Answers & Explanations to PSAT Test 6 - whw.namewhw.name/Resources/Answer Book PSAT 6.pdf · Critical Reading Explanations Critical Reading 1: Question 1 Choice (D) is correct. The

PSAT Test 6 Explanations

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Answers & Explanations to

PSAT Test 6--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

........... Page 2 Answer Key

........... Page 3 Explanations to Critical Reading......... Page 16 Explanations to Math......... Page 24 Explanations to the Writing......... Page 33 Vocabulary Glossary


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SECTION 1 VERBAL

! 1.! D! E! 2.! E! E! 3.! A! E! 4.! B! E! 5.! A! H! 6.! D! H! 7.! A! H! 8.! B! H! 9.! E! M! 10.! D! M! 11.! E! H! 12.! D! M! 13.! E! E! 14.! D! H! 15.! C! M! 16.! C! E! 17.! E! E! 18.! E! E! 19.! E! M! 20.! C! H! 21.! A! M! 22.! B! M! 23.! D! M! 24.! E! H

SECTION 2 MATH

! 1.! E! E! 2.! A! E! 3.! C! E! 4.! E! E! 5.! A! E! 6.! D! M! 7.! B! E! 8.! C! M! 9.! A! E! 10.! D! M! 11.! E! M! 12.! D! M! 13.! B! M! 14.! D! M! 15.! A! M! 16.! C! H! 17.! A! H! 18.! A! H! 19.! E! H! 20.! C! H

SECTION 3 VERBAL

! 25.! B! E! 26.! D! E! 27.! E! M! 28.! B! H! 29.! E! H! 30.! B! M! 31.! A! M! 32.! D! H! 33.! E! H! 34.! B! H! 35.! A! M! 36.! C! E! 37.! D! M! 38.! D! M! 39.! D! M! 40.! E! M! 41.! D! H! 42.! C! H! 43.! A! M! 44.! C! M! 45.! C! M! 46.! B! M! 47.! A! M! 48.! B! M

PSAT / NMSQT Form 6 Answer Key

SECTION 4 MATH

! 21.! B! E! 22.! B! E! 23.! E! E! 24.! D! M! 25.! C! M! 26.! D! M! 27.! C! H! 28.! D! H! 29.! 11 or 12! E! 30.! 7! ! M! 31.! 2400! ! M! 32.! 19< x <23! M! 33.! 52.5! ! M! 34.! .25 or " ! M! 35.! 141! ! H! 36.! 4! ! H! 37.! 80! ! H! 38.! # or .5! H

SECTION 5 WRITING

! 1.! C! E! 2.! A! E! 3.! C! E! 4.! B! E! 5.! B! E! 6.! D! E! 7.! B! E! 8.! C! E! 9.! C! M! 10.! D! E! 11.! A! M! 12.! E! M! 13.! C! M! 14.! E! M! 15.! A! M! 16.! D! M! 17.! E! M! 18.! B! M! 19.! C! H! 20.! B! H! 21.! C! E! 22.! D! E! 23.! C! M! 24.! C! E 25.! D! M 26.! E! M 27.! B! M 28.! C! M 29.! D! M 30.! C! M 31.! C! H 32.! B! H 33.! B! H 34.! C! H 35.! C! E 36.! E! M 37.! A! E 38.! D! E 39.! C! E

6S

Answer Key To PSAT Test 6

Degree of DifficultyThe correct answer to each question is give to the right of the question number. To the right of the correct answer is another letter indicating the degree of difficulty of that question. E = Easy M = Medium H = Hard

Critical Reading Explanations

Critical Reading 1: Question 1

Choice (D) is correct. The phrase "not just disappointed but completely -------" suggests that the missing word will indicate a very intense form of disappointment. To be "crushed" is to be completely overcome by disappointment. This word best completes the logic of the sentence.

Choice (A) is incorrect. The phrase "not just disappointed but completely -------" suggests that the missing word will indicate a very intense form of disappointment. To be "indulgent" is to submit to the desires and whims of someone or something. This word does not suggest an intense form of disappointment, and learning that a "favorite team" has been defeated would probably not make a person feel indulgent.

Choice (B) is incorrect. It is very unlikely that Ravi would feel "satisfied," or pleased, to learn that his "favorite team" has been defeated. And the phrase "not just disappointed but completely satisfied" is illogical.

Choice (C) is incorrect. The phrase "not just disappointed but completely -------" suggests that Ravi experienced an emotion more intense than mere disappointment when his "favorite team" lost. So it would be contradictory for the sentence to say that he was "unmoved," or emotionally unaffected.

Choice (E) is incorrect. To be "deceived" is to be caused to accept as true something that is false. Nothing in the sentence suggests that Ravi felt deceived by his favorite team's loss.


Choice (E) is correct. A "mosaic" is a decorative image made from numerous small pieces, usually of tile or glass. The sentence suggests that a mosaic was constructed on the floor of the villa, so it makes good sense to say that each "piece" was selected and "positioned" according to a preconceived pattern.

Choice (A) is incorrect. It is very unlikely that a mosaic constructed on a floor would be made of photographs. And to develop a photograph involves using chemicals to create a visible image from material such as film. Nothing in the sentence suggests that that is happening here.

Choice (B) is incorrect. Although a "color" might be individually selected in the creation of a mosaic, it would make little sense to say that each color was "studied according to a preconceived pattern." And studying colors could not possibly lead to the entire floor being decorated.

Choice (C) is incorrect. Nothing in the sentence indicates that an "image" in the mosaic is being "discussed." Additionally, merely discussing images would not lead to the entire floor being decorated.

Choice (D) is incorrect. "Tile" makes excellent sense in the first blank because mosaics are customarily made from tiles. But if each tile was "removed," then the floor would be empty rather than fully decorated.


Choice (A) is correct. The words that best fit the blanks will meaningfully complement one another and will agree with the idea that Baldwin is "perceptive" and that his essays are "worldly." "Sophisticated" means marked by broad knowledge and refinement, and "profound" means marked by intellectual depth and insight. If Baldwin's essays are worldly, then they would be "sophisticated," and if he were perceptive, then he might be considered "profound."

Choice (B) is incorrect. "Provincial" means limited in perspective, or unsophisticated. It would be odd for "worldly" essays to be written by, and to provide insight into, a provincial man.

Choice (C) is incorrect. It would be odd for essays that are "altruistic," or devoted to the well-being of others, to be written by, and to provide insight into, a "self-centered" man.

Choice (D) is incorrect. To be "naïve" is to lack worldly experience or understanding. It would be odd to suggest that Baldwin's essays are "worldly" but that he himself is "naïve." Presumably, one would need to be sophisticated in order to write worldly essays.

Choice (E) is incorrect. The blanks call for words that complement one another. But "volatile," or tending to violence or sudden changes of mood, and "gentle" are nearly opposite in meaning. And it would be odd for volatile essays to be written by, and to provide insight into, a gentle man.


Choice (B) is correct. The words that come after the colon serve to explain or clarify what comes before. If the Eurasian taiga is "dominated" by only a few species of conifer, this would explain the forest's lack of "variety."

Choice (A) is incorrect. If the Eurasian taiga lacks "definition," it would be missing clearly marked edges and features. This would probably not be the case if it were "bordered" by a certain few species of conifer.

Choice (C) is incorrect. It is plausible that the forest might be "covered" with only a few species of trees, but this idea is not logically connected to the idea that the forest lacks "space."

Choice (D) is incorrect. The fact that the forest is "dotted" with trees would have no bearing on whether or not it exhibits "precision." In fact, it makes little sense to say that a forest either possesses or "lacks" precision.

Choice (E) is incorrect. To say that the Eurasian taiga exhibits a "lack of thickness" would suggest that it has a


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sparse growth of trees. It would be contradictory to then say that it is "overrun" with a few species of conifers.


Choice (A) is correct. A "stopgap" is an improvised solution that serves until a better solution can be found. If the legislation is intended to be a temporary "expedient," or means to an end, that would serve until "more thorough measures" could be put into place, then the legislation would be considered a stopgap.

Choice (B) is incorrect. A "moratorium" is a suspension of some ongoing activity, often brought about by an official order. Nothing in the sentence suggests that any ongoing activity is being halted. And moratoriums are not necessarily intended to serve only until "more thorough measures" are put into place.

Choice (C) is incorrect. A "portent" is a sign of things to come. The sentence does not indicate that the legislation is a portent of anything.

Choice (D) is incorrect. An "admonition" is a friendly criticism or warning. There is nothing in the sentence to suggest that the legislation was intended as an admonition.

Choice (E) is incorrect. An "invocation" is an appeal to higher authority for support. The sentence indicates that the legislation is a temporary solution, not any kind of invocation.


Choice (D) is correct. If these citizens' votes had been "invalidated," or declared not valid, it would make sense for them to feel "disenfranchised," or deprived of a basic right of citizenship. This would explain why they would have "registered," or expressed, their discontent by way of a lawsuit.

Choice (A) is incorrect. While "voiced" makes good sense in the second blank, it is highly unlikely that the citizens would feel "heartened," or encouraged, by a process that led to their votes being invalidated.

Choice (B) is incorrect. Rather than indicating that the citizens felt "emboldened" by having their votes "invalidated," the sentence indicates that they felt discontented. And it does not make sense to suggest that dissatisfied citizens would have "denied" their negative feelings "by way of a lawsuit."

Choice (C) is incorrect. In this context, to feel "compromised" is to feel that one has been made vulnerable to danger or disrepute. This word makes sense when inserted in the first blank. But "garnered," or gathered or acquired, makes little sense in the second. The sentence suggests that the citizens' feelings of discontent stemmed from their votes being invalidated and are what prompted the lawsuit. It would be quite odd to suggest that they used a lawsuit to gather or acquire their discontent.

Choice (E) is incorrect. It is somewhat unlikely that citizens would feel "intrigued," or curiously interested, in a voting process that led to the invalidation of their votes. And it would make no sense to suggest that they "revoked" their feelings of discontent by pursuing a lawsuit.


Choice (A) is correct. The word that best fits the blank will characterize a mode of speech that involves "bitter, abusive language." A "diatribe" is a harshly critical verbal attack. It would make sense that the employees would be "shocked" by the manager's diatribe.

Choice (B) is incorrect. A "soliloquy" is a dramatic monologue or the act of speaking to oneself. Soliloquies do not necessarily, or even very often, involve "bitter, abusive language." This is not the best answer choice.

Choice (C) is incorrect. "Repartee" is clever and amusing sparring with words. It is highly unlikely that repartee would involve "bitter, abusive language." And people are generally not "shocked" by repartee.

Choice (D) is incorrect. A "quibble" is a minor objection. It is unlikely that a quibble would involve "bitter, abusive language" that would shock people.

Choice (E) is incorrect. An "affirmation" is a positive statement or judgment. It is very unlikely that an affirmation would involve "bitter, abusive language."


Choice (B) is correct. An "itinerant" is one who travels from place to place. If peregrine falcons migrate "as much as 18,000 miles each year," one might well describe them as "among the avian world's great itinerants."

Choice (A) is incorrect. "Mercenaries" are individuals, often soldiers, who serve or work only for monetary gain. Nothing in the sentence suggests that the falcons should be characterized as mercenaries.

Choice (C) is incorrect. "Charlatans" are quacks, people who pretend to have knowledge or abilities that they don't actually have. Nothing in the sentence suggests that the falcons can be characterized as the avian world's charlatans.

Choice (D) is incorrect. "Recidivists" are repeat criminals. The sentence describes falcons as migrating great distances, not as repeatedly committing crimes.

Choice (E) is incorrect. "Provincials" lack worldly sophistication and have a limited perspective. It would not make sense to describe falcons as "the avian world's great provincials," especially since they migrate as much as 18,000 miles each year.


Choice (E) is correct. The passage indicates that chimpanzees in the Tai Forest use "stone 'hammers' to cleave nuts" while members of the same species "on the


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opposite bank of a river" do not. The final sentence says that this is because the river acts as a "cultural barrier." One can infer that it is a cultural barrier because it prevents the chimpanzee populations from interacting and thereby "learning technical skills" (tool use, that is) from one another.

Choice (A) is incorrect. The passage does not state that the chimpanzees "on the opposite bank" do not have access to nuts but, rather, indicates the opposite, that the "required raw materials are available on both sides." Nothing indicates that the river prevents one group of chimpanzees from "reaching a distant source of food."

Choice (B) is incorrect. The passage does not suggest that the chimpanzees "on the opposite bank" are prevented from "making contact" with researchers. Presumably, the researchers did have some sort of contact with these chimps. How else would they know that they don't use "hammers" to cleave the nuts?

Choice (C) is incorrect. Nothing in the passage indicates that the chimpanzees "on the opposite bank" do not have the capacity to communicate.

Choice (D) is incorrect. Nothing in the passage indicates that either group of chimpanzees has been "exploring diverse habitats." The passage suggests only that, because they are separated by a river, one group did not learn how to use certain tools from the other.


Choice (D) is correct. The passage mentions differences in chimpanzee behavior involving "use of tools," "forms of communication," and "social customs." But the difference discussed in this answer choice has to do with food availability. This kind of difference is not discussed in the passage.

Choice (A) is incorrect. The passage refers to a "multitude of distinct patterns" in chimpanzee behavior "ranging from the animals' use of tools to their forms of communication and social customs." Rapping knuckles on tree trunks "to attract attention during courtship" could be considered both a form of communication and a social custom. So it could serve as an example of the kinds of differences discussed in the passage.

Choice (B) is incorrect. The passage refers to a "multitude of distinct patterns" in chimpanzee behavior "ranging from the animals' use of tools to their forms of communication and social customs." Using leaves as "cups" or a "sponge" to gather water could be considered a use of tools and so could serve as an example of the kinds of differences discussed in the passage.

Choice (C) is incorrect. The passage refers to a "multitude of distinct patterns" in chimpanzee behavior "ranging from the animals' use of tools to their forms of communication and social customs." Using leaves to sit on wet ground could be considered a use of tools and so could serve as an example of the kinds of differences

discussed in the passage.

Choice (E) is incorrect. The passage refers to a "multitude of distinct patterns" in chimpanzee behavior "ranging from the animals' use of tools to their forms of communication and social customs." Using leafy twigs as fans could be considered a use of tools and so could serve as an example of the kinds of differences discussed in the passage.


Choice (E) is correct. A remark that is "wry" is one that is cleverly and often ironically or grimly humorous. The parenthetical comments represent the author's attempt to discourage the person being addressed from becoming a writer. He uses overstatement to describe the slim chances that writers have of being successful ("nil and next to none"), humorous exaggeration to describe the small audience for literature ("not enough to fill the seats at Yankee Stadium"), and a quirky juxtaposition to characterize writers' celebrity status (they have "Q ratings . . . equivalent to those assigned to trick dogs and retired generals"). Because these parenthetical comments are voiced in a clever and somewhat grimly humorous manner, they can be characterized as "wry."

Choice (A) is incorrect. To be "ebullient" is to be exuberant or joyously enthusiastic. This term does not capture the grim humor of the comments and so is not the best choice.

Choice (B) is incorrect. To be "diffident" is to be hesitant and lacking in self-confidence. There is nothing in the tone of these comments to suggest the author is shy or lacks confidence.

Choice (C) is incorrect. To be "sanguine" is to be confident and optimistic. Because these comments describe the challenges of becoming a writer and the lack of respect accorded to writers, they cannot be said to be sanguine. If anything, they are the opposite of sanguine.

