Sentence Completions

Link of the Day

Most able-bodied people would struggle with climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro (only 50% of the people who attempt to climb the 19,541 ft tall mountain make it to the top). For double-amputee Spencer West, the climb was especially challenging. After 7 days of hiking, West made it to the top using only his hands. In addition to being the first person to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro on his hands, West also raised almost $500,000 that he plans to donate to charity. You can read more about his incredible climb here. 

6/30 > Sentence Completions

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

You should always remember to make a prediction before you look at the answer choices. All of the information that you need to choose the correct answer is given in the sentence. By reading carefully and making a prediction, you can avoid falling for trap wrong answers. 4 out of the 5 answers are wrong so looking at the wrong answers first only makes you more likely to select one of the wrong answers. 

Currently rising temperatures in the Arctic and Antarctic are _________ of a still warmer world that could result from an excess of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the burning of oil, gas, and coal.

Combinations

Link of the Day

You shouldn't judge a book by it's cover but, many people do so anyway. In order to interest teenagers in classics books like "Emma" and "Wuthering Heights", publishers are updating the covers with modern artwork so that they resemble modern books like "Twilight" or "The Hunger Games". You can read a great article about these new book covers here. This story would make a great current event "Excellent Example" for your essay.

6/29 Combinations

Read the Following SAT Question and then select the correct answer.

As always, remember to follow the Knowsys method for math. Read the problem carefully and identify the bottom line (what you are looking for). Then, consider your options. How could you solve it? How should you solve it? There are usually several different ways to solve a problem. You should choose the method that gets you to the correct answer as quickly and reliably as possible. Next, attack the problem using the method that you have selected. Finally, loop back and verify that your answer matches the bottom line. 

Cathy likes to wear 2 ribbons, each a different color. If she has 6 ribbons each of a different color, how many combinations of 2 different-colored ribbons can she select to wear?

Idioms

Link of the Day

Michelangelo Buonarroti was born on March 6th 1475. He was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, poet, and engineer. His skill and versatility in all of his undertakings make him an excellent example of a "Renaissance Man." You can learn more about Michelangelo here.

6/28 Identifying Sentence Errors

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.

When you are working on an Identifying Sentence Errors question, read the sentence and focus on anything that stands out and sounds wrong or strange. Then determine whether that part of the sentence actually has an error. Always double-check the other sections of the sentence to verify that they are correct as they are written.

Between 1508 Ato 1512, Michelangelo, Bworking on a scaffold 60 feet above the floor, painted the vaulted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome Cwith hundreds of giant figures Dthat represented his vision of the world’s creation. ENo error

As you are reading this sentence carefully, (A) should stand out. (A) is an idiomatic error. The correct way to word the sentence is "Between 1508 and 1512 . . .  ." Even if you have already spotted an error, it's important to double check the remaining sections to make sure that they are error free. (B) might seem a little out of place at first, but if you notice that it is part of a phrase between 2 commas (it is a phrase that is not essential to the meaning of the sentence), then it makes grammatical sense. (C) and (D) are also error-free. Since you have already identified an error, (E) cannot be the correct answer.

The correct answer choice is (A)

On sat.collegeboard.org 57% of the responses were correct.

Want more help with grammar? Visit myknowsys.com! 

Sentence Completions

Link of Day

David Livingstone is famous for exploring Africa and making the horrors of the slave trade better known to the western world. He was also one of the first explorers to use quinine in doses that were effective at warding off malaria. You can learn more about Livingstone here. 

6/27 Sentence Completions

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

Whenever you have a two blank sentence completion, always remember to predict the easier blank first, then eliminate as many answer choices as you can with just that prediction. If there is more than one answer choice left, make a prediction for the other blank and eliminate any of the remaining answers that don't match your prediction.

Explorer David Livingstone has ________ reputation: some historians revile him as a proponent of imperialism, while others ________ him as a founder of African Nationalism. 

