Question ID ca50de52

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: ca50de52
“How lifelike are they?” Many computer animators prioritize this question as they strive to create ever more realistic
environments and lighting. Generally, while characters in computer-animated films appear highly exaggerated,
environments and lighting are carefully engineered to mimic reality. But some animators, such as Pixar’s Sanjay Patel,
are focused on a different question. Rather than asking first whether the environments and lighting they’re creating are
convincingly lifelike, Patel and others are asking whether these elements reflect their films’ unique stories.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined question in the text as a whole?

It reflects a primary goal that many computer animators have for certain components of the animations they
A. produce.

It represents a concern of computer animators who are more interested in creating unique backgrounds and lighting
B. effects than realistic ones.

It conveys the uncertainty among many computer animators about how to create realistic animations using current
C. technology.

It illustrates a reaction that audiences typically have to the appearance of characters created by computer
D. animators.

ID: ca50de52 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the underlined question in the text as
a whole. The text begins with the underlined question, “How lifelike are they?” The text then explains that many
computer animators pose this question about the environments and lighting that they create for animated films, striving
for realistic animation of those components even if the characters themselves aren’t portrayed in realistic terms. The
focus of the text then shifts to describe how some animators strive to create environments and lighting that reflect the
film’s unique stories rather than making them appear realistic. Therefore, the function of the underlined question is to
reflect a primary goal that many computer animators have for certain components of the animations they produce.

Choice B is incorrect because, as the text makes clear, the underlined question is one posed by computer animators
who wish to create realistic backgrounds and lighting effects, not by those who, instead, wish to create effects that
reflect films’ unique stories and aren’t necessarily realistic; this latter group of animators is discussed later in the text.
Choice C is incorrect. As the text explains, many computer animators strive for realistic environments and lighting, while
others do not; this difference of approach relates to whether these components should be realistic, not to how realism
can be achieved using current technology, and the text never suggests that animators are uncertain how to achieve it.
Choice D is incorrect because the underlined question pertains to the perspective of computer animators, not the
audience, and the text never considers audience’s reactions to characters in animated films.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 82cb7dda
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 82cb7dda
The field of study called affective neuroscience seeks instinctive, physiological causes for feelings such as pleasure or
displeasure. Because these sensations are linked to a chemical component (for example, the release of the
neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain when one receives or expects a reward), they can be said to have a partly
physiological basis. These processes have been described in mammals, but Jingnan Huang and his colleagues have
recently observed that some behaviors of honeybees (such as foraging) are also motivated by a dopamine-based
signaling process.

What choice best describes the main purpose of the text?

A. It describes an experimental method of measuring the strength of physiological responses in humans.

B. It illustrates processes by which certain insects can express how they are feeling.

It summarizes a finding suggesting that some mechanisms in the brains of certain insects resemble mechanisms in
C. mammalian brains.

It presents research showing that certain insects and mammals behave similarly when there is a possibility of a
D. reward for their actions.

ID: 82cb7dda Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text, which is to summarize a
finding suggesting that some mechanisms in the brains of certain insects resemble mechanisms in mammalian brains.
The text begins by explaining that feelings such as pleasure and displeasure are linked to chemical processes in the
brain, such as the release of dopamine when one receives a reward. The text then indicates that such processes have
been seen in mammals but that researchers have recently observed similar processes involving dopamine in
honeybees. Taken together, this information serves to sum up the discovery that some mechanisms in the brains of
certain insects may resemble mechanisms linked to feelings such as pleasure and displeasure in mammals.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t describe any experiments or experimental methods. Instead, the text
describes a phenomenon that has been observed in mammals and then presents the recent observations of Huang and
colleagues that this phenomenon is also seen in honeybees. Choice B is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to
suggest that certain insects can express how they’re feeling through particular processes. The text does indicate that
certain honeybee behaviors such as foraging are linked to dopamine, but it doesn’t suggest that these behaviors enable
honeybees to communicate feelings or sensations. Choice D is incorrect because the text presents research showing
that certain honeybee behaviors such as foraging are linked to dopamine and therefore may be motivated by similar
mechanisms to those in mammalian brains, not that honeybees and mammals behave similarly when there is the
possibility of reward for their actions.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c966ad55
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: c966ad55
The following text is from Srimati Svarna Kumari Devi’s 1894 novel The Fatal Garland (translated by A. Christina Albers
in 1910). Shakti is walking near a riverbank that she visited frequently during her childhood.

She crossed the woods she knew so well. The trees seemed to extend their branches like welcoming arms. They
greeted her as an old friend. Soon she reached the river-side.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

A. It suggests that Shakti feels uncomfortable near the river.

B. It indicates that Shakti has lost her sense of direction in the woods.

C. It emphasizes Shakti’s sense of belonging in the landscape.

D. It conveys Shakti’s appreciation for her long-term friendships.

ID: c966ad55 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as
a whole. The first sentence of the text states that Shakti knows the woods she is walking in well. The next sentence,
which is underlined, emphasizes Shakti’s familiarity with, and sense of security within, the woods by describing how the
tree branches are friendly and “welcoming,” as they are depicted as extending open arms to her. The remainder of the
text also shows that Shakti is comfortable and content in the woods by describing her as “an old friend” of the trees.
Thus, the function of the underlined portion is to emphasize Shakti’s sense of belonging in the wooded landscape that
she visits.

Choice A is incorrect because the text and underlined portion suggest that Shakti is comfortable, not uncomfortable, in
her surroundings: the trees around her are described as welcoming and reassuring. Moreover, the underlined portion
discusses Shakti’s feelings in the forest, not the river, since she hasn’t reached the river yet. Choice B is incorrect
because the text and underlined portion emphasize Shakti’s familiarity with the woods. The trees are inviting, and she
feels like “an old friend” to the woods, so she isn’t lost or confused there. Choice D is incorrect because the third
sentence uses the phrase “as an old friend” figuratively in reference to Shakti’s sense of familiarity with the landscape,
not in reference to her long-standing friendships with other people, and the text and underlined portion never discuss
her feelings about such friendships.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 2af2016f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 2af2016f
A study by Dr. Paul Hanel and colleagues concluded that people are more likely to behave politely when listening to
ideas they disagree with if they think about values before they engage in a discussion. Study participants were assigned
to one of two groups. The experimental group spent a few minutes writing about one of their personal values before
they had a group discussion on a controversial topic. And the control group spent a few minutes writing about a drink
(tea, milk, etc.) before their group discussion on that topic. Hanel and colleagues found that the experimental group’s
discussion was more civil than the control group’s discussion was.

Which choice best describes the main purpose of the text?

A. To describe a widely held belief and how a study’s results support that belief

B. To argue that researchers were surprised by the results of a certain study

C. To suggest ways to improve a certain study’s experimental design

D. To explain a study’s conclusion and how a research team arrived at that conclusion

ID: 2af2016f Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text, which is to explain a
study’s conclusion and how researchers involved in the study arrived at that conclusion. The text begins by
summarizing the main conclusion of the study conducted by Paul Hanel and colleagues: when confronted with ideas
they disagree with in discussions about controversial topics, people are more likely to respond politely if they think
about their personal values before engaging in such discussions. The text then goes on to describe the design of Hanel
and colleagues’ experiment. By comparing interactions between members of an experimental group (who had been
prompted to write about their personal values beforehand) to those between members of a control group (who had
been prompted to write about a beverage), the team found that people in the experimental group behaved more civilly,
or politely, than people in the control group did during discussions about a controversial topic. This finding led to the
conclusion described at the beginning of the text.

Choice A is incorrect. Although the text discusses the results of a study, it doesn’t provide any indication that the
conclusion the study supported—that when facing disagreement, people behave more politely when they have thought
about their values—is a belief that is widely held. Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t indicate that the
researchers found the results of their study to be surprising, or contrary to what they expected. In fact, there’s no
indication provided in the text about how the researchers felt about the study’s results or that the results should be
considered surprising. Choice C is incorrect. Although the text discusses the experimental design of a study, it doesn’t
suggest any improvements to that design; instead, it focuses on how the design enabled the researchers to draw a
particular conclusion.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID b13378c8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: b13378c8
Early in the Great Migration of 1910–1970, which involved the mass migration of Black people from the southern to the
northern United States, political activist and Chicago Defender writer Fannie Barrier Williams was instrumental in helping
other Black women establish themselves in the North. Many women hoped for better employment opportunities in the
North because, in the South, they faced much competition for domestic employment and men tended to get agricultural
work. To aid with this transition, Barrier Williams helped secure job placement in the North for many women before they
even began their journey.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

To introduce and illustrate Barrier Williams’s integral role in supporting other Black women as their circumstances
A. changed during part of the Great Migration

To establish that Barrier Williams used her professional connections to arrange employment for other Black women,
B. including jobs with the Chicago Defender

To demonstrate that the factors that motivated the start of the Great Migration were different for Black women than
C. they were for Black men

To provide an overview of the employment challenges faced by Black women in the agricultural and domestic
D. spheres in the southern United States

ID: b13378c8 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the text’s purpose, which is to discuss the important
role Barrier Williams played in supporting many other Black women as they relocated to the northern United States
during the early years of the Great Migration. After introducing Barrier Williams, the text describes how she helped find
jobs for other Black women, who in many cases relocated in search of better employment prospects than the South
could offer at the time. The text indicates that by doing so, she eased these women’s transition as their circumstances
changed.

Choice B is incorrect. Although the text mentions Barrier Williams’s work as a political activist and writer for the Chicago
Defender, it doesn’t discuss any professional connections she made in these roles or indicate that she used any such
connections in her work to secure employment for other Black women. Choice C is incorrect. Although the text
discusses a factor that caused many women to relocate during the Great Migration, their difficulty finding employment
in the South, the text doesn’t indicate that this factor motivated the start of the Great Migration. Moreover, the text
doesn’t discuss the factors that motivated Black men to migrate. Choice D is incorrect. Although the text mentions the
difficult employment prospects for Black women in the domestic and agricultural sectors in the South during the Great
Migration, the text’s main purpose isn’t to provide an overview of the employment challenges Black women faced in
these sectors. Rather, it provides this information to show that Barrier Williams played a crucial role in supporting many
Black women who relocated to the North by helping them achieve one of their main goals, securing a job.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID d4732483
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: d4732483
Studying late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century artifacts from an agricultural and domestic site in Texas,
archaeologist Ayana O. Flewellen found that Black women employed as farm workers utilized hook-and-eye closures to
fasten their clothes at the waist, giving themselves a silhouette similar to the one that was popular in contemporary
fashion and typically achieved through more restrictive garments such as corsets. Flewellen argues that this sartorial
practice shows that these women balanced hegemonic ideals of femininity with the requirements of their physically
demanding occupation.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

To describe an unexpected discovery that altered a researcher’s view of how rapidly fashions among Black female
A. farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Texas changed during the period

To discuss research that investigated the ways in which Black female farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early
B. twentieth-century Texas used fashion practices to resist traditional gender ideals

To evaluate a scholarly work that offers explanations for the impact of urban fashion ideals on Black female
C. farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Texas

To summarize the findings of a study that explored factors influencing a fashion practice among Black female
D. farmworkers in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Texas

ID: d4732483 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The text provides an overview of a scholarly work discussing the fashion practices of Black
female farmworkers in late 19th- and early 20th-century Texas, and how these practices were influenced by both the
fashion ideals of the time and the demands of farmwork.

Choice A is incorrect. The text never discusses the rate of fashion change among Black female farmworkers. The text
also never categorizes Flewellen’s findings as "unexpected." Choice B is incorrect. The text actually explains that Black
female farmworkers were trying to achieve traditional feminine ideals, not resist them. Choice C is incorrect. The text
doesn’t evaluate a scholarly work but rather simply describes it. Furthermore, the text is focused on "agricultural and
domestic" fashion, not urban fashion as this choice suggests.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID d9915c15
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: d9915c15
In 2020, rap artist and professor A.D. Carson published the first peer-reviewed rap album about his experiences with
Black masculinity called “i used to love to dream.” Typically in peer review, experts evaluate scholarly articles prior to
publication. For Carson’s album, dubbed a “mixtap/e/ssay,” peer review involved both scholars and rap artists. In
combining elements of a mixtape album with scholarly essays that connect Carson’s lyrics to historical and
contemporary contexts for listeners both inside and outside academia, Carson’s album helped redefine how scholarship
is created and shared.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To compare the relative public impact of scholarly articles and albums

B. To capture one scholar’s opinion of a new rap album

C. To explain why a certain rap album is particularly innovative

D. To describe how each step of the peer review process unfolds

ID: d9915c15 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it best describes the main purpose of the text, which is to explain why a certain
rap album is particularly innovative. The text mentions rap artist and professor A.D. Carson, who published "the first
peer-reviewed rap album." The text also describes the unusual process of having the work evaluated by both scholars
and rap artists before its release, and details how the album combines elements of a mixtape album with elements of
scholarly essays. All of these characteristics of the album and the way in which it was developed help to demonstrate
the album’s novelty.

Choice A is incorrect because though the text mentions an album that combines elements of scholarly essays and
mixtapes, it does not compare the relative public impact of scholarly articles and albums. Choice B is incorrect because
the text does not present the opinion of a scholar regarding the rap album. Choice D is incorrect because though the
text mentions that the album was peer reviewed, it does not detail the steps of the review.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e818241b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: e818241b
Astronomers are confident that the star Betelgeuse will eventually consume all the helium in its core and explode in a
supernova. They are much less confident, however, about when this will happen, since that depends on internal
characteristics of Betelgeuse that are largely unknown. Astrophysicist Sarafina El-Badry Nance and colleagues recently
investigated whether acoustic waves in the star could be used to determine internal stellar states but concluded that
this method could not sufficiently reveal Betelgeuse’s internal characteristics to allow its evolutionary state to be firmly
fixed.

Which choice best describes the function of the second sentence in the overall structure of the text?

A. It describes a serious limitation of the method used by Nance and colleagues.

B. It presents the central finding reported by Nance and colleagues.

C. It identifies the problem that Nance and colleagues attempted to solve but did not.

D. It explains how the work of Nance and colleagues was received by others in the field.

ID: e818241b Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it best describes how the second sentence functions in the text as a whole. The
first sentence establishes something astronomers believe with some certainty: that Betelgeuse will explode in a
supernova. The second sentence then introduces a problem: astronomers aren’t certain when Betelgeuse will explode
because they don’t have enough information about the star’s internal characteristics. Finally, the third sentence
indicates that researcher Sarafina El-Badry Nance and colleagues investigated a possible method of obtaining the
necessary information about Betelgeuse’s internal characteristics, though they found that the method wouldn’t be
sufficient. Thus, the function of the second sentence is to identify the problem that Nance and colleagues attempted to
solve but didn’t.

Choice A is incorrect because the second sentence introduces the general problem Nance and colleagues hoped to
solve, not a serious limitation of how Nance and colleagues tried to solve it. It is the third sentence that introduces
Nance and colleagues, but no serious limitation of their approach to studying a method of determining internal stellar
states is described. Choice B is incorrect because the second sentence introduces the general problem Nance and
colleagues hoped to solve, not the central finding they ultimately reported. It is the third sentence that presents Nance
and colleagues’ conclusion that a potential method for determining internal stellar states would be insufficient. Choice
D is incorrect because the second sentence doesn’t indicate how other astronomers or astrophysicists responded to
the work done by Nance and colleagues; the text doesn’t address this information at all.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 236fee8e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 236fee8e
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?

It explains why efforts to determine the country of origin of the items mentioned in the previous sentence remain
A. inconclusive.

It provides information that helps support a claim about a discovery’s significance that is presented in the following
B. 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 cef79fb9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: cef79fb9
The Bayeux Tapestry, from eleventh-century France, depicts 75 scenes over 250 feet of fabric. It was likely produced by
workers embroidering in sections and then joining the resulting panels together. It’s plausible that the workshop that
produced the tapestry had never produced one so large, and some researchers claim that a close examination of the
joins—the places where the panels are stitched together—suggests that the workers developed and refined their joining
process over the course of production. For example, the first join the workers completed exhibits a clear misalignment
of the borders of the two panels, whereas the later joins are virtually invisible.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It identifies the people and events depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry.

