Monday's answer

Monday's answer:
Choice (4) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by logically comparing a person, “Heather,” to another person, “Joanne,” instead of to a possessive noun, “Joanne’s fear.”

Question Type: Improving Sentences
(Writing)

SAT ? of the Day 8/10/08

Sunday's answer:
Choice (2) is correct. In climbing Mount Everest, Tom Whittaker was "bolstered," or supported, by the type of physical preparation required to reach the summit of Mount Everest. "Assiduous," or careful and persistent, preparation coupled with "unflagging determination" would help someone complete such a challenging task.

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.

Unlike her sister Heather, who would always put spiders safely outside if she found them in the house, Joanne’s fear kept her from going anywhere near the creatures.

1. Joanne’s fear kept her from going anywhere near the creatures


2. Joanne’s fear is what kept her from going anywhere near the creatures


3. fear is why Joanne had not gone anywhere near them


4. Joanne was too afraid to go anywhere near the creatures


5. they scared Joanne too much to go anywhere near them

SAT ? of the Day 11/9/08

Friday's answer:
The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where there is an inappropriate verb form. It does not make sense to say that George would prepare for a speech that “he was given” (that was given to him). Instead, “he was to give” is needed.

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.

Bolstered by his unflagging determination and ------- physical preparation, Tom Whittaker became the first amputee to successfully climb to the summit of Mount Everest.

1. fortuitous


2. assiduous


3. heedless


4. expeditious


5. pedantic

SAT ? of the Day 11/7/08

Thursday's answer: 3
Here's Why:
Only “desolate...populated” presents the contrast required by the sentence. The words “corrected the notion” signal that the first word in the correct answer must contrast with the second word because that second word corrects the mistaken notion.

Difficulty: Hard
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.

In order to	prepare for the	speech he	was given
	A		B

to all of the parents and teachers at the school,

George practiced speaking	in front of	a group
	C

of	his friends.	No error
	D	E

1. (A)


2. (B)


3. (C)


4. (D)


5. (E)

Monday's answer: 1.
Here's Why:
“Chimerical” is a word that means fantastic or highly improbable, like turning lead into gold.

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

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.

Demographers and anthropologists have corrected the notion that European explorers in North America entered a ------- territory by showing that the land in some areas was already as densely ------- as parts of Europe.

1. fertile . . settled


2. colossal . . wooded


3. desolate . . populated


4. valuable . . exploited


5. hostile . . concentrated

SAT ? of the Day 11/3/08

Saturday's answer:(5)
Here's Why:
There is no error in this sentence.

Question Type: Identifying Sentence Errors
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.

Their ideal was to combine individual liberty with material equality, a goal that has not yet been realized and that may be as ------- as transmutation of lead into gold.

1. chimerical


2. indispensable


3. historical


4. cynical


5. inharmonious

SAT ? of the Day 11/1/08

Friday's answer: 1.
Here's Why:
A “modicum” is a small amount. Since the artist did not have even a small amount of evidence, the image must have been “speculative”.

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.

The Bear Gulch Limestone Formation	in	Montana is a
	A

sequence of bedded limestone layers	up to	90 feet
	B

thick	and	approximately 8 miles	across.	No error
	C		D	E

1. (A)


2. (B)


3. (C)


4. (D)


5. (E)