In this sentence, it's easier to predict the second blank because of the words that follow. "Others _______ him as a founder of African Nationalism." Since "African Nationalism" is a good thing, you can predict that "others revere him . . .   ." Now look through the answer choices (only looking at the second blank) and eliminate as many answers as you can.

Equation of a Line

Link of the Day

Almost any student who has studied triangles has heard of Pythagoras (the author of the Pythagorean Theorem). He lived from roughly 569 B.C. to 500 B.C. and is considered by many to have been the first pure mathematician. In addition to mathematics, Pythagoras also studied music and religion. He is a fascinating historical figure and would make a great "Excellent Example" for your essay. You can lean more about Pythagoras here. 

6/26 Equation of a line

Read the following SAT test question and then select the correct answer choice.

As always, remember to follow the Knowsys method for math. Read the problem carefully and identify the bottom line (what you are looking for). Then, consider your options. How could you solve it? How should you solve it? Next, attack the problem using the method that you selected. Finally, loop back and verify that your answer matches the bottom line. Do not forget the last step. If the problems asks for what "must be false" and you choose an answer that "could be true" you will lose points (even if you solved the equation correctly).

If the graph of the function f is a line with a slope of 2, which of the following could be the equation of f?

Whenever a problem seems straightforward and simple (as this one does), make sure that you read it carefully. Also, look at where in the section the problem appears. If it is one of the last problems in the section, it's probably a hard problem (so if it looks easy, you probably have fallen for a trap). In this case, this problem really is as easy and straightforward as it seems. As long as you remember the slope intercept form of a line, you should have no trouble selecting the correct answer.

(A) f(x) = 4x-2

(B) f(x) = 2x+4

(C) f(x) = -2x-2
(D) f(x) = 1/2x +2
(E) f(x) = -1/2x+1/2

If you remember the slope intercept form of a line (y=mx+b where m is the slope of the line and b is the y intercept) then this problem is very simple. You simply need to look through the answers and select the answer choice with a slope of 2. (A) is incorrect because the slope of the line is 4. (B) works because the slope is 2. (C) has a slope of -2, (D) has a slope of 1/2, and (E) has a slope of -1/2.


The correct answer choice is (B).

On sat.collegeboard.com 64% of the responses were correct.

For more help with math visit www.myknowsys.com.

Pronoun Antecedent Agreement

Link of the Day

As you are preparing for the SAT, it's a good idea to start thinking about which colleges you want to apply to. It's important to set goals and know what scores you want to get. US News and World Report has a great list of the top colleges here. The list includes a variety of different categories including "best value schools" and "A+ Schools for B students."

6/25 Improving Sentences

Part or all 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.

"Improving Sentences" questions are very straightforward. All you need to do is look at the underlined portion. If there is an error or some obvious fault in the underlined portion, make a prediction about how you could improve the sentence. Then look at the answer choices. Remember that the correct answer choice will not always match your prediction exactly (since there are often several ways to improve a sentence). Even so, predicting will help you to analyze why the sentence is less than ideal as it stands. Also, don't forget that sometimes the sentence is best the way it is (in which case you will select answer 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.

Sentence Completions

Link of the Day

In 1998, Tom Whittaker became the first disabled person to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Whittaker lost his right leg in a car accident in 1979 but he never gave up (he actually refused pain medication so that he could plead with the surgeon to only amputate one of his legs). His resolve and determination make him a great "Excellent Example" for your essay. You can learn more about him here.

6/24 Sentence Completions

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

You should always remember to make a prediction before you look at the answer choices. All of the information that you need to choose the correct answer is given in the sentence. By reading carefully and making a prediction, you can avoid falling for trap wrong answers. 

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

Look carefully at the information given in the sentence above. Tom Whittaker is "Bolstered by his unflagging determination and ____________ physical preparation . . ." whatever it is that bolsters him must be positive. Since he climbed Mount Everest, his physical preparation must have been "very good"or "thorough". Now, take a look at the answer choices and see which one matches your prediction.

