SAT Pastpaper with Solutions

Chapter 34

2025.9 : B-B (analysis included)

READING 1 · 27 questions

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

Farmhouse Interior, painted in the realist style by Jan Hendrik Weissenbruch, depicts a peasant woman knitting at a table while a cat sits underneath. The realists' emphasis on accurately portraying the experiences of average working people was largely a rejection of the romantic style evident in many paintings by Pierre-Auguste Cot, which instead ______their subjects' positive traits, altering subjects to appear more beautiful or heroic than they actually were.

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

ArectifyBcounteractCmagnifyDapprehend

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

While most animals are incapable of passing somatic mutations—genetic alterations that arise in an organism's nonreproductive cells—on to their offspring, elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) presents an intriguing ______: in a 2022 study, researchers found that elkhorn coral produced offspring that inherited somatic mutations from a parent.

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

AhypothesisBaffinityCanomalyDCorroboration

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

Cacao was domesticated in South America. Its physical structure is no longer identical to the structure of the wild plant it is descended from. Maize (corn) also ______ its wild ancestor. That ancestor plant had a few small kernels. Indigenous people in Mexico carefully bred the crop until it had numerous fleshy kernels.

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

Avaries fromBhelps withCreacts toDargues with

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

Chengdu, China, was named a City of Gastronomy by UNESCO in 2010, a title that ______ that Chengdu has a unique and vibrant food culture worthy of celebration.

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

ArenouncesBdiscoversCcomplainsDdenotes

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

Though Vasily Grossman's novel Stalingrad is considered inferior to his later work Everything Flows, some critics praise it despite an arduous writing process required to satisfy Soviet censors (Jordan Penney inPopMatters called Stalingrad "powerful"). Of the novel's eleven drafts, the second is inexplicably missing, the sixth closely hews to Soviet orthodoxy, and published versions most resemble the fifth. The English edition's translators culled material from unpublished drafts and published Russian versions to create a comprehensive edition.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

AIt notes a novel's critical reception, addresses the complicated history of the novel's development,and suggests how that history informed the work of the novel's English translators.BIt describes a novel whose critical reputation has declined over time, explains the cause of that decline, and reports the effort of translators to rehabilitate a work they believe has been unjustly ignored.CIt mentions a novel whose quality critics do not agree on, discusses obstacles that make it difficult to determine what the best version of that novel might be, and offers a reason why some critics find a translation of the novel to be superior to the original.DIt refers to a novel that has several different published and unpublished versions, identifies characteristics that have led critics to prefer one version to others, and tells how translators justified their choice to bring one particular version of the novel into another language.

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

Vehicle transmissions and many other widely used mechanical systems have moving parts that rub or slide against one another, creating friction. This friction increases energy consumption and causes wear, which decreases the stability and life span of the system. Using carbon nanotubes and oil, Jun Qu and colleagues at a US Department of Energy lab have created a coating for moving parts that reduces friction to the point where it is almost nonexistent. The new coating is suitable for common applications, unlike other approaches that require special conditions.

What does the text most strongly suggest about the coating created by Qu and colleagues?

AIt is unlikely to reduce wear in mechanical systems that have multiple moving parts.BIt is unlikely to be widely used because it can be applied only under special conditions.CIt can likely be used to reduce energy consumption and wear in vehicle transmissions and other common mechanical systems.DIt can likely improve the energy consumption of certain mechanical systems but not of vehicle transmissions.

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

The following text is from Louise Erdrich's 1986 novel The Beet Queen. Celestine takes her infant daughter with her to the butcher shop where she makes sausages.

Sometimes Celestine turned around and met the direct gaze of her daughter, a look so penetrating that Celestine's breath caught. She dropped the spice, the string, the knife she was using, and took the girl up in her arms, ready for her to speak as if a spell had suddenly lifted. When the baby flexed her entire body and struggled to free herself, Celestine put her down. No matter how thorough Celestine's exhaustion, no matter how little sleep she'd had, there was a nerve of excitement running through each hour.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

ATo show that Celestine enjoys imagining her daughter's future life.BTo explain how Celestine's coworkers bond with her daughter.CTo portray Celestine's excitement about her daughter.DTo imply that Celestine is dissatisfied with her job.