B. It supports an argument about the workers who produced the Bayeux Tapestry.

C. It compares the Bayeux Tapestry with other tapestries from eleventh-century France.

D. It describes how researchers determined where the Bayeux Tapestry was produced.

ID: cef79fb9 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as
a whole. The text discusses the Bayeux Tapestry, making the point that the workers who produced the huge tapestry in
the eleventh century might not have ever produced a tapestry so large before. The text goes on to suggest that because
of this lack of previous experience, the workers developed and refined the process of joining the tapestry’s panels over
time as they worked. The last sentence of the text then provides an example of an observation that suggests the
workers’ process changed: clear misalignment of the borders of the two panels the workers joined first and virtually
invisible joins completed later. Thus, the underlined sentence serves to support an argument about the workers who
produced the tapestry.

Choice A is incorrect because the example given in the last sentence of the text has to do with how the panels of the
Bayeux Tapestry were joined by the workers, not with what is depicted in those panels; the text never identifies any
people or places depicted in the tapestry. Choice C is incorrect because the last sentence compares how early panels in
the Bayeux Tapestry were joined with how later panels in the same tapestry were joined; it doesn’t make any
comparison between the Bayeux Tapestry and other tapestries from the same time in France. Choice D is incorrect
because the last sentence doesn’t address the location where the Bayeux Tapestry was created; the first sentence of
the text presents it as a given that the tapestry was created in France, but nothing in the text indicates how that origin
was determined.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID eaea6f8f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: eaea6f8f
Ordinary soap bubbles usually exist for a minute or less before popping due to either a rupture forced by gravity-induced
drainage or the evaporation of the liquid from which the bubble is composed. But physicist Aymeric Roux and
colleagues discovered ways to mitigate these factors, resulting in bubbles that can last for a year or more. For example,
glycerol tends to adhere to water molecules, so a bubble with a shell that contains both water and glycerol is able to
draw additional water molecules from the surrounding air and thereby compensate for evaporation.

Which choice best states the purpose of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

It describes the effects of a process devised by researchers that increases the longevity of an object discussed in
A. the text.

B. It details the circumstances that prompted the research discussed in the text.

It presents a reason why the phenomenon discussed in the text that the researchers wanted to avoid will inevitably
C. occur.

D. It mentions a method discussed in the text that researchers intend to test in future experiments.

ID: eaea6f8f Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it describes how the underlined portion of the sentence functions in the text as a
whole. The text begins by discussing ordinary soap bubbles, objects that usually exist for less than a minute before
popping due to either evaporation or gravity-induced drainage. The text then goes on to mention work by researchers
Aymeric Roux and colleagues, who have discovered how to increase the longevity of bubbles by altering their chemical
composition. Finally, the underlined portion of the text describes how this process works: since the bubble contains
both water and glycerol, it can draw water molecules from the surrounding air to replace those lost to evaporation.
Therefore, the underlined portion of the sentence describes the effects of a process devised by researchers that
increases the longevity of an object described in the text.

Choice B is incorrect because the circumstance that prompted the research is discussed in the first sentence of the
text, not the underlined portion. Choice C is incorrect because the underlined portion of the text does not address why
soap bubbles must eventually rupture. Rather, it explains how the longevity of soap bubbles can be extended. Choice D
is incorrect because the underlined portion of the text does not mention any future experiments.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 7d8224f9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 7d8224f9
In 1154, Muhammad al-Idrisi completed a collection of maps of the lands known to medieval Arabic and European
scholars. This collection was titled Al-Kitāb al-Rujārī (The Book of Roger), after the Norman king Roger II who hired him
to create it. To create the collection, al-Idrisi consulted Arabic and Greek maps and interviewed travelers about the lands
they visited. He included these travelers’ stories alongside the map illustrations.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To discuss the benefits of studying mapmaking

B. To explain how travelers created maps

C. To describe a collection of medieval maps and how it was created

D. To compare medieval Arabic and Greek mapmaking techniques

ID: 7d8224f9 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately states the main purpose of the text, which is to describe a
collection of medieval maps and how it was created. The text begins by mentioning Muhammad al-Idrisi’s collection of
maps of lands known to medieval Arabic and European scholars. It then states that the Norman king Roger II hired al-
Idrisi to create the collection and details al-Idrisi’s methods of creation: consulting Arabic and Greek maps and
interviewing travelers. In short, the text presents a collection of medieval maps and then goes on to describe how that
collection came to be.

Choice A is incorrect because the text describes a collection of maps and the process of creating that collection but
does not discuss the benefits of studying mapmaking in general. Choice B is incorrect because though the text
mentions that al-Idrisi interviewed travelers, the text does not describe how those travelers created maps. Choice D is
incorrect because though the text mentions that al-Idrisi consulted Arabic and Greek maps, the text does not offer a
comparison of Arabic and Greek mapmaking techniques.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 2903a041
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 2903a041
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.

It examines how a group of scientists reached a conclusion, then shows how other scientists have challenged that
D. 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 066a3295
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 066a3295
Researchers have found a nearly 164,000-year-old molar from a member of the archaic human species known as
Denisovans in a cave in Laos, suggesting that Denisovans lived in a wider range of environments than indicated by
earlier evidence. Before the discovery, Denisovans were thought to have lived only at high altitudes in relatively cold
climates in what are now Russia and China, but the discovery of the tooth in Laos suggests that they may have lived at
low altitudes in relatively warm climates in Southeast Asia as well.

Which choice best states the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

A. It dismisses as untrue the research presented in the previous sentence.

B. It defines a term used in the description that follows in the rest of the sentence.

C. It emphasizes the main goal of the research introduced in the previous sentence.

D. It provides context that clarifies the significance of the information that follows in the rest of the sentence.

ID: 066a3295 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The text describes how a new discovery expands our understanding of Denisovans. The
underlined portion describes what we used to believe about Denisovans, which helps the reader understand the
significance of the discovery of the molar: it suggests that they lived in more places than we’d previously thought.

Choice A is incorrect. The underlined portion doesn’t do this. Instead, it explains what we used to believe about
Denisovans before the discovery—it doesn’t dismiss the new discovery as false. Choice B is incorrect. The underlined
portion doesn’t do this. No term is defined here. Choice C is incorrect. The underlined portion doesn’t do this. The text
never tells us what the “goal” of the research was, just what its discovery was.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID ac9a3a26
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: ac9a3a26
According to historian Vicki L. Ruiz, Mexican American women made crucial contributions to the labor movement
during World War II. At the time, food processing companies entered into contracts to supply United States armed
forces with canned goods. Increased production quotas conferred greater bargaining power on the companies’
employees, many of whom were Mexican American women: employees insisted on more favorable benefits, and
employers, who were anxious to fulfill the contracts, complied. Thus, labor activism became a platform for Mexican
American women to assert their agency.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

A. It elaborates on a claim about labor relations in a particular industry made earlier in the text.

B. It offers an example of a trend in the World War II–era economy discussed earlier in the text.

C. It notes a possible exception to the historical narrative of labor activism sketched earlier in the text.

D. It provides further details about the identities of the workers discussed earlier in the text.

ID: ac9a3a26 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it best describes how the underlined portion functions in the text as a whole. The
text says that the increased production quotas of food processing companies during World War II enabled employees to
make better bargains in exchange for their labor. The underlined portion presents an example of this increased
bargaining power: employees requested more favorable benefits, and employers complied because they were under
pressure to fulfill the demanding terms of their contracts. Thus, the underlined portion of the text elaborates on a claim
about labor relations in a particular industry (food processing) made earlier in the text.

Choice B is incorrect because there is no indication in the text that the economic factors that influenced food
processing also influenced other parts of the economy; thus, the bargaining described in the underlined portion of the
text cannot be called an example of a trend. Choice C is incorrect because the underlined portion supports the historical
narrative of labor activism in food processing that is sketched in the text, instead of noting an exception to that
narrative. Choice D is incorrect because while the underlined portion does discuss the demands that workers made in
exchange for their labor, it does not discuss the identities of the workers.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 03c9f327
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 03c9f327
The following text is from Charlotte Brontë’s 1847 novel Jane Eyre. Jane, the narrator, works as a governess at
Thornfield Hall.
I went on with my day’s business tranquilly; but ever and anon vague suggestions kept wandering across my brain of
reasons why I should quit Thornfield; and I kept involuntarily framing advertisements and pondering conjectures
about new situations: these thoughts I did not think to check; they might germinate and bear fruit if they could.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To convey a contrast between Jane’s outward calmness and internal restlessness

B. To emphasize Jane’s loyalty to the people she works for at Thornfield Hall

C. To demonstrate that Jane finds her situation both challenging and deeply fulfilling

D. To describe Jane’s determination to secure employment outside of Thornfield Hall

ID: 03c9f327 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text, which is to show that
while Jane calmly goes about her daily tasks, she is experiencing internal agitation about possibly seeking a new job. At
the start of the text, Jane says, “I went on with my day’s business tranquilly,” indicating that she is outwardly calm. This
outward calmness is then contrasted with her intense internal restlessness, as Jane says that thoughts of leaving her
job keep running through her mind, that she is “involuntarily framing advertisements” (meaning that she can’t stop
herself from thinking up potential listings for jobs), and that she often wonders what new “situations” (or jobs) would be
like.

Choice B is incorrect because the text gives no indication of Jane’s feelings, either positive or negative, about the people
she works for at Thornfield Hall. And rather than emphasizing that Jane feels particularly loyal to her employers, the text
focuses on her constant consideration of leaving her job. Choice C is incorrect because the text gives no indication that
Jane finds her current situation fulfilling, or satisfying. Given that much of the text is focused on Jane’s thoughts about
possibly leaving her job for a new one, it might be the case that she finds her situation challenging, but there is no
evidence in the text that Jane also finds that situation satisfying—she says nothing positive about her current job at all,
in fact. Choice D is incorrect because the text describes Jane as wondering about getting a new job, not as determined
to definitely do so. Jane keeps thinking about reasons why she “should” quit her current job (indicating that she hasn’t
yet decided to) and imagining possible new situations she could find, but she says at the end of the text that these
thoughts “might germinate and bear fruit if they could,” meaning that the thoughts haven’t yet led to a decision—that
Jane isn’t yet determined to get a new job somewhere else.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 662ebff2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 662ebff2
In response to concerns that some recent financial crises were exacerbated by consumers misunderstanding risks
associated with credit cards, loans, and other financial products, policymakers in many countries have instituted risk-
disclosure requirements on sellers of those products. Enrique Seira et al. investigated a variety of risk-disclosure
messages sent to thousands of credit card customers and found that the messages had only small and short-lived
effects on behavior. Seira et al. asserted that such effects may nevertheless be worth pursuing, given the negligible cost
of messaging.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

It notes a factor that led Seira et al. to not dismiss risk-disclosure messaging altogether despite their evidence of its
A. limited utility.

B. It acknowledges a type of risk-disclosure messaging that Seira et al. may not have fully accounted for in their study.

It describes a consideration that explains why Seira et al. recommended risk-disclosure messaging even though its
C. effects may be small relative to its costs.

It points out a circumstance that Seira et al. conceded may make risk-disclosure messaging more effective than
D. their study suggests.

ID: 662ebff2 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a
whole. The text establishes that many countries have adopted risk-disclosure requirements for financial products due to
concerns that consumers don’t understand the risks associated with the products. According to the text, Seira et al.
found that the effects of such messaging on consumer behavior were small and temporary. The text then adds that the
researchers assert that because the cost of the messaging is negligible, the approach may be worth doing even if the
effects are limited. Thus, the underlined portion notes a factor—very low cost—that led the researchers to not
completely dismiss risk-disclosure messaging despite their evidence of its limited utility.

Choice B is incorrect because the underlined portion doesn’t refer to a particular type of risk-disclosure messaging,
whether Seira et al. considered it or not; the underlined portion simply indicates that the cost of the messaging (broadly)
is very low, which makes the approach worth pursuing even if its effects are limited. Choice C is incorrect. Although the
underlined portion does describe a consideration that led the researchers to recommend risk-disclosure messaging
despite the messaging’s small effects on consumer behavior, it directly states that the cost of such messaging is
negligible, or very low—meaning that both the effects and the costs are small, not that the effects are small only relative
to the costs. Choice D is incorrect because there’s no indication that Seira et al. suggest that risk-disclosure messaging
could be more effective if it had lower costs; rather, the underlined portion indicates that Seira et al. believe the already
negligible cost of messaging makes the approach worth pursuing even if its effects are limited.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 47598085
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 47598085
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 b0f7541b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: b0f7541b
The following text is adapted from Herman Melville’s 1857 novel The Confidence-Man. Humphry Davy was a prominent
British chemist and inventor.

Years ago, a grave American savant, being in London, observed at an evening party there, a certain coxcombical
fellow, as he thought, an absurd ribbon in his lapel, and full of smart [banter], whisking about to the admiration of
as many as were disposed to admire. Great was the savant’s disdain; but, chancing ere long to find himself in a
corner with the jackanapes, got into conversation with him, when he was somewhat ill-prepared for the good sense
of the jackanapes, but was altogether thrown aback, upon subsequently being [informed that he was] no less a
personage than Sir Humphry Davy.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. It portrays the thoughts of a character who is embarrassed about his own behavior.

B. It presents an account of a misunderstanding.

C. It offers a short history of how a person came to be famous.

D. It explains why one character dislikes another.

ID: b0f7541b Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The text tells a story of a first impression that turned out to be wrong: a serious American
savant was dismissive of a goofy-looking, wisecracking guest at a British party, and then was shocked to learn that the
guest was actually a prominent British chemist and inventor.

Choice A is incorrect. This is too strong and too narrow. Only at the very end is the savant "thrown aback" by the fact
that the man was Sir Humphry Davy—he’s not "embarrassed about his own behavior." Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t the
main purpose. The text never provides the history of how Sir Humphry Davy came to be famous. Nor does it provide any
history for the American savant. Choice D is incorrect. This is too narrow. It doesn’t include the second half of the text,
where the savant gets into a conversation with the man and then finds out that the man is Sir Humphry Davy.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 4c4db685
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 4c4db685
On painter William H. Johnson’s return to the United States in 1938 after a decade in Europe, his style underwent an
abrupt transformation. Turning away from landscapes painted in an expressionist style—a style that often involves
using fluid, distorted shapes and thick, textured brushstrokes to express the artist’s subjective experience of reality—
Johnson began painting portraits of Black Americans in a bold new way. Evocative of African sculpture and American
and Scandinavian folk art, these portraits feature flat, deliberately oversimplified figures in a vibrant but limited color
palette.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It elaborates on the previous sentence’s statement about a transitional moment in Johnson’s artistic career.

It provides information about Johnson’s travels in support of a claim about his artistic influences, which is advanced
B. in the following sentence.

It recounts a moment in Johnson’s personal life that enabled the success of his subsequent career, which is
C. summarized in the following sentence.

It presents evidence that calls into question the previous sentence’s characterization of Johnson’s artistic
D. development.

ID: 4c4db685 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as
a whole. The first sentence of the text indicates that Johnson returned to the US in 1938 at which time his painting style
suddenly changed. The second sentence is underlined and gives more detail about this stylistic change, noting that his
earlier work consisted largely of landscapes in an expressionist style and his new works were highly stylized portraits of
Black Americans. In other words, the function of the underlined sentence is to elaborate on a transitional moment in
Johnson’s painting career.

Choice B is incorrect. Although the text does mention that Johnson spent a decade in Europe, it does not discuss what
other travel Johnson might have done. Furthermore, although the text mentions African, American, and Scandinavian
artistic elements in Johnson’s work, it does not indicate that he traveled to different locations to learn about these
practices. Choice C is incorrect because the text does not focus on Johnson’s personal life nor does it address how
successful his career was in general. Choice D is incorrect because, rather than call it into question, the underlined
sentence continues the discussion of Johnson’s career by adding further relevant detail of Johnson’s artistic
transformation.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID cf46f239
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: cf46f239
The following text is adapted from Herman Melville’s 1855 novel Israel Potter. Israel is a young man wandering through
New England during the late eighteenth century.