Choice (D) is incorrect. To be "surly" is to be irritably sullen in mood or manner (to be "sullen" is to be silently ill-humored). Although the author might possibly be irritated that his advice is being ignored, the tone of the parenthetical comments cannot be said to be silently ill-humored. Rather, they are verbally clever and darkly humorous.


Choice (D) is correct. The passage begins with the author saying "I thought we had finished with the subject of your wanting to become a writer," a statement that implies that the subject is not, in fact, finished. And the final sentence reinforces this point. It says, "I thought it was understood that you would apply to business school," which implies that the person being addressed


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has not applied to business school. So this person was evidently "unconvinced by the uncle's advice."

Choice (A) is incorrect. The passage indicates that the person being addressed had asked for advice, so it would be odd to say that this person "did not expect career guidance."

Choice (B) is incorrect. The passage does not indicate that a "categorical," or absolute and unqualified, command was given. So one could not say that the person being addressed "chose to defy" such a command.

Choice (C) is incorrect. No "event" is mentioned in the passage. And the only thing that could be said to be "intimidating" is the challenge of becoming a writer, which is evidently something that the person being addressed is not trying to "avoid."

Choice (E) is incorrect. There is nothing in the passage to indicate that the person being addressed "did not feel challenged by college."


Choice (E) is correct. The Appalachian Trail is described as "Running more than 2,100 miles" along the eastern seaboard. To "extend" is to stretch out in distance, space, or time. "Running" most nearly means "extending" in this context.

Choice (A) is incorrect. Although "running" can mean "functioning" (as in a car running well), that is not what it means in this context. It would be odd to speak of the trail as "functioning more than 2,100 miles."

Choice (B) is incorrect. "Conducting" means leading or guiding (as in conducting an experiment or conducting an orchestra). It would make little sense to speak of a trail "conducting more than 2,100 miles."

Choice (C) is incorrect. While "running" can indeed mean "fleeing" (as in running from danger), that is not what it means in this context. A trail could not flee from anything.

Choice (D) is incorrect. "Hastening" means moving or acting quickly. A trail cannot move or act, so this word makes little sense in this context.


Choice (D) is correct. The author notes that the Appalachian Trail is more than 2,100 miles long, and that walking from his New Hampshire home to Georgia would be a journey of over 1,800 miles. But without any reflection at all, he says "Sounds neat! Let's do it!" Since these comments show a cheerful lack of consideration given to the challenges of such a journey, they convey the author's "blithe," or carefree, "approach to an arduous undertaking."

Choice (A) is incorrect. To show "courage," one must be aware that one faces dangers or challenges. But these remarks suggest that the author was in fact unaware of the challenges involved in an 1,800-mile backpacking

trip. So the comments are not intended to suggest "great courage in the face of difficult odds."

Choice (B) is incorrect. While the comments may suggest an "unbridled enthusiasm," the passage nowhere indicates that this is an enthusiasm for "studying the natural world."

Choice (C) is incorrect. While the phrase "Sounds neat!" does sound somewhat "childlike," nothing indicates that the author is motivated by a desire to "escape the pressures of civilization."

Choice (E) is incorrect. The term "brazen" suggests insolence, or contemptuous boldness, which is not present in this quotation or in the passage as a whole. Rather, the quotation emphasizes the author's carefree naïveté.


Choice (C) is correct. A "rationalization" is an attempt to attribute rational and credible motives for one's actions without acknowledging one's true motives. The quotation in lines 12–13 suggests that the author's decision to hike the Appalachian Trail was based on impulse rather than thought. When he says immediately afterward that he "formed a number of rationalizations," he is implying that he is trying to justify that impulsive decision.

Choice (A) is incorrect. There is nothing in the passage to suggest that the author's decision to hike the Appalachian Trail is a "common misunderstanding." It is, rather, an impulsive decision.

Choice (B) is incorrect. If the author was forming rationalizations for not going on the hike, then this answer might make sense. But the author is justifying his decision to go, so he is clearly not trying to "avoid a physically challenging task."

Choice (D) is incorrect. Although the author does subsequently present what appear to be "honest" motives for undertaking such a trip (getting in shape, seeing the country, etc.), that is not what this sentence suggests he is doing. This sentence comes immediately after a very impulsive decision ("Sounds neat! Let's do it!") and is best understood as an indication that the author is attempting to justify that decision.

Choice (E) is incorrect. While hiking the trail will certainly be a difficult goal to accomplish, that is not what this sentence suggests. Rather, it suggests that the author is trying to justify his impulsive decision to hike the trail.


Choice (C) is correct. In lines 28–29, the author indicates that he came to the realization that the hike was "way beyond—way beyond—anything [he] had attempted before." The phrase "way beyond" suggests that the hike will be much harder than anything he has yet done, and the repetition of the phrase emphasizes this point. It serves to "emphasize the magnitude of an endeavor."


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Choice (A) is incorrect. The author has not yet taken any action, so the repetition of this phrase cannot "stress how impressive his actions were."

Choice (B) is incorrect. Lines 27–29 focus on the author's realization that he himself has never attempted anything like this hike before. They do not "highlight a commonly held point of view."

Choice (D) is incorrect. The author has "read some books" and "talked to some people," and some of these people may well be "experts." But nothing indicates any disagreement with them. Rather, the author seems to accept what they say about the difficulty of the undertaking.

Choice (E) is incorrect. Nothing in the passage suggests that the author cannot reconsider his choice at this point.


Choice (E) is correct. In lines 60–61, the author of Passage 2 describes standing at the edge of a wilderness when "All at once, without warning, two men emerged from that impossible country." This statement suggests that the author was surprised by their sudden appearance. The author goes on to say that he talked to them "in considerable awe." If the author felt surprise and awe, then the author felt "astonishment."

Choice (A) is incorrect. "Trepidation" is a state of alarm or dread. The passage indicates that the author felt surprise and awe, not trepidation, when the two men appeared.

Choice (B) is incorrect. "Indignation" is anger aroused by something unjust or unworthy. The author does not react to the two men with indignation.

Choice (C) is incorrect. "Disillusionment" involves being deprived of a belief and is associated with disappointment. The author did not feel disillusionment upon seeing the two men emerge from the wilderness. Rather, the author was awestruck.

Choice (D) is incorrect. "Exasperation" is great frustration. The author does not react to the two men in this way.


Choice (E) is correct. "Keen" means marked by intellectual quickness or perceptiveness. The author is suggesting that backpackers need a clear, or keen, understanding of their own limitations.

Choice (A) is incorrect. Something that is "serene" is calm and peaceful. It would be odd for the author to say that backpackers need a peaceful understanding of their own limitations.

Choice (B) is incorrect. It makes little sense to say that backpackers need a "smooth understanding" of their own limitations in order to hike into remote places. It is not clear what a "smooth understanding" would be.

Choice (C) is incorrect. It makes no sense to characterize understanding as "transparent," or capable of being seen through.

Choice (D) is incorrect. To be "innocent" is to be free from blame or guilt. The author is not suggesting that one needs an innocent understanding to hike safely in the wilderness.


Choice (E) is correct. Passage 1 discusses the author's decision to hike the Appalachian Trail, his dawning awareness of the challenges it will involve, and his fears about the dangers he might encounter. Passage 2 begins by noting that "many people seem to be alarmed by the prospect of sleeping away from officially consecrated campsites." This author then recalls feeling astonishment upon encountering two men hiking out of a remote area. This author concludes by asserting that there "is nothing difficult in going into such places" if one is reasonably well prepared. So the second passage "challenges an attitude that is exemplified in the first."

Choice (A) is incorrect. Passage 2 argues that it is not particularly difficult or dangerous to backpack in wilderness areas. But there is no evidence in Passage 1 that "persuasively advances" this claim. Rather, Passage 1 humorously indicates that backpacking can be both difficult and dangerous.

Choice (B) is incorrect. To be "idealistic" is to envision things in a perfect but unrealistic form. Nothing in Passage 2 shows that a claim made in Passage 1 is idealistic.

Choice (C) is incorrect. Passage 2 talks about backpacking in remote areas, arguing that it is neither difficult nor dangerous to do this. This passage does not advocate anything that might reasonably be termed an "environmental policy." And Passage 1 does not ridicule any environmental policies.

Choice (D) is incorrect. Passage 1 doesn't really outline "principles," unless one would consider the idea that the woods are full of danger to be a principle. And Passage 2 certainly wouldn't express "admiration" for this idea.


Choice (C) is correct. The rationalization mentioned in lines 14–15 in Passage 1 is that backpacking would get the author "fit after years of waddlesome sloth." The "two hikers" described in Passage 2 are said to be "weatherbeaten and distilled to muscle and bone," which suggests that they are physically fit. This description, then, supports the rationalization in lines 14-15 in Passage 1—that backpacking will help the author to get physically fit.

Choice (A) is incorrect. The idea that "most people are afraid to sleep in the woods" does nothing to support the claim in Passage 1 that hiking the Appalachian Trail would help the author become "fit after years of waddlesome sloth."


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Choice (B) is incorrect. Passage 2 does assert that "it is possible to venture deep into the wilderness." But this does not support the "rationalization" mentioned in lines 14–15 in Passage 1, which is that hiking will help the author become physically fit.

Choice (D) is incorrect. Passage 2 does conclude by emphasizing "the importance of understanding one's abilities." But understanding one's abilities is not relevant to the "rationalization" mentioned in lines 14-15 in Passage 1, which is that backpacking will help the author become physically fit.

Choice (E) is incorrect. Passage 2 does speak of "the necessity of overcoming one's fear of the unknown." But this does not support the "rationalization" in lines 14–15 in Passage 1, which is that hiking will help the author become physically fit.


Choice (A) is correct. The events in lines 36–38 in Passage 1 involve tents being "crushed beneath falling trees" or being "eased off precipices on ballbearings of beaded rain." The author of Passage 2 argues that backpacking is not dangerous, provided one has "the right equipment, a reasonable competence in using it, . . . and a clear understanding of [one's] own limitations" (lines 79–81). So this author would likely argue that the events in lines 36–38 in Passage 1 could be avoided "through the exercise of good judgment and use of proper equipment."

Choice (B) is incorrect. The author of Passage 2 suggests that there is nothing difficult or dangerous about wilderness backpacking. It's not likely, therefore, that this author would argue that the kind of unfortunate events described in lines 36–38 in Passage 1 would "occur sooner or later to most casual backpackers."

Choice (C) is incorrect. The author of Passage 2 doesn't seem to think that one needs "courage" to backpack, suggesting instead that danger can be easily avoided through the use of good judgment and proper equipment. So it is unlikely that this author would see the mishaps described in lines 36–38 as indicative of "some hikers' courage and exuberance." More likely, this author would see them as a consequence of poor judgment.

Choice (D) is incorrect. The events in lines 36–38 in Passage 1 involve hikers being crushed by falling trees and falling off precipices. It would be hard for anyone to argue that such events would "not be likely to cause harm," and certainly nothing suggests that the author of Passage 2 would take this view. Rather, this author would suggest that with the right preparation, such events wouldn't happen in the first place.

Choice (E) is incorrect. The author of Passage 2 argues that backpackers need "the right equipment, a reasonable competence in using it, a tolerable degree of physical fitness, and a clear understanding of [their]

limitations" (lines 79–81). These things, this author would probably argue, would enable them to avoid the kind of events described in lines 36–38 in Passage 1. So the author of Passage 2 probably would not regard such events as "beyond human control."


Choice (B) is correct. In the last paragraph of Passage 1, the author freely admits to worrying about the dangers he believes can befall backpackers (animal attacks, falling trees, etc.). But the author of Passage 2 downplays the dangers of wilderness camping, writing that there is "nothing difficult" about going into the wilderness—you merely need basic skills and equipment, and a "clear understanding of your own limitations." So the author of Passage 2 would most likely regard the last paragraph of Passage 1 as demonstrating "an unreasonable anxiety regarding the hazards of wilderness camping."

Choice (A) is incorrect. The last paragraph of Passage 1 does not demonstrate a "willingness to take risks." Rather, this author is expressing a disinclination to hike, for fear that it is too dangerous. Also, the author of Passage 2 does not regard wilderness camping as risky, provided campers understand their limitations and take appropriate precautions.

Choice (C) is incorrect. The last paragraph of Passage 1 focuses on what its author regards as the dangers of wilderness camping. It says nothing at all about how one might prepare to avoid such dangers. So it is highly unlikely that the author of Passage 2 would regard this paragraph as demonstrating an "admirable example of careful preparation."

Choice (D) is incorrect. The last paragraph of Passage 1 does not directly discuss "physical strengths and weaknesses" but, rather, focuses on the supposed dangers of wilderness camping. So it is unlikely that the author of Passage 2 would say it demonstrates a "praiseworthy recognition of physical strengths and weaknesses."

Choice (E) is incorrect. The last paragraph of Passage 1 describes dangers presented by wild animals, falling trees, and the like. But the author of Passage 2 makes a scathing reference to people who, frightened of camping in the forest, "babble about snakes or bears" (line 49). This author asserts there is "nothing difficult" about going into the wilderness. So it is unlikely that the author of Passage 2 would regard the last paragraph of Passage 1 as demonstrating an "accurate assessment of different scenarios one should expect in the forest."


Choice (D) is correct. The author of Passage 1 decides to hike the Appalachian Trail and hopes that it will get him "fit after years of waddlesome sloth" (line 15). He also speaks humorously of wanting to be admired as an outdoorsman. At the end of the second paragraph, he


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writes of wanting "a little of that swagger that comes with being able to gaze at a far horizon through eyes of chipped granite and say with a slow, manly sniff, "'Yeah, I've slept in the woods.'" The "two men" referred to in line 60 in Passage 2 have just completed a long hike, are physically fit ("weatherbeaten and distilled to muscle and bone"), and elicit a reaction of "considerable awe" from the author of Passage 2. For these reasons, the author of Passage 1 would most want to be like them.

Choice (A) is incorrect. The "many people" in lines 45–46 in Passage 2 are said to be "alarmed at the prospect of sleeping away from officially consecrated campsites." While the author of Passage 1 may in fact be like these "many people," he does not want to be like them. He would rather be a competent, experienced hiker.

Choice (B) is incorrect. "Bandits" are people who rob others. Nothing indicates that the author of Passage 1 wants to be like a bandit.

Choice (C) is incorrect. This choice is appealing because the author of Passage 1 does, in fact, want to hike. But Passage 2 does not specify if the "hiker" mentioned in line 56 is physically fit, highly experienced, or admired by others. Indeed, this "hiker" is merely a vague mental image conjured by the author of Passage 2, who at this point can't imagine going deep into the wilderness. So one cannot say that the author of Passage 1 wants most to be like the "hiker" mentioned in this line. This is not the best answer choice.

Choice (E) is incorrect. The "astonished people" mentioned in line 73 are not experienced hikers. Nothing in Passage 1 suggests that its author wants to be like them.


Choice (E) is correct. Passage 1 has a humorous tone. This author plays up his naïveté in lines 10–13, punctuates his "rationalizations" (line 14) with self-deprecating asides (such as the parenthetical remark in lines 18–19), and concludes with comic descriptions of the mishaps that can befall hikers (stumbling back from a hike with a bobcat "attached" to one's head or meeting up with a "sofa-sized boar" with a "slaverous, chomping appetite for plump, city-softened flesh"). Passage 2, on the other hand, has a serious tone. This author describes an encounter with two highly experienced backpackers and concludes by downplaying the difficulty of wilderness hiking. The tone of Passage 2 is best characterized as "earnest," or serious.

