SAT Writing and Language Test
35 Minutes—44 Questions
This section corresponds to Section 2 of your answer sheet.
Directions
Each passage in this section is followed by several questions. Some questions
will referen
...
SAT Writing and Language Test
35 Minutes—44 Questions
This section corresponds to Section 2 of your answer sheet.
Directions
Each passage in this section is followed by several questions. Some questions
will reference an underlined portion in the passage; others will ask you to
consider a part of a passage or the passage as a whole. For each question,
choose the answer that reflects the best use of grammar, punctuation, and
style. If a passage or question is accompanied by a graphic, take the graphic
into account in choosing your response(s). Some questions will have "NO
CHANGE" as a possible response. Choose that answer if you think the best
choice is to leave the sentence as written.
1.
1. Questions 1–11 are based on the following passage.
2. The Age of the Librarian
When Kristen Harris is in college, she worked in her university’s
library and was constantly told, “You really should be studying to
be a librarian; this is your home” however Harris was pursuing a
bachelor’s degree in elementary education at the time. Little did she
realize that becoming a school librarian was indeed elective.
During the 21st century, the age of information, what could be
more necessary than an individual trained to gather, process, and
disseminate information? So, after teaching children in the
classroom, Harris went back to school to earn her Master of Library
Science degree.
Today, Harris is preparing a story time for a group of young
students. As it has done with everything else, the technology
revolution has elevated the school library to “Library 2.0.” Harris’s
tablet-integrated story time begins when she projects images for
The Very Cranky Bear onto a projector screen. As a child, Harris
got excited whenever a puppet appeared during story time, but now
she uses an interactive app (application software) to enhance her
own story time and integrate this next generation of children.
As she introduces the children to the problem of cheering up a
cranky bear, Harris sees Miguel scouring the library shelves for
another book by a popular author. Miguel had said asking Harris
for a book two weeks earlier “If you have any funny stories, I like
those.” “It will always be satisfying,” reflects Harris, “to find books
for students and have them return to say, ‘I really liked that one.
Are there any more by that author?’”
Harris maintains active profiles on multiple social media
networks to connect with her students more effectively. Harris
would call herself a media mentor as much as a librarian because
she regularly visits her favorite websites for reviews of apps and
other digital tools to suggest to students and parents. Librarians
have always been an important resource for families in a
community, but this importance has grown exponentially because
of the advent of technology. Librarians are offering guidance about
new media to address the changing information needs in our
communities. Furthermore, libraries are becoming increasingly
technology driven, for example, enabling access to collections of
other libraries, offering remote access to databases, or they house
video production studios. Harris sponsors a weekly “Fun Read”
book discussion club that is well attended by many of the students
at her school. So, in Harris’s opinion, librarians must be masters of
the digital world.
Harris finishes her story time and heads across the library. A
young student stops her and asks, “Ms. Harris, what’s new in the
library?” She chuckles and thinks about the many collections,
services, and programs their school library offers. “Have you seen
the Trendy 10 list? You read the books on the list and blog your
ideas about them. I’ll set you up with a password and username so
you can blog,” says Harris. In this library full of information, she’s
the gatekeeper.
1. NO CHANGE
2. has been
3. was
4. had been
1. NO CHANGE
2. your home,” however Harris
3. your home.”; However Harris
4. your home.” However, Harris
1. NO CHANGE
2. imminent
3. threatening
4. optional
1. NO CHANGE
2. enervate
3. energize
4. elucidate
1. NO CHANGE
2. bear; Harris sees Miguel
3. bear: Harris sees Miguel
4. bear Harris sees Miguel
1. NO CHANGE
2. Miguel had said, “If you have any funny stories, I like
those,” asking Harris for a book two weeks earlier.
3. Asking Harris for a book two weeks earlier, Miguel had
said, “If you have any funny stories, I like those.”
4. Miguel asked Harris for a book two weeks earlier had said,
“If you have any funny stories, I like those.”
W7.hich sentence would most effectively establish the main idea of
the paragraph?
1. NO CHANGE
2. In addition to finding books for students, Harris is
expected to meet their digital needs.
3. Librarians still perform many traditional tasks such as
putting great literature in the hands of their students.
4. In the future, many school libraries are unlikely to have
books on the shelves because students prefer electronic
media.
1. NO CHANGE
2. by enabling access to collections of other libraries,
offering remote access to databases, or by housing video
production studios.
3. they enable access to collections of other libraries, offering
remote access to databases, or they house video production
studios.
4. enabling access to collections of other libraries, offering
remote access to databases, or housing video production
studios.
W9.hich sentence provides evidence that best supports the main idea
of the paragraph?
