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Text Structure and Purpose

The passage summarizes research from an archaeologist that studied artifacts from a late 19th- and early 20th-century site in Texas. The archaeologist found that Black women farm workers used hook-and-eye closures on their clothes to achieve a silhouette similar to contemporary fashion, allowing them to balance ideals of femininity with the physical demands of farm work. The main purpose is to summarize the findings of this study on the fashion practices of these Black female farm workers.

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yasmina sbeity
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© © All Rights Reserved
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
935 views

Text Structure and Purpose

The passage summarizes research from an archaeologist that studied artifacts from a late 19th- and early 20th-century site in Texas. The archaeologist found that Black women farm workers used hook-and-eye closures on their clothes to achieve a silhouette similar to contemporary fashion, allowing them to balance ideals of femininity with the physical demands of farm work. The main purpose is to summarize the findings of this study on the fashion practices of these Black female farm workers.

Uploaded by

yasmina sbeity
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Question ID ca50de52

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: ca50de52
“How lifelike are they?” Many computer animators prioritize this question as they strive to create ever more realistic
environments and lighting. Generally, while characters in computer-animated films appear highly exaggerated,
environments and lighting are carefully engineered to mimic reality. But some animators, such as Pixar’s Sanjay Patel, are
focused on a different question. Rather than asking first whether the environments and lighting they’re creating are
convincingly lifelike, Patel and others are asking whether these elements reflect their films’ unique stories.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined question in the text as a whole?

A. It reflects a primary goal that many computer animators have for certain components of the animations they produce.

B. It represents a concern of computer animators who are more interested in creating unique backgrounds and lighting
effects than realistic ones.

C. It conveys the uncertainty among many computer animators about how to create realistic animations using current
technology.

D. It illustrates a reaction that audiences typically have to the appearance of characters created by computer animators.

ID: ca50de52 Answer


Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the underlined question in the
text as a whole. The text begins with the underlined question, “How lifelike are they?” The text then explains that
many computer animators pose this question about the environments and lighting that they create for animated
films, striving for realistic animation of those components even if the characters themselves aren’t portrayed in
realistic terms. The focus of the text then shifts to describe how some animators strive to create environments
and lighting that reflect the film’s unique stories rather than making them appear realistic. Therefore, the
function of the underlined question is to reflect a primary goal that many computer animators have for certain
components of the animations they produce.

Choice B is incorrect because, as the text makes clear, the underlined question is one posed by computer
animators who wish to create realistic backgrounds and lighting effects, not by those who, instead, wish to
create effects that reflect films’ unique stories and aren’t necessarily realistic; this latter group of animators is
discussed later in the text. Choice C is incorrect. As the text explains, many computer animators strive for
realistic environments and lighting, while others do not; this difference of approach relates to whether these
components should be realistic, not to how realism can be achieved using current technology, and the text never
suggests that animators are uncertain how to achieve it. Choice D is incorrect because the underlined question
pertains to the perspective of computer animators, not the audience, and the text never considers audience’s
reactions to characters in animated films.

Question Difficulty: Hard


Question ID 82cb7dda
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 82cb7dda
The field of study called affective neuroscience seeks instinctive, physiological causes for feelings such as pleasure or
displeasure. Because these sensations are linked to a chemical component (for example, the release of the
neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain when one receives or expects a reward), they can be said to have a partly
physiological basis. These processes have been described in mammals, but Jingnan Huang and his colleagues have
recently observed that some behaviors of honeybees (such as foraging) are also motivated by a dopamine-based
signaling process.

What choice best describes the main purpose of the text?

A. It describes an experimental method of measuring the strength of physiological responses in humans.

B. It illustrates processes by which certain insects can express how they are feeling.

C. It summarizes a finding suggesting that some mechanisms in the brains of certain insects resemble mechanisms in
mammalian brains.

D. It presents research showing that certain insects and mammals behave similarly when there is a possibility of a reward
for their actions.

ID: 82cb7dda Answer


Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text, which is to
summarize a finding suggesting that some mechanisms in the brains of certain insects resemble mechanisms
in mammalian brains. The text begins by explaining that feelings such as pleasure and displeasure are linked to
chemical processes in the brain, such as the release of dopamine when one receives a reward. The text then
indicates that such processes have been seen in mammals but that researchers have recently observed similar
processes involving dopamine in honeybees. Taken together, this information serves to sum up the discovery
that some mechanisms in the brains of certain insects may resemble mechanisms linked to feelings such as
pleasure and displeasure in mammals.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t describe any experiments or experimental methods. Instead, the
text describes a phenomenon that has been observed in mammals and then presents the recent observations of
Huang and colleagues that this phenomenon is also seen in honeybees. Choice B is incorrect because there’s
nothing in the text to suggest that certain insects can express how they’re feeling through particular processes.
The text does indicate that certain honeybee behaviors such as foraging are linked to dopamine, but it doesn’t
suggest that these behaviors enable honeybees to communicate feelings or sensations. Choice D is incorrect
because the text presents research showing that certain honeybee behaviors such as foraging are linked to
dopamine and therefore may be motivated by similar mechanisms to those in mammalian brains, not that
honeybees and mammals behave similarly when there is the possibility of reward for their actions.

Question Difficulty: Hard


Question ID d4732483
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: d4732483
Studying late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century artifacts from an agricultural and domestic site in Texas,
archaeologist Ayana O. Flewellen found that Black women employed as farm workers utilized hook-and-eye closures to
fasten their clothes at the waist, giving themselves a silhouette similar to the one that was popular in contemporary
fashion and typically achieved through more restrictive garments such as corsets. Flewellen argues that this sartorial
practice shows that these women balanced hegemonic ideals of femininity with the requirements of their physically
demanding occupation.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To describe an unexpected discovery that altered a researcher’s view of how rapidly fashions among Black female
farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Texas changed during the period

B. To discuss research that investigated the ways in which Black female farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early
twentieth-century Texas used fashion practices to resist traditional gender ideals

C. To evaluate a scholarly work that offers explanations for the impact of urban fashion ideals on Black female
farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Texas

D. To summarize the findings of a study that explored factors influencing a fashion practice among Black female
farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Texas

ID: d4732483 Answer


Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The text provides an overview of a scholarly work discussing the fashion practices
of Black female farmworkers in late 19th- and early 20th-century Texas, and how these practices were influenced
by both the fashion ideals of the time and the demands of farmwork.

Choice A is incorrect. The text never discusses the rate of fashion change among Black female farmworkers. The
text also never categorizes Flewellen’s findings as "unexpected." Choice B is incorrect. The text actually explains
that Black female farmworkers were trying to achieve traditional feminine ideals, not resist them. Choice C is
incorrect. The text doesn’t evaluate a scholarly work but rather simply describes it. Furthermore, the text is
focused on "agricultural and domestic" fashion, not urban fashion as this choice suggests.

Question Difficulty: Hard


Question ID b13378c8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: b13378c8
Early in the Great Migration of 1910–1970, which involved the mass migration of Black people from the southern to the
northern United States, political activist and Chicago Defender writer Fannie Barrier Williams was instrumental in helping
other Black women establish themselves in the North. Many women hoped for better employment opportunities in the
North because, in the South, they faced much competition for domestic employment and men tended to get agricultural
work. To aid with this transition, Barrier Williams helped secure job placement in the North for many women before they
even began their journey.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To introduce and illustrate Barrier Williams’s integral role in supporting other Black women as their circumstances
changed during part of the Great Migration

B. To establish that Barrier Williams used her professional connections to arrange employment for other Black women,
including jobs with the Chicago Defender

C. To demonstrate that the factors that motivated the start of the Great Migration were different for Black women than
they were for Black men

D. To provide an overview of the employment challenges faced by Black women in the agricultural and domestic spheres
in the southern United States

ID: b13378c8 Answer


Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the text’s purpose, which is to discuss the
important role Barrier Williams played in supporting many other Black women as they relocated to the northern
United States during the early years of the Great Migration. After introducing Barrier Williams, the text describes
how she helped find jobs for other Black women, who in many cases relocated in search of better employment
prospects than the South could offer at the time. The text indicates that by doing so, she eased these women’s
transition as their circumstances changed.

Choice B is incorrect. Although the text mentions Barrier Williams’s work as a political activist and writer for the
Chicago Defender, it doesn’t discuss any professional connections she made in these roles or indicate that she
used any such connections in her work to secure employment for other Black women. Choice C is incorrect.
Although the text discusses a factor that caused many women to relocate during the Great Migration, their
difficulty finding employment in the South, the text doesn’t indicate that this factor motivated the start of the
Great Migration. Moreover, the text doesn’t discuss the factors that motivated Black men to migrate. Choice D is
incorrect. Although the text mentions the difficult employment prospects for Black women in the domestic and
agricultural sectors in the South during the Great Migration, the text’s main purpose isn’t to provide an overview
of the employment challenges Black women faced in these sectors. Rather, it provides this information to show
that Barrier Williams played a crucial role in supporting many Black women who relocated to the North by
helping them achieve one of their main goals, securing a job.
Question Difficulty: Medium
Question ID e818241b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: e818241b
Astronomers are confident that the star Betelgeuse will eventually consume all the helium in its core and explode in a
supernova. They are much less confident, however, about when this will happen, since that depends on internal
characteristics of Betelgeuse that are largely unknown. Astrophysicist Sarafina El-Badry Nance and colleagues recently
investigated whether acoustic waves in the star could be used to determine internal stellar states but concluded that this
method could not sufficiently reveal Betelgeuse’s internal characteristics to allow its evolutionary state to be firmly fixed.

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

A. It describes a serious limitation of the method used by Nance and colleagues.

B. It presents the central finding reported by Nance and colleagues.

C. It identifies the problem that Nance and colleagues attempted to solve but did not.

D. It explains how the work of Nance and colleagues was received by others in the field.

ID: e818241b Answer


Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because it best describes how the second sentence functions in the text as a whole.
The first sentence establishes something astronomers believe with some certainty: that Betelgeuse will explode
in a supernova. The second sentence then introduces a problem: astronomers aren’t certain when Betelgeuse
will explode because they don’t have enough information about the star’s internal characteristics. Finally, the
third sentence indicates that researcher Sarafina El-Badry Nance and colleagues investigated a possible method
of obtaining the necessary information about Betelgeuse’s internal characteristics, though they found that the
method wouldn’t be sufficient. Thus, the function of the second sentence is to identify the problem that Nance
and colleagues attempted to solve but didn’t.

Choice A is incorrect because the second sentence introduces the general problem Nance and colleagues hoped
to solve, not a serious limitation of how Nance and colleagues tried to solve it. It is the third sentence that
introduces Nance and colleagues, but no serious limitation of their approach to studying a method of
determining internal stellar states is described. Choice B is incorrect because the second sentence introduces
the general problem Nance and colleagues hoped to solve, not the central finding they ultimately reported. It is
the third sentence that presents Nance and colleagues’ conclusion that a potential method for determining
internal stellar states would be insufficient. Choice D is incorrect because the second sentence doesn’t indicate
how other astronomers or astrophysicists responded to the work done by Nance and colleagues; the text doesn’t
address this information at all.

Question Difficulty: Hard


Question ID 236fee8e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 236fee8e
Archeological excavation of Market Street Chinatown, a nineteenth-century Chinese American community in San Jose,
California, provided the first evidence that Asian food products were imported to the United States in the 1800s: bones
from a freshwater fish species native to Southeast Asia. Jinshanzhuang—Hong Kong–based import/export firms—likely
coordinated the fish’s transport from Chinese-operated fisheries in Vietnam and Malaysia to North American markets.
This route reveals the (often overlooked) multinational dimensions of the trade networks linking Chinese diaspora
communities.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It explains why efforts to determine the country of origin of the items mentioned in the previous sentence remain
inconclusive.

B. It provides information that helps support a claim about a discovery’s significance that is presented in the following
sentence.

