Today's SAT Question of the Day is a repeat of a previously answered question. For an explanation, please follow this link.
Now that the SAT Question has begun to repeat, this blog will also begin covering the ACT Question of the Day. Can preparing for the ACT help you on the SAT? What is the difference between these two tests? If you do not know the answers to these questions, follow this link for a helpful chart.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Sentence Completions
Link of the Day
Today's question has to do with the environment. Take a look at this article, which suggests ways to reduce food waste. Do you agree that this is a significant problem? Why or why not? Do you see themes in this article that could help you link it to a broad SAT essay question? What details would make you sound informed as you write about this issue?
Critical Reading: 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.
Cover
up the answer choices and read the sentence carefully. Make a prediction to fill the blank, then
match that prediction to the correct answer choice. Eliminate any answer choices that do not
match your prediction. Make sure you
look at all of the answer choices before selecting one, even if the first
choice seems to be correct.
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.
This is a sentence that is
very carefully crafted in order to ensure that there is only one correct
answer. You must read carefully in order
to make the correct choice. When you see
that the first word of the sentence is “currently,” you should realize that
time will be important in this question.
The second part of the sentence that has to do with time reads, “a still
warmer world that could result.” Notice
that this is something that may or may not happen in the future. You need a word to show that the temperatures
that are rising now indicate that future temperatures could also rise. Predict a word such as “indicative,”
“forerunners,” or “signs.” Look down at
your answer choices.
(A) polarities
(B) harbingers
(C) vestiges
(D) counterexamples
(E) aftereffects
(A) This word is here to distract you. Two different poles were mentioned in the
sentence, the Arctic and Antarctic, but you are worried about the impact on the
whole world. Also, remember that if
things are polar, they are usually opposite, but the same thing seems to be
happening in both of these places.
Eliminate this choice.
(B) In the 15th century a “herbengar”
was someone who went ahead of a large group of travelers (such as an army or a
king’s retinue) and made sure that they would be able to secure lodgings in the
next town. The modern word is very
similar in meaning. A “harbinger” is a
forerunner, letting you know that something else is coming. This matches your prediction exactly. Keep this choice.
(C) This word is also tricky. You may have learned that a vestige is a
trace or a sign. At first that seems
exactly like your prediction. Think of a
vestige as more like a footprint. It
tells you that something has already passed or happened. You are looking for a word that indicates
that something will happen in the future.
Eliminate this choice.
(D) The Arctic and the Antarctic cannot be
counterexamples because the same thing is happening in both places. Temperatures are rising in both places, and
that may mean that temperatures will rise in other places. The rising temperatures are consistent. Furthermore, this does not match your
prediction. Eliminate this choice.
(E) This word, like option (C), points to
something that has occurred in the past.
You are looking for a word that points to the future. Eliminate this choice.
The correct answer is (B).
Words used in this SC:
Polarities: two opposite or
contrasting principles or tendencies
Harbingers: people or things that
foreshadow or foretell the coming of another
Vestiges: traces or signs left by
something that is no longer present
Counterexamples: exceptions
to a proposed general rule
Aftereffects: delayed effects that are not immediately
manifested
On sat.collegeboard.org, 45% of the responses were correct.
For more help with SAT vocabulary,
visit www.myknowsys.com!
Friday, March 29, 2013
Rates
Arithmetic: Rates
Read the following SAT test
question and then select the correct answer.
Use
the same method with each math question to avoid making mistakes. Start by reading carefully and identifying
the bottom line. What question must you
answer? Then assess your options for
answering the question, choosing the most time efficient method to attack the
problem. When you have an answer, loop
back to verify that your answer matches the bottom line.
Machine X, working at a
constant rate, can produce x bolts
per hour. Machine Y, working at a
constant rate, can produce x + 6 bolts
per hour. In terms of x, how many
bolts can both machines working together at their respective rates produce
in 4 hours?
Bottom line: #bolts in 4 hr = ?
