SAT / of the Day 10/31/08

Thursday's answer: (1)
Thursday, October 30
Correct!
Here's Why:
If x–2 = 16, then = 16, so x2 = .

Difficulty: Medium
Question Type: Standard Multiple Choice
(Mathematics)

Today's ?

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

Ms. Fergusson’s main criticism of the artist’s rendering of the ancient mammal’s physical appearance is that, unsupported by even a ------- of fossil evidence, the image is bound to be ---------.

1. modicum . . speculative


2. particle . . supplemented


3. perusal . . substantiated


4. fabrication . . obsolete


5. recapitulation . . exhausted

SAT ? of the Day 10/30/08

Tuesday's answer (4)
Here's Why:
Only “resourceful” logically completes the sentence: a resourceful woman would be one who is “ready with a clever stratagem or verbal ploy for getting out of a difficult situation.”

Difficulty: Hard
Question Type: Sentence Completions
(Critical Reading)
Today's ?

Read the following SAT test question, then click on a button to select your answer.

If x^–2 = 16, what is the value of x²?

1. 


2. 


3. 2


4. 4


5. 12

SAT ? of the Day 10/28/08

Monday's answer: (2)
If it takes 4 hours for 3 cars , it takes 1 hour and 20 minutes for 1 car; and 6 hours and 40 minutes for 5 cars.

Today's ?

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

Although often victims of circumstance, the heroines of Shakespearean comedy tend to be ------- women, usually ready with a clever stratagem or verbal ploy for getting out of a difficult situation.

1. imperious


2. suffering


3. excitable


4. resourceful


5. precocious

SAT ? of the Day 10/27/08

Saturday's answer:
(4)The world was accustomed to “violence” and expected rioting and bloodshed, but this time the change of government was, on the contrary, “uneventful.”

Difficulty: Medium
Question Type: Sentence Completions
(Critical Reading)

Today's ?:

Read the following SAT test question, then click on a button to select your answer.

A mechanic can install carburetors in 3 cars every 4 hours. At that rate, how long will it take the mechanic to install carburetors in 5 cars?

1. 6 hr 20 min


2. 6 hr 40 min


3. 7 hr 15 min


4. 7 hr 30 min


5. 7 hr 45 min

SAT ? of the Day

Friday's answer: (1)

Correct!

Here's Why:

If N · = · , then by the commutative property of multiplication, N · = · . Multiplying each side of the latter equation by gives N · 1 = · 1, so N = .

Today's ?

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

The world, accustomed to ------- whenever governments change hands, expected rioting and bloodshed; but the transition of power was remarkably ------- .

1. turmoil . . chaotic


2. harmony . . orderly


3. ceremony . . solemn


4. violence . . uneventful


5. splendor . . unpopular

SAT ? of the Day 10/24/08

Thursday's answer:
Choice (A) is correct. It avoids the errors of the other options by correctly using the preposition “as” to introduce the “wide range of purposes” for which the gong is used.

Question Type: Improving Sentences
(Writing)

Today's ?

Read the following SAT test question, then click on a button to select your answer.

If N · = · , then N =

1. 


2. 


3. 5


4. 7


5. 14

SAT ? of the Day 10/23/08

Wednesday's answer:
(D)
Here's Why:
The words filling the blanks are opposites, since if the “explanations” are one thing, it is “unfair to treat them” as the opposite. They are “incidental” and cannot be treated as the opposite of incidental, namely, “essential.”

Difficulty: Medium
Question Type: Sentence Completions
(Critical Reading)

Today's ?

Part of the following sentence is underlined; beneath the sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined material. Select the option that produces the best sentence. If you think the original phrasing produces a better sentence than any of the alternatives, select choice A.

The gong, believed to have originated in Western Asia, reached China in the sixth century, where it continues to be used for a wide range of purposes, including as a military signal, a rhythmic accompaniment for vocal performance, and a ritual instrument.

1. including as


2. which include


3. which includes


4. including


5. they include as

SAT ? of the Day 10/22/08

Tuesday's Answer:
Correct Answer: E

Here's Why:
The intersection of sets S and T is the set of integers that are in S and also in T. Set S consists of all positive integers that are multiples of 7, and set T consists of all positive integers that are multiples of 13, so the intersection of S and T is the set of positive integers that are multiples of both 7 and 13. This is the set of all positive integers that are multiples of 7 × 13 = 91. There are an infinite number of positive integers that are multiples of 91, so there are more than thirteen integers in the intersection of S and T.