Choice (A) is incorrect. To be "argumentative" is to be inclined to argue. Passage 1 demonstrates no such inclination. And while Passage 2 may include a few "objective" observations, it is based heavily on personal experience and so might just as well be said to be "subjective" (which is the opposite of "objective").

Choice (B) is incorrect. Passage 1 treats its subject in a "lighthearted" fashion, but Passage 2 cannot be said to be "bitter," or marked by resentment and cynicism.

Choice (C) is incorrect. Passage 1 has a humorous tone, but it would not be appropriate to call it "caustic," or corrosively sarcastic. And while Passage 2 is certainly serious, one would not say that it is "pompous," or excessively dignified and pretentious.

Choice (D) is incorrect. Given that Passage 1 is breezy and humorous, it might possibly be said to be "conversational." But Passage 2 is not "scholarly." A scholarly tone would involve elevated vocabulary and complicated sentence structure and would strongly suggest that the author was educated in a specialized, academic field.

------------------------------------------------


Choice (B) is correct. The word "but" indicates that there will be a contrast between what Marta "expected" and what Marta "was pleased to find." If Marta thought she would "dislike" sashimi (a Japanese dish of thinly sliced raw fish), this would contrast with her being pleased to find that the sauce made it quite "flavorful."

Choice (A) is incorrect. If Marta "expected to enjoy" sashimi, one would not then say "but she was pleased to find that the spicy sauce made it quite fragrant." There would be no clear contrast that would call for the word "but."

Choice (C) is incorrect. It is unlikely that Marta would be "pleased" to find that the sauce made the sashimi quite "bitter." Also, there is no contrast between expecting to "reject" the dish and finding it to be "bitter."

Choice (D) is incorrect. If Marta "expected to delight in" sashimi, it would make little sense to say "but she was pleased to find that the spicy sauce made it quite edible." There would be no contrast that would call for the word "but."

Choice (E) is incorrect. A "spicy" sauce would not make the sashimi "quite bland," or without flavor. Also, the fact that Marta "expected to give up sashimi" would not contrast with her being pleased to find that it was bland.


Choice (D) is correct. The word "although" suggests that what had "once seemed unthinkable" is no longer unthinkable. "Considerable," or significant, helps make this point. The creation of insulin-producing cells no longer seems unthinkable, because researchers have made "considerable progress in this area."

Choice (A) is incorrect. The sentence indicates that the "progress . . . offers hope to type 1 diabetics." It would therefore be odd to characterize the progress as "disconcerting," or disturbing.

Choice (B) is incorrect. Something "irrevocable" cannot be "revoked," or taken back. It would make little sense


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to insert this word in the blank, because "progress" is not something that is liable to be revoked.

Choice (C) is incorrect. It would not make sense to expect "illusory," or deceptive, progress to provide "hope" to people suffering from type 1 diabetes. Only real or significant progress would be expected to give them hope.

Choice (E) is incorrect. Something that is "anticlimactic" is less important and dramatic than had been expected. Nothing in the sentence implies that the researchers' progress was anything less than dramatic.


Choice (E) is correct. The phrases "not only" and "but also" indicate that the words that best fit the blanks will describe two distinct results of the book club endorsement. "Financial" and "prestige" make sense when inserted in the blanks because they refer to two different results that publishers might be expected to seek: the "financial" rewards "accrued through increased sales" and the "prestige" associated with "recognition" by the book club.

Choice (A) is incorrect. The two words in this answer choice do not fit the distinction established by the phrases "not only" and "but also." While "increased sales" would certainly result in "fiscal," or monetary, rewards, this would be no different from saying that "money" comes from the book club's endorsement.

Choice (B) is incorrect. "Honor" might indeed come with endorsement by Oprah Winfrey's Book Club, so this word makes good sense in the second blank. But "literary" does not work well in the first. There is no clear relationship between increased sales and literary rewards.

Choice (C) is incorrect. "Academic rewards" would not be "accrued through increased sales." Academic rewards would result from the scholarly content of the books.

Choice (D) is incorrect. "Support" makes some sense in the second blank, but "intellectual" makes little sense in the first. "Intellectual" rewards would not likely be "accrued through increased sales."


Choice (B) is correct. It would be reasonable that the critics would have "complained" if the committee "courted," or sought to attract, well-known architects "to the exclusion" of "more accomplished" practitioners. The critics would presumably want the committee to seek the most accomplished architects, even if they were lesser-known.

Choice (A) is incorrect. It would make little sense to say that critics complained when the museum committee "displaced" famous architects "to the exclusion" of more "innovative" ones. It is hard to see how something could be displaced, or moved out of place, to the exclusion of

something else.

Choice (C) is incorrect. The committee might well be expected to have "extolled," or praised, "high-profile architects." But it would be contradictory to say that the "lesser-known" practitioners were more "celebrated," or publicly admired.

Choice (D) is incorrect. "Pursued" logically completes the first part of the sentence because the committee might well have chased after "high-profile" architects. But "reserved" does not make sense in the second blank. The word "though" indicates there will be some kind of contrast between "lesser-known" and the word that fits the second blank, and "reserved," or quiet and restrained, doesn't offer such a contrast. One would not refer to people as "lesser-known, though often more reserved." (One might, however, say "lesser-known, and often more reserved.")

Choice (E) is incorrect. It would not make sense to say that the committee "rebuffed," or snubbed, famous architects "to the exclusion" of others, whether experienced or "inexperienced."


Choice (E) is correct. The word "although" indicates that there will be a contrast between the explicit speech of today and the traditional mode of speaking described by the blank. Speech that is "explicit" is expressed without vagueness or ambiguity. "Euphemism" is the substitution of a vague or indirect expression for one that might be considered blunt or offensive. Euphemism clearly contrasts with explicit speech.

Choice (A) is incorrect. "Garrulousness" means talkativeness. Inserting this word in the blank does not fulfill the logic of the sentence, because a "tradition of garrulousness" would not contrast with explicit speech. Speech can be both garrulous and explicit at the same time.

Choice (B) is incorrect. There is no clear contrast between speaking "explicitly" and engaging in "exaggeration." A person could exaggerate while using explicit language.

Choice (C) is incorrect. "Excoriation," or scathing criticism, does not necessarily contrast with speaking "explicitly." Indeed, excoriation would very likely involve explicit speech.

Choice (D) is incorrect. "Oration" does not complete the contrast established by the word "although." Oration refers to formal speech, often given on ceremonial occasions and sometimes delivered in a pompous, or pretentiously high-flown, manner. But oration is not necessarily vague or ambiguous and so does not contrast with speaking "explicitly."



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Choice (B) is correct. Passage 1 argues in lines 10–13 that "Strachey brought back to British biography a liveliness it had lost for over a century" and that "Biography designed as literature derives mainly from him." Passage 2 begins by speaking of a "debunking period" in biography that "lasted a full generation." It indicates that "Strachey started it, and on the whole it was a healthy movement" (lines 16–17). This passage also refers to Strachey's "imitators and followers" (line 20). Since both passages indicate that Strachey had a profound influence on the art of biography, they can be said to agree that "Strachey's work created a new standard for biographers."

Choice (A) is incorrect. Passage 1 notes that Strachey "suppressed . . . historical evidence that did not make for a scandalous story" (lines 7–8), but this does not mean that Strachey actually "misrepresented statements" made by his subjects. And while Passage 2 implies that Strachey's biographies were somewhat "malicious," it does not indicate he misrepresented his subject's statements.

Choice (C) is incorrect. Neither passage suggests that Strachey was an "objective," or unbiased, biographer. In fact, they make the opposite claim, suggesting that he intentionally focused on scandalous elements. So it would not make sense to say that writers who imitated Strachey "restored objectivity." If they imitated him, they would not be objective.

Choice (D) is incorrect. Passage 2 says nothing about Strachey's skills as a researcher. And Passage 1 doubts whether Strachey "ever read one truly first-hand source" (line 9), which implies that he was not a thorough researcher at all. So these two passages do not agree that Strachey's skills as a researcher were "unsurpassed," or unequaled.

Choice (E) is incorrect. Both passages discuss the huge influence Strachey had on other biographers. Neither suggests that his work "initially received little recognition."


Choice (A) is correct. Passage 1 says Strachey "brought back to British biography a liveliness it had lost for over a century" and that "his essays were supremely readable" (lines 10–12). Passage 2 calls him a "brilliantly talented writer" (line 20). So both passages support the generalization that Strachey "was an unusually skilled writer."

Choice (B) is incorrect. While both passages suggest that Strachey had an enormous influence on other biographers, neither argues that he was "commercially successful," which would mean that his books sold in large numbers.

Choice (C) is incorrect. Neither passage suggests that before Strachey, biographies were accessible only to scholars and that they have since become accessible to

nonscholars. Rather, the passages suggest that before Strachey, biographies were excessively laudatory. That is, they focused on the positive attributes of their subjects and ignored the negative. Strachey changed this.

Choice (D) is incorrect. Passage 1 indicates that Strachey "accused biographers of suppressing evidence because it was unflattering" (lines 5–6), but it does not indicate that he ever criticized publishers of biographies. Passage 2 indicates that Strachey "debunked" the subjects of his biographies. It doesn't suggest, though, that he ever criticized publishers.

Choice (E) is incorrect. Both passages imply that Strachey had imitators, but neither suggests that Strachey actually "encouraged" these other writers.


Choice (D) is correct. Passage 1 cites Strachey's view that many nineteenth-century British biographers suppressed evidence that was "unflattering" (line 6), and it presents Strachey's work as a reaction to this. Passage 2 refers to the "laudatory biography of the nineteenth century" (lines 18–19). So both passages suggest that, on the whole, nineteenth-century biographies were "largely uncritical."

Choice (A) is incorrect. Neither passage suggests that nineteenth-century biographies were "highly innovative." But they do suggest that Strachey, an early twentieth-century biographer, was innovative.

Choice (B) is incorrect. Both passages support the claim that nineteenth-century biographies were excessively laudatory, but neither makes the point that they were "meticulously," or thoroughly, researched.

Choice (C) is incorrect. Both passages suggest that nineteenth-century biographies were excessively laudatory—that they went overboard in praising their subjects. Neither passage suggests that they were "unfairly dismissive."

Choice (E) is incorrect. Neither passage says anything about whether nineteenth-century biographies were popular or not.


Choice (E) is correct. Passage 1 suggests that "Strachey brought back to British biography a liveliness it had lost for a century" and that "Biography designed as literature derives mainly from him" (lines 10–13). Passage 1, then, implies that Strachey had a positive influence on other biographers. Passage 2 indicates that Strachey started the "debunking period" in biography (lines 15–16) but asserts that Strachey's "imitators and followers had not his genius, and the art of biography suffered" (lines 20–21). So Passage 2, unlike Passage 1, refers to Strachey's work as having an "unfortunate influence on later biographers."


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Choice (A) is incorrect. The author of Passage 2 says Strachey was a "brilliantly talented writer," which might be regarded as a comment on the "literary quality" of his work. But Passage 1 also comments on the literary quality of his work, arguing that "Strachey brought back to literature a liveliness it had lost for over a century" and that his "essays were supremely readable." So both passages comment in similar ways on the "literary quality" of Strachey's work. One could not say that Passage 2 does this but that Passage 1 does not.

Choice (B) is incorrect. While both passages discuss Strachey's influence on the art of biography, neither specifically comments on his work's "popularity among modern readers."

Choice (C) is incorrect. Both passages indicate that nineteenth-century biographies were excessively laudatory and that Strachey rejected this convention. So Passage 2 can't be said to be "unlike" Passage 1 in this way.

Choice (D) is incorrect. Neither passage indicates that Strachey's work involved a "comprehensive presentation of factual data." Indeed, both imply that he emphasized those elements that were "scandalous" (Passage 1) and "malicious" (Passage 2).


Choice (B) is correct. After asserting that she "took it for granted that [she'd] feel a sense of freedom" in Korea, the author explains what she means: she says she thought she would "blend into the landscape." So for the author, a "sense of freedom" would involve feeling "inconspicuous," or as though she does not stand out.

Choice (A) is incorrect. While feeling "a sense of freedom" might often involve feeling "independent," this is not discussed in the passage. The author implies that she doesn't feel a "sense of freedom" because she doesn't blend in. She does not mention any feelings of independence.

Choice (C) is incorrect. To be "invulnerable" is to be immune to attack. The passage does not indicate that feeling "a sense of freedom" involves feeling invulnerable. It says it involves blending in.

Choice (D) is incorrect. While "a sense of freedom" might, for many, involve feeling "empowered," that is not how the author sees it. For her, it involves blending in.

Choice (E) is incorrect. Nothing in the passage suggests that "a sense of freedom" involves feeling "optimistic," or positive about future prospects.


Choice (A) is correct. In lines 9–17, the author states that she "took it for granted" that once in Korea, she would "feel a sense of freedom" and "blend into the landscape." But then she notes that this "wasn't the case." Instead, people stared at her with "raking eyes," noticing her "American-girl swaggering body movements

and inappropriate dress." Clearly, she never anticipated this reaction. Her original expectations, then, were "unrealistic and naëve."

Choice (B) is incorrect. Although the author felt uncomfortable when people stared at her, nothing indicates that there was any danger in this situation. While her original expectations may possibly have been "misguided," they cannot be said to have been "dangerous."

Choice (C) is incorrect. The author does imply that her original expectations about visiting Korea were "idealistic," but she does not suggest that they were "politicized," or made into a political issue.

Choice (D) is incorrect. The author's original expectations about visiting Korea proved to be unrealistic. She never implies that they were "sensible."

Choice (E) is incorrect. To be "ambitious" is to seek great things, and "lofty" means elevated in character. The author implies that her original expectations about visiting Korea were actually quite simple: she merely expected to blend in. It would be inaccurate to characterize such expectations as ambitious and lofty.


Choice (C) is correct. The author's description focuses on the monuments' age and the fact that they had "withstood modernization and centuries of battle," thus implying that she admires their "capacity to endure."

Choice (A) is incorrect. The author admires the monuments' longevity. She never expresses "curiosity about their original functions."

Choice (B) is incorrect. The author notes that the monuments have withstood modernization and centuries of battle, but she says nothing about being surprised by their size.

Choice (D) is incorrect. Although the author's attitude may be said to be one of reverence, it is not the monuments' "beauty" she primarily reveres but, rather, their capacity to endure.

Choice (E) is incorrect. Although the term "regal" may possibly imply a kind of excess, the author says nothing further about this. Moreover, nothing indicates "surprise" on the part of the author.


Choice (D) is correct. The passage begins with the author suggesting that she journeyed to Korea to "placate," or appease, her parents, and also "simply to escape." Tellingly, she does not seem particularly interested in Korea itself, even though it is her country of origin. But once there, she meets distant cousins and listens with an "overwhelming, insatiable thirst" (line 30) to their stories about her mother and Halmoni. Upon returning to the States, she begins asking her parents and Halmoni "all about the past" (lines 33–34). Now, the past was "no longer a time gone by, a dead weight" but


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instead, something that "held ancient treasures" (lines 34–35). So her visit to Korea has apparently changed her attitude toward her family's earlier experiences from "indifference to fascination."

Choice (A) is incorrect. While the author does imply that she was once bored by her family's stories of the past, she is now fascinated by them, going so far as to write them down and put them in a bound book. It would be inaccurate to say that she now merely feels "tolerance."

Choice (B) is incorrect. The author once felt indifference about her family's earlier experiences, but it would not be appropriate to call it "disdain," which would imply feelings of haughty contempt. Also, it would be inaccurate to characterize her subsequent feelings as "amusement." Rather, she is now fascinated by her family's earlier experiences.

