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

12 Practice Tests for the SAT
572 Practice Test Six Answers and Explanations
not a good match for the text itself. Choice (D), fate, is not
mentioned in the passage. In (E), the word quirky suggests
an unexpectedness that doesn't make sense in the context
of this passage.
10. c
Difficulty: Medium
The correct answer must fit the context and express a
meaning of the cited word. Watch out for choices that meet
one of these criteria but not the other. When a passage
suggests that some sort of change has taken place, thinking
about that change may help you identify the correct choice.
Make a connection to the opening sentence, where the
narrator suggests that his feelings about the timing of his
birthday have changed. Although the coincidence caused
him unhappiness as a child, he now feels that it enables
him to evade a birthday's inane pageantry. This phrasing
suggests that the author is using the word cover to say that
Christmas is able to conceal his birthday, allowing him to
avoid pageantry that may be insincere.
In (A), this definition does not make sense in the context.
In (B), while this choice captures the author's meaning,
it does not match the cited word. Choice (C) is a great
match for your prediction. In (D), this is one definition of
the word, but it does not fit the context of the passage. In
(E), this definition is close, but it implies a change in one's
appearance that makes no sense in this context.
Questions 11- 12
The author of this passage gives a couple reasons why the
three-toed sloth is different from most wild animals.
11. A
Difficulty: Low
Remember that Inference questions do not ask you to
stray far from the text when drawing a conclusion. When
evaluating the implications of an author's description, think
about what particular aspects of the description are relevant
in the context. The author states that sloths move from
branch to branch almost imperceptibly, implying that their
movements are so slow or gradual that they're difficult to
notice or detect.
Choice (A) is a good fit for your prediction. Choice (B) is out
of scope; the author does not indicate whether or not such
slowness is intentional, only that sloths tend to move slowly.
Choice (C) is out of scope; the author does not discuss
whether or not sloths rely upon their slowness or stealth
to survive. Choice (D) is distortion; the author never states
that sloths are unable to move faster. Choice (E) is extreme;
although the passage states that sloths are rarely sighted, it
does not go so far as to suggest that they are impossible to
observe.
12. c
Difficulty: Medium
Pay careful attention to the structure of the passage. Since
lack of speed and a tendency to hang upside down are
presented as two separate points in the passage, be sure to
identify what they are points about. Rather than answering
Detail questions from memory, always use the clues
provided in the question to guide you through the text. The
author says that some of the sloth's characteristics seem
to run counter to the instincts displayed by almost all wild
animals. Two such characteristics are discussed: lack of
speed and a tendency to hang upside down. The correct
choice will note that these are differences between sloths
and almost all other wild animals.
Choice (A) is extreme; although the author suggests that
these characteristics distinguish sloths from almost all other
wild animals, this statement is too strong for the text. Choice
(B) is distortion; the author never states why sloths were
long mistaken for a species of monkey. Choice (C) is a
good match for your prediction. Choice (D) is an irrelevant
detail; the passage says that sloths do these things upside
down, but it does not suggest that this is detrimental to
them. Choice (E) is out of scope; the passage does not
describe sloths as vulnerable to predators.
Questions 13-24
Paragraph 1 of Passage 1 proposes that the key thing
that separates humans from animals is the ability to use
language. Paragraph 2 explains that using language is
different from the way birds or dolphins communicate with
one another. In paragraph 3, the author says that humans
appear more intelligent than other animals because we
have a natural affinity for language. In paragraph 4, he
concludes that language is instinctual for humans, just as
flying south for the winter is instinctual for geese.