Difficulty: Medium
Question Type: Standard Multiple Choice
(Mathematics)
Today's ?

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

Since the explanations offered are ------- to the exposition, it would be unfair to treat them as ------- parts of the studies under consideration.

1. tangential . . subsidiary


2. irrelevant . . superfluous


3. referable . . correspondent


4. incidental . . essential


5. crucial . . immutable

SAT ? of the Day 10/21/08

Mondays' answer:
(D)
Here's Why:
The error in this sentence occurs at (D), where there is an inappropriate verb form. The infinitive “to achieve” is needed to parallel the infinitive “to use.”

Question Type: Identifying Sentence Errors
(Writing)

Today's ?

Read the following SAT test question, then click on a button to select your answer.

If S is the set of positive integers that are multiples
of 7, and if T is the set of positive integers that are multiples of 13, how many integers are in the intersection of S and T?

1. None


2. One


3. Seven


4. Thirteen


5. More than thirteen

SAT ? of the Day 10/20/08

Sunday's answer:
(D) Correct!
Here's Why:
Only “methodical study” and “revolutionary change” match the ideas of “systematic examination” and “overturned entrenched beliefs.”

Difficulty: Medium
Question Type: Sentence Completions
(Critical Reading)

Today's ?

The following sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. If the sentence contains an error, select the one underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence contains no error, select choice E.

Although not	the	first animated	feature film, Disney’s
A		B

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the first

animated film	to use	up-to-the-minute techniques
	C

as well as achieving	widespread release.	No error
D		E

1. (A)


2. (B)


3. (C)


4. (D)


5. (E)

Monday's answer:(2)

Correct!

Here's Why:

From the information given, you can write the proportion 3 cars is to 4 hours as 5 cars is to x hours, where x represents the number of hours the mechanic will take to install carburetors in 5 cars. This gives = , which simplifies to 3x = (4)(5) = 20. Therefore, x = = 6 hours. Since hour is 40 minutes, x is 6 hours 40 minutes.

Today's ?

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

Although often victims of circumstance, the heroines of Shakespearean comedy tend to be ------- women, usually ready with a clever stratagem or verbal ploy for getting out of a difficult situation.

1. imperious


2. suffering


3. excitable


4. resourceful


5. precocious

SAT ? of the Day 10/19/08

Friday's Answer:
Choice (A) is correct. It avoids the errors of the other options by using the idiomatic “distinction of being” to express what the play “won for its author Lorraine Hansberry.”

Question Type: Improving Sentences
(Writing)

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

Barbara McClintock’s systematic examination of corn demonstrated the transposition of genes, a finding that overturned entrenched beliefs and proved that ------- study may produce brilliant insights and ------- change.

1. haphazard . . radical


2. inherent . . controversial


3. improvised . . startling


4. methodical . . revolutionary


5. derivative . . gradual

Today's ?

SAT ? of the Day 10/17/08

Wednesday's Answer: (1)
An equilateral triangle has three equal sides, so the lengths of the three arcs must be equal, and thus each arc is of the circumference of the circle. The circumference of the circle is 2r, so the length of arc AXB is of 2r, or .

Difficulty: Medium
Question Type: Standard Multiple Choice
(Mathematics)

Today's ?

Part of the following sentence is underlined; beneath the sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined material. Select the option that produces the best sentence. If you think the original phrasing produces a better sentence than any of the alternatives, select choice A.

A Raisin in the Sun won for its author Lorraine Hansberry the distinction of being the first African American to receive the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award.

1. of being the first African American to receive


2. to be the first African American receiving


3. of the first African American to receive


4. that she had been the first African American to receive


5. that she was to be the first African American having received

SAT ? of the Day 10/15/08

Tuesday's answer:
The error in this sentence occurs at (D), where there is an improper idiom. What follows each part of the “both...and” construction must be grammatically parallel, but here “both” is followed by the article “the” while “and” is followed by the noun “television programmers.”

Question Type: Identifying Sentence Errors
(Writing)

Today's ?