1. NO CHANGE
2. Librarians continue to help students and teachers locate the
perfect book in the library’s collection.
3. Teachers frequently ask Harris to recommend educational
apps to support early literacy for their students.
4. Many parents are concerned with online safety and digital
citizenship due to the proliferation of social media.
10.
1. NO CHANGE
2. He chuckles
3. Harris chuckles
4. They chuckle
11.
1. NO CHANGE
2. they’re
3. you’re
4. their
2.
1. Questions 12–22 are based on the following passage.
2. Unforeseen Consequences: The Dark Side of the Industrial
Revolution
There is no doubt that the Industrial Revolution guided America
through the nascent stages of independence and into being a robust
economic powerhouse. Inventions like the cotton gin
revolutionized the textile industry, and the steam engine ushered in
the advent of expeditious cross-country distribution.
The Industrial Revolution marked a shift from an agrarian to
an industry-centered society. People eschewed farming in favor of
more lucrative enterprises in urban areas which put a strain on
existing local resources. Necessary goods such as food crops,
vegetables, and meat products also had to be shipped in order to
meet the dietary needs of a consolidated population. And because
there were fewer people farming, food had to travel farther and in
higher quantities to meet demand. Issues like carbon dioxide
emissions, therefore, arose not only as by-products of industrial
production but also from the delivery of these products. Moreover,
booming metropolises needed additional lumber, metal, and coal
shipped from rural areas to sustain population and industrial
growth.
[1] The negative effects of such expansion on humans were
immediately apparent; improper water sanitation led to cholera
outbreaks in big cities. [2] Miners suffered from black lung after
spending hours harvesting coal in dark caverns. [3] Combusted
fossil fuels released unprecedented amounts of human-made carbon
dioxide into the air, resulting in respiratory ailments. [4] The fact
remains that smog, now an internationally recognized buzzword,
simply did not exist before the factories that produced it.
The critical impact on the environment must also be taken into
account. Proper regulations were either not in place or not
enforced. Industrial waste was often disposed of in the nearest river
or buried in landfills, where it polluted groundwater essential for
wildlife to thrive. Deforestation across the United States served the
dual purpose of providing inhabitable land and wood, but it also
caused animals to migrate or die out completely.
Although the Industrial Revolution heralded an age of
consumer ease and excess, it also invited a cyclical process of
destruction and reduced resources. Greenhouse gases were released
into the atmosphere. Numerous health problems caused by
depressing working conditions prevented rural emigrants from
thriving. And the environment that had cradled humankind since its
inception was slowly being degraded. All in the name of progress.
1. NO CHANGE
2. and into the role of a robust economic powerhouse.
3. and turned into a robust economic powerhouse.
4. and then became a robust economic powerhouse.
1. NO CHANGE
2. more lucrative enterprises in urban areas, which put a
strain on
3. more lucrative enterprises in urban areas; which put a
strain on
4. more lucrative enterprises in urban areas. Which put a
strain on
1. NO CHANGE
2. food
3. food crops
4. vegetables and meat products
T6o. effectively transition from paragraph 2, which sentence should
begin paragraph 3?
1. Sentence 1
2. Sentence 2
3. Sentence 3
4. Sentence 4
W7.hich graphic would best support the underlined claim?
1. A line graph plotting an increase in atmospheric carbon
dioxide over time
2. A pie chart comparing the present percentages of carbon
dioxide and other atmospheric gases
3. A timeline tracking carbon dioxide emissions testing dates
4. A bar graph showing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide
in different locations
W8.hich choice most effectively combines the sentences at the
underlined portion?
1. be taken into account, and proper regulations
2. be taken into account since without proper regulations
3. be taken into account because proper regulations
4. be taken into account; however, proper regulations
1. NO CHANGE
2. disturbed
3. drained
4. enhanced
1W0.hich choice should be added to the end of the underlined
sentence to better support the claim in the preceding sentence?
1. NO CHANGE
2. while carbon dioxide–consuming trees were cut down to
make way for new living spaces.
3. and caused an increase in global temperatures as well as a
rise in coastal sea levels.
4. faster than they could be absorbed by the atmosphere’s
shrinking ozone layer.
11.
1. NO CHANGE
2. urban
3. substandard
4. developing
12.
1. NO CHANGE
2. degraded; all
3. degraded! All
4. degraded—all
1W3.hich choice most effectively states the central idea of the essay?
1. The Industrial Revolution created a new consumer society
that replaced the existing farming society.
2. Politicians and historians today disagree about the true
consequences of the Industrial Revolution.
3. Although some analysts suggest that industrialization had
many problems, its immense benefits outweigh these
concerns.
4. Unfortunately, progress came at the expense of
environmental and ecological preservation and may well
have ruined the future that once looked so bright.