Assess your Options: You could choose numbers for x and y and then see which of your answer choices matches the answer that
you get, but you will still have to write an equation. It will be much faster to leave the variable
in the problem and write an equation to find the answer.
Attack the Problem: You know that you have two machines, X and Y. You know how much each of
these machines produces in an hour. Find
out the total that they can produce in one hour.
X + Y (both machines)= x + x + 6 Combine like terms.
X + Y (both machines)= 2x +
6
In one hour you can produce
2x + 6 bolts. However, your bottom line requires you to
find the number of bolts that can be produced in 4 hours. Multiply 2x
+ 6 by 4.
4(2x + 6) Distribute
the 4.
8x + 24
Loop Back: You solved for 4 hours rather than just 1 hr,
so you are ready to look at the answer choices.
(A) 4x + 12
(B) 4x + 24
(C) 6x + 30
(D) 8x + 24
(E) 8x + 36
The correct answer is (D).
On sat.collegeboard.org, 59% of the responses were correct.
For more help with SAT math, visit www.myknowsys.com!
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Idioms
Link of the Day
Today’s link is actually two links. Read this article and then this article. Both articles are about the same event, but
they have very different interpretations of that event. Why do they differ so much? What does this tell you about finding news on
the internet? Even if you think that you
have found a good news source, double check the accuracy of the report.
Next think about these articles in terms of
a current event. How could you use the
information surrounding the fact that a man just won $338 million to support a
position on an SAT essay? What conclusions could you draw about the themes of
money, fame, power, motivation, success, planning, chance, and even
information?
Writing: 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.
Read
the entire sentence to yourself, listening for errors. Then quickly check each underlined portion of
the sentence against the Big 8 Grammar Rules.
Identify and mark any error, but be sure to look at all of the answer
choices.
Between 1508 to 1512, Michelangelo, working on a scaffold 60 feet above the floor, painted the vaulted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome with hundreds of giant figures that represented his vision of the world’s creation. No error
(A) The
underlined word “to” connects two different times. This is actually a conflation of two
different idioms. You can say “from 1508
to 1512,” but there is no “from” in this sentence. Instead, you have the word “between.” The correct idiom is “between x and y,” so
you must change the “to” into an “and.”
Make this change and quickly look at the rest of the answer choices.
(B)
Whenever you see an “-ing” ending, check to make sure it is
necessary. Here, the “-ing” ending lets
you know that this is not the main verb.
The main verb is “painted.” The
entire part of the sentence that reads “working on a scaffold 60 feet above the
floor” is set off by commas and simply describes Michelangelo’s position while
painting. The preposition “on” is the
correct preposition because Michelangelo is actually on top of the
scaffold. There is no error here.
(C)
This underlined portion is idiomatically correct. You can use the word “with” to say “I paint
with a brush” and mean that you are using the brush, but you can also use the
word “with” to indicate what you have painted.
Both uses are correct.
Michelangelo has painted “hundreds of giant figures.” The preposition “of” is also idiomatically correct. There is no error here.
(D)
When you see the word “that,” check to make sure that the word “which”
is not needed. The word “which” must
have a comma before it, and there is no comma here. The word “represented” is also correct. It is in past tense to match the tense of
“painted.” Although you could change the
tense of “represented” and still be technically correct, you are looking for
errors, not ways to revise the sentence.
There is no error here.
(E)
This answer choice cannot be correct because you have already identified
an error.
The correct answer is (A).
On sat.collegeboard.org, 55% of the responses were correct.
For more help with SAT writing, visit www.myknowsys.com!
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Sentence Completions
Critical Reading: 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.
Approach each reading question systematically. Cover up the answer choices. Focus on the blank that seems easier and make a prediction for that blank. Then eliminate any answer choice that does not match your prediction for that blank. Use the same process with the other blank.
Explorer David Livingstone
has ------- reputation: some historians revile him as a proponent of
imperialism, while others ------- him as a founder of African
Nationalism.
Look at the first
blank. The structure of this sentence
tells you everything that you need to know about David Livingstone’s
reputation. Some people believe one
thing about him, but others believe something else. Predict that his reputation is
“twofold.”
