DIGITAL SAT TEST 1

Module 1: 27 Questions 32 Minutes

1. While tributyltin (TBT) is generally not as dangerous as certain other toxic substances, studies of its damaging effects on marine life show it is ___________ to mollusk fisheries.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) valuable
B) attracted
C) devastating
D) essential
2. Eager to maintain the party's lighthearted atmosphere, the host skillfully averted a quarrel between two of his guests with ___________ change of subject.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) an ineffectual
B) a tactful
C) an irritating
D) a diplomatic
3. Metis, the innermost___________ of Jupiter, completes a full revolution around this giant planet every seven hours.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A) atmosphere
B) constellation
C) meteor
D) satellite
4. Sarcasm involves constructing or exposing contradictions between intended meanings. It is the most common form of verbal irony-that is, allowing people to say exactly what they
do not mean. Often we use it to humorously convey disapproval or scorn. "Pat, don't work so hard!" a boss might say, for example, on catching his assistant surfing the Web.
According to the text, a common use of sarcasm is to
A) provide amusing anecdotes.
B) support alternative viewpoints.
C) express uncomfortable emotions.
D) communicate negative feedback.
5. Imagine you're on a particularly boring leg of a road trip and you start counting houses. You pass through long stretches of country without counting anything. When you do see
houses, they're clustered into towns, and may have spacious yards with tire swings. As you approach a city (finally!), rows of houses appear at regular intervals instead of
clumping. And in the heart of the city they shrink into little apartments that go by too fast for you to count. European rabbits, it turns out, build their homes in a similar way--and
since these animals are disappearing in the countryside, understanding their urban planning strategy matters to humans trying to conserve them.
According to the text, information about rabbits' burrowing patterns could aid in
A) preserving rabbit populations.
B) constructing burrows for rabbits.
C) transferring rural rabbit populations to cities.
D) urbanizing rabbits' natural habitat.
6. 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 summarizes an argument about how children's literature should be evaluated and then discusses a contrasting view on that subject.
B. The text outlines a debate between two authors of children's literature and then traces how that debate shaped theories on early childhood education.
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.
7. The following text is adapted from Oscar Wilde's 1897 nonfiction work De Profundis.
People whose desire is solely for self-realisation never know where they are going. They can't know. In one sense of the word it is of course necessary to know oneself. that is the
first achievement of knowledge. But to recognise that the soul of a man is unknowable, is the ultimate achievement of wisdom. The final mystery is oneself. When one has
weighed the sun in the balance, and measured the steps of the moon, and mapped out the seven heavens star by star, there still remains oneself. Who can calculate the orbit of his
own soul?
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined question in the text as a whole?
A. It cautions readers that the text's directions for how to achieve self- knowledge are hard to follow.
B. It concedes that the definition of self-knowledge advanced in the text is unpopular.
C. It reinforces the text's skepticism about the possibility of truly achieving self-knowledge.
D. It speculates that some readers will share the doubts expressed in the text about the value of self-knowledge
8. Scrapbooks of saved fabric pieces were commonly kept by women in the nineteenth-century United States, but few are as meticulously detailed as Hannah Ditzler Alspaugh's
work. Alongside each piece of fabric, Alspaugh recorded intimate memories, such as dressmaking with her sister. Additionally, she listed the prices and how she used the fabric.
Historians note that by representing fifty years of changing textures, patterns, and dress styles, the scrapbook is a record of nineteenth-century textiles and dressmaking as well as
Alspaugh's life.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. Fabric scrapbooks were a popular hobby for many women in the nineteenth-century United States.
B. Alspaugh's scrapbook provides a detailed account of her life and historical record of fashion trends in the nineteenth-century United States.
C. Historians rely on fabric scrapbooks to understand how fashions changed throughout the nineteenth century United States.
D. Alspaugh inspired other women to save pieces of fabric in scrapbooks and provide historical records of nineteenth-century fashions in the United States.
9. A 2019 study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution looked at data from more than 1,500 species of birds, mammals, and fish in order to determine whether their rate of
evolutionary change was linked to species survival. The study found that while some species did evolve faster than others, there was no clear relationship between evolutionary
rate and survival. Instead, the study suggests that previous species success predicts species survival much more accurately than speed of adaptation does.
 Which finding, if true, would most directly support the underlined claim?
A) Endangered and extinct species displayed a significantly slower evolutionary rate than other species.
B) Evolutionary rate only impacted species survival when adaptations were linked to environmental pressures.
C) Successful species tended to remain more successful than more quickly-evolving competitors.
D) Invasive species that overtook competitors tended to exhibit a higher evolutionary rate than other species.
10. In her 1921 poem "Spring," Edna St. Vincent Millay subverts conventional depictions of springtime. Instead of celebrating growth and renewal, Millay disputes the merit of the
season entirely: ________
Which quotation from "Spring" most effectively illustrates the claim?