3.
1. Questions 23–33 are based on the following passage.
2. Remembering Freud
Psychology has grown momentously over the past century, largely
due to the influence of Sigmund Freud, a pioneer of the field. This
Austrian-born neurologist founded the practice of psychoanalysis
and began scientific study of the unconscious mind. Since his
career which ended in the mid-twentieth century, Freud has
remained a common cultural and scientific reference point. Even
the abiding popularity of terms such as “id,” “ego,” and talking
about a “Freudian slip” serves to indicate how this psychologist
lingers powerfully in Western memory.
As neuroscience has progressed, many early practices and
theories, including some of Freud’s, have been dismissed as
outdated, unscientific, or even harmful. Much of Freud’s theory,
clinical practice, and even lifestyle are now discredited. But when
considered in his historical context, alongside the astounding
progress catalyzed by his work, Freud’s contribution was
significant indeed.
Because he is now widely referred to as the Father of
Psychoanalysis, Freud was among the first to develop the nowcommonplace psychological method of inviting patients to speak
freely. For Freud, this was both study and treatment. It helped
doctors to understand patients, but more importantly it helped
patients to understand themselves. Freud employed the classic (now
largely outdated) psychiatric style in which the patient lies face-up
on a clinical bed, allegedly enabling access to deep parts of the
mind. These are better known as the unconscious or subconscious,
and they fascinated Freud.
He believed that uncovering repressed memories, was
necessary for recovery. For Freud, understanding the activity of the
innermost mind was essential. In dealing with the conditions of
patients, like neurosis or other psychological trauma, he suspected
that there was a great deal going on beneath the “surface” of the
psyche. He thought it was possible to reunite external, or conscious,
thought with the internal, or unconscious. At the same time that
Freud practiced, many people were interested in spiritualism.
Moreover, the method of inviting patients to speak and process
their thoughts aloud remains central to today’s psychological
practice.
Freud altered the course of twentieth-century medicine by
initiating what would become a grand, global conversation about
the still vastly mysterious human mind before Freud, medicine had
barely scratched the surface in understanding mental health.
Patients were met with very few answers, let alone recovery
protocols. Through trial and error—scientific method in action—
Freud’s finding of a method that seemed to work. Since then,
decades of ever-sharpening science have used his work as a
launching pad. Therefore, as long as occasions arise to celebrate the
progress of the field, Sigmund Freud will be remembered for
groundbreaking work that enabled countless advances.
1. NO CHANGE
2. continued
3. spearheaded
4. led to
1. NO CHANGE
2. Since his career, which ended in the mid-twentieth
century, Freud has remained
3. Since his career ending in the mid-twentieth century;
Freud has remained
4. Since his career (ending in the mid-twentieth century)
Freud has remained
1. NO CHANGE
2. Even the abiding popularity of terms such as the “id,”
“ego,” and a “Freudian slip”
3. Even the abiding popularity of terms such as talking about
an “id,” “ego,” and “Freudian slip”
4. Even the abiding popularity of terms such as “id,” “ego,”
and “Freudian slip.”
1. NO CHANGE
2. Widely remembered as the Father of Psychoanalysis,
Freud was among the first to develop the nowcommonplace psychological method of inviting patients to
speak freely.
3. Freud was among the first to develop the nowcommonplace psychological method of inviting patients to
speak freely, which is why he is now widely remembered
as the Father of Psychoanalysis.
4. Although he is widely remembered as the Father of
Psychoanalysis, Freud was among the first to develop the
now-commonplace psychological method of inviting
patients to speak freely.
1. NO CHANGE
2. recesses
3. places
4. components
1. NO CHANGE
2. He believed that uncovering repressed memories, being
necessary for recovery.
3. He believed that uncovering repressed memories was
necessary for recovery.
4. He believed that uncovering, repressed memories was
necessary for recovery.
1. NO CHANGE
2. In dealing with patients’ conditions, like neurosis or other
psychological trauma, he suspected that
3. In dealing with patients like neurosis or other
psychological trauma conditions he suspected that
4. He suspected that, in dealing with patients’ conditions like
neurosis or other psychological trauma,
1W0.hich sentence provides the best support for the ideas presented in
this section?
1. NO CHANGE
2. Freud lived and worked mostly in London although he had
originally trained in Austria.
3. While some of Freud’s more unusual practices have been
criticized or abandoned, his interest in the unconscious
altered the trajectory of the field.
4. Psychologists today employ many theories, not just those
developed by Freud.
11.
1. NO CHANGE
2. still vastly mysterious human mind. Before Freud,
medicine
3. still vastly mysterious human mind, before Freud,
medicine
4. still vastly mysterious human mind before Freud.
