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

12 Practice Tests for the SAT
492
Practice Test Five Answers and Explanations
10. B
Difficulty: Medium
What word could best describe something that would cause
a man to run like he was being chased down? Here, the
key to this Detail question is recognizing the tone of the
specific situations the author presents. Since this question
asks for a description of the streets, the words used by the
author should lead you to your answer. The author states
that Oscar ran in the shadows, and the streets darkened
and were silenced. Perhaps the most telling clue, however,
is that although Oscar was completely alone, he ran like a
man being chased down. Look for the answer choice with
the adjective that best reflects such descriptions.
Choice (A) is out of scope; there is no indication that the
streets were obstructed. Choice (B) should match your
prediction; the streets upon which Oscar ran are best
described as threatening. Choice (C) is an opposite; the
passage states that Oscar was completely alone. Choice
(D) is extreme; certainly the author's description of the
streets conveyed some element of danger, but deadly is
too extreme to be correct. Choice (E) is an opposite; the
passage states that The streets ... were silenced, which
directly contradicts the assertion that they were noisy.
11. D
Difficulty: High
Oscar's impressions and Celia's observations, though of
two totally separate scenes, convey something very similar
about how both characters feel about themselves. What
is it? Authors intentionally employ detail and description
in their writing to help establish elements of the character
as well as to compare and contrast that character to
other characters or situations. It is important to recognize
that Oscar's impressions and Celia's observations share
a common theme. This is illustrated by the fact that the
seemingly positive images in line 39-40 taunted Oscar and
pushed him even further into the shadows, and Celia felt
that the sophisticated women were on the inside of some
joke to which [she] was not privy. Predict what the author
was trying to establish about both of the characters by using
these examples.
Choice (A) is an opposite; in fact, Oscar's impressions and
Celia's observations can be characterized as melancholy.
Choice (B) is an opposite; Oscar's impressions and Celia's
observations paint both characters as discontented.
Choice (C) is distortion; Oscar's impressions and Celia's
observations are descriptive of New York City lifestyles, but
that is not their primary function within the passage. Choice
(D) is the correct choice; the descriptions in the passage
convey the sense that both Oscar and Celia share a feeling
of being on the outside looking in. Choice (E) is out of
scope; you could characterize Celia's personality as brooding,
but Oscar's personality cannot be described as joyful.
12. c
Difficulty: Low
What does the description of Oscar's pace before it flags
most likely indicate about the word's meaning? Flag
functions to indicate a change in Oscar's pace, but your
answer needs to be more specific. In a straightforward
vocabulary question such as this one, your best approach
is to simply replace the word in question with each of
the given choices to see which makes the most sense
in context. Use this approach to help you arrive at your
prediction.
Choice (A) is distortion; this is an alternate definition of flag
that makes no sense in context. Choice (B) is an opposite;
Oscar was already running at top speed like a man being
chased down, so it makes no sense that his pace would
revive as he neared his apartment. Choice (C) is the best
match; it fits perfectly in context. Choice (D) is distortion;
this is another alternate definition of flag that makes no
sense in context. Choice (E) is out of scope; nothing in the
surrounding context indicates that Oscar fell down.
13. D
Difficulty: Low
Oscar did not ignore the doorman; he was unaware of him.
What does this tell you about his state of mind at the time?
A strong vocabulary is important for Inference questions.
Often, knowing the definition of one tough word will
provide a big clue to your answer. Usually, when a person
is oblivious to a person or a thing, it means that he or she
is completely unaware of that person or thing's existence.
Using what you have been given about Oscar's character in
the passage, make a prediction that would best explain how
Oscar could be unaware of the doorman.
Choice (A) is out of scope; there is nothing to suggest that
the doorman has a weak voice. Choice (B) is distortion;
this implies that Oscar was ignoring the doorman, not
unaware of him. Choice (C) is out of scope; nothing in the
passage suggests Oscar requires a hearing aid. Choice (D)