C. It traces the steps that were taken to locate and recover the objects that are described in the previous sentence.

D. It outlines a hypothesis that additional evidence discussed in the following sentence casts some doubt on.

ID: 236fee8e Answer


Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The underlined sentence provides information about import/export firms, showing
how Chinese communities across the world were connected by trade routes.

Choice A is incorrect. The underlined sentence never suggests that the countries of origin of the fish are in
question—in fact, it tells us exactly where they came from. Choice C is incorrect. The passage never describes the
steps taken to discover the fish bones described in the previous sentence. Choice D is incorrect. The underlined
sentence doesn’t outline a hypothesis but instead provides evidence. And the following sentence agrees with the
underlined sentence, so we could eliminate this choice just for saying that the following sentence "casts some
doubt on" the underlined one—partly wrong is all wrong.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID 2903a041
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 2903a041
Using NASA’s powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Mercedes López-Morales and colleagues measured the
wavelengths of light traveling through the atmosphere of WASP-39b, an exoplanet, or planet outside our solar system.
Different molecules absorb different wavelengths of light, and the wavelength measurements showed the presence of
carbon dioxide (CO₂) in WASP-39b’s atmosphere. This finding not only offers the first decisive evidence of CO₂ in the
atmosphere of an exoplanet but also illustrates the potential for future scientific breakthroughs held by the JWST.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. It discusses a method used by some researchers, then states why an alternative method is superior to it.

B. It describes how researchers made a scientific discovery, then explains the importance of that discovery.

C. It outlines the steps taken in a scientific study, then presents a hypothesis based on that study.

D. It examines how a group of scientists reached a conclusion, then shows how other scientists have challenged that
conclusion.

ID: 2903a041 Answer


Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The text begins by describing how the researchers used the JWST to detect CO₂ in
WASP-39b’s atmosphere. Then the text discusses the significance of this finding, both as the first evidence of CO₂
in an exoplanet’s atmosphere and as an illustration of the JWST’s potential for making new discoveries in
general.

Choice A is incorrect. The text doesn’t compare two different methods, but rather focuses on one study that used
the JWST. Choice C is incorrect. The text doesn’t present a hypothesis, but rather reports on the findings of a
study. Choice D is incorrect. The text doesn’t mention any scientists challenging the conclusion reached by
López-Morales and colleagues.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID ac9a3a26
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: ac9a3a26
According to historian Vicki L. Ruiz, Mexican American women made crucial contributions to the labor movement during
World War II. At the time, food processing companies entered into contracts to supply United States armed forces with
canned goods. Increased production quotas conferred greater bargaining power on the companies’ employees, many of
whom were Mexican American women: employees insisted on more favorable benefits, and employers, who were anxious
to fulfill the contracts, complied. Thus, labor activism became a platform for Mexican American women to assert their
agency.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

A. It elaborates on a claim about labor relations in a particular industry made earlier in the text.

B. It offers an example of a trend in the World War II–era economy discussed earlier in the text.

C. It notes a possible exception to the historical narrative of labor activism sketched earlier in the text.

D. It provides further details about the identities of the workers discussed earlier in the text.

ID: ac9a3a26 Answer


Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it best describes how the underlined portion functions in the text as a
whole. The text says that the increased production quotas of food processing companies during World War II
enabled employees to make better bargains in exchange for their labor. The underlined portion presents an
example of this increased bargaining power: employees requested more favorable benefits, and employers
complied because they were under pressure to fulfill the demanding terms of their contracts. Thus, the
underlined portion of the text elaborates on a claim about labor relations in a particular industry (food
processing) made earlier in the text.

Choice B is incorrect because there is no indication in the text that the economic factors that influenced food
processing also influenced other parts of the economy; thus, the bargaining described in the underlined portion
of the text cannot be called an example of a trend. Choice C is incorrect because the underlined portion supports
the historical narrative of labor activism in food processing that is sketched in the text, instead of noting an
exception to that narrative. Choice D is incorrect because while the underlined portion does discuss the
demands that workers made in exchange for their labor, it does not discuss the identities of the workers.

Question Difficulty: Hard


Question ID 03c9f327
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 03c9f327
The following text is from Charlotte Brontë’s 1847 novel Jane Eyre. Jane, the narrator, works as a governess at Thornfield
Hall.
I went on with my day’s business tranquilly; but ever and anon vague suggestions kept wandering across my brain of
reasons why I should quit Thornfield; and I kept involuntarily framing advertisements and pondering conjectures about
new situations: these thoughts I did not think to check; they might germinate and bear fruit if they could.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To convey a contrast between Jane’s outward calmness and internal restlessness

B. To emphasize Jane’s loyalty to the people she works for at Thornfield Hall

C. To demonstrate that Jane finds her situation both challenging and deeply fulfilling

D. To describe Jane’s determination to secure employment outside of Thornfield Hall

ID: 03c9f327 Answer


Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text, which is to show
that while Jane calmly goes about her daily tasks, she is experiencing internal agitation about possibly seeking
a new job. At the start of the text, Jane says, “I went on with my day’s business tranquilly,” indicating that she is
outwardly calm. This outward calmness is then contrasted with her intense internal restlessness, as Jane says
that thoughts of leaving her job keep running through her mind, that she is “involuntarily framing
advertisements” (meaning that she can’t stop herself from thinking up potential listings for jobs), and that she
often wonders what new “situations” (or jobs) would be like.

Choice B is incorrect because the text gives no indication of Jane’s feelings, either positive or negative, about the
people she works for at Thornfield Hall. And rather than emphasizing that Jane feels particularly loyal to her
employers, the text focuses on her constant consideration of leaving her job. Choice C is incorrect because the
text gives no indication that Jane finds her current situation fulfilling, or satisfying. Given that much of the text
is focused on Jane’s thoughts about possibly leaving her job for a new one, it might be the case that she finds her
situation challenging, but there is no evidence in the text that Jane also finds that situation satisfying—she says
nothing positive about her current job at all, in fact. Choice D is incorrect because the text describes Jane as
wondering about getting a new job, not as determined to definitely do so. Jane keeps thinking about reasons why
she “should” quit her current job (indicating that she hasn’t yet decided to) and imagining possible new
situations she could find, but she says at the end of the text that these thoughts “might germinate and bear fruit
if they could,” meaning that the thoughts haven’t yet led to a decision—that Jane isn’t yet determined to get a
new job somewhere else.

Question Difficulty: Hard


Question ID 47598085
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 47598085
Yawn contagion occurs when one individual yawns in response to another’s yawn. Studies of this behavior in primates
have focused on populations in captivity, but biologist Elisabetta Palagi and her colleagues have shown that it can occur
in wild primate populations as well. In their study, which focused on a wild population of gelada monkeys (Theropithecus
gelada) in Ethiopia, the researchers further reported that yawn contagion most commonly occurred in males and across
different social groups instead of within a single social group.

Which choice best describes the function of the first sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It defines a phenomenon that is discussed in the text.

B. It introduces a problem that is examined in the text.

C. It makes a claim that is challenged in the text.

D. It presents a hypothesis that is evaluated in the text.

ID: 47598085 Answer


Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the first sentence functions in the text as
a whole. The first sentence introduces what yawn contagion is, explaining that it occurs when an individual
yawns in response to the yawn of another individual. The text goes on to describe Elisabetta Palagi and her
colleagues’ study of this phenomenon in a wild population of gelada monkeys. According to the text, the study
showed that wild primate populations experience yawn contagion and that the behavior occurs most commonly
in male monkeys and across social groups. Thus, the function of the first sentence is to define the phenomenon
of yawn contagion that is discussed in the text.

Choice B is incorrect. Although the first sentence introduces the text’s discussion of yawn contagion, it doesn’t
present this behavior, or anything else, as a problem. Choice C is incorrect because the first sentence doesn’t
present a claim but instead explains what yawn contagion is. Moreover, the text doesn’t challenge anything; it’s
an informative text that describes the findings of a research study about yawning in wild primate populations.
Choice D is incorrect. Although the text describes a scientific study, and most scientific studies are guided by a
hypothesis, the text doesn’t say what Palagi and her colleagues’ hypothesis was; the text discusses their findings
instead.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID b0f7541b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: b0f7541b
The following text is adapted from Herman Melville’s 1857 novel The Confidence-Man. Humphry Davy was a prominent
British chemist and inventor.

Years ago, a grave American savant, being in London, observed at an evening party there, a certain coxcombical
fellow, as he thought, an absurd ribbon in his lapel, and full of smart [banter], whisking about to the admiration of as
many as were disposed to admire. Great was the savant’s disdain; but, chancing ere long to find himself in a corner
with the jackanapes, got into conversation with him, when he was somewhat ill-prepared for the good sense of the
jackanapes, but was altogether thrown aback, upon subsequently being [informed that he was] no less a personage
than Sir Humphry Davy.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. It portrays the thoughts of a character who is embarrassed about his own behavior.

B. It presents an account of a misunderstanding.

C. It offers a short history of how a person came to be famous.

D. It explains why one character dislikes another.

ID: b0f7541b Answer


Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The text tells a story of a first impression that turned out to be wrong: a serious
American savant was dismissive of a goofy-looking, wisecracking guest at a British party, and then was shocked
to learn that the guest was actually a prominent British chemist and inventor.

Choice A is incorrect. This is too strong and too narrow. Only at the very end is the savant "thrown aback" by the
fact that the man was Sir Humphry Davy—he’s not "embarrassed about his own behavior." Choice C is incorrect.
This isn’t the main purpose. The text never provides the history of how Sir Humphry Davy came to be famous.
Nor does it provide any history for the American savant. Choice D is incorrect. This is too narrow. It doesn’t
include the second half of the text, where the savant gets into a conversation with the man and then finds out
that the man is Sir Humphry Davy.

Question Difficulty: Hard


Question ID df46a2ee
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: df46a2ee
The following text is from Joseph Conrad’s 1907 novel The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale. Mr. Verloc is navigating the
London streets on his way to a meeting.
Before reaching Knightsbridge, Mr. Verloc took a turn to the left out of the busy main thoroughfare, uproarious with the
traffic of swaying omnibuses and trotting vans, in the almost silent, swift flow of hansoms [horse-drawn carriages]. Under
his hat, worn with a slight backward tilt, his hair had been carefully brushed into respectful sleekness; for his business was
with an Embassy. And Mr. Verloc, steady like a rock—a soft kind of rock—marched now along a street which could with
every propriety be described as private.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined phrase in the text as a whole?

A. It qualifies an earlier description of Mr. Verloc.

B. It emphasizes an internal struggle Mr. Verloc experiences.

C. It contrasts Mr. Verloc with his surroundings.

D. It reveals a private opinion Mr. Verloc holds.

ID: df46a2ee Answer


Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The underline phrase qualifies (meaning adds limits or conditions to) the
description of Mr. Verloc as “steady like a rock,” adding that he is a “soft” rock.

Choice B is incorrect. In fact, the passage never mentions Mr. Verloc experiencing any internal struggles. Choice
C is incorrect. The underlined phrase doesn’t contrast Mr. Verloc with his surroundings, but is instead modifying
the description of him as a rock. Choice D is incorrect. The underlined phrase doesn’t reveal a private opinion Mr.
Verloc holds: instead, it further describes his character for the reader.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID ff97fd53
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: ff97fd53
In 1973, poet Miguel Algarín started inviting other writers who, like him, were Nuyorican—a term for New Yorkers of
Puerto Rican heritage—to gather in his apartment to present their work. The gatherings were so well attended that
Algarín soon had to rent space in a cafe to accommodate them. Thus, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe was born. Moving to a
permanent location in 1981, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe expanded its original scope beyond the written word, hosting art
exhibitions and musical performances as well. Half a century since its inception, it continues to foster emerging Nuyorican
talent.

Which choice best describes the overall purpose of the text?

A. To explain what motivated Algarín to found the Nuyorican Poets Cafe

B. To situate the Nuyorican Poets Cafe within the cultural life of New York as a whole

C. To discuss why the Nuyorican Poets Cafe expanded its scope to include art and music

D. To provide an overview of the founding and mission of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe

ID: ff97fd53 Answer


Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The text presents a brief history of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, from how it got started
in the ’70s, to its expansion in the ’80s, to its ongoing mission today.

