Practice for the SAT® Reading and Writing Section

Words in Context

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

Biologists studying hydrothermal vents were surprised to find microbial communities operating in extreme environments. Rather than relying on sunlight, these organisms synthesize energy from inorganic compounds, demonstrating a remarkably [__________] metabolic system capable of enduring immense pressure and toxic chemical levels.

Text Purpose

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

The following text is adapted from Jane Austen’s 1813 novel, Pride and Prejudice.

"Elizabeth’s courage always rose at every attempt to intimidate her. She would not be frightened into giving up a purpose which she had once formed, nor could the condescending tone of Lady Catherine daunt a spirit that was naturally independent."

Text Structure

Which choice best describes the function of the second sentence in the overall structure of the text?

In 1912, Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of continental drift, suggesting that Earth’s continents were once joined in a single supercontinent. At the time, the mainstream scientific community rejected his idea due to the lack of a plausible physical mechanism explaining how continents could move through the solid ocean floor. It was not until the 1960s, with the discovery of seafloor spreading, that Wegener’s fundamental concept was validated.

Central Idea

Which choice best states the central idea of the text?

While historical biographies often present political leaders as solitary visionaries, critical historians emphasize that major policy shifts are rarely the result of individual volition. Instead, legislative transformations typically emerge from long-standing grassroots movements, socio-economic pressures, and institutional coalitions that constrain and direct executive choices.

Inference

Based on the text, what can most reasonably be inferred about asphalt and concrete?

Researchers analyzing heat islands in urban environments evaluated temperature data across fifty cities. They observed that neighborhoods with dense tree canopies registered ambient air temperatures up to 5°F lower than adjacent industrial districts dominated by asphalt and concrete. The researchers concluded that strategic urban forestry offers a measurable cooling effect in vulnerable residential zones.

Text Structure

Which choice best describes the overall development of the pamphlets' strategy?

Textual analysis of 19th-century abolitionist pamphlets reveals a shift in rhetorical strategy between 1830 and 1850. Early documents framed emancipation primarily as a moral imperative rooted in Christian ethics. Later pamphlets, however, increasingly emphasized economic arguments, detailing how free-labor systems generated higher productivity and market stability than slave-labor agricultural models.

Command of Evidence

Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement?

Agricultural researchers tested three wheat crop strains under drought conditions to evaluate performance during extended water shortages. The data recorded during the trial show that [__________].

Table: Crop Yield and Water Metrics under Simulated Drought Conditions

Command of Evidence

Which finding, if true, would most directly support the scientists' hypothesis?

A team of marine biologists monitored coral reef recovery rates following extreme temperature spikes. They found that reefs situated in marine protected areas with strict fishing restrictions recovered twice as fast as unprotected reefs. The scientists hypothesized that healthy populations of herbivorous fish—unaffected by overfishing—kept algae growth in check, allowing young coral larvae space to settle and grow.

Inference

Which choice most logically completes the sentence based on the trial results?

A cognitive psychologist tested memory retention by having two groups study a list of fifty vocabulary terms. Group 1 studied for four continuous hours on a single day. Group 2 studied for one hour per day over four consecutive days. Testing revealed that Group 2 retained 35% more terms on a delayed test administered one week later. The researcher concluded that [__________].

Author Perspective

Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the claims made by the advocates in Text 1?

Text 1: Advocates of orbital solar power argue that launching photovoltaic arrays into Earth's orbit could solve global clean energy challenges. Unfiltered by atmospheric interference, orbital solar panels harvest sunlight continuously, beaming energy to terrestrial receivers via safe microwave transmissions. Proponents claim this technology provides uninterrupted baseload power regardless of weather or time of day.

Text 2: While orbital solar power sounds promising, the technical and financial hurdles remain colossal. Launching heavy payloads into low-Earth orbit requires massive capital investment and generates substantial carbon emissions during rocket launches. Furthermore, servicing damaged orbital arrays presents severe operational hazards, making ground-based renewables paired with modern battery storage a far more economical immediate solution.

Questions 10–11 refer to the following two texts.

Synthesis

Which topic is addressed by both Text 1 and Text 2?

Point of View

Which choice best describes the relation between Bloom's view and the view of contemporary critics described in the text?

Although literary critic Harold Bloom argued that great authors are driven primarily by a desire to surpass their literary predecessors, contemporary critics often view text creation as a collaborative dialogue. Rather than attempting to eclipse past writers, modern authors frequently quote, adapt, and reframe legacy texts to comment on contemporary social issues.

Inference

Which choice best completes the text with the most logical conclusion?

In an experiment evaluating plant communication, researchers subjected tomato plants to drought stress. They observed that stressed plants emitted airborne volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Nearby, unstressed tomato plants exposed to these airborne VOCs preemptively activated their own drought-response genes, conserving water before soil moisture levels actually dropped.

Words in Context

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

Linguists studying language death note that when a language loses its last native speakers, more than vocabulary is lost; entire systems of ecological knowledge, indigenous history, and unique cognitive frameworks disappear. Consequently, preservation efforts that focus solely on publishing dictionaries often fail to preserve the [__________] cultural heritage embedded within spoken oral traditions.

Explicit Details

Based on the text, what reason does Jefferson give for opposing government interference in personal opinion?

Adapted from Thomas Jefferson’s Notes on the State of Virginia (1785):

"It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself. Subject opinion to coercion: whom will you make your inquisitors? Fallible men; men governed by bad passions, by private as well as public reasons."