A) "To what purpose, April, do you return again? / Beauty is not enough."
B) The sun is hot on my neck as I observe / The spikes of the crocus.
C) The smell of the earth is good. / It is apparent that there is no death.
D) Life in itself / Is nothing,/ An empty cup, a flight of uncarpeted stairs.
11. Human speech directed at infants, also known as baby talk, tends to use a higher pitch and slower tempo than standard speech and is known to accelerate language learning.
Noting similarities between this infant- directed speech and the tone with which pet-owners address their dogs. researchers hypothesized that baby talk is not adopted due to the
age of a given listener, but instead tends to be used when addressing any listener that is non-verbal.
Which finding, if true, would most directly support the researchers' hypothesis?
A. People tend to raise their pitch and slow their tempo when speaking to adult humans who are non-verbal.
B. People tend to speak to other verbal adults with a lower pitch and faster tempo.
C. Non-verbal adults tend to show less reactivity to baby talk than infants and children.
D. People tend to view their pet as juvenile regardless of the pet's actual age
12. "The magnolia is out earlier than usual this year, Mrs. Sampson" she remarked, yielding to a rare impulse, for she seldom alluded to the absorbing interest of her life. In the first
place it was a topic not likely to appeal to her visitors and, besides, she lacked the power of expression and could not have given utterance to her feelings had she wished to.
"The what, Mrs. Manstey?" inquired the landlady, glancing about the room as if to find there the explanation of Mrs. Manstey's statement.
"The magnolia in the next yard-in Mrs. Black's yard," Mrs. Manstey repeated.
"Is it, indeed? I didn't know there was a magnolia there," said Mrs. Sampson, carelessly. Mrs. Manstey looked at her; she did not know that there was a magnolia in the next yard!
The exchange between Mrs. Manstey and Mrs. Sampson regarding the magnolia serves primarily to
A) distinguish between the true significance of an event and the significance that Mrs. Manstey assigns to that event.
B) dramatize the contrasting ways in which Mrs. Manstey and Mrs. Sampson address a sensitive issue.
C) illustrate the marked divergence in the attitudes of Mrs. Manstey and Mrs. Sampson toward their immediate surroundings.
D) highlight a realization that Mrs. Manstey has regarding a point of contention between her and Mrs. Sampson.
13. Digital paywalls restrict access to online content to those with a paid subscription. In an investigation of the effect of paywalls on newspaper company revenues for print and
digital subscriptions and advertising Doug J. Chung and colleagues compared actual outcomes (with a paywall) to control estimates (without a paywall). The researchers
concluded that introducing a paywall is generally more beneficial for larger newspapers, which have high circulation and tend to offer a substantial amount of unique online
content.

Which choice best describes data from the table that support Chung and colleagues' conclusion?
A. The Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times had similar total revenue changes, but the Los Angeles Times had a smaller percentage change.
B. The Los Angeles Times had a 12.5% revenue change, while the Chicago Tribune had a 19% revenue change.
C. The New York Times had a 20% revenue change, while The Denver Post had a -1% revenue change.
D. The Denver Post had only a -1% revenue change, which was the smallest percentage change of the selected companies.
14. Text 1
I know what your e-mail in-box looks like, and it isn't pretty: a babble of come-ons and lies from hucksters and con artists. To find your real e-mail, you must wade through the
torrent of fraud and obscenity known politely as "unsolicited bulk e-mail" and colloquially as "spam." In a perverse tribute to the power of the online revolution, we are all
suddenly getting the same mail: easy weight loss, get-rich-quick schemes, etc. The crush of these mes- sages is now numbered in billions per day. "It's becoming a major systems
and engineering and network problem," says one e-mail expert. "Spammers are gaining control of the Internet."
Text 2
Many people who hate spam assume that it is protected as free speech. Not necessarily so. The United States Supreme Court has previously ruled that individuals may preserve a
threshold of privacy. "Nothing in the Constitution compels us to listen to or view any unwanted communication, whatever its merit," wrote Chief Justice Warren Burger in a 1970
decision. "We therefore categori- cally reject the argument that a vendor has a right to send unwanted material into the home of another." With regard to a seemingly similar
problem, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 made it illegal in the United States to send unsolicited faxes; why not extend the act to include unsolicited bulk e-mail?
