SAT Practice Test 2 - SAT Reading & Writing

1. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
   Answer: gradual The blank needs a word describing how the newspaper's decline unfolds. The passage says coverage has thinned 'over the years' as staffing dropped and civic reporting became 'irregular and incomplete'—a slow, steady weakening rather than a single event. 'Gradual' captures this pace precisely. 'Widespread' describes how far something spreads, not how quickly it happens; the passage tracks a decline in intensity over time, not a decline across many places. 'Deliberate' implies the erosion was intentionally planned, but the passage attributes it to shrinking ad revenue and staff cuts, not anyone's choice to weaken accountability. 'Reversible' suggests the loss can be undone, yet nothing in the passage points toward recovery—only continued thinning. Because only 'gradual' matches the passage's emphasis on a decline that accumulates over time, it is the single best answer.
2. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
   Answer: ceremonial Because the agreement confers prestige without power, it is best described as ceremonial. The other options imply force, temporariness, or punishment, none of which is supported by the context.
3. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
   Answer: galvanize The goal is to spur action; 'galvanize' means energize into action. 'Appease' calms, 'obscure' hides information, and 'deter' takes 'from' (not 'into') and discourages action.
4. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
   Answer: integral Integral means essential, fitting the described ecological importance. Marginal and incidental suggest unimportance, and capricious means unpredictable, which is irrelevant here.
5. Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the overall structure of the text?
   Answer: Introduces evidence that challenges the initial explanation. By showing continued ship arrivals, the sentence calls into question the hurricane-as-sudden-collapse explanation. It neither defines a term, summarizes the whole passage, nor offers a hypothetical.
6. Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
   Answer: To challenge the myth of solitary invention by highlighting collaborative and institutional conditions The passage argues against the lone-genius narrative, emphasizing collaboration and institutions. The other choices are overly broad (A), a narrow anecdotal focus (B), or an extreme claim the author does not make (D).
7. Based on Text 2, which claim most directly challenges an assumption underlying Text 1's argument?
   Answer: Mode shift from cars to bikes may be limited by distance, weather, and transit availability, so congestion may not decrease simply because a bike lane is added. Text 1 assumes that safer cycling infrastructure will lead to mode shift from cars to bikes, reducing congestion. Text 2 challenges this assumption by arguing that 'in neighborhoods with limited transit and long commuting distances, few drivers can realistically switch to biking, especially in extreme weather.' This directly questions whether the supply-creates-demand principle applies universally. Choice B correctly identifies this challenge - mode shift may be limited by distance, weather, and transit availability, so adding bike lanes may not automatically reduce congestion. Choice A discusses complaint patterns, not assumptions. Choice C supports Text 1's logic about induced demand. Choice D discusses safety benefits without challenging Text 1's congestion argument.
8. Which finding, if true, would most directly support the scholar's claim?
   Answer: Across 50 cities, bans without fees saw no net change in plastic waste because of increased small trash bag purchases, whereas bans paired with a 10-cent fee saw a 20 percent decline. The claim predicts a specific divergence: a ban alone should produce no net reduction, while a ban plus a fee should produce a substantial drop. The finding comparing 50 cities shows exactly that split—no change under ban-only conditions, a 20 percent decline once a fee is added—so it directly tests and supports the economist's prediction. The shrink-wrap finding measures warehouse packaging, not consumer checkout behavior, so it is the wrong scope. The one-week spike that returns to baseline describes only a temporary effect and, without any fee, cannot show the ban-plus-fee contrast the claim depends on. The finding about education and recycling funding shows a correlation between bans and other city choices, but says nothing about whether fees change plastic-waste outcomes, so it neither confirms nor tests the mechanism. Only the two-condition comparison isolates the divergence the economist claims.
9. Which choice most accurately represents information from the table?
   Answer: Biology is 86%, above Chemistry's 81% but below Psychology's 90%. The report claims that Biology's completion rate was higher than Chemistry's but lower than Psychology's, establishing the order: Chemistry < Biology < Psychology. From the table: Chemistry = 81%, Biology = 86%, Psychology = 90%. This confirms the order 81% < 86% < 90%, matching the claim. Choice A correctly states that Biology's 86% is above Chemistry's 81% but below Psychology's 90%. Choice B incorrectly assigns 81% to Biology and 86% to Chemistry, reversing their actual values. When verifying ordered relationships, check that all three values maintain the stated sequence.
10. Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the text?
    Answer: $12.0M to $18.5M, a $6.5M increase from Q1 to Q4. The analyst claims that Electronics had the greatest increase in online sales from Q1 to Q4 among all categories, so we need data showing the largest dollar growth for one category over that period. From the table, choice A indicates Electronics rose from $12.0M to $18.5M, a $6.5M increase, which is higher than the increases in other choices presumed for other categories. This comparison highlights Electronics as having the maximum gain. Choice B cites a $3.5M increase from $9.5M to $13.0M, which is accurate but smaller and thus does not support Electronics having the greatest; similarly, choices C and D show even smaller gains. When comparing categories in tables, calculate changes for each to verify which matches the claim of superiority.
11. Which choice most logically completes the text?
    Answer: area-wide seasonal trends cannot by themselves account for the improvements seen at Midway. The passage sets up a comparison: Midway changed its start time while Northview did not, yet only Midway improved. Because both districts experienced the same season, region-wide seasonal forces would have affected them equally—so those trends alone cannot explain Midway's gains. That is why the correct choice says area-wide seasonal trends cannot by themselves account for Midway's improvements. The claim that later start times will always guarantee improvement overgeneralizes from one district and one semester of data. The claim that declining tardiness prompted the schedule change reverses the cause and effect—the later start came first and reduced tardiness, not the other way around. The claim that Northview's unchanged schedule caused its students to lose sleep contradicts the passage, which reports no change at Northview, not a decline. Only one choice follows logically from the evidence.
12. Which choice most logically completes the text?
    Answer: reducing upward light emission likely caused the observed decrease in collisions. B follows because the only systematically changed variable was upward light emission and collision declines occurred only where shields were installed. A is an unsupported alternative cause, C reverses cause and effect, and D overgeneralizes beyond the study.
13. Which choice most logically completes the text?
    Answer: repeated familiarity with the exam and greater exercise as sources of the observed gains. Because the two groups took alternate forms of the test, ordinary familiarity from retaking the same exam can't explain the gains—and since wearable trackers showed activity didn't change, more exercise can't either. So those two factors are exactly what the study lets researchers dismiss. The option about lasting health improvements for everyone overgeneralizes: the trial measured a cognitive-test score over six weeks, not broad or long-term health, and only one group improved. The option naming sharper thinking as the reason people slept more regularly reverses cause and effect—the schedule was assigned to the sleep group, so better cognition is the outcome, not the trigger. The option about volunteers preferring one test version fails because the study never measured any preference and preferences don't account for the score increase. Only the first choice names factors the design and measurements actually rule out.
14. Which choice most logically completes the text?
    Answer: in the examined records, widespread drought coincided only with years that combined high aerosols with a positive wind index. The dataset shows widespread drought only when both high aerosols and a positive wind index occurred together. The other choices assert causation, universal effects, or a comparative importance not supported by the co-occurrence evidence.
15. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
    Answer: the visitors The introductory modifier must logically describe the subject that follows, so 'the visitors' is correct. The other options are not people and cannot perform the action of walking and noticing.
16. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
    Answer: the city engineers The modifier 'After reviewing...' must modify the doer of the action, which is 'the city engineers.' The other options are things that cannot review data and thus create a dangling modifier.
17. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
    Answer: a volunteer The introductory modifier "Glancing..." must describe the noun that follows it, so a person ("a volunteer") must be the subject. The other choices are inanimate and would create a dangling modifier.
18. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
    Answer: this division This division' clearly and specifically refers to the committee's split and agrees with the singular verb 'has.' 'They' and 'those' are plural (mismatching 'has'), and 'it' is vague and does not clearly identify the antecedent.
19. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
    Answer: teachers' shelves Because the supplies belong to many teachers, the plural possessive 'teachers' shelves' is required. The other choices misuse punctuation or number: a comma or semicolon wrongly splits the noun phrase, and 'teacher's' is singular.
20. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
    Answer: factors: abundant A colon correctly introduces a list after an independent clause. The comma and semicolon are incorrect because what follows is not an independent clause, and adding 'so' changes the structure and meaning.
21. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
    Answer: test; therefore, they postponed A conjunctive adverb like 'therefore' must be preceded by a semicolon and followed by a comma. The other choices create a comma splice, an illogical or off-topic causal connector, or misuse a colon.
22. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
    Answer: Additionally, Additionally adds another supportive benefit that complements the first sentence's findings. Therefore suggests causation, However and Even so introduce contrast that the second sentence does not express.
23. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
    Answer: However, Contrast fits because the outcome conflicts with the app's promises. Therefore, Moreover, and Meanwhile signal cause/effect, addition, and time, which do not capture this contradiction.
24. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
    Answer: Nevertheless, B signals concession/contrast: despite impartiality claims, audits show disparities. Consequently implies cause/effect, Furthermore adds support, and Meanwhile is temporal.
25. The student wants to highlight urban planning features that show the Indus Valley's engineering sophistication. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
    Answer: Sites such as Harappa and Mohenjo-daro used grid-like street plans and included advanced drainage systems, reflecting careful urban planning and strong engineering capabilities. To highlight urban planning features that show the Indus Valley's engineering sophistication, the answer must describe specific planning elements that demonstrate advanced engineering. The correct answer combines information from bullets 2 and 3, mentioning sites like Harappa and Mohenjo-daro that used grid-like street plans and included advanced drainage systems, reflecting careful urban planning and strong engineering capabilities. Choice A discusses the civilization's timeframe and decline but doesn't highlight engineering features. When asked to highlight features showing sophistication, provide concrete examples of advanced techniques.
26. The student wants to emphasize that adding housing capacity alone will not deliver transit goals without service and parking reforms. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
    Answer: Allowing more units alone has not shifted travel: bus headways remain 20 minutes and residents keep cars, while ridership grew elsewhere only when cities combined frequent service with reduced parking requirements. C synthesizes headways, resident behavior, and comparative evidence to show housing alone is insufficient. A and B are tangential; D contradicts the notes' condition for ridership growth.
27. The student wants to emphasize obstacles to scaling coral restoration across entire reef systems. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
    Answer: Funding limits restrict work to small plots, while storm surges can dislodge new transplants unless stabilized; meanwhile, more frequent bleaching affects restored and wild reefs, undermining progress at broader scales. Choice D synthesizes funding constraints, physical dislodgement risks, and widespread bleaching to show scaling challenges. A and B describe methods or resilience, not scaling obstacles; C contradicts the notes about limited funding and increasing stress.
28. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
    Answer: effective The passage lists concrete outcomes—cleaner water, faster floodwater drainage, and returning shorebirds—that convinced committees the plan produced real results. "Effective" captures that it worked, which is why funding doubled. "Tentative" suggests something uncertain or preliminary, but the measurable gains are already documented. "Controversial" would imply disagreement, yet the passage describes agreement and increased support, not dispute. "Expensive" describes cost, which the passage never raises and which would not explain why the committees were persuaded the plan succeeded. Only "effective" fits the contrast between merely symbolic and genuinely producing outcomes.
29. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
    Answer: symbolic Given the emphasis on limited, image-focused measures, a merely symbolic gesture contrasts with a substantive policy shift. The other options do not match the context: a gesture is not lucrative, erratic miscasts consistency, and premature addresses timing rather than substance.
30. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
    Answer: catalyst Because the grant spurred action and collaboration, 'catalyst' is the precise noun. 'Stalemate' is an impasse, 'anecdote' a brief story, and 'facsimile' a copy—none indicate initiating progress.
31. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
    Answer: unequivocal The passage stresses that independent groups, even with crude early models, all saw the same clear, consistent trend—so the signal is "unequivocal," meaning admitting no doubt. "Provisional" suggests a tentative, subject-to-revision result, but the point is that the outcome was consistent and reliable, not preliminary. "Anomalous" means deviating from the expected pattern, yet the text describes a systematic, repeated trend, the opposite of an anomaly. "Localized" implies the effect was confined to one place, which contradicts the passage's description of a global temperature rise with wide-ranging effects on heat waves and precipitation. Only "unequivocal" captures the clear, undeniable nature of the shared signal.
32. Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the overall structure of the text?
    Answer: Qualifies the prior generalization by identifying a limiting condition the next sentences explore. The sentence introduces a boundary to the earlier generalization and prepares for evidence about exceptions. It neither restates the claim unchanged, touts benefits, nor merely shifts from theory to summary.
33. Which statement best describes how the viewpoint in Text 2 differs from that in Text 1?
    Answer: Text 2 acknowledges potential increases in home energy use but suggests policy adjustments that could make remote work environmentally beneficial. Text 1 warns that remote work may increase total energy consumption by dispersing heating/cooling to individual homes instead of shared offices. Text 2 acknowledges this possibility ('Home energy use can rise') but challenges the assumption that offices are automatically efficient. Text 2 points out that many buildings maintain systems 'regardless of occupancy' and adds that remote work reduces peak-hour traffic congestion. The key difference is Text 2's proposal for policy solutions: 'cities should incentivize home efficiency upgrades and require offices to scale energy use to actual occupancy.' Choice C correctly identifies this relationship - Text 2 acknowledges the home energy concern but suggests policy adjustments to make remote work environmentally beneficial. Choices A, B, and D all misrepresent Text 2's nuanced position.
34. Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
    Answer: Wetland restoration can succeed even without an immediate return of a target species. The passage argues that ecological restoration should be measured by ecosystem recovery, not the immediate return of a single species. Chen describes initial disappointment when the rail bird didn't appear, then shows how the wetland actually succeeded in other ways (doubled insect diversity, returning fish). The passage concludes that judging restoration by "food webs and habitat functions" is more appropriate than expecting instant results for one "charismatic species." Choice B incorrectly makes storms the primary focus when they're mentioned only as one challenge, missing Chen's broader argument about how we should evaluate restoration success.
35. Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
    Answer: To argue that evaluating productivity by hours worked is misguided and to suggest focusing on conditions that enable results The author criticizes hours-as-output thinking and recommends emphasizing conditions that produce results. The other choices mistake the analogy for the main point, introduce claims of ease, or propose a universal metric the text does not offer.
36. Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
    Answer: To argue that conservation should accept and steer natural change rather than attempt to lock ecosystems in place The author argues for conservation that works with ongoing natural change rather than freezing landscapes. The other options are either too narrow (a single dune), overstate the claim (unmanageable), or describe a format the passage does not use (a policy list).
37. Which finding, if true, would most directly support the scholar's claim?
    Answer: Across matched neighborhoods with equal canopy cover and identical watering schedules, those with higher tree-species diversity showed significantly lower surface temperatures and higher latent heat flux. The scholar argues that diversity itself cools cities even when canopy and irrigation are the same. The best support compares neighborhoods matched on canopy and watering and finds that greater species diversity alone produces cooler surfaces and more latent heat exchange—exactly the prediction. The choice about the largest contiguous canopy credits leaf area, the very factor the scholar wants to hold constant, so it says nothing about diversity's independent effect. The choice about 1960s tree planting and heat-related deaths is correlational, uses a different outcome and timeframe, and never separates diversity from canopy. The choice linking wealthier neighborhoods to both diverse trees and cooler temperatures introduces income as a confounder, so any cooling could stem from wealth-related factors rather than diversity. Only the matched-neighborhood finding isolates diversity while equalizing canopy and irrigation, making it the single directly supporting result.
38. Which choice best describes data from the table that support the claim?
    Answer: Solar rose 16 TWh (2 to 18), while wind rose 12 TWh (10 to 22). The claim states that solar generation grew by a larger amount than wind generation, so we need to calculate the absolute change for each source. Solar increased from 2 to 18 TWh, a growth of 16 TWh. Wind increased from 10 to 22 TWh, a growth of 12 TWh. Since 16 TWh (solar) is greater than 12 TWh (wind), the claim is supported. Choice A correctly presents these calculations. Choice C incorrectly states that solar reached 22 TWh in 2020 (that's wind's value) and that wind reached 18 TWh (that's solar's value), transposing the final values.
39. Which choice most logically completes the text?
    Answer: among the patrons who opted in, overdue items decreased relative to their own prior rates The data directly show a decline for the opt-in group relative to their own past. A and D generalize or assign causation beyond evidence, and B attributes a character change not measured.