In the figure above, inscribed triangle ABC is equilateral. If the radius of the circle is r, then the length of arc AXB is

1. 


2. 


3. 


4. 


5. 

October Meetings

Wednesday October 15, 2008
Grade 11 Class of 2010 1st period 7:50
Class of 2009 12:15


We'll be meeting first period in the cafeteria with the 11th graders--checking out Princeton Review's highly graphic "Road Map to College" handout and ramping students up for daily PSAT/SAT training that will be complemented by weekly check-ins with a tutor from our program. It's shaping up for us to have a great ratio of mentors to students in this group so that there will be a lot of opportunity for individual consultation.

With the seniors during 5th period, we'll be meeting in the library so that we can go online with them to set up accounts for the common application and individual colleges and to make a master list/calendar of all the deadlines that are coming up for testing and admission. We will want to revisit the topic of "time management" again--as students are juggling school work, after school activities, and jobs--as well as their daunting--and all too easy to procrastinate on--college planning duties...

SAT ? of the Day 10/13/08

Sunday's answer:
Correct Answer: E

Here's Why:
If a formula gives the nth term of the sequence for all positive integers n, it must give the nth term of the sequence for n = 1, 2, 3, and 4. If n = 1, then 2n = 2 and n2 + 1 = 2, but the first term of the sequence is 3, so the general formula cannot be 2n or n2 + 1. Also, if n = 3, then 2n + 1 = 7 and 3n = 9, but the third term of the sequence is 11, so the general formula cannot be 2n + 1 or 3n. However, for n = 1, 2, 3, and 4, the values of n2 + 2 are 3, 6, 11, and 18, respectively. Therefore, the general formula for this sequence could be n2 + 2.

Difficulty: Medium
Question Type: Standard Multiple Choice
(Mathematics)

Today's ?

The following sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. If the sentence contains an error, select the one underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence contains no error, select choice E.

From its modest beginnings	as	a series of brief
	A

vignettes to	its establishment as	the
	B

longest-running prime-time animated series on

television, The Simpsons	transformed	the way
	C

both the	audiences and television programmers
D

view the animated sitcom.	No error
	E

1. (A)


2. (B)


3. (C)


4. (D)


5. (E)

SAT ? of the Day 10/12/08

Friday's answer: (D)
Here's Why:
The jellyfish is presented as seeming the opposite of harmful. Only “harmless” fits the logic required by “but.”

Difficulty: Easy
Question Type: Sentence Completions
(Critical Reading)

Today's ?:

Read the following SAT test question, then click on a button to select your answer.

3, 6, 11, 18, ...

The first four terms of a sequence are shown above. Which of the following could be the formula that gives the nth term of this sequence for all positive
integers n?

1. 2n


2. 2n + 1


3. 3n


4. n² + 1


5. n² + 2

SAT ? of the Day 10/10/08

Yesterday's Answer:

The error in this sentence occurs at (C), where there is a missing relative pronoun. The relative pronoun “that” should be used (“that surrounds”) to introduce the information about “the icy continent.”

Question Type: Identifying Sentence Errors
(Writing)

Today's ?

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

The jellyfish’s slow pulsing action propels it in a graceful, seemingly ------- drift, but its tentacles contain a poison potent enough to stun a swimming human.

1. sinister


2. rhythmic


3. murky


4. harmless


5. patient

SAT ? of the Day 10/9/08

Yesterday's answer (B)
To be firmly convinced of something, whether it is true or not, is to be certain, or to possess “certitude.”

Difficulty: Medium
Question Type: Sentence Completions
(Critical Reading)

Today's ?

The following sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. If the sentence contains an error, select the one underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence contains no error, select choice E.

Larger	in area	than Europe,	the icy
	A	B

continent	surrounds	the South Pole
	C

is called	Antarctica.	No error
D		E

1. (A)


2. (B)


3. (C)


4. (D)


5. (E)

SAT ? of the Day 10/8/08

Yesterday's Answer
Correct Answer: A

Here's Why:
In order to find the value of x, you should first determine the measure of the angle that is located at point O in the right triangle. To determine this angle, you must calculate what fraction of the circle’s area is unshaded. The radius r of the circle is 5 and its area isr2, or 25. The area of the shaded region is 20, so the area of the unshaded region must be 5. Therefore, the fraction of the circle’s area that is unshaded is
, or . A circle contains a total of 360 degrees of arc, which means that of 360 degrees, or 72 degrees, is the measure of the angle at point O in the unshaded region. Since you now know that two of the three angles in the triangle measure 72 degrees and 90 degrees and that the sum of the measures of the three angles is always 180 degrees, the third angle must measure 18 degrees. Therefore, x = 18.

