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

12 Practice Tests for the SAT
480
Practice Test Five Answers and Explanations
30. A
Difficulty: Medium
Expect between five and eight sentences in the Writing
sections to be correct as written. As written, this sentence
contains no error. Choices (B) and (C) are sentence
fragments. Choice (D) reverses the order of the events in
the sentence, indicating that Roth had completed school
before he cultivated his love of poetry and art. Choice (E)
creates a run-on sentence.
31. B
Difficulty: Medium
In order to combine sentences, you must understand how
the ideas in them are related. Choice (B) correctly links the
ideas in the two sentences. Choice (A) simply joins the
ideas without relating them in any way. Choices (C) and
(D) incorrectly relate the new sentence to the remainder of
the paragraph. Choice (E) incorrectly relates the ideas in the
original sentence, creating a cause-and-effect relationship
that is inappropriate in context.
32. A
Difficulty: Medium
Be wary of the pronoun it on the SAT; the testmaker
frequently uses it without a clear antecedent. Choice (A)
eliminates the ambiguity, and it makes the sentence active
rather than passive. Choices (B) and (D) fail to address
the ambiguity error; (B), (C), (D), and (E) all remain in
the passive voice. Additionally, nevertheless in (C) is
inappropriate in context.
33. A
Difficulty: Medium
The gerund (-ing) verb form can never be the predicate
(main) verb in a sentence. Choice (A) corrects the fragment
by replacing the gerund with an appropriate predicate verb.
None of the other choices addresses the error.
34. D
Difficulty: Medium
Your Reading Comprehension skills will be helpful for
about half of all Improving Paragraphs questions. Since
there is a contrast between the idea of someone being
successful in a field and spurning others in that field, a
contrast key word is indicated here. Both (D) and (E)
use contrast transition words, but the contrast in (E) is
between Roth's suspicion and skepticism and his spurning
the art word, which is inappropriate in context; the correct
choice is (D). Choices (A) and (B) create a cause-andeffect
relationship between the ideas that is inappropriate
in context; additionally, (A) creates a sentence fragment.
Choice (C) does not properly relate the sentence to the
rest of the paragraph.
35. A
Difficulty: Medium
Your Reading Comprehension skills will be helpful in about
half of all Improving Paragraphs questions. Choice (A)
is the best choice here, as it continues the paragraph's
theme of Roth's relationship with other artists. The other
answer choices provide details but are not encompassing
statements appropriate in context for a final sentence at the
end of a passage. Choices (B) and (E) contain information
that would most logically be placed in the first paragraph.
Choice (D) would make the most sense at the end of
paragraph 2. Choice (C) is out of scope.
SECTION 6
l. c
Difficulty: Low
Start with the first blank. The key word contrary indicates a
contrast between the blanks. Note the words subsequent
calculations. Calculations are based on researched
evidence, so look for a word that is contrary to fact-based
calculations, something like assumptions. The second blank
must contain a verb that is something calculations would
do, such as verified. For the first blank, eliminate any answer
choices that do not match the prediction assumptions. This
eliminates (D) and (E). Eliminate all choices for the second
blank that are not synonymous with verified. Thus, (A) and
(B) can be eliminated.
Choice (C) is the correct answer.
2. c
Difficulty: Low
Locating the key words in this sentence will help you to
form a prediction. Research in ... and exploration arises
from drives to gain information and explorative behavior.