12.Practice.Tests.for.the.SAT_2015-2016_1128p

1 2 Practice Tests for the SAT
108 Practice Test One Answers and Explanations
22. E
Difficulty: High
The correct answer should also match the author's tone in
the passage. Consider the attitude of the author up until
this point in the passage regarding lip-synching. While in the
first paragraph he did not defend Milli Vanilli's lip-synching,
he did state that those who would accuse them of gross
wrongdoing simply do not comprehend the bigger, more
complex picture. That more complex picture is his argument
that pop music is a product that appeals to the masses
because it is based in illusion, not reality. Look for the
answer that best matches up with this argument.
Choice (A) is an opposite; based on the author's argument,
you can infer that he would not consider the media
questioning the singer's talent to be completely reasonable.
Choice (B) is extreme; in line 17, the author admits that
the people who criticize Milli Vanilli do have a point, so
it can be assumed that he would never characterize the
consequence of the singer's lip-synching as something so
extreme as totally ridiculous. Choice (C) is out of scope; the
passage mentioned earlier cases of lip-synching in popular
music. There should be nothing particularly shocking about
it. Choice (D) is an opposite; in fact, there is a precedent
mentioned in the passage, and the consequence of Milli
Vanilli's lip-synching was much more severe than the
singer's. Choice (E) fits your prediction.
23. B
Difficulty: Medium
Make a prediction before looking at the choices. The easiest
way to answer this Detail question is to come up with your
own word that best sums up the audience's expectations
and then find the answer choice that most closely matches
it. The sentence states that an audience expects pop stars
to be able to pull off tightly choreographed dance moves
on the stage, all the while maintaining perfect vocal pitch
and not losing a breath while they perform songs that took
hours, if not days, to produce in a studio. Predict something
like "overly demanding."
Choice (A) is extreme; while the expectations may be
unreasonable, they aren't absurd. Choice (B) matches the
prediction nicely. Choice (C) is out of scope; the expectations
may indeed be overwhelming for the pop star, but they are
not described as such in the passage. Choice (D) is out of
scope; this choice is not supported by any detail from the
passage. Choice (E) is out of scope; optimism is another
sentiment not supported by any detail from the passage.
24. c
Difficulty: Medium
Scan the paragraph for remarks that sound like a conclusion.
Note the author's concluding statement in the final
sentence of the paragraph: The pop star is not to blame
when these illusions are broken; it is the fault of those
who believe in the illusion in the first place. This sums up
the main idea of the paragraph (and the passage as well).
Predict something like doing what is required of them.
Choice (A) is distortion; the power of record company
executives is depicted in the passage, but nowhere is it
suggested that they force pop stars to lip-synch. Choice (B)
is distortion; the author does discuss live performances,
but he doesn't suggest that pop stars should never perform
live. Choice (C) matches your prediction. Choice (D) is out
of scope; the passage never suggests that lip-synching pop
stars are a trivial matter in the grand scheme of things.
Choice (E) is an opposite; in lines 87-88, the author states
that the public is fueling the market to keep producing
more such artists.
25. B
Difficulty: Medium
You should be able to predict an answer to this question
after every passage you read; be sure to practice it. This
Global question asks for the primary purpose of the
passage, which means it addresses the entire passage, not
just individual details. To best answer this question, think
about the author's reasons for writing the passage. In the
very first paragraph, he offers his opinion on the criticism
of lip-synching in pop music, saying that the critics simply
do not comprehend the bigger, more complex picture. He
then spends the rest of the passage trying to explain his
position, using facts and details to prove his points. Predict
something like advance a position on a controversial topic.
Choice (A) is out of scope; the author never offers a
solution, nor does he necessarily consider lip-synching a
problem. Choice (B) fits well. Choice (C) is distortion; the
author does draw a comparison between fashion and
pop music in the second paragraph, but it is a supporting
detail in the passage, not the purpose of it. Choice (D)
is distortion; again, this is just a supporting detail of the
passage. Choice (E) is out of scope; it is never mentioned
anywhere in the passage that the author's argument is a
revival of an old one.