Difficulty: Hard
Question Type: Standard Multiple Choice
(Mathematics)
Today's ?

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

The test of truth is not ------- , for we have often felt firmly convinced of many things that were not so.

1. implication


2. certitude


3. originality


4. impartiality


5. moderation

SAT ? of the Day 10/7/08

Yesterday's answer:
Choice (D) is correct. It avoids the errors of the original by eliminating the extra subject, "each," and by avoiding subject-verb disagreement.

Question Type: Improving Sentences
(Writing)
Today's ?

Read the following SAT test question, then click on a button to select your answer.

Note: Figure not drawn to scale.

The circle shown above has center O and a radius of length 5. If the area of the shaded region is 20, what is the value of x?

1. 18


2. 36


3. 45


4. 54


5. 72

Hint
You can figure out the area of the whole circle, since you know that the radius is 5. From the area of the whole circle and the area of the shaded part, it is possible to find the measure of the angle that has its vertex at point O and is in the right triangle. Once you find that angle measure, you can find the value of x.

SAT ? of the Day 10/6/08

(2)
Only “triteness” logically completes the sentence; a poem echoing routine feelings might well be described as possessing “triteness,” in contrast to the fresh and unexpected ideas that Anne Spencer’s poems go on to express.

Difficulty: Hard
Question Type: Sentence Completions
(Critical Reading)

Today's ?

Part of the following sentence is underlined; beneath the sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined material. Select the option that produces the best sentence. If you think the original phrasing produces a better sentence than any of the alternatives, select choice A.

The moose and the wapiti are the largest members of the deer family, each of them are found in North America, Europe, and Asia.

1. family, each of them are


2. family, both are


3. family, which are


4. family and are both


5. family and each are

SAT ? of the Day 10/4/08

Correct answer: (C)
To evaluate the expression 3(y – x), it is necessary to determine the values of x and y. Since the sum of the measures of the angles of any triangle is 180 degrees, and a right angle has measure 90 degrees, the value of x can be found by solving the equation x + x + 90 = 180. This yields x = 45. The value of y can be found by solving the equation y + y + y = 180. This yields y = 60. Finally, the values for x and y are substituted into the expression 3(y – x) to obtain 3(60 – 45) = 3(15) = 45.

Difficulty: Medium
Question Type: Standard Multiple Choice
(Mathematics)

Today's ?

Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

The language of Anne Spencer’s poetry conveys an impression of ------- that can be misleading: just when a poem seems to be echoing routine feelings, the diction suddenly sharpens to embody fresh and unexpected ideas.

1. frivolity


2. triteness


3. diversity


4. lyricism


5. precision

SAT ? of the Day 10/3/08

Yesterday's ?
The error in this sentence occurs at (A), where there is subject-verb disagreement. The singular verb “is” does not agree with the plural subject “Ballet, modern dance, and Indian classical dance.” The plural verb “are” should be used instead. In addition, the singular noun “form” should be changed to the plural noun “forms.”

Question Type: Identifying Sentence Errors
(Writing)


Today's ?

Read the following SAT test question, then click on a button to select your answer.

In the triangles above, 3(y – x) =

1. 15


2. 30


3. 45


4. 60


5. 105

SAT ? of the Day 10/2/08

Yesterday's Answer (B)
The market “seems” to have been opened long ago, but the term “Although” indicates that it was not. The market must have opened “recently.”

Difficulty: Easy
Question Type: Sentence Completions
(Critical Reading)

Today's ?

The following sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. If the sentence contains an error, select the one underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence contains no error, select choice E.

Ballet, modern dance, and Indian classical dance

is a form	of theater dance, the dancers usually
A

highly trained	professionals	performing for
B		C

audiences	in particular	venues and on special
	D

occasions.	No error
	E

1. (A)


2. (B)


3. (C)


4. (D)


5. (E)