40. Which choice most logically completes the text?
    Answer: in this review, restricting the analysis to preregistered randomized trials yielded an average effect near zero for the program. D restates the documented result about the subset of studies. A and C overgeneralize or accuse without evidence, and B reverses cause and effect.
41. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
    Answer: the intern and I The modifier 'Walking through the archive' must describe the subject 'the intern and I,' who can logically do the walking and noticing. The other choices create illogical or unclear subjects for the action.
42. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
    Answer: they They' correctly refers to the plural antecedent 'final blueprints' and functions as the subject. 'It' and 'this' are singular, and 'them' is object case, not subject case.
43. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
    Answer: are In the relative clause 'who ____ leading,' the verb agrees with 'scientists' (plural), so 'are' is correct; the main verb 'has' correctly agrees with 'one.' The other choices use the wrong number or tense within the relative clause.
44. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
    Answer: deadline; however, budget Use a semicolon before and a comma after 'however' when it connects independent clauses. A comma before 'however' or no punctuation before it is incorrect, and a colon does not fit this relationship.
45. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
    Answer: reviewers' comments, notes Multiple reviewers provided the comments, so the plural possessive 'reviewers'' is required. The singular possessive (B), the nonpossessive plural (A), and the incorrect 'reviewers's' (D) do not match the context.
46. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
    Answer: website; however, A semicolon before "however" and a comma after it properly link two independent clauses. The comma-only option creates a comma splice, the no-punctuation option is incorrect, and the colon is not appropriate here.
47. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
    Answer: As a result, As a result signals a cause/effect relationship between widespread solar adoption and lower afternoon demand. The other options imply contrast, simple addition, or concession, none of which fits the clear consequence described.
48. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
    Answer: Accordingly, Because the first sentence explains that diaries are crafted with an audience in mind, a cause-and-effect transition like "Accordingly" logically introduces the resulting caution. The other options signal contrast, addition, or time, which do not express consequence.
49. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
    Answer: Even so, Concession is needed because the second sentence acknowledges pushback despite the successes described first. Cause/effect, addition, and strict contrast do not capture the "despite" relationship.
50. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
    Answer: Nevertheless, Concession: despite alarming coverage, the data indicate improvement, so "Nevertheless" fits. The other choices suggest causation, simultaneity, or mere addition, which do not reflect the contrast between perception and reality.
51. The student wants to emphasize operational advantages observed during the pilot. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
    Answer: Compared with diesel models, the electric buses had 30 percent fewer breakdowns, and drivers reported quieter cabins and smoother acceleration that reduced fatigue on long shifts. D highlights concrete operational advantages—greater reliability and reduced driver fatigue—observed during the pilot. A, B, and C emphasize costs, infrastructure, or setup rather than performance benefits.
52. The student wants to argue that corridors can improve wildlife survival when thoughtfully implemented. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
    Answer: When thoughtfully implemented, corridors save wildlife: Florida underpasses reduced panther collisions while aiding gene flow, and ongoing community support and monitoring programs help maintain corridor effectiveness over the long term. Choice C cites reduced collisions, improved gene flow, and the role of monitoring and community support. A and B emphasize costs or risks, and D overstates outcomes beyond the notes.
53. The student wants to emphasize the cost-effectiveness of planting street trees. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
    Answer: Because each street tree costs $200-$500 to plant and can cut nearby cooling energy up to 20 percent, plus rely on volunteer plantings to reduce labor, urban tree programs are cost-effective over a tree's long service life. Choice A directly links modest planting costs, energy savings, and reduced labor via volunteers to show cost-effectiveness. B and C focus on cooling and stormwater, not costs; D contradicts notes about low maintenance and volunteer support.
54. The student wants to emphasize the convergence between scientific evidence and oral histories regarding coastal migration. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
    Answer: Radiocarbon dating places major settlement between 1450 and 1500, aligning with Indigenous oral histories describing a drought-driven move to the coast, indicating scientific and traditional accounts point to the same migration. Choice D links the 1450 to 1500 radiocarbon dates with oral histories of drought migration, showing corroboration. A, B, and C are true but tangential and do not demonstrate convergence of evidence.

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