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2 13

SAT
1

4 SAT handsome
skinny annoyed but unable to
blame frustrated ()
5

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7 SAT

8 except
except
9

double check

10 SAT

A. Main Purpose Questions

The primary purpose of the passage is to

Both passages are primarily concerned with the
The passage as a whole serves primarily to
:

I had grown up in the United States virtually without relatives, which, in my intense desire to
assimilate, was quite all right with me. But this attitude dissolved when I walked into that
apartment in Beijing. I realized then that my extended family is not just a collection of accidental

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alliances but a living body, an entity that will welcome me for being simply who I am: the
daughter of my mother, the niece of my aunts and uncles. We had never before seen each other
but, in that moment, we shared a sense of connection and loyalty unlike anything I had previously
experienced.
Question: The primary purpose of the passage is to
(A) describe the authors travels to Beijing
(B) reveal how lonely the author often felt
(C) provide examples of the authors fondness for her relatives
(D) convey the authors sudden awareness of the importance of family
(E) illustrate the closeness that existed among the authors mother, aunts, and uncles.
(B), (E)
dissolve
(E)(A)
but
this attitude dissolved, I realized then that.. in that moment, we shared a sense of
connection..unlike anything I had previously experienced.
(D)(D) awareness
realize

This passage is adapted from a 2003 novel about a character named Gogol Ganguli, the
American-born son of Indian immigrants. Just before leaving home for college, Gogol changed
his name to Nikhil.
Question: Taken as a whole, the passage is best described as a portrayal of
(A) two parents acceptance of their sons leaving home
(B) an immigrant familys adjustment to new surroundings
(C) the stimulating possibilities open to a college student
(D) a young mans struggle to define himself
(E) a young mans success at achieving independence
09 5

(D) struggle to define himself ()

(D)

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A century ago, opponents of womens suffrage in the United States scoffed at the notion that
extending the vote to women would make any difference. Women will vote with their husband
was the commonly accepted wisdom. This was an argument made in the absence of evidence, as
women did not yet have the vote. Ever since women won the vote, researchers have been keeping
close track of female voting behavior. A gender gap in voting behavior has been found in the
United States as in many other countries. In the United States, the 1994 and 1996 elections
showed the largest gaps ever between candidates favored by women and those favored by men.
Question: The primary purpose of the passage is to
(A) describe the evolution of a gender gap in the United States
(B) present a concise history of the womens suffrage movement
(C) show the inaccuracy of a prediction about womens suffrage
(D) discuss the resistance women faced in acquiring the vote
(E) explain the differences in voting behavior between men and women
(A) gender gap
,(B) concise history
(C)
this was an argument
made in the absence of evidence ()
(C)(D)
resistance ()(E)
explain the differences ()

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B. Central Idea Questions

What is the main idea of the passage?

With which of the following statements would the author most likely agree?
What is the best title for the passage?
This passage is primarily concerned with
:

Passage 1 (extract)
Because chimpanzees exhibit behavior so remarkably similar to some human behavior,
scientists observing them in the wild often develop a degree of empathy with the individuals
being studied. In itself this is not a bad thing. Subtle communication cues among chimpanzees are
more readily detected and recorded once an observer has established this empathy.
Passage 2 (extract)
My first day observing a community of forest chimpanzees showed me a richer and more
satisfying world than I had imagined. I suddenly recognized why I, a non-scientist, or anyone
should care about what happens to them: not, ultimately, because they use tools and solve
problems and are intellectual beings, but because they are emotional beings, as we are, and
because their emotions are so obviously similar to ours.
Question: Both passages support which generalization about wild chimpanzees?
(A) Their family structures are somewhat similar to those of humans.
(B) Their behavior often resembles that of humans.
(C) Their actions are prompted by strong psychological urges.
(D) Their facial expressions can be interpreted accurately by nonspecialists.
(E) Their reactions differ from those of other apes.
: similar to
human beings () empathy
care about (A)
(B)(A)
(B)

