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

12 Practice Tests for the SAT
574 Practice Test Six Answers and Explanations
the author's meaning when you can place his words in
the context of a broader argument. The author here is
contrasting the idea of language as an ingenious invention
with the idea of it as a genetic birthright suggesting that it
is a gift of our genes rather than a product of our labor and
wit. Find the answer choice that best fits this paraphrase.
Choice (A) is a good match for the author's intended
meaning. Choice (B) is an opposite; the author is in fact
arguing that language is unique to the human species.
Choice (C) is out of scope; the author never makes an
argument that humans deserve language or discusses
anyone desiring it. Choice (D) is an opposite; the actual
argument is that language is a natural product of the way the
human brain works. Choice (E) is an irrelevant detail; the
reference to culture would be more appropriate for Passage
2, but it makes little sense even in that passage's context.
18. D
Difficulty: Medium
Go back to both of the sentences in question and examine
how the references fit into the surrounding argument.
Ask yourself what is common or similar between the two
usages. Both authors gently suggest that their general line
of thought is supported by professional researchers in their
respective fields; predict that both authors are using the
examples to add academic weight to their reasoning.
Choice (A) is out of scope; there is no evidence that either
passage takes a negative tone toward the researchers.
Choice (B) is out of scope; again, there is no evidence
that either author considers the academics to be incorrect.
Choice (C) is out of scope; neither author claims to actually
be a researcher in these fields. Choice (D) is a good match
for your prediction. Choice (E) is distortion; this choice
really only fits for the anthropologists, whereas linguists are
devoted only to the systematic study of language itself.
19. E
Difficulty: Medium
Reread the sentence in question again and try to determine
the author's tone toward his subject matter. In a question
like this, a good grasp of the author's intended tone can
be a big help in making an accurate prediction. The tone
appears to be fairly straightforward in giving the term the
Founding Fathers used for political parties; predict that the
author is simply mentioning a historical term.
Choice (A) is out of scope; the author never gives any
indication that the word is misunderstood. Choice (B)
is extreme; the author's tone is fairly neutral toward his
subject matter. Choice (C) is extreme; again, the author's
tone is not particularly negative. Choice (D) is out of
scope; the tone is accurate, but the author never directly
refers to a particular document. Choice (E) is a good fit for
your prediction.
20. B
Difficulty: Medium
Although the answer choices do not contain content from
the passage, you should still refer to the content mentioned
in the question stem to help you figure out the main point
of the question. From the passage, some Founding Fathers
would likely be appalled at Americans' easy acceptance
of the two-party system. Look for an answer choice that
provides an example of this idea.
Choice (A) is out of scope; this example does not really
apply to any of the passage's points. Choice (B) is a good
fit for your prediction. Choice (C) is an irrelevant detail; this
might be applicable to the tribal ancestors mentioned later
in the passage, but not the Founding Fathers. Choice (D) is
an irrelevant detail; again, this might apply to other parts of
the passage, but not the part concerning the framers of the
Constitution. Choice (E) is out of scope; this does not really
have anything to do with the passage.
21. D
Difficulty: Medium
This question does not refer to any part of a passage
directly, but you should remember that language is
discussed in the second passage only briefly. Your
prediction should agree with both the language content
in Passage 2 and the general assumptions of Passage l.
Passage 2 mentions language as a way of identifying
friendly members of one's own group; although this
particular issue is not raised in Passage 1, you can make a
more general prediction about the adaptative benefits of
language.
Choice (A) is an irrelevant detail; this really only applies
to the author of Passage 1. Choice (B) is an irrelevant
detail; this could work for the author of Passage 2, but not
Passage 1. Choice (C) is out of scope; this is not mentioned
anywhere in Passage 2 and directly contradicts Passage l.
Choice (D) is a good generalization that matches your