(A) a substantial . . exalt
(B) a sketchy . . vilify
(C) an illustrious . .
dismiss
(D) a dichotomous . .
praise
(E) a pristine . .
castigate
(A) Something that is
substantial has a lot of substance. You
don’t care whether Livingstone’s reputation is big; you care that his
reputation is divisive. Eliminate this
choice because it does not match your prediction. (B) The word “sketchy” does not mean
“twofold.” Eliminate this choice. (C) The word “illustrious” is related to the
word “illuminated.” If something is
illuminated, it is visible.
Livingstone’s reputation seems a little unclear because different people
believe different things about him.
Eliminate this choice. (D) You should recognize the Latin root “di,”
which means “two.” This matches your
prediction. Keep this choice. (E) If
you are not sure what this word means, keep it and move on to the next blank.
Start with the information
that you know. Some people “revile” Livingston. You know that something vile is really
bad. Even if you are not sure about the
meaning of this word, you might remember imperialism mentioned in a negative
context in a history class. If some
people think that this man had a negative influence, but others do not feel the
same way, it makes sense that the others think of Livingston as having a
positive influence. Predict a positive
word or phrase. You might choose the
word “applaud” or “honor.” Look down at
the answer choices that you have not yet eliminated.
(D) a dichotomous . .
praise
(E) a pristine . .
castigate
(D) The word “praise” is definitely
positive. Keep this choice. (E)
This word may be confusing to you if you recognize that the Latin root
“cast” means “pure.” However, this word
actually means “to purify,” and correction can be a painful process. Anything in need of purification is not
positive. Eliminate this choice.
The correct answer is (D).
Words used in this SC:
Revile: to attack someone with
abusive language
Proponent: one who supports
something; an advocate
Imperialism: forcefully extending a
nation’s authority
Substantial: of considerable amount,
or of solid character
Exalt: honor, esteem
Sketchy: crudely outlined,
incomplete, or unsafe
Vilify: defame or slander
Illustrious: highly distinguished or
famous
Dismiss: discard or reject
Dichotomous: divided into two pieces
Praise: commendation or thanks
Pristine: unspoiled
Castigate: correct or punish
severely
On sat.collegeboard.org, 62% of the responses were correct.
For more help with SAT vocabulary,
visit www.myknowsys.com!
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Equation of a Line
Link of the Day
How do
you make sure that you have the best doctors and the best conditions for
patients? First there was a push for
doctors to get more sleep. Now there is
a push to make sure that doctors are getting more hours to finish their work. Take a look at the debate in this current event. Write down the broad themes in
this article, and the specific details that will make you sound informed. Then try linking this current event to the
following previous SAT essay prompts: Is
there always another explanation or another point of view? Can success be disastrous? Should people let their feelings guide them
when they make important decisions?
Should people change their decisions when circumstances change, or is it
best for them to stick with their original decisions?
G eometry:
Coordinate Geometry
Read the following SAT test
question and then select the correct answer.
Always read the question
carefully and identify the bottom line.
Assess your options for reaching the bottom line, and use the most
efficient method to attack the problem.
When you have an answer, loop back to verify that your answer matches
the bottom line.
If the graph of the function f is
a line with slope 2, which of the
following could be the equation of f?
Bottom Line: WOTF (which of the
following)
Assess your Options: For a “which of the following” question you
should look at the answers choices, but not until you have used what you know
about the equation of a line to decide what kind of equation you need to find. Start with the information that you are
given.
Attack the Problem: Remember the generic equation for a line is y = mx + b. In any equation, f(x) and y can mean the
same thing. The variable m is the slope of the line. You know that your slope must be 2. Plug that 2 into the equation. You now have:
f(x) = 2x + b
(The variable b is the y-intercept. You were not told anything about the y-intercept, so that could be any number. All you need to do is match the part that you do know, the 2x.)
Loop Back: You used all the information that you were
given, so look down at your answer choices.