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but, yet however

,

(Excerpt) The argument of both the hedonist and the guru is that if we were put to open
ourselves to the richness of the moment, to concentrate on the feast before us, we would be filled
with bliss. I have lived in the present from time to time and can tell you that it is much overrated.
Occasionally, as a holiday from stroking ones memories or brooding about future worries, I grant
you, it can be a nice change of pace. But to be here now, hour after hour, would never
work.Besides, the present has a way of intruding whether you like it or not.
Question: With which of the following statements would the author most likely agree?
(A) We should enjoy the present and value every moment of daily life.
(B) Special attention should be paid to the most difficult aspects of life.
(C) Taking holidays are necessary in ones life to relieve daily pressure.
(D) Sometimes, the present can be regarded as an unavoidable imposition.
(F) Enjoying delicious dishes is a kind of luxury enjoyment.
:
But
the present
intruding (D), the present

2008 1 SAT
(1) Sailing at night in luminescent seas is something splendid that is not given to everyone.
(2) One source of such luminescence is an alga called Noctiluca.
(3) Copepods dont like prey that flashes. Grab it, it explodes into light in their scratchy little
arms, and they drop it.
(4) In some of the larger luminescent species, in which the patterns of light differ between sexes, it
is a fair bet that luminescence serves as an identification signal, a means of bringing the sexes
together in places that have so little that shapes and normal, reflected colors wont do.
(5) But by far the most widespread use is camouflage.

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Question:
The passage as a whole is best characterized as
(A) a case study of an unusual type of bioluminescence
(B) a survey of popular misconceptions about the function of bioluminescence
(C) a discussion of the evolutionary origins of bioluminescence
(D) an overview of the various functions of bioluminescence in sea creatures
(E) an examination of luminescent species that use camouflage

Noctiliaca Copepods

serve as use
(D)

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C. Extended Reasoning Questions

infer

probably,
apparently, seems, suggests, it can be inferred the author implies

The last paragraph of the passage suggests that

In line 33-34, the phrase implies that the author
The lines 66-69, the author indicates
Generous as used to describe funds (line 12) is intended to seem
What can be inferred from the sentence?
:

unstated
assumption ()

And the photographer a young man who was more accustomed to fashion-plate beauties
than to weatherworn archaeologists did not know how to picture the crags and fissures of his
face.
Question: (Andhands) suggest primarily that the photographer
(A) is flustered by an unfamiliar situation
(B) does not know how to take good pictures
(C) is excited by a new challenge
(D) does not respond well to criticism
(E) is averse to photographing older subjects

Crags and fissures

was more
accustomed to () did not know how to
picture flustered ()
(A)(C),
99%

SAT

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Some people like to act like things come easy to them. Take Cynthia Procter, for instance. If
theres a test tomorrow, shell say something like, Oh, I guess Ill watch television tonight.
When I pass her house, she is practicing the scales on the piano over and over. Then in music class
she always lets herself get bumped around so she falls accidentally on purpose onto the piano stool
and is so surprised to find herself sitting there that she decides just for fun to try out the ole keys.
And what do you know Chopins waltzes just spring out of her fingertips. A regular
prodigy.

Question: Which best describes the tone of sentences Andprodigy?

(A) Sardonic
(B) Anxious
(C) Nonchalant
(D) Reverent
(E) Amazed

(reverent)(amazed), Some people like to act like
things come easy to them. ()
Cynthia a
regular prodigy Cynthia
(A)

infer

(infer)
personal experience Ive
countedmy mailbox, promised me prizes I wrote this con artist

(Excerpt)
Dont think, Gabriel wrote, that I have come to believe our land is a paradise. I know all
too well that life is a struggle everywhere. But I cannot conceal from you the sorrow that your
words have caused me, and a few paragraphs in your letter have struck me with the impact of cold
water.
In the first paragraph, Father, you wrote just as stirring the air with a fan will never split
mountains, fits of lyrical passion will not solve arduous problems. Those words caused me to tear
up an Ode to the Patria which I had written. In the ode, I sang the glories of my land, basing it
upon its natural opulence and upon the romanticism of a great cloud of loving sentiment. I tore it
up, convinced that it was like the breeze of a fan, spending its force in the void of futility.