(A) fortuitous

(B) assiduous

(C) heedless

(D) expeditious

(E) pedantic

(A) fortuitous implies that his preparation was "lucky." That doesn't really fit your prediction (and in fact, it would detract from Whittaker's accomplishment).  (B) Fits your prediction well. Clearly you are mean to admire Whittaker and diligent physical preparation is something to be admired. (C) (D) and (E) don't fit your prediction at all so you can eliminate them.

The correct answer choice is (B).

Vocab tested in this SC:

fortuitous: happening by chance; coincidental

assiduous: hard working, diligent, regular

heedless: unaware, without noticing

expeditious: fast, prompt, speedy

pedantic: overly concerned with formal rules and trivial points of learning

On sat.collegeboard.org 38% of the responses were correct

Need to build your SAT vocab? Visit www.myknowsys.com to check out the Knowsys Vocabulary Builder Program.

Fractions

Link of the Day

Yesterday would have been Alan Turing's 100th birthday. Turing was a mathematical genius who laid the foundations for modern day computer science. By the time he was 26 he was performing cryptanalysis for the Government Code and Cypher School in England. He worked on cryptanalysis throughout WWII and developed many crucial new techniques in code breaking. He is best remembered for the invention of the Turing Machine, a theoretical machine that could solve a complex math problem using only simple calculations and a large amount of storage (a precursor to the modern day computer). You can read more about Alan Turing here. He would make a great historical "Excellent Example" for your essay.

6/23 Fractions

Read the following SAT test question and then select the correct answer.

You probably notice that this problem looks very straightforward. If you have a calculator and you are comfortable with fractions, you are probably thinking that this problem won't be that difficult. If you don't have a calculator however, (or you don't remember how to enter fractions into your calculator), you might think this isn't such an easy problem. Never forget to follow the Knowsys method for Math Problems. Read the problem carefully and identify the bottom line (in this case, you just need to solve the equation). Next, evaluate your options, think about the various ways that you could solve the problem and then select the best choice. Finally, loop back and verify that the answer you choose correctly answers the bottom line. You could enter all these fractions into a calculator. But, because there are so many fractions it will take quite a while (and there is a good chance that you will make an error when you are entering the numbers). There is actually a much easier (and faster) way to solve this problems. If you just look at the first two fractions



you should see that you could cancel the 2's. Now, look at the second and third fractions



in this set, you could cancel the 3's.

If you go through the whole equation and cancel as much as you can, you are simply left with



Now, take a look at the answer choices and see which one matches your prediction.

(A)   

(B)  

(C)  

(D)  

(E)  

The correct answer choices is (A)

On sat.collegeboard.org 63% of the responses were correct.

For more help with math, visit www.myknowsys.com.

Idioms

Link of the Day

With the ever increasing number of students graduating from college in debt each year, it's becoming more and more important for you to understand the consequences of student loans. Remember that even if the average salary in your future field of work is $60,000 a year, you probably won't earn that much at your first job. The average college graduate finishes with around $25,000 in debt and paying that off within 2 years is much more challenging than you would think. You can learn more about how to manage student loans (or even better, avoid them altogether) here. 

6/22 Identifying Sentence Errors

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.

When you are working on an Identifying Sentence Errors question, always read the sentence and focus on anything that stands out and sounds wrong or strange. Then determine wether that part of the sentence actually has an error. Always double-check the other sections of the sentence to verify that they are correct as they are, and finally mark the correct answer.

Today, Aalso representing nations Band other political entities, Cflags are used Dto represent youth groups, athletic competitions, and international bodies. ENo error

Sentence Completions

Link of the Day

Once again we return to history.com's "This Day in History." Today in 1788 New Hampshire became the 9th state to ratify the U.S. constitution (thus making it official). The Constitution was written to address some of the inadequacies of the Articles of Confederation. Initially many of the states were hesitant to ratify the Constitution because it failed to protect basic rights such as the freedom of speech (this was addressed later in the first 10 amendments to the Constitution known as the Bill of Rights). You can learn more about the history of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution here.

