SAT 10 Writing and Language Test 2 Q1-12

22 days SAT 10 Writing and Language Test 2 Q1-12

by Christy Kessler

Multiple Choice

How a Cat in a Hat Changed Children’s Education

In a 1954 Life magazine article, author John Hersey expressed concern that children in the United States were disengaged from learning how to read. Among other problems, Hersey noted, the reading material available to grade-schoolers had a hard time competing with television, radio, and other media for children’s attention.

• NO CHANGE

• and with

• and also

• and competing with

​Correct answer: NO CHANGE

​This sentence has three things in a list. All the elements in a list need to have the same structure. Here, we have three nouns (television, radio, other media). The other options would disrupt the parallel construction.

Multiple Choice

One solution he proposed was to make children’s books more interesting, since “an

individual’s sense of wholeness . . . follows, and cannot precede, a sense of accomplishment.”

The writer wants to include a quotation by Hersey that supports the topic of the passage. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?

• NO CHANGE

• interesting, since “learning starts with failure; the

  first failure is the beginning of education.”

• interesting because “journalism allows its readers

  to witness history; fiction gives its readers an

  opportunity to live it.”

• interesting with “drawings like those of the

  wonderfully imaginative geniuses among

  children’s illustrators.”

​The topic of the passage is the creation of The Cat in the Hat as a means of getting children more interested in learning to read. Hersey’s suggestion that one way of making children’s books more interesting was to use “drawings like those of the wonderfully imaginative geniuses among children’s illustrators” best supports the topic of the passage.

Multiple Choice

The story of The Cat in the Hat’s publication began when William Spaulding, the director of the education division at the publishing company Houghton Mifflin, read Hersey’s article and had an idea.

• NO CHANGE

• Spaulding the director

• Spaulding, the director,

• Spaulding—the director

​Correct Answer: NO CHANGE

​We use a pair of commas to set off non-essential information. Here, the comma after Spaulding works with the comma after Mifflin to set off the phrase "the director of the education division at the publishing company

Houghton Mifflin" which is not essential to the sentence.

Multiple Choice

Spaulding agreed that there was a need for appealing books for beginning readers. He thought he knew who should write one. He arranged to have dinner with Theodor Geisel, who wrote and illustrated children’s books under the name “Dr. Seuss,” and issued him a challenge: “Write me a story that first graders can’t put down!”

Which choice most effectively combines the sentences at the underlined portion?

• readers, and he

• readers—namely, he

• readers; and Spaulding

• readers, and meanwhile he

​Correct Answer: readers, and he

​We can combine two independent clauses with a comma and a FANBOYS (Coordinating Conjunction). AND is one of those FANBOYS.

Multiple Choice

Having known Spaulding for many years and having maintained a professional relationship with him, Geisel was an experienced writer and illustrator.

Which choice best supports the information that follows in the sentence?

• NO CHANGE

• acquired a reputation for perfectionism and for

  setting high standards for his work,

• been interested in politics before breaking into

  the genre of children’s literature,

• published nine children’s books and having

  received three nominations for the prestigious

  Caldecott Medal,

​

​The choice that indicates that Geisel published nine children’s books and received three nominations for the prestigious Caldecott Medal supports the information that follows in the sentence about Geisel being an experienced writer and illustrator.

Multiple Choice

However, this new project presented him with an obstacle. Spaulding told Geisel to write his entire book using a restricted vocabulary from an elementary school

list of 348 words. Geisel started two stories, only to abandon them when he found that he needed to use words that were not on the list.

• NO CHANGE

• For example,

• Furthermore,

• At any rate,

Correct Answer: However,

​“however” correctly indicates that even though Geisel was an experienced writer and illustrator, the new project presented him with an obstacle.

Multiple Choice

On the verge of giving up, Geisel’s story finally hit upon an image that became its basis: a cat wearing a battered stovepipe hat.

• NO CHANGE

• an image that Geisel finally hit upon became the

  basis of his story:

• Geisel finally hit upon the image that became the

  basis for his story:

• the story was finally based on an image that

  Geisel hit upon:

​

​The introductory phrase “on the verge of giving up” doesn’t have its own subject. Instead, the subject appears at the beginning of the sentence’s main clause and makes clear what is being described in the introductory phrase. “Geisel” is the logical subject of the sentence because he can be described as being “on the verge of giving up.”

Multiple Choice

At the end of a duration nine months long, The Cat in the Hat was complete.

• NO CHANGE

• After thirty-six weeks—or nine months—had

  passed,

• After a length of nine months had elapsed,

• Nine months later,

​Correct Answer: None months later,

​This is a question about removing redundancy.

Multiple Choice

The book was a hit. Children were entertained by its plot about the antics of a mischievous cat and is captivated by its eye-catching illustrations and memorable rhythms and rhymes.

• NO CHANGE

• was

• has been

• DELETE the underlined portion.

​Correct Answer: Delete

​The underlined portion should be deleted because it isn’t necessary. Since “were entertained” appears earlier in the sentence, the verb “captivated” should be the next idea. The children were entertained and captivated.

Multiple Choice

Its sales inspired another publishing company, Random House, to establish a series for early readers called Beginner Books, which featured works by Geisel and other writers, and other publishers quickly followed suit. In the years that followed. Many talented writers and illustrators of children’s books imitated Geisel’s formula of restricted vocabulary and whimsical artwork.

• NO CHANGE

• followed; many

• followed, many

• followed - many

​Correct Answer: followed, many

​We should have a comma after the introductory phrase "In the years the followed".

Multiple Choice

But perhaps the best proof of The Cat in the Hat’s success is not its influence

on other books but its limited vocabulary and appealing word choices.

The writer wants a conclusion that restates the main themes of the passage. Which choice best accomplishes this goal?

• NO CHANGE

• impressive worldwide sales that continue to

  remain high to this day.

• enduring ability to delight children and engage

  them in learning how to read.

• important role in the history of illustration in

  the twentieth century.

​

​This choice indicates that The Cat in the Hat’s success is attributable to its enduring ability to delight children and engage them in learning how to read. This idea restates the main themes of the passage, which are the need to make books appealing to beginning readers and the importance of engaging those readers through interesting plots and illustrations.