(A) f(x) = 4x - 2
(B) f(x) = 2x + 4
(C) f(x) = -2x – 2
(D)
(E)
The correct answer is (B).
For more help with SAT math, visit www.myknowsys.com!
Monday, March 25, 2013
Sentence Structure
Writing: 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.
Read
the entire sentence carefully, then focus on the underlined portion and
evaluate it using the Big 8 Grammar Rules.
Focus on the first error that you find to eliminate wrong answer choices.
The main tennis stadium of the US Open, named after the African-American tennis player Arthur Ashe and
located in New York City, who won the first ever US Open men's
singles title in 1968.
The original sentence is a
fragment; there is no main verb to carry out the action of the sentence. You need to look for an answer choice that
adds a verb, but is also clear and concise.
(A) named after the
African-American tennis player Arthur Ashe and located in New York City
(B) located in New York
City and named after the African-American tennis player Arthur Ashe
(C) which is named after
the African-American tennis player Arthur Ashe and is located in New York City
(D) located in New York
City, is named after the African-American tennis player Arthur Ashe
(E) being located in New
York City and having been named after the African-American tennis player Arthur
Ashe
(A) Eliminate this choice without reading
it. It matches the original.
(B) This sentence is better than the original
sentence because it moves the modifying phrase “located in New York city” to
describe the tennis stadium rather than Arthur Ashe. People may live in one place, but they are
generally free to move about, and you cannot state with certainty that they will be located in a specific place for an indefinite amount of time. However, this sentence does not
fix the original error that you found; it is still a fragment. Eliminate this choice.
(C) This sentence is still a fragment. The last modifying phrase “who won…” also describes
the stadium rather than Arthur Ashe.
Eliminate this choice.
(D) This answer choice fixes the original
sentence structure problem by including a verb.
It essentially says the stadium is
named after a certain person, then adds two modifying phrases. Both of those modifying phrases are as close
as possible to the subjects that they modify; the tennis stadium is followed by
its location, and Arthur Ashe is followed by a description of his
accomplishments. Keep this answer
choice.
(E) The Knowsys handbook tells you to avoid the
word “being.” Eliminate this choice.
The correct answer is (D).
On sat.collegeboard.org, 66% of the responses were correct.
For more help with SAT writing,
visit www.myknowsys.com!
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Sentence Completions
Link of the Day
When the
SAT test makers write an essay question, they give you a little bit of
information. Generally, it does not take
much thought to agree with whatever has been stated, or to simply use the exact
same words in the prompt to frame your essay.
Really high scoring students know that the way the question is phrased
may prompt students to answer one way when normally they might answer another
way. For example, read this SAT essay
prompt:
“There is, of course, no legitimate branch of science that enables
us to predict the future accurately. Yet
the degree of change in the world is so overwhelming and so promising, that the
future, I believe, is far brighter than anyone has contemplated since the end
of the Second World War. Assignment: Is the world changing for
the better?”
Now, you may really believe the world is changing for the better,
but this prompt leads many students to answer yes without providing good
reasons. Maybe the world is fixing one
problem while a new problem develops.
Maybe someone needs to point out that there have been many wars after
World War II. Before you answer a
prompt, rephrase the question in your own words and be sure that you know what
it is asking and whether the prompt itself is influencing your thought about
the subject. You want your essay to
clearly demonstrate that you have a reason beyond the prompt to think the way
that you do.
Leading questions occur outside the SAT too. Check out this current event that shows that
how people ask questions can change the results of polls about global
warming. If you want to use this as one
of your five prepared current events, make notes about the broad themes in this
article as well as specific details and facts that you can use to back up an opinion
on an SAT essay prompt.
Critical Reading: 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.
Cover up your answer
choices as you read the sentence carefully.
That way, incorrect answers will not distract you as you predict a word
to fill the blank. When you have your
prediction, match it to the correct answer choice. Eliminate any answer that does not match your
prediction. Make sure that you look at
all of the answer choices before you select an answer.