Sentence Completions

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

Always remember to make a prediction before you look at the answers. Four of the five answers are wrong and looking at the answers first tends to prejudice you towards a specific choice. All the information you need to predict a word and then select the correct answer is in the sentence itself.

Laboratories have been warned that provisions for animal protection that in the past were merely _______ will now be mandatory;________ of this policy will lose their federal research grants.

With two blank sentence completions you should always start by predicting the easier blank and eliminating. In this sentence completion, the first blank is quite easy to predict. You know that the "provisions for animal protection in the past that were merely_________ will now be mandatory."If the provisions will now be "mandatory", then in the past they were probably "optional" or only "suggested" but not required. Now, look at the answer choices and eliminate the ones that do not match your prediction.

(A) comprehensive . . . adversaries
(B) nominal . . .  advocates
(C) disregarded . . . proponents
(D) recommended . . . violators
(E) compulsory . . . resisters

Remember that the Knowsys method for sentence completions is designed to save you time and help you to avoid errors. In this case, you can eliminate 4 of the answers because they don't match your prediction. Only (D) matches your prediction so that must be the correct choice. If you still had 2 or more choices left, you would then simply make a prediction for the remaining blank and chooses the answer that matched your predictions for both blanks. In this case however, you only had to predict one blank and that saves you time.

The correct answer is (D).


Vocab tested in this SC:

comprehensive: broadly or completely covering
adversaries: opponents or rivals
nominal: of resembling, relating to, or consisting of a name or names
advocates: a person who argues the case of another, such as lawyer in a court
disregarded: ignored, neglected
proponents: one who supports something; an advocate
recommended: suggested, represented favourably
violators: one who violates (to break, disregard, disagree, or not act according to)
compulsory: required; obligatory; mandatory
resisters: a person who resists (to attempt to counter the actions or effects of) going along with others in a common course of action.

On sat.collegeboard.org 73% of the responses were correct

Need to build your SAT Vocab? Visit www.myknowsys.com to check out the Knowsys Vocabulary Builder Program.

Roots and Radicals

Link of the Day

Every year 1.2 million students drop out. That's 857 students for every hour of every school day. In an effort to bring attention to this, College Board (the company that produces and administers the SAT) has set up 857 empty desks at the National Mall in Washington D.C. You can read more about College Board's "Don't Forget Ed" campaign here. This would make a great Excellent Example for your essay.

6/20 Algebra: Roots and Radicals

Read the following SAT question and then select your answer.

If , which of the following must be true?

Step 1 of the Knowsys method for math is always to read the question carefully. Then, identify the bottom line. In this case, you need to select the answer choice that is true given the formula above. Step 3 is to evaluate your options. Think about what you could do, and what you should do. Since you have variables in the problem and in the answer choices, you could pick numbers for two of the variables, solve the equation for the third variable, and then look at the various answer choices. However, since this problem looks fairly straightforward, that's not necessary. It is faster and easier to simply manipulate and simplify the equation and then look at the answer choices (so this is what you should do). Note that if you did get stuck in the simplifying process, you could always go back and try the other method.

Start by squaring both sides of the equation.



Now, simply subtract x from both sides of the equation.



Lastly, add a to both sides of the equation.



Now, you know that a is equal to -b and you also know that the value of x doesn't matter (since it was eliminated). Take a look at the answer choices and see which one must be true. Don't forget to check answer choice (E) first and then work backwards. On "which of the following" questions, the test makers know that you will probably start with answer choice (A) and work your way down. Because they want you to as much time as possible, they usually put the correct answer near the end (not always, but usually).











Answer choice (E) would only be true if both a and b were equal to 0. Since you are looking for the answer choice that must be true, (E) won't work. You know that (D) is incorrect because it does not match the simplified form of the equation. (C) matches your prediction exactly. (B) and (A) both could be true, but they do not have to be true so neither of them is the correct answer choice.

The correct answer choice is (C).

On sat.collegeboard.org 57% of the responses were correct.

For more help with math, visit www.myknowsys.com.

