spent several have proven track records within hours their industries (E) Although the spending of several hours

5. Nick’s friends enjoyed spending time talking 8. Once considered revolutionary and to his mother, unlike spending time with controversial, the movements of Manny’s. impressionism and abstract expressionism have steadily gained popularity; its images (A) spending time with Manny’s can now be found on drugstore postcards. (B) spending time talking to Manny’s mother (A) have steadily gained popularity; its (C) spending time with Manny’s mother images can now be found on drugstore (D) talking to Manny postcards. (E) talking to Manny’s household (B) have steadily gained popularity; impressionist images can now be found on drugstore postcards. (C) has steadily gained popularity; and so images can now be found on drugstore postcards. (D) has steadily gained popularity, and its images can now be found on drugstore postcards. (E) have steadily gained popularity; their images are now founded on drugstore 178 postcards.

179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 9. At Munich before World War II, the 11. Even those who acknowledge the Allies believed they had negotiated an importance of quitting smoking often agreement that would have secured peace find it difficult to stop smoking by appeasing Germany. permanently and stay smoke-free.

(A) would have secured peace by (A) permanently and smoke-free appeasing Germany (B) permanent and have them stay (B) would secure peace by appeasing smoke-free Germany (C) and be able to stay quit permanently (C) had secured peace by appeasing (D) permanently as they remain smoke- Germany free (D) will secure peace by appeasing (E) and stay smoke-free permanently Germany (E) secures peace by appeasing Germany 12. No sooner had Darius arrived in geology class to submit his midterm but he 10. The new atrium, constructed entirely realized that he had forgotten his from glass panels revealing a assignment at home. breathtaking view, and was made possible by a generous contribution from (A) but he realized that he had forgotten the Arboretum Fund. (B) but he had realized that he was forgetting (A) atrium, constructed entirely from (C) than he was having the realization glass panels revealing a breathtaking that he will forget view, and was made possible by a (D) but he realized his own forgetting of generous contribution from the (E) than he realized that he had forgotten Arboretum Fund (B) atrium is constructed entirely from 13. Guidance counselors often have specific glass panels revealing a breathtaking training regarding how to assist high view, making possible a generous school students with their college and contribution from the Arboretum career decisions, which provides benefits Fund to both the students and their parents. (C) atrium, constructed entirely from glass panels revealing a breathtaking (A) decisions, which provides benefits to view, was made possible by a both the students and generous contribution from the (B) decisions, which provide benefits to Arboretum Fund both the students and (D) atrium that was constructed entirely (C) decisions, which provides both from glass panels revealing a benefits to the students plus breathtaking view made possible by (D) decisions; it provides benefits to a generous contribution from the both the students as well as Arboretum Fund (E) decisions; this provides benefits both (E) atrium, being constructed entirely to the students and from glass panels revealing a breathtaking view, it was made possible by a generous contribution from the Arboretum Fund

199 14. Molly Sauder will not be acknowledged 15. Charlotte Jackson was interested in by her superiors for her contributions to psychology because she believed that the advertising campaign any more than if you understood human motivations they will acknowledge Molly’s assistant, it could have a positive impact on Joe Henderson, for his graphic and reducing crime and promoting technical assistance on the project. economic growth.

(A) any more than they will (A) if you understood human acknowledge Molly’s assistant, Joe motivations it Henderson (B) with the motivations of individuals (B) as will Molly’s assistant, Joe understood they Henderson, not be acknowledged (C) understanding the motivations that (C) any more than Molly’s assistant, Joe were affecting humans Henderson, will be acknowledged (D) by understanding human (D) just as they will not acknowledge motivations Molly’s assistant, Joe Henderson (E) understanding human motivations (E) no more than Molly’s assistant, Joe Henderson, will be acknowledged

Error Identification Questions

There will be anywhere from 16 to 30 Error Identification questions on the SAT. They look like this:

Most people believe that it is silly to attempt to A B test one’s writing skills in a multiple-choice C D format. No error E

Here are a few points about Error IDs:

 There is never more than one error in a sentence.  The non-underlined portions of the sentence are always correct.  Any underlined portion of the sentence that you know is correct can be eliminated.  Approximately one-fifth of the sentences will have no error. Therefore, you should expect to see about 3 or 4 (E)’s out of your 18 Error ID’s.