Choice (C) is incorrect. "Skepticism" would suggest that the author once doubted the accuracy of the stories. Nothing in the passage supports this. She was merely uninterested.

Choice (E) is incorrect. The author did not show "concern" about her family's earlier experiences before going to Korea. At that time, she thought of the past as a "dead weight" (line 34). She was simply not interested in it.


Choice (D) is correct. While traveling in Korea, the author first hears the "heroic tales" about Halmoni, about how she had "led her young children out of communist north to the United Nations-backed south" (lines 26–27). Upon returning from Korea, the author becomes fascinated by Halmoni's stories, writing them down and putting them into a bound book. And she says in lines 40–42 that it was Halmoni's "powerful words" that led her to reflect and meditate on the "delusional life" she had made for herself. This suggests that the author came to regard Halmoni with great "esteem," or high regard.

Choice (A) is incorrect. "Reserve" means self-restraint or skeptical caution. Nothing in the passage suggests that the author came to feel reserve around Halmoni.

Choice (B) is incorrect. The author describes learning about Halmoni's "heroic" deeds and feeling the effect of Halmoni's "powerful words." Nothing suggests that the author felt concern, or anxiety, about her.

Choice (C) is incorrect. There is no suggestion at all that the author regards Halmoni with envy.

Choice (E) is incorrect. "Humility" is the quality of being humble, which is a state characterized by a spirit of deference and submission. While it is not unreasonable that one might regard a person of Halmoni's accomplishments with humility, the passage never suggests this. Indeed, after reflecting on Halmoni's powerful words, the author says she felt her "sense of self rising" (line 42), which does not imply a spirit of humble submission. And her subsequent message to the

young Korean American students was to "Be proud" (line 45).


Choice (D) is correct. After urging the young Korean American students to embrace their "legacy," the author says, "But the whole time I was lecturing, I had very little understanding of what that self-concept meant. . . . I hadn't yet fully embraced my own identity." So the author implies that "a sense of legacy" should be accompanied by a full embracing of one's own identity. That is, one should have a "genuine understanding of one's personal identity."

Choice (A) is incorrect. Although the author is willing to explain her sense of legacy to others, she does not suggest that others need to have this same willingness.

Choice (B) is incorrect. The author is not discussing knowledge of the past when, at the end of the passage, she urges the Korean American students to embrace their "legacy" (line 46). Rather, she is making a point about identity. She says that she "spouted" this remark to the students, a word choice that suggests she is aware of a certain insincerity on her own part. She subsequently makes the nature of this insincerity clear: she was telling the students to embrace their legacy, when she "hadn't yet fully embraced [her] own identity" (line 50). The author implies that a sense of legacy should be accompanied by such an embrace, not that it should be accompanied by a "desire to search for historical information."

Choice (C) is incorrect. The author does not imply at the end of the passage that a "sense of legacy" should be accompanied by the realization that "people are shaped by their environments." Rather, she implies that one must have a solid understanding of one's own identity.

Choice (E) is incorrect. The author does not imply that people who embrace their legacy must make a "sincere effort to meet others who share that legacy."


Choice (E) is correct. Learning about her family's past was central to the ongoing development of the author's identity. After a trip to Korea, the author realized that the past held "ancient treasures" (line 35). As she "delved and discovered," she found herself "being steered toward a future" she had never imagined for herself (lines 36-37). And learning about her grandmother's past helped her to "reflect and meditate on the delusional life" (line 41) she had fashioned for herself and eventually arrive at a "newfound awareness" (line 43). Although at the end the author acknowledges that she had not "yet" embraced her own identity "fully," it is nevertheless clear that learning about the past helped her to understand herself more deeply. The statement that the past "can help individuals attain deeper self-awareness" most clearly parallels the author's conclusion about knowledge of the past.


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Choice (A) is incorrect. While the author does regard the past as a "treasure," she does not think knowledge about it should be "jealously guarded." Indeed, she writes the stories of her family's past in a book, and she becomes a spokeswoman on Korean culture.

Choice (B) is incorrect. The passage does not focus on the issue of Korean national identity per se but rather on the author's journey toward a deeper understanding of her own personal identity.

Choice (C) is incorrect. Although the author is in early adulthood and does value knowledge of the past, nothing indicates that these two things necessarily go together. Nothing indicates that she values the past more than her mother and grandmother do.

Choice (D) is incorrect. Although "knowledge of the past" might certainly "enhance appreciation of ancient cultures," this is not the author's point. Rather, she discusses the effect that such knowledge can have on an individual's self-awareness.


Choice (D) is correct. Lines 5–7 indicate that astronomers would be "very, very happy" if "stars did not twinkle," and the subsequent sentence explains why: "Twinkling stars are an active ingredient in . . . bad data." The astronomers would be happy if stars did not twinkle because this effect makes accurate observation of stars difficult. Astronomers "find the twinkling of the stars frustrating."

Choice (A) is incorrect. The passage never suggests that astronomers think that "most people understand very little about the stars."

Choice (B) is incorrect. The passage never says whether astronomers are familiar with Taylor's work or not. One could probably assume, though, that many of them are, since this is a common nursery rhyme.

Choice (C) is incorrect. Lines 5–7 do not suggest that the astronomers approve (or disapprove) of Taylor's ideas about the stars. Rather, they simply indicate that astronomers would be "very, very happy" if the "stars did not twinkle."

Choice (E) is incorrect. Lines 5–7 do not discuss "popular views about why stars twinkle," much less suggest that astronomers are "critical" of these views.


Choice (C) is correct. Lines 8–9 indicate that "Twinkling stars are an active ingredient" in "bad data." The twinkling of stars can therefore be understood to be a "specific barrier to astronomical research." The astronomers would be "very, very happy" if this barrier did not exist.

Choice (A) is incorrect. While one might reasonably expect astronomers to be happy if "more money were devoted to scientific research," the issue of funding is not discussed in this part of the passage.

Choice (B) is incorrect. The passage never indicates that astronomers want more people to become interested in astronomy.

Choice (D) is incorrect. While astronomers might indeed be happy if "more people understood the importance of scientific work," the passage does not suggest this. Rather, it suggests that astronomers would be "very, very happy" if "stars did not twinkle."

Choice (E) is incorrect. The passage doesn't indicate that astronomers would be "very, very happy" if a "misleading poem had not been written." Rather, astronomers would be happy if the "stars did not twinkle." This is because twinkling stars are an "active ingredient in . . . bad data." Even if the poem had not been written, astronomers would still be unhappy about the twinkling of stars.


Choice (A) is correct. After asking "What actually happens when a star twinkles?" the author discusses the way the atmosphere distorts light waves and produces the twinkling effect. The purpose of the question, then, is to introduce the explanation of this phenomenon.

Choice (B) is incorrect. While the question in line 10 serves to introduce a scientific explanation of starlight, this is not an effort to "discredit the romantic reaction." Nothing in the passage indicates that the author believes that romantic reactions need to be discredited.

Choice (C) is incorrect. The passage offers only one explanation for why stars twinkle (described in lines 10–24). The passage does not discuss "several competing theories."

Choice (D) is incorrect. Stars may be difficult to observe accurately, but there is no lack of understanding about why stars twinkle. The question in line 10 cannot be said to acknowledge any kind of "gap in scientific understanding."

Choice (E) is incorrect. The question helps introduce what is apparently a "widely-accepted theory" for why stars twinkle. It does not "cast doubt" on any theory.


Choice (C) is correct. The author finds it unfortunate that the different patches of air "have slightly different temperatures and densities, and thus different optical properties" because this distorts the light waves, thereby producing the twinkling effect that is an "active ingredient in . . . bad data." So the word "Unfortunately" indicates the author's awareness of the way these "atmospheric conditions" can make "astronomers' work more difficult."

Choice (A) is incorrect. The word "unfortunately" does not indicate the author's "consternation," or dismay, at having to "record and keep track of so much continually fluctuating data." There is no indication that the author is


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personally responsible for keeping track of any data. Rather, the author says it is unfortunate that the patches of air have different optical properties, because this ultimately leads to "bad data" and thus makes astronomers' work more difficult.

Choice (B) is incorrect. The passage discusses the twinkling of stars, which might be termed a "common research problem," but it never suggests that there is "no solution" to this problem. Quite the opposite: it goes on to explain how astronomers are using technology to cope with this problem.

Choice (D) is incorrect. The author does not criticize "the methods most frequently used to record astronomical data." Rather, the author finds it unfortunate that the atmosphere makes starlight appear to twinkle, as this makes it difficult to gather accurate data.

Choice (E) is incorrect. The author regards it as unfortunate that the "different patches [of air] have slightly different temperatures" (line 14), because this ultimately produces the twinkling effect, which makes astronomers' work more difficult. The word "unfortunately" is not used in reference to the "quality of some scientific instruments."


Choice (C) is correct. The phrase "yet peaceful" is used to characterize starlight's "journey" through space, before it "reaches Earth's lower atmosphere, where it gets juggled and wiggled and smeared" (lines 26–27.) This phrase sets up a contrast between the "effects of interstellar space" (which are small) and the "effects of Earth's lower atmosphere" (which are great).

Choice (A) is incorrect. This part of the passage is discussing the way starlight moves through the atmosphere. It is not discussing "views regarding astronomical research," either in Newton's time or in our own.

Choice (B) is incorrect. While the passage suggests that there is a strong contrast between images taken from the Hubble telescope and those taken from traditional telescopes, the phrase "yet peaceful" does not set up this contrast. Rather, it characterizes the "journey" that starlight has through space, which sharply contrasts with its journey through Earth's lower atmosphere.

Choice (D) is incorrect. While it is plausible that astronomers would feel more "peaceful" when looking at "clear images" than when looking at "blurred and smeared" ones, the phrase "yet peaceful" is not used to characterize astronomers' feelings. It is used to describe starlight's journey through space.

Choice (E) is incorrect. The phrase "yet peaceful" characterizes the "journey" starlight has through space. It does not describe human reactions to starlight.


Choice (B) is correct. When Newton refers to "grosser clouds," he is talking about those clouds that are large and dense. But when the author says that he agrees with Newton that clouds are "gross," he is playing on another meaning of this word. He is suggesting that the clouds are "gross" in that they inspire distaste, perhaps because they impede astronomers' work. So the author's observation that he agrees with Newton "that clouds are gross" is best characterized as an "attempt at humor based on two different senses of a word."

Choice (A) is incorrect. The author says he agrees with Newton that "clouds are gross." He is not trying to "discredit" Newton's observation in any way.

Choice (C) is incorrect. Newton could certainly be considered "an established authority." But the author isn't supporting the claim that "clouds are gross" by citing Newton. Rather, he quotes Newton to explain why a mountain might be a good place for a telescope and then attempts a joke based on this quotation.

Choice (D) is incorrect. The author's observation that he agrees with Newton that "clouds are gross" doesn't establish a "distinction" between his view and Newton's. Indeed, he agrees with Newton that "the sky is . . . more serene when viewed from mountaintops" (lines 44–45).

Choice (E) is incorrect. The author's claim that he agrees with Newton that "clouds are gross" is not an attempt to communicate "a difficult concept." It is, rather, a humorous aside.


Choice (A) is correct. After asserting that "adaptive optics" is "revolutionizing" astronomy (line 59), the author suggests that "fifteen years ago" this technology would have been "indistinguishable from magic" (lines 63–64). This reference to magic emphasizes the extent to which adaptive optics has revolutionized astronomy: it has made things possible that would have seemed like magic before. The reference to magic therefore serves to "characterize the success of adaptive optics."

Choice (B) is incorrect. The term "magic" refers to "adaptive optics," which is a revolutionary technology useful in obtaining high-quality images of the stars. The term is not used to suggest anything about the stars' "mystery" or "beauty."

Choice (C) is incorrect. The term "magic" refers to the technology of "adaptive optics." But adaptive optics was not developed by Newton and other early astronomers, so the author is not dramatizing their achievements.

Choice (D) is incorrect. The reference to "magic" characterizes the success of adaptive optics, which is said to produce "images that, in some cases, are almost as good as what can be obtained from outside the atmosphere" (lines 65–66). The reference to magic does not "imply that certain kinds of images are not to be trusted."


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Choice (E) is incorrect. The author never suggests that lasers "can reduce the amount of atmospheric turbulence." Rather, the lasers are said to be a key component in adaptive optics, which "corrects for" (line 62) atmospheric turbulence. That is, the lasers help offset the effects that turbulence can have on telescopic images.


Choice (B) is correct. The passage explains why stars appear to twinkle, the challenges that twinkling presents for astronomers, and how new technology can correct for it. This can all be described as a "fundamental issue" in astronomy, to which the passage introduces readers.

Choice (A) is incorrect. While the telescope was and is important to astronomical research, the primary purpose of the passage is not to make this point. Indeed, the passage seems to assume that people already know that the telescope is important.

Choice (C) is incorrect. The primary purpose of the passage is not to "explain the principles of land-based telescopes," though lines 58–66 do discuss "adaptive optics," a technology used in some land-based telescopes. The passage is primarily about the twinkling of stars and the problems this presents for astronomers.

Choice (D) is incorrect. The passage notes that eighteenth-century astronomer Isaac Newton worried that the twinkling of stars might "confound astronomers of the future," and that he therefore advocated placing telescopes on mountaintops (lines 30–43). But this can hardly be termed a "discovery" that influenced modern astronomy.

Choice (E) is incorrect. This answer choice is too broad. The passage shows how astronomers are solving one particular problem in astronomy. Nothing in it suggests that people should take a "new look" at how astronomers go about solving other problems.

Math Explanations

Mathematics 2: Question 1Choice (E) is correct. Since the answer choices are decimal numerals, it may be helpful to convert the two fractions in

the question to decimals: = 0.666...

and = 0.8. Only choice (E), 0.82, is greater than 0.8; the other choices are each greater than 0.666... and less than 0.8.

Mathematics 2: Question 2Choice (A) is correct. For purposes of discussion, label the point where intersects the x-axis V, as shown below.

The line containing points P and R is parallel to the y-axis because P and R are each a distance of 6 from the y-axis. Therefore, is perpendicular to the x-axis, the coordinates of point V are (6,0), and the pair of triangles OPV and OVR are right triangles. Since they share

side , and it is given that OP = OR, it follows that the triangles are congruent by the hypotenuse-leg theorem. From this, it follows that PV = VR, and since PV = 9, then VR = 9 and t = –9.

To solve this problem, you could also eliminate some of the answer choices that are unreasonable. For example, since the figure is drawn to scale, t is a negative number. Therefore, choices (C), (D), and (E) can be eliminated. You could then decide between (A) and (B) and see that (A) is the more reasonable answer.

Mathematics 2: Question 3


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Choice (C) is correct. If 4 pieces of candy cost $0.32, then each piece costs $0.08. So 13 pieces cost 13 x $0.08, or $1.04.

Another way to approach the problem is

to set up the proportion and solve for x, yielding 4x = (13)(0.32) and

x = = 1.04.

Mathematics 2: Question 4Choice (E) is correct. One way to solve this problem is to try the answer choices, substituting each value of x into the absolute value expression:

|8 – 10| = |–2| = 2|8 – 11| = |–3| = 3|8 – 12| = |–4| = 4|8 – 13| = |–5| = 5|8 – 14| = |–6| = 6

Since 6 is not less than or equal to 5, it follows that 14 is not a possible value of x.