Modifiers

Link of the Day

American artist Willem de Kooning was born in 1904 in the Netherlands. He was famous for blending elements of Cubism, Surrealism, and Expressionism. Although his paintings often seem to express anger and strong emotion, he is considered to have been one of the most technically skilled artists of the New York School. Learn more about de Kooning here. 

6/19 Improving Sentences

Part or all 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 other alternatives, select choice A.

When you are working on an "Improving Sentences" problem, it is always a good idea to carefully read the sentence as it is and look for an error. If possible, always try to predict a way to fix the sentence. Even though your prediction may not match the correct answer (there are often several different ways to fix an error), it will help you to identify the key grammatical principles that are being tested.

Combining both figurative and abstract elements in his paintings, such painters as Franze Kline and Richard Deibenkorn were greatly influenced by American artist Willem de Kooning, a key figure in the post-war Abstract Expressionist movement.

Sentence Completions

Link of the day

Did you know that jellyfish are actually a kind of plankton? Their movements and gelatinous bodies make them seem complex but they are actually very simple creatures. They have no bones, brains, or heart and they are mostly water (98%). You can learn more about jellyfish here.

6/18 Sentence Completions

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

Always start out by reading the sentence carefully and making a prediction for the blank. Four of the five answer choices are wrong, so looking at the answer choices without making a prediction will only hurt you. Read the sentence carefully and look for clues to help you predict a word for the blank. Then, look at the answer choices and choose the word that matches your prediction.

The jellyfish's slow pulsing action propels it in a graceful, seemingly _________ drift, but it's tentacles contain a poison potent enough to stun a swimming human.

Averages

Link of the Day

On this day in 1885 the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York Harbor. There were 350 pieces in more than 200 cases. The statue was designed by french sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi and was intended to commemorate both the American Revolution and a century of friendship between the United States and France. You can read more about the history of the Statue of Liberty here.

6/17 Averages

Read the following SAT test question and then select the correct answer choice.

Alice bought m pens for n dollars each, and Ben bought n pens for m dollars each. Which of the following is the average price per pen, in dollars, for all the pens that Alice and Ben bought?

Subject Verb Agreement

Link of the Day

Flashcards are one of the most important tools you have when you are studying for the SAT (or almost any test for that matter). You will need to commit math formulas, idioms, and vocabulary words to memory before test day. There are lots of different websites were you can create, review, print and even share digital flashcards.  One of the best is flashcardexchange.com.

6/16 Identifying Sentence Errors

The following sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. If that 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.

For Identifying Sentence Errors questions, always read the sentence and focus on anything that sounds strange or wrong. Determine wether that part of the sentence is actually incorrect, then identify the part of the sentence that, if changed, would correct the error. Double-check that the other sections of the sentence are correct as they are, and finally, mark the correct answer on your answer sheet.

In order to Aprepare for the speech he Bwas given to all of the parents and teachers at the school, George practiced speaking Cin front of a group of Dhis friends. ENo error

In this sentence, B should stand out right away. As the sentence stands right now, the verb "given" is in the wrong form. If you only read the sentence up to B it almost looks like it could be correct. You have "In order to prepare for the speech he was given . . ." and that doesn't seem like a mistake. However, if you continue reading, the sentence becomes "In order to prepare for the speech he was given to the parents and teachers . . . " Now it should be obvious there is something wrong. Clearly, the speech "George" is preparing for is a speech he "was giving . . . " or "would be giving. . . "  Once you have identified the error, you are finished with the problem. Remember that you should always try to predict how you would fix the sentence, it will help you to be confident that the underlined portion that you choose is really an error.

The correct answer choice is (B).

Want more help with grammar? Visit myknowsys.com!

Sentence Completions

Link of the Day

Did you know that this evening, daredevil Nik Wallenda is planning to attempt to walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope? A tightrope crossing has not been completed in more than 115 years. You can learn more about the history of various Niagra Falls related stunts here. This is a great source for either a current event or a historical "Excellent Example" for your essay.