Now, let’s look at a few more grammar rules that ETS might use to trick you on the SAT.

200 Verb Tense

Verb tenses let us know when the action happens.

Tenses should be consistent unless the meaning of the sentence requires a change.

It is helpful to understand when certain tenses should be used.

Basic tenses:

Past: I aced the test yesterday.

Present: I ace tests sometimes, but not often enough.

Future: I will ace the test tomorrow.

It will also be helpful to understand how to use the past perfect and present perfect.

Present Perfect

Use the present perfect with the helping verb has or have (depending on whether the subject is singular or plural).

 Events that were completed in the past at an unspecified time.

I have eaten pizza many times.

They have visited Turks and Caicos.

She has read all of James Patterson’s novels.

 Events that started in the past and continue into the present.

She has lived in Buffalo for two years.

He has been president of the school since last year.

We have met for coffee every day this week.

Past Perfect

Use the past perfect with the helping verb had.

 Events that happened in the past before another past event. (Use the past perfect when you have an event that started in the past, but does not continue into the present because of some other event).

201 I had planned to eat the banana until my father ate it before me.

My brother had played soccer every day before he sprained his ankle.

Cassandra had thought nothing could be worse than tripe, but then she tried sweet breads.

Subjunctive Mood

The subjunctive mood is used when the sentence contains a what if or if only clause.

The following sentences are INCORRECT:

“If baseball games would cost less, more Americans would be able to attend.”

“I wish I was back in Newport.”

“I insist that you are careful with that fragile vase.”

The first two statements are called “counterfactuals.” This means that one part of the statement is most likely not true. This part is usually an “if” clause. The last statement expresses a command or desired outcome.

 Do NOT use “would” in an “if” clause. Use either the past tense or “were” in the “if” clause (or the part of the sentence that is not true).

 After verbs that express a wish (insist, recommend, demand, require…), use the base form of the verb, which is the infinitive form without the “to” (run, be, go, etc.)

Correct the first sentence:

______

Correct the second sentence:

______

Correct the third sentence: ______Pronoun Ambiguity

202 If a pronoun is underlined in an Error ID, check for agreement first. Then, check for ambiguity.

Pronoun ambiguity is when there is confusion as to which noun a pronoun is referring.

Look at the following sentence:

Lucy and Jenny asked for a ride from her father.

What is the pronoun used in the sentence? ______

What are the two nouns mentioned at the beginning of the sentence? ______

To which noun does the pronoun refer? ______

Pronoun Case

Pronoun case is another way of saying which form of a pronoun needs to be used. Should you use “I” or “me”? “They” or “them”?

For the SAT you should learn the subject case and the object case.

Subject Object

He him

She her

We sent a letter to us

They them

Who whom?

You you

Use subject pronouns as subjects of verbs. Use object pronouns as objects of verbs and objects of prepositions. Use the sentence above to help you remember the difference.

Fill in the blanks.

203 1. I gave ______my favorite sweater to wear. she/her

2. ______read the detective series. He/Him

3. Aileen told ______to dress up for the party. we/us

4. To ______should I give the brochure? who/whom

5. Between you and ______the SAT is a pain in the neck. I/me

6. Grace likes milkshakes more than ______. I/me

7. Judy handed the menus to my brother and ______. I/me

Idioms

AHHHHHHHHHH!!! OK… now that we got that out of the way, let’s explain what an idiom is. Idioms are certain combinations of words that are just correct. There are no rules about them, other than… you need to use the combination of words correctly, or your English teachers are going to make a lot of red marks on your essays, or you will get the idiom questions wrong on the SAT. Idioms are just something you need to memorize and that’s why it is so difficult to learn. It is not a rule like subjects and verbs need to agree. Sorry! Just memorize what is in the box.

