SAT Practice 1

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

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

• skeptical

• observant

• critical

• confident

Tags

CCSS.L.1.6

CCSS.L.3.6

CCSS.L.4.6

CCSS.RL.1.4

Read the explanations for the previous question, then select the correct answer. Yes, the correct answer is already specified, so this is a freebie! :)

• Choice A is incorrect because the text gives no indication that Lawrence was “skeptical,” or had an attitude of doubt in general or about particular things, let alone that skepticism was important to him as an artist. Rather than indicating that he was skeptical, the text focuses on how Lawrence paid careful attention to everything around him and reflected his observations in his artwork.

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

• Choice C is incorrect because the text gives no indication that Lawrence was “critical,” which in this context would mean inclined to criticize- harshly or unfairly. Rather than indicating that Lawrence found fault in things, the text suggests that he paid careful attention to everything around him and that his artwork reflects this careful attention.

• Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest Lawrence was “confident,” or self-assured. Rather than addressing how Lawrence felt about himself and how that feeling affected his artistic process, the text emphasizes the careful attention Lawrence paid to everything around him–attention that allowed him to capture subtle elements of a particular place and time in his artwork.

Tags

CCSS.RI.11-12.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

The following text is from Charlotte Bronte's 1847 novel Jane Eyre. Jane works as a governess at Thornfield Hall.

"I went on with my day's business tranquilly; but ever and anon vague suggestions kept wandering across my brain of reasons why I should quit Thornfield; and I kept involuntarily framing advertisements and pondering conjectures about new situations: these thoughts I did not think to check; they might germinate and bear fruit if they could.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

• To convey a contrast between Jane's outward calmness and internal restlessness

• To emphasize Jane's loyalty to the people she works for at Thornfield Hall

• To demonstrate that Jane finds her situation both challenging and deeply fulfilling

• To describe Jane's determination to secure employment outside of Thornfield Hall

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Read the explanations for the previous question, then select the correct answer. Yes, the correct answer is already specified, so this is a freebie! :)

• Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text, which is to show that while Jane calmly goes about her daily tasks, she is experiencing internal agitation about possibly seeking a new job. At the start of the text, Jane says, “I went on with my day’s business tranquilly,” indicating that she is outwardly calm. This outward calmness is then contrasted with her intense internal restlessness, as Jane says that thoughts of leaving her job keep running through her mind, that she is “involuntarily framing advertisements” (meaning that she can’t stop herself from thinking up potential listings for jobs), and that she often wonders what new “situations” (or jobs) would be like.

• Choice B is incorrect because the text gives no indication of Jane’s feelings, either positive or negative, about the people she works for at Thornfield Hall. And rather than emphasizing that Jane feels particularly loyal to her employers, the text focuses on her constant consideration of leaving her job.

• Choice C is incorrect because the text gives no indication that Jane finds her current situation fulfilling, or satisfying. Given that much of the text is focused on Jane’s thoughts about possibly leaving her job for a new one, it might be the case that she finds her situation challenging, but there is no evidence in the text that Jane also finds that situation satisfying–she says nothing positive about her current job at all, in fact.

• Choice D is incorrect because the text describes Jane as wondering about getting a new job, not as determined to definitely do so. Jane keeps thinking about reasons why she “should” quit her current job (indicating that she hasn’t yet decided to) and imagining possible new situations she could find, but she says at the end of the text that these thoughts “might germinate and bear fruit if they could,” meaning that the thoughts haven’t yet led to a decision–that Jane isn’t yet determined to get a new job somewhere else.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.2

CCSS.RI.11-12.2

CCSS.RI.8.2

CCSS.RL.11-12.2

CCSS.RL.9-10.2

Researchers Helena Mihaljevic-Brandt, Lucia Santamaria, and Marco Tullney report that while mathematicians may have traditionally worked alone, evidence points to a shift in the opposite direction. _______ mathematicians are choosing to collaborate with their peers--a trend illustrated by a rise in the number of mathematicians publications credited to multiple authors.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

• Similarly,

• For this reason,

• Furthermore,

• Increasingly,

Tags

CCSS.L.1.1G

CCSS.L.3.1H

CCSS.L.5.1A

CCSS.L.5.1E

Read the explanations for the previous question, then select the correct answer. Yes, the correct answer is already specified, so this is a freebie! :)

• Choice A is incorrect because “similarly” logically signals that the claim in the sentence is similar to, but separate from, the previous claim about the shift away from mathematicians working alone. Instead, the claim about the rise in collaboration elaborates on the previous claim, describing the shift.

• Choice B is incorrect because “for this reason” illogically signals that the claim in this sentence is caused by the previous claim about the shift away from mathematicians working alone. Instead, the claim about the rise in collaboration elaborates on the previous claim, describing the shift.

• Choice C is incorrect because “furthermore” illogically signals that the claim in this sentence is in addition to the previous claim about the shift away from mathematicians working alone. Instead, the claim about the rise in collaboration elaborates on the previous claim, describing the shift.

• Choice D is the best answer. “Increasingly” logically signals that the claim in the sentence–that mathematicians are collaborating with their peers–marks a change relative to what was traditionally worked alone, evidence points to a shift in the opposite direction. The claim describes the shift: a rise in collaboration.

Tags

CCSS.L.1.1G

CCSS.L.3.1H

CCSS.L.5.1A

CCSS.L.5.1E

When writing The Other Black Girl (2021), novelist Zakiya Dalila Harris drew on her own experiences working at a publishing office. The award-winning book is Harris's first novel, but her writing _______ honored before. At the age of twelve, she entered a contest to have a story published in American Girl magazine--and won.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

• were

• have been

• has been

• are

Tags

CCSS.L.4.1B

CCSS.L.5.1.B-D

CCSS.L.5.1B

CCSS.L.5.1C

CCSS.L.5.1D

Read the explanations for the previous question, then select the correct answer. Yes, the correct answer is already specified, so this is a freebie! :)

• Choice A is incorrect because the plural verb “were” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “writing.”

• Choice B is incorrect because the plural verb “have been” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “writing.”

• Choice C is the best answer. The convention being tested is subject-verb agreement. The singular verb “has been” agrees in number with the singular subject “writing.”

• Choice D is incorrect because the plural verb “are” doesn’t agree in number with the singular subject “writing.”

Tags

CCSS.L.3.1F