6/15 Sentence Completions

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

Always remember to make a prediction before you look at the answers. Four of the five answers are wrong and looking at the answers first tends to prejudice you towards a specific choice. All the information you need to predict a word and then select the correct answer is in the sentence itself.

Although the conference speakers disliked one another and might have been expected to _________, it turned out that on several substantive issues they were in complete __________ and were able to avoid petty squabbling.

Since this is a two blank sentence completion. The first step is to predict a word for the easier blank and then eliminate as many examples as you can. In this case, the second blank is much easier to predict. You know that "they were in complete________ and were able to avoid petty squabbling." If they avoided "petty squabbling" you can predict that "they were in complete agreement." Now, you can look at the answer choices below and eliminate any that do not match your prediction

(A) argue . . disagreement
(B) bristle . . apathy
(C) debate . . dissonance
(D) concur . . denial
(E) bicker . . accord

In this case, fortunately, you can eliminate all but one of the answers based on your prediction. Only (E) matches your prediction (since "accord" means agreement). If you had been left with more than one answer choice after your first round of elimination, you would then simply go back and predict the second blank to eliminate the remaining answer choices.

The correct answer choice is (E)

Words Tested in This SC:
squabble: a minor fight or argument, as between children for example
argue: to debate, disagree, or discuss opposing viewpoints
dissagreemnt: an argument or debate
bristle: to be on one's guard or to raise one's defenses
apathy: indifference, complete lack of motivation or interest in a person, activity, or object
debate: an argument or discussion, usually in a formal or ordered setting
dissonance: a harsh, discordant combination of sounds
concur: to unite or agree, to have a common opinion
denial: a refusal to comply in a request
bicker: to quarrel in a tiresome and insulting manner
accord: agreement or concurrence of will, opinion, or action

On sat.collegeboard.org 75% of the responses were correct.

Need to build your SAT Vocab?  Visit www.myknowsys.com to check out the Knowsys Vocabulary Builder Program.

Circles

Link of the Day

Isaac Newton is one of the most famous scientists of all time, and His book Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica is arguably the most important book published in the history of science. He was a fascinating and enigmatic character. He suffered several major nervous breakdowns over the course of his life, and he spent many years researching alchemy (this investigation into the hidden forces of nature helped to lead him to his discovery of the action-at-a-distance nature of the law of gravity). You can read more about Newton here. He would make a great "excellent example" for your essay.

6/14 Geometry: Circles

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

In the figure above, a shaded circle with diameter  is tangent to a large semicircle with diameter  at points  and . Point  is the center of the semicircle, and  is perpendicular to . If the area of the large semicircle is 24, what is the area of the shaded circle?     

Idioms

Link of the Day

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." These words are probably quite familiar to you (although hopefully, you've never had a police officer read them to you). The "Miranda Rights" were established in a Supreme Court case on this day in 1966. You can read more about the trial and conviction of Ernesto Miranda and the resulting supreme court case here.

6/13 Improving Sentences

Part or all 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 advent of innovative computer and communications technology toward the end of the twentieth century ushered in a new era, not dominated by industry anymore, rather it was information.

When you are working on an improving sentences problem it is always a good idea to make a prediction. Even though the correct answer may not match your prediction, it will help if you know why the original sentence is wrong or, perhaps, why it is right). This sentence should sound wrong to you as it is. The sentence should read " . . . dominated not by industry, but by information." Now that you have a prediction, it's time to look at the answer choices.

(A) era, not dominated by industry anymore, rather it was information
(B) era, it was dominated by information over industry
(C) era, which was not dominated anymore by industry but rather information
(D) era dominated by information rather than industry
(E) era dominated not by industry, but it was information

(A) does not work (because it is the same as the original sentence)
(B) has a random "it." You don't know if the word "it" refers to "the innovative computer and communications technology . . ." or the "era."
(C) is awkward and also lacks parallelism. It should at least read "was not dominated anymore by industry, but rather by information."
(D) is very simple and straightforward. That is actually a good sign that (D) is the correct answer. It is clear and doesn't have a random "it".
(E) is incorrect because the last part of the phrase should ready "dominated not by industry, but by information."