Before you start memorizing, see if you can identify what is wrong with the following sentences:

The company is just as happy to sell computers than it is to sell shampoo.

No sooner had Johnnie left but Ricky arrived.

It is hard to distinguish Zach and Cody; they look so much alike.

I gave you the duty of deciding which movie to see, so don’t complain.

Now, here’s the list of idioms you should start memorizing:

204 …of …to …from …with capable responsibility buy afflicted composed cater different argue desirous conform divergent comply in search intend prohibit consistent partake resentful plan separate tamper jealous oblivious distinguish associate threat indebted transition preoccupied consist try fascination height related popular required contrast opposition endeavor resort superior contribution compare

…over …as …for …about dispute define responsible angry debate depict provide worried see qualify concerned regard reasons

…that …to be (no preposition) …in conviction estimated named originate surprising appears off notion believed advocate require contest protest

Error ID Practice

205 1. If it is not raining on Sunday, Sheila and 6. Last year, as in years past, the majority of A A them are going on a picnic in Hyde Park. candidates are dropping out of the race B C D B No11. error Eager. to reach the widest audience 15. Jill before knows the she actual performs election worse because on they no E A possible, the popular group ABBA multiple-choice longer had the tests,funds whichor the askwill only that 2. Many photographers A are coming to believe C recorded songs not only in their native she to figurecampaign out. the No correct error answer, than on that color prints are as artistic as blackB D E B A Swedish but also in B a number of other short answer tests, where she is required to and white ones becauseC they reveal D new 7. Restrictions on one Cof the committees that languages. No error C show her understanding in writing. definitions of art . No E error monitors corporate D waste disposal D E No error A 12. In 1976, to celebrate the bicentennial of were E revoked, allowing the committee 3. Computers may or may not be superior to B C the United States, classesA from Beach local 16. Eachto levy member fines on of violators the audience of the told disposal the typewriters; after all, they have a steady D A fhschool attended a Cgrand fireworks display director laws. No that error the thriller was the scariest power source and A extreme flexibility. E B and, having D never seen such a display movie that they had ever seen. No error No error B 8. The teacher Cnoted D that the inspired E writing E before, was surprised by the colors and A C 17. Accept Joe displayed for chocolate on his dessertshomework in was 4. While the many noise cooking caused experts by the controlledhold that the A B B D restaurants, incompatible I generally to the prosaic avoid proseeating only explosions.proper way toNo bake error a potato is in a C A E sugar, he produced cake and in candy class. in No order error to stay conventional over, others contend that D C E 13. Visitors to the zoo have often looked into healthy. No error cooking them in a microwave is a A 9. Considering D Ethe blinding snowstorm and B exhibits C designed for lions and saw A Perfectly acceptable alternative. No errorB 18. Although ice-covered pennies roads, seem you to and be her cheap were and lucky D ducks or crows eating treats or enjoyingE A B C C inconsequential to arrive here safely. donations, No errorcharities agree 5. The well-manicured water intended lawns,for the the large cats. D E B D that it adds up to a significant sum. marble No columns, error and the 10. Although C its D flavor is derided E No error A B fountains that were impressive by E connoisseurs, the popularity of milk 14. Psychologists A have suggested that the C indicated this was no ordinary A 19. Against chocolate the adviceis far greater of their than coach, that whoof dark B likelihood of C school failure D A B summer cottage. No error has chocolate. led more teamsNo error to victory than any is greatlyD increased E by truancy in C E B other coach in the town’s history, this elementary school, while they have also year’s baseball team attended more parties indicated that truancy is often a symptom C than practices and had en especially of, but will not cause learning difficulties. D D disappointing season. No error 206 No error E E 207 208 209 20. Neither the ongoing costs associated with 25. With a childhood spent in Africa, A feeding so many tigers nor the difficulties England and the Bahamas, Ross was A B caused by meddling neighbors clearly the more cosmopolitan of all the C has been considered prior to purchasing children in the group. No error B C D E the land and building the sanctuary. D 26. It is difficult for my twin brother Ted No error E and I to clearly articulate our A B 21. Although privatizing social security is an differences, but we have always had a A C attractive idea to many people they may strong sense of being unique individuals. B C D open the way for many people to lose No error E valuable funds should the stock market D 27. Protests for the labor tactics of the crash. No error A E national chain of grocery stores forced B C 22. Renowned for their displays of wealth corporate heads to reconsider their A B D and exclusivity, the stores of Fifth policies toward their employees.