Another way to solve the problem is algebraically, as follows:

10/19/08 5:09 PMQuestion & Answer - Mathematics

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Choice (E) is correct. One way to solve this problem is to try the answer choices, substituting each value of x into theabsolute value expression:

|8 – 10| = |–2| = 2|8 – 11| = |–3| = 3|8 – 12| = |–4| = 4|8 – 13| = |–5| = 5|8 – 14| = |–6| = 6

Since 6 is not less than or equal to 5, it follows that 14 is not a possible value of x.

Another way to solve the problem is algebraically, as follows:

|8 – x| 5

–5 8 – x 5

–13 –x –3.

When multiplying an inequality by –1, remember to reverse the direction of the inequality signs. So 13 x 3 is thecomplete solution of the inequality, and 14 is the only answer choice that does not satisfy the inequality.When multiplying an inequality by –1,

remember to reverse the direction of the inequality signs. So 13 x 3 is the complete solution of the inequality, and 14 is the only answer choice that does not satisfy the inequality.

Mathematics 2: Question 5Choice (A) is correct. To determine the probability, you need to know how many students satisfy both conditions: being a

girl and speaking more than one language. You also need to know the total number of students from which the student is being selected. Then you can use these numbers in the fraction that defines simple probability,

number of outcomes that satisfy the conditions

total number of all possible outcomes

There are 8 girls who speak more than one language. The total number of students (or possible outcomes) is 15 +

12, or 27. Hence, the answer is .

Mathematics 2: Question 6Choice (D) is correct. To solve this problem, it may be helpful to put the given information in the figure. Since AB = 5 and AC = 6, it follows that BC = 1, as shown below.

Since BD = 8 and BC = 1, you can see from the figure that CD must equal 7.

Mathematics 2: Question 7Choice (B) is correct. Another way to state the information given in the problem is in an equation: 3 + x + (x + 2) = 3 + x + 3x. You can subtract both 3 and x from each side of the equation to obtain the equation x + 2 = 3x. Hence, 2 = 2x and x = 1.

Mathematics 2: Question 8Choice (C) is correct. Use the given information about each triangle to find the lengths of the sides that lie along XY.


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Since the sum of the angle measures in any triangle is 180°, the unlabeled angle in the triangle on the left has a measure of 50°. Note that since another angle in the triangle also measures 50°, this triangle is isosceles and the side of the triangle along XY has a length of 8.

In the triangle on the right, since two angles each have a measure of 60°, the third angle also has a measure of 60° and thus this triangle is equilateral. Therefore, the length of the side along XY is 9. The length of XY is therefore 8 + 9, or 17.

Mathematics 2: Question 9Choice (A) is correct. If x = 6, the given equation can be rewritten as 60 = 24 + 18t. So 36 = 18t, and t = 2.

Mathematics 2: Question 10Choice (D) is correct. The terms of the sequence are formed by repeated multiplication by 3. Notice that there is 1 factor of 3 in the 1st term, and because 9 = 32, there are 2 factors of 3 in the 2nd term. This pattern continues, as the 3rd term contains 3 factors of 3 and the 4th term contains 4 factors of 3. Hence, the nth term contains n factors of 3 and is equal to 3n. The 100th term is therefore 3100.

You could also check the answer choices given, to see which ones are reasonable. If you extend the sequence and write the 5th and 6th terms, which would be 243 and 729, respectively, you can see that answer choices (A), (B), and (C) are too small for the 100th term of the sequence. You could then decide between (D) and (E).

Mathematics 2: Question 11Choice (E) is correct. In the figure, the x-degree angle and part of the y-degree angle are vertical angles, so they have

the same measures, as shown below.

Since lines and m are perpendicular, the angles they form each have a measure of 90°. So y = 90 + x, and since y = 110, it follows that 110 = 90 + x, so x = 20.

Mathematics 2: Question 12Choice (D) is correct. Note the example in this problem. It clarifies the definition

of by explaining what means. The sum of the digits of x, or in this case, 31, is 3 + 1, or 4. The number of

digits in 31 is 2. The definition of is the sum of the digits, 4, multiplied by

the number of digits, 2, so = 8.

Applying the definition to 314, it follows

that equals the sum of the digits, 3 + 1 + 4 = 8, times the number of

digits, 3. So = 8 x 3 = 24.



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Choice (B) is correct. The third Sunday of a month will occur on the latest possible date if the first Sunday of the month occurs on its latest possible date. The latest the first Sunday can occur is the 7th of the month, when the first Monday occurs on the 1st. In this case, the second Sunday will fall on the 14th, and the third Sunday will fall on the 21st.

Mathematics 2: Question 14Choice (D) is correct. Since ƒ(x) = x + 1, it follows by substitution that ƒ(x) – 1 = (x + 1) – 1 = x.

Mathematics 2: Question 15Choice (A) is correct. For reference purposes, label the upper right vertex of the square, P, as shown below.

You know that the area of the square is x2 because its sides are of length x. Notice that the other shaded region is a rectangle because of all the right angles in the figure, including the ones at P. You are given that the length of the rectangle is x, so you need to know the width of the rectangle to find its area.

Since line forms 45-degree angles with the sides of the square at point P, the vertical angles to those angles are also 45-degree angles. So the small

triangle that is part of the rectangle is an isosceles right triangle. Since one of its legs has length y, its other leg also has length y. Hence, the side of the rectangle, which is a leg of the triangle, has length y, and the area of the rectangle is xy. Therefore, the area of the combined shaded regions is x2 + xy.

Mathematics 2: Question 16Choice (C) is correct. Jason wants to produce the winter mixture, so he needs two parts of washer fluid to one part of water. That is, he wants the ratio

to equal . He has 24 ounces of summer mixture, which is 1 part washer fluid to 3 parts water. This is 4 parts altogether. If 24 ounces is divided into 4 parts, each part is 6 ounces. So in his summer mixture, Jason has 6 ounces of washer fluid and 18 ounces of water:

.

Now that you know how much water Jason has (18 ounces), you can figure out how much washer fluid he must add to the mixture to make the ratio

equal . Let the amount he needs to add be x ounces. Jason

wants . Solving for x, you have 6 + x = 36, and x = 30. So Jason should add 30 ounces of washer fluid to the summer mixture to make it a winter mixture.

Mathematics 2: Question 17Choice (A) is correct. In the equation y = mx + k, m represents the slope and k represents the y-intercept; that is, the coordinates of the y-intercept are (0,k). You don't know where line p intersects

line , so you don't know where line p


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intersects the y-axis either. Hence, you don't know what k is. It could be positive, negative, or 0. Therefore, since the question asks, "Which of the following must be true," choices (C), (D), and (E) can be eliminated as possible answers.

You know, however, that p , which tells you something about the slope of p. Perpendicular lines have slopes that are negative reciprocals of one another.

What is the slope of ? You can't tell exactly from the figure, but you can see

that this slope is positive because slants upward and to the right. The negative reciprocal of a positive number is negative; hence, m < 0.

Mathematics 2: Question 18Choice (A) is correct. Note that in the

figure, is a radius and OP = 8 inches. The diagonal of the square, , is not shown, but you should draw it in the figure, as shown. It is also a radius, and thus OB = 8 inches.

Using the fact that the diagonal of the square is 8 inches long, you can find the length of the sides of the square. Two sides of the square and the diagonal form an isosceles triangle, OAB.

Letting x inches be the length of the side of the square, use the Pythagorean theorem to write the equation x2 + x2 = 82 = 64. It follows that 2x2 = 64, or x2 =

32, which is the area of the square, in square inches.

Mathematics 2: Question 19Choice (E) is correct. The median of a set of numbers is the middle number when the numbers are listed in increasing (or decreasing) order. According to the table, the numbers in the given situation are one 6, four 9's, two 11's, three 14's , and five 18's, or 6, 9, 9, 9, 9, 11, 11, 14, 14, 14, 18, 18, 18, 18, 18. The middle number of these 15 numbers is the eighth number, which in the ordered list is 14.

Mathematics 2: Question 20Choice (C) is correct. To solve this problem, consider that when (x + y)(x2 – y2) = 0, it follows that (x + y)[(x + y)(x – y)] = (x + y)2(x – y) = 0. When the product of two numbers is equal to 0, at least one of the numbers must equal 0. In this problem, either (x + y)2 or x – y = 0.

Case 1: Suppose that (x + y)2 is equal to 0. Then it follows that x + y = 0 or x = –y. Note that x = –y is choice (B).

Case 2: Suppose that x – y is equal to 0. Then it follows that x = y. Note that this is choice (A).

Cases 1 and 2 indicate that either (A) x = y or (B) x = –y, but you do not know which one. However, in either case x2 = y2 must be true. This is choice (C).

(D) is true only when x and y are each 0, and (E) is true only if x = y. The key to answering this question is the word "must." (C) must be true no matter what x and y equal.


Choice (B) is correct. When parallel lines are cut by a transversal, the


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corresponding angles are congruent and the alternate interior angles are congruent. It follows that either angle that is adjacent to the w-degree angle has a measure of x degrees. Hence, w + x = 180. Similarly, y + z = 180, and it follows that (w + xy + z) = 360.

Mathematics 4: Question 22Choice (B) is correct. Substituting –1 for x in the expression 3x3 – x + 1 yields 3(–1)3 – (–1) + 1 = 3(–1) + 1 + 1 = –3 + 2 = –1.

Mathematics 4: Question 23Choice (E) is correct. Since Bella stopped and remained in the same place for a while, there must be a portion of the graph that shows no increase in distance. An increase in distance is shown by a line that slants upward as time passes. Notice that choice (B) shows a continuing increase in distance over the entire time period, so (B) is not correct.

The slope of a segment on a graph of distance versus time indicates how fast the distance is changing. In other words, the slope indicates how fast Bella was moving—the faster she bikes, the steeper the slope of the line segment will be. Bella stopped in the middle of the ride, so a segment with a slope of 0 should be between two other segments with a positive slope. That implies (A) or (E) could be the correct answer. Consider the difference between these two graphs. Bella was going faster after she stopped to fix the flat tire. Therefore, the slope should be greater when Bella resumed riding than it was before she stopped. In (A), Bella would be going faster before she stopped to fix the flat tire, whereas in (E), she was going faster after she stopped.


Choice (D) is correct. A number with the hundreds digit equal to 7 and the ones digit equal to 5 looks like 7_5, where the missing tens digit can be any digit from 0 through 9. So there are ten possibilities.

Mathematics 4: Question 25Choice (C) is correct. For a number n to be tripatible with 11, the sum n + 11 must be divisible by 3. For example, 10 is tripatible with 11 because 10 + 11 =

21 and 21 is divisible by 3: = 7



Close



Choice (C) is correct. For a number n to be tripatible with 11, the sum n + 11 must be divisible by 3. For example, 10

is tripatible with 11 because 10 + 11 = 21 and 21 is divisible by 3: = 7

Which number listed has that same property?

11 + 2 = 13 NO

11 + 3 = 14 NO

11 + 4 = 15 and = 5 YES

11 + 5 = 16 NO

11 + 6 = 17 NO

Mathematics 4: Question 26Choice (D) is correct. Each square face of each cube has an area of 1 since the edges each have a length of 1. The top, bottom, front, and back faces are each composed of two squares, so their areas are each 2. That makes 8 altogether. Then there are two side faces, each with an area of 1, and so the total surface area of the new block is 8 + 1 + 1, or 10.

Another approach is to realize that a cube has six faces, so each cube has a surface area of 6, for a combined total of 12. But two of the faces have been glued together and are no longer on the surface of the solid, so the surface area of the rectangular solid shown is 12 – 2, or 10.



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Choice (C) is correct. Since n percent

means , the given information can

be written as the equation = ·

50, or = . It follows that 50 · 100 = 50n2, or 100 = n2. Since n is positive, n = 10, (rather than –10).

Mathematics 4: Question 28Choice (D) is correct. In a two-digit number, the left-hand digit is the tens digit. Its value in this case is 10X. For example, in the number 35, the value of 3 is 10 times 3, or 30.

The value of the two-digit number XY, then, is 10X + Y. The sum of the digits is X + Y. Hence, the first sentence in the question can be written as 10X + Y = 3(X + Y), which is equivalent to (D).

Mathematics 4: Question 29The correct answer is 11 or 12. From the second sentence, you know that 4n < 50 and 5n > 50. These inequalities can be combined into one: 4n < 50 < 5n. You can try different values for n to find one that satisfies both inequalities. To find a starting value, you might suppose that 5n = 50, or n = 10, and see that 10 is close to being a correct value but is too small. If n = 11, you would have the inequality 44 < 50 < 55, which is true; and if n = 12, you would have the inequality 48 < 50 < 60, which is also true. Any integer that is less than 11 or greater than 12 would make at least one condition in the inequality false. Therefore, you can grid either 11 or 12. Either answer is correct.

Mathematics 4: Question 30The correct answer is 7. This problem can be done as a simple subtraction problem. If there are 17 paintings and 12 artists who submitted at least one

painting each, there must be 17 – 12, or 5, paintings that 5 of the artists submitted as their second painting. If 5 artists submitted two paintings each, then 12 – 5, or 7, artists submitted only one.

You could also set up a system of equations where x is the number of artists who submitted one painting and y is the number of artists who submitted two paintings. Then the system of equations would be



Close



The correct answer is 7. This problem can be done as a simple subtraction problem. If there are 17 paintings and 12artists who submitted at least one painting each, there must be 17 – 12, or 5, paintings that 5 of the artists submittedas their second painting. If 5 artists submitted two paintings each, then 12 – 5, or 7, artists submitted only one.

You could also set up a system of equations where x is the number of artists who submitted one painting and y is thenumber of artists who submitted two paintings. Then the system of equations would be

Paintings: x + 2y = 17

Artists: x + y = 12

Subtract the second equation from the first to get y = 5. Substitute 5 for y in the second equation to obtain x = 7.Subtract the second equation from the first to get y = 5. Substitute 5 for y in the second equation to obtain x = 7.

Mathematics 4: Question 31The correct answer is 2400. You can set up a proportion to determine the number

of adults in the group: = , where n is the number of adults in the group. It follows that 4 × 480 = 1920 = n. Then add the numbers of children and adults together to get the total number of people in the group: 480 + 1920 = 2400.

Alternatively, if the ratio of the number of children to the number of adults is 1

to 4, the children constitute of the entire group. Multiplying 5 × 480, which is 2400, yields the total number of people in the group.

Mathematics 4: Question 32The correct answer is any number between 19 and 23. It is sometimes helpful to draw figures for geometry problems to help visualize the situation.


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An important theorem about triangles is the triangle inequality theorem; namely, in any triangle, the sum of the lengths of any two sides must be greater than the length of the third side. If the third side has length x, then 2 + 21 > x. Also, it must be true that 2 + x > 21. The first inequality implies that x < 23, and the second inequality implies that x > 19. So you can enter any number in the grid that is between 19 and 23, such as 20, 21, 22, or numbers such as 20.5 or 22.7. You are limited by the four spaces provided for your answer on the answer sheet. Notice in the figure that a number such as 4 or 5 wouldn't work because you wouldn't be able to close the triangle. Likewise, you wouldn't be able to close the triangle if the third side were too long, such as 25 or 30.

Mathematics 4: Question 33The correct answer is 52.5. To determine the average number of chairs produced per hour during the shift, you need to know the total number of chairs that were produced. Then you can divide by the 8 hours. During the first 3 hours, 40 chairs per hour were produced, for a total of 120 chairs. But when production was stepped up, there were 60 chairs produced per hour for 5 hours, for a total of 300 chairs. Altogether during the 8-hour shift, then, there were 120 + 300, or 420, chairs produced.

is 52.5 chairs per hour.