He hired himself out for three months; at the end of that time to receive for his wages two hundred acres of land
lying in New Hampshire. [...] His employer proving false to the contract in the matter of the land, and there being no
law in the country to force him to fulfil it, Israel—who, however brave-hearted, and even much of a dare-devil upon a
pinch, seems nevertheless to have evinced, throughout many parts of his career, a singular patience and mildness
—was obliged to look round for other means of livelihood than clearing out a farm for himself in the wilderness.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

It implies that Israel treasures a particular characteristic of his personality when that characteristic should usually
A. be regarded as a flaw.

It suggests that if not for a certain aspect of his character, Israel might not have been as easily thwarted in his
B. ambition to establish a farm.

It shows why Israel would not have been able to undertake the enormous amount of labor necessary to run a farm
C. even if he had owned the necessary property.

It explains why, when the situation requires it, Israel is able to undertake courageous acts that others would
D. generally avoid.

ID: cf46f239 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer because it best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole. The
text describes the failed attempt of Israel Potter to establish a farm in New England during the late eighteenth century:
according to his contract, he was to receive two hundred acres in exchange for three months’ work, but his employer
then refused to fulfill the bargain and Israel had no recourse to law to obtain the land he was owed. Israel was therefore
forced to find another means of supporting himself. To explain why Israel was particularly susceptible to his employer’s
dishonesty, the underlined portion states that though Israel was "brave-hearted, and even much of a dare-devil upon a
pinch," he also possessed "a singular patience and mildness." In other words, Israel could be courageous in certain
circumstances, but he was usually meek and disinclined to argument, from which it is reasonable to infer that Israel was
often taken advantage of. Thus, the underlined portion suggests that if not for a certain aspect of his character, Israel
might not have been as easily thwarted in his ambition to establish a farm.

Choice A is incorrect because although the underlined portion describes aspects of Israel’s personality, it does not
address how he feels about his own personality. Choice C is incorrect because the underlined portion addresses Israel’s
occasional courage and frequent meekness but does not address whether he would have the skills and resolve
necessary to operate a farm if he owned sufficient property. Choice D is incorrect. Though the underlined portion does
indicate that Israel could be courageous in certain circumstances, it does not say that he undertook acts of courage
that others avoided, but rather that he was habitually meek. Even if the underlined portion did say that Israel was more
courageous than most, this would not explain why he found himself under the circumstances described in the text—that
is, as a consequence of his meek nature, cheated of the property to which he had a right.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 805e361d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 805e361d
Companies are providing consumers with more opportunities to purchase customized products than ever before.
Whether buying customized sneakers, jewelry, or clothing, consumers can participate in the design of products to meet
their specific needs and tastes. In turn, companies profit too: studies have shown that consumers are willing to pay
more and wait longer for a customized product. Still, it can be difficult for companies to offer customization while
keeping costs low, as the standard methods of mass production may not be able to accommodate making a unique
product each time.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

It discusses several recent innovations in product manufacturing and then suggests some potential applications of
A. those innovations.

It describes a company’s recent success with new products and then explains multiple factors that may have
B. contributed to that success.

It introduces a trend in consumer products and then explains how the trend both benefits and poses a challenge to
C. companies.

D. It presents two contrasting product-marketing techniques and then provides examples of one of those techniques.

ID: 805e361d Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it presents the best description of the overall structure of the text. The text begins
by stating that companies are increasingly giving consumers opportunities to customize products, allowing them to
make design choices when buying certain sneakers, jewelry, and clothing. The text then indicates that although this
trend benefits companies because they can successfully charge buyers more for customized products and don’t have
to rush production, it also poses a challenge because producing unique items may require different and more expensive
methods than the ones typically used for mass production, raising the companies’ costs. Thus, the text first introduces
a trend in consumer products and then explains how the trend both benefits and poses a challenge to companies.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t present the customization of various products as a recent innovation—
the fact that there are "more opportunities" now indicates that there were opportunities before—and no other
innovations, in product manufacturing or otherwise, are discussed. Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t
discuss any particular company or example and instead speaks broadly about the trend of companies providing
customizable products. Choice D is incorrect. Although the text discusses companies offering something that
consumers like and are willing to pay more for—the ability to customize products—it doesn’t characterize this as a
product-marketing technique and doesn’t compare it to any other kind of offering or technique.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 617a8a10
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 617a8a10
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

Question ID e13171c4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: e13171c4
Historians Tiya Miles and Roy E. Finkenbine have both documented the assistance Indigenous peoples gave to Black
freedom seekers leaving the South before the US Civil War. Much of the historical evidence of this help comes from
Indigenous oral traditions and from autobiographies written by the freedom seekers. One such narrative is Jermain
Loguen’s autobiography, which tells about how Neshnabé (Potawatomi) villagers offered him food, lodging, and
directions during his 1835 journey from Tennessee to Canada.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence?

It provides an example of an autobiography that describes help given by an Indigenous people to a Black freedom
A. seeker.

It shows why Loguen decided to write in great detail about his experiences traveling from Tennessee to Canada in
B. his autobiography.

It argues that autobiographies are particularly important sources of information about geography in the United
C. States before the Civil War.

It suggests that most historians believe that Neshnabé villagers were more successful in assisting freedom seekers
D. than other people were.

ID: e13171c4 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The previous sentence broadly mentions "autobiographies written by the freedom seekers."
This sentence identifies Loguen’s autobiography as a specific example.

Choice B is incorrect. The sentence never explains why Loguen chose to write about his experiences. Choice C is
incorrect. The previous sentence identifies autobiographies as useful sources of historical information about a specific
topic, but not for "information about geography." The underlined sentence provides details of one autobiography as an
example of a source of information about that specific topic (interactions between Indigenous people and Black
freedom seekers). Choice D is incorrect. The text never discusses other specific people who helped freedom seekers,
and therefore can’t make a comparison between the Neshnabé and anyone else.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID df46a2ee
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: df46a2ee
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
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 c61a7c4a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: c61a7c4a
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?

It argues that research findings about the effects of posture on cognition are often misunderstood, as in the case of
A. 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
B. effects of posture on cognition.

It explains a significant problem in the emerging understanding of posture’s effects on cognition and how O’Brien
C. 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
D. effects of posture on cognition.

ID: c61a7c4a Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale

Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The text notes that
although some studies have suggested that posture may have an effect on cognition, this phenomenon should not be
overstated. In other words, the text begins by urging caution and restraint when discussing the effects of posture on
cognition, implying that even though some studies have shown posture to affect cognition, we should not assume that
posture always affects cognition or does so in a strong way. The text goes on to discuss O’Brien and Ahmed’s study as
a "case in point" (that is, as an example of the point made previously). According to the text, O’Brien and Ahmed
hypothesized that since standing is more cognitively demanding than sitting, standing subjects in their experiment
would respond differently to decision-making tasks than sitting subjects would, which would show an effect of posture
on cognition. What the researchers actually found, however, was that the standing and sitting subjects performed the
same—posture did not affect cognition. By presenting a circumstance in which posture does not appear to affect
cognition, the discussion of O’Brien and Ahmed’s study shows why it is important not to overstate the phenomenon.
The purpose of the text, therefore, is to discuss O’Brien and Ahmed’s study to illustrate why caution is needed when
making claims about posture’s effects on cognition.

Choice A is incorrect because the text discusses O’Brien and Ahmed’s study as an example of why caution is needed
when discussing posture’s effects on cognition, not as an example of how research findings related to posture and
cognition are often misunderstood. Although the text does warn against misunderstanding the scope of the relationship
between posture and cognition that has been reported in some previous studies, O’Brien and Ahmed’s study is not one
of those studies, and there is no suggestion that anyone has misunderstood O’Brien and Ahmed’s findings. Choice B is
incorrect because the text makes no mention of the methods used in previous studies of the effects of posture on
cognition. Although the text does urge caution when discussing posture’s effects on cognition, it does not critique the
results of studies that suggested that posture can affect cognition. Instead, the text suggests that such results should
not be exaggerated or taken too broadly. Choice C is incorrect because although the text implies that overstating
posture’s effects on cognition would be a problem, nothing in the text suggests that O’Brien and Ahmed share that view
or that they attempted to solve that problem. O’Brien and Ahmed are presented as hypothesizing that posture would
affect cognition in their study, not as trying to resolve the problem the text describes.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a2f64e58
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: a2f64e58
Individual elephants and Arctic herbivores such as caribou tend to have fixed geographic ranges throughout their
lifetimes, which had prompted some researchers to speculate that the Arctic woolly mammoth, an extinct elephantid,
might have exhibited similar behavior. Mammoth tusks grew in sequential layers, incorporating ingested minerals and
organics, and so each ivory stratum reflects the ratio of strontium isotopes (87Sr/86Sr) in the local environment; thus,
the sequence of strata shows where the animal roamed during life. Recent analysis of the strontium ratios in the strata
of one Arctic woolly mammoth tusk in relation to the geographic distribution of strontium ratios in the environment
shows the animal’s range begin to expand as it reached sexual maturity, only to contract again in its final 1.5 years.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined statement in the text as a whole?

It discusses a characteristic shared by certain animals in order to explain why researchers raised a possibility that
A. turned out not to be supported by data described later in the text.

It illustrates a pattern of behavior among certain animals in order to present a theory about exceptions to that
B. pattern that is weakened by a finding described later in the text.

It describes a similarity in the behavior of certain animals in order to show why a method described later in the text
C. did not reveal whether another animal also showed that behavior.

It introduces a trait shared by certain animals in order to contextualize a hypothesis about the origin of that trait that
D. is advanced later in the text.

ID: a2f64e58 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale

Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined statement functions in the text as
a whole. The underlined statement mentions a category of animals that have a feature in common: they tend to have
fixed geographic ranges throughout their lifetimes. The text then presents the speculation of some researchers that the
Arctic woolly mammoth might also share this characteristic. However, an examination of the content of strontium in the
strata (or layers) of a woolly mammoth tusk indicated that contrary to the researchers’ hypothesis, the mammoth had
an expanding range in its environment that contracted in its last 1.5 years of life. Thus, the underlined statement
discusses a characteristic shared by certain animals in order to explain why researchers raised a possibility that turned
out not to be supported by data described later in the text.

Choice B is incorrect. Though the underlined statement presents a pattern of behavior (the habit of certain animals of
staying within a fixed geographic range), the rest of the text does not present a theory of exceptions to that pattern;
rather, the researchers are merely concerned with whether one particular animal has behavior consistent with the
pattern. Choice C is incorrect. Though the underlined statement does describe a similarity in the behavior of certain
animals (their tendency to stay within a fixed geographic range), this is not done in order to show why a method
described later in the text failed to show whether another animal showed that behavior; rather, the method of analysis of
strata of a woolly mammoth tusk showed that the mammoth’s behavior was different from that of the animals
mentioned in the underlined statement. Choice D is incorrect. Though the underlined statement mentions a trait shared
by a number of animals (their fixed geographic range), the rest of the text does not present a hypothesis regarding the
origin of that trait; rather, the researchers are concerned with whether another particular animal shares that trait.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID acb852e7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: acb852e7
The following text is from the 1923 poem “Black Finger” by Angelina Weld Grimké, 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?

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

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

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

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

ID: acb852e7 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the overall structure of the text. First, the speaker
describes observing a “most beautiful” sight: a tree (“black cypress”) standing out from the golden sky behind it, looking
like a person’s finger “pointing upwards” and appearing “sensitive” and “exquisite.” Then the speaker wonders about the
image’s meaning, asking why the finger is black and why it’s pointing upward. Thus, the text moves from the speaker’s
description of a distinctive sight in nature to her pondering about what meaning to attribute to that sight.

Choice A is incorrect because the speaker assesses a natural sight—a “black cypress” tree standing “against a gold,
gold sky” like a pointed finger—but doesn’t question the accuracy of her own assessment. Although she wonders why
the finger, which is really a tree, is black and why it’s pointing, the speaker doesn’t suggest that her belief that the tree
resembles a finger is wrong. Choice C is incorrect. Although the speaker describes seeing a “black cypress” tree
standing “against a gold, gold sky” like a pointed finger, she wonders about that natural image (asking why the finger,
which is really a tree, is black and why it’s pointing) and doesn’t give any indication that any people are present in the
scene. Choice D is incorrect. Although the speaker examines and wonders about one thing in her surroundings—a
“black cypress” tree standing “against a gold, gold sky” like a pointed finger—she doesn’t address her own emotional
state or consider how it’s affected by her surroundings.
Question Difficulty: Medium
Question ID aa5897b8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: aa5897b8
In Jane Austen’s novel Mansfield Park, an almost imperceptible smile from potential suitor Henry Crawford causes the
protagonist Fanny Price to blush; her embarrassment grows when she suspects that he is aware of it. This moment—in
which Fanny not only infers Henry’s mental state through his gestures, but also infers that he is drawing inferences
about her mental state—illustrates what literary scholar George Butte calls “deep intersubjectivity,” a technique for
representing interactions between consciousnesses through which Austen’s novels derive much of their social and
psychological drama.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

It states a claim about Austen’s skill at representing psychological complexity that is reinforced by an example
A. presented in the following sentence.

It advances an interpretation of an Austen protagonist who is contrasted with protagonists from other Austen
B. novels cited in the following sentence.

It describes a recurring theme in Austen’s novels that is the focus of a literary scholar’s analysis summarized in the
C. following sentence.

It provides a synopsis of an interaction in an Austen novel that illustrates a literary concept discussed in the
D. following sentence.

ID: aa5897b8 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The underlined sentence provides a concrete example to ground readers’ understanding of
the “deep intersubjectivity” described in the next sentence as central to Austen’s work.

Choice A is incorrect. There is no evaluation made of Austen’s skill in this sentence, and no examples are given in the
following sentence. This choice essentially flips the paragraph: it’s this first sentence that provides an example. Choice
B is incorrect. There are no other Austen protagonists mentioned in this passage, so this couldn’t be the answer. Choice
C is incorrect. The underlined sentence doesn’t identify any “recurring theme,” but instead simply describes one
interaction from one book. This interaction exemplifies the literary technique of “deep intersubjectivity” that is
introduced in the next sentence.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 9421ed62
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 9421ed62
In 2007, computer scientist Luis von Ahn was working on converting printed books into a digital format. He found that
some words were distorted enough that digital scanners couldn’t recognize them, but most humans could easily read
them. Based on that finding, von Ahn invented a simple security test to keep automated “bots” out of websites. The first
version of the reCAPTCHA test asked users to type one known word and one of the many words scanners couldn’t
recognize. Correct answers proved the users were humans and added data to the book-digitizing project.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To discuss von Ahn’s invention of reCAPTCHA

B. To explain how digital scanners work

C. To call attention to von Ahn’s book-digitizing project

D. To indicate how popular reCAPTCHA is

ID: 9421ed62 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately states the main purpose of the text. After providing a brief
introduction to computer scientist Luis von Ahn, the text focuses on discussing how von Ahn’s digitization work led to
the invention of a digital security test known as reCAPTCHA.

Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t address how digital scanners work. Choice C is incorrect. Although the
text mentions von Ahn’s book-digitizing project, that information is provided as a detail, not as the main purpose of the
text. Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t provide any indication of reCAPTCHA’s popularity; instead, it
describes reCAPTCHA’s origin.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID c502943e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: c502943e
The following text is adapted from Cynthia Kadohata’s 2004 novel Kira-Kira.

[Uncle Katsuhisa] was as loud as my father was quiet. Even when he wasn’t talking, he made a lot of noise, clearing
his throat and sniffing and tapping his fingers.
©2004 by Cynthia Kadohata

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence?

