SAT Critical Reading : SAT Critical Reading

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT Critical Reading

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Example Questions

Example Question #2171 : Sat Critical Reading

George acted as though he were __________, though his friends knew that he was a human like anyone else, making many mistakes daily.

Possible Answers:

theological

infallible

god-like

grandiose

celestial

Correct answer:

infallible

Explanation:

The key word in this sentence is “mistakes.” The only contrast being implied is that George did not seem to think that he could make mistakes (though his friends knew better). When someone is “infallible” that person does not make mistakes. The word “fallible” means “capable of making mistakes” and is related to “false” as well as “fallacy” and “fallacious.” The “in-” functions here as a negative, making “in-fallible” to mean “not-fallible.”

Example Question #2172 : Sat Critical Reading

Since Nathanael had little time, he planned his schedule very __________ in order to avoid wasting even the slightest moment.

Possible Answers:

efficiently

amazingly

carefully

reflectively

insightfully

Correct answer:

efficiently

Explanation:

The only thing that we can say about Nathanael is that he is avoiding any waste of time. Any other description might hold (that it is amazing, insightfully done, etc), but that goes beyond what we are given. The best answer is “efficiently,” which describes someone who is very productive while using the least amount of resources (money, time, etc).

Example Question #2173 : Sat Critical Reading

When teaching her students how to draw graphs, the first thing that the teacher emphasized was that the X axis and Y axis had to be __________ with each other, crossing at a right angle usually found at the bottom left of a graph.

Possible Answers:

perpendicular

mixed up

parallel

disproportionate

beside

Correct answer:

perpendicular

Explanation:

The teacher explains that the axes of a graph "[cross] at a right angle," so we need to pick out an adjective that describes the relationship between two lines that do exactly that. "Parallel" cannot be the correct answer, then, because "parallel," when used of lines, planes, surfaces, or objects, means " side by side and having the same distance continuously between them," so "parallel" is the antonym of the word we're looking for. "Perpendicular," an adjective which means "at an angle of 90° to a given line, plane, or surface," best describes the orientation of the two lines, so "perpendicular" is the correct answer.

Example Question #2174 : Sat Critical Reading

The book includes long footnotes that serve as a place for _________ information like tangents, recommended reading, and notes on the work's historical context, none of which are absolutely necessary to the text itself.

Possible Answers:

crucial

winding

pardonable

joyful

ancillary

Correct answer:

ancillary

Explanation:

We can infer that because the footnotes allow room for various types of information of which "none . . . are absolutely necessary to the text itself," we can infer that we need to pick out an answer choice that means something like "extraneous" or "extra." "Crucial," then, cannot be the correct answer, because "crucial" is an antonym of "extraneous" and "extra." "Ancillary," however, is an adjective that can mean " additional; subsidiary," and because it best describes the nature of the information the book's footnotes contain, "ancillary" is the correct answer.

Example Question #2175 : Sat Critical Reading

The __________ knitter predicted the fashion trend toward homemade goods and started an online store, making a lot of money selling the scarves, hats, and mittens that she made.

Possible Answers:

astute

minute

undiscerning

portable

wholesome

Correct answer:

astute

Explanation:

For this sentence, we can infer that the knitter must have been pretty smart to "[predict] the fashion trend toward homemade goods." So, we need to pick out an adjective to describe the knitter that means something like "smart." "Undiscerning," then, cannot be the correct answer, because "undiscerning" means "lacking judgment, insight, or taste," making it the opposite of the word for which we're looking. "Astute," however, is an adjective that means "having or showing an ability to accurately assess situations or people and turn this to one's advantage," and because "astute" best describes the knitter's profitable assessment of the fashion trend, "astute" is the correct answer.

Example Question #2176 : Sat Critical Reading

Select the answer choice that best completes the blank in the sentence.

It typically takes years of __________ practicing in order to become a virtuoso piano player.

Possible Answers:

anomalous

animated

assiduous

austere

astringent

Correct answer:

assiduous

Explanation:

The choice that makes the most sense is assiduous: showing great care and perseverance; diligent.

Example Question #111 : Adjectives And Adverbs In One Blank Sentences

Select the answer choice that best completes the blank in the sentence.

The __________ coach was thrown out of the game by the referee.

Possible Answers:

captious

arcane

arable

callous

contentious

Correct answer:

contentious

Explanation:

The choice that makes the most sense is contentious: quarrelsome; causing or likely to cause an argument.

Example Question #2177 : Sat Critical Reading

Select the answer choice that best completes the blank in the sentence.

The __________ leader’s shaky voice was a signal to the brave troops that they would be on their own for the remainder of the battle.

Possible Answers:

craven

caustic

categorical

cloying

cavalier

Correct answer:

craven

Explanation:

The choice that makes the most sense is craven: contemptibly lacking in courage; cowardly.

Example Question #2178 : Sat Critical Reading

Select the answer choice that best completes the blank in the sentence.

You should be __________ of the perilous journey that lies ahead.

Possible Answers:

wry

wary

wistful

vindictive

vicarious

Correct answer:

wary

Explanation:

The choice that makes the most sense is wary: feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems.

Example Question #2179 : Sat Critical Reading

Select the answer choice that best completes the blank in the sentence.

The inmate stopped the flattery and began to speak with a more __________ tone after he realized the guards would never be coaxed into releasing him.

Possible Answers:

valedictory

visceral

veritable

venal

vituperative

Correct answer:

vituperative

Explanation:

The choice that makes the most sense is vituperative: bitter and abusive; scolding.

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