SAT Pastpaper with Solutions

The following text is adapted from Jane Austen's 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth Bennet and her friend Charlotte are visiting the countryside. "I simply cannot decide which one to take," said Elizabeth, standing by a table full of books and reaching out to pick up one of the volumes. "This one looks particularly intriguing---do try it, Charlotte!" She smiled, offering it to her friend.

As used in the text, what does the phrase "reaching out" most nearly mean?

The following text is adapted from a 19th-century exploration narrative.

"The barren landscape stretched endlessly before them, offering every conceivable impediment to progress. The travelers, burdened by the relentless heat and scarcity of resources, were forced to confront obstacles that tested the very limits of human endurance and ingenuity."

As used in the text, what does the word "conceivable" most nearly mean?

The influence of Shakespeare's plays on modern theater is undeniable, as his works continue to shape the way stories are told on stage. However, his writing is also _______ the broader literary traditions that preceded him, drawing from the works of earlier playwrights and poets to create something uniquely his own.

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

Franklin D. Roosevelt is widely celebrated for his leadership during the Great Depression and World War II. His New Deal programs, aimed at providing relief, recovery, and reform to a struggling nation, are credited with helping to stabilize the U.S. economy and reduce unemployment. Roosevelt's role in leading the Allied forces to victory in World War II further solidified his place in history as one of America's most significant presidents. However, his decision to intern Japanese Americans during the war remains one of the most controversial aspects of his presidency. Despite this, Roosevelt's legacy as a transformative leader is generally viewed as positive, with his influence still evident in American politics today.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

The subject of inheritance has long been a popular source of intrigue and scandal, particularly in England during the Victorian era, when great accumulations of wealth could be legally bequeathed to anyone or anything. Some stories of great riches given to a favored servant, a stranger, or a family pet were dramatic fiction, and others were surprisingly factual. These occurrences were not commonplace, though, as few people in Victorian England could leave behind anyconsiderable wealth. Most people owned little or nothing, or they were in debt. Much of the nation's wealth was consolidated among a small privileged population, with approximately half of the wealth owned by only of estates.

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

Text 1
Many physicists believe in determinism, which states that reality is strictly physical and everything that happens results from physical forces. But if determinism is taken as fact and not theory, the choices we make become not our own decisions. Some psychologists have offered a somewhat comforting response to this hypothetical loss of free will: if we accept the concept that things are as they must be, we can reduce anxiety in our daily lives.
Text 2

When the philosophy of determinism was first standardized in the twentieth century, it was readily accepted by many within the scientific community. However, science journalist John Horgan argues that the human mind operates differently than the simplified way that scientists prefer their theories. Horgan has compared determinism to a rigid track laid down at the beginning of time but states that the human brain is too complex to accept that it cannot alter that track.

Based on the texts, what would the author of Text 2 most likely say about Text 1's characterization of the psychologists' response regarding determinism?

The haunting works of German painter Caspar David Friedrich seem unfinished. His oil painting The Monk by the Sea is dominated by fog that obscures the landscape and blurs details. A single figure stands off-center and peers into the distant sea and mountains. There is a tremendous sense of scale in the plece, an expanse of empty space that evokes a bleak loneliness. This effect, however, was not the original vision of the artist. At first, the sea in the painting included several sailing ships, but Friedrich painted over these with cobalt blue. leaving a landscape that seems eerily vacant. The revision led to a distinct change in Friedrich's style, and these vast spaces became a defining characteristic of his artistic legacy.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

Gabriel Nery da Silva tracked Brazil's international trade from 2006 to 2016 in an effort to forecast industry demands. Over the studied years, exports to and imports from other countries increased, but trends differed between natural and manufactured products. Da Silva noted a strong positive correlation between Brazil's export of natural products-soybeans, iron, and cane sugar- and time. The source of Brazil's income has increasingly concentrated in these low value-added products. Airplanes and cars-both high value-added, manufactured products-are significant portions of Brazil's economy, but there was no correlation between these exports and the exports of natural products. Based on these results, da Silva recommended increasing production of low value-added exports to satisfy the international demand, which he predicts will continue to increase.

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A technology research firm collected data on laptop sales from various manufacturers over a four-year span. The table showcases the approximate number of units sold worldwide (in millions) for selected laptop brands. An IT analyst is preparing a report to compare the sales growth of Dell and HP over the four years. They want to summarize the approximate increase in units sold for each brand from 2019 to 2023. Based on the data, the analyst concludes that the approximate increase in units sold for Dell was __________ and for HP was __________.

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

The bar chart illustrates the average annual export growth rates (%), measured over a span of five years both preceding and following the signing of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the United States for three countries: Vietnam, Colombia, and Kenya. To critically assess the impact of these FTAs, a student posits that entering into an FTA invariably enhances a nation's export growth rate.