A. It lists the kinds of topics Uncle Katsuhisa enjoys discussing.

B. It suggests that Uncle Katsuhisa dislikes meeting new people.

C. It contrasts Uncle Katsuhisa with the narrator’s father.

D. It describes a conversation between the narrator and the narrator’s father.

ID: c502943e Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as
a whole. The underlined sentence establishes a difference between Uncle Katsuhisa and the narrator’s father by
describing Uncle Katsuhisa as "loud" and the narrator’s father as "quiet." The text then elaborates on that contrast,
describing some ways Uncle Katsuhisa is very noisy even when he isn’t speaking.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t indicate what kinds of topics Uncle Katsuhisa enjoys discussing, only
that he is loud even when he isn’t speaking. Choice B is incorrect because the text never indicates how Uncle Katsuhisa
feels about meeting new people, only how loud he is. Choice D is incorrect because the text never describes a
conversation occurring between any people; it refers to talking only when stating that Uncle Katsuhisa is loud even
when he isn’t speaking.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID fb8b56bc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: fb8b56bc
The following text is adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s 1912 play Pygmalion. Henry Higgins has just arrived at the
house of his mother (Mrs. Higgins). She is expecting her friends to visit soon.

MRS. HIGGINS: I’m serious, Henry. You offend all my friends: they stop coming whenever they meet you.
HIGGINS: Nonsense! I know I have no small talk; but people don’t mind.
MRS. HIGGINS: Oh! don’t they? Small talk indeed! What about your large talk? Really, dear, you mustn’t stay.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To describe what Henry’s mother does when she goes out with her friends

B. To show that Henry’s mother wants him to leave

C. To present a detailed account of what Henry’s home looks like

D. To explain why Henry often visits his mother

ID: fb8b56bc Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately states the main purpose of the text, which is to show that
Henry’s mother, Mrs. Higgins, wants Henry to leave her house. In the text, Mrs. Higgins complains that Henry offends all
her friends and that they stop coming when he’s also visiting. She then tells him directly, "you mustn’t stay." The overall
exchange conveys Mrs. Higgins’s intention for Henry to leave so as not to drive away her friends with his behavior.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t indicate what Henry’s mother does when she’s out with her friends.
Instead, it focuses on what goes on when Henry and her friends visit her at the same time, indicating that since her
friends find Henry’s company disagreeable, she wishes him to leave before they arrive. Choice C is incorrect because
the text doesn’t contain an account of what Henry’s home looks like. The setting is established as the house of Henry’s
mother, and the dialogue focuses solely on her wish that Henry should depart before her friends arrive. Choice D is
incorrect because the text doesn’t mention how often Henry visits his mother nor does it provide any explanation for
why he visits his mother. Instead, it indicates that she thinks her friends dislike Henry and that she therefore wants him
to depart before they arrive.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 39857700
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 39857700
The following text is from Edith Wharton’s 1905 novel The House of Mirth. Lily Bart and a companion are walking
through a park.
Lily had no real intimacy with nature, but she had a passion for the appropriate and could be keenly sensitive to a
scene which was the fitting background of her own sensations. The landscape outspread below her seemed an
enlargement of her present mood, and she found something of herself in its calmness, its breadth, its long free
reaches. On the nearer slopes the sugar-maples wavered like pyres of light; lower down was a massing of grey
orchards, and here and there the lingering green of an oak-grove.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It creates a detailed image of the physical setting of the scene.

B. It establishes that a character is experiencing an internal conflict.

C. It makes an assertion that the next sentence then expands on.

D. It illustrates an idea that is introduced in the previous sentence.

ID: 39857700 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it best describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as a whole.
The first sentence of the text establishes that Lily can be “keenly sensitive to” scenes that serve as a “fitting
background” for her feelings—that is, she’s very aware of when a setting seems to reflect her mood. The next sentence,
which is underlined, then demonstrates this awareness: Lily views the landscape she’s in as a large-scale reflection of
her current mood, identifying with elements such as its calmness. Thus, the function of the underlined sentence is to
illustrate an idea introduced in the previous sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because the underlined sentence describes the scene only in very general terms, referring to its
calmness, breadth, and long stretches of land. It’s the next sentence that adds specific details about colors, light, and
various trees nearby. Choice B is incorrect because nothing in the underlined sentence suggests that Lily is
experiencing an internal conflict. In fact, the sentence indicates that Lily thinks the landscape reflects her own feeling of
calmness. Choice C is incorrect because the only assertion in the underlined sentence is that Lily feels that broad
aspects of the landscape, such as its calmness, reflect her current mood, and that assertion isn’t expanded on in the
next sentence. Instead, the next sentence describes specific details of the scene without connecting them to Lily’s
feelings.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID e929fe98
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: e929fe98
Composer Florence Price won first place for her score Symphony in E Minor at the 1932 Wanamaker Foundation
Awards. The piece was performed the following year by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, a significant recognition of
its quality. Price continued to compose many musical pieces throughout her career, blending traditional Black spirituals
with classical European Romantic musical traditions. In recent years, Price’s concertos and symphonies have been
performed and recorded by several major orchestras, further preserving her work for others to enjoy.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To provide examples of Price’s importance as a composer

B. To argue that more major orchestras should perform Price’s compositions

C. To describe the musical styles that inspired many of Price’s symphonies

D. To compare Price’s scores with those of classical European composers

ID: e929fe98 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The text provides an overview of Florence Price’s importance by describing her success at
the 1932 Wanamaker Foundation Awards, her blending of Black spirituals and classical European Romantic musical
traditions, and the recent performances and recordings of her concertos and symphonies by major orchestras.

Choice B is incorrect. The text does mention that Price’s compositions have been performed and recorded by major
orchestras, but it doesn’t argue that more orchestras should do so. Choice C is incorrect. The text does mention the
blending of Black spirituals and classical European Romantic musical traditions, but only briefly, as part of a broader
overview of Price’s career. Choice D is incorrect. The text mentions Price’s blending of Black spirituals with classical
European Romantic musical traditions, but it doesn’t directly compare Price’s scores with those of classical European
composers.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 2aaee77f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 2aaee77f
Some bird species don’t raise their own chicks. Instead, adult females lay their eggs in other nests, next to another bird
species’ own eggs. Female cuckoos have been seen quickly laying eggs in the nests of other bird species when those
birds are out looking for food. After the eggs hatch, the noncuckoo parents will typically raise the cuckoo chicks as if
they were their own offspring, even if the cuckoos look very different from the other chicks.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It introduces a physical feature of female cuckoos that is described later in the text.

B. It describes the appearance of the cuckoo nests mentioned earlier in the text.

C. It offers a detail about how female cuckoos carry out the behavior discussed in the text.

D. It explains how other birds react to the female cuckoo behavior discussed in the text.

ID: 2aaee77f Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it best describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as a whole.
The first two sentences establish that birds of some species don’t raise their own young; instead, they lay their eggs in
the nests of birds of other species. The underlined sentence then states that female cuckoo birds engage in this
behavior, having been observed specifically laying their eggs in other nests while the other birds are out finding food.
According to the text, the cuckoo chicks are then raised by the other birds. Thus, the underlined sentence provides a
particular detail about how female cuckoos carry out the behavior of laying eggs for other birds to raise.

Choice A is incorrect. Rather than mentioning a physical feature of female cuckoos, the underlined sentence introduces
a specific behavior of female cuckoos: laying eggs in the nests of birds of other species when the other birds are away.
The only reference to physical features is the last sentence’s general mention of cuckoo chicks looking different from
chicks of other species. Choice B is incorrect because the underlined sentence refers to the nests of birds other than
cuckoos and doesn’t describe how any nests look, cuckoo or otherwise. Instead, the sentence addresses how female
cuckoos use other birds’ nests. Choice D is incorrect because the underlined sentence describes only female cuckoo
behavior (laying eggs in the nests of birds of other species when the other birds are away); it’s the last sentence of the
text that addresses the other birds’ reaction, indicating that those birds usually raise the cuckoo chicks once they’ve
hatched.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID f61c22f3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: f61c22f3
Changes to vegetation cover and other human activities influence carbon and nitrogen levels in soil, though how deep
these effects extend is unclear. Hypothesizing that differences in land use lead to differences in carbon and nitrogen
levels that are not restricted to the topsoil layer (0–30 cm deep), Chukwuebuka Okolo and colleagues sampled soils
across multiple land-use types (e.g., grazing land, cropland, forest) within each of several Ethiopian locations. They
found, though, that across land-use types, carbon and nitrogen decreased to comparably low levels beyond depths of 30
cm.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

It describes a phenomenon that scientists do not fully understand, explains a research team’s hypothesis about that
A. phenomenon, and then describes a finding that led the team to refine the hypothesis.

It introduces an unresolved scientific question, presents a research team’s hypothesis pertaining to that question,
B. and then describes an observation made by the team that conflicts with that hypothesis.

It discusses a process that scientists are somewhat unclear about, introduces competing hypotheses about that
C. process, and then explains how a research team concluded that one of those hypotheses is likely correct.

It explains a hypothesis that has been the subject of scientific debate, discusses how a research team tested that
D. hypothesis, and then presents data the team collected that validate the hypothesis.

ID: f61c22f3 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale

Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the overall structure of the text. The text begins by
explaining that human activities influence carbon and nitrogen levels in soil, but how deeply these effects are seen in
the soil remains an unresolved question. Next, the text summarizes Okolo and colleagues’ hypothesis regarding this
question—which is that the different effects on carbon and nitrogen levels associated with different types of land use
would also be observed below the topsoil layer—and then briefly explains the methods they used to test this hypothesis.
Finally, the text states that the researchers found that at depths below the topsoil layer, carbon and nitrogen decreased
to similarly low levels across all land-use types, a finding that conflicts with the team’s hypothesis presented earlier in
the text. Thus, the text introduces an unresolved scientific question, presents a research team’s hypothesis pertaining to
that question, and then describes an observation that the team made that conflicted with their hypothesis.

Choice A is incorrect. Although the text introduces a phenomenon (the fact that human activities influence carbon and
nitrogen levels in the soil) that isn’t fully understood by scientists and explains a research team’s hypothesis about the
phenomenon, the text doesn’t describe how the team refined their hypothesis when a research finding contradicted it.
Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t discuss a process at all; rather, it poses an unsolved scientific question
and presents a hypothesis that Okolo and colleagues tested to answer that question. Moreover, the text only describes
one hypothesis; it doesn’t mention any competing hypotheses, nor does it suggest that Okolo’s team was able to
determine which hypothesis was correct. Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t begin by presenting a
hypothesis that is under scientific debate; rather, it presents a question that scientists have been unable to answer and
then introduces a hypothesis formulated by Okolo and colleagues. While the text does explain how Okolo’s team tested
their hypothesis, the text goes on to say that their data conflicted with their hypothesis, not that the data validated, or
supported, their hypothesis.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2e744883
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 2e744883
Historians have argued that a crucial component of the Civil Rights Movement’s success in the 1960s was the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference’s Citizen Education Program (CEP), which invited promising activists from across the
South to its one-week training sessions in Dorchester, Georgia. Led by experienced organizers such as Dorothy Cotton
and Septima Clark, CEP attendees—more than 7,000 in all—participated in workshops on topics ranging from public
speaking to legal doctrine before returning home and using their newly acquired knowledge to spearhead local civil
rights initiatives.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

A. It underscores the extent of the CEP’s impact on the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s.

B. It illustrates the CEP organizers’ efforts to educate participants on a wide variety of topics.

It suggests that CEP attendees held a diverse array of opinions about the Southern Christian Leadership
C. Conference’s political philosophy.

It establishes that criticism of the CEP was limited to a few individuals in the Southern Christian Leadership
D. Conference.

ID: 2e744883 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined portion functions in the text as a
whole. The first sentence of the text states that the CEP had a positive impact on the Civil Rights Movement in the
1960s. The next sentence explains that the CEP organized workshops for attendees, who later used the knowledge they
gained to lead civil rights initiatives. And the underlined portion indicates the number of activists—more than 7,000—
who participated in the workshops. Thus, the underlined portion provides a number that underscores the extent of the
CEP’s impact on the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.

Choice B is incorrect. Although the sentence that contains the underlined portion mentions some CEP workshop topics,
the underlined portion itself addresses the number of participants in the CEP workshops, not the number of topics
covered. Choice C is incorrect. Although the underlined portion refers to attendees of the CEP workshops, nothing in the
underlined portion or the text as a whole addresses the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s philosophy or the
attendees’ opinions thereof. Choice D is incorrect because neither the underlined portion nor the text as a whole
mentions any criticism of the CEP by members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b4887dae
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: b4887dae
Mathematician Claude Shannon is widely regarded as a foundational figure in information theory. His most important
paper, “A Mathematical Theory of Communication,” published in 1948 when he was employed at Bell Labs, utilized a
concept called a “binary digit” (shortened to “bit”) to measure the amount of information in any signal and determine
the fastest rate at which information could be transmitted while still being reliably decipherable. Robert Gallagher, one
of Shannon’s colleagues, said that the bit was “[Shannon’s] discovery, and from it the whole communications revolution
has sprung.”

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

It presents a theoretical concept, illustrates how the name of the concept has changed, and shows how the name
A. has entered common usage.

It introduces a respected researcher, describes an aspect of his work, and suggests why the work is historically
B. significant.

It names the company where an important mathematician worked, details the mathematician’s career at the
C. company, and provides an example of the recognition he received there.

D. It mentions a paper, offers a summary of the paper’s findings, and presents a researcher’s commentary on the paper.

ID: b4887dae Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The text starts with a general statement that introduces Shannon, then describes a specific
contribution from one of his papers, then provides a quote that illustrates just how important this contribution was.

Choice A is incorrect. This isn’t the overall structure. The text only mentions very briefly, in parentheses, that “binary
digit” was shortened to “bit.” It doesn’t go into detail about this name change, and it doesn’t discuss any “common
usage” of the name at all. Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t the overall structure. Shannon’s employment at Bell Labs is
only mentioned once, very briefly: the text never goes into detail about his career there, and it never mentions any
recognition he received there. Choice D is incorrect. This is too narrow. Overall, the text is about Shannon’s importance
in his field, not just this one paper of his.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID cf9a00e0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: cf9a00e0
Chile’s Atacama Desert is one of the driest places on Earth. Mary Beth Wilhelm and other astrobiologists search for life,
or its remains, in this harsh place because the desert closely mirrors the extreme environment on Mars. The algae and
bacteria found in Atacama’s driest regions may offer clues about Martian life. By studying how these and other
microorganisms survive such extreme conditions on Earth, Wilhelm’s team hopes to determine whether similar life
might have existed on Mars and to develop the best tools to look for evidence of it.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. To contrast the conditions in the Atacama Desert with those on Mars

B. To explain why many life-forms cannot survive in the Atacama Desert

C. To indicate why astrobiologists choose to conduct research in the Atacama Desert

D. To describe certain limitations to conducting scientific study in the Atacama Desert

ID: cf9a00e0 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as
a whole. The first sentence describes a unique location on Earth, the Atacama Desert. The next sentence, which is the
underlined sentence, states that the reason why astrobiologists study life, or its remains, in this unique location is that
Atacama is a harsh environment that closely resembles the extreme environment of Mars. The remainder of the text
explains that the researchers hope their work in Atacama will support inquiry into life on Mars. Thus, the underlined
portion functions mainly to indicate why astrobiologists choose to conduct research in the Atacama Desert.

