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

12 Practice Tests for the SAT
Practice Test Six Answers and Explanations 571
I
6. E
Difficulty: Medium
If Henry goes beyond specific fads and speculates about
general principles, then what is he good at? The key here is
to be able to find a word that means going beyond specific
fads and speculating about general principals. Henry
enjoys that and therefore is a talented abstract thinker.
In (A), a dogmatist is someone who expresses one specific
dogma, or authoritative principle, and therefore probably
doesn't speculate much. In (B), a consultant gives expert
advice, but it doesn't necessarily involve general principles.
In (C), while Henry could be a prodigy, or someone with
exceptional talents or powers, the adjective has nothing to do
with specific fads or general principles. In (D), a materialist
believes that worldly possessions constitute the greatest good
in life-which is out of scope of the sentence and particularly
doesn't have much to do with biology. Choice (E) matches
your prediction nicely.
7. A
Difficulty: High
What traits characterize wetlands? By nature they become
flooded with water. The key words only to become indicate
that although wetlands may dry out during the summer, they
become the opposite of dry during the other seasons. A good
prediction is flooded or wet. It is not necessary to know the
meaning of ephemera/ to deduce the meaning of the word
in the blank, but it is helpful to know that it means fleeting, or
lasting only a short time.
Choice (A) is the correct answer; it means flooded. In (B),
the location of the wetlands does not shift, so they do
not become situated or positioned elsewhere when the
seasons change. In (C), although rainfall that returns with
the wet seasons may rejuvenate, or restore, plant life, this
is too charged a word to use. The sentence is discussing
the state of the wetlands as being dry or wet; not the
consequences of the environment receiving rainfall. In
(D), if the wetlands dry out most summers, what would
they be supplanted, or replaced, with during the other
seasons? They become flooded with water, not replaced
by something else. In (E), this word is in some ways
the opposite of the prediction; rather than the wetlands
becoming filled with water, excavated means the wetlands
would be hollowed out or qug out.
8. E
Difficulty: High
The thesis was rejected because it lacked solid evidence. If
it lacked significant results, then was it based on guesses or
facts? For the second blank, what kind of evidence is based
on tested results? A good prediction for the first blank is
guesses or theory because a thesis is likely to be rejected if
it is based on speculation. For the second blank, choose a
word such as observed or investigated.
In (A), induction, or reasoning, from examples is the
opposite of the prediction. Diminutively, or tiny, is out
of scope. In (B), experimentation can lead to solid
conclusions. Pragmatically, or practically, would fit, but
eliminate this choice based on the first blank. Eliminate
(C) because of the second blank; the sentence does
not discuss public revenue. In (D), bombast means that
his language was too rhetorical or flowery. Theoretically,
or speculatively, is the opposite of the prediction for the
second blank. Choice (E) is the correct answer.
Questions 9-1 O
In this short passage, the author explains that as a kid he
used to feel shortchanged because his birthday fell on
Christmas, but he now likes to avoid making a big deal
about his birthday.
9. A
Difficulty: Medium
Common connotations of the word may not apply in every
context, so you'll need to compare the tone or connotation
of each choice with this particular passage. Be aware
that Vocab-in-Context questions usually test secondary
meanings of words, rather than their most common
meanings. The opening sentence of the passage describes
the combination of two events: Christmas Day and the
narrator's birthday. Since the narrator never indicates that
this union is particularly surprising, it is likely that the cited
word is simply being used to refer to a simultaneous
occurrence of two events.
Choice (A) is a good match for your prediction. Choice
(B) is closer to the primary definition of coincidence, and
it is too strong to match the passage's context. Choice (C)
also captures the primary definition of coincidence, but it is