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SAT Reading and Writing Practice Test

SAT Practice Test
English

SAT Reading and Writing Practice Test

Question 1

The geologist examined the striated surface of the rock formation, noting parallel grooves carved by glacial movement thousands of years ago. These markings, she explained to her students, provided crucial evidence for reconstructing ancient ice sheet movements across the continent. Unlike smooth erosion patterns caused by water or wind, the deep, parallel scratches could only result from massive ice masses dragging rock debris across underlying bedrock.
As used in the text, what does the word 'striated' most nearly mean?
A. marked with parallel lines or grooves
B. smoothed by natural forces
C. fractured into multiple pieces
D. discolored by mineral deposits

Question 2

Text 1: Linguist Maria Sanchez argues that language extinction represents an irreplaceable loss of human cognitive diversity. Each language, she contends, encodes unique ways of categorizing experience—from the multiple snow terms in Inuit languages to the complex kinship systems embedded in Aboriginal Australian tongues. When a language dies, these conceptual frameworks vanish forever.
Text 2: Cognitive scientist James Park challenges the strong linguistic relativity hypothesis underlying such claims. His research demonstrates that speakers of languages lacking specific color terms can still distinguish those colors in laboratory tests. Park suggests that while language may influence thought, human cognition operates through universal mechanisms that transcend linguistic categories.
Based on the texts, how would Park (Text 2) most likely respond to Sanchez's argument in Text 1?
A. By questioning whether linguistic categories are necessary for the cognitive distinctions Sanchez describes
B. By acknowledging the importance of preserving languages while suggesting cognition research is unrelated
C. By supporting her position with additional evidence from color perception studies
D. By agreeing that language loss threatens cultural knowledge while disputing claims about cognition

Question 3

Marine biologist Rachel Torres has spent two decades studying the social behavior of humpback whales in the North Atlantic. Her most surprising discovery concerns the transmission of hunting techniques across whale populations separated by thousands of miles. When Torres first observed bubble-net feeding—a coordinated technique where whales create spiral bubble curtains to trap fish—she assumed it was an innate behavior. However, video analysis revealed that young whales learn this complex maneuver by closely observing experienced adults, and that slight variations in the technique spread through populations like cultural innovations in human societies.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
A. It presents an assumption that subsequent research findings challenged
B. It describes a widely held view that Torres's work confirmed
C. It provides background information that introduces the text's topic
D. It states the main finding that the remainder of the text elaborates

Question 4

The phenomenon of "urban heat islands" demonstrates how human development alters local climate conditions. Cities typically register temperatures five to seven degrees Fahrenheit warmer than surrounding rural areas, primarily because dark surfaces like asphalt and roofing materials absorb solar radiation rather than reflecting it. This temperature differential affects more than human comfort—it influences precipitation patterns, with urban areas experiencing increased thunderstorm frequency during summer months. Additionally, the heat island effect compounds energy consumption, as residents use more electricity for cooling, which in turn generates additional waste heat from air conditioning systems. Some cities have begun implementing "cool roof" programs and expanding urban tree canopy to mitigate these effects.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. Cities are significantly warmer than rural areas due to heat-absorbing building materials
B. The temperature difference between cities and rural areas compounds energy usage
C. Urban heat islands create temperature increases that have cascading environmental impacts, prompting mitigation strategies
D. Urban heat islands primarily affect precipitation patterns in metropolitan regions

Question 5

Art historian Devon Chen argues that Renaissance painter Artemisia Gentileschi deliberately subverted contemporary gender expectations through her depictions of biblical heroines. To support this claim, Chen points to several of Gentileschi's works from the 1610s and 1620s.
Which quotation from a scholarly analysis of Gentileschi's paintings would most directly support Chen's argument?
A. "Gentileschi's technical mastery of chiaroscuro rivaled that of Caravaggio, demonstrating her training under her father."
B. "Unlike her male contemporaries, Gentileschi frequently chose female biblical figures as her primary subjects."
C. "In Judith Slaying Holofernes, Gentileschi portrayed her female protagonist with muscular strength and determined violence that challenged the period's passive feminine ideal."
D. "Gentileschi's self-portraits reveal psychological depth and emotional complexity uncommon in seventeenth-century painting."

Question 6

Paleontologists examining fossilized stomach contents of Microraptor gui, a small feathered dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous period, discovered preserved fish bones alongside previously documented evidence of small mammals and birds in other specimens. The fish remains included skull fragments from a freshwater species that inhabited lakes and slow-moving rivers. Interestingly, Microraptor's skeletal structure suggests it was primarily adapted for climbing and gliding rather than swimming or diving.
Based on the text, what can most reasonably be inferred about Microraptor gui's feeding behavior?
A. It spent extensive time in aquatic environments despite its climbing adaptations
B. It had a more varied diet than most other dinosaurs of its size
C. It likely caught fish by diving from trees or gliding over water surfaces rather than by swimming
D. It was capable of swimming underwater to capture fish prey

Question 7

The island nation of Malta has three official languages—Maltese, English, and Italian—reflecting centuries of diverse cultural influences. Maltese itself is unique among European ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ derived from Arabic while incorporating significant Romance and English vocabulary.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. languages; it is
B. languages it is
C. languages: it is
D. languages, it is

Question 8

Neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Feng has dedicated her career to understanding how bilingual brains process language. Her research using fMRI technology ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ that bilingual individuals activate overlapping neural networks when switching between languages, suggesting that languages are not stored in separate brain regions as previously theorized.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A. have revealed
B. reveal
C. revealing
D. reveals

Question 9

The philosopher Epicurus advocated for a simple life focused on friendship and intellectual pursuits rather than wealth accumulation. He believed that unlimited desires for luxury and power inevitably lead to anxiety and dissatisfaction. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ his teachings emphasized that true pleasure comes from freedom from physical pain and mental disturbance, not from extravagant consumption.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
A. Accordingly,
B. Meanwhile,
C. Nevertheless,
D. For instance,

Question 10

While researching the history of cartography, a student has taken the following notes:
• The Mercator projection, created in 1569, preserves accurate compass directions but distorts land area, making Greenland appear similar in size to Africa. • In reality, Africa's land area is approximately 14 times larger than Greenland's. • The Gall-Peters projection, introduced in the 1970s, preserves relative land area but distorts shapes, making countries near the equator appear stretched. • Most world maps in Western schools traditionally used the Mercator projection. • The choice of map projection reflects political and educational priorities, not just mathematical considerations.
The student wants to emphasize the significant size distortion created by the Mercator projection. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Despite the availability of the Gall-Peters projection, which preserves relative land area, Western schools traditionally used the Mercator projection.
B. The Mercator projection preserves compass directions but distorts land area, while the Gall-Peters projection does the opposite.
C. Although the Mercator projection makes Greenland appear similar in size to Africa, Africa's land area is actually 14 times larger, demonstrating substantial geographic distortion.
D. Map projections reflect political priorities, as shown by Western schools' preference for the Mercator projection over more accurate alternatives.