Bolstered by his unflagging determination
and ------- physical preparation, Tom Whittaker became the first
amputee to successfully climb to the summit of Mount Everest.
Did you notice two Knowsys
SAT words in the sentence? Even if you
do not know what “bolstered” and “unflagging” mean, you know that Whittaker was
determined to climb the mountain and that he was successful. In order to do that he, he must have trained
hard. Predict that his physical
preparation was “persistent,” “diligent,” “steady,” or even “unflagging,” if
you recognize the term. Then look down
at your answer choices.
(A) fortuitous
(B) assiduous
(C) heedless
(D) expeditious
(E) pedantic
(A) Perhaps you know that the
Latin root “fort” generally means strong and figure that Whittaker’s
preparation made him stronger. Or
perhaps you link this word to the word “fortunate” and realize that this is a
positive word. This answer choice is here to trick you. The word “fortuitous” does not just mean
“fortunate,” although many fortuitous occurrences are fortunate. The word “fortuitous” is related to the idea
of chance, of accidental luck. There is
no way that Whittaker accidentally practiced or that he got lucky and just
ended up physically prepared – he worked hard.
Bottom line: this choice doesn’t really match your prediction. Eliminate it.
(B) Assiduous is a
difficult word. If you don’t know it,
you cannot eliminate it.
(C) If you heed something, you pay attention to
it. Being heedless would be the opposite
of paying attention. You know that Whittaker
paid attention to physical preparation.
Eliminate this choice.
(D) Knowsys word!
If you don’t know the definition right away, think of expedited
shipping. That is when you pay extra to
make sure a package gets somewhere quickly.
The idea here is not to prepare for the climb quickly, but to prepare
for it in such a way as to be ready for the challenge. “Expeditious” does not mean “diligent.” Eliminate this choice.
(E) This word is going to be really confusing if
you assume that the Latin root “ped” means “foot.” The same root can also mean “child.” If you know that teachers have been called
“pedagogues,” you will realize that this word also does not match your
prediction. “Pedantic” means acting like
a teacher, especially in situations where no one wants a teacher. Eliminate this choice.
You only have one answer
remaining. If you have eliminated all
the other answer choices for specific reasons, then you can confidently select
that answer, even if you do not know precisely what it means.
The correct answer is (B).
Words used in this SC:
Bolstered: encouraged or supported
Unflagging: not declining in strength
or vigor, tireless
Amputee: a person who has had a
limb removed
Fortuitous: happening by a lucky
chance, accidental
Assiduous: hard-working, diligent, or industrious
Heedless: unaware, not noticing something
Heedless: unaware, not noticing something
Expeditious: fast, prompt, speedy
Pedantic: teaching or ostentatious
in one’s learning, too concerned about formal details
On sat.collegeboard.org, 37% of the responses were correct.
For more help with SAT vocabulary,
visit www.myknowsys.com!
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Fractions
Arithmetic: Fractions
Read the following SAT test
question and then select the correct answer.
Use the same process with
every SAT question. Read carefully and
identify the bottom line. Then assess
your options for reaching the bottom line and choose the most time efficient
method to attack the problem. When you
have an answer, loop back to check that you solved for the bottom line.
Bottom Line: just solve
Assess your options: When you see a problem like this, get
excited! Some people will multiply all
of the numbers, or change the fractions into decimals, but you should recognize
a pattern! Use what you know about
fractions to solve this problem in less than 5 seconds.
Attack the problem: The way you would normally solve the problem is to multiply all of the top numbers and multiply all of the bottom, then simplify the resulting fraction. There is a faster way! Although this problem starts out with separate fractions, you can think of the numbers that you are given as factors of the product you would get. Remember that a number on top of a fraction
will cancel if the same number is on the bottom of a fraction. Envision the problem this way:
Then simply eliminate any
numbers that are both on top and bottom!
The 2s cancel. So do the 3s. Keep going, and what do you have
left?
Loop back: You solved the original equation, so you are
ready to look down at the answer choices.
