Question ID 236fee8e

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 236fee8e 2.1

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 2.2

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 47598085
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 47598085 2.3

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 df46a2ee
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: df46a2ee 2.4

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 2.5

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 6f5fc289
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 6f5fc289 2.6

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 2b085bc6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 2b085bc6 2.7

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 f2c48e47
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: f2c48e47 2.8

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 c0e1b70a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: c0e1b70a 2.9

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 f631132b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: f631132b 2.10

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 6d44060a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 6d44060a 2.11

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 590f0ad2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 590f0ad2 2.12

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 48555763
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 48555763 2.13

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 e7247766
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: e7247766 2.14

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 2.15

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 b4d29611
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: b4d29611 2.16

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 2.17

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 1090b367
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 1090b367
2.18
Today composer Scott Joplin is mainly celebrated for his catchy ragtime pieces “Maple Leaf Rag” and “The Entertainer.”
However, by overlooking his less famous works, listeners will miss the full range of Joplin’s creativity. For instance, his waltz
“Pleasant Moments” and his opera Treemonisha skillfully blend ragtime and classical music. These masterpieces deserve as
much fame as Joplin’s biggest hits.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To describe the similarities and differences between ragtime music and opera

B. To argue that more attention should be given to Joplin’s lesser-known works

C. To encourage music lovers to listen to music by many different composers

D. To explain how Joplin learned to compose and perform ragtime music

ID: 1090b367 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it best states the main purpose of the text, which is to make a case for the importance
of Scott Joplin’s less famous works. The text begins by introducing Joplin’s most popular works and then goes on to assert
that gaining a full understanding of Joplin’s creativity requires a consideration of his lesser-known pieces as well. The text
concludes by characterizing the lesser-known works "Pleasant Moments" and Treemonisha as masterpieces that deserve to
be famous. These details indicate that the text’s main purpose is to argue that more attention should be given to Joplin’s
lesser-known works.

Choice A is incorrect. Although the text discusses some of the ragtime music and an opera that Joplin composed, it does
not compare the two types of music in general. Instead, the text argues that Joplin’s lesser-known works, including his opera,
deserve as much attention as his more famous ragtime pieces receive. Choice C is incorrect because the text discusses only
Joplin’s music and does not ask music lovers to listen to a variety of composers. Instead, the text encourages listeners to
pay attention to Joplin’s lesser-known works in order to gain a full understanding of his creativity. Choice D is incorrect
because the text does not discuss how Joplin learned to compose and perform ragtime music. Instead, the text focuses on
Joplin’s less famous works and makes a case for their importance.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID d9e55268
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: d9e55268
2.19
The following text is adapted from Louise Erdrich’s 2020 novel The Night Watchman. Louis Pipestone is collecting signatures
for a petition from fellow members of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa on the tribe’s reservation in North Dakota.

Louis Pipestone tended the petition like a garden. He kept it with him at all times. In town, his eyes sharpened when he
noticed a tribal member who hadn’t yet signed. Wherever they were—at the gas pump, mercantile [general store], at
Henry’s [Café], on the road, or outside the clinic and hospital—Louis cornered them. If they were waiting for a baby to be
born, he’d have them sign. If they were laughing, if they were arguing. If they were taking a child home from school, they
signed.
©2020 by Louise Erdrich

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To suggest that some tribal members refuse to sign the petition because they dislike Louis Pipestone

B. To show that attitudes toward the petition within the tribal community change over time

C. To demonstrate that most tribal members are enthusiastic about signing the petition

D. To portray Louis Pipestone’s strong commitment to collecting signatures for the petition

ID: d9e55268 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately states the text’s main purpose. The text indicates that Louis always
had his petition with him, asked everyone he encountered to sign it if they hadn’t already, and lists several comical
circumstances in which he might try to get someone to sign. Thus, the main purpose of the text is to illustrate Louis’s
dedicated focus on getting people to sign the petition.

Choice A is incorrect. Although the text suggests that Louis was aggressive in seeking signatures for the petition—for
example, saying that he "cornered" people—nothing in the text addresses how those people feel toward Louis, let alone that
they are refusing his request. Choice B is incorrect because, other than portraying Louis’s commitment to gathering
signatures, the text doesn’t discuss community members’ attitudes toward Louis or the petition. Choice C is incorrect
because the text never mentions the attitudes of the people Louis approaches toward the petition, but the text does indicate
that he "cornered" prospective signatories, strongly suggesting that their enthusiasm was neither needed nor considered.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 617a8a10
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 617a8a10
2.20
Very little is known about the role nocturnal insects, such as moths, play in flower pollination because it is difficult to monitor
insects at night. To address this problem, a team of scientists used time-lapse cameras to record pollinator visits to red
clover all day and night. The recordings showed that while most pollinator visits were by bumblebees, one-third of visits were
by moths. Additionally, flowers that were visited by both moths and bees produced more seeds than flowers that were only
visited by bees.

Which choice best states the function of the underlined sentence?

A. To describe an approach a team of scientists used to study pollinators

B. To question a claim scientists make about pollinators

C. To explain why moths prefer red clover to other flowers

D. To announce an unexpected research finding about red clover

ID: 617a8a10 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the underlined sentence. The sentence
indicates that scientists used time-lapse photography during both day and night to detect pollinators visiting red clover.
Therefore, the underlined sentence has the function of describing an approach scientists used in the pollinator study
discussed in the text.

Choice B is incorrect because the underlined sentence discusses equipment the scientists used to conduct their study, and
the text provides nothing to suggest these elements of their experimental design could, by themselves, question claims
resulting from the study. Choice C is incorrect because nothing in either the underlined sentence or the rest of the text
addresses whether moths have a preference for red clover or any other flowers. Choice D is incorrect. Although the
sentences that follow the underlined sentence discuss research findings, nothing in the text suggests that these findings
were unexpected. Moreover, the underlined sentence describes part of the scientists’ experimental design (day and night
time-lapse photography), not a finding of the scientists’ study.

Question Difficulty: Medium