SAT ? of the Day

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.

Among	the	most widespread of	marine animals,
A		B

starfish and sea urchins	inhabit	all seas
	C

except that of	the polar regions.	No error
D		E

1. (A)


2. (B)


3. (C)


4. (D)


5. (E)

The error in this sentence occurs at (D), where there is improper pronoun use. The plural pronoun “those” should be used to refer to the plural noun “seas.”

Question Type: Identifying Sentence Errors
(Writing)

SAT ? of the Day

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 well-preserved, 121-million-year-old fossilized bird embryo on display at the museum has several features that suggest that its young could move about and feed themselves very soon after they hatched.

1. its


2. her


3. their


4. the species’


5. for this species

Choice (D) is correct. It avoids the pronoun reference error of the original by using “the species” to indicate the kind of birds (birds of the same species) whose “young could move about … hatched.”

Question Type: Improving Sentences
(Writing)

SAT ? of the Day

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

Even those who do not ------- Robinson’s views ------- him as a candidate who has courageously refused to compromise his convictions.

1. shrink from . . condemn


2. concur with . . recognize


3. profit from . . dismiss


4. disagree with . . envision 


5. dissent from . . remember

It makes sense to say that even those who do not “concur with” Robinson’s views would “recognize” him as someone who has refused to compromise his beliefs.

SAT ? of the Day

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

The graph of y = ƒ(x) is shown above. If 0 t 5, and if (t, v) is on the graph of ƒ, which of the following must be true?

1. –10 v –5


2. –5 v 0


3. 0 v 5


4. 5 v 10


5. 10 v 15

The second coordinate of a point on the graph corresponds to v. From the graph, you can see that for 0 t 5, the smallest value of v is 5 and the greatest value is 10, so 5 v 10.
Answer 4

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

SAT ? of the Day

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.

According to the study, personality traits may vary as much from one dog to another as from one person to another.

1. as


2. as it is


3. as when they are


4. than


5. than they do

Choice (A) is correct. It avoids the errors of the other options by using the idiomatic “as” to complete the phrase “as much … as.”

Question Type: Improving Sentences
(Writing)

SAT ? of the Day

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

A person bought 12 cards for 30 cents. If the next day the price of the cards was 5 cents each, how much did the person save per card by buying at the earlier price?

1. 2 cents


2. 2 cents


3. 3 cents


4. 3 cents


5. 5 cents

You can find the savings per card by subtracting the price per card on the earlier day from the price per card on the later day. Since 12 cards cost 30 cents on the earlier day, the price per card was 30 ÷ 12, or 2 cents. The price per card on the later day was 5 cents, so 5 cents – 2 cents = 2 cents is the amount saved per card by buying at the earlier price.

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

SAT ? of the Day

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.

In	1828 Peter Cooper	opened	the Canton Iron
A		B

Works in Baltimore, Maryland,	there	he built
	C

the country’s first	functional	steam engine, the
	D

"Tom Thumb."	No error
	E

1. (A)


2. (B)


3. (C)


4. (D)


5. (E)

The error in this sentence occurs at (C), where the use of “there” creates a comma splice.

Question Type: Identifying Sentence Errors
(Writing)

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

True to her altruistic beliefs, Natalie ------- the ------- attitude of her colleague that a client represented nothing more than a source of income and an opportunity for advancing one’s professional reputation.

1. applauded . . conscientious


2. condoned . . aggressive


3. lamented . . mercenary


4. adopted . . egotistical


5. belittled . . magnanimous

(3)
Natalie, an “altruistic” person, would lament the attitude of a greedy and ambitious colleague whom she would describe as “mercenary.”

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

SAT ? of the Day

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

If x + 2x is 5 more than y + 2y, then x – y =

1. –5


2. 


3. 


4. 


5. 5

The statement given in words translates into the equation x + 2x = y + 2y + 5. This simplifies to 3x = 3y + 5. Then 3x – 3y = 5, and so 3(x – y) = 5.

It follows that x – y = .

Difficulty: Hard

12th grade meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, 6th period.

SAT ? of the Day

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

Although there is not a great deal we can do to prevent storage of information about ourselves in computer data banks, we are not entirely ------- .

1. indispensable


2. anonymous


3. neglectful


4. helpless


5. remorseless

“Although” is used to introduce two conflicting ideas in this sentence. “Helpless” is the only choice that contrasts with the lack of control presented in the first clause of the sentence.

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

SAT ? of the Day

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

What is the sum of 5 consecutive integers if the middle one is 70?

1. 14


2. 75


3. 272


4. 330


5. 350

You can find the sum of the 5 integers if you know what the integers are. Since the integers are consecutive and the middle (third) one is 70, the integers must be 68, 69, 70, 71, and 72. The sum of these integers is 350.

(If you notice that the sum is (70 – 2) + (70 – 1) + 70 + (70 + 1) + (70 + 2) = 5 · 70 = 350, then the calculation is even easier.)

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

SAT ? of the Day

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.

Whether the Sumerians	were	the first people
	A

to develop	writing is	uncertain,	but	theirs	is the
B		C		D

oldest known writing system.	No error
	E

1. (A)


2. (B)


3. (C)


4. (D)


5. (E)

There is no error in this sentence.

SAT ? of the Day

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.

They determine the color and flavor of honey by the flowers from which the nectar is taken.

1. They determine the color and flavor of honey by the


2. Honey’s color and flavor is determined by which


3. Honey’s color and flavor determined by those


4. The color of honey, and its flavor, determined by the


5. The color and flavor of honey are determined by the

choice (E) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by removing the unnecessary pronoun “They,” and by using a well-constructed phrase, “The color and flavor … are … ”

Question Type: Improving Sentences
(Writing)

SAT ? of the Day

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

A group of Black American fighter pilots known as the Red Tail Angels has the ------- of never having lost any of the bombers it escorted on missions over Europe in the Second World War.

1. onus


2. distinction


3. imperative


4. potential


5. assignment

“Distinction” most aptly describes the status of a group that enjoyed an unblemished record.

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

SAT ? of the Day

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

I found that the writer’s ideas were sufficiently ------- to make me bear with his ------- language.

1. intriguing . . skill with


2. interesting . . abuses of


3. humble . . mastery of


4. shallow . . errors in


5. misguided . . style of

• The key words are “sufficiently,” which indicates a positive response to the writer’s ideas, and “bear with,” which conveys negative feelings toward the writer’s language. Only “interesting...abuses of” provides a corresponding positive-negative relationship. 

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

SAT ? of the Day

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.

The Sun has been shining for	nearly	five billion
	A

years and is thought	that it has	sufficient
	B

thermonuclear fuel in its core	to shine
	C

for about	another five billion.	No error
D		E

1. (A)


2. (B)


3. (C)


4. (D)


5. (E)

• The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where there is awkward and unidiomatic phrasing. The awkward “that it has” should simply be “to have.”

• Question Type: Identifying Sentence Errors
(Writing)