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

In 1940, John H. Sengstacke founded the National Newspaper Publishers Association to support Black-owned papers. Sengstacke's accomplishment is just one example of the rich history of Black journalism in the United States. That history is preserved by the National Association of Black Journalists, which was founded in Washington, DC, in 1975 to support Black media professionals and honor people like Sengstacke.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

AIt introduces the history of an organization honoring Black journalists, then suggests how that organization might recruit more members.BIt summarizes a theory about journalism, then explains how a journalistic practice has changed over time.CIt describes the career of a well-known figure in Black journalism, then compares that career to one of a figure who is lesser known.DIt mentions a specific achievement in Black journalistic history, then describes an organization dedicated to upholding that history.

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

Optimal foraging theory (OFT) holds that animals' foraging behaviors reflect cost-benefit trade-offs that vary by species and with dynamic ecological circumstances. One such circumstance is lunar intensity, which Burt Kotler and colleagues found to be negatively associated with foraging by greater Egyptian gerbils but Eduardo Fernández-Duque and colleagues found to be positively associated with foraging by Azara's night monkeys. This discrepancy is explicable in terms of OFT: the monkeys' greater reliance on vision means that higher lunar intensity benefits them more than it benefits the gerbils.

Information in the text best supports which statement about OFT?

AIt may be weakened by the finding that the costs and benefits associated with a particular ecological circumstance vary by species.BIt can explain why some species act in accordance with cost-benefit trade-offs and others do not.CIt can account for observations of different species responding differently to similar ecological circumstances.DIt tends to allow for a better understanding of the benefits of ecological circumstances than the costs of those circumstances.

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

Probabilistic models generate predictions based on outcomes of analogous past events, but even as these models project likely outcomes, they implicitly acknowledge that lower-frequency events may occur instead. Because they accommodate multiple potential outcomes, such models may seem incompatible with causal determinism—the view that particular outcomes are inevitable given certain preconditions. But complete foreknowledge of relevant conditions is generally unavailable, suggesting that a state of uncertainty ultimately prevails in which outcomes can be predicted but not definitively foretold.

What does the text most strongly imply about the relationship between probabilistic models and causal determinism?

AThe predictive use of probabilistic models can be reconciled with acceptance of causal determinism because causal determinism does not necessarily entail the existence of absolute certainty.BThe predictive use of probabilistic models represents a rejection of causal determinism because such models associate a single event with multiple potential outcomes.CProbabilistic models reflect the influence of causal determinism because their predictions of future outcomes are informed by concrete information about past events.DProbabilistic models can be understood as compatible with causal determinism only when their predictions of future events overwhelmingly favor one potential outcome.

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

High-speed rail (HSR) systems have trains that move at much higher speeds than traditional trains. HSR is expanding in Norway, Japan, and many other countries around the world. The United States, however, has been slow to build HSR systems. Researchers surveyed United States residents about their attitudes toward HSR. The researchers claim that this survey reveals that there is strong support for building more HSR lines in the United States.

Which quotation from a survey respondent would best illustrate the underlined claim?

A"I prefer riding buses instead of taking trains because buses travel to more locations."B"I have traveled on high-speed rail lines in Norway but not in Japan."C"I think high-speed rail is wonderful. The United States needs to build more high-speed rail lines."D"I believe that the United States has enough high-speed rail lines. It should invest in airports instead."

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

Elisabeth Pötzelsberger and colleagues gathered data on 23 non-native tree species grown in Europe. They analyzed reports from Austria, Poland, and Hungary about the number of these species grown in those countries as well as the numbers of insect and fungus species that damage those trees. The researchers concluded that Austria had a greater number of damaging fungus species than either of the other countries did.

Which choice best describes data from the table that support Pötzelsberger and colleagues'conclusion?

AAustria reported 51 damaging fungus species, which is more than either Poland or Hungary reported.BPoland and Hungary reported 10 and 1 damaging fungus species, respectively, which is far fewer than Austria reported.CAustria reported 51 damaging fungus species, whereas Poland reported 105 damaging insect species.DHungary reported 18 damaging fungus species but only 13 damaging insect species.

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

Studies have found that when looking at other people's eyes, humans tend to perceive dilated pupils positively and constricted pupils negatively. Noting that a dark iris—the colored portion surrounding the pupil—is hard to distinguish from the black of the pupil (and thereby affects the pupil's apparent size) and that many domestic dogs have dark irises, Akitsugu Konno et al. showed close-up images of dogs'faces to human participants and asked them to rate the dogs'traits and their own attitudes toward the dogs. Their findings suggest that ______.

Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement?

Adifferences in dogs'pupil size may elicit a stronger response in humans than differences in people's pupil size do, as participants'responses to the images when dogs'pupils were actually large were indistinguishable from participants'responses when dogs'pupils only appeared to be large due to iris color.Biris color in domestic dogs may be an adaptation to elicit positive responses from humans, as participants responded more negatively to images of dogs whose iris colors can make pupils appear large than they did to images of dogs without such iris colors.Chumans'responses to pupil size in other people may extend to dogs, as participants responded more positively to images of dogs whose iris colors were likely to make their pupils appear large than they did to images of dogs whose iris colors were unlikely to have that effect.Dhumans may not be as sensitive to pupil size in dogs as they are to pupil size in other people, as participants'responses to the images show no relationship to differences in the shade of dogs'irises that could affect how large the dogs'pupils appear to be.

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

The hwamei and other fruit-eating bird species introduced to the Hawaiian island of Oahu in the last 150 years have recently been found to spread seeds from the fruits of forest plants native to Oahu that are at risk of extinction, such as the kolea lau nui tree. Many of these vulnerable plant species rely on the activity of fruit-eating birds to help spread the plants' seeds in the wild. All fruit-eating bird species native to Oahu have gone extinct, suggesting that ______.

Which choice most logically completes the text?

Ahwameis and other non-native birds play an important role that used to be filled by birds that were native to Oahu.Bnon-native birds, such as the hwamei, will also be at risk of extinction if they lose access to kolea lau nui trees.Cpopulations of hwameis and other non-native birds will probably soon experience rapid growth.Dnon-native birds, such as the hwamei, now spread more seeds from the kolea lau nui tree than birds native to Oahu did in the past.

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

Life Among the Paiutes is an 1882 autobiographical narrative by Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins. In the work, Winnemucca explicitly indicates when and how she is shifting the focus of the narrative, as when she writes,______.

Which quotation from Life Among the Paiutes most effectively illustrates the claim?

A"Nothing happened during the day, and after awhile mother told us not to say a word about why we left, for grandpa might get mad with us."B"My dear readers, such is the respect my people have for their chiefs."C"But how can I describe the scene that followed? Some of you, dear readers, can imagine."D"I will now stop writing about myself and family and tribe customs, and tell about the wars, and the causes of the wars. I will jump over about six years."

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

The transit method, a means of indirect planetary discovery, has detected previously unknown exoplanets at vast distances from ______the super Earth TRAPPIST-1 b; at 352 light-years away, the super Earth Kepler-102 f; and, as of 2023, over 4,000 other exoplanets that are too far away and dim to be observed directly.

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

AEarth,at 41 light-years away,BEarth:at 41 light-years away,CEarth at 41 light-years away:DEarth at 41 light-years away,

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

The grammar of the Gujarati language includes several noun cases common to most Indo-Aryan ______the locative case, for instance, indicates that an action is occurring at, on, or near a particular noun.

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

Alanguages, such asBlanguages,Clanguages;Dlanguages; such as

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

Though it was designated as mission ______mission was actually the ninety-sixth flight under NASA's Space Shuttle Program.

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

ASTS-103, and theBSTS-103. TheCSTS-103 theDSTS-103, the

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

The epic poem The Tale of Genji dates back to the 11th century. Originally ______in classical Japanese, it has since been translated into other languages.

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

Ais writtenBwas writtenCwrittenDhad been written

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

Maria Ines Cordeiro is the director of the National Library of Portugal in Lisbon. In this role, Cordeiro______the library's collections, which feature a large number of works by celebrated Portuguese writers.

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

Ahaving overseenBoverseesCto overseeDoverseeing

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

In economics, sugar is considered a soft commodity, while copper and crude oil are considered hard commodities. The categorical distinction between soft and hard commodities lies not in the products' strength or durability but in their origin: the former type is grown or farmed, while the latter is mined or drilled. ______ pine lumber is as much a soft commodity as sugar, despite its decidedly sturdier composition.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

AThough it is grown from the earth,BIn a notable exception to this rule,CBy this definition,DSummarizing this principle,

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

Portuguese researcher Isabel C.F.R. Ferreira reports that the caffeic acid in cauliflower mushrooms benefits the mushroom by combating harmful molecules called free radicals. ______Ferreira suggests that the acid can promote cellular health in humans, who also experience free radical damage.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

AFor example,BMoreover,CConversely,DRather,

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

Tacettin Diker is well known for his work as a puppeteer. ______he specializes in shadow puppetry. This style of puppetry involves holding a figure in front of a light source to project a shadow onto a translucent screen.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

AIn particular,BBy contrast,CBy doing so,DSecond,

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:

·Isaac Bashevis Singer was an acclaimed writer.