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
The correct answer is (A).
On sat.collegeboard.org, 60% of the responses were correct.
For more help with SAT math, visit www.myknowsys.com!
Friday, March 22, 2013
Idioms
Writing: 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.
Read
the entire sentence to yourself once, listening for errors. Then quickly check each underlined portion of
the sentence against the Big 8 Grammar Rules.
Mark any error you find.
Today, also representing nations and other political entities, flags are used to represent youth groups, athletic competitions, and international bodies. No error
(A) This part of the sentence should sound odd to
you. It is normal to hear about one
thing and also another thing; something must be introduced before you can add
to it with the word “also.” When you
want to point out that there are at least two things involved before listing
either of them, use the phrase “in addition to.” Mark this improper idiom and quickly check the
other answer choices.
(B) The conjunction “and” links two things. The word “other” reminds readers that
although nations are political entities, there are political entities that are
not nations. Without “other” the words “political
entities” would sound redundant. There
is no error here.
(C) This part of the sentence is passive, but
flags cannot use themselves; they must be used by others. The subject of the sentence comes right after
the introductory phrase so there is no modifying error. The noun “flags” and the verb “are” agree
because both are plural. There is no
error here.
(D) It is idiomatically correct when talking
about the purpose of something to say that the item is “used to do something.” Here the correct preposition “to” is used,
and the flag is used to represent certain groups. There is no error here.
The correct
answer is (A).
On sat.collegeboard.org, 72% of the responses were correct.
For more help with SAT writing,
visit www.myknowsys.com!
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Sentence Completions
Link of the Day
Those who
overcome obstacles inspire others to do the same. Remember the young girl who was shot for
advocating education for girls? (You can review the original story from last October here.) This girl has been nominated for a Nobel peace prize and is now resuming her own education. If this story interests you, write down the
broad themes from it (such as education) and specific details (such as the
spelling of Malala and her age, 15). Think
about how you could use the broad themes in this current event to support a
position on almost any essay prompt, then try connecting it to the prompts
below:
(1) Is it
important to question the ideas and decisions of people in positions of
authority?
(2) Can
knowledge be a burden rather than a benefit?
(3) Has
today’s abundance of information only made it more difficult to understand the
world around us?
Critical Reading: 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.
Cover up the answer choices
until you have read the sentence carefully and made a prediction to fill the
easier blank. Then eliminate any choices
that do not match your prediction. Do
the same with the other blank.
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.
Look at the first
blank. Animal protection was once one
thing, but now it is mandatory. The
“now” lets you know that a change has been made. You can predict the word “optional,” but
remember that any word that could be used for something that is “not mandatory”
will work.
(A) comprehensive . .
adversaries
(B) nominal . . advocates
(C) disregarded . .
proponents
(D) recommended . .
violators
(E) compulsory . .
resisters
(A) Your teachers have
probably told you at some point that you would have a comprehensive test. That kind of test covers a lot of the topics
that you studied. These tests are
generally not optional! Look back at the
original sentence and notice the word “merely.”
The words “merely” and “comprehensive” sound odd together. This is like saying that the test “only
includes a lot,” which is not strictly logical.
Eliminate this choice. (B) If you don’t know a word, keep the answer
choice. (C) Something disregarded could
be optional. Keep this choice. (D) This seems like the strongest answer. Recommended means optional but advisable, and
it seems advisable to protect animals.
Keep it. (E) This word is a synonym of mandatory; it is
the opposite of what you want. Eliminate
it.
Now look at the second
blank. The second blank involves a
punishment, the loss of research grants.
People who do not do mandatory things get punished for it. Predict “disobedient people” and look down at
your answer choices.
(B) nominal . . advocates
(C) disregarded . .
proponents
(D) recommended . .
violators
(B) Knowsys word!
People who advocate something are for that thing. If they are for the policy, they will not
disobey it. Eliminate this choice. (C) A proponent is also for something. Eliminate this choice. (D)
You see signs everywhere that list rules along with the words,
“Violators will be prosecuted.”
