SAT Pastpaper with Solutions

In studying the ability to discern differences in pitch in music, psychologist Diana Deutsch found that native speakers of tonal languages, such as Mandarin or Cantonese, are more apt to recognize pitch differences than native speakers of non-tonal languages, such as English or French, as tonal languages________words and phrase using pitch changes, giving speakers of these languages heightened sensitivity.

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

The following text is from The Professor, an 1857 novel by Charlotte Bronte.

Antipathy is the only word which can express the feeling Edward Crimsworth had for me - a feeling, in a great measure, involuntary, and which was liable to be excited by every, the most trifling movement, look. or word of mine. My southern accent annoyed him; the degree of education evinced in my language irritated him: my punctuality, industry, and accuracy, fixed his dislike, and gave it the high flavour and poignant relish of envy; he feared that I too should one day make a successful tradesman. Had I been in anything inferior to him, he would not have hated me so thoroughly, but I knew all that he knew, and, what was worse, he suspected that I kept the padlock of silence on mental wealth in which he was no sharer.

As used in the text. what does the word "evinced" most nearly mean?

Whether the success of a business venture, such as a startup or an established company, can be sustained long-term or is merely temporary is closely related to the concept of credibility and therefore necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the elements that contribute to____________a business's ability to trust among its potential consumers.

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

The following text is from Jane Austen's 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice. The narrator is describing Elizabeth's feelings toward Mr. Darcy.

She began now to comprehend that he was exactly the man who, in disposition and talents, would most suit her. His understanding and temper, though unlike her own, would have answered all her wishes. It was an union that must have been to the advantage of both; by her ease and liveliness, his mind might have been softened, his manners improved; and from his judgement, information, and knowledge of the world, she must have received benefit of greater importance.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

In Hawaiian, another Polynesian language, "nani" means "beautiful," while "nani nani" means "very beautiful." This repetition of a word or a part of a word to modify or intensify its meaning is a linguistic process called reduplication. "In this case, the entire word 'nani' is repeated to emphasize its intensity." This phenomenon is common in many Polynesian languages.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

In the 20th century, many African American artists, musicians, and writers began to incorporate elements of African heritage into their work as a response to the social and political struggles faced by Black Americans. Artists like Jacob Lawrence and Romare Bearden utilized the visual language of African art, while musicians such as Duke Ellington and Max Roach integrated elements of African rhythms into jazz and blues. Writers like Toni Morrison and James Baldwin, meanwhile, explored themes of racial identity and heritage in their novels, drawing on African oral traditions and history. This blending of African heritage with modern forms of art and expression became a central feature of the Harlem Renaissance, which sought to both honor African traditions and challenge the racial prejudices of the time.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

Since its publication in 1975, Masanobu Fukuoka's The One-Straw Revolution - a criticism of modern industrial farming - has guided the growth of agricultural technology. Ironically, Fukuoka argued that our farmers need to use less technology. According to Fukuoka, by getting rid of unnatural fertilizers, imported crops, and other modern advancements, the native environment could be restored, which would require less resources to maintain. Critics have accused Fukuoka of being more focused on idealism than practicality. They note that natural ecosystems are not productive enough to sustain modern populations or to satisfy farmers' needs for reliable profits. Still, Fukuoka has inspired technologies that improve efficiency and profitability by utilizing natural processes and reducing labor.

According to the text, why have some people criticized Fukuoka's arguments?

In an effort to improve traffic conditions by reducing wait times, civil engineers Ali Hajbabaie and Matt Shipman have proposed a fourth traffic sign for intersection lights. In addition to green, yellow, and red, a white light would signal a "white phase" of traffic, during which drivers would need to simply follow the vehicle directly in front of them. Hajbabaie and Shipman hypothesize that this new traffic phase will be optimally implemented with the addition of connected automated vehicles (CAVs) using advanced computing to analyze traffic flow. To test their theory, they developed simulations to estimate wait times at intersections using the "optimized-white-phase" (O-W-Ph) system and compared it to the standard three-color Webster system.

Which choice best describes data from the table that support Hajbabaie and Shipman's hypothesis?

The study of ancient civilizations has evolved significantly over the past century. Early archaeologists primarily relied on manual excavation and written records to piece together the histories of ancient societies. However, in recent years, researchers have increasingly turned to non-invasive technologies such as ground-penetrating radar and satellite imagery to uncover previously hidden structures and sites. As a result, modern research has allowed historians to reconsider previous conclusions drawn by early archaeologists, who were more likely to ________.

Which choice most logically completes the text?

A student is researching the sizes of national parks and finds that Yellowstone National Park covers an area of 3,472.0 square miles. The student wants to compare the total area covered by Yellowstone National Park with the total areas of various other nations parks. Looking at the table, the student finds that the total area of Yellowstone National Park is 3,472.0 square miles, while the total area of Mount Rainier National Park is________.

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

Considering all homeowner's insurance property claims, the Insurance Information Institute assessed the leading causes for property damage claims over a three-year period. According to its report, the Institute determined that the percentage by which different factors caused claims largely fluctuated over the period studied.

Which choice best describes data from the graph that support the Insurance Information Institute's conclusion?