Notice that the answer to this question is not the average of 40 and 60. If the shift had been divided exactly in half, with chairs being produced at the different

rates for 4 hours each, the answer would have been 50. However, this is a weighted average, where there was a faster rate of production for more than half the time.


The correct answer is .25 or . Notice that in the second equation, you can factor the r out of the expression ar + br to get r(a + b). Therefore, ar + br = r(a + b) = 35. Since a + b = 140, you have

r(140) = 35. So r = = , or .25. You can grid either form of the answer on the answer sheet.

Mathematics 4: Question 35The correct answer is 141. Geometry problems can sometimes be made more approachable by drawing in an additional line. The solutions shown here each involve drawing an auxiliary line. Notice the different approach for each.

Solution 1: Draw a line through B

parallel to both and m. The supplement of 133° is 47°, and since alternate interior angles are congruent, part of the 86° angle is 47°, and the other part is 39°, as shown. Again, alternate interior angles are congruent, and the supplement of 39° is 141°.


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Solution 2: Extend to intersect . The supplements of 133° and 86° are 47° and 94°, respectively. The third angle of the small triangle is then 39°. Note these angles marked in the figure below. Again, alternate interior angles are congruent, and the supplement of 39° is 141°.

Another solution would involve drawing a

line through B that is perpendicular to and m, and determining angles as in solutions 1 and 2.

Mathematics 4: Question 36The correct answer is 4. Using the fact that a3 = x2, you can find x6 in terms of

a. Since x6 can be written as , you can substitute a3 for x2 in this

expression. So x6 = = = a9. Since you are given that a2y + 1 = x6, it follows that a2y + 1 = a9. You can compare the exponents in this equation and see that 2y + 1 is equal to 9; thus, y = 4.

Mathematics 4: Question 37The correct answer is 80. The parking lot has 200 cars, and 50% of the cars are red, so 100 cars are red. In the parking lot, 60% of the cars are four-door cars, so 120 cars are four-door cars. You also

know that 70% of the cars in the parking lot have alloy rims, so 140 cars have alloy rims. If 100 cars are red, no more than 100 cars could be green. If 120 are four-door cars, then no more than 80 could be two-door cars. To find the maximum possible number of green two-door cars with alloy rims, summarize what you know there could be in the parking lot:

100 green cars

80 two-door cars

140 cars with alloy rims

Since the smallest of these numbers is 80, the maximum number of cars that could have all three characteristics is 80.


The correct answer is or .5. To find the diameter of the circle, you must first find the radius r, because the area formula involves the radius rather than the diameter. Since area = r2, it follows

that r2 = . Dividing by , you get r2

= , so r = . Therefore, the diameter,

which is twice the radius, is .

Writing ExplanationsWriting Skills 5: Question 1Choice (C) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by replacing "and" with a comma that appropriately separates a dependent clause ("Even though the novel Ulysses closely parallels Homer's Odyssey") from an independent clause ("some readers find the novel difficult to follow").Choice (A) produces a coordination error. The conjunction "and" is improperly used to join two expressions of unequal status: a dependent clause ("Even though the novel Ulysses closely parallels


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Homer's Odyssey") and an independent clause ("some readers find the novel difficult to follow").Choice (B) produces a sentence fragment. The resulting group of words consists of two dependent clauses ("Even though . . . Odyssey" and "even though . . . follow") joined by "and"; it lacks the independent clause that a sentence must have in order to be grammatically complete.Choice (D) produces a sentence fragment. The resulting group of words consists of a conjunction ("Even though") and an elaborate noun phrase ("the novel . . . follow"); it lacks the independent clause that a sentence must have in order to be grammatically complete.Choice (E) produces a sentence fragment. The resulting group of words consists of a conjunction ("Even though") followed by three noun phrases; it lacks the independent clause that a sentence must have in order to be grammatically complete.Writing Skills 5: Question 2Choice (A) is correct. The conjunction "as" is properly used in the embedded clause to coordinate two parallel verb phrases ("would take the train" and "would take the bus") and thereby create a logical comparison.Choice (B) produces an embedded sentence fragment. The clause introduced by "that" has a participle ("taking") instead of the finite verb ("take") that it needs in order to be grammatically complete.Choice (C) produces an embedded sentence fragment. The clause introduced by "that" has a participle ("taken") instead of the finite verb ("are taken") that it needs in order to be grammatically complete.Choice (D) produces a modification error. It provides a prepositional phrase ("by commuting") where a noun (such as "commuters") is needed to serve as the subject of the clause introduced by "that."Choice (E) produces an embedded sentence fragment. The clause introduced by "that" has participles ("commuting" and "taking") instead of the finite verbs ("commute" and "take") that it needs in order to be grammatically complete.Writing Skills 5: Question 3Choice (C) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by using the conjunction "but" (preceded by a comma) to coordinate two contrasting independent clauses ("Most recognized artists are talented in only a single field" and "Gordon Parks has shown . . . photography").Choice (A) produces a coordination error. A semicolon is improperly used to join two expressions of unequal status: an independent clause ("Most recognized artists are talented in only a single field") and an elaborate noun phrase ("Gordon Parks, however, who . . . photography").Choice (B) produces a coordination error. A semicolon is improperly used to join two expressions of unequal status: an independent clause ("Most recognized artists

are talented in only a single field") and an elaborate noun phrase ("Gordon Parks, nevertheless, showing . . . photography").Choice (D) produces a pronoun error. The relative pronoun "which" has no clear antecedent in the first clause of the sentence.Choice (E) produces a connective error. The noncontrastive preposition "with" is ineffectively used to introduce a noun phrase ("Gordon Parks showing considerable talent in music, film, literature, and photography") that contrasts markedly in content with the preceding independent clause ("Most recognized artists are talented in only a single field").Writing Skills 5: Question 4Choice (B) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by replacing a verb in the past progressive tense ("was working") with a verb in the past perfect tense ("had worked"). The past perfect tense appropriately indicates that the action of the subordinate clause was completed before the action of the main clause.Choice (A) produces a tense error. The use of the past progressive tense ("was working") with a modifier expressing duration ("for three years") in the subordinate clause is inconsistent with the use of the simple past tense ("felt") in the main clause. The sentence illogically suggests that Torell was working for three years at a single moment in the past.Choice (C) produces a subordination error. The use of a participle ("working") rather than a finite verb ("had worked") leaves the initial subordinate clause ("Because Torell . . . agriculture") grammatically incomplete.Choice (D) produces a subordination error. The prepositional phrase "Because of Torell's working for three years" awkwardly attempts to express what would be more clearly conveyed through a subordinate clause ("Because Torell had worked for three years").Choice (E) produces ambiguity. It is unclear whether the conjunction "As" means "While" or "Because."Writing Skills 5: Question 5Choice (B) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by comparing British novels with American novels rather than with American novelists.Choice (A) produces an illogical comparison. British novels are illogically compared with American novelists rather than with American novels.Choice (C) produces an illogical comparison. British novels are illogically compared with Americans rather than with American novels.Choice (D) produces a pronoun error. The use of the singular demonstrative pronoun "that" illogically suggests that during the twentieth century Americans wrote just one novel.


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Choice (E) produces an illogical comparison. British novels are illogically compared with a period of time rather than with other novels written during that period.Writing Skills 5: Question 6Choice (D) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by inserting a gerund ("avoiding") before "accidents," thus completing a series of parallel gerund-noun combinations ("routing traffic, preventing delays, and avoiding accidents").Choice (A) produces a parallelism error. The lack of a gerund before the noun "accidents" breaks the pattern of gerund-noun combinations ("routing traffic, preventing delays, . . .") established earlier in the sentence.Choice (B) produces an idiom error. An infinitive phrase ("to route traffic") is improperly used instead of a prepositional phrase ("for routing traffic") to complement the adjective "important."Choice (C) produces a parallelism error. A gerund phrase ("routing traffic"), a finite verb phrase ("prevent delays"), and an infinitive phrase ("to avoid accidents") combine to form a nonparallel series of complements to the adjective "important."Choice (E) produces an idiom error. An infinitive phrase ("to route traffic") is improperly used instead of a prepositional phrase ("for routing traffic") to complement the adjective "important."Writing Skills 5: Question 7Choice (B) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by replacing a participle ("arguing") with the finite verb ("argued") that the main clause needs in order to be grammatically complete.Choice (A) produces a sentence fragment. The use of a participle ("arguing") rather than a finite verb ("argued") leaves the sentence without the main verb it needs in order to be grammatically complete.Choice (C) produces redundancy. The pronoun "she" (preceded by a comma) is unnecessarily inserted between the sentence's subject ("Mercy Otis Warren") and verb ("argued").Choice (D) produces a tense error. The use of the present-tense verb "learn" is inconsistent with the use of the past-tense verb "was taught" in the preceding clause. The conjunction "while" that links the two clauses implies simultaneous action.Choice (E) produces an idiom error. The verb "resented" is improperly complemented by an infinitive ("to be taught") rather than by a gerund ("being taught").Writing Skills 5: Question 8Choice (C) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by making "The science textbook my grandmother used in high school" (rather than the vague pronoun "it") the subject of the sentence.

Choice (A) produces a pronoun error. The pronoun "it" has no logical antecedent in the sentence.Choice (B) produces a pronoun error. The pronoun "they" has no logical antecedent in the sentence.Choice (D) produces a pronoun error. The sentence contains no noun phrase to which the pronoun "They" can logically refer.Choice (E) produces a comma splice. Two independent clauses ("she used a science textbook" and "it stated that an atom cannot be split") are linked by only a comma (rather than by a coordinating conjunction).Writing Skills 5: Question 9Choice (C) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by making the subject of the embedded clause "all students," a noun phrase that can logically serve as the subject of the participle "attending" in the modifying phrase "while attending classes." The sentence logically suggests that students (rather than their backpacks) attend classes.Choice (A) produces a dangling modifier. The subject of the embedded clause ("all students' backpacks") cannot logically serve as the subject of the participle "attending" in the modifying phrase "while attending classes." The sentence illogically suggests that the students' backpacks attend classes.Choice (B) produces redundancy. The pronoun "they" (preceded by a comma) is unnecessarily inserted between the subject ("all students attending classes") and the verb ("must keep") of the embedded clause.Choice (D) produces a dangling modifier. The subject of the embedded clause ("all backpacks") cannot logically serve as the subject of the participle "attending" in the modifying phrase "while attending classes." The sentence illogically suggests that all backpacks attend classes.Choice (E) produces a pronoun error. It is not immediately clear what the pronoun "they" or the possessive adjective "their" refers to.Writing Skills 5: Question 10Choice (D) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by using the conjunction "that" instead of the conjunction "and" to complement the verb phrase "have been so generally adopted." When the adverb "so" is used to intensify an adjective or verb, it is properly complemented by a clause beginning with "that."Choice (A) produces a connective error. The conjunction "and" is improperly used instead of the conjunction "that" to introduce a complement of a verb modified by "so" ("have been so generally adopted").Choice (B) produces a connective error. The conjunction "and" is improperly used instead of the conjunction "that" to introduce a complement of a verb modified by "so" ("have been so generally adopted").


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Choice (C) produces a connective error. The conjunction "and" is improperly used instead of the conjunction "that" to introduce a complement of a verb modified by "so" ("have been so generally adopted").Choice (E) produces a connective error. A participial phrase ("resulting in the fact that . . .") is improperly used instead of the conjunction "that" to introduce a complement of a verb modified by "so" ("have been so generally adopted").Writing Skills 5: Question 11Choice (A) is correct. The demonstrative pronoun "those" refers to "skills" and is appropriately used to complete a logical comparison of two different sets of skills.Choice (B) produces an idiom error. An infinitive phrase ("to make") is improperly used (instead of a preposition-gerund combination such as "in making") to complement the participle "involved."Choice (C) produces a coordination error. An infinitive ("to make custom alterations") is improperly coordinated with a noun phrase ("The skills required for clothing design"). Expressions coordinated by the conjunction "than" must be of the same grammatical status.Choice (D) produces a coordination error. A gerund phrase ("making custom alterations") is improperly coordinated with a noun phrase ("The skills required for clothing design"). Expressions coordinated by the conjunction "than" must be of the same grammatical status.Choice (E) produces a coordination error. A prepositional phrase ("for making custom alterations") is improperly coordinated with a noun phrase ("The skills required for clothing design"). Expressions coordinated by the conjunction "than" must be of the same grammatical status.Writing Skills 5: Question 12Choice (E) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by introducing the verb "found" to create a context in which the plural pronoun "they" logically refers to the plural noun phrase "F.V. Colville and Elizabeth White" and the singular pronoun "it" logically refers to the singular noun phrase "the first cultivated blueberry."Choice (A) produces a pronoun error. The pronoun "they" has no logical antecedent in the sentence. As a plural pronoun, "they" cannot refer to the singular noun phrase "the first cultivated blueberry."Choice (B) produces a pronoun error. The pronoun "they" has no logical antecedent in the sentence. As a plural pronoun, "they" cannot refer to the singular noun phrase "the first cultivated blueberry."Choice (C) produces a pronoun error. The pronoun "they" has no logical antecedent in the sentence. As a plural pronoun, "they" cannot refer to the singular noun phrase "the first cultivated blueberry."