Choice A is incorrect because to contrast two things means to show the differences between them, and the phrase
"closely mirrors" in the underlined sentence indicates that the extreme environment in the Atacama Desert is similar to,
not different from, that on Mars. This similarity is why, according to the underlined sentence, astrobiologists conduct
research in Atacama. Choice B is incorrect because the underlined sentence doesn’t address forms of life that are
unable to survive the harsh environment of the Atacama Desert. Instead, the underlined sentence explains why
astrobiologists study life, or its remains, in this environment. Choice D is incorrect because the underlined sentence
doesn’t suggest that the scientific research in the Atacama Desert is limited in any way; instead, the sentence explains
that the similarity between the environments of Atacama and Mars is the reason why astrobiologists search for life, or
its remains, in Atacama.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID d2a90d4f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: d2a90d4f
The majority of plastics today wind up in landfills or are, at best, recycled into materials that have a very limited range of
applications. To address this problem, chemist Guoliang Liu and colleagues designed a reactor that melts polyethylene
and polypropylene—two widely used plastics—into a wax. The wax can then be transformed into a surfactant (a
chemical compound usable as a detergent). With this promising new method, plastic waste could be turned into a range
of useful cleaning products.

Which choice best states the function of the underlined portion of the text?

A. It clarifies the meaning of a scientific term.

B. It describes an environmental concern.

C. It explains the significance of a scientific discovery.

D. It identifies a result that confused the team.

ID: d2a90d4f Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined phrase functions in the text as a
whole. The text states that the wax produced by Liu and colleagues’ reactor can be turned into a surfactant. The
underlined phrase, which is set off with parentheses, then provides a definition for the term "surfactant," explaining that
it’s a chemical compound that can be used as a detergent. Thus, the underlined portion of the text functions to clarify
the meaning of a scientific term.

Choice B is incorrect. Though the text as a whole focuses broadly on an environmental concern, the underlined phrase
does not; it simply indicates what a surfactant is. Choice C is incorrect. Though the text as a whole focuses on a
scientific discovery (Liu and colleagues’ solution to the problem of plastic recycling), the underlined phrase does not
explain its significance; it simply defines a scientific term used in the discussion. Choice D is incorrect. Though the text
as a whole includes discussion of the result found by Liu and colleagues, the underlined phrase does not discuss it; it
simply defines a scientific term used in the discussion. Additionally, at no point in the text is it mentioned that the team
was confused.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 3e6ad72d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 3e6ad72d
A study by a team including finance professor Madhu Veeraraghavan suggests that exposure to sunshine during the
workday can lead to overly optimistic behavior. Using data spanning from 1994 to 2010 for a set of US companies, the
team compared over 29,000 annual earnings forecasts to the actual earnings later reported by those companies. The
team found that the greater the exposure to sunshine at work in the two weeks before a manager submitted an
earnings forecast, the more the manager’s forecast exceeded what the company actually earned that year.

Which choice best states the function of the underlined sentence in the overall structure of the text?

A. To summarize the results of the team’s analysis

B. To present a specific example that illustrates the study’s findings

C. To explain part of the methodology used in the team’s study

D. To call out a challenge the team faced in conducting its analysis

ID: 3e6ad72d Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it best describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as a whole.
The first sentence presents the implications of Veeraraghavan’s team’s study: sunshine exposure during work hours can
cause overly optimistic behavior. The underlined sentence then describes the data the team consulted and how they
were used (comparing predictions about earnings to what the companies actually earned), and the final sentence
presents what the team found in their examination of the data. Thus, the underlined sentence mainly functions to
explain part of the methodology used in the team’s study.

Choice A is incorrect because the underlined sentence explains in part how the team conducted their analysis of the
effect of sunshine but doesn’t address what the team found; a broad summary is instead given in the other two
sentences. Choice B is incorrect because the underlined sentence doesn’t present any specific examples from the
team’s comparisons of 29,000 earnings predictions to actual earnings; it simply explains in part how the team
conducted their analysis. Choice D is incorrect because the underlined sentence simply explains in part how the team
conducted their analysis; the text never mentions any challenges that the team encountered in their study.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 5336f2e4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 5336f2e4
The following text is adapted from Zora Neale Hurston’s 1921 short story “John Redding Goes to Sea.” John is a child
who lives in a town in the woods.
Perhaps ten-year-old John was puzzling to the folk there in the Florida woods for he was an imaginative child and
fond of day-dreams. The St. John River flowed a scarce three hundred feet from his back door. On its banks at this
point grow numerous palms, luxuriant magnolias and bay trees. On the bosom of the stream float millions of
delicately colored hyacinths. [John Redding] loved to wander down to the water’s edge, and, casting in dry twigs,
watch them sail away down stream to Jacksonville, the sea, the wide world and [he] wanted to follow them.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It provides an extended description of a location that John likes to visit.

B. It reveals that some residents of John’s town are confused by his behavior.

C. It illustrates the uniqueness of John’s imagination compared to the imaginations of other children.

D. It suggests that John longs to experience a larger life outside the Florida woods.

ID: 5336f2e4 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it accurately describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as a
whole. The text establishes that John has a strong imagination and then goes on to describe the St. John River near
John’s home in the Florida woods. The underlined sentence depicts John sending twigs sailing down the river while he
imagines them reaching “Jacksonville, the sea, the wide world,” where he wishes he could follow. This suggests that
John longs to expand his life experiences beyond the Florida woods.

Choice A is incorrect because the second and third sentences of the text provide an extended description of the
riverbank where John likes to go, whereas the underlined sentence describes what John does at that location. Choice B
is incorrect because the first sentence of the text suggests that John’s behavior “was puzzling” to others around him,
whereas the underlined sentence concerns the content of John’s imaginings. Choice C is incorrect because the
underlined sentence elaborates on John’s imagination but doesn’t mention any other children to whom John could be
compared.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6f5fc289
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 6f5fc289
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 ea971260
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: ea971260
The following text is adapted from Louisa May Alcott’s 1869 novel An Old-Fashioned Girl. Polly, a teenager, is visiting her
friend Fanny.

Fanny’s friends did not interest Polly much; she was rather afraid of them [because] they seemed so much older
and wiser than herself, even those younger in years. They talked about things of which she knew nothing and when
Fanny tried to explain, she didn’t find them interesting; indeed, some of them rather shocked and puzzled her.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To portray Polly’s reaction to Fanny’s friends

B. To identify the topics Polly talks about with Fanny’s friends

C. To explain how Fanny met some of her friends

D. To illustrate how Fanny’s friends feel about Polly

ID: ea971260 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text, which is to show how
Polly reacted to some of Fanny’s other friends. The text describes Polly as being frightened of Fanny’s friends because
they seemed “much older and wiser” to her and elaborates that they “talked about things of which” Polly was unfamiliar,
uninterested, and shocked. Thus, the main purpose of the text is to describe Polly’s impressions of Fanny’s other
friends.

Choice B is incorrect because the text does not provide any of the topics Polly discussed with Fanny’s friends, stating
only that Polly found the topics unfamiliar, uninteresting, and shocking. Choice C is incorrect because the text says
nothing about how Fanny and her other friends first met. Choice D is incorrect because the focus of the text is on Polly’s
feelings about Fanny’s other friends, not on the other friends’ feelings about Polly.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 975b0602
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 975b0602
A number of Indigenous politicians have been elected to the United States Congress since 2000 as members of the
country’s two established political parties. In Canada and several Latin American countries, on the other hand,
Indigenous people have formed their own political parties to advance candidates who will advocate for the interests of
their communities. This movement has been particularly successful in Ecuador, where Guadalupe Llori, a member of the
Indigenous party known as Pachakutik, was elected president of the National Assembly in 2021.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To trace the history of an Indigenous political movement and speculate about its future development

B. To argue that Indigenous politicians in the United States should form their own political party

C. To highlight two approaches to achieving political representation for Indigenous people

To consider how Indigenous politicians in the United States have influenced Indigenous politicians in Canada and
D. Latin America

ID: 975b0602 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text, which is to illustrate two
approaches that Indigenous politicians have taken to achieve political representation for their communities. The text
begins by explaining that one approach is exemplified by Indigenous politicians in the United States who, in an effort to
ensure that the interests of their communities are represented in government, joined preexisting political parties and
were subsequently elected to Congress. The text goes on to highlight a second approach adopted by Indigenous
leaders in Canada and several Latin American countries: rather than joining established political parties, many
Indigenous politicians in these countries have instead formed their own parties to promote candidates for office who
support causes that are important to their communities.

Choice A is incorrect because the text’s focus is on the contrasting approaches adopted by different Indigenous
political movements in different countries; thus, it isn’t accurate to say that the text traces the history of one political
movement. Moreover, the text only discusses examples from 2000 to 2021, a relatively short period of time; therefore, it
provides very little in the way of discussion of larger historical developments, nor does it make any predictions about
how these movements might continue to develop in the future. Choice B is incorrect because the text never urges
Indigenous politicians in the US to alter their strategy of striving for representation through the established political
parties, nor does it suggest that this strategy is inferior to that of Indigenous politicians in Canada and Latin America,
who have formed their own parties. In fact, the text notes that both strategies have resulted in the election of
Indigenous politicians to national governments. Choice D is incorrect because the text never suggests that Indigenous
politicians in the US have influenced those in Canada and Latin America; instead, it stresses how Indigenous politicians’
approach toward achieving representation in the US government has differed from the approach Indigenous politicians
have taken to achieve representation in national governments elsewhere in the Americas.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2b085bc6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 2b085bc6
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 213a25d1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 213a25d1
The following text is from Paul Laurence Dunbar’s 1913 poem “The Poet and His Song.”

A song is but a little thing, And yet what joy it is to sing! In hours of toil it gives me zest,
And when at eve I long for rest; When cows come home along the bars, And in the fold I hear the bell,
As Night, the shepherd, herds his stars, I sing my song, and all is well.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To convey how engaging in song makes the speaker feel

B. To compare the speaker to a singing shepherd

C. To portray the speaker’s excitement about farming

D. To describe the pieces of music the speaker enjoys hearing

ID: 213a25d1 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because is accurately states the main purpose of the text. The text begins by declaring that
although a song is "but a little thing," or seemingly insignificant, singing it brings joy and gives the speaker of the text
"zest," or excitement, in "hours of toil." The remainder of the text explores the idea that as night is falling, singing allows
the speaker to feel that "all is well." Thus, the main purpose of the text is to convey how engaging in song makes the
speaker feel.

Choice B is incorrect. Although the text mentions a shepherd, it neither indicates that the shepherd is singing nor does it
compare the shepherd to the speaker. Choice C is incorrect. The text indicates that the speaker works hard, engaging in
"hours of toil," and it can be inferred that the speaker likely lives in a rural area, since cows and a cowbell can be heard
nearby. However, the text does not suggest that the speaker is a farmer or feels excited about farming. Moreover, the
shepherd in the text is not a literal reference to someone who herds sheep but instead a figurative description of the
moon as the shepherd of the stars. Choice D is incorrect because in the text, the speaker is singing a song, not listening
to others sing one. Moreover, the text describes the feelings that the speaker has when singing a song, not the song
itself.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID ea9dfe27
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: ea9dfe27
The following text is from Joan Didion’s memoir The Year of Magical Thinking. In the text, the author discusses her
home life.

[I]n California we heated our houses by building fires. We built fires even on summer evenings, because the fog
came in. Fires said we were home, we had drawn the circle, we were safe through the night.
©2005 by Joan Didion

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

A. It illustrates that a fire provides comfort beyond physical warmth.

B. It summarizes the information that came before it in the text.

C. It explains that the house remains cold even in summer.

D. It suggests that the author feels comfortable in her home with or without a fire.

ID: ea9dfe27 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined portion functions in the text as a
whole. The first two sentences of the text establish that in California, houses were heated by building fires year-round.
The underlined portion then indicates that the fires didn’t merely provide physical warmth: they also represented being
"home" and feeling protected. The underlined portion thus illustrates that a fire provides comfort beyond physical
warmth.

Choice B is incorrect because the underlined portion doesn’t summarize information that came before it. Whereas the
previous two sentences describe fires’ ability to provide physical warmth to homes, the underlined portion focuses on
the psychological comfort the fires offered. Choice C is incorrect. Although the text’s second sentence mentions that
fires were built in the summer because fog came in, which may have cooled the house, this detail isn’t the focus of the
underlined portion. Instead, the underlined portion indicates that fires were built for reasons beyond physical warmth: to
create a sense of being home and safe. Choice D is incorrect because the underlined portion focuses on the emotional
significance the author places on having a fire going inside the home. There is no indication that the author feels equally
comfortable without a fire present.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID c8603ed7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: c8603ed7
San Francisco is known for the colorful murals painted on many of its buildings. The densest collection of murals is
found on Balmy Alley in the Mission District neighborhood. In the 1970s, Latina artists painted vivid scenes of
community life on walls along this block. As the original murals have faded, later generations of artists have painted
new ones over them. As a result, Balmy Alley has become a living showcase of San Francisco’s artistic spirit, with its
murals reflecting changes in the cultural life of the city.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To compare the Balmy Alley murals to other murals in San Francisco

B. To offer an overview of the history and importance of the Balmy Alley murals

C. To urge people to protect the murals of San Francisco from decay

D. To describe the rise of mural painting in San Francisco beginning in the 1970s

ID: c8603ed7 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it best states the main purpose of the text. The text begins by briefly stating that
San Francisco is known for its murals, then transitions to a discussion of a single collection of murals, which is found
on Balmy Alley in the city’s Mission District. The text explains that the murals in this area were originally created in the
1970s, then observes that they have changed over time: as some have faded through the decades, others have been
painted in their place. The text ends by emphasizing that these murals are significant because they reflect San
Francisco’s artistic spirit and cultural life. Therefore, the text provides an overview of the history and importance of the
Balmy Alley murals.

Choice A is incorrect. Although it can be inferred from the text that there are murals in other areas of San Francisco
besides Balmy Alley, the text doesn’t specifically discuss murals in other areas or compare the murals of Balmy Alley to
those in other areas. Choice C is incorrect. By observing that some of the murals of Balmy Alley have been replaced due
to fading, the text implies that murals can decay, but it never urges readers to protect this specific collection of murals—
or any murals elsewhere in San Francisco, for that matter. Indeed, by describing the ever-changing murals of Balmy
Alley as “a living showcase of San Francisco’s artistic spirit,” the text emphasizes the positive aspects of the fact that
the original Balmy Alley murals have faded and been replaced with new murals. Choice D is incorrect because the text
doesn’t describe the rise of mural painting in San Francisco generally or note when this occurred. The only historical
development of the 1970s mentioned in the text is the origin of the murals in a specific area of the city: Balmy Alley in
the Mission District.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 9c759a09
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 9c759a09
Go forth, my son,
Winged by my heart’s desire!
Great reaches, yet unknown,
Await
For your possession.
I may not, if I would,
Retrace the way with you,
My pilgrimage is through,
The following text is from Georgia Douglas Johnson’s 1922 poem “Benediction.” But life is calling you!

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To express hope that a child will have the same accomplishments as his parent did

B. To suggest that raising a child involves many struggles

C. To warn a child that he will face many challenges throughout his life

D. To encourage a child to embrace the experiences life will offer

ID: 9c759a09 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it accurately states the text’s main purpose. The poem begins with the speaker
urging a child to “go forth” with her encouragement (“my heart’s desire”). The speaker goes on to suggest that new
experiences (“Great reaches, yet unknown”) lie ahead for the son that “life is calling” him to seek out. Thus, the main
purpose is to encourage a child to embrace the experiences available to him in his life.

Choice A is incorrect because the speaker encourages the child to pursue new experiences (“Great reaches”) without
knowing exactly what those experiences will be (“yet unknown”) or suggesting that they should match the speaker’s
own accomplishments. Choice B is incorrect because the speaker focuses on positive possibilities for her son (“Great
reaches, yet unknown”) and her enthusiastic encouragement to embrace those possibilities (“life is calling you!”), while
there is no mention of raising a child or associated struggles. Choice C is incorrect because the speaker frames the
possibilities for her son in a positive light when she says that “great reaches, yet unknown” are waiting for him, and this
positive outlook for the son is consistent throughout the text.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID c7265342
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: c7265342
The following text is from the 1895 poem “Marshlands” by Emily Pauline Johnson, a Kanienkahagen (Mohawk) writer
also known as Tekahionwake.