Choice A is incorrect. This isn’t the overall purpose. The text never mentions Algarín’s motivations. Choice B is
incorrect. This isn’t the overall purpose. The text never discusses the cultural life of New York as a whole. Choice
C is incorrect. This is too narrow. One sentence mentions that the Nuyorican Poets Cafe expanded its scope to
include art and music, but this is only one point in the broader history of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, which is the
overall focus of the text.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID c61a7c4a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: c61a7c4a
Some studies have suggested that posture can influence cognition, but we should not overstate this phenomenon. A case
in point: In a 2014 study, Megan O’Brien and Alaa Ahmed had subjects stand or sit while making risky simulated
economic decisions. Standing is more physically unstable and cognitively demanding than sitting; accordingly, O’Brien
and Ahmed hypothesized that standing subjects would display more risk aversion during the decision-making tasks than
sitting subjects did, since they would want to avoid further feelings of discomfort and complicated risk evaluations. But
O’Brien and Ahmed actually found no difference in the groups’ performance.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. It argues that research findings about the effects of posture on cognition are often misunderstood, as in the case of
O’Brien and Ahmed’s study.

B. It presents the study by O’Brien and Ahmed to critique the methods and results reported in previous studies of the
effects of posture on cognition.

C. It explains a significant problem in the emerging understanding of posture’s effects on cognition and how O’Brien
and Ahmed tried to solve that problem.

D. It discusses the study by O’Brien and Ahmed to illustrate why caution is needed when making claims about the effects
of posture on cognition.

ID: c61a7c4a Answer


Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The text notes
that although some studies have suggested that posture may have an effect on cognition, this phenomenon
should not be overstated. In other words, the text begins by urging caution and restraint when discussing the
effects of posture on cognition, implying that even though some studies have shown posture to affect cognition,
we should not assume that posture always affects cognition or does so in a strong way. The text goes on to
discuss O’Brien and Ahmed’s study as a "case in point" (that is, as an example of the point made previously).
According to the text, O’Brien and Ahmed hypothesized that since standing is more cognitively demanding than
sitting, standing subjects in their experiment would respond differently to decision-making tasks than sitting
subjects would, which would show an effect of posture on cognition. What the researchers actually found,
however, was that the standing and sitting subjects performed the same—posture did not affect cognition. By
presenting a circumstance in which posture does not appear to affect cognition, the discussion of O’Brien and
Ahmed’s study shows why it is important not to overstate the phenomenon. The purpose of the text, therefore, is
to discuss O’Brien and Ahmed’s study to illustrate why caution is needed when making claims about posture’s
effects on cognition.

Choice A is incorrect because the text discusses O’Brien and Ahmed’s study as an example of why caution is
needed when discussing posture’s effects on cognition, not as an example of how research findings related to
posture and cognition are often misunderstood. Although the text does warn against misunderstanding the
scope of the relationship between posture and cognition that has been reported in some previous studies,
O’Brien and Ahmed’s study is not one of those studies, and there is no suggestion that anyone has
misunderstood O’Brien and Ahmed’s findings. Choice B is incorrect because the text makes no mention of the
methods used in previous studies of the effects of posture on cognition. Although the text does urge caution
when discussing posture’s effects on cognition, it does not critique the results of studies that suggested that
posture can affect cognition. Instead, the text suggests that such results should not be exaggerated or taken too
broadly. Choice C is incorrect because although the text implies that overstating posture’s effects on cognition
would be a problem, nothing in the text suggests that O’Brien and Ahmed share that view or that they attempted
to solve that problem. O’Brien and Ahmed are presented as hypothesizing that posture would affect cognition in
their study, not as trying to resolve the problem the text describes.

Question Difficulty: Hard


Question ID acb852e7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: acb852e7
The following text is from the 1923 poem “Black Finger” by Angelina Weld Grimké, a Black American writer. A cypress is a
type of evergreen tree.
I have just seen a most beautiful thing,
Slim and still,
Against a gold, gold sky,
A straight black cypress,
Sensitive,
Exquisite,
A black finger
Pointing upwards.
Why, beautiful still finger, are you black?
And why are you pointing upwards?

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. The speaker assesses a natural phenomenon, then questions the accuracy of her assessment.

B. The speaker describes a distinctive sight in nature, then ponders what meaning to attribute to that sight.

C. The speaker presents an outdoor scene, then considers a human behavior occurring within that scene.

D. The speaker examines her surroundings, then speculates about their influence on her emotional state.

ID: acb852e7 Answer


Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the overall structure of the text. First, the
speaker describes observing a “most beautiful” sight: a tree (“black cypress”) standing out from the golden sky
behind it, looking like a person’s finger “pointing upwards” and appearing “sensitive” and “exquisite.” Then the
speaker wonders about the image’s meaning, asking why the finger is black and why it’s pointing upward. Thus,
the text moves from the speaker’s description of a distinctive sight in nature to her pondering about what
meaning to attribute to that sight.

Choice A is incorrect because the speaker assesses a natural sight—a “black cypress” tree standing “against a
gold, gold sky” like a pointed finger—but doesn’t question the accuracy of her own assessment. Although she
wonders why the finger, which is really a tree, is black and why it’s pointing, the speaker doesn’t suggest that her
belief that the tree resembles a finger is wrong. Choice C is incorrect. Although the speaker describes seeing a
“black cypress” tree standing “against a gold, gold sky” like a pointed finger, she wonders about that natural
image (asking why the finger, which is really a tree, is black and why it’s pointing) and doesn’t give any
indication that any people are present in the scene. Choice D is incorrect. Although the speaker examines and
wonders about one thing in her surroundings—a “black cypress” tree standing “against a gold, gold sky” like a
pointed finger—she doesn’t address her own emotional state or consider how it’s affected by her surroundings.
Question Difficulty: Medium
Question ID aa5897b8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: aa5897b8
In Jane Austen’s novel Mansfield Park, an almost imperceptible smile from potential suitor Henry Crawford causes the
protagonist Fanny Price to blush; her embarrassment grows when she suspects that he is aware of it. This moment—in
which Fanny not only infers Henry’s mental state through his gestures, but also infers that he is drawing inferences about
her mental state—illustrates what literary scholar George Butte calls “deep intersubjectivity,” a technique for representing
interactions between consciousnesses through which Austen’s novels derive much of their social and psychological
drama.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It states a claim about Austen’s skill at representing psychological complexity that is reinforced by an example
presented in the following sentence.

B. It advances an interpretation of an Austen protagonist who is contrasted with protagonists from other Austen novels
cited in the following sentence.

C. It describes a recurring theme in Austen’s novels that is the focus of a literary scholar’s analysis summarized in the
following sentence.

D. It provides a synopsis of an interaction in an Austen novel that illustrates a literary concept discussed in the following
sentence.

ID: aa5897b8 Answer


Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The underlined sentence provides a concrete example to ground readers’
understanding of the “deep intersubjectivity” described in the next sentence as central to Austen’s work.

Choice A is incorrect. There is no evaluation made of Austen’s skill in this sentence, and no examples are given
in the following sentence. This choice essentially flips the paragraph: it’s this first sentence that provides an
example. Choice B is incorrect. There are no other Austen protagonists mentioned in this passage, so this
couldn’t be the answer. Choice C is incorrect. The underlined sentence doesn’t identify any “recurring theme,” but
instead simply describes one interaction from one book. This interaction exemplifies the literary technique of
“deep intersubjectivity” that is introduced in the next sentence.

Question Difficulty: Hard


Question ID 39857700
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 39857700
The following text is from Edith Wharton’s 1905 novel The House of Mirth. Lily Bart and a companion are walking through
a park.
Lily had no real intimacy with nature, but she had a passion for the appropriate and could be keenly sensitive to a
scene which was the fitting background of her own sensations. The landscape outspread below her seemed an
enlargement of her present mood, and she found something of herself in its calmness, its breadth, its long free
reaches. On the nearer slopes the sugar-maples wavered like pyres of light; lower down was a massing of grey
orchards, and here and there the lingering green of an oak-grove.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It creates a detailed image of the physical setting of the scene.

B. It establishes that a character is experiencing an internal conflict.

C. It makes an assertion that the next sentence then expands on.

D. It illustrates an idea that is introduced in the previous sentence.

ID: 39857700 Answer


Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it best describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as a
whole. The first sentence of the text establishes that Lily can be “keenly sensitive to” scenes that serve as a
“fitting background” for her feelings—that is, she’s very aware of when a setting seems to reflect her mood. The
next sentence, which is underlined, then demonstrates this awareness: Lily views the landscape she’s in as a
large-scale reflection of her current mood, identifying with elements such as its calmness. Thus, the function of
the underlined sentence is to illustrate an idea introduced in the previous sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because the underlined sentence describes the scene only in very general terms, referring
to its calmness, breadth, and long stretches of land. It’s the next sentence that adds specific details about colors,
light, and various trees nearby. Choice B is incorrect because nothing in the underlined sentence suggests that
Lily is experiencing an internal conflict. In fact, the sentence indicates that Lily thinks the landscape reflects
her own feeling of calmness. Choice C is incorrect because the only assertion in the underlined sentence is that
Lily feels that broad aspects of the landscape, such as its calmness, reflect her current mood, and that assertion
isn’t expanded on in the next sentence. Instead, the next sentence describes specific details of the scene without
connecting them to Lily’s feelings.

Question Difficulty: Hard


Question ID 6f5fc289
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 6f5fc289
The following text is adapted from Charles Dickens’s 1854 novel Hard Times. Coketown is a fictional town in England.
[Coketown] contained several large streets all very like one another, and many small streets still more like one another,
inhabited by people equally like one another, who all went in and out at the same hours, with the same sound upon the
same pavements, to do the same work, and to whom every day was the same as yesterday and tomorrow, and every year
the counterpart of the last and the next.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To emphasize the uniformity of both the town and the people who live there

B. To explain the limited work opportunities available to the town’s residents

C. To reveal how the predictability of the town makes it easy for people lose track of time

D. To argue that the simplicity of life in the town makes it a pleasant place to live

ID: 6f5fc289 Answer


Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The author describes Coketown as having streets that are all very similar and
residents who live similarly and do the same work. This repetition of similarities emphasizes how everything in
Coketown is alike.

Choice B is incorrect. While the text mentions that all the residents “do the same work,” it never explains what
that work is or why everyone does it. Besides, the idea that they all do the same work is just one of several
similarities among the townspeople described in the text. Choice C is incorrect. While the last sentence states
that “every day was the same as yesterday and tomorrow, and every year the counterpart of the last and the next,”
it never suggests that people actually “lose track of time.” This is also too narrow to be the main idea, since time
is just one of many aspects of Coketown that the text describes as always being the same. Choice D is incorrect.
The text never mentions whether life is simple in Coketown, and the town sounds as though it’s probably a pretty
dull place to live, rather than a pleasant one.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID b4887dae
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: b4887dae
Mathematician Claude Shannon is widely regarded as a foundational figure in information theory. His most important
paper, “A Mathematical Theory of Communication,” published in 1948 when he was employed at Bell Labs, utilized a
concept called a “binary digit” (shortened to “bit”) to measure the amount of information in any signal and determine the
fastest rate at which information could be transmitted while still being reliably decipherable. Robert Gallagher, one of
Shannon’s colleagues, said that the bit was “[Shannon’s] discovery, and from it the whole communications revolution has
sprung.”

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. It presents a theoretical concept, illustrates how the name of the concept has changed, and shows how the name has
entered common usage.

B. It introduces a respected researcher, describes an aspect of his work, and suggests why the work is historically
significant.

C. It names the company where an important mathematician worked, details the mathematician’s career at the company,
and provides an example of the recognition he received there.