Avenue in New York City showcases No error C E merchandise from most of the world’s D 28. Visitors to Scotland are always charmed most expensive shops. No error A E by the friendliness of its people and the B 23. The town of Fremont have eagerly romantic, sweeping landscape of the A B C C embraced the municipal law requiring all northern Highlands. No error D E homes to be outfitted with free access to D 29. Some critics prefer the inherent DSL. No error E artistry of ballet, whereas others A B 24. Many American knitters find it easier to are more enthusiastic about A B C hold a ball of yarn in their right hand its technical perfection. No error D E and not by holding it in their left hand in C 30. A basic law states that ignorance is no the manner of continental knitters. A B D reason for people to fail to comply by No error C D E the law. No error E 210 Check this Out

When a word is underlined, take note of its part of speech and then check for the following possible grammar mistakes:

If the underlined portion is a … … check first for … Verb Agreement Parallelism Tense Pronoun Agreement Case Ambiguity Noun Agreement Parallelism Preposition Improper idioms Phrases Misplaced modifiers Conjunction errors Redundancy Improper idioms Parallelism Adjective or Adverb Adjective/Adverb error Diction error Double negative Counting errors Comparative/Superlative Parallelism Comparing two or more items

211 Improving Paragraphs Questions

For these questions, you will work with a rough draft of an essay. You will be asked to not only fix grammatical errors of the type we have already looked at, but also to revise sentences, add transitions, and add or delete sentences. Just as with critical reading, go right to the questions. You will not receive extra points for reading the essay, so why waste your time?

Here is a sample Improving Paragraph essay and types of questions that will follow:

(1) Clothing can be made from many different types of substances. (2) There are two main groups of fibers: natural and man-made. (3) Some natural fibers are cotton, wool, and linen and some man-made fibers are polyester, rayon, and nylon, and the difference depends on look and feel. (4) Many people prefer to wear natural fibers because they feel more natural against the skin. (5) You sweat and perspire less because the cloth is organic and breathes. (6) However, it feels good on the body, but cotton and linen can wrinkle more easily. (7) Artificial fibers tend to make a person sweat more because they are composed of having a plastic base. (8) Plastic does not breathe very much like a plastic rain poncho. (9) But because plastic is manmade, it is easier than natural cloth to get it to do what one wants. (10) Because we don’t like wrinkly clothes, we make artificial fabrics that stay and remain wrinkle-free. (11) So if one wants to look ironed and crisp all day, wear manmade clothes. (12) But if one prefers the comfort and feel of aeration and a perspiration-free feeling, choose natural fibers. (13) Determining whether you’re a style or a texture person determines which fabrics you’ll prefer. (14) If you cannot decide, try a blend!

212 Revision Questions

When revising sentences, first make sure that there are no grammatical errors. Then pick the answer that is concise and does not change the meaning of the sentence. You should also use the Process of Elimination guidelines for improving sentences to aid you.

Check out the following Revision Question:

1. Which of the following is the best revision of sentence 5 (reproduced below)?

You sweat and perspire less because the cloth is organic and breathes.