Among the wild rice in the still lagoon, In monotone the lizard shrills his tune.
The wild goose, homing, seeks a sheltering, Where rushes grow, and oozing lichens cling.
Late cranes with heavy wing, and lazy flight, Sail up the silence with the nearing night.
And like a spirit, swathed in some soft veil, Steals twilight and its shadows o’er the swale.
Hushed lie the sedges, and the vapours creep, Thick, grey and humid, while the marshes sleep.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. It names animal species found in a place, then names plant species there.

B. It sketches a setting by presenting a series of images of nature.

C. It makes an extended comparison of nature to human emotions.

D. It identifies a location, then refers to a person living there.

ID: c7265342 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it best describes the overall structure of the text. The text first establishes the
setting, a "still lagoon," and then goes on to provide more details about the lagoon by presenting several descriptive
images of nature, including a lizard that "shrills his tune," "oozing lichens," and "thick, grey and humid" vapors.

Choice A is incorrect. Instead of simply naming species, the text presents descriptive images of nature; further, instead
of naming animals and then moving on to name plants, the text refers first to a plant ("the wild rice"), then to two
animals ("the lizard," "the wild goose"), then to another plant ("rushes"), and so on. Choice C is incorrect because the text
does not draw any comparison between nature and human emotions; it does not refer to human emotions at all. Choice
D is incorrect. While the text does begin by identifying a specific location, a "still lagoon," it makes no mention of a
person living there.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 8963273a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 8963273a
Musician Joni Mitchell, who is also a painter, uses images she creates for her album covers to emphasize ideas
expressed in her music. For the cover of her album Turbulent Indigo (1994), Mitchell painted a striking self-portrait that
closely resembles Vincent van Gogh’s Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear (1889). The image calls attention to the album’s
title song, in which Mitchell sings about the legacy of the postimpressionist painter. In that song, Mitchell also hints that
she feels a strong artistic connection to Van Gogh—an idea that is reinforced by her imagery on the cover.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. It presents a claim about Mitchell, then gives an example supporting that claim.

B. It discusses Van Gogh’s influence on Mitchell, then considers Mitchell’s influence on other artists.

C. It describes a similarity between two artists, then notes a difference between them.

D. It describes the songs on Turbulent Indigo, then explains how they relate to the album’s cover.

ID: 8963273a Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it accurately describes the organization of the elements within the text. The text
begins with the claim that Joni Mitchell’s album covers use images she creates in order to emphasize ideas embedded
in her albums. It then goes on to provide an example of how Mitchell’s self-portrait on the cover of Turbulent
Indigo resembles a painting by Van Gogh, which the text indicates helps emphasize the strong connection Mitchell feels
toward Van Gogh, a connection that is also expressed in the album’s title song.

Choice B is incorrect because there are no references in the text to artists other than Joni Mitchell and Van Gogh.
Choice C is incorrect because there is nothing in the text that calls attention to any similarities or differences between
Joni Mitchell and Van Gogh. Instead, it mentions that Mitchell feels a strong “artistic connection” to Van Gogh. Choice D
is incorrect because the text discusses the cover before referring to any songs, and it only references one song from the
album not all the songs.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID c4900368
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: c4900368
The following text is from the 1924 poem “Cycle” by D’Arcy McNickle, who was a citizen of the Confederated Salish and
Kootenai Tribes.
There shall be new roads wending,
A new beating of the drum—
Men’s eyes shall have fresh seeing,
Grey lives reprise their span—
But under the new sun’s being,
Completing what night began,
There’ll be the same backs bending,
The same sad feet shall drum—
When this night finds its ending
And day shall have come.....

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To consider how the repetitiveness inherent in human life can be both rewarding and challenging

To question whether activities completed at one time of day are more memorable than those completed at another
B. time of day

C. To refute the idea that joy is a more commonly experienced emotion than sadness is

D. To demonstrate how the experiences of individuals relate to the experiences of their communities

ID: c4900368 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it accurately states the main purpose of the text. The text begins by discussing the
promise of the future, with positive references to renewal such as “new roads,” “new beating of the drum,” and “fresh
seeing.” But with the “new sun,” the text continues, there will still be “the same backs bending” and “the same sad feet”
drumming, indicating that these difficulties will follow people into this new day. The poem thus considers both the
rewards and challenges associated with the repetitiveness of human life.

Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t say anything about how memorable activities are, let alone compare the
memorability of activities completed at different times of the day. Choice C is incorrect. Although the text contrasts
hope with difficulty, it does not compare the relative frequency of joyful feelings with that of sad feelings. Choice D is
incorrect because the text makes no distinction between the experiences of individuals and the experiences of their
communities.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID a68239ed
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: a68239ed
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 reinforces the text’s skepticism about the possibility of truly achieving self-knowledge.

B. It speculates that some readers will share the doubts expressed in the text about the value of self-knowledge.

C. It cautions readers that the text’s directions for how to achieve self-knowledge are hard to follow.

D. It concedes that the definition of self-knowledge advanced in the text is unpopular.

ID: a68239ed Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The text repeatedly claims that true self-knowledge can’t possibly be achieved, and this
rhetorical question emphasizes that point.

Choice B is incorrect. The underlined question doesn’t do this. The text never expresses doubts about the value of self-
knowledge—rather, the text expresses doubts about the possibility of achieving self-knowledge. Choice C is incorrect.
The underlined question doesn’t do this. The text doesn’t provide directions for how to achieve self-knowledge—rather, it
claims that true self-knowledge is impossible to achieve. Choice D is incorrect. The underlined question doesn’t do this.
The text doesn’t ever define self-knowledge, and popularity isn’t mentioned in the text at all.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 422c5068
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 422c5068
Generally it takes Tule geese about four days to migrate south for the winter. From their summer breeding grounds in
Cook Inlet, Alaska, the birds begin by flying over the Gulf of Alaska, keeping about 100 miles from the Canadian shore.
They pause to rest on the Pacific Ocean, then fly toward Summer Lake, Oregon, before finally arriving at their winter
destination of Sacramento Valley, California. In 2020, however, it took the geese over twice as long to make their way
from Cook Inlet to Sacramento Valley. According to researchers, the reason was airborne pollutants.

Which choice best states the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

A. It illustrates a change in Tule geese’s usual flight behavior.

B. It suggests an explanation for why Tule geese breed in Alaska.

C. It describes part of the Tule geese’s typical winter migration journey.

D. It compares Tule geese to other birds that migrate south for the winter.

ID: 422c5068 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it best states how the underlined portion functions in the text as a whole. The first
sentence states that Tule geese typically take four days to migrate south. Then in the next sentence, which contains the
underlined portion, the text describes the first part of that journey, which begins with the geese flying over the Gulf of
Alaska while keeping about 100 miles from the Canadian shore. The rest of the text details the remainder of the geese’s
typical journey and then mentions circumstances in 2020 that resulted in the geese taking an unusually long time to
complete it. Thus, the underlined portion describes part of the Tule geese’s typical winter migration journey.

Choice A is incorrect. Although the text concludes by stating that in 2020, Tule geese took twice as long to complete
their typical migration, which suggests a change in their usual flight behavior, the underlined portion doesn’t discuss
this. Instead, the underlined portion describes the first part of the Tule geese’s typical winter migration journey over the
Gulf of Alaska. Choice B is incorrect. Although the sentence containing the underlined portion mentions that Tule geese
breed in Alaska, the underlined portion doesn’t explain why the geese breed in that location. Rather, the text mentions
Alaska to explain that it’s the starting point of the Tule geese’s typical winter migration. Choice D is incorrect because
the underlined portion doesn’t discuss any other birds that migrate south for the winter. In fact, the text is only
concerned with the migration of Tule geese.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 74446089
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 74446089
For his 1986 album Keyboard Fantasies, Beverly Glenn-Copeland wrote songs grounded in traditional soul and folk
music, then accompanied them with futuristic synthesizer arrangements featuring ambient sounds and complex
rhythms. The result was so strange, so unprecedented, that the album attracted little attention when first released. In
recent years, however, a younger generation of musicians has embraced the stylistic experimentation of Keyboard
Fantasies. Alternative R&B musicians Blood Orange and Moses Sumney, among other contemporary recording artists,
cite the album as an influence.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It urges contemporary musicians to adopt the unique sound of Keyboard Fantasies.

B. It responds to criticism of Keyboard Fantasies by some younger musicians.

C. It offers examples of younger musicians whose work has been impacted by Keyboard Fantasies.

D. It contrasts Keyboard Fantasies with the recordings of two younger musicians.

ID: 74446089 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as
a whole. The text’s subject is Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s 1986 album Keyboard Fantasies, notable for its innovative,
experimental arrangements. According to the text, the album was not initially admired, but in recent years it has become
popular among younger musicians. The underlined portion of the text mentions two of those musicians, Blood Orange
and Moses Sumney, who “cite the album as an influence.” Therefore, the underlined portion of the text offers examples
of younger musicians whose work has been impacted by Keyboard Fantasies.

Choice A is incorrect because even though the underlined sentence states that Blood Orange and Moses Sumney were
influenced by Keyboard Fantasies, it doesn’t say that all other musicians should also embrace the album’s experimental
style. Choice B is incorrect. Although the text states that Keyboard Fantasies was not admired on its first release, the
text doesn’t present any criticism of the album by younger musicians: it only presents two younger musicians who cite it
as an influence. Choice D is incorrect because the underlined sentence doesn’t mention any differences between
Keyboard Fantasies and the work of Blood Orange and Moses Sumney.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID e5ca7687
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: e5ca7687
Archaeologists studying the ancient city of Pompeii in Italy recently discovered a well-preserved food shop known as a
thermopolium. The site contains food remains, artworks, and decorations. These items give researchers a better
understanding of what daily life in Pompeii may have been like. For example, the archaeologists found a ceramic jar that
they believe likely contained a meat and seafood stew.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To compare ancient artworks with modern ones

B. To discuss the political system of Italy

C. To present a recent archaeological discovery

D. To describe a region’s climate

ID: e5ca7687 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The text states that
archaeologists recently discovered a well-preserved food shop, or thermopolium, in Pompeii, Italy. The text then further
describes the contents of the discovery and provides an example of what was found. Thus, the overall purpose of the
text is to present a recent archaeological discovery.

Choice A is incorrect. Although the text states that archaeologists found ancient artworks, it doesn’t compare these
artworks to modern ones or to any other artworks. Choice B is incorrect. Although the archaeological discovery
discussed in the text was made in Italy, the text doesn’t provide any information about politics or government in Italy.
Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t discuss the climate where the archaeological discovery was made or in
any other region.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 97ca2cda
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 97ca2cda
In the early days of television in the 1940s, many people thought that US television programs would rely on the financial
support of ad agencies and commercial sponsors, much like radio did. But advertisers hesitated to jump into a new
space, particularly at a time when the manufacturing of new television sets was stalled due to the US’s involvement in
World War II. Broadcasters, like the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), needed to persuade advertisers to support
their programming despite not knowing whether there would be a robust television audience to begin with.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined phrase in the text as a whole?

It compares the beginnings of radio programming with the beginnings of television programming in the United
A. States.

B. It identifies a specific reason behind some advertisers’ hesitance to support television.

C. It describes how broadcasters attempted to convince advertisers to support television.

D. It explains why a type of television programming was popular at the time.

ID: 97ca2cda Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it accurately describes the function of the underlined phrase in the text as a whole.
According to the text, advertisers were reluctant to support television in its early days. The underlined phrase then
indicates that this reluctance was partly due to the US’s involvement in World War II, which hindered television
production. Thus, the underlined phrase identifies a specific reason behind some advertisers’ hesitance to support
television.

Choice A is incorrect. The text merely mentions that television was expected to be financed through advertising, as
radio was at the time. Nothing in the text compares the origins of radio and television. Choice C is incorrect. The
underlined phrase focuses on a reason advertisers were reluctant to support television, not measures taken to convince
advertisers to support television. Choice D is incorrect. The underlined phrase focuses on a reason advertisers were
reluctant to support television, not what types of television programming were popular.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID a2dd51c1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: a2dd51c1
In most building demolitions, the building materials are destroyed and sent to landfills. City officials in Portland, Oregon,
wanted to reduce this waste. The officials passed a law requiring demolition companies to deconstruct some buildings
instead. Deconstruction involves carefully taking buildings apart piece by piece. Damage to the materials is avoided so
that they can be reused in new constructions. A 2019 study found that 27 percent of materials from deconstructions in
Portland were able to be reused. The remaining materials were processed for recycling instead of going to a landfill.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To explain an effort made by the city of Portland to reduce demolition waste and some results of that effort

B. To show that popular support for measures that reduce demolition waste has increased since 2019

C. To argue that building deconstruction is not as effective as other measures at reducing demolition waste

D. To discuss laws aimed to reduce demolition waste in Portland and compare them to similar laws in other cities

ID: a2dd51c1 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The author first describes a Portland law aimed at reducing demolition waste, and then
goes on to explain that 27% of materials from building deconstructions were able to be reused and the rest were
recycled.

Choice B is incorrect. The text never discusses the popularity of the law. Choice C is incorrect. The text never compares
building deconstruction to other measures designed to reduce demolition waste. Choice D is incorrect. The text never
mentions laws in cities other than Portland, Oregon.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 48e4021d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 48e4021d
The following text is from Holly Goldberg Sloan’s 2017 novel Short.

More than two years ago my parents bought a piano from some people who were moving to Utah. Mom and Dad
gave it to my brothers and me for Christmas. I had to act really happy because it was such a big present, but I
pretty much hated the thing from the second it was carried into the hallway upstairs, which is right next to my
bedroom. The piano glared at me. It was like a songbird in a cage. It wanted to be set free.
©2017 by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. It explains why the narrator always wanted a piano close to her bedroom.

B. It establishes how the narrator feels about the piano.

C. It suggests that the narrator’s brothers are talented piano players.

D. It describes the event that led the narrator’s parents to buy a piano.

ID: 48e4021d Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it best states the main purpose of the text, which is to establish the narrator’s
feelings about the piano. The narrator reveals that she “had to act really happy” about the piano even though she “pretty
much hated the thing” as soon as it was placed upstairs near her bedroom. The narrator also describes the piano as
glaring at her and compares it to a caged bird that wants to be set free. These details establish the narrator’s feelings
about the piano, suggesting that it makes her uneasy.

Choice A is incorrect because the text indicates that the narrator hated having the piano upstairs right next to her
bedroom, not that she wanted a piano to be close to her bedroom. Choice C is incorrect because the only information
provided in the text about the narrator’s brothers is that they were given the piano along with the narrator. Choice D is
incorrect because the text does not describe the event that led the narrator’s parents to buy the piano from the people
moving to Utah. Instead, the text focuses on the narrator’s feelings about the piano after it was given to her and her
brothers.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID f2c48e47
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: f2c48e47
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.

The speaker presents an account of efforts to dominate nature and then cautions that such efforts are only
B. 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 7d075fc5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 7d075fc5
Oral histories—whether they consist of interviews or recordings of songs and stories—can offer researchers a rich view
of people’s everyday experiences. For her book about coal mining communities in Kentucky during the twentieth
century, Karida Brown therefore relied in part on interviews with coal miners and their families. By doing so, she gained
valuable insights into her subjects’ day-to-day lives.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It provides a little-known geographical fact about Kentucky.

B. It argues that Karida Brown is an expert on United States politics.

C. It presents a major historical event that took place in the twentieth century.

D. It describes how Karida Brown benefited from incorporating oral history in her book.

ID: 7d075fc5 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as
a whole. The text begins by pointing out one of the advantages of oral histories: that they allow researchers to
document the daily experiences of people. The text then goes on to describe how Karida Brown utilized interviews with
coal miners and their families for her book about twentieth-century coal mining in Kentucky. The underlined sentence
affirms that the general advantages of oral histories mentioned earlier in the text were also benefits in Brown’s
particular case. Thus, the underlined sentence describes how Karida Brown benefited from incorporating oral history in
her book.