D. It mentions a paper, offers a summary of the paper’s findings, and presents a researcher’s commentary on the paper.

ID: b4887dae Answer


Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The text starts with a general statement that introduces Shannon, then describes a
specific contribution from one of his papers, then provides a quote that illustrates just how important this
contribution was.

Choice A is incorrect. This isn’t the overall structure. The text only mentions very briefly, in parentheses, that
“binary digit” was shortened to “bit.” It doesn’t go into detail about this name change, and it doesn’t discuss any
“common usage” of the name at all. Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t the overall structure. Shannon’s employment
at Bell Labs is only mentioned once, very briefly: the text never goes into detail about his career there, and it
never mentions any recognition he received there. Choice D is incorrect. This is too narrow. Overall, the text is
about Shannon’s importance in his field, not just this one paper of his.

Question Difficulty: Hard


Question ID 3e6ad72d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 3e6ad72d
A study by a team including finance professor Madhu Veeraraghavan suggests that exposure to sunshine during the
workday can lead to overly optimistic behavior. Using data spanning from 1994 to 2010 for a set of US companies, the
team compared over 29,000 annual earnings forecasts to the actual earnings later reported by those companies. The
team found that the greater the exposure to sunshine at work in the two weeks before a manager submitted an earnings
forecast, the more the manager’s forecast exceeded what the company actually earned that year.

Which choice best states the function of the underlined sentence in the overall structure of the text?

A. To summarize the results of the team’s analysis

B. To present a specific example that illustrates the study’s findings

C. To explain part of the methodology used in the team’s study

D. To call out a challenge the team faced in conducting its analysis

ID: 3e6ad72d Answer


Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because it best describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as a
whole. The first sentence presents the implications of Veeraraghavan’s team’s study: sunshine exposure during
work hours can cause overly optimistic behavior. The underlined sentence then describes the data the team
consulted and how they were used (comparing predictions about earnings to what the companies actually
earned), and the final sentence presents what the team found in their examination of the data. Thus, the
underlined sentence mainly functions to explain part of the methodology used in the team’s study.

Choice A is incorrect because the underlined sentence explains in part how the team conducted their analysis of
the effect of sunshine but doesn’t address what the team found; a broad summary is instead given in the other
two sentences. Choice B is incorrect because the underlined sentence doesn’t present any specific examples
from the team’s comparisons of 29,000 earnings predictions to actual earnings; it simply explains in part how
the team conducted their analysis. Choice D is incorrect because the underlined sentence simply explains in
part how the team conducted their analysis; the text never mentions any challenges that the team encountered
in their study.

Question Difficulty: Hard


Question ID 5336f2e4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 5336f2e4
The following text is adapted from Zora Neale Hurston’s 1921 short story “John Redding Goes to Sea.” John is a child who
lives in a town in the woods.
Perhaps ten-year-old John was puzzling to the folk there in the Florida woods for he was an imaginative child and fond
of day-dreams. The St. John River flowed a scarce three hundred feet from his back door. On its banks at this point
grow numerous palms, luxuriant magnolias and bay trees. On the bosom of the stream float millions of delicately
colored hyacinths. [John Redding] loved to wander down to the water’s edge, and, casting in dry twigs, watch them sail
away down stream to Jacksonville, the sea, the wide world and [he] wanted to follow them.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It provides an extended description of a location that John likes to visit.

B. It reveals that some residents of John’s town are confused by his behavior.

C. It illustrates the uniqueness of John’s imagination compared to the imaginations of other children.

D. It suggests that John longs to experience a larger life outside the Florida woods.

ID: 5336f2e4 Answer


Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it accurately describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as
a whole. The text establishes that John has a strong imagination and then goes on to describe the St. John River
near John’s home in the Florida woods. The underlined sentence depicts John sending twigs sailing down the
river while he imagines them reaching “Jacksonville, the sea, the wide world,” where he wishes he could follow.
This suggests that John longs to expand his life experiences beyond the Florida woods.

Choice A is incorrect because the second and third sentences of the text provide an extended description of the
riverbank where John likes to go, whereas the underlined sentence describes what John does at that location.
Choice B is incorrect because the first sentence of the text suggests that John’s behavior “was puzzling” to others
around him, whereas the underlined sentence concerns the content of John’s imaginings. Choice C is incorrect
because the underlined sentence elaborates on John’s imagination but doesn’t mention any other children to
whom John could be compared.

Question Difficulty: Hard


Question ID 570970cd
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 570970cd
The following text is adapted from Indian Boyhood, a 1902 memoir by Ohiyesa (Charles A. Eastman), a Santee Dakota
writer. In the text, Ohiyesa recalls how the women in his tribe harvested maple syrup during his childhood.
Now the women began to test the trees—moving leisurely among them, axe in hand, and striking a single quick blow,
to see if the sap would appear. The trees, like people, have their individual characters; some were ready to yield up
their life-blood, while others were more reluctant. Now one of the birchen basins was set under each tree, and a
hardwood chip driven deep into the cut which the axe had made. From the corners of this chip—at first drop by drop,
then more freely—the sap trickled into the little dishes.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It portrays the range of personality traits displayed by the women as they work.

B. It foregrounds the beneficial relationship between humans and maple trees.

C. It demonstrates how human behavior can be influenced by the natural environment.

D. It elaborates on an aspect of the maple trees that the women evaluate.

ID: 570970cd Answer


Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text’s overall
portrayal of how the women in Ohiyesa’s tribe harvested maple syrup. The text states that the women used an
axe to strike the maple trees in order to find out which ones would produce sap. The underlined sentence
compares the trees to people, with the sap described as the trees’ “life-blood.” Some of the trees are ready to give
out their sap, while others are unwilling to do so. Using personification, the sentence provides greater detail
about the aspect of the maple trees—their potential to give sap—that the women are evaluating.

Choice A is incorrect because the personalities of the women are not discussed in the text. Although the
underlined sentence does mention “individual characters,” this reference is not to the women in the text but
rather to the maple trees, which the sentence compares to people with individual character traits. Choice B is
incorrect because the underlined sentence focuses on the trees’ willingness or refusal to yield sap, not on the
beneficial relationship between the women and the trees. Additionally, although the text does suggest that the
women and their tribe benefit from the maple trees since the trees allow the women to harvest syrup, there is
nothing in the text to suggest that the trees benefit from this relationship in turn. Choice C is incorrect because
the underlined sentence is comparing maple trees to humans, not addressing the influence of the natural
environment on how the actual humans in the text, the women, behave.

Question Difficulty: Hard


Question ID f631132b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: f631132b
In the Here and Now Storybook (1921), educator Lucy Sprague Mitchell advanced the then controversial idea that books
for very young children should imitate how they use language, since toddlers, who cannot yet grasp narrative or abstract
ideas, seek reassurance in verbal repetition and naming. The most enduring example of this idea is Margaret Wise
Brown’s 1947 picture book Goodnight Moon, in which a young rabbit names the objects in his room as he drifts off to
sleep. Scholars note that the book’s emphasis on repetition, rhythm, and nonsense rhyme speaks directly to Mitchell’s
influence.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. The text outlines a debate between two authors of children’s literature and then traces how that debate shaped
theories on early childhood education.

B. The text summarizes an argument about how children’s literature should be evaluated and then discusses a
contrasting view on that subject.

C. The text lists the literary characteristics that are common to many classics of children’s literature and then indicates
the narrative subjects that are most appropriate for young children.

D. The text presents a philosophy about what material is most suitable for children’s literature and then describes a book
influenced by that philosophy.

ID: f631132b Answer


Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The text starts by introducing Mitchell’s philosophy about using simple, repetitive
language in books for young children. Then it describes a book influenced by that philosophy, Goodnight Moon.

Choice A is incorrect. Although two authors are mentioned in the text, they both agree about the type of language
that should be contained in books for young children. Choice B is incorrect. The text never discusses the
evaluation of children’s literature. It does provide one view of how children’s books should be written, but never
introduces a competing view. Choice C is incorrect. The text doesn’t mention “many classics of children’s
literature.” Instead, it describes an educational theory and identifies one example of a famous children’s book
that was influenced by that theory.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID c0e1b70a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: c0e1b70a
The following text is adapted from Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto’s 1925 memoir A Daughter of the Samurai. As a young woman,
Sugimoto moved from feudal Japan to the United States.

The standards of my own and my adopted country differed so widely in some ways, and my love for both lands was
so sincere, that sometimes I had an odd feeling of standing upon a cloud in space, and gazing with measuring eyes
upon two separate worlds. At first I was continually trying to explain, by Japanese standards, all the queer things
that came every day before my surprised eyes; for no one seemed to know the origin or significance of even the
most familiar customs, nor why they existed and were followed.

Which choice best describes the main purpose of the text?

A. To convey the narrator’s experience of observing and making sense of differences between two cultures she embraces

B. To establish the narrator’s hope of forming connections with new companions by sharing customs she learned as a
child

C. To reveal the narrator’s recognition that she is hesitant to ask questions about certain aspects of a culture she is newly
encountering

D. To emphasize the narrator’s wonder at discovering that the physical distance between two countries is greater than
she had expected

ID: c0e1b70a Answer


Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The narrator
asserts that she loves both her “own” country (Japan) and her “adopted country” (the United States) even though
the two countries differ “widely.” She also indicates that, at first, she would try to explain unfamiliar experiences
that she had in the United States using the standards ingrained in her from growing up in Japan. Thus, the main
purpose of the text is to convey the narrator’s experience of observing and making sense of the differences
between two cultures she embraces.

Choice B is incorrect because the text makes no reference to possible companions. Although the text does
indicate that the narrator sometimes used the cultural framework she acquired growing up in Japan to explain
some experiences she’s had, there is no suggestion that this was in service of making friends. And although “no
one seemed to know” strongly implies that the narrator has interacted with other people in the United States,
there is no indication that these conversations involved her discussing Japanese customs. Choice C is incorrect
because nothing in the text suggests that the narrator was hesitant to ask questions. In fact, the narrator
indicates that “no one seemed to know the origin” of various customs, which provides evidence that, rather than
being hesitant, she sought information from several people. Choice D is incorrect because the text makes no
reference to the physical distance between Japan and the United States. Although the narrator indicates that the
two countries differ “widely” and likens them to “two separate worlds,” these descriptions relate to cultural
aspects of the countries and the narrator’s feelings about the two countries, not the physical distance between
them.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID 34d7bb25
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 34d7bb25
According to Indian economist and sociologist Radhakamal Mukerjee (1889–1968), the Eurocentric concepts that
informed early twentieth-century social scientific methods—for example, the idea that all social relations are reducible to
struggles between individuals—had little relevance for India. Making the social sciences more responsive to Indians’
needs, Mukerjee argued, required constructing analytical categories informed by India’s cultural and ecological
circumstances. Mukerjee thus proposed the communalist “Indian village” as the ideal model on which to base Indian
economic and social policy.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. The text recounts Mukerjee’s early training in the social scientific disciplines and then lists social policies whose
implementation Mukerjee oversaw.

B. The text mentions some of Mukerjee’s economic theories and then traces their impact on other Indian social scientists
of the twentieth century.

C. The text presents Mukerjee’s critique of the social sciences and then provides an example of his attempts to address
issues he identified in his critique.

D. The text explains an influential economic theory and then demonstrates how that theory was more important to
Mukerjee’s work than other social scientists have acknowledged.

ID: 34d7bb25 Answer


Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer. The text does indeed present Mukerjee’s critique of the social sciences—that they
were too Eurocentric—and then provides an example of how he attempted to address the issues he identified: by
suggesting a social science model based on the Indian village.

Choice A is incorrect. The text doesn’t discuss Mukerjee’s early training or his oversight of the implementation
of social policies at all. Choice B is incorrect. The text never discusses any other Indian social scientists. Choice
D is incorrect. The text never mentions other social scientists’ responses to Mukerjee’s work.