·His first published work of fiction was a short story.

·It was called "Gimpel the Fool."

·It first appeared in

·The Partisan Review in 1953.

The student wants to identify the title of Isaac Bashevis Singer's first published short story. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

AAcclaimed writer Isaac Bashevis Singer's first published work of fiction was a short story.BIsaac Bashevis Singer's first published short story was called "Gimpel the Fool."CIn 1953, a short story by Isaac Bashevis Singer appeared in The Partisan Review.DIsaac Bashevis Singer's first published work of fiction appeared in 1953.

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:

·African American women played prominent roles in the Civil Rights Movement, including at the famous 1963 March on Washington.

·Civil rights activist Anna Hedgeman, one of the march's organizers, was a political adviser who had worked for President Truman.

·Civil rights activist Daisy Bates was a well-known journalist and advocate for school desegregation.

·Hedgeman worked behind the scenes to make sure a woman was included in the lineup of speakers at the march.

·Bates was the sole woman to speak, delivering a brief but memorable address to the cheering crowd.

The student wants to compare the two women's contributions to the March on Washington. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

AHedgeman and Bates contributed to the march in different ways; Bates, for example, delivered a brief but memorable address.BHedgeman worked in politics and helped organize the march, while Bates was a journalist and school desegregation advocate.CAlthough Hedgeman worked behind the scenes to make sure a woman speaker was included, Bates was the sole woman to speak at the march.DMany African American women, including Bates and Hedgeman, fought for civil rights, but only one spoke at the march.

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes.

·During the Industrial Revolution (from the mid-1700s to the mid-1800s), the number of people living in urban areas of the UK grew substantially (30%).

·Urbanization occurred as large segments of the country's rural population relocated to cities to support the burgeoning manufacturing industry.

·The industrial city of Manchester, England, experienced the most population growth (2,000%).

·A comparison of a 1746 map of Manchester with maps of the city from the late 1800s reflects the city's expansion.

·According to historian Donna Sherman, these maps present "a powerful visual representation of the transformation of Manchester's landscape."

The student wants to connect the quotation from Sherman to the increase in the UK's urban population during the Industrial Revolution. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

ASherman claims that maps of Industrial Revolution-era Manchester, England, present "a powerful visual representation of the transformation of Manchester's landscape" during a time period in which the UK experienced a substantial (2,000%) increase in population.BRural populations relocating to cities like Manchester created a phenomenon that Sherman describes as "a powerful visual representation" of how the UK transformed during the Industrial Revolution.CSherman claims that period maps of the UK present "a powerful visual representation" of how the country's rural landscape was transformed by population shifts during the Industrial Revolution.DThe sizeable growth in the UK's urban population during the Industrial Revolution is reflected in before-and-after maps that present, in Sherman's view, "a powerful visual representation" of how the increase transformed Manchester.

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Chapter 34 · 2025.9 : B-B (analysis included) · READING 1

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:

· A copyright prevents a book's contents from being reproduced (published) without permission from the copyright holder.

· When a book's copyright expires, the book enters the public domain and can be legally reproduced by anyone.

· Billy Budd, Sailor is a novella by Herman Melville.

· It entered the public domain in 2020.

· The Common Reader is an essay collection by Virginia Woolf.

· It entered the public domain in 2021.

The student wants to emphasize the order in which Billy Budd, Sailor and The Common Reader entered the public domain. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

ABilly Budd, Sailor, a novella by Herman Melville, and The Common Reader, a essay collection by Virginia Woolf, are both in the public domain.BThe year was 2021, and the copyrights to Billy Budd, Sailor and The Common Reader had finally expired.CBilly Budd, Sailor, a novella by Herman Melville, entered the public domain in 2020, with Virginia Woolf's essay collection The Common Reader following in 2021.DThough they once were copyrighted works, Billy Budd, Sailor and The Common Reader are now in the public domain.

READING 1 · 27 questions

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