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

Practice Test Five Answers and Explanations
12 Practice Tests for t h e SAT I
463
Answers and
Explanations
SECTION 1
6 Score Essay
After t h e attacks on t h e Wor ld Trade Center and t Pentagon on September l l, 200 l, my l ife and t h e l ives
of l many peop l e around t h e wor ld c h anged. A l t h oug h our
ives were acte d upon, and in many cases, destroyed by
somet h ing we did not expect, we h ad a bigger say in ow
our l ives were c h anged by it. T h is event s h owed me t h at we
are c h anged by our own decisions in l ife.
My fami l y was supposed to go on a vacation to F l orida t h ree
mont h s after September 1 l . However, my parents were
worried t h at our fami l y mig h t not be safe on an airp l ane,
so we cance ll ed our trip. We made t h e decision not to go
and missed out on some fun and warmer weat h er, but we
be l ieved we were safer by not trave ll ing. We did not go on
t h e trip due to our own c h oice.
Anot h er t h ing h appened after September 11 t h at affected
our fami l y. My father, w h o used to work on Wa ll Street, l ost
h is jo b, a l ong wit h many ot h ers in h is department. Losing
is jo b meant my dad h a d to find somet h ing e l se so t h at h e
cou ld k eep paying t h e bi ll s.
A l t h oug h h e h ad unemployment insurance for a number of
mont h s, h e decided to c h eck out t h e New York Teac h ing
Fe ll ows program. Now, four years l ater, my dad l oves is jo b
as a h ig sc h oo l teac h er. Losing h is job h appene d to h im
wit h out h is consent, but in t h e way h e h andl e d
h t h is event,
e foun d a more satisfying position t h an h is job on Wa
Street. My fat h er's experiences s h owed me h ow to do t ll h e
best you can wit h your circumstances.
Since t h e events of September h 1 l, I ave become more
aware of h ow big or even sma ll t h ings t h at are out of my
contro l and cause a c h ange in my l ife. However, h I ave
rea l ized t h at a l t h oug h my l ife can be c h anged by outside
events, I can use my decision-making power to make
c h anges for myse l f.
6 Score Critique
A ll essays are eva l uated on four basic criteria: Topic,
Support, Organization, and Language. T h is essay begins wit
t h e aut h or's interpretation of t h e topic, s h owing t h at t h e
h
aut h or understood t e prompt. T h e introductory paragrap
c l ear l y states t h e aut h or's opinion as we ll as a supporting
h
examp l e. T h e second and t h ird paragrap h s introduce
persona l examp l es t h at are deve l oped t h roug h out t h e
essay. S h e fu ll y deve l ops t h ese examp l es to support h er
opinion h as s h e narrates a persona l experience t h at i ll ustrates
er position on t h e assignment's question.
T h e organization of t h is essay is consistent and co h erent,
wit h transitiona l words and p h rases (yet however, although,
another, so, but due to, since) to l ink ideas and paragrap h s.
T h e essay's c l ear introduction l eads l ogica ll y into its body
paragrap h s, w h ic h in turn l ead to a strong conc l usion. T h e
exce ll ent support and organization of t h is essay s h ow
t h at t h e aut h or spent enoug h time p l anning and t h at s h e
fo ll owed h er p l an as s h e pro duced h er essay.
Fina ll y, t h e aut h or's vocabu l ary and sentence structure
are bot h sop h isticated and varied, s h owing a h ig h l eve
of l l
anguage a bi l ity and written expression. T h e absence
of grammatica l or spe ll ing errors suggests t h at t h e aut h or
remembered to proofread h er essay.
4 Score Essay
W h en I was ten years o ld , my mom h ad anot h er baby. I
h was
appy for h er an d yet I was upset t h at I was no l onger t h e
baby in t h e fami l y. T h is event h appened to me and I
h a d
very mixed fee l ings about getting a baby sister. Did I want a
sister or a brot h er was not w h at mattered. S h e came h ome
from t h e h ospita l and it seemed l i ke everyone forgot about
me, even my grandparents! I was rea ll y upset and I a d to
find some way to be h appy. So, I guess t h at t h ings c h ange
in l ife and so do we.
Before t h e baby was born, actua ll y I was excited. I
didn't
t h ink t h at anyt ing bad wou ld appen in t h e future to me
as a resu l t of t h e baby coming h ome to l ive wit h our fami l y.
But s h e needed a w h o l e l ot more attending t h an h I ad ever
t h oug h t, and I was getting upset t h at my mom was too busy
because of c h anging diapers and feeding t h e baby to pay
attention to me. I comp l ained that I never asked for a sister.
T h ey to ld to me I wou ld be h appy one day t h at h I ad a sister
and friend.