Medicine
12.
1. NO CHANGE
2. Through trial and error—scientific method in action—
Freud’s finding a method that seems to work.
3. Through trial and error—scientific method in action—
Freud finds a method that seemed to work.
4. Through trial and error—scientific method in action—
Freud found a method that seemed to work.
13.
1. NO CHANGE
2. the field; Sigmund Freud will be remembered for
groundbreaking work that
3. the field Sigmund Freud will be remembered for
groundbreaking work that
4. the field Sigmund Freud will be remembered for
groundbreaking work, and that
4.
1. Questions 34–44 are based on the following passage and
supplementary material.
2. Success in Montreal
The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone
Layer is an international treaty that was created to ensure that steps
would be taken to reverse damage to Earth’s ozone layer and
preventing future damage. It was signed in 1987. This document
created restrictions on chemicals that were known to be dangerous
to the protective barrier that the ozone layer offers Earth. Without
the ozone layer, the sun’s dangerous UV rays would alter our
climate so drastically, life on land and in water would cease to
exist.
A hole in Earth’s ozone layer was discovered over Antarctica
as long as two years prior to the signing of the treaty. The
discovery brought the human impact on the environment to the
forefront of international conversation, the massive hole was
evidence that a global response was necessary and that large-scale
action was needed. The Montreal Protocol became effective
January 1, 1989, and nearly 100 gases deemed dangerous to the
ozone layer have been phased out. As a result, the average size of
the ozone hole decreased significantly during the 1990s.
Now that a substantial amount of time has passed since the
treaty was put into place, the effects can begin to be looked at. As a
part of the treaty, the Montreal Protocol’s Scientific Assessment
Panel was created to gauge their effect on the hole in the ozone
layer. The Panel has since reported the results every four years. The
Panel predicts that the ozone layer will return to its former state of
health by 2075.
[1] While the treaty is already an obvious success, work
continues to ensure that human strides in technology and industry
do not reverse the healing process. [2] The Montreal Protocol’s
Multilateral Fund was established to help developing countries
transition away from the consumption and production of harmful
chemicals. [3] So far, over $3 billion has been invested by the
Fund. [4] The developing countries are referred to as “Article 5
countries.”
[1] The Montreal Protocol is a living document. [2] A current
amendment proposition has been put forth by the United States,
Mexico, and Canada jointly. [3] It aims to cut down on harmful
gases that were put into use as an alternative to the gases specified
in the original Montreal Protocol treaty. [4] It has been amended
four times since its inception. [5] Combating the erosion of our
ozone layer will take time and flexibility, but the research is clear:
If humans stay conscious of what we emit into the atmosphere, we
can not only stall the damage we have done in the past, but we can
change it.
Adapted from Ozone Hole Watch, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
1. NO CHANGE
2. to prevent
3. prevented
4. was preventing
W4.hich choice most effectively combines the sentences in the
underlined portion?
1. Signed in 1987, this document
2. Because it was signed in 1987, this document
3. It was signed in 1987, and this document
4. It was signed in 1987 so this document
1. NO CHANGE
2. long ago, two years prior.
3. two years prior.
4. years prior.
1. NO CHANGE
2. international conversation, yet the massive hole
3. international conversation. The massive hole
4. international conversation, so the massive hole
W7.hich choice completes the sentence with accurate data based on
the graphic?
1. NO CHANGE
2. the average size of the ozone hole leveled off beginning in
the 1990s.
3. the average size of the ozone hole decreased beginning in
the 2000s.
4. the average size of the ozone hole increased beginning in
the 1980s.
1. NO CHANGE
2. controlled.
3. measured.
4. governed.
1. NO CHANGE
2. its
3. it’s
4. there
1W0.hich choice could be added to paragraph 3 to most effectively
convey its central idea?
1. It is the Panel’s current estimation that the ozone layer is
beginning to heal, but the rate of progress is slow.
2. The Panel meets once a year to assess the increase or
decrease of each gas that has been identified as dangerous.
3. Of much concern to the Panel was the effect of ultraviolet
radiation on the ozone layer.
4. The Panel has recently updated procedures for the
nomination and selection of its membership.
1W1.hich sentence in paragraph 4 provides the least amount of
support for the central idea of the paragraph?
1. Sentence 1
2. Sentence 2
3. Sentence 3
4. Sentence 4
12.
1. NO CHANGE
2. switch
3. invert
4. reverse
1F3o.r the sake of cohesion of this paragraph, sentence 4 should be
placed
1. where it is now.
2. before sentence 1.
3. after sentence 1.
4. after sentence 2.
If you finish before time is called, you may check your work on this section
only. Do not turn to any other section in the test.
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