Choice A is incorrect because though the text mentions coal miners who live in Kentucky, the underlined sentence does
not offer a geographical fact about Kentucky. Choice B is incorrect because the underlined sentence does not mention
United States politics or that Brown is an expert in this particular area. Choice C is incorrect. Although the text mentions
that Brown’s book revolved around coal miners during the twentieth century, the underlined sentence does not focus on
a major historical event during this time.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 1b5d4e3e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 1b5d4e3e
Were penguins always flightless? Theresa Cole and her team argue that penguins could fly at some point, but that they
lost that ability more than 60 million years ago as they adapted to marine life. After examining various penguin fossils
and genetic information, the researchers concluded that over time penguins developed underwater vision, blood
oxygenation, and bone density better suited for swimming than flying. Thus, environmental conditions might have driven
penguins to change from flyers to swimmers.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It defines a scientific term used in the sentence that follows.

B. It contradicts a description in the sentence that follows.

C. It provides an answer to the question in the previous sentence.

D. It notes that the question in the previous sentence has not been researched.

ID: 1b5d4e3e Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it best describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as a whole.
The text begins with a question: have penguins always been unable to fly? The underlined sentence then presents an
answer that has been offered by researchers, indicating that Theresa Cole and her team believe that penguins were
once able to fly but lost that ability long ago as they began living in the sea. The text then describes the research that
led to that answer. Thus, the function of the underlined sentence is to provide an answer to the question in the previous
sentence.

Choice A is incorrect because none of the terms used in the sentence that follows are defined in the underlined
sentence; no definitions are given at all. Instead, the sentence presents Theresa Cole and her team’s answer to the
earlier question about penguins’ ability to fly. Choice B is incorrect because there is no contradiction between the
underlined sentence and the sentence that follows since both convey that at some point penguins underwent
adaptations that limited their ability to fly and helped them swim and live in the sea. Instead of contradicting later
information, the underlined sentence presents an answer to the earlier question about penguins’ ability to fly. Choice D
is incorrect because the question in the previous sentence is about penguins’ ability to fly and the underlined sentence
presents Theresa Cole and her team’s answer to that question based on their research into penguin flight, which is
described in the rest of the text.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 34d7bb25
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 34d7bb25
According to Indian economist and sociologist Radhakamal Mukerjee (1889–1968), the Eurocentric concepts that
informed early twentieth-century social scientific methods—for example, the idea that all social relations are reducible
to struggles between individuals—had little relevance for India. Making the social sciences more responsive to Indians’
needs, Mukerjee argued, required constructing analytical categories informed by India’s cultural and ecological
circumstances. Mukerjee thus proposed the communalist “Indian village” as the ideal model on which to base Indian
economic and social policy.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

The text recounts Mukerjee’s early training in the social scientific disciplines and then lists social policies whose
A. implementation Mukerjee oversaw.

The text mentions some of Mukerjee’s economic theories and then traces their impact on other Indian social
B. scientists of the twentieth century.

The text presents Mukerjee’s critique of the social sciences and then provides an example of his attempts to
C. address issues he identified in his critique.

The text explains an influential economic theory and then demonstrates how that theory was more important to
D. Mukerjee’s work than other social scientists have acknowledged.

ID: 34d7bb25 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The text does indeed present Mukerjee’s critique of the social sciences—that they were too
Eurocentric—and then provides an example of how he attempted to address the issues he identified: by suggesting a
social science model based on the Indian village.

Choice A is incorrect. The text doesn’t discuss Mukerjee’s early training or his oversight of the implementation of social
policies at all. Choice B is incorrect. The text never discusses any other Indian social scientists. Choice D is incorrect.
The text never mentions other social scientists’ responses to Mukerjee’s work.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID c0e1b70a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: c0e1b70a
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?

To convey the narrator’s experience of observing and making sense of differences between two cultures she
A. embraces

To establish the narrator’s hope of forming connections with new companions by sharing customs she learned as a
B. child

To reveal the narrator’s recognition that she is hesitant to ask questions about certain aspects of a culture she is
C. newly encountering

To emphasize the narrator’s wonder at discovering that the physical distance between two countries is greater than
D. 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
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?

The text outlines a debate between two authors of children’s literature and then traces how that debate shaped
A. theories on early childhood education.

The text summarizes an argument about how children’s literature should be evaluated and then discusses a
B. contrasting view on that subject.

The text lists the literary characteristics that are common to many classics of children’s literature and then indicates
C. the narrative subjects that are most appropriate for young children.

The text presents a philosophy about what material is most suitable for children’s literature and then describes a
D. 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 570970cd
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 570970cd
The following text is adapted from Indian Boyhood, a 1902 memoir by Ohiyesa (Charles A. Eastman), a Santee Dakota
writer. In the text, Ohiyesa recalls how the women in his tribe harvested maple syrup during his childhood.
Now the women began to test the trees—moving leisurely among them, axe in hand, and striking a single quick blow,
to see if the sap would appear. The trees, like people, have their individual characters; some were ready to yield up
their life-blood, while others were more reluctant. Now one of the birchen basins was set under each tree, and a
hardwood chip driven deep into the cut which the axe had made. From the corners of this chip—at first drop by drop,
then more freely—the sap trickled into the little dishes.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It portrays the range of personality traits displayed by the women as they work.

B. It foregrounds the beneficial relationship between humans and maple trees.

C. It demonstrates how human behavior can be influenced by the natural environment.

D. It elaborates on an aspect of the maple trees that the women evaluate.

ID: 570970cd Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text’s overall
portrayal of how the women in Ohiyesa’s tribe harvested maple syrup. The text states that the women used an axe to
strike the maple trees in order to find out which ones would produce sap. The underlined sentence compares the trees
to people, with the sap described as the trees’ “life-blood.” Some of the trees are ready to give out their sap, while others
are unwilling to do so. Using personification, the sentence provides greater detail about the aspect of the maple trees—
their potential to give sap—that the women are evaluating.

Choice A is incorrect because the personalities of the women are not discussed in the text. Although the underlined
sentence does mention “individual characters,” this reference is not to the women in the text but rather to the maple
trees, which the sentence compares to people with individual character traits. Choice B is incorrect because the
underlined sentence focuses on the trees’ willingness or refusal to yield sap, not on the beneficial relationship between
the women and the trees. Additionally, although the text does suggest that the women and their tribe benefit from the
maple trees since the trees allow the women to harvest syrup, there is nothing in the text to suggest that the trees
benefit from this relationship in turn. Choice C is incorrect because the underlined sentence is comparing maple trees to
humans, not addressing the influence of the natural environment on how the actual humans in the text, the women,
behave.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 749f3334
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 749f3334
The following text is from Charlotte Forten Grimké’s 1888 poem “At Newport.”
Oh, deep delight to watch the gladsome waves
Exultant leap upon the rugged rocks;
Ever repulsed, yet ever rushing on—
Filled with a life that will not know defeat;
To see the glorious hues of sky and sea.
The distant snowy sails, glide spirit like,
Into an unknown world, to feel the sweet
Enchantment of the sea thrill all the soul,
Clearing the clouded brain, making the heart
Leap joyous as it own bright, singing waves!

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

A. It portrays the surroundings as an imposing and intimidating scene.

B. It characterizes the sea’s waves as a relentless and enduring force.

C. It conveys the speaker’s ambivalence about the natural world.

D. It draws a contrast between the sea’s waves and the speaker’s thoughts.

ID: 749f3334 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 text presents the speaker’s experience of viewing the sea. In the underlined portion, the speaker focuses on
the idea that the waves hitting rocks on the shore are a relentless and enduring force: they are constantly pushed back
(“ever repulsed”) but always return (“ever rushing on”), as though they have an energy that can’t be overcome (“a life that
will not know defeat”).

Choice A is incorrect. Although the underlined portion characterizes the waves as a relentless force (always “repulsed”
but still “rushing on” and never being defeated), the speaker doesn’t suggest that the surroundings are intimidating.
Instead, the speaker presents the scene in a positive way, describing the “deep delight” of the “gladsome,” or cheerful,
waves and feeling “the heart / Leap joyous” while viewing the sea. Choice C is incorrect because the underlined portion
doesn’t suggest that the speaker is ambivalent, or has mixed feelings about, the natural world. Instead, it presents a
single view of one part of the immediate surroundings: the speaker characterizes the sea’s waves as an unstoppable
force, since they are constantly pushed back but always return (“ever repulsed, yet ever rushing on”). Choice D is
incorrect. Although the text later suggests the speaker’s view of her own thoughts by referring to a “clouded brain” and a
heart that leaps joyously, this reference neither occurs within the underlined portion nor establishes a clear contrast
with the relentless determination of the waves. The underlined portion addresses only the speaker’s view of the waves
and doesn’t suggest what her own thoughts might be.
Question Difficulty: Medium
Question ID e5da61f1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: e5da61f1
The following text is adapted from Charles Chesnutt’s 1899 short story “Mars Jeems’s Nightmare.” The narrator and his
wife have recently moved to the southern United States, and Julius is their carriage driver.

Julius [was] very useful when we moved to our new residence. He had a thorough knowledge of the neighborhood,
was familiar with the roads and the watercourses, knew the qualities of the various soils and what they would
produce, and where the best hunting and fishing were to be had. He was a marvelous hand in the management of
horses and dogs.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To compare the narrator’s reaction to a new home with his wife’s reaction

B. To give an example of Julius’s knowledge about soil

C. To show that the narrator and Julius often hunt and fish together

D. To explain different ways in which Julius was helpful

ID: e5da61f1 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text, which is to explain
different ways in which Julius was helpful. The text begins with the narrator stating that Julius was very helpful to him
and his wife when they moved to their new residence. The narrator then provides a list of examples to illustrate Julius’s
helpfulness. For instance, the narrator states that Julius was familiar with the neighborhood’s roads, which suggests
that he was helpful in navigating them, and that Julius helped manage the horses and dogs. The text’s many examples
of Julius’s usefulness reinforce just how helpful he was and in how many different ways.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t portray either the narrator’s or his wife’s reaction to their new home.
Rather, the text focuses on how Julius was useful to the narrator and his wife in their new home. Choice B is incorrect.
Although the text states that Julius was knowledgeable about the soil, this is one of several supporting details that
illustrate how helpful Julius was. Moreover, the text merely states that Julius was knowledgeable about soil; it doesn’t
provide an example of that knowledge. Choice C is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest the
frequency with which the narrator and Julius hunted and fished together. In fact, it’s unclear from the text whether the
narrator and Julius hunted and fished together at all. The text merely indicates that Julius knew the best places to hunt
and fish—a detail that supports the text’s main purpose by conveying Julius’s usefulness.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID df45f0eb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: df45f0eb
Several studies have found negligible electoral consequences for governments that impose fiscal austerity measures,
yet some European governments recently suffered electorally due to their austerity programs. Evelyne Huebscher and
colleagues attribute this incongruity to governments’ tendency—not followed in the recent European cases—to
implement austerity programs strategically to avoid electoral costs (e.g., setting spending cuts to take effect only after
the next election), which has obscured the inherent political risks of austerity measures in the election data scholars
have examined.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

It explains a discrepancy between what has been observed in study settings and what has been observed in real-
A. world settings that the text goes on to assert is attributable to the studies not using real-world data.

It identifies a conflict between research findings and recent events that the text goes on to suggest is a
B. consequence of a complicating factor in the data used to generate those findings.

It presents a long-standing divergence in research findings that the text goes on to say is due to different groups of
C. researchers using data that derive from different electoral circumstances.

It describes a recent exception to a general pattern in research findings that the text goes on to explain is a result of
D. researchers underestimating the significance of inconsistencies in the data they’ve analyzed.

ID: df45f0eb Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it best describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as a whole.
The underlined sentence explains that contrary to what several studies would suggest, recent European governments
suffered electorally after the launch of fiscal austerity programs. The text goes on to indicate that the researchers
generated their findings from data that didn’t reveal the true political risk of austerity measures because the data were
based on cases in which governments had set austerity programs to take effect after the next election, a practice the
European governments that recently suffered electorally didn’t adhere to, thus introducing a complicating factor
resulting in a conflict between the research findings and recent events.

Choice A is incorrect because the underlined sentence doesn’t indicate that the discrepancy described in the text is
between observations made in study settings and observations made in real-world settings. Rather, the underlined
sentence indicates that the outcome of recent events is contrary to what would be expected based on the findings of
several studies. Additionally, there is nothing in the text to suggest that the studies mentioned did not use real-world
data; instead, the text indicates that the data used was generated under potentially different circumstances than the
recent events. Choice C is incorrect because the underlined sentence doesn’t present a long-standing divergence in
research findings but rather a discrepancy between past research findings and recent events that the text goes on to
attribute to researchers’ use of data that didn’t reveal the true political risk of austerity measures. Choice D is incorrect
because while the underlined sentence notes that there have been some recent exceptions to a general pattern
observed in several research studies, it does not go on to attribute this exception to the researchers underestimating
inconsistencies in the data. Rather, the text goes on to attribute this to a circumstance (fiscal austerity measures being
implemented before an election rather than after) which adds a complicating factor into the data not accounted for in
past studies.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 2d77660e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 2d77660e
In the late 1800s, Spanish-language newspapers flourished in cities across Texas. San Antonio alone produced eleven
newspapers in Spanish between 1890 and 1900. But El Paso surpassed all other cities in the state. This city produced
twenty-two newspapers in Spanish during that period. El Paso is located on the border with Mexico and has always had
a large population of Spanish speakers. Thus, it is unsurprising that this city became such a rich site for Spanish-
language journalism.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

To compare Spanish-language newspapers published in Texas today with ones published there during the late
A. 1800s

B. To explain that Spanish-language newspapers thrived in Texas and especially in El Paso during the late 1800s

To argue that Spanish-language newspapers published in El Paso influenced the ones published in San Antonio
C. during the late 1800s

D. To explain why Spanish-language newspapers published in Texas were so popular in Mexico during the late 1800s

ID: 2d77660e Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The text begins by
stating that there were many Spanish-language newspapers in cities across Texas in the late 1800s, citing San Antonio
as a city that produced eleven such newspapers. The text then goes on to note that in El Paso, there were twenty-two
newspapers published in Spanish in the late 1800s, more than any other Texas city. The text then concludes by
explaining that the reason for this large number of Spanish-language newspapers was likely El Paso’s location near
Mexico and its large population of Spanish speakers. Therefore, the main purpose of the text is to explain that Spanish-
language newspapers thrived in Texas cities, especially in El Paso, in the late 1800s.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t discuss Spanish-language newspapers published in Texas today, let
alone compare them with newspapers that were published in the 1800s. Choice C is incorrect. Although the text
characterizes El Paso as a particularly rich site for Spanish-language journalism in the late 1800s, the text doesn’t
discuss whether newspapers published in El Paso influenced the newspapers published in other cities across Texas,
including San Antonio. Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t mention whether Spanish-language newspapers
published in Texas were also widely read in Mexico. The text only focuses on the popularity of Spanish-language
newspapers within Texas, and especially in El Paso.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID af43b0bd
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: af43b0bd
Researchers have long hypothesized that woolly mammoths were hunted to extinction in North America by humans
using spears with grooved tips known as Clovis points. One anthropologist set out to test this hypothesis. Using a
mechanical spear-thrower, he launched spears with Clovis points into mounds of clay—substitutes for the animals’ large
bodies. The projectiles generally penetrated only a few inches into the clay, an amount insufficient to have harmed most
woolly mammoths. This led the anthropologist to conclude that hunters using spears with Clovis points likely weren’t
the principal drivers of the extinction.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To argue for the significance of new findings amid an ongoing debate among researchers

B. To discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the method used in an experiment

C. To summarize two competing hypotheses and a major finding associated with each one

D. To describe an experiment whose results cast doubt on an established hypothesis

ID: af43b0bd Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately states the main purpose of the text, which is to describe an
experiment whose results cast doubt on an established hypothesis. The text begins by noting that researchers have
long believed that woolly mammoths were hunted to extinction in North America by humans using spears with Clovis
points. The text then describes an experiment conducted by an anthropologist to test this hypothesis. According to the
text, the results of the experiment led the anthropologist to conclude that hunters using spears with Clovis points likely
weren’t the primary cause of the extinction. The anthropologist’s results cast doubt on the long-held hypothesis
presented at the beginning of the text and suggest that woolly mammoths may have become extinct in North America
due to some other cause.

