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

12 Practice Tests for the SAT
Practice Test Four Answers and Explanations I
369
Answers and
Explanations
SECTION 1
6 Score Essay
My mother used to say that "procrastination" was my
middle name, because I continually put off doing chores
or homework until the last minute. I preferred to spend
my time playing or reading, as these activities were more
interesting and fun. However, leaving responsibilities
unfulfilled right up to the deadline meant that I always
felt very rushed and stressed when I finally got around to
doing what I should have done earlier. I also discovered
that I didn't always leave myself enough time. Sometimes
I wasn't able to finish, and incomplete projects led to
negative consequences, like bad grades or additional
chores. Ultimately, I learned that it's not wise to put things
off. So I disagree with Aaron Burr's statement, and one of
the best literary examples to support my point of view is
Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Hamlet is often referred to as the classic procrastinator,
since he spends almost the entire play debating with
himself about how or if to avenge his father's death. In the
first scene, his father's ghost appears to Hamlet and implies
that the new king, Claudius, may be a murderer. Hamlet is
extremely upset about this, and determines to investigate
the situation to learn if the ghost has told the truth or not.
However, even when Hamlet is convinced of Claudius's
guilt, he can't seem to take action and kill Claudius,
despite having several opportunities during the course of
the play. By continuing to procrastinate, Hamlet involves
other characters in his plot, and several of them lose their
lives, including Polonius, Ophelia, and Laertes. If Hamlet
had taken action sooner, these other characters might
not have died. Hamlet's procrastination, then, has mortal
consequences.
Taking action in the moment tends to result in fewer regrets
compared to endlessly procrastinating, as the example of
Hamlet proves. For this reason, it's wisest to act when you
can rather than putting things off.
6 Score Critique
All essays are evaluated on four basic criteria: Topic,
Support, Organization, and Language. The writer begins
this essay by discussing a personal example related
to the topic, showing that she has understood the
prompt. This first example comprises the majority of the
introductory paragraph and leads to a clear statement
of the author's opinion followed by another supporting
example. In the second paragraph, the author develops
her second example, providing support for her opinion.
She closes her essay with a conclusion that reiterates her
viewpoint.
Overall, the organization of this composition is clear and
coherent, with key words and phrases like however, also,
ultimately, and for this reason to help the reader follow the
logic of the essay. This suggests that the author outlined a
plan before writing.
In addition, the author uses sophisticated language
(procrastination, unfulfilled, consequences, ultimately,
avenge, mortal) and varied sentence structure, which
contribute to her high score. Finally, the lack of grammatical
or spelling errors indicates that the author left enough time
to proofread her essay.
4 Score Essay
Putting things off, at least for a little while, can be a
good choice. Similar to the saying "Look before you
leap," meaning you should take time to consider the
consequences of your actions. If you act too quick you may
regret it.
My brother hasn't learned this. He's a total tech junkie and
loves all the new toys he sees in Circuit City or Best Buy. He
was the first person in our school to have an iPod, a picture
phone, a Blackberry, etc. The problem is, he buys things
on impulse without thinking about whether or not he really
needs it or if it's the best thing for him to buy. For example,
the iPod. He bought one when they first came out. Now
you can get a smaller one with a lot more memory for
about half the price. If my brother had waited, he might of
ended up with a better value. But he didn't want to wait so
now he regrets it.
I'm the opposite. I also have an iPod but I bought mine
after all the improvements had been made. So mine is
better and cheaper. I took my time and looked at other mp3