Violators break rules. Keep this
choice.
The correct answer is (D).
Words used in this SC:
Comprehensive: broadly or completely
covering something
Adversaries: opponents or rivals
Nominal: being such in name only,
or minimal
Advocates: people speaking in
support of something
Disregarded: ignored
Proponents: supporters, advocates
Recommended: suggested, encouraged
Violators: people who break the
rules
Compulsory: required, mandatory
Resisters: people who fight against
something
On sat.collegeboard.org, 73% of the responses were correct.
For more help with SAT vocabulary,
visit www.myknowsys.com!
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Roots and Radicals
Algebra: Roots and Radicals
Read the following SAT test
question and then select the correct answer.
Always
read the problem carefully and determine the bottom line, the question that you
must answer. Assess your options for
solving the problem and choose the most efficient method to attack the
problem. When you have an answer, loop
back to make sure that you completed all the necessary steps and solved for the
bottom line.
If , which of the
following must be true?
Bottom Line: Which of the
following . . . ?
Assess your Options: Many "Which of the following . . . " questions require you to look at
the answer choices to solve the problem, but you should always check to see whether you can simplify the equation that you have been given. Instead of jumping to the answer choices,
work the equation into a form that is not as intimidating.
Attack the Problem: The original equation has a square root on
each side. How do you get rid of these
square root signs? Square both sides of
the equation, and the roots will cancel out.
You are left with:
x – a = x + b
You just showed that when
something is on both sides of the equation, you can cancel it out. There is a positive x on both sides of the equation.
If you subtract it from one side, you must subtract it from the other,
and the x is eliminated. You are left with:
-a = b
This looks fairly simple,
so glance down at your answer choices.
All of them are set equal to 0. Set your equation equal to zero by adding an a to each side.
0 = b + a
Remember, it doesn’t matter
what order you use when adding two variables.
Loop Back: You put your answer in the same form as the
answers on the test, so now all you have to do is match your answer to the
correct one!
(A) a = 0
(B) b = 0
(C) a + b = 0
(D) a – b = 0
(E) a² + b² = 0
The correct answer is (C).
On sat.collegeboard.org, 54% of the responses were correct.
For more help with SAT vocabulary,
visit www.myknowsys.com!
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Modifiers
Link of the Day
Traveling
is easier than ever today, and many people routinely take vacations in distant
places. Travelers can increase awareness
of wonders and issues around the globe, but they can also drastically change
the places that they visit. Take a look
at this article about how tourists are changing the feeding habits of stingrays
in the Caribbean. Think about the SAT
question, “Can success be disastrous?” in terms of the area’s success in
entertaining tourists. Then think about
the broad themes and specific details that could help you use this current
event as an excellent example for any SAT essay prompt.
Writing: 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.
Read
the entire sentence carefully, listening for errors. Then focus on the underlined portion of the
sentence and check it against the Big Eight Grammar Rules. Focus on the first error that you find to
quickly eliminate answer choices that do not address that error.
Combining both figurative and abstract elements in his
paintings, such painters as Franz Kline and Richard
Diebenkorn were greatly influenced by American artist Willem de Kooning, a key
figure in the post-war Abstract Expressionist movement.
The key to this question is
realizing that the only part of this sentence that you cannot change is an
introductory phrase. In an introductory
phrase, the subject is not clear; you do not know who is doing the “combining,”
although you do know that the subject must be male and singular due to the
pronoun “his.” For any introductory
phrase followed by a comma, the very next independent noun must be the subject of the sentence. You can eliminate any answer choice that does
not have the subject who is “combining” as the very first independent noun!