Question Difficulty: Hard


Question ID f2c48e47
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: f2c48e47
The following text is from Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s 1910 poem “The Earth’s Entail.”
No matter how we cultivate the land,
Taming the forest and the prairie free;
No matter how we irrigate the sand,
Making the desert blossom at command,
We must always leave the borders of the sea;
The immeasureable reaches
Of the windy wave-wet beaches,
The million-mile-long margin of the sea.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. The speaker argues against interfering with nature and then gives evidence supporting this interference.

B. The speaker presents an account of efforts to dominate nature and then cautions that such efforts are only
temporary.

C. The speaker provides examples of an admirable way of approaching nature and then challenges that approach.

D. The speaker describes attempts to control nature and then offers a reminder that not all nature is controllable.

ID: f2c48e47 Answer


Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. This best describes the overall structure of the text. In the first half of the text, the
speaker describes our attempts to control nature: cultivating, taming, and irrigating different kinds of land. In the
second half, the speaker states that we can never tame the sea or the beach.

Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t describe the overall structure of the text. The speaker never argues that we
should not interfere with nature. Rather, the speaker says that we are able to tame many different kinds of land,
but we are unable to tame the sea or beaches. Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t describe the overall structure of
the text. The speaker never describes our cultivation, taming, and irrigation of land as “temporary.” Rather, the
speaker says that we are able to tame many different kinds of land, but we are unable to tame the sea or
beaches. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t describe the overall structure of the text. The speaker never
describes our cultivation, taming, and irrigation of land as an “admirable” approach to nature.” Rather, the
speaker says that we are able to tame many different kinds of land, but we are unable to tame the sea or
beaches.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID 74446089
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 74446089
For his 1986 album Keyboard Fantasies, Beverly Glenn-Copeland wrote songs grounded in traditional soul and folk music,
then accompanied them with futuristic synthesizer arrangements featuring ambient sounds and complex rhythms. The
result was so strange, so unprecedented, that the album attracted little attention when first released. In recent years,
however, a younger generation of musicians has embraced the stylistic experimentation of Keyboard Fantasies.
Alternative R&B musicians Blood Orange and Moses Sumney, among other contemporary recording artists, cite the
album as an influence.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It urges contemporary musicians to adopt the unique sound of Keyboard Fantasies.

B. It responds to criticism of Keyboard Fantasies by some younger musicians.

C. It offers examples of younger musicians whose work has been impacted by Keyboard Fantasies.

D. It contrasts Keyboard Fantasies with the recordings of two younger musicians.

ID: 74446089 Answer


Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the underlined sentence in the
text as a whole. The text’s subject is Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s 1986 album Keyboard Fantasies, notable for its
innovative, experimental arrangements. According to the text, the album was not initially admired, but in recent
years it has become popular among younger musicians. The underlined portion of the text mentions two of those
musicians, Blood Orange and Moses Sumney, who “cite the album as an influence.” Therefore, the underlined
portion of the text offers examples of younger musicians whose work has been impacted by Keyboard Fantasies.

Choice A is incorrect because even though the underlined sentence states that Blood Orange and Moses Sumney
were influenced by Keyboard Fantasies, it doesn’t say that all other musicians should also embrace the album’s
experimental style. Choice B is incorrect. Although the text states that Keyboard Fantasies was not admired on
its first release, the text doesn’t present any criticism of the album by younger musicians: it only presents two
younger musicians who cite it as an influence. Choice D is incorrect because the underlined sentence doesn’t
mention any differences between Keyboard Fantasies and the work of Blood Orange and Moses Sumney.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID c4900368
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: c4900368
The following text is from the 1924 poem “Cycle” by D’Arcy McNickle, who was a citizen of the Confederated Salish and
Kootenai Tribes.
There shall be new roads wending,
A new beating of the drum—
Men’s eyes shall have fresh seeing,
Grey lives reprise their span—
But under the new sun’s being,
Completing what night began,
There’ll be the same backs bending,
The same sad feet shall drum—
When this night finds its ending
And day shall have come.....

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To consider how the repetitiveness inherent in human life can be both rewarding and challenging

B. To question whether activities completed at one time of day are more memorable than those completed at another
time of day

C. To refute the idea that joy is a more commonly experienced emotion than sadness is

D. To demonstrate how the experiences of individuals relate to the experiences of their communities

ID: c4900368 Answer


Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it accurately states the main purpose of the text. The text begins by
discussing the promise of the future, with positive references to renewal such as “new roads,” “new beating of the
drum,” and “fresh seeing.” But with the “new sun,” the text continues, there will still be “the same backs bending”
and “the same sad feet” drumming, indicating that these difficulties will follow people into this new day. The
poem thus considers both the rewards and challenges associated with the repetitiveness of human life.

Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t say anything about how memorable activities are, let alone
compare the memorability of activities completed at different times of the day. Choice C is incorrect. Although
the text contrasts hope with difficulty, it does not compare the relative frequency of joyful feelings with that of
sad feelings. Choice D is incorrect because the text makes no distinction between the experiences of individuals
and the experiences of their communities.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID 8963273a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 8963273a
Musician Joni Mitchell, who is also a painter, uses images she creates for her album covers to emphasize ideas expressed
in her music. For the cover of her album Turbulent Indigo (1994), Mitchell painted a striking self-portrait that closely
resembles Vincent van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear (1889). The image calls attention to the album’s title song,
in which Mitchell sings about the legacy of the postimpressionist painter. In that song, Mitchell also hints that she feels a
strong artistic connection to Van Gogh—an idea that is reinforced by her imagery on the cover.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. It presents a claim about Mitchell, then gives an example supporting that claim.

B. It discusses Van Gogh’s influence on Mitchell, then considers Mitchell’s influence on other artists.

C. It describes a similarity between two artists, then notes a difference between them.

D. It describes the songs on Turbulent Indigo, then explains how they relate to the album’s cover.

ID: 8963273a Answer


Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it accurately describes the organization of the elements within the text. The
text begins with the claim that Joni Mitchell’s album covers use images she creates in order to emphasize ideas
embedded in her albums. It then goes on to provide an example of how Mitchell’s self-portrait on the cover of
Turbulent Indigo resembles a painting by Van Gogh, which the text indicates helps emphasize the strong
connection Mitchell feels toward Van Gogh, a connection that is also expressed in the album’s title song.

Choice B is incorrect because there are no references in the text to artists other than Joni Mitchell and Van
Gogh. Choice C is incorrect because there is nothing in the text that calls attention to any similarities or
differences between Joni Mitchell and Van Gogh. Instead, it mentions that Mitchell feels a strong “artistic
connection” to Van Gogh. Choice D is incorrect because the text discusses the cover before referring to any
songs, and it only references one song from the album not all the songs.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID 2b085bc6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 2b085bc6
The following text is adapted from Paul Laurence Dunbar’s 1902 novel The Sport of the Gods. Joe and some of his family
members have recently moved to New York City.

[Joe] was wild with enthusiasm and with a desire to be a part of all that the metropolis meant. In the evening he saw
the young fellows passing by dressed in their spruce clothes, and he wondered with a sort of envy where they could
be going. Back home there had been no place much worth going to, except church and one or two people’s houses.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. It illustrates a character’s reaction to a new environment.

B. It explains why a character has traveled to a city.

C. It compares a character’s thoughts about an event at two different times of day.

D. It presents a character feeling regret over leaving home.

ID: 2b085bc6 Answer


Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The narrator
describes how Joe responds to being in “the metropolis”: he’s excited and “wild with enthusiasm.” He also envies
the young fellows who walk by because, dressed as they are, they look as if they have somewhere special to go.
The text contrasts this new place with the place Joe comes from, where apparently there wasn’t as much to do.
Thus, the main purpose of the text is to illustrate Joe’s reaction to a new environment.

Choice B is incorrect because the text makes no reference to why Joe has moved. The narrator indicates that Joe
is enthusiastic about being in a city, but there’s no explanation provided for the move. Choice C is incorrect
because the text makes no reference to how Joe thinks about an event. The narrator describes young men
passing by in the evening and then recalls places worth going to at home—church and a few people’s houses—
but there’s no explicit comparison made nor is a time of day mentioned for these events back home. Choice D is
incorrect because the text doesn’t support the idea that Joe feels regret over leaving home. Instead, Joe is
described as “wild with enthusiasm” at being in the city. Joe’s home is mentioned, but only to compare it
unfavorably with the city.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID 975b0602
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 975b0602
A number of Indigenous politicians have been elected to the United States Congress since 2000 as members of the
country’s two established political parties. In Canada and several Latin American countries, on the other hand, Indigenous
people have formed their own political parties to advance candidates who will advocate for the interests of their
communities. This movement has been particularly successful in Ecuador, where Guadalupe Llori, a member of the
Indigenous party known as Pachakutik, was elected president of the National Assembly in 2021.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To trace the history of an Indigenous political movement and speculate about its future development

B. To argue that Indigenous politicians in the United States should form their own political party

C. To highlight two approaches to achieving political representation for Indigenous people

D. To consider how Indigenous politicians in the United States have influenced Indigenous politicians in Canada and
Latin America

ID: 975b0602 Answer


Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text, which is to
illustrate two approaches that Indigenous politicians have taken to achieve political representation for their
communities. The text begins by explaining that one approach is exemplified by Indigenous politicians in the
United States who, in an effort to ensure that the interests of their communities are represented in government,
joined preexisting political parties and were subsequently elected to Congress. The text goes on to highlight a
second approach adopted by Indigenous leaders in Canada and several Latin American countries: rather than
joining established political parties, many Indigenous politicians in these countries have instead formed their
own parties to promote candidates for office who support causes that are important to their communities.

Choice A is incorrect because the text’s focus is on the contrasting approaches adopted by different Indigenous
political movements in different countries; thus, it isn’t accurate to say that the text traces the history of one
political movement. Moreover, the text only discusses examples from 2000 to 2021, a relatively short period of
time; therefore, it provides very little in the way of discussion of larger historical developments, nor does it make
any predictions about how these movements might continue to develop in the future. Choice B is incorrect
because the text never urges Indigenous politicians in the US to alter their strategy of striving for representation
through the established political parties, nor does it suggest that this strategy is inferior to that of Indigenous
politicians in Canada and Latin America, who have formed their own parties. In fact, the text notes that both
strategies have resulted in the election of Indigenous politicians to national governments. Choice D is incorrect
because the text never suggests that Indigenous politicians in the US have influenced those in Canada and Latin
America; instead, it stresses how Indigenous politicians’ approach toward achieving representation in the US
government has differed from the approach Indigenous politicians have taken to achieve representation in
national governments elsewhere in the Americas.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 749f3334
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 749f3334
The following text is from Charlotte Forten Grimké’s 1888 poem “At Newport.”
Oh, deep delight to watch the gladsome waves
Exultant leap upon the rugged rocks;
Ever repulsed, yet ever rushing on—
Filled with a life that will not know defeat;
To see the glorious hues of sky and sea.
The distant snowy sails, glide spirit like,
Into an unknown world, to feel the sweet
Enchantment of the sea thrill all the soul,
Clearing the clouded brain, making the heart
Leap joyous as it own bright, singing waves!

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

A. It portrays the surroundings as an imposing and intimidating scene.

B. It characterizes the sea’s waves as a relentless and enduring force.

C. It conveys the speaker’s ambivalence about the natural world.

D. It draws a contrast between the sea’s waves and the speaker’s thoughts.

ID: 749f3334 Answer


Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined portion functions in the
text as a whole. The text presents the speaker’s experience of viewing the sea. In the underlined portion, the
speaker focuses on the idea that the waves hitting rocks on the shore are a relentless and enduring force: they
are constantly pushed back (“ever repulsed”) but always return (“ever rushing on”), as though they have an
energy that can’t be overcome (“a life that will not know defeat”).