Unlike the author of Text 1, the author of Text 2
(A) criticizes a practice
(B) offers an example
(C) proposes a solution
(D) states an opinion
15. Recent evidence suggests that dark energy, a mysterious repulsive force that causes the universe to expand, ____________ been present for most of the universe's history.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
(A) it has
(B) it had
 (C) this has
(D) has
16. One of only a few venomous mammals, the slow loris coats the fur of its young offspring with toxic ______________ from predators.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
(A) saliva, which it protects them
(B) saliva, it protects them
(C) saliva to protect them
(D) saliva for protecting them
17. Government regulations aimed at encouraging fuel economy ____________ one fuel- efficient vehicle for every inefficient one.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
(A) requires automakers to produce
(B) require automakers to produce
(C) require automakers producing
(D) that requires automakers to produce
18. A severe northeastern storm struck Boston on New Year's Day, 1900, slowing down the loading of ships in the _______________.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
(A) harbor, the city was caught off guard because of the Weather Bureau being closed for the holidays
(B) harbor, because the Weather Bureau was closed for the holidays, the city was caught off guard
(C) harbor; catching the city off guard because the Weather Bureau was closed for the holidays
(D) harbor; the city was caught off guard because the Weather Bureau was closed for the holidays
19. Many people believe that failure can be the source of success. Although it may sound ludicrous to some, there is much truth to it as those who have experienced such failures can
attest. To fail, one must first make an attempt. In that attempt, experience expands, new ideas blossom, and viewpoints change. And yet, even if one does not always accomplish
what he or she sets out to do, one gains new knowledge from the attempt. Taking medication, for example. Drugs have to be tested and proven effective before being approved and
dispensed. Almost all drugs go through strict testing before ___________ at least once. Such trial and error is behind nearly every new idea and method.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
(A) approval but they have failed
(B) approval, failing
(C) approval; failure occurring
(D) approval; they failed
20. Astronaut Carlos _____________ as a Marine Corps pilot but then became a computer scientist and helped to assemble the International Space Station.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
(A) Noriega, beginning his career
(B) Noriega began his career
(C) Noriega, who began his career
(D) Noriega, his career began
21. Small fish living among coral reefs face constant ___________ in open water makes them prey to larger fish, but hiding in crevices exposes them to eel attacks.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
(A) danger, swimming
(B) danger, their swimming
(C) danger; if they swim
(D) danger: swimming
22. In recent years various efforts have been made to address these problems. Many jurisdictions have enacted laws limiting automobile emissions and requiring greater fuel
efficiency. Another approach has been to develop alternatives to the traditional automobile. ______________ cars that run on hydrogen, which produce no pollution at all, and
those that run entirely on electricity. There are even cars that run on used vegetable oil.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
(A) They developed
(B) These include
(C) This means
(D) For example,
23. My father's ability to listen affects his whole life. His ability allows him to form strong relationships with his coworkers and earns him lasting friendships. It allows him to have
open conversations with his children. _____________ his relationship with my mother. Certainly, his talent is one that I hope to develop as I mature.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
(A) Furthermore, it has strengthened
(B) Further strengthening
(C) But it strengthens
(D) However, he is strengthening
24. Jane's second patent came in 1989, for a device that identifies the positional coordinates of objects with a new kind of precision, the kind required in military operations. The
device, which ___________ almost exact precision, uses the light and movement data to compute a specific spatial coefficient. The images produced by this device allow a
mathematical precision that digital photography simply cannot provide.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) is characterized by their
B) are characterized by their
C) are characterized by its
D) is characterized by its
25. Although the elevated Orange Line ___________ one of the city's most reliable lines, the city chose to implement the new line and destroy the old one. The project cost $743
million, the most that the state of Massachusetts had paid on a project up to that point. In 1987, the new underground Orange Line began its operations. The line's move below
ground wasn't an anomaly but part of a larger
national trend.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) had been
 B) was
C) was known to be
D) is
26. Opponents also argue that most foods Americans consume have contained GMOs since the early 1990s. More than half of the corn, soybean, and canola crops in the U.S. have
genetically modified traits. By this point, the label would need to be placed on nearly all products, thus making its utility very limited. One might as well put a label on every food
product in the grocery store that says "contains food." Regardless of __________ the bill is passed, information about how food is grown is available if people just look it up.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A) if
B) whether
C) when
D) if in fact
27. While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
• Amarathon is a long-distance running race that is 26.2 miles long
• An ultramarathon is a long-distance running race of more than 26.2 miles The Kepler Challenge is a one-day, 37.5-mile ultramarathon in New Zealand
• The Sprefix six-day, 261-mile ultramarathon in Germany.
The student wants to make a generalization about ultramarathons. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
A. Examples of ultramarathons include the 37.3-mile Kepler Challenge in New Zealand and the 261-mile Spreelauf in Germany.
B. Ultramarathons range widely in length, from a few dozen miles to a few hundred.
C. While the Kepler Challenge is a one-day ultramarathon, the Spreelauf is a six-day ultramarathon.
D. Amarathon is 26.2 miles long, but the Spreelauf ultramarathon, at 261 miles, is far longer