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Question:
(A) Juan voiced doubts about Gabriels economic decisions.
(B) Juan encouraged Gabriel to consider practicing law in Spain.
(C) Gabriel sought his fathers advice on affairs of the heart.
(D) Gabriel displayed a clear reluctance to accept criticism.
(E) Gabriel expressed some loftily idealistic thoughts.
(A), (B) Gabriel Juan
Gabriel always come to
believe our land is a paradise, I know all too well that
life is a struggle (strike me with the impact of
cold water) Ode to the Patrica,
glories of the land,( in the void of futility)
(E)

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Practice: Section AC
Directions: Carefully read the passage below and answer the questions that follow the passage.
Answer the questions based on the content of the passage: both what is stated and what is implied
in the passage as well as any introductory material before the passage.
This passage is adapted from a work about travel published in 1814.
In the early period of human history, when voyages and travels were not undertaken from the
view of amusement or instruction, or from political or commercial motives, the discovery of
adjacent countries was chiefly affected by war, and of distant regions by commerce.
The wars of the Egyptians with the Scythians, mentioned in the pristine pages of history,
must have opened faint sources of information concerning the neighboring tribes. Under the
Grecian empire of Alexander and his successors, the progress of discovery by war is first marked
on the page of history; and science began to attend the banners of victory.
The opulence of nature was now to be disclosed; and Greece was astonished at the miracles
of India. The Romans not only inherited the Grecian knowledge, but, extending the arms to the
North and West, accumulated discoveries upon regions dimly descried by the Greeks, through the
obscurity in which the Phoenicians enveloped their commercial advantages.
1. The primary purpose of this passage is to
A. criticize a strategy
B. justify an undertaking
C. explain a phenomenon
D. defend an approach
E. provoke a response
2. The main idea of this passage is
A. the search for scientific information engendered the desire to travel
B. the wealth of the western world was mostly derived from looting conquered regions
C. the systematic conquest of weaker tribes decimated the ancient world
D. the Greeks were the leaders in the fields of science in the classic world
E. an increase in knowledge was a corollary of warfare
3. The author suggests that science and warfare
A. are equally important motivations for nations to undertake exploration
B. are mutually exclusive
C. are painful reminders of mankinds desire to destroy that which is unfamiliar
D. are related in that scientific knowledge is increased by contact predicated on conquest
E. are obscure historical processes rather than commercial enterprises
Answers:
1. C
A

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B D
E
C phenomenon SAT

2. E

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D. Vocabulary in Context Questions

In line 65, drive most nearly means

:

The world has outgrown its quaint rural intimacies, and now its the modern age: an order is put
in for fifty cakes of Coal Tar Soap, and a few days later, a cart arrives and the order is delivered.
Question: According to the text, an order most nearly means
(A) a command from a military authority
(B) an instruction to provide something
(C) an established system of organizations
(D) a customary procedure
(E) a logical arrangement
order (C)
order
50
an
instruction to provide something

context

Just before leaving home for college, Gogol changed his name to Nakhil.
Later that evening, out to dinner with Jonathan, Ashima slips, asking, Gogol, have you
decided yet what your major will be?
Question: According to the text, Slips most nearly means
(A) moves stealthily
(B) slides involuntarily
(C) forgets momentarily
(D) addresses awkwardly
(E) escapes easily

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slips B,
Gogol Gogol
slip of the tongue C

With its sizeable free-ranging population now confined to Namibia, the cheetah is being
pitched as a uniquely Namibian cat and thus a source of national pride. More than an ideal genetic
profile, the cheetah needs a bit of panting room and all the public relations its noble bearing can
buy.
Question: According to the text, bearing most nearly means
(A) relationship or interconnection
(B) the power of producing offspring
(C) something that supports weight
(D) demeanor or presence
(E) awareness of a situation
noble bearing
buy