Which choice best describes data from the graph that undermines the student's claim?

The data table illustrates the average annual temperatures and corresponding crop yields recorded over three years across various geographic regions, emphasizing the role of altitude. An agronomist proposes a theory suggesting that as altitude increases, temperatures decrease, subsequently impacting crop yields negatively due to shorter growing seasons.

Which of the following statements best supports the agronomist's theory based on the data?

The Joy Luck Club is a 1989 novel by Amy Tan. In the novel, Tan suggests that upon smelling fragrant aromas, she felt an intuitive and sometimes unexpected sense of cultural recognition: ________

Which quotation from The Joy Luck Club most effectively illustrates the claim?

Johannes Vermeer, a Dutch Baroque painter known for his masterful use of light and shadow, ________ frequently associated with the Delft School, whose artists were celebrated for their intimate portrayals of domestic life in 17th-century Holland.

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

In World War II, the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops became known as the Ghost ________ models, optical illusions, and other trickery to deceive and intimidate the opposing forces.

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

The odaraia, an aquatic invertebrate that lived over 500 million years ago, has been documented by paleontologists since the 1980s, but only recently has new fossil evidence provided enough anatomical detail to classify ________ a group of animals possessing mandibles near their mouths.

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

What is the correct pronunciation of Beijing? In Mandarin Chinese, the "j" sound is softer than in English, resembling a combination of "zh" and "dj," and the tone marks the word's meaning precisely; as a result, the city's name ______ pronounced "Bay-jing," not "Bay-zhing," when spoken accurately.

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

The following text is adapted from Dr. Julian Harper's 2022 study on volcanic activity.
For months, Dr. Harper and his team monitored Mount Kilauea's eruptions, often camping near the volcano to collect data. They carefully measured the temperature of lava flows and the composition of gases emitted from the crater. During this period, their work progressed relentlessly, as they sought to understand the volcano's activity patterns and potential hazards to nearby communities.

As used in the text, what does the word "relentlessly" most nearly mean?

Helical _________, a structural motif commonly seen in synthetic nanomaterials, as well as in natural fibers like collagen and keratin, demonstrates remarkable mechanical properties and versatility in various engineering applications.

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

The rivers ________ Nile, Amazon, and Yangtze are among the longest in the world, each flowing through vastly different landscapes and regions.

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

Combining vibrant colors with geometric abstraction, painter Carmen Herrera created works that gained widespread recognition late in her career. In 2016, the Whitney Museum of American Art ______ her paintings in a retrospective celebrating her life's work.

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

The Olympic Games, held every four years, bring together athletes from around the world to compete in various sports. The Games have become significantly larger and more inclusive since their modern revival in 1896._________the 1896 Olympics featured just 13 countries and 43 events, focusing primarily on track and field and gymnastics.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

Renewable energy systems refer to technologies that harness natural processes to generate power with minimal environmental impact and virtually inexhaustible supplies. The scientific community has long sought a method to increase energy efficiency in renewable energy systems, and a recent breakthrough has made it possible to capture and store solar energy more effectively than ever before. ________, numerous industries have begun adopting this technology, resulting in a significant reduction in energy consumption worldwide.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

It is difficult to find archeological evidence in the Amazon rainforest. The region's extreme humidity and heat tend to quickly erode any markers of ancient humans. ________ archaeologists have uncovered rock painting in the Colombian Amazon, and the images, depicting humans and animals, appear to date back 12.500 years. making them rare examples of prehistoric Amazonian art.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

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

· The Eiffel Tower is located in Paris, France.

· It was completed in 1889 for the World's Fair.

· The tower stands 324 meters tall.

· Gustave Eiffel was the engineer responsible for the design.

· It is one of the most visited monuments in the world.

The student wants to explain the height of the Eiffel Tower. 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:

· Understanding the contributions of individual scientists can help us appreciate the diversity of scientific discovery.

· Jane Goodall is a British primatologist born in 1934.

· She is known for her groundbreaking studies on chimpanzees in Gombe, Tanzania.

· Florence Nightingale was a British nurse born in 1820.

· She is known for her innovations in sanitation and healthcare during the Crimean War.

Which choice most effectively uses information from the given sentences to emphasize a difference between Goodall and Nightingale?

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

· Mazdak Sanii is the founder and CEO of Avant Arte.

· He is concerned about long term funding for the arts and possible collapse of financial support.

· He believes that art institutions have relied on funding from a small, aging pool of patrons.

· According to Sanii, younger patrons have not been welcomed by institutions.

· He argues that nurturing younger patrons will help institutions to thrive long-term.

The student wants to both summarize and contextualize Sanii's argument. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?