(A) The wearer perspires less because the organic cloth breathes. (B) The cloth ends sweating and perspiring because it is organic and breathes. (C) Organic, breathing cloth prevents sweating and perspiring. (D) One never sweats while wearing cloth that is organic and breathes. (E) Cotton and polyester prevent perspiration.

213 Transition Questions

For transition questions, go back to the passage and read the sentences before and after the one you are going to work with. Determine what direction the sentences are going in – do they maintain the same flow of ideas or do they change the topic? When adding a transition sentence, do not go off the topic or add any new information.

2. In context, which of the following sentences placed before sentence 7 best connects the second paragraph to the third?

(A) Unlike natural fabrics, man-made fabrics wrinkle less, but they do not feel as pleasant on the body. (B) Cotton and linen are not manmade fibers and, consequently, behave differently. (C) Nevertheless, all fibers have their advantages, especially manmade fibers. (D) Some fibers encourage perspiration, a healthy, cleansing process of the skin. (E) However, appearance is more important than feel, so manmade clothes are preferable.

Content Questions

Some questions require you to work more with the content of the essay. You may need to rearrange sentences or provide a title for the essay. Only read as much as you need to answer these questions.

3. In context, where would sentence 13 (reproduced below) be better placed within the essay?

(A) Before sentence 12 (B) Before sentence 11 (C) Before sentence 2 (D) After sentence 14 (E) Before sentence 6

214 Here are a few key points about Improving Paragraph questions:

 You should save these questions for last because they take longer than the other types and there are so few of them.

 The “20% are correct as written” rule does not apply here. You often don’t even have the option to leave the paragraph alone, and when you do, it is almost never the correct answer.

 There are many more mistakes within the passage than you will be asked about. Therefore, do not edit as you read.

 Think about what the author is trying to convey. Since your job here is to improve the paragraphs, you want to help the author get his or her main idea across as effectively as possible. In order to do that, you need to know what the author is trying to do.

 Pay attention to the logical flow of ideas. Many questions will ask about the order in which the ideas are presented. You want to make sure that the ideas flow in a logical manner.

 Avoid ambiguity and wordiness. The most effective revisions will be marked by precision of language and conciseness of expression.

215 (1) In these days of pollution, you 1. Which of the following is the best version must cleanImproving one’s car with Paragraphs something other Practice of sentence 3 (reproduced below)? than rain. (2) There are many car washing First, one type of car wash is the techniquesPractice available Set and #1 they have their pluses and minuses. touch-free car wash that a lot of people like because it doesn’t (3) First, one type of car wash is the scratch the paint on your car. touch-free car wash that a lot of people like because it doesn’t scratch the pain on one’s (A) The touch-free car wash is a favorite car. (4) Basically it’s a stream of water at a type of car wash among people who really high force like a fire hose’s pressure. do not like their cars’ paint (5) But not everybody likes touch-free scratched. because it might not get off really tough dirt (B) Many people prefer the touch-free and stains. (6) Scrubbing is necessary. car wash because it does not scratch (7) The traditional car wash with the car paint. waving strips of cloth touches one’s car, it (C) Although the touch-free car wash might scratch it, especially if the cloth strips scratches car paint, many prefer it. (D) People who do not like scratched car still have attached bits of dirt or gravel from paint will like the touch-free car the last car. (8) But the strips can rub the wash because it does not scratch stains out more successfully with friction and car paint. water and soap instead of just water and (E) Many people like the touch-free car soap. wash that is preferred because it does (9) The best type of car wash is to not scratch the paint on cars. wash by hand if you have the time. (10) Although this takes up a lot of time, you can 2. In context, which of the following sentences get out all the dirt without scratching your placed before sentence 7 best connects the car if one is careful and thorough. (11) Car second paragraph to the third? washing by hand is a better idea in the (A) For a scrubbing function, do not use a summer or one will freeze. touch-free car wash. (B) Nevertheless, a touch-free car wash has other advantages. (C) Therefore, scrub a car to avoid scratching. (D) Because a stream of water is never enough to cut through dirt, one should avoid a touch-free car wash. (E) For tougher dirt, one should use a car wash that physically scrubs the car.