Choice (D) produces a comma splice. Two independent clauses ("they found it . . . berry" and "it could be . . . markets") are joined by only a comma.Writing Skills 5: Question 13Choice (C) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by using a verb in the active voice ("ushered in") with "The long-awaited completion of the transcontinental railroad in May of 1969" as its subject and "the age of tourism to the American West" as its object. The sentence clearly conveys that it was the completion of the transcontinental railroad that ushered in the age of tourism to the American West.Choice (A) produces a weak passive construction. The use of an unmodified verb in the passive voice ("was ushered in") leaves the agent of the verb (i.e., the thing that performs the action) unidentified. The sentence does not clearly convey that it was the completion of the transcontinental railroad that ushered in the age of tourism to the American West.Choice (B) produces a pronoun error. The plural pronoun "they" has no antecedent in the sentence.Choice (D) produces a pronoun error. The plural pronoun "their" has no antecedent in the sentence.Choice (E) produces a dangling modifier. The subject of the sentence's main clause, "the age of tourism to the American West," cannot logically serve as the subject of the gerund "completing" in the modifying phrase that begins the sentence. The sentence illogically suggests that the age of tourism completed the transcontinental railroad.Writing Skills 5: Question 14Choice (E) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by adopting the passive voice ("are estimated") and thereby eliminating the need for an additional pronoun.Choice (A) produces a pronoun error. The pronoun "they" before "estimate" has no logical antecedent in the sentence. The sentence illogically suggests that bluefin tuna estimate the decline of their own populations.Choice (B) produces a pronoun error. The pronoun "they" before "estimated" has no logical antecedent in the sentence. The sentence illogically suggests that bluefin tuna have estimated the decline of their own populations.Choice (C) produces improper word order. The noun phrase "their North Atlantic breeding populations" should be immediately after "that" to serve (in place of the pronoun "they") as the subject of the verb "have declined."Choice (D) produces a tense error. The use of the present infinitive "to decline" is inconsistent with the adverbial phrase "since 1980," which requires the use of the perfect infinitive ("to have declined").Writing Skills 5: Question 15


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Choice (A) is correct. The correlative terms "both" and "and" are properly placed immediately before expressions of the same structure ("his classical songs" and "his arrangements of spirituals").Choice (B) produces a comma splice. Two independent clauses ("Singer and songwriter Harry Burleigh is noted in the history of twentieth-century American music" and "he wrote classical songs") are joined by only a comma (instead of a semicolon).Choice (C) produces a lack of parallelism. The correlative terms "both" and "and" are improperly placed immediately before expressions that are not parallel in structure: an adjective-noun combination ("classical songs") and a gerund-noun combination ("arranging spirituals").Choice (D) produces a lack of parallelism. The correlative terms "both" and "and" are improperly placed immediately before expressions that are not parallel in structure: a prepositional phrase ("for his classical songs") and a gerund phrase ("his arranging spirituals").Choice (E) produces a lack of parallelism. The correlative terms "both" and "and" are improperly placed immediately before expressions that are not parallel in structure: a prepositional phrase ("because of his classical songs") and a noun phrase ("his arrangements of spirituals").Writing Skills 5: Question 16Choice (D) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by providing a singular linking verb ("is") that appropriately joins the sentence's singular subject ("Dr. Seuss") to its subject complement ("probably the best-selling children's author in history").Choice (A) produces subject-verb disagreement and a pronoun error. The plural verb "have" disagrees with its singular subject, "Dr. Seuss." Moreover, as object of the verb, the pronoun "him" should take the reflexive form ("himself") because it refers to the same person as the subject.Choice (B) produces a sentence fragment. The use of a participle ("making") leaves the sentence without the main verb it needs in order to be grammatically complete.Choice (C) produces a coordination error. The conjunction "and" is improperly used to join two expressions of unequal status: a noun phrase ("Dr. Seuss") and a verb phrase ("was thereby . . . history").Choice (E) produces subject-verb disagreement. The plural verb "are" disagrees with its singular subject, "Dr. Seuss."Writing Skills 5: Question 17Choice (E) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by using the conjunction "but" (preceded by a comma) to coordinate two independent clauses ("The British Factory Act of 1833 forbade employment of children under the age of nine" and "the act applied only to the textile

industries").Choice (A) produces a comma splice. Two independent clauses ("The British Factory Act of 1833 forbade employment of children under the age of nine" and "only the textile industries were affected") are joined by only a comma (rather than by a conjunction).Choice (B) produces a coordination error. The expression after the comma ("children not in textile industries not affected") has no grammatical relation to any part of the clause that begins the sentence.Choice (C) produces a comma splice. Two independent clauses ("The British Factory Act of 1833 forbade employment of children under the age of nine" and "only children in the textile industries were affected") are joined by only a comma (rather than by a conjunction).Choice (D) produces a coordination error. The conjunction "but" (preceded by a comma) is improperly used to join two expressions of unequal grammatical status: an independent clause ("The British Factory Act of 1833 forbade employment of children under the age of nine") and a participial phrase ("applying only to the textile industries").Writing Skills 5: Question 18Choice (B) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by surrounding the reporting clause ("some say") with commas and by replacing the participle "resembling" with the finite verb ("resembles") that the reported clause needs in order to be grammatically complete.Choice (A) produces a subordination error and an embedded sentence fragment. The sentence's reporting clause ("some say") is not immediately followed by a comma as it should be, and the reported clause has a participle ("resembling") in place of the finite verb ("resembles") that it needs in order to be grammatically complete.Choice (C) produces a sentence fragment. The use of the participle "said" instead of a finite verb ("is said") leaves the sentence without the main verb it needs in order to be grammatically complete.Choice (D) produces a sentence fragment. Embedding the verbs "say" and "resembles" within a relative clause (introduced by "which") leaves the sentence without the main verb it needs in order to be grammatically complete.Choice (E) produces a sentence fragment. The resulting expression lacks the main verb it needs in order to be a grammatically complete sentence.Writing Skills 5: Question 19Choice (C) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by replacing the gerund ("neglecting") in the subject complement of the main clause with an infinitive ("to neglect") that matches the infinitive ("to discuss") in the subject.


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Choice (A) produces a parallelism error. The gerund ("neglecting") in the subject complement of the main clause does not structurally match the infinitive ("to discuss") in the subject.Choice (B) produces a parallelism error. The gerund ("neglecting") in the subject complement of the main clause does not structurally match the infinitive ("to discuss") in the subject.Choice (D) produces a parallelism error. The gerund ("neglecting") in the subject complement of the main clause does not structurally match the infinitive ("to discuss") in the subject.Choice (E) produces a parallelism error. The gerund ("neglecting") in the subject complement of the main clause does not structurally match the infinitive ("to discuss") in the subject.Writing Skills 5: Question 20Choice (B) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by eliminating the vague pronoun "this" and using instead the relative pronoun "who" to refer to "astrophysicists" and the pronoun "them" to refer to "Meteorites."Choice (A) produces a pronoun error. The demonstrative pronoun "this" has no clear antecedent in the sentence.Choice (C) produces a pronoun error. It is not immediately clear from the context whether the pronoun "them" refers to "Meteorites" or to "astrophysicists."Choice (D) produces a modification error. There is nothing in the first clause to which the adverbial phrase "this way" in the second clause can refer.Choice (E) produces a pronoun error. There is nothing in the first clause to which the relative pronoun "which" can logically refer.Writing Skills 5: Question 21There is wordiness at (C). The conjunction "when" is unnecessary and confusing after the conjunction "until."There is no error at (A). The conjunction "that" is properly used to complement the participle "Realizing," which logically modifies the sentence's subject, "the director."There is no error at (B). The use of the past tense ("could be") in the modifying phrase is consistent with the uses of the past tense ("postponed" and "requested") in the sentence's main clause.There is no error at (D). The adverb "satisfactorily" is properly placed between the auxiliary ("were") and participle ("resolved") of the passive verb it modifies.Corrected sentence:Realizing that a delay could be beneficial, the director postponed the vote but requested that the subcommittee continue to meet until the remaining issues were satisfactorily resolved.Writing Skills 5: Question 22

There is an idiom error at (D). The preposition "of" is improperly used (instead of "to") to complement the adjective "equal." (The preposition "of" should be used to complement the word "equal" only when "equal" is used as a noun.)There is no error at (A). The plural verb "were" agrees with its plural subject, "the Phoenicians."There is no error at (B). The preposition "among" is properly used to introduce an adverbial phrase after the linking verb "were."There is no error at (C). The preposition "of" is idiomatically used to modify a noun ("navigators") before an object ("their time") that refers to a period of time, and the possessive adjective "their" has a logical antecedent in "the Phoenicians."Corrected sentence:Although the Phoenicians were among the best navigators of their time, as shipbuilders they were not equal to the Egyptians.Writing Skills 5: Question 23There is subject-verb disagreement at (C). The plural verb "were" does not agree with its singular subject, "The mediator."There is no error at (A). The compound participle "having negotiated" logically modifies the subject of the sentence, "The mediator."There is no error at (B). The preposition "between" is idiomatically used to modify the noun "agreement" before an object ("the two rival nations") that refers to exactly two things.There is no error at (D). The participle "credited" is properly used to form a passive verb that is idiomatically complemented by the preposition "with."Corrected sentence:The mediator, having negotiated a final trade agreement between the two rival nations, was credited with helping to promote international peace.Writing Skills 5: Question 24There is a verb-form error at (C) that creates a sentence fragment. The use of a participle ("being") instead of a finite verb ("is") leaves the sentence without the main verb that it needs in order to be grammatically complete.There is no error at (A). The adverb "surprisingly" (properly negated by "Not" and followed by a comma) serves to modify the entire sentence, and the singular noun "research" agrees with the singular verb "shows."There is no error at (B). The preposition "between" is idiomatically used to modify the noun "difference" before an object ("an introvert and an extrovert") that refers to exactly two things.


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There is no error at (D). The singular pronoun "one" has a logical antecedent in "an introvert" and agrees with the singular verb "enjoys."Corrected sentence:Not surprisingly, research shows that a fundamental difference between an introvert and an extrovert is that one enjoys being alone while the other enjoys being around people.Writing Skills 5: Question 25There is a tense error at (D). The use of the present tense ("are") in a subordinate clause introduced by "until" is inconsistent with the use of the past tense ("seemed") in the preceding clause.There is a no error at (A). The adjective "some" is appropriately placed before the noun it modifies, "drugs."There is no error at (B). The adverb "perfectly" properly modifies the adjective "safe," which is the subject complement of "drugs."There is no error at (C). The conjunction "until" is properly used to join two clauses.Corrected sentence:The Food and Drug Administration has overlooked the dangers of some drugs that seemed perfectly safe until long after they were in general use.Writing Skills 5: Question 26There is no error in the sentence.There is no error at (A). The conjunction "Although" is properly used to introduce a subordinate clause that presents a contrast to the idea expressed in the main clause.There is no error at (B). The expression "as well as" is properly used to coordinate two expressions of equal status: "painting" and "writing."There is no error at (C). The preposition "as" is idiomatically used to complement the verb "is . . . recognized."There is no error at (D). The conjunction "than" is properly used after a comparative adverb ("more widely") to coordinate two expressions of equal status: "as an author" and "as an artist."Correct sentence:Although Charlotte Brontë enjoyed painting as well as writing, she is more widely recognized as an author than as an artist.Writing Skills 5: Question 27There is subject-verb disagreement at (B). The singular verb "lies" does not agree with its plural subject, "the drainpipes."There is no error at (A). The preposition "Underneath" is properly used to introduce an adverbial phrase before a linking verb.

There is no error at (C). The plural verb "were installed" agrees with its subject, "that," which refers to the plural noun "drainpipes."There is no error at (D). The temporal adverb "ago" is properly placed after a noun ("years") referring to an extent of time.Corrected sentence:Underneath the basement floor lie the drainpipes that were installed years ago by the original owner of the house.Writing Skills 5: Question 28There is a pronoun error at (C). A pronoun in the subjective case ("I") is improperly used as a direct object of the verb "include."There is no error at (A). The participle "limited" is properly linked with "is" to form the passive verb "is limited."There is no error at (B). The prepositional phrase "for the most part" is properly used to modify the verb "is limited."There is no error at (D). The preposition "of" is idiomatically used to complement the noun "friends," and the adjective "both" properly precedes exactly two noun phrases ("the bride" and "the groom") coordinated by the conjunction "and."Corrected sentence:Although the guest list is limited, for the most part, to the immediate families, it will include Mary and me, old friends of both the bride and the groom.Writing Skills 5: Question 29There is logical disagreement at (D). The use of the singular noun phrase "a member" is inconsistent with the use of a plural noun phrase ("kinds of people") earlier in the sentence. The sentence illogically suggests that many people can be a single member of a jury.There is no error at (A). The preposition "on" is idiomatically used to complement the plural verb "are calling," which agrees with its plural subject ("trial lawyers").There is no error at (B). The bare infinitive "predict" is properly used to complement the verb "help," and the conjunction "how" is idiomatically used to complement "predict."There is no error at (C). The future-tense verb "will behave" is appropriately used in a clause dependent on the verb "predict."Corrected sentence:Increasingly, trial lawyers are calling on psychologists to help them predict how particular kinds of people will behave as members of a jury.Writing Skills 5: Question 30There is a tense error at (C). The past-tense verb "looked upon" is inappropriately used (instead of the present-


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tense verb "looks upon") in a general statement that purports to be timelessly true.There is no error at (A). The conjunction "that" is idiomatically used to complement the verb "taught."There is no error at (B). The preposition "of" is idiomatically used to link the noun "person" with a noun ("reason") naming a personal characteristic.There is no error at (D). The preposition "with" is idiomatically used to introduce an adverbial expression indicating the manner in which something is done.Corrected sentence:Plato and Aristotle taught that the ideal human being is the philosopher--the person of reason who looks upon existence with detachment.Writing Skills 5: Question 31There is a connective error at (C). The conjunction "as" is improperly used (instead of "than") to coordinate phrases after a comparative adjective ("more likely").There is no error at (A). The infinitive "to become" is idiomatically used to complement the adjective "likely."There is no error at (B). The gerund "watching" provides an appropriate object for the preposition "by."There is no error at (D). The adjective "healthy" is properly used as a subject complement after the linking verb "become," and the preposition "by" is properly used to form an adverbial phrase ("by reading medical books") that modifies "to become healthy."Corrected sentence:People are no more likely to become athletic by watching sporting events than they are to become healthy by reading medical books.Writing Skills 5: Question 32There is subject-verb disagreement at (B). The plural verb "were" does not agree with either of its alternative singular subjects, "the engineer" or "the conductor."There is no error at (A). The conjunction "Until" is properly used to introduce a subordinate clause.There is no error at (C). The conjunction "that" idiomatically links the adjective "aware" to a subordinate clause, and the pronoun "one" provides an appropriate subject for that clause.There is no error at (D). The past perfect tense ("had become") is properly used in a subordinate clause to indicate an action taking place before that of a verb in the simple past tense ("[was] aware").Corrected sentence: Until the train stopped at the station, neither the engineer nor the conductor was aware that one of the passengers had become ill.Writing Skills 5: Question 33There is a connective error at (B). The adjective "equal" lacks the preposition "to" needed to connect it to the

noun phrase "the recession."There is no error at (A). The preposition "through" is idiomatically used to complement the verb "suffered."There is no error at (C). The relative pronoun "that" has a proper antecedent in "the recession," and the past-perfect verb "had developed" is appropriately used in a subordinate clause to indicate an action taking place before that of a verb in the simple past tense ("suffered").There is no error at (D). The temporal adverb "before" is properly placed after a noun phrase ("a decade") referring to an extent of time.Corrected sentence:The economy suffered through a recession that was equal to, if not worse than, the recession that had developed a decade before.Writing Skills 5: Question 34There is an illogical comparison at (C). A tournament (rather than its atmosphere) is illogically compared with the atmosphere at another tournament.There is no error at (A). The preposition "at" is idiomatically used to connect the noun "atmosphere" to a noun phrase naming an event ("the Wimbledon tennis tournament").There is no error at (B). The adverb "far" is properly used to modify the adverb "more," which in turn modifies the adjective "sedate."There is no error at (D). The implied relative pronoun "that" (referring to "the tournament") is properly omitted as the object of the verb ("saw") in a relative clause ("we saw").Corrected sentence:The atmosphere at the Wimbledon tennis tournament is far more sedate and traditional than that at the tournament we saw.Writing Skills 5: Question 35Choice (C) is correct. The observation that Donna Oliver challenged the President to make education more important suggests that she was somewhat critical of the President's current educational policy.Choice (A) is incorrect. Sentence 1 gives no indication of Donna Oliver's attitude, critical or otherwise.Choice (B) is incorrect. Sentence 3 indicates that Donna Oliver was grateful ("She . . . thanked the President") but gives no indication that she was critical.Choice (D) is incorrect. Sentence 5 states an objective fact about Donna Oliver but gives no indication of her state of mind.Choice (E) is incorrect. Sentence 14 indicates that Donna Oliver favored a certain approach to teaching but gives no indication that she was critical of any other approach to teaching.