Choice A is incorrect. Although the underlined portion characterizes the waves as a relentless force (always
“repulsed” but still “rushing on” and never being defeated), the speaker doesn’t suggest that the surroundings are
intimidating. Instead, the speaker presents the scene in a positive way, describing the “deep delight” of the
“gladsome,” or cheerful, waves and feeling “the heart / Leap joyous” while viewing the sea. Choice C is incorrect
because the underlined portion doesn’t suggest that the speaker is ambivalent, or has mixed feelings about, the
natural world. Instead, it presents a single view of one part of the immediate surroundings: the speaker
characterizes the sea’s waves as an unstoppable force, since they are constantly pushed back but always return
(“ever repulsed, yet ever rushing on”). Choice D is incorrect. Although the text later suggests the speaker’s view of
her own thoughts by referring to a “clouded brain” and a heart that leaps joyously, this reference neither occurs
within the underlined portion nor establishes a clear contrast with the relentless determination of the waves.
The underlined portion addresses only the speaker’s view of the waves and doesn’t suggest what her own
thoughts might be.
Question Difficulty: Medium
Question ID 54c6128b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 54c6128b
When ancient oak planks were unearthed during subway construction in Rome, Mauro Bernabei and his team examined
the growth rings in the wood to determine where these planks came from. By comparing the growth rings on the planks
to records of similar rings in oaks from Europe, the team could trace the wood to the Jura region of France, hundreds of
kilometers from Rome. Because timber could only have been transported from distant Jura to Rome by boat, the team’s
findings suggest the complexity of Roman trade routes.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It presents a conclusion about Roman trade routes based on the team’s findings.

B. It questions how the team was able to conclude that the planks were used to build a boat.

C. It explains why the planks were made from oak rather than a different kind of wood.

D. It describes common methods used in Roman subway construction.

ID: 54c6128b Answer


Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined sentence functions in the
text as a whole. The first sentence explains that Bernabei and his team studied growth rings to obtain
information about the ancient oak planks found during a construction project in Rome. The next sentence
presents what the researchers learned: the wood from the planks came from France’s Jura region, which is far
from Rome. The underlined sentence then presents the implications of the findings about the planks: the wood
must have been brought to Rome by boat, a difficult task that suggests Roman trade routes were complex. Thus,
the underlined sentence mainly functions to present a conclusion about Roman trade routes based on the team’s
findings.

Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that the team thought the ancient planks were used in the
construction of a boat, nor does the underlined sentence question that conclusion. Instead, the text states that
the wood could only have been transported from Jura to Rome in a boat. Choice C is incorrect because the
underlined sentence simply offers a conclusion drawn from the team’s findings about the likely place of origin of
the ancient planks; the text never mentions why oak was chosen for the planks instead of other wood. Choice D
is incorrect because neither the underlined sentence nor the text as a whole addresses any methods that
Romans used in constructing subways. Instead, the underlined sentence offers a conclusion drawn from the
team’s findings about the likely place of origin of the ancient wooden planks discovered.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID 0a04cac5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 0a04cac5
The following text is adapted from Jane Austen’s 1814 novel Mansfield Park. The speaker, Tom, is considering staging a
play at home with a group of his friends and family.
We mean nothing but a little amusement among ourselves, just to vary the scene, and exercise our powers in
something new. We want no audience, no publicity. We may be trusted, I think, in choosing some play most perfectly
unexceptionable; and I can conceive no greater harm or danger to any of us in conversing in the elegant written
language of some respectable author than in chattering in words of our own.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To offer Tom’s assurance that the play will be inoffensive and involve only a small number of people

B. To clarify that the play will not be performed in the manner Tom had originally intended

C. To elaborate on the idea that the people around Tom lack the skills to successfully stage a play

D. To assert that Tom believes the group performing the play will be able to successfully promote it

ID: 0a04cac5 Answer


Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately portrays the main purpose of the text. At the beginning of
the text, Tom asserts that he and the other people staging the play are doing so only for “a little amusement
among ourselves” and aren’t interested in attracting an audience or any attention with the production. Then,
Tom promises that the play they chose is modest and appropriate, and he further reasons that using the well-
written prose of “some respectable author” is better than using their own words. Overall, the main purpose of the
text is to convey Tom’s promise that the play will be inoffensive and involve only a few people.

Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t indicate that Tom had earlier intentions for the play’s performance
or that anything has changed since the group first decided to stage a play. Instead, the text focuses on how
harmless the entire endeavor will be. Choice C is incorrect. Although Tom mentions that using the words of a
“respectable author” will be better than using their own words, he never addresses the idea that the people
around him generally aren’t skilled enough to stage a play. Choice D is incorrect because in the text Tom
specifically says that they “want no audience, no publicity,” which indicates that they don’t plan on promoting
the play at all.

Question Difficulty: Hard


Question ID 4eee64fa
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 4eee64fa
Space scientists Anna-Lisa Paul, Stephen M. Elardo, and Robert Ferl planted seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana in samples of
lunar regolith—the surface material of the Moon—and, serving as a control group, in terrestrial soil. They found that
while all the seeds germinated, the roots of the regolith-grown plants were stunted compared with those in the control
group. Moreover, unlike the plants in the control group, the regolith-grown plants exhibited red pigmentation, reduced
leaf size, and inhibited growth rates—indicators of stress that were corroborated by postharvest molecular analysis.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. It describes an experiment that addressed an unresolved question about the extent to which lunar regolith resembles
terrestrial soils.

B. It compares two distinct methods of assessing indicators of stress in plants grown in a simulated lunar environment.

C. It presents evidence in support of the hypothesis that seed germination in lunar habitats is an unattainable goal.

D. It discusses the findings of a study that evaluated the effects of exposing a plant species to lunar soil conditions.

ID: 4eee64fa Answer


Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The text describes an experiment wherein space scientists compared plant growth
in terrestrial and lunar soil conditions. It then discusses the findings of the study, including the fact that all the
seeds germinated but that the plants grown in lunar soil exhibited signs of stress.

Choice A is incorrect. The text doesn’t address this question, and never describes any specific characteristics of
either soil. It merely describes the outcome of an experiment that exposed a plant species to lunar soil
conditions. Choice B is incorrect. The text never compares methods of assessing indicators of stress—instead, it
simply mentions several stress indicators observed in the study (red pigmentation, reduced leaf size, and
inhibited growth rates). Choice C is incorrect. The text doesn’t present any evidence that we could never achieve
seed germination in lunar habitats, and in fact states that the seeds in the lunar soil did germinate.

Question Difficulty: Hard


Question ID a70cbc53
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: a70cbc53
Raymond Antrobus, an accomplished poet and writer of prose, recently released his debut spoken word poetry album,
The First Time I Wore Hearing Aids, in collaboration with producer Ian Brennan. The album contains both
autobiographical and reflective pieces combining Antrobus’s spoken words with Brennan’s fragmented audio elements
and pieces of music to convey how people who are deaf may experience sound, both its presence and absence. Some
critics suggest that the album questions the function of sound in the world, highlighting that the experience of sound is
multifaceted.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. It introduces a collaborative spoken word poetry project, details the approach taken to produce the work, and then
provides an example of critique the album received upon release.

B. It mentions a collection of spoken word poems, distinguishes one poem as being an exemplar on the album, and then
offers a summary of the subject matter of the whole collection.

C. It summarizes the efforts to produce a collection of spoken word poems, presents biographies of two people who
worked on the album, and speculates about the meaning behind the poetry.

D. It connects two artists to the same spoken word poetry project, explains the extent of their collaboration on each
poem, and then provides an overview of the technique used to produce the work.

ID: a70cbc53 Answer


Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The text first introduces the album as being a collaboration between Antrobus and
Brennan, then describes the approach taken to produce it, then mentions how critics have said that it calls into
question the function of sound.

Choice B is incorrect. While the text does mention a collection of spoken word poems, it doesn’t single out one
poem as being particularly noteworthy. Additionally, the text doesn’t simply summarize the subject matter—it
goes into detail about the content and production of the album. Choice C is incorrect. The text doesn’t provide
biographical information about the two artists, and the text doesn’t speculate about the meaning behind the
poetry—instead, it relays what some critics have said about the album. Choice D is incorrect. The text doesn’t
provide just an overview of the production techniques used but instead goes into more detail about the content
and audio elements of the album, as well as critical response to the album.

Question Difficulty: Hard


Question ID a2be625e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: a2be625e
The following text is from Sarah Orne Jewett’s 1899 short story “Martha’s Lady.” Martha is employed by Miss Pyne as a
maid.
Miss Pyne sat by the window watching, in her best dress, looking stately and calm; she seldom went out now, and it
was almost time for the carriage. Martha was just coming in from the garden with the strawberries, and with more
flowers in her apron. It was a bright cool evening in June, the golden robins sang in the elms, and the sun was going
down behind the apple-trees at the foot of the garden. The beautiful old house stood wide open to the long-expected
guest.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To convey the worries brought about by a new guest

B. To describe how the characters have changed over time

C. To contrast the activity indoors with the stillness outside

D. To depict the setting as the characters await a visitor’s arrival

ID: a2be625e Answer


Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately reflects the main purpose of the text. The text portrays
Miss Pyne as awaiting the arrival of a carriage while Martha brings strawberries and flowers from the garden
into the house. The text also describes the surroundings of the scene, stating that Miss Pyne looks “stately and
calm,” the evening is bright and cool, and birds are singing in the garden as the sun sets. Then the last sentence
states that the house was “wide open to the long-expected guest,” which strongly suggests that Miss Pyne’s
anticipation and Martha’s activities were in preparation for the guest who is expected to arrive in the carriage.
Thus, the text depicts the setting and conveys what these characters are doing as they await the arrival of their
visitor.

Choice A is incorrect because there is nothing in the text to indicate that the characters feel any worry about the
guest’s arrival. The text indicates that the guest was “long-expected,“ but characterizing Miss Pyne as “stately
and calm” conflicts with the idea that the characters are worried about the guest. Choice B is incorrect because
the text describes a moment in time when two characters are awaiting the arrival of a visitor rather than an
extended period over which characters could be seen changing. Choice C is incorrect. Although the text
describes the activity indoors (Miss Pyne sitting calmly), it describes a higher level of activity, not stillness,
outside (Martha bringing fruit and flowers and birds singing).

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID 14b7dced
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 14b7dced
The following text is from Walt Whitman’s 1860 poem “Calamus 24.”
I HEAR it is charged against me that I seek to destroy institutions;
But really I am neither for nor against institutions
(What indeed have I in common with them?—Or what with the destruction of them?),
Only I will establish in the Mannahatta [Manhattan] and in every city of These States, inland and seaboard,
And in the fields and woods, and above every keel [ship] little or large, that dents the water,
Without edifices, or rules, or trustees, or any argument,
The institution of the dear love of comrades.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. The speaker questions an increasingly prevalent attitude, then summarizes his worldview.

B. The speaker regrets his isolation from others, then predicts a profound change in society.

C. The speaker concedes his personal shortcomings, then boasts of his many achievements.

D. The speaker addresses a criticism leveled against him, then announces a grand ambition of his.

ID: 14b7dced Answer


Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it best describes the overall structure of the text. The speaker begins by
stating that he has heard that others are accusing him of seeking to destroy institutions. The speaker then
addresses this criticism by stating that he is “neither for nor against institutions.” Instead, the speaker states
that his ultimate goal is to instill “the institution of the dear love of comrades” everywhere in the country.
Therefore, the overall structure of the text is best described as an address of criticism followed by an
announcement of a grand ambition.