216 217 3. The writer’s main rhetorical purpose of the 5. If the essay were to continue after essay is to sentence 11, which of the following would be the best content for sentence 12? (A) explore the advantages and disadvantages of different car washing (A) However, there are man advantages methods to each method of car washing. (B) explain how pollution causes dirty cars (B) Depending on the newness of a car, and thus must be controlled one can determine which car washing (C) establish that touch-free is the best type method is most effective. of car wash because it does not scratch (C) Essentially, car owners have many a car’s paint types of car washing methods to (D) show how to wash a car quickly and choose from, and their preferences well by hand will determine the truly best car wash. (E) illustrate that hand washing is the (D) In conclusion, one should choose a superior form of car washing during the sunny, warm day for the cleaning winter endeavor so that the car being washed will not develop water spots. (E) Only if a car owner has time is hand washing the best method for cleaning 4. Which of the following is the best revision a car. of the underlined portion of sentence 8 (reproduced below)?

But the strips can rub the stains out more successfully with friction and water and soap instead of just water and soap.

(A) with friction, water, and soap instead of just water and soap (B) with friction and soap instead of just water (C) with soap added to friction instead of just water (D) with friction added to the standard soap and water mixture (E) with soap and water instead of just friction

Practice Set #2

218 (1) I don’t think that people living 1. Which of the following is the best revision of near an active volcano should be forced to the underlined portion of sentence 3 (reproduced move to a safer home. (2) Let me explain below)? why they should be permitted to keep their homes. First of all, many people think a volcano is a dangerous place to live (3) First of all, many people think a but there are plenty of active volcanoes volcano is a dangerous place to live but there in the world with whole cities around are plenty of active volcanoes in the world them and plenty that haven’t exploded with whole cities around them and plenty that in centuries. haven’t exploded in centuries. (4) Sometimes an active volcano just drizzles out (A) (as it is now) lava. (5) Other places have their own (B) to live; accordingly, there are many potential problems like living on the coast is active volcanoes surrounded by cities dangerous for hurricanes, living in the that have not exploded in centuries Midwest is dangerous for tornadoes, and (C) to live, although many active volcanoes living in lower elevated areas is dangerous have remained quiet for centuries in order to encourage cities to grow for flash flooding. (6) People should learn (D) to live, including the quiet, citified to face their fears because they can never ones move to a truly safe place. (E) to live. However, many of the world’s (7) Secondly, people should be active volcanoes are surrounded with allowed to live where they choose. (8) If cities and have remained quiet for someone wants to live on a volcano, maybe centuries they have a good view or a fertile garden. (9) Maybe they live near their families and 2. In context, which of the following words friends. (10) Maybe they have a house that should be placed at the beginning of has been in their family for generations. (11) sentence 5 (reproduced below)? The government should not force them to move because of the possibility of disaster. Other places have their own (12)They have something precious that is potential problems like living on worth sustaining all these scary possibilities the coast is dangerous for for: a home. hurricanes, living in the Midwest is dangerous for tornadoes, and living in lower elevated areas is dangerous for flash flooding.

(A) Furthermore (B) Consequently (C) Although (D) Subsequently (E) However

219 220 3. Which of the following words best replaces the underlined word in sentence 6 (reproduced below)?

People should learn to face their fears because they can never move to a truly safe place.

(A) View (B) Acknowledge (C) State (D) Address (E) Represent

4. The writer’s main rhetorical purpose of the essay is to

(A) advocate for the rights of those who chose to live on volcanoes (B) urge the government to instate stricter housing regulations on and around volcanoes (C) support the idea that home is a state of mind rather than a geographic location (D) offer that daredevils substitute dangerous places to live (E) demonstrate how the general populace is composed of cowards

5. In context, which words should be placed at the beginning of sentence 11 (reproduced below)?

The government should not force them to move because of the possibility of disaster.