D bearing
E. (Tone, Attitude, and Language Questions)

whose(who)
(what)rhetoric

(literal meaning) (metaphorical

language)My
pockets are empty

SAT
Indignant:
Objective
Subjective:
Whimsical:

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Comedic, humorous: SAT

Ironic
Nostalgic:
Detached:
Resigned:
Wistful:
Scornful, disdainful, contemptuous:
Equivocal:
Ambivalent:
Cynical:
Witty:
Didactic:
Awe:
Derisive, sardonic, sarcastic:
Skeptical, incredulous, dubious:
Adulatory, laudatory:
unbridled enthusiasm ()
veiled hostility (
)

() Mr. Beebe, a clergyman, is speaking with Cecil Vyse about a mutual acquaintance, Lucy
Honeychurch.
Lucy Honeychurch has no faults, said Cecil, with grave sincerity.
Question: Cecils remark in line 1 (Lucyfaults) is made in a tone of
(A) great conviction
(B) studied neutrality
(C) playful irony
(D) genuine surprise
(E) weary cynicism
grave sincerity ()
(A) great conviction

For the reader armed with these data, the story becomes more accessible as a lesson in
contract law, with several additional minor themes.
Question: The authors attitude toward the story is best described as

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(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

excitement at an unexpected discovery

admiration of the storytellers performance
appreciation of the folktale as a means of communication values
enthusiasm for the cultural concept of legality
enjoyment of the comical aspects of the folklore

excitement, enthusiasm enjoyment

story (A), (B) (E),

contract law (C)
F. Main Purpose Questions

(paraphrase)

The question in lines 4-5 is based on which of the following assumptions?

The author uses which of the following in the fourth paragraph?
In line 16-18 the author distinguishes between
:

To conduct some forms of sleep research, we have to find a way to track sleepiness over the
day. Some people might believe that measuring sleepiness is a fairly trivial task. Couldnt you, for
instance, simply count the number of times a person yawns during any given hour or so?
1

Question: The question in italics is based on which of the following assumptions?

(A) Direct observation is the only reliable method of conducting sleep research.
(B) People will yawn most frequently in the moments before they fall asleep.
(C) There is a direct correlation between yawning and sleepiness.
(D) Yawning is a behavior over which individuals exert little conscious control.
(E) Conducting sleep research is a time-consuming process.

1

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All along the burnished footpaths of Greek Street, the shopkeepers are out already, the
second wave of early risers. Of course they regard themselves as the first wave. The grim
procession of factory workers less than an hour ago might as well have happened in another
country in another age. Welcome to the real world.
Question: The shopkeepers attitude toward the workers who are described in italics is best
characterized as
(A) ambivalent
(B) dismissive
(C) combative
(D) fearful
(E) suspicious
shopkeepers the second wave
might
as well have happened in another country in another age (
) might as well have done
shopkeepers (B)
2.

The author refers to Moses, Plato, and Milton (line 7) in order to

In lines 4-5, the author refers to a fashion mavens tone primarily in order to
Which best describes the function of the statement in lines 10-13 (So itgalaxy)?

I read a lot of books about mythology, and then about science: not the missiles and
spaceships Brother preferred, but the birds and the bees-literally. I brought home a giant book of
birds and searched the skies and tress for anything than robins and pigeons. And I read about bees
because I liked the idea that all of them listened to the queen and couldnt go on without her. I
went through a phase of loving books with practical science experiments and used up a whole

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bottle of white vinegar by pouring it on the sides of our apartment building to prove that it was
constructed of limestone.
Question: The primary purpose of this paragraph is to
(A) contrast the books about mythology and science that the author had been reading
(B) discuss why the author enjoyed books that were about birds and bees
(C) characterize the authors reading interests during a particular period of time
(D) distinguish between books preferred by the author and those preferred by her brother
(E) provide several examples of practical science experiments that the author conducted

(C)