Artist Pam Longobardi's father was a successful biochemist who designed new types of plastic, and her childhood was surrounded by the benefits of new synthetic polymers. As an adult, she became disturbed by the amount of plastic pollution in the ocean, which led to a shift in her art. She began collecting plastic debris from beaches and gyres, repurposing the trash into sculptures and installations. Now her art is driven by three goals: creating thought-provoking pieces that draw attention to plastic pollution, cleaning the ocean with every art piece she constructs, and________

Which choice most logically completes the text?

The table below provides a comprehensive summary of the average number of snow days recorded per winter across a selection of mountain regions, with the data meticulously collected and analyzed over a five-year period. This detailed compilation aims to offer insights into snowfall patterns in diverse geographical areas. A climatologist has proposed a hypothesis suggesting a direct correlation between elevation and the frequency of snow days, positing that regions situated at higher altitudes are likely to experience a greater number of snow days each winter due to lower temperatures and atmospheric conditions that favor snowfall.

Which choice best describes data in the table that support the climatologist's claim?

Transcribed in the sixteenth century in Classical Quiché by an unknown Mayan scribe, Popol Vuh is one of the most significant surviving sources of ancient Mayan culture. The text reflects pre-colonial Mayan beliefs about cosmology, religion, and morality. Nonetheless, some of the passages in Popol Vuh included Catholic and European influence, which suggests that the Mayans may have had interactions with those religious and regional groups. Consequently, scholars contend that ________

Which choice most logically completes the text?

British artist Oliver Beer's 2008 Oma's Kitchen Floor is as literal as its name________40-year-old linoleum floor that was removed from Beer's grandmother's kitchen-although its installation onto a gallery wall transforms what would otherwise have been renovation debris into a map of a lifetime of motion.

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

During the long struggle to secure equal rights for women, certain milestones stand out: the publication of Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique in _______Title IX legislation in 1972, which prohibited gender discrimination in education, is another such landmark.

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

As a prominent psychologist, Angela Duckworth explores the concept of grit through a framework that,_____aspects of motivation and perseverance, reveals how individuals can achieve long-term goals.

Known for her innovative use of textiles, designer Anni Albers bridged the gap between traditional weaving techniques and modern art. In 1949, the Museum of Modern Art in New York______her work in a groundbreaking solo exhibition.

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

Displayed at the museum's annual exhibit was the work of photographer James Martin, whose striking black-and-white images _________ the complex interaction between light and shadow. His photographs are widely admired for their emotional depth and technical precision.

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

The skin of sharks, covered in overlapping scales that reduce friction from water, has been the inspiration for many man-made aquatic surfaces.________when comparing real shark skin to man-made synthetics, ichthyologist Molly Gabler-Smith found that mechanical engineers still have a long way to go to match the effectiveness of nature.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

Traditional Aboriginal art from the West Arnhem Land region used naturally occurring yellow, white, and red pigments for coloring. Blue was not thought to have appeared in the color palette until the 1920s when artificial dyes were introduced by European settlers._________archeologist Emily Miller has discovered Aboriginal art from around 1900 containing blue dye, suggesting that, for at least a short amount of time, a natural form of blue dye was available to those artists.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

The four corners potato (Solanum jamesi) is indigenous to the high deserts of the American Southwest, and there is evidence of consumption by indigenous people dating back at least 11,000 years. Contemporary food scientists have turned their attention to this recently neglected food source.___________the four corners potato is smaller-about the size of a grape-and more bitter than its Andean cousin, the ubiquitous Solanum tubersum, but its drought and heat tolerance holds promise for proliferating a nutritious crop in arid environments.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

Ethiopian American artist Julie Mehretu paints by projecting a visual image such as an architectural blueprint or a photograph from a newspaper article onto a canvas and then converting the projection into abstract forms, working in a style that art________"a complex dance between abstraction and representation."

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

The Sagrada Familia is a basilica located in Barcelona, Spain.

· It was designed by architect Antoni Gaudí and is known for its unique and intricate architecture.

· Construction of the Sagrada Familia began in 1882 and is expected to continue until at least 2026.

· The Burj Khalifa is a skyscraper located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

· It is the tallest building in the world, standing at over 2,700 feet.

· The Burj Khalifa was completed in 2010 and is known for its modern, sleek design.

The student wants to highlight a similarity between the Sagrada Familia and the Burj Khalifa. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

· The Ocean World is a book by marine biologist Sylvia Earle.

· The book explores the biodiversity and ecosystems of the world's oceans.

· Chapter 5 focuses on coral reefs and their role as marine biodiversity hotspots.

· Chapter 10 discusses the effects of climate change on polar ice caps.

· In chapter 5, Earle writes, "Coral reefs are the rainforests of the sea, hosting a staggering variety of life forms."

The student wants to explain what Sylvia Earle writes about in chapter 10. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

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

· In 1969, the Apollo 11 mission successfully landed humans on the Moon for the first time.

· Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the astronauts who walked on the lunar surface.

· The astronauts spent about 21 hours on the Moon.

· The mission was a significant milestone in the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union.

· A replica of the Apollo 11 command module is displayed in museums around the world.

The student wants to emphasize how long the Apollo 11 astronauts spent on the Moon. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?