(A) Despite these realities (B) For all these reasons (C) Misunderstanding their excuses (D) Against these justifications (E) Escalating these tenets

221 Practice Set #3

(1) It can be very difficult for a 1. What is the best revision of sentence 1 person who wants to be healthy to know (reproduced below)? how to incorporate the latest health warnings into your daily routine; one is It can be very difficult for a person always receiving contradictory news. (2) who wants to be healthy to know how to incorporate the latest health Just when a particular food is targeted as warnings into your daily routine; one being unhealthy, like eggs or red meat, an is always receiving contradictory opposing view is released. (3) In other news. words, it seems like even the doctors aren’t sure what they recommend. (4) They (A) (As it is now) contradict themselves all the time. (5) Even (B) It can be very difficult for a person healthy foods, like water, have been touted who wants to be healthy to know how as miracles, as though there isn’t enough to incorporate the latest health water you can drink, but then later, doctors warnings into their daily routine; one is have said that too much water can cause always receiving contradictory news. serious health problems. (C) It can be very difficult for one who wants to be healthy to know how to (6) Another thing that complicates incorporate the latest health warnings the debate is the fact that food has changed into your daily routine; you are always greatly over the past fifty years. (7) For receiving contradictory news. example, take meat. (8) Animals are raised (D) For one who wants to be healthy; one differently now. (9) Incidentally, cattle is always receiving contradictory were free to roam on the plains, nourished news. by natural grass and water. (10) Now, (E) Because one is always receiving many animals are raised in small pens and contradictory news, it can be difficult forced to eat food that is full of antibiotics to know how to incorporate the latest and other chemicals. (11) Fish, which can health warnings into one’s daily be a strong source of calcium and essential routine. acids, are also raised in farms with water 2. Which of the following is LEAST essential to that might be polluted. (12) Some feel that the first paragraph? the positive benefits of these food sources, then, are negated by their unnatural (A) Sentence 1 habitats, and the toxins they pass on to the (B) Sentence 2 human digestive system. (C) Sentence 3 (13) Probably the most important (D) Sentence 4 thing for people to do, because they are (E) Sentence 5 faced with so much conflicting information, is to eat in moderation. (14) It is by deriving the health benefits of a number of nutritious foods, people have the greatest chance of staying healthy.

222 3. Which of the following is the best way to 5. Which of the following is a strategy used combine sentences 7 and 8? by the writer?

(A) (As it is now) (A) Noting how food has changed over (B) Animals are raised differently, so as a history result, meat, for example, has (B) Citing numerous examples of changed. harmful food (C) Meat, for example, has changed (C) Detailing the confusion people feel because animals are raised very (D) The first person differently now. (E) Parenthetical clauses (D) Because animals are raised differently, for example, so is meat 6. How could sentence 14 (reproduced different. below) best be rewritten? (E) Because, for example, animals are raised differently, so has meat It is by deriving the health changed. benefits of a number of nutritious foods, people have the greatest 4. Which of the following would be the best chance of staying healthy. replacement for “incidentally” at the beginning of sentence 9? (A) (As it is now) (B) By deriving health benefits of a (A) Perhaps number of nutritious foods, then (B) Oddly people have the greatest chance of (C) Because staying healthy. (D) Although (C) It is by deriving the health benefits of (E) Once a number of nutritious foods that people have the greatest chance of staying healthy. (D) Deriving the health benefits of a number of nutritious foods, people have the greatest chance of staying healthy. (E) Through the health benefits of a number of nutritious foods, then people have the greatest chance of staying healthy.

223 Last Minute Questions You Want to Ask Before the Big Test

224 Good Luck!