Choice A is incorrect. While the speaker does address an opinion of him that he believes to be untrue, he doesn’t
indicate that this attitude has become increasingly prevalent. The speaker also concludes by explaining his goal
for the future rather than his current worldview. Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t portray the
speaker as isolated or regretful, and the speaker gestures toward a hope for societal change but doesn’t offer an
explicit prediction that it will happen. Choice C is incorrect because the speaker addresses a criticism of him
that he believes to be false; he doesn’t admit any personal shortcomings. Moreover, the speaker concludes by
stating a goal he has rather than showcasing his achievements.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID 590f0ad2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 590f0ad2
Industrial activity is often assumed to be a threat to wildlife, but that isn’t always so. Consider the silver-studded blue
butterfly (Plebejus argus): as forest growth has reduced grasslands in northern Germany, many of these butterflies have
left meadow habitats and are now thriving in active limestone quarries. In a survey of multiple active quarries and patches
of maintained grassland, an ecologist found silver-studded blue butterflies in 100% of the quarries but only 57% of the
grassland patches. Moreover, butterfly populations in the quarries were four times larger than those in the meadows.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

A. It challenges a common assumption about the species under investigation in the research referred to in the text.

B. It introduces discussion of a specific example that supports the general claim made in the previous sentence.

C. It suggests that a certain species should be included in additional studies like the one mentioned later in the text.

D. It provides a definition for an unfamiliar term that is central to the main argument in the text.

ID: 590f0ad2 Answer


Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined portion functions in the
text as a whole. The first sentence presents the general claim that industrial activity is not always a threat to
wildlife. The underlined portion of the sentence that follows suggests that the silver-studded blue butterfly is an
example of wildlife thriving in areas of industrial activity: active limestone quarries. Thus, the function of the
underlined portion is to introduce a specific example in support of the general claim in the previous sentence.

Choice A is incorrect. Although the first sentence indicates that “industrial activity is often assumed” to harm
wildlife, in the case of the silver-studded blue butterfly the text mentions neither an assumption about this
species nor any challenge to such an assumption. Choice C is incorrect because the text mentions only one
study: the “survey.” Additional studies are not mentioned in the text. Choice D is incorrect because neither the
underlined portion nor any other portion of the text provides a definition for any of the terms used in the text’s
argument.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID d69bc408
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: d69bc408
The following text is adapted from Aphra Behn’s 1689 novel The Lucky Mistake. Atlante and Rinaldo are neighbors who
have been secretly exchanging letters through Charlot, Atlante’s sister.
[Atlante] gave this letter to Charlot; who immediately ran into the balcony with it, where she still found Rinaldo in a
melancholy posture, leaning his head on his hand: She showed him the letter, but was afraid to toss it to him, for fear it
might fall to the ground; so he ran and fetched a long cane, which he cleft at one end, and held it while she put the
letter into the cleft, and stayed not to hear what he said to it. But never was man so transported with joy, as he was at
the reading of this letter; it gives him new wounds; for to the generous, nothing obliges love so much as love.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. It describes the delivery of a letter, and then portrays a character’s happiness at reading that letter.

B. It establishes that a character is desperate to receive a letter, and then explains why another character has not yet
written that letter.

C. It presents a character’s concerns about delivering a letter, and then details the contents of that letter.

D. It reveals the inspiration behind a character’s letter, and then emphasizes the excitement that another character feels
upon receiving that letter.

ID: d69bc408 Answer


Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the overall structure of the text. The narrator
begins by explaining how Charlot carefully delivers Atlante’s letter to Rinaldo, and then relates that Rinaldo feels
“transported with joy” after reading the letter. Therefore, the overall structure of the text is best described as a
description of the delivery of a letter followed by the portrayal of a character’s happiness after reading the letter.

Choice B is incorrect because the text indicates that the letter has been written; there’s no explanation why
another character hasn’t written one. In addition, the text’s description of Rinaldo “in a melancholy posture”
suggests that he’s sad and thoughtful, not that he’s desperate to receive the letter. Choice C is incorrect. Although
the text states that Charlot won’t toss the letter to Rinaldo because she doesn’t want it to fall, the text doesn’t
refer to the contents of the letter. Instead, the text describes how happy Rinaldo feels after reading it. Choice D is
incorrect. Although the text does describe Rinaldo’s reaction to the letter, the text doesn’t begin by discussing
Atlante’s inspiration for writing the letter. Instead, the text begins by discussing the delivery of the letter.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID 6d44060a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 6d44060a
Works of moral philosophy, such as Plato’s Republic or Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, are partly concerned with how to
live a morally good life. But philosopher Jonathan Barnes argues that works that present a method of living such a life
without also supplying a motive are inherently useful only to those already wishing to be morally good—those with no
desire for moral goodness will not choose to follow their rules. However, some works of moral philosophy attempt to
describe what constitutes a morally good life while also proposing reasons for living one.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. It provides a characterization about a field of thought by noting two works in it and then details a way in which some
works in that field are more comprehensive than others.

B. It mentions two renowned works and then claims that despite their popularity it is impossible for these works to serve
the purpose their authors intended.

C. It summarizes the history of a field of thought by discussing two works and then proposes a topic of further research
for specialists in that field.

D. It describes two influential works and then explains why one is more widely read than the other.

ID: 6d44060a Answer


Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The text starts by stating what moral philosophy is concerned with and naming two
examples of works in the field. Then it describes a shortcoming of some works in that field (they say how but not
why), and finally it states that other works try to avoid that shortcoming (by including both how and why to live a
morally good life).

Choice B is incorrect. This is too extreme. The text never mentions whether the two works are popular or not, and
it never argues that these works don’t serve their intended purpose of describing how to live a morally good life.
Rather, the text claims that works of moral philosophy that don’t include both how and why to be moral are not
useful to readers who don’t already want to be moral. Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t the overall structure. The
text never discusses the history of moral philosophy at all, and it doesn’t propose any topic for further research.
Choice D is incorrect. This isn’t the overall structure. The text never discusses which of the two works is more
widely read.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID 19688783
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 19688783
The following text is from Lucy Maud Montgomery’s 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables. Anne, an eleven-year-old girl, has
come to live on a farm with a woman named Marilla in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Anne reveled in the world of color about her.


“Oh, Marilla,” she exclaimed one Saturday morning, coming dancing in with her arms full of gorgeous boughs, “I’m
so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to
November, wouldn’t it? Look at these maple branches. Don’t they give you a thrill—several thrills? I’m going to
decorate my room with them.”
“Messy things,” said Marilla, whose aesthetic sense was not noticeably developed. “You clutter up your room entirely
too much with out-of-doors stuff, Anne. Bedrooms were made to sleep in.”

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To demonstrate that Anne has a newly developed appreciation of nature

B. To describe an argument that Anne and Marilla often have

C. To emphasize Marilla’s disapproval of how Anne has decorated her room

D. To show that Anne and Marilla have very different personalities

ID: 19688783 Answer


Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The text begins
by noting that Anne “reveled in the world of color about her”—that is, she takes great delight in colorful things. It
then relates a scene when she enthusiastically enters the house with autumn foliage and announces that she
will decorate her room with it. The focus of the text then shifts to Marilla, who has an undeveloped “aesthetic
sense,” or appreciation of beauty, as can be seen when she dismisses the maple leaves as “messy things” and
criticizes Anne for cluttering her room with objects from outside. This episode thus illustrates that Anne and
Marilla differ in their appreciation of beauty and, more generally, in their basic character: Anne is exuberant and
joyful, while Marilla is stern and critical. Therefore, the purpose of the text is to show that Anne and Marilla have
very different personalities.

Choice A is incorrect because the text presents Anne’s appreciation of nature as a basic personality trait, not as a
newfound enthusiasm, and never indicates how recently she developed that appreciation. Choice B is incorrect.
Although the text portrays Anne and Marilla as having different personalities and attitudes toward natural
beauty and home decoration, it doesn’t show them engaging in an argument about this difference or suggest that
they often argue about it. Choice C is incorrect. Although the text does indicate that Marilla disapproves of how
Anne plans to decorate her room, Marilla’s disapproval is a supporting detail that serves to develop her
personality, which the text as a whole contrasts with Anne’s personality.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID 97360a00
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 97360a00
The following text is adapted from Gwendolyn Bennett’s 1926 poem “Street Lamps in Early Spring.”
Night wears a garment
All velvet soft, all violet blue...
And over her face she draws a veil
As shimmering fine as floating dew...
And here and there
In the black of her hair
The subtle hands of Night
Move slowly with their gem-starred light.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. It presents alternating descriptions of night in a rural area and in a city.

B. It sketches an image of nightfall, then an image of sunrise.

C. It makes an extended comparison of night to a human being.

D. It portrays how night changes from one season of the year to the next.

ID: 97360a00 Answer


Correct Answer: C

Rationale

Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes the overall structure of the text. Throughout the
text, the speaker characterizes nighttime as if it were a person who wears clothing (“a garment” that is “velvet
soft” and “violet blue”) and a veil “over her face” and who moves her hands “slowly with their gem-starred light”
through her dark hair. Thus, the text is structured as an extended comparison of night to a human being.

Choice A is incorrect because the text never mentions any particular location; instead, it focuses on presenting a
single description of night as a person with certain clothing and features. Choice B is incorrect because the text
doesn’t make any reference to the sun or sunrise; instead, it focuses on presenting a single image of night as a
person with certain clothing and features. Choice D is incorrect. Rather than describing how nighttime changes
seasonally (or in any other way), the text presents a single image of night as a person with certain clothing and
features.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID aa7fc89b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: aa7fc89b
The following text is adapted from Susan Glaspell’s 1912 short story “‘Out There.’” An elderly shop owner is looking at a
picture that he recently acquired and hopes to sell.
It did seem that the picture failed to fit in with the rest of the shop. A persuasive young fellow who claimed he was
closing out his stock let the old man have it for what he called a song. It was only a little out-of-the-way store which
subsisted chiefly on the framing of pictures. The old man looked around at his views of the city, his pictures of cats and
dogs, his flaming bits of landscape. “Don’t belong in here,” he fumed.
And yet the old man was secretly proud of his acquisition. There was a hidden dignity in his scowling as he shuffled
about pondering the least ridiculous place for the picture.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To reveal the shop owner’s conflicted feelings about the new picture

B. To convey the shop owner’s resentment of the person he got the new picture from

C. To describe the items that the shop owner most highly prizes

D. To explain differences between the new picture and other pictures in the shop

ID: aa7fc89b Answer


Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The text begins
by stating that the new picture “failed to fit in” with the other items that the shop owner has. The text goes on to
illustrate that point by describing the other pictures the shop owner has, indicating that the shop owner is
fuming because he doesn’t think the new picture belongs in the store. In the second paragraph, however, the text
indicates that the shop owner is “secretly proud of his acquisition.” The main purpose of the text is thus to reveal
the shop owner’s conflicted feelings about the new picture.

Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that the shop owner resents the young man who sold him
the new picture; in fact, the text gives no indication of the owner’s feelings about the young man at all. Choice C
is incorrect. Although the text indicates that the new picture is different from the other items in the shop, there’s
no suggestion that the shop owner prizes either the new picture or the pictures of the city, pets, and landscapes
more than he prizes any other items. Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t describe what the new
picture looks like; rather, the text identifies some of the other kinds of images that the shop owner has and states
that they’re different from the new picture without explaining how they’re different.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID 48555763
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 48555763
The following text is from Herman Melville’s 1854 novel The Lightning-rod Man.
The stranger still stood in the exact middle of the cottage, where he had first planted himself. His singularity impelled a
closer scrutiny. A lean, gloomy figure. Hair dark and lank, mattedly streaked over his brow. His sunken pitfalls of eyes
were ringed by indigo halos, and played with an innocuous sort of lightning: the gleam without the bolt. The whole man
was dripping. He stood in a puddle on the bare oak floor: his strange walking-stick vertically resting at his side.

Which choice best states the function of the underlined sentence in the overall structure of the text?

A. It elaborates on the previous sentence’s description of the character.

B. It introduces the setting that is described in the sentences that follow.

C. It establishes a contrast with the description in the previous sentence.

D. It sets up the character description presented in the sentences that follow.

ID: 48555763 Answer


Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. This best states the function of the underlined sentence. The sentence basically
says: “He stood out, so I looked more closely at him.” Then the rest of the text describes him in detail.

Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t state the function of the underlined sentence. The previous sentence basically
says: “He was still standing in the middle of the cottage”—it doesn’t include any description of the character
himself. Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t state the function of the underlined sentence. The following
sentences describe the character, not the setting. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t state the function of the
underlined sentence. The underlined sentence basically says: “He stood out, so I looked more closely at him.” The
previous sentence basically says: “He was still standing in the middle of the cottage.” There’s no contrast
between these two sentences.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID ae2b3112
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: ae2b3112
By combining Indigenous and classical music, Cree composer and cellist Cris Derksen creates works that reflect the
diverse cultural landscape of Canada. For her album Orchestral Powwow, Derksen composed new songs in the style of
traditional powwow music that were accompanied by classical arrangements played by an orchestra. But where an
orchestra would normally follow the directions of a conductor, the musicians on Orchestral Powwow are led by the beat
of a powwow drum.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To examine how Derksen’s musical compositions blend cultures

B. To argue that Derksen should be recognized for creating a new style of music

C. To describe the difficulties Derksen encountered when producing her album

D. To establish a contrast between Derksen’s classical training and her Cree heritage

ID: ae2b3112 Answer


Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text, which is to
discuss how Derksen’s compositions incorporate elements from both Indigenous and classical music. After
introducing Derksen, the text describes how the songs Derksen composed for her album Orchestral Powwow
feature aspects of the two musical traditions. Specifically, the text notes that Derksen wrote songs in the style of
traditional powwow music but accompanied them with classical arrangements played by an orchestra that
followed the beat of a powwow drum rather than the directions of a conductor. In this way, Derksen’s
compositions blend different cultures.

Choice B is incorrect because although the text suggests that Derksen’s songs contain innovative elements since
they blend styles from two different musical traditions, it doesn’t discuss whether her compositions constitute a
new style of music, let alone whether Derksen should be recognized for creating a new style of music. Choice C is
incorrect because the text doesn’t mention any difficulties Derksen encountered when producing her album.
Rather, the text describes how the songs on the album exemplify how Derksen combines music from two
different cultures. Choice D is incorrect because although the text mentions Derksen’s Cree heritage and
suggests that she relies on knowledge of both Indigenous and classical music when she composes her songs, it
doesn’t discuss her musical training. Additionally, the text is primarily focused on how Derksen combines
different cultural traditions, not on contrasting Derksen’s training with her heritage.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID e7247766
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: e7247766
Horizontal gene transfer occurs when an organism of one species acquires genetic material from an organism of another
species through nonreproductive means. The genetic material can then be transferred “vertically” in the second species—
that is, through reproductive inheritance. Scientist Atma Ivancevic and her team have hypothesized infection by
invertebrate parasites as a mechanism of horizontal gene transfer between vertebrate species: while feeding, a parasite
could acquire a gene from one host, then relocate to a host from a different vertebrate species and transfer the gene to it
in turn.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

A. It explains why parasites are less susceptible to horizontal gene transfer than their hosts are.

B. It clarifies why some genes are more likely to be transferred horizontally than others are.

C. It contrasts how horizontal gene transfer occurs among vertebrates with how it occurs among invertebrates.

D. It describes a means by which horizontal gene transfer might occur among vertebrates.

ID: e7247766 Answer


Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The text defines horizontal gene transfer and then gives one possibility for how it
happens in vertebrates (via infection by parasites). The underlined part describes how that mechanism could
work.

Choice A is incorrect. The underlined portion doesn’t do this. Parasites are only described as the mechanism
that does the transferring, not the species that gives or receives the genes. Choice B is incorrect. The underlined
portion doesn’t do this. The text never discusses which genes are more likely to be transferred. Choice C is
incorrect. The underlined portion doesn’t do this. The text never discusses how horizontal gene transfer occurs
among invertebrates.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID 8bc66f89
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 8bc66f89
Part of the Atacama Desert in Peru has surprisingly rich plant life despite receiving almost no rainfall. Moisture from
winter fog sustains plants once they’re growing, but the soil’s tough crust makes it hard for seeds to germinate in the first
place. Local birds that dig nests in the ground seem to be of help: they churn the soil, exposing buried seeds to moisture
and nutrients. Indeed, in 2016 Cristina Rengifo Faiffer found that mounds of soil dug up by birds were far more fertile and
supported more seedlings than soil in undisturbed areas.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

A. It elaborates on the idea that the top layer of Atacama Desert soil forms a tough crust.

B. It describes the process by which seeds are deposited into Atacama Desert soil.

C. It identifies the reason particular bird species dig nests in Atacama Desert soil.

D. It explains how certain birds promote seed germination in Atacama Desert soil.

ID: 8bc66f89 Answer


Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined portion functions in the
text as a whole. The first two sentences establish a natural phenomenon: there is a richness of plant life found in
the Atacama Desert despite the hard soil that makes it challenging for seeds to germinate. The next sentence,
which contains the underlined portion, offers a potential explanation for the phenomenon: local birds dig ground
nests exposing seeds to moisture and materials in the soil necessary for germination. The last sentence
summarizes a study that compared the fertileness of mounds of dirt dug up by birds to mounds that were
undisturbed to support the explanation in the underlined portion. Thus, the underlined portion mainly functions
to explain how certain birds promote seed germination in the Atacama Desert soil.

Choice A is incorrect because the underlined portion doesn’t address the topic of the soil’s tough crust or its
formation. Instead, the text elaborates on the idea that local birds that build ground nests may help seeds
germinate in the hard soil. Choice B is incorrect because the underlined portion describes how some birds may
support seed germination in Atacama Desert soil but doesn’t describe how the seeds are deposited into the soil
before germination begins. Choice C is incorrect because neither the underlined portion nor the text as a whole
identifies a reason that a particular bird species may choose to dig ground nests in the Atacama Desert soil.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID 6bc0ba75
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 6bc0ba75
The mimosa tree evolved in East Asia, where the beetle Bruchidius terrenus preys on its seeds. In 1785, mimosa trees were
introduced to North America, far from any B. terrenus. But evolutionary links between predators and their prey can persist
across centuries and continents. Around 2001, B. terrenus was introduced in southeastern North America near where
botanist Shu-Mei Chang and colleagues had been monitoring mimosa trees. Within a year, 93 percent of the trees had
been attacked by the beetles.

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

A. It states the hypothesis that Chang and colleagues had set out to investigate using mimosa trees and B. terrenus.

B. It presents a generalization that is exemplified by the discussion of the mimosa trees and B. terrenus.

C. It provides context that clarifies why the species mentioned spread to new locations.

D. It offers an alternative explanation for the findings of Chang and colleagues.

ID: 6bc0ba75 Answer


Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the third sentence within the
overall structure of the text. The third sentence makes a generalization, asserting that evolutionary links
between predators and prey can persist across great expanses of time and distance. This generalization is
exemplified by the text’s discussion of the relationship between mimosa trees and B. terrenus beetles. When
mimosa trees were introduced to North America in 1785, no B. terrenus beetles were present, so the relationship
between the trees and the beetles that exists in their native East Asia was disrupted. When the beetles were
introduced to North America more than 200 years later, however, they quickly attacked mimosa trees, illustrating
the generalization that links between predators and prey "can persist across centuries and continents."

Choice A is incorrect because the third sentence doesn’t indicate that Chang and colleagues were investigating
any hypothesis. According to the text, Chang and colleagues were simply monitoring mimosa trees when the
beetles happened to be introduced to the area. Choice C is incorrect because the third sentence doesn’t discuss
any particular species, let alone the species mentioned elsewhere in the text, nor does the sentence explain why
species spread to new locations. Choice D is incorrect because the third sentence offers a generalization about
the relationship between predators and prey, not an explanation for the findings by Chang and colleagues that’s
an "alternative" to an explanation presented elsewhere in the text.

Question Difficulty: Hard


Question ID b4d29611
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: b4d29611
Michelene Pesantubbee, a historian and citizen of the Choctaw Nation, has identified a dilemma inherent to research on
the status of women in her tribe during the 1600s and 1700s: the primary sources from that era, travel narratives and
other accounts by male European colonizers, underestimate the degree of power conferred on Choctaw women by their
traditional roles in political, civic, and ceremonial life. Pesantubbee argues that the Choctaw oral tradition and findings
from archaeological sites in the tribe’s homeland supplement the written record by providing crucial insights into those
roles.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. It details the shortcomings of certain historical sources, then argues that research should avoid those sources
altogether.

B. It describes a problem that arises in research on a particular topic, then sketches a historian’s approach to addressing
that problem.

C. It lists the advantages of a particular research method, then acknowledges a historian’s criticism of that method.

D. It characterizes a particular topic as especially challenging to research, then suggests a related topic for historians to
pursue instead.

ID: b4d29611 Answer


Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer. The text begins by stating a problem with research on the status of Choctaw women
in the 1600s and 1700s: written primary sources underestimate the power they had in their traditional roles. Then
it presents one historian’s solution: looking to oral tradition and archeological findings for more insight into
these roles.

Choice A is incorrect. This isn’t the overall structure. The text never says that research should avoid written
primary sources, just that research should also use oral tradition and archeological sites as sources. Choice C is
incorrect. This isn’t the overall structure. The text never mentions the advantages of using written primary
sources. Choice D is incorrect. This isn’t the overall structure. The text never says that the status of Choctaw
women during the 1600s and 1700s is too challenging to research. And it doesn’t mention any other topics to
research instead.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID f6352bd3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: f6352bd3
Many archaeologists assume that large-scale engineering projects in ancient societies required an elite class to plan and
direct the necessary labor. However, recent discoveries, such as the excavation of an ancient canal near the Gulf Coast of
Alabama, have complicated this picture. Using radiocarbon dating, a team of researchers concluded that the 1.39-
kilometer-long canal was most likely constructed between 576 and 650 CE by an Indigenous society that was relatively
free of social classes.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. It describes a common view among archaeologists, then discusses a recent finding that challenges that view.

B. It outlines a method used in some archaeological fieldwork, then explains why an alternative method is superior to it.

C. It presents contradictory conclusions drawn by archaeologists, then evaluates a study that has apparently resolved
that contradiction.

D. It identifies a gap in scientific research, then presents a strategy used by some archaeologists to remedy that gap.

ID: f6352bd3 Answer


Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer. The text starts by introducing a common view among archaeologists about the need
for an elite class to direct large-scale engineering projects. Then, it discusses the discovery of a large canal most
likely built by a society without an elite class, which challenges the first view.

Choice B is incorrect. Although the text discusses carbon dating as an archaeological method, it doesn’t compare
it to any other alternative methods. Choice C is incorrect. The study doesn’t resolve any contradictions—rather, it
introduces a contradiction to the one view presented at the beginning of the text. Choice D is incorrect. The text
never identifies any gaps in scientific research.

Question Difficulty: Medium


Question ID 9b01bcf4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 9b01bcf4
The 1967 release of Harold Cruse’s book The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual isolated him from almost all other scholars
and activists of the American Civil Rights Movement—though many of those thinkers disagreed with each other, he
nonetheless found ways to disagree with them all. He thought that activists who believed that Black people such as
himself should culturally assimilate were naïve. But he also sharply criticized Black nationalists such as Marcus Garvey who
wanted to establish independent, self-contained Black economies and societies, even though Cruse himself identified as a
Black nationalist.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It describes a direction that Cruse felt the Civil Rights Movement ought to take.

B. It indicates that Cruse’s reputation as a persistent antagonist of other scholars is undeserved.

C. It describes a controversy that Cruse’s work caused within the Black nationalist movement.

D. It helps explain Cruse’s position with respect to the community of civil rights thinkers.

ID: 9b01bcf4 Answer


Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer. The text as a whole claims that Cruse disagreed with virtually all other Civil Rights
scholars and activists. The underlined sentence describes one way that Cruse both did and didn’t fit in with
those thinkers: he criticized Black nationalists, even though he identified as one.

Choice A is incorrect. The underlined sentence doesn’t do this. It describes Cruse’s criticisms—it never mentions
what Cruse did want the movement to do instead. Choice B is incorrect. This conflicts with the text, which
argues that Cruse did disagree with almost all other scholars of the Civil Rights Movement. Choice C is incorrect.
This is a step too far. The text never says that Cruse’s work caused controversy within the Black nationalist
movement.

Question Difficulty: Hard

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