(A) such painters as Franz Kline and Richard
Diebenkorn were greatly influenced by American artist Willem de Kooning, a key
figure in the post-war Abstract Expressionist movement
(B) a key figure in the post-war Abstract
Expressionist movement who greatly influenced such painters as Franz Kline and
Richard Diebenkorn was American artist Willem de Kooning
(C) American artist Willem de Kooning became a
key figure in the post-war Abstract Expressionist movement and greatly
influenced such painters as Franz Kline and Richard Diebenkorn
(D) Willem de Kooning, an American artist who
became a key figure in the post-war Abstract Expressionist movement and greatly
influenced such painters as Franz Kline and Richard Diebenkorn
(E) and a key figure in the
post-war Abstract Expressionist movement, Willem de Kooning greatly influenced
such painters as Franz Kline and Richard Diebenkorn as an American artist
Explanations:
(A) This answer choice matches the original. It follows the introductory phrase with “such
painters,” but you know that the subject of this sentence must be male and
singular. Eliminate this choice.
(B) The words “a key figure” identify the artist
“Willem de Kooning,” but you do not learn the name of the artist until the very
last part of the sentence. This choice
does not fix the modification error that you found, and it is also wordy and
unnatural because it inverts the subject and verb, putting “was” before “Kooning”
in an unnecessarily passive structure.
Eliminate this choice.
(C) This choice fixes the problem that you found
in the original sentence. The first
independent noun after the comma is “Willem de Kooning” because the words
“American artist” modify how you understand who Kooning is. The rest of the sentence is clear and free of
errors. Keep this choice.
(D) This sentence is long, but it is still a
fragment. There is no main verb because
everything after the comma describes who Kooning was, but does so without a “to
be” verb. Also, notice that Kooning’s
name is alone between two commas. This
construction is generally only used when you are providing an alternative way
to address someone or when you are addressing that person directly. Eliminate this choice.
(E) This choice is unnecessarily wordy. One of the issues that the extra words
creates is that the words “as an American Artist” are now separated from
Kooning and seem more connected with Diebenkorn, changing the meaning of the
sentence. Eliminate this choice.
The correct answer is (C).
On sat.collegeboard.org, 63% of the responses were correct.
For more help with SAT vocabulary,
visit www.myknowsys.com!
Monday, March 18, 2013
Sentence Completions
Critical Reading: 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.
Cover
up your answers so that you are not drawn to one before you have all the
information you can glean from the sentence.
Read the sentence carefully and make a prediction to fill the
blank. Then match your prediction to the
correct answer, eliminating any answer choice that does not match. Be sure to look at all the answer choices
before selecting an answer.
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.
This sentence requires you
to use logic to find the answer. If you
are trying to save time by only reading part of the sentence, you will get this
question wrong. For example, if you
only read up to the blank, you may select the answer “rhythmic” because grace
and rhythm seem to go hand in hand, and the jellyfish has a pulsing
action. However, if you read a bit
farther, you will come to the word “but.”
The word “but” sets up a contrast.
One thing about this jellyfish must be the opposite of what you would
expect. You can’t change the portion
after the “but,” so you must contrast that portion of the sentence. What is the opposite of being dangerous to
humans? Being safe – the jellyfish seems
safe. Predict the word “safe” and look
down at your answer choices.
(A) sinister
(B) rhythmic
(C) murky
(D) harmless
(E) patient
(A) Does sinister mean
safe? No! Even if you do not know the dictionary
definition for sinister, you can probably identify it as a negative word. Eliminate this choice. (B)
The word “rhythmic” has nothing to do with “safe.” Eliminate this choice. (C)
This word comes from an Old Norse word, myrkr, which means “darkness.”
It does not mean safe. Eliminate it. (D)
“Harmless” can mean “safe.” This word
matches exactly! It seems as if the
jellyfish will not harm people, but it is poisonous. Keep this answer and quickly check the last
choice. (E) “Patient” does not mean
“safe.” Eliminate this choice.
The correct answer is (D).
Words used in this SC:
Sinister: ominous or unlucky,
seeming to be evil
Rhythmic: regularly recurring sound
or movement
Murky: hard to see through,
gloomy
Harmless: without the power or
desire to injure
Patient: content to wait if
necessary
On sat.collegeboard.org, 70% of the responses were correct.
For more help with SAT vocabulary,
visit www.myknowsys.com!
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