SAT Practice Module One

As Mexico’s first president from an Indigenous

community, Benito Juarez became one of the most

______ figures in his country’s history: among the

many significant accomplishments of his long tenure

in office (1858–1872), Juarez consolidated the

authority of the national government and advanced

the rights of Indigenous peoples.

Which choice completes the text with the most

logical and precise word or phrase?

• unpredictable

• important

• secretive

• ordinary

Answer explanation

The word 'important' logically fits the context, as it highlights Juarez's significant role in Mexican history, particularly in consolidating government authority and advancing Indigenous rights, making him a pivotal figure.

Due to their often strange images, highly

experimental syntax, and opaque subject matter,

many of John Ashbery’s poems can be quite difficult

to ______ and thus are the object of heated debate

among scholars.

Which choice completes the text with the most

logical and precise word or phrase?

• delegate

• compose

• interpret

• renounce

Answer explanation

The word 'interpret' fits best as it refers to the act of making sense of complex poetry, which aligns with the context of Ashbery's challenging work. The other options do not convey this meaning.

The Cambrian explosion gets its name from the

sudden appearance and rapid diversification of

animal remains in the fossil record about 541 million

years ago, during the Cambrian period. Some

scientists argue that this ______ change in the fossil

record might be because of a shift in many organisms

to body types that were more likely to be preserved.

Which choice completes the text with the most

logical and precise word or phrase?

• catastrophic

• elusive

• abrupt

• imminent

Answer explanation

The word 'abrupt' logically fits the context, as it describes the sudden and rapid change in the fossil record during the Cambrian explosion, aligning with the idea of a quick shift in organism body types.

During a 2014 archaeological dig in Spain,

Vicente Lull and his team uncovered the skeleton of

a woman from El Algar, an Early Bronze Age society,

buried with valuable objects signaling a high position

of power. This finding may persuade researchers who

have argued that Bronze Age societies were ruled by

men to ______ that women may have also held

leadership roles.

Which choice completes the text with the most

logical and precise word or phrase?

• waive

• concede

• refute

• require

Answer explanation

The word 'concede' fits best as it implies acknowledging a point in an argument. In this context, it suggests that researchers may accept the possibility of women in leadership roles, countering the belief that only men held power.

Within baleen whale species, some individuals

develop an accessory spleen—a seemingly

functionless formation of splenetic tissue outside

the normal spleen. Given the formation’s greater

prevalence among whales known to make deeper

dives, some researchers hypothesize that its role isn’t

______; rather, the accessory spleen may actively

support diving mechanisms.

Which choice completes the text with the most

logical and precise word or phrase?

• replicable

• predetermined

• operative

• latent

Answer explanation

The term 'latent' suggests that the accessory spleen's role is not immediately obvious or active, aligning with the idea that it may support diving mechanisms rather than being a predetermined or functionless structure.

According to a US tax policy expert, state taxes are

______ other factors when considering an interstate

move. Even significant differences in state taxation

have almost no effect on most people’s decisions,

while differences in employment opportunities,

housing availability, and climate are strong

influences.

Which choice completes the text with the most

logical and precise word or phrase?

• consistent with

• representative of

• overshadowed by

• irrelevant to

Answer explanation

The phrase 'overshadowed by' logically indicates that state taxes are less significant compared to other factors like employment and housing, which strongly influence interstate moves. This aligns with the context of the passage.

The author’s claim about the relationship between

Neanderthals and Homo sapiens is ______, as it

fails to account for several recent archaeological

discoveries. To be convincing, his argument would

need to address recent finds of additional hominid

fossils, such as the latest Denisovan specimens and

Homo longi.

Which choice completes the text with the most

logical and precise word or phrase?

• disorienting

• tenuous

• nuanced

• unoriginal

Answer explanation

The author's claim is 'tenuous' because it lacks strength and fails to incorporate recent archaeological findings, such as Denisovan specimens and Homo longi, which are crucial for a robust argument.

The following text is from Georgia Douglas

Johnson’s 1922 poem “Benediction.”

Go forth, my son,

Winged by my heart’s desire!

Great reaches, yet unknown,

Await

For your possession.

I may not, if I would,

Retrace the way with you,

My pilgrimage is through,

But life is calling you!

Which choice best states the main purpose of the

text?

• To express hope that a child will have the same

  accomplishments as his parent did

• To suggest that raising a child involves many

  struggles

• To warn a child that he will face many challenges

  throughout his life

• To encourage a child to embrace the experiences

  life will offer

Answer explanation

The text encourages a child to embrace life's experiences, as seen in phrases like "life is calling you" and "great reaches, yet unknown." This highlights the importance of exploring new opportunities rather than focusing on struggles or challenges.

The following text is adapted from Indian Boyhood,

a 1902 memoir by Ohiyesa (Charles A. Eastman), a

Santee Dakota writer. In the text, Ohiyesa recalls how

the women in his tribe harvested maple syrup during

his childhood.

Now the women began to test the trees—moving

leisurely among them, axe in hand, and striking

a single quick blow, to see if the sap would

appear. The trees, like people, have their

individual characters; some were ready to yield

up their life-blood, while others were more

reluctant. Now one of the birchen basins was set

under each tree, and a hardwood chip driven

deep into the cut which the axe had made. From

the corners of this chip—at first drop by drop,

then more freely—the sap trickled into the little

dishes.

Which choice best describes the function of the

underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

• It portrays the range of personality traits displayed by the women as they work.

• It foregrounds the beneficial relationship between humans and maple trees.

• It demonstrates how human behavior can be

  influenced by the natural environment.

• It elaborates on an aspect of the maple trees that

  the women evaluate.

Answer explanation

The underlined sentence elaborates on how the women evaluate the maple trees by describing their individual characteristics, specifically their willingness to yield sap, which is crucial for the syrup harvesting process.

Text 1

Ecologists have long wondered how thousands of microscopic phytoplankton species can live together near ocean surfaces competing for the same resources. According to conventional wisdom, one species should emerge after outcompeting the rest. So why do so many species remain? Ecologists’ many efforts to explain this phenomenon still haven’t uncovered a satisfactory explanation.

Text 2

Ecologist Michael Behrenfeld and colleagues have connected phytoplankton’s diversity to their microscopic size. Because these organisms are so tiny, they are spaced relatively far apart from each other in ocean water and, moreover, experience that water as a relatively dense substance. This in turn makes it hard for them to move around and interact with one another. Therefore, says Behrenfeld’s team, direct competition among phytoplankton probably happens much less than previously thought.

Based on the texts, how would Behrenfeld and colleagues (Text 2) most likely respond to the “conventional wisdom” discussed in Text 1?

• By arguing that it is based on a misconception

  about phytoplankton species competing with

  one another

• By asserting that it fails to recognize that routine

  replenishment of ocean nutrients prevents

  competition between phytoplankton species

• By suggesting that their own findings help clarify

  how phytoplankton species are able to compete

  with larger organisms

• By recommending that more ecologists focus

  their research on how competition among

  phytoplankton species is increased with water

  density

Answer explanation

Behrenfeld and colleagues argue that the conventional wisdom is a misconception because they suggest that phytoplankton's microscopic size limits direct competition, allowing many species to coexist.