The correct answer is (D)

on sat.collegeboard.org 73% of the responses were correct.

Sentence Completions

Link of the Day

Gordon Parks was the first black photographer to work for magazines like Life and Vogue. In addition to being a photographer he was also a musician, a filmmaker, and a writer. He was a truly multitalented artist, and he would make a great "Excellent Example" for your essay. You can read more about Gordon Parks here.

6/12 Sentence Completions

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

With the 1969 film The Learning Tree, Gordon Parks proved what a truly ------- artist he was: he not only directed the film and composed its musical score, but also adapted its screenplay from his own novel.

You should always predict a word for the blank before you look at the answers. In this case it is especially important that you predict a word for the blank (because the words in the answer choices are fairly difficult). Note that "Gordon Parks proved what a truly ______ artist he was." The reason he was such as "______artist" is that he "not only directed the film and composed it's musical score, but also adapted its screenplay from his own novel." Since the emphasis is that Gordon Parks is able to do so many different things, you can predict that he is a "versatile author". Now you need to look at the answers below to see which one matches your prediction.

Sequences

Link of the Day

Taking the SAT (or any test for that matter) can be very stressful. It can be difficult to relax and focus under pressure. In fact, often once you start panicking things only get worse. There are lots of different ways to manage test day stress. It's important to make sure that you get a good night sleep, eat a good breakfast (though you should avoid a really heavy breakfast), and arrive early at the testing site. You can find some great suggestions on how to minimize your test day stress here. 

6/11 Sequences

Always follow the Knowsys Method for math problems. It will save you time not only on the SAT, but also on math tests and quizzes in your school classes. Read the question carefully and identify the bottom line. Assess your options. Ask what you could do and then what you should do, and solve the problem quickly and efficiently once you have decided on a strategy. Finally, loop back to double check that you answered the question correctly.

8, a, 14, b, 20, ...

The first term of the sequence above is 8. Which of the following could be the formula for finding the nth term of this sequence for any positive integer n?

This problem really demonstrates how important it is to follow the Knowsys method (and to not skip steps). After reading the problem carefully and identifying the bottom line (you are looking for the formula for the nth term of this sequence), you may think that this requires the use of some complicated formula. If you are panicking right now because you can't remember what a geometric sequence is, or how to solve one, take a deep breath and relax. This problem is actually much simpler than that. Remember that step three of the Knowsys method is to assess your options. Ask yourself what could you do, and what should you do. You could try to solve this problem by writing a formula for the sequence, or you could simply work backwards and check the answers. You should solve this problem by working backwards because it is much easier and much faster.

(A) 2n + 6
(B) 3n + 5
(C) 5n + 3
(D) 6n + 2
(E) 6n + 5

We know that the first term in the sequence (when n = 1) must be 8, the third term in the sequence (when n = 3) must be 14, and the fifth term in the sequence (when n = 5) must be 20. Now all you have to do is try each formal and find the correct answer.

(A) works for the first term (since 2 * 1 + 6 = 8) but it fails for the third term (2 * 3 + 6 = 12, not 14).
(B) works for the first term (3 * 1 + 5 = 8), the third term (3 * 3 + 5 = 14), and the fifth term (3 * 5 + 5 = 20). Don't forget to loop back and verify that your answer matches the bottom line (it does). You now know this is the correct answer so you should simply bubble in (B) and move on from here.

For the sake of being thorough, here is an explanation of why the other answers do not work.

(C) works for the first term (5 * 1 + 3 = 8) but fails for the third term (5 * 3 + 3 = 18, not 14)
(D) works for the first term (6 * 1 + 2 = 8) but fails for the third term (6 * 3 + 2 = 20)
(E) fails for the first term (6 * 1 + 5 = 11)

The correct answer choice is (B).


On sat.collegeboard.org 46% of the responses were correct.

For more help with math, visit www.myknowsys.com