The ability to see the situation as your opponents see it, as difficult as it may be, one of the
most important skills that you can possess as a negotiator. You must know more than simply that
they see things differently. It is not enough to study them like beetles under a microscope; you
need to know what it feels like to be a beetle. To accomplish this you should be prepared to
withhold judgments as you try on their views. Your opponents may well believe that their views
are right as strongly as you believe yours are.
Question: The reference to beetles in lines 5-6 serves to suggest that
(A) people need to be more attuned to their surroundings
(B) effective negotiation is more of a science than an art
(C) people can be made to do what they would prefer not to do
(D) effective negotiation requires identifying with a different viewpoint
(E) people feel uncomfortable when their actions are under scrutiny
negotiator ()

walk in ones shoe

B, C, E A
negotiation, D

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G. Synthesis Questions
SAT

The author of Passage 2 would most likely view Julians statement in Passage 1 with
Unlike the author of Passage 2, the author of Passage 1 develops his or her argument by
Which best characterizes the overall relationship between the two passages?
Both passages call attention to which aspect of
The author of Passage 2 would most likely criticize the author of Passage 1 for
:

Passage 1
A reform movement in journalism is afoot in newsroom and boardrooms across the country.
Industry organizations are launching initiatives, offering training and fostering new ways of
thinking about news coverage and its effects. The goals are to reinstall journalisms core values,
regain credibility, and generally better the medias performance. What really is wrong with
journalism? Lack of accuracy and fairness, too much sensationalism and bias are all components
of the problem, but the number one issue is that people distrust our motives said Tome
Rosenstiel, founding director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, who hopes to get more
journalists thinking about standards.
Passage 2
Conditions for journalism have never been better: robust media profits, strong legal
protections, and sophisticated technology. Yet there is an influential movement, representing the
consensus of the professions elite, dedicated to convincing us that all is not well. Bill Kovach and
Tom Rosenstiel , arguably the two most prominent media critics in America, are the go-to people
if you need a quotation lamenting the sensationalism of television newscasts or other media ills.
Their recent book The Elements of Journalism suggests that unless a certain theory of news is
adhered to , the United States might be annihilated. Such factually uncluttered hyperbole does not
merely invite a certain awe but also quite plausibly violates their number one axiom: journalisms
first obligation is to the truth.

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Question: Which best describes the relationship between Passage 1 and Passage 2?
(A) Passage 1 describes a particular campaign for change, whereas Passage 2 challenges the
necessity of that change.
(B) Passage 1 describes the causes of sensationalism in journalism, whereas Passage 2 explores
its effects.
(C) Passage 1 praises an individuals influence on journalism, whereas Passage 2 questions that
individuals contributions.
(D) Passage 1 suggests that journalism is evolving whereas Passage 2 argues that it is stagnating.
(E) Passage 1 defines the purpose of journalism, whereas Passage 2 examines journalisms
impact on society.

The goals are

violate their number one axiom

A

Passage 1
Food has always been considered one of the most salient markers of cultural traditions. When
I was a small child, food was the only thing that helped identify my family as Filipino American.
We ate pansit lug-lug (a noodle fish) and my father put patis (salty fish sauce) on everything.
However, even this connection lessened as I grew older. As my parents, became more
acculturated, we ate less typically Filipino food. When I was twelve, my mother took cooking
classes and learned to make French and Italian dishes. When I was in high school, we ate chicken
marsala and shrimp fra Diablo more often than Filipino dishes like pansit lug-lug.

Passage 2
Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarinwho in 1825 confidently announced. Tell me what you eat,
and I will tell you who you are would have no trouble describing cultural identities of the
United States. Our food reveals us as tolerant adventurers who do not feel constrained by tradition.
We play with our food far more readily than we preserve the culinary rules of our varied
ancestors. Americans have no single national cuisine. What unites American eaters culturally is
how we eat, not what we eat. As eaters, Americans mingles the culinary traditions of many regions
and cultures. We are multiethnic eaters.
Question: The author of Passage 2 would most likely regard the mothers willingness to make
French and Italian dishes (line 9-10, Passage 1) as
(A) laughably pretentious

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(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)

understandably conservative
typically American
a regrettable compromise
a surprising attitude