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