Reading Practice

[. . .] The coming decades will likely see more intense clustering of jobs, innovation, and productivity in a smaller number of bigger cities and city-regions. Some regions could end up bloated beyond the capacity of their infrastructure, while others struggle, their promise stymied by inadequate human or other resources. 
As used in line 55, “intense” most nearly means

• emotional
• concentrated
• brilliant
• determined

Mattie Silver had lived under Ethan’s roof for a year, and from early morning till they met at supper he had frequent chances of seeing her; but no moments in her company were comparable to those when, her arm in his, and her light step flying to keep time with his long stride, they walked back through the night to the farm.
1.  In the context of the passage, the author’s use of the phrase “her light step flying to keep time with his long stride” (line 3) is primarily meant to convey the idea that

• Ethan and Mattie share a powerful enthusiasm
• Mattie strives to match the speed at which Ethan works
• Mattie and Ethan playfully compete with each other
• Ethan walks at a pace that frustrates Mattie

He had taken to the girl from the first day, when he had driven over to the Flats to meet her, and she had smiled and waved to him from the train, crying out, “You must be Ethan!” as she jumped down with her bundles, while he reflected, looking over her slight person: “She don’t look much on housework, but she ain’t a fretter, anyhow.” But it was not only that the coming to his house of a bit of hopeful young life was like the lighting of a fire on a cold hearth. The girl was more than the bright serviceable creature he had thought her. She had an eye to see and an ear to hear: he could show her things and tell her things, and taste the bliss of feeling that all he imparted left long reverberations and echoes he could wake at will.
2. The description in the first paragraph indicates that what Ethan values most about Mattie is her

• fitness from farm labor
• vivacious youth
• receptive nature
• freedom from worry

Mattie Silver had lived under Ethan’s roof for a year, and from early morning till they met at supper he had frequent chances of seeing her; but no moments in her company were comparable to those when, her arm in his, and her light step flying to keep time with his long stride, they walked back through the night to the farm. He had taken to the girl from the first day, when he had driven over to the Flats to meet her, and she had smiled and waved to him from the train, crying out, “You must be Ethan!” as she jumped down with her bundles, while he reflected, looking over her slight person: “She don’t look much on housework, but she ain’t a fretter, anyhow.” But it was not only that the coming to his house of a bit of hopeful young life was like the lighting of a fire on a cold hearth. The girl was more than the bright serviceable creature he had thought her. She had an eye to see and an ear to hear: he could show her things and tell her things, and taste the bliss of feeling that all he imparted left long reverberations and echoes he could wake at will.

• Lines 1-6 ("Mattie ... farm")
• Lines 7-13 ("He had anyhow")
• Lines 13-15 ("But it ... hearth")
• Lines 17-20 (She had ... will)

What is first step to first and last reading method

• Read italicized information first
• Read whole first half of passage
• Read first paragraph
• Read first sentence of each paragraph

What is the second step to the first and last method? 

• Read the thesis
• Read the first and last sentences of each additional paragraph
• Read the first paragraph
• Read the subheadings

Why should you read the last paragraph completely in an SAT passage?

• It summarizes the passage
• It may re-state the thesis
• It provides closure
• All of the above.