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Writing Skills 5: Question 36Choice (E) is correct. The least important of the original verb phrases ("had her ceremony at the White House") is replaced by a prepositional phrase ("At the White House ceremony") that modifies two succinct and well-coordinated clauses.Choice (A) is unsatisfactory because it produces a wordy, awkward sentence. Three verb phrases are strung together with the conjunction "and" (as well as a redundant "also"); there is no subordination or embedding of phrases to indicate the relative importance of the information that the verb phrases convey.Choice (B) is unsatisfactory because it produces a coordination error. The conjunction "and" is improperly used to join expressions of unequal grammatical status: a participial phrase ("Thanking the President . . . White House") and an independent clause ("she challenged him . . . important").Choice (C) is unsatisfactory because it produces a comma splice. Two independent clauses ("She had her ceremony at the White House" and "there she thanked . . . important") are linked by only a comma.Choice (D) is unsatisfactory because it produces a sentence fragment. The resulting expression has neither the subject nor the verb that it needs in order to be a grammatically complete sentence.Writing Skills 5: Question 37Choice (A) is correct. It provides an adverbial phrase that links the activities described in sentence 5 to those described in the first paragraph.Choice (B) is unsatisfactory because is it would misleadingly suggest that there is a direct opposition between the idea expressed in sentence 5 and an idea expressed in the preceding paragraph.Choice (C) is unsatisfactory because it would illogically suggest that Donna Oliver's recruiting and training of African American teachers posed a further challenge to the President.Choice (D) is unsatisfactory because it would produce a comma splice. Two independent clauses ("She believed . . . teach" and "she turned . . . teachers") would be joined by only a comma.Choice (E) is unsatisfactory because it would produce a comma splice. Two independent clauses ("It was . . . award" and "she turned . . . teachers") would be joined by only a comma.Writing Skills 5: Question 38Choice (D) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by recasting the dangling participle ("Directing") as a prepositional phrase ("As director") and making "she" (rather than "students") the subject of the sentence.Choice (A) is unsatisfactory because it contains a dangling modifier. The sentence's subject, "fifty-five

students," cannot logically serve as the subject of the participle ("Directing") in the modifying phrase that begins the sentence. The sentence illogically suggests that the students direct the teacher training program.Choice (B) is unsatisfactory because it contains a modification error. The immediate context makes no mention of a place to which the adverb "there" might refer.Choice (C) is unsatisfactory because it makes use of a weak passive construction. The passive construction would ineffectively shift the focus of the essay from Donna Oliver to her students.Choice (E) is unsatisfactory because it makes use of a weak passive construction. The passive construction would ineffectively shift the focus of the essay from Donna Oliver to her students. The sentence does not even specify that it is Donna Oliver who supervises the students.Writing Skills 5: Question 39Choice (C) is correct. It avoids the sentence fragment of the original sentence 11 by deleting the period from sentence 10 and allowing the conjunction "or" to coordinate two infinitive phrases ("to tutor children in different grades" and "take them to the lunchroom").Choice (A) is unsatisfactory because it fails to convey the intended meaning of the original sentences. With the substitution of "while" for "or," the sentence would suggest that few student teachers have the opportunity to engage in two particular activities simultaneously; however, the original sentences were clearly intended to convey the idea that few student teachers have the opportunity to engage in either of two particular activities.Choice (B) is unsatisfactory because it includes a punctuation error. The semicolon improperly separates two parallel verb phrases ("tutor children in different grades" and "take them to the lunchroom") that are otherwise properly coordinated by the conjunction "or."Choice (D) is unsatisfactory because it is a sentence fragment. It is a mere noun phrase, lacking the finite verb it needs in order to be a grammatically complete sentence.Choice (E) is unsatisfactory because it contains a logical agreement error. Each of the sentence's alternative subjects ("Taking children to the lunchroom" and "tutoring them when they are in different grades") is singular and so is the verb ("is"), but the subject complement ("worthwhile experiences") is plural.


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Glossary for PSAT Form S6

accessible adj. ak SESS uh bul

1. Easily approached or reached. 2. Easilyunderstood.

accomplished adj. uh KAHM plisht

1. Highly skilled or expert. 2. Established andunquestionable.

admonition n. ad muh NISH un

1. A stern warning 2. A mild scolding.admonish, v.

advocate v, n AD vuh kayt

v., To speak in favor of or in support of. n., AD

vuh kit, 1. One who argues in favor of or on behalfof. 2. A lawyer.

affirmation n. AF ur MAY shun

1. The act of stating something positively. 2. Theact of formally stating support for something. 3.In law, the act of accepting or confirming thecorrectness of a legal decision or act; an upholding.

altruistic adj. Al troo IH stik

Charitable; having unselfish concern for others.

anticlimactic adj. antee kly MAK tik

Having a disappointing ending after an impressiveor exciting series of events.

arduous adj. AR joo us

Difficult, strenuous, or requiring great endurance.

assert v. uhSURT

To state positively. assertion, n.

blithe adj. blyth

Cheerful, merry, and carefree.

brazen adj. BRAY zun

Rudely bold; having a harsh loud sound.

caustic adj. KAW stik

1. Able to burn or corrode by chemical reaction.2. Sarcastically harsh or bitter in tone; harshlyscornful.

celebrated adj. SEL uh bray tid

Widely known and respected or praised.

charlatan n. SHAR luh tun

An imposter; a quack.

comprehensive adj. kahm pree HEN siv

1. Large in scope or content; wide-ranging;all-inclusive. 2. Complete; including all theelements or features of something: acomprehensive account of a battle.

considerable adj. kun SIH dur uh bul

1. Fairly large in amount, size, etc. 2. Important;significant.

consternation n. kahn stur NAY shun

Amazement or fear that causes confusion and aninability to take action.

conventional adj. kun VEN shun ul

1. Following accepted practice; traditional orcustomary. 2. Commonplace; ordinary.

conventions n. kun VEHN shunz

The normal or accepted ways that something isdone, especially within a certain field, profession,or business.

court v. kort

1. To be involved with romantically, usually withthe intent to marry; woo. 2. To pay specialattention to someone in an attempt to win favor.

debunk v. duh BUNK

To show to be false or expose as false.

delve v. dehlv

1. To reach inside something to search for: delved

in his pockets for a dime. 2. To researchcarefully: delve into the secrets of ancient Egypt.

diatribe n. DY uh tribe

Bitter and abusive criticism.

diffident adj. DIFF uh dint

Painfully shy or lacking in self-confidence.

disconcerting adj. dis kun SURT ing

Causing upset, embarrassment, or frustration.disconcert, v.

discredit v. dis CRED it

1. To damage the reputation of. 2. To cause to bedistrusted or doubted. 3. To refuse to believe. 4.To disprove. discreditable, adj. Damaging toone’s reputation.

disdain n., v. dis DAYN

n. Intense dislike or hatred; contempt or scorn.v. To show or express hatred or dislike for; scornor despise. disdainful, adj.

disenfranchise v. dihs ehn FRAN chyz

To interfere with or take away a person’s right tovote.

disillusion v. dis ih loo zhun

1. To free from misconception. 2.disappointment arising from the realization thatsomething is not as good as one had believed it tobe. disillusioned, adj. disillusionment, n.

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dismissive adj. dihs MIHS ihvFeeling or indicating that something is inferior or

unworthy of taking into consideration:

dismissive of the views of his employees.

earnest adj. ur NEHST1. Very serious in intent. 2. Seriously important.

ebullient adj. ih BUL yunt1. Full of enthusiasm. ebullience, n.

edible adj. ED ih bulSuitable for eating.

eloquence n. EHL uh kwenssFluent, persuasive communication; expressiveness.

esteem n. EH steemRespect or admiration for someone or something.

v. To respect or admire.

euphemism n. YOO fuh mizmAn inoffensive, mild, or indirect term substituted

for one considered offensive or overly blunt: i.e.

passed away for died.

exasperation n. eg ZASS puh RAY shunAnger or annoyance.

excess n. EK sess1. An amount that is more than necessary. 2.

Lack of moderation: eating to excess.

excoriate v. ek SKOR ee ayt1. To criticize harshly. 2. To punish severely.

exemplify v. ig ZEM pluh figh1. To illustrate by example. 2. To serve as an

example of: passages that exemplify the author’sstyle.

explicit adj. ik SPLIH sitClearly defined or stated; specific.

extol v. ek STOHLTo praise lavishly or excessively; to laud.

exuberance n. eg ZOO bur uns1. Liveliness or high-spirits. 2. Lavishness or

extravagance. exuberant, adj.

fiscal adj. FIHS kulOf or relating to finances, especially to government

finances.

foolhardy adj. FOO:L har deeRecklessly or foolishly brave; rash.

garner v. GAR nurTo collect or gather something, especially praise or

information: The film garnered all theimportant Academy Awards.

garrulous adj. GAR uh lus1. Tiresomely talkative. 2. Wordy and rambling.

gross adj. grohs1. Large or unattractively fat. 2. Large in scale. 3.

Complete or total: a gross disregard of the facts.4. Unrefined or vulgar. 5. Informal. Disgusting or

very unpleasant.

high-profile adj. hy PROH fylAttracting a lot of publicity or attention;

well-known; famous.

humbug n. HUM bugFalse or deceptive talk or behavior.

humility n. hyooh MILL uh teeMeekness or modesty.

idealist n. eye DEEL is1. A dreamer or visionary. 2. One who is

imaginative but impractical. idealistic, adj.

illusory adj. ih LOO zur eeNot real. Based on false ideas or appearances.

inconspicuous adj. in kun SPIK yooh ussNot noticeable.

indignation n. in dig NAY shunAnger caused by something unjust, mean, or

unworthy. indignant, adj., (in DIG nunt) Very

angry because of unfairness or insult.

indulgent adj. in DUL juntGiving in to the wishes of others; permissive;

pampering

innovation n. IN uh VAY shun1. The act of creating or introducing something

new. 2. The new thing that has been created:

the telescope was an important innovation.innovate, v.; innovative, adj.

insatiable adj. in SAY shuh bul1. Impossible to satisfy: insatiable thirst. 2. Never

satisfied: an insatiable reader.

intrigue v. in TREEG1. To fascinate or arouse curiosity. 2. To make

secret plans to do something bad; to scheme. n.The secret planning of something bad.

invoke v. in VOHK1. To call on for help, especially to call on a higher

power. 2. To look to, cite, or use for support:

invoke the spirit of the 1st Amendment.invocation, n.

invulnerable adj. in VUL nur uh bulNot able to be damaged or harmed.

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irony n. EYE ruh nee, EYE ur nee1. The use of words to express something differentor opposite to the literal meaning. 2. A conflict,clashing, or inconsistency between what might beexpected and what actually occurs. ironic, adj.eye RAH nik

irrevocable n. ih ruh VOH kuh bulImpossible to take back or revoke.

itinerant adj. eye TIN ur untTraveling: itinerant salesmen who are rarelyhome. n. One who travels.

keen adj. keen1. Enthusiastic or eager. 2. Sharp; keen knifeedge. 3. Observant or perceptive; keen mind. 4.Intense; keen sense of resposibility.

laud v. lawd1. To praise. laudable, adj. Praiseworthy.laudatory, adj. expressing praise

lofty adj. LAWF tee1. Having great height: lofty skyscapers. 2. High incharacter or feeling: lofty expressions of love anddevotion. 3. Overly proud and superior; haughty.

masterful adj. MAST ur ful1. Powerful and able to control others. 2.Performed with great skill.

mercenary n.,adj.

MUR suh nair een. 1. One who does things only for money. 2. Ahired soldier. adj. Motivated by money.

meticulous adj. muh TIH kyooh lus1. Extremely concerned with details. 2. Overlyconcerned with details; particular; picky.

moratorium n. MOR uh TAW ree um1. A temporary ceasing of an ongoing activity orpractice: a moratorium on eating pizza at the frathouse. 2. A postponement of a legal obligation.

naïve adj. nah EEV1. Lacking worldliness, sophistication orexperience. naïveté , n., Lack of sophistication orcritical insight.

objective adj. ub JEK tiv1. Having actual existence or reality; physical ormaterial. 2. Not influenced by emotions orpersonal prejudices; fair or unbiased.objectivity, n. fairness; lack of bias

oration n. or RAY shunA formal speech usually given at a ceremony.

padding n. PAD ing1. Soft material used to pack or stuff something.2. Extra and unnecessary material put in book orspeech just to reach a desired length: he felt thenovel was just a short story with padding.

pompous adj. PAHM pusActing in an overly important way; arrogant.

portent n. POR tentA sign or warning that something is going tohappen.

practitioner n. prak TISH un urOne who actively engages a particular activity orprofession, especially in medicine; a practitionerof acupuncture.

prestige n. PRESS teezhStatus or esteem in the eyes of others; good repute.

profound adj. pruh FOWND1. Deep. 2. Coming from deep within: profoundfeelings of loss. 3. Going beyond what is obviousor superficial: profound observations.

provincial adj. pruh VIN shul1. Of or relating to a province. 2. Not fashionableor sophisticated. 3. Narrow-minded. n.provincials Inhabitants of the provinces,especially those who are consideredunsophisticated and narrow-minded.

quibble v., n. KWIH bul1. To raise unimportant distinctions andobjections. 2. To find fault or criticize for pettyreasons. n., A minor, petty, or irrelevant objectionor criticism.

rationalization n. RASH’n al uh ZAY shunAn attempt to justify or explain oneself even whenthe reasons are not appropriate or true.

rebuff v. rih BUFFTo reject in an impolite or abrupt manner. n. Anabrupt or impolite rejection or refusal.

recidivist n. rih SIH dih vistA convicted criminal who breaks the lawrepeatedly. adj. Repeatedly reoffending.

repartee n. REH par TEE, TAYConversation that is marked by quick, clever, andusually humorous comments and replies; banter.

reserved adj. rih ZURVDQuiet and restrained in manner. n. reserve Alack of openness or warmth in manner orexpression.

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reverence n. REV uh runssDeep respect and admiration. reverent, adj.

sanguine adj. SANG gwin1. Cheerfully optimistic or hopeful: sanguineabout the outcome. 2. Red or reddish in color or

complexion; ruddy.

serene adj. suh REENCalm, peaceful, and undisturbed.

serenity, n. Peacefulness; tranquility.

skepticism n. SKEP tuh sizmDoubt or disbelief.

soliloquy n. suh LIH loh kweeSpeaking thoughts aloud when by oneself or

without regard for who may be present, especially

by a character in a play.

sophisticated adj. suh FISS tuh kay tid1. Having knowledge of the world. 2. Elaborate or

complex: sophisticated computer equipment.sophistication, n.

stigma n. STIHG mah1. A mark or sign of disgrace or shame; thestigma of doing business with known criminals.

stopgap n STAHP gapAn improvised and temporary substitute for

something: He used his shoe as a stopgaphammer.

suppress v. suh PRESS1. To put an end to forcibly; subdue. 2. To stop or

prohibit the activities of. 3. To keep from being

revealed or published. 4. To deliberately exclude

(desires or thoughts) from the mind. 5. To inhibit

the expression of; check: suppress a smile.

suppression, n.

surly adj. SUR leeIrritable and bad-tempered; gruff; cranky.

trepidation n. TREP uh DAY shunNervous and fearful anxiety.

turbulence n. TUR byooh lenssGreat commotion or agitation; unrest.

unaccountable adj. un uh KOWN tuh bul1. Not explainable; puzzling or mystifying:

unaccountable events. 2. The characteristic of a

person, group, or organization that is not required

to justify or explain its actions or decisions or that

can not be held responsible for the results of its

actions or decisions.

unbridled adj. un BRY duldUncontrolled or unrestrained: unbridled anger.

volatile adj. VAH luh tylQuickly changeable, unstable, or explosive.

wry adj. righDryly, often ironically humorous.

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Documents

Answers & Explanations to PSAT Test 6 - whw.namewhw.name/Resources/Answer Book PSAT 6.pdf · Critical Reading Explanations Critical Reading 1: Question 1 Choice (D) is correct. The