Craft… | SAT The Reading and Writing Section

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Mar 17, 2024

Take all 5 MCQs in interactive quiz mode with timer and progress tracking

The guiro, a musical instrument traditionally made from a dried and hollowed gourd, is thought to have originated with the Taino people of Puerto Rico. Players use a wooden stick to scrape along ridges cut into the side of the gourd, creating sounds that are highly _________: the sounds produced by guiros can differ based on the distance between the ridges, the types of strokes the player uses, and the thickness of the gourd. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

Difficulty: Hard

overlooked

powerful

routine

variable

Visual artist Gabriela Aleman states that the bold colors of comics, pop art, and Latinx culture have always fascinated her. This passion for the rich history and colors of her Latinx community translates into the ________ artworks she produces.

Difficulty: Easy

vivid

unknown

definite

reserved

In 1973, poet Miguel Algarin 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 Algarin 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?

Difficulty: Medium

To explain what motivated Algarin to found the Nuyorican Poets Cafe

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

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

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

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?

Difficulty: Hard

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.

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.

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.

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.

The following text is from the 1923 poem "Black Finger" by Angelina Weld Grimke, 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?

Difficulty: Medium

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

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

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

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

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