Choice A is incorrect because there’s nothing in the text to suggest that researchers have been involved in an ongoing
debate. On the contrary, the text suggests that most researchers agree on the cause of the woolly mammoth’s
extinction in North America. Choice B is incorrect because the text never mentions any advantages or disadvantages of
the method used in the experiment, focusing instead on the results achieved using that method. Choice C is incorrect
because the text addresses only one hypothesis, that mammoths were hunted to extinction in North America by
humans using spears with Clovis points. Rather than present a competing hypothesis, the text explains how one
anthropologist designed an experiment to test this long-held hypothesis.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 5127fc1e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 5127fc1e
The north celestial pole (NCP)—the fixed point around which stars in the Northern Hemisphere (including the Sun)
appear to rotate—is discernible only at night. Inspired by the navigational strategies of some insects and birds,
researchers devised a method for locating the NCP in daytime using skylight polarization, which occurs as atmospheric
particles scatter sunlight. A polarimetric camera captures images of polarization patterns, which rotate as the Sun’s
position in the sky changes; temporal variances across images can then be used to determine an observer’s latitude
and bearing relative to the NCP.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

It illustrates how most navigational tools utilize the NCP, recounts how researchers discovered that certain animals
are able to navigate without using the NCP, and then proposes that this discovery could be used to avoid problems
A. in navigation associated with reliance on the NCP.

It presents a celestial-based method of navigation, enumerates the comparative benefits of an alternative method
used by certain animals that is based on an unrelated natural occurrence, and then indicates how researchers
B. assessed the relative accuracy of the two methods.

It explains how the NCP is typically located, emphasizes a key difference between how humans and certain animals
use the NCP for navigation, and then suggests an alternative way of using the NCP to improve existing navigational
C. instruments.

It notes an obstacle to observing an astronomical phenomenon, mentions a navigational ability of certain animals
that inspired a solution to that obstacle, and then explains how researchers used an optical device to mimic that
D. ability.

ID: 5127fc1e Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it accurately describes the overall structure of the text. The text begins by pointing
out an obstacle to observing the astronomical phenomenon of the NCP: the NCP is visible only at night. The text then
indicates that, inspired by the ability of some insects and birds to navigate using visualizations of polarized sunlight,
researchers devised a way to locate the NCP during daylight. The text then indicates that the researchers mimicked the
insects’ and birds’ polarized-light visualization capabilities using a polarimetric camera. Thus, the text notes an obstacle
to observing an astronomical phenomenon, mentions a navigational ability of certain animals that inspired a solution to
that obstacle, and then explains how researchers used an optical device to mimic that ability.

Choice A is incorrect. Although it’s reasonable to conjecture that humans have used the NCP for navigation, the text
doesn’t indicate this is the case, let alone that the NCP is relevant to a majority of navigational tools. Furthermore, the
text doesn’t state that researchers discovered that insects and birds navigate without the NCP; rather, it indicates that
it’s known that some animals navigate by using skylight polarization to locate the NCP during the day and that this
knowledge inspired the method the researchers devised. Choice B is incorrect. Although it’s reasonable to conjecture
that humans have used the NCP for navigation, the text doesn’t state that this is the case. Furthermore, the text
discusses how some animals’ use of navigational strategies based on the same celestial occurrence served as the
inspiration for the researchers’ polarized-light approach, not as the basis for a comparison of the relative effectiveness
of animal and human methods of navigation. Choice C is incorrect. Although the text implies that humans have typically
been able to locate the NCP visually at night and indicates that some animals use the NCP to navigate, the text doesn’t
state that humans use the NCP for navigation. The text therefore doesn’t emphasize a difference between how humans
and animals use the NCP for this purpose. Furthermore, the text doesn’t suggest that existing navigational instruments
will be augmented with polarimetric technologies.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 6ae393f7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 6ae393f7
Asteroid 6478 Gault has experienced intermittent mass loss since at least 2013, but in contrast to some other asteroids
with repeated mass-loss episodes, 6478 Gault has not lost mass at its perihelion (the closest point of its orbit to the
Sun), and thus the loss is not attributable to solar energy–driven ice vaporization. And as Jane X. Luu et al. point out,
the singular nature of impact ejection makes it untenable as an account of multiple loss episodes of similar duration
over several years. Instead, Luu et al. are likely correct that 6478 Gault is shedding mass due to rotational instability.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

It presents a scientific observation, describes a contrast between that observation and other observations, and then
A. explains why those other observations should not be considered credible.

It describes an astronomical finding, discusses competing theories about that finding that the author regards as
B. flawed, and then describes new evidence that supports an alternative theory.

It introduces a natural phenomenon, refutes two potential explanations for that phenomenon, and then presents a
C. third explanation for that phenomenon that the author regards as plausible.

It discusses a physical process, evaluates possible causes of that process, and then states that a persuasive
D. account of the process has yet to be put forward.

ID: 6ae393f7 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes the overall structure of the text. The text begins by
introducing the natural phenomenon of intermittent mass loss with regard to Asteroid 6478 Gault and notes that it
curiously has not lost mass at its perihelion like other asteroids typically do. The text then refutes "solar energy–driven
ice vaporization" and "the singular nature of impact ejection" as two possible explanations for Asteroid 6478 Gault’s
intermittent mass loss. Finally, the text presents Luu et al.’s explanation that "6478 Gault is shedding mass due to
rotational instability," which the author says is "likely correct." Thus, the overall structure of the text is that it introduces a
natural phenomenon, refutes two potential explanations for that phenomenon, and then presents a third explanation for
that phenomenon that the author regards as plausible.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t distinguish between multiple observations. It focuses on the single
observation that Asteroid 6478 Gault is losing mass and evaluates multiple explanations for the phenomenon. The text
also asserts that Luu et al.’s explanation is credible and "likely correct." Choice B is incorrect because the text describes
a natural phenomenon, not a specific astronomical finding. In addition, although the text does note flawed reasons for
Asteroid 6478 Gault’s intermittent mass loss, it doesn’t mention that Asteroid 6478 Gault’s intermittent mass loss is
based on new evidence. Choice D is incorrect. Although the text does evaluate explanations for the cause of Asteroid
6478 Gault’s intermittent mass loss, the text also asserts that Luu et al.’s explanation that they have put forth is
persuasive and "likely correct."

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b3e145e4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: b3e145e4
In the 1950s, scientists didn’t know much about the ocean floor. Many scientists at the time believed that the ocean
floor was mostly flat. But geologist Marie Tharp and her research partner, Bruce Heezen, proved that this idea was
wrong. Using sonar data collected from the Atlantic Ocean, Tharp and Heezen showed that the floor was filled with
canyons, mountains, and valleys.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It identifies a scientific belief that Tharp and Heezen showed to be wrong.

B. It describes the design of Tharp and Heezen’s experiment.

C. It emphasizes a disagreement between Tharp and Heezen.

D. It presents data to support a claim that Tharp and Heezen made.

ID: b3e145e4 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as
a whole. The first sentence of the text establishes that scientists didn’t know much about the ocean floor in the 1950s.
The second sentence, which is underlined, describes what many scientists thought at the time—that the ocean floor
was mostly flat. The remainder of the text establishes that the ocean floor is far from flat, citing research conducted by
Marie Tharp and Bruce Heezen. Thus, the purpose of the underlined sentence is to identify a scientific belief that Tharp
and Heezen showed to be wrong.

Choice B is incorrect. Although Tharp and Heezen’s work with sonar data in the Atlantic Ocean is mentioned later in the
text, the underlined sentence doesn’t describe the design of their experiment. Instead, it identifies a belief held by
scientists that Tharp and Heezen demonstrated to be wrong. Choice C is incorrect because the underlined sentence
presents a belief held by many scientists in the 1950s; nowhere does the text mention a disagreement between Tharp
and Heezen, whom the text describes as research partners working together to map the ocean floor. Choice D is
incorrect because the underlined sentence doesn’t present data in support of a claim; instead, it presents a scientific
belief that Tharp and Heezen’s work showed to be wrong.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 54c6128b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 54c6128b
When ancient oak planks were unearthed during subway construction in Rome, Mauro Bernabei and his team examined
the growth rings in the wood to determine where these planks came from. By comparing the growth rings on the planks
to records of similar rings in oaks from Europe, the team could trace the wood to the Jura region of France, hundreds of
kilometers from Rome. Because timber could only have been transported from distant Jura to Rome by boat, the team’s
findings suggest the complexity of Roman trade routes.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It presents a conclusion about Roman trade routes based on the team’s findings.

B. It questions how the team was able to conclude that the planks were used to build a boat.

C. It explains why the planks were made from oak rather than a different kind of wood.

D. It describes common methods used in Roman subway construction.

ID: 54c6128b Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as
a whole. The first sentence explains that Bernabei and his team studied growth rings to obtain information about the
ancient oak planks found during a construction project in Rome. The next sentence presents what the researchers
learned: the wood from the planks came from France’s Jura region, which is far from Rome. The underlined sentence
then presents the implications of the findings about the planks: the wood must have been brought to Rome by boat, a
difficult task that suggests Roman trade routes were complex. Thus, the underlined sentence mainly functions to
present a conclusion about Roman trade routes based on the team’s findings.

Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that the team thought the ancient planks were used in the
construction of a boat, nor does the underlined sentence question that conclusion. Instead, the text states that the
wood could only have been transported from Jura to Rome in a boat. Choice C is incorrect because the underlined
sentence simply offers a conclusion drawn from the team’s findings about the likely place of origin of the ancient
planks; the text never mentions why oak was chosen for the planks instead of other wood. Choice D is incorrect
because neither the underlined sentence nor the text as a whole addresses any methods that Romans used in
constructing subways. Instead, the underlined sentence offers a conclusion drawn from the team’s findings about the
likely place of origin of the ancient wooden planks discovered.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 0ed94d4c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 0ed94d4c
Jackie Ormes’s Torchy Brown in Dixie to Harlem (1937–38) was the first comic strip by a Black woman to appear in a
widely read newspaper. The strip tells the story of Torchy, a young woman who leaves Mississippi to become a
performer in New York City. Torchy’s story reflects the experience of the Great Migration (1910–1970), when millions of
Black Americans left the South in search of opportunities in other parts of the United States. Torchy Brown thus shows
how Ormes used comics to comment humorously on issues affecting Black Americans, which she continued to do
throughout her career.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To show how Ormes’s Torchy Brown inspired other Black women to write comic strips in the 1930s

B. To illustrate how the subjects Ormes addressed in her comic strips changed over the course of her career

C. To give an example of how Ormes presented the experiences of Black Americans in her comic strips

D. To claim that several characters in Torchy Brown were based on people that Ormes knew personally

ID: 0ed94d4c Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The text describes how Torchy Brown depicted the experiences of a young Black woman
experiencing America’s Great Migration. It further states that Ormes continued to use comics throughout her career to
humorously comment on important issues impacting Black Americans.

Choice A is incorrect. The text never mentions other Black women comic strip writers. Choice B is incorrect. The text
never mentions any changes in the subjects Ormes addressed. Choice D is incorrect. The text never mentions the
inspiration for characters in Torchy Brown.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 0a04cac5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 0a04cac5
The following text is adapted from Jane Austen’s 1814 novel Mansfield Park. The speaker, Tom, is considering staging a
play at home with a group of his friends and family.
We mean nothing but a little amusement among ourselves, just to vary the scene, and exercise our powers in
something new. We want no audience, no publicity. We may be trusted, I think, in choosing some play most perfectly
unexceptionable; and I can conceive no greater harm or danger to any of us in conversing in the elegant written
language of some respectable author than in chattering in words of our own.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To offer Tom’s assurance that the play will be inoffensive and involve only a small number of people

B. To clarify that the play will not be performed in the manner Tom had originally intended

C. To elaborate on the idea that the people around Tom lack the skills to successfully stage a play

D. To assert that Tom believes the group performing the play will be able to successfully promote it

ID: 0a04cac5 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately portrays the main purpose of the text. At the beginning of the
text, Tom asserts that he and the other people staging the play are doing so only for “a little amusement among
ourselves” and aren’t interested in attracting an audience or any attention with the production. Then, Tom promises that
the play they chose is modest and appropriate, and he further reasons that using the well-written prose of “some
respectable author” is better than using their own words. Overall, the main purpose of the text is to convey Tom’s
promise that the play will be inoffensive and involve only a few people.

Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t indicate that Tom had earlier intentions for the play’s performance or that
anything has changed since the group first decided to stage a play. Instead, the text focuses on how harmless the entire
endeavor will be. Choice C is incorrect. Although Tom mentions that using the words of a “respectable author” will be
better than using their own words, he never addresses the idea that the people around him generally aren’t skilled
enough to stage a play. Choice D is incorrect because in the text Tom specifically says that they “want no audience, no
publicity,” which indicates that they don’t plan on promoting the play at all.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1d9a09c0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 1d9a09c0
The following text is adapted from Jason Reynolds’s 2016 novel Ghost. The narrator, who is in middle school, is at a bus
stop.

I just go there [to the bus stop] to look at the people working out. See, the gym across the street has this big
window—like the whole wall is a window—and they have those machines that make you feel like you walking up
steps and so everybody just be facing the bus stop, looking all crazy like they’re about to pass out. And trust me,
there ain’t nothing funnier than that. So I check that out for a little while like it’s some kind of movie: The About to
Pass Out Show, starring stair-stepper person one through ten.
©2016 by Jason Reynolds

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To give a reason why the narrator is excited to start middle school

B. To describe an activity that the narrator finds amusing

C. To explain a problem that the narrator has overcome

D. To discuss a movie that the narrator saw in a theater

ID: 1d9a09c0 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The text describes how
the narrator watches people working out at a gym through a window near a bus stop. The narrator says that "there ain’t
nothing funnier" than watching people try to work out on the stair climber machine. Thus, the main purpose of the text is
to describe an activity that the narrator finds amusing.

Choice A is incorrect because the text isn’t about the narrator beginning middle school. The text describes how the
narrator finds people working out at a gym amusing and makes no mention of school life. Choice C is incorrect because
the text doesn’t mention any problems that the narrator currently has or has overcome. It just describes how the
narrator finds watching people work out amusing. Choice D is incorrect because the narrator invents the made-up movie
mentioned in the text. The text doesn’t indicate that the narrator has seen a movie in a theater. The focus of the text is
on the narrator watching people at the gym, not watching a movie.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID fcc328c6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: fcc328c6
Streams and rivers carry soil and rocks from one location to another. But there is another way for these geological
materials to move. Scientists call this process “aeolian transport.” In aeolian transport, winds move small particles of
soil or rock over potentially great distances. Geologist Melisa Diaz and her team studied dust in Antarctica to find out if
it was moved by aeolian transport. They discovered that the dust matched geological material in Australia. Aeolian
transport had carried it from one continent to another, across thousands of miles of open ocean.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

A. It presents Melisa Diaz’s remarks about difficulties that her team encountered.

B. It introduces a scientific term that is used in the discussion that follows.

C. It emphasizes the surprising nature of the findings that are presented.

D. It explains the difference between two kinds of geological material.

ID: fcc328c6 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a
whole. The first two sentences introduce the idea that soil and rocks can be moved from one location to another by
something other than rivers and streams. The underlined sentence then states that the term used by scientists to refer
to this process is “aeolian transport.” The discussion that follows explains what aeolian transport is (the movement of
small geological materials over potentially great distances by the wind) and describes an example of a study that found
that dust particles had been moved by aeolian transport from Australia to Antarctica. Thus, the underlined portion
introduces a scientific term that is used in the discussion that follows.

Choice A is incorrect because the underlined portion of the text doesn’t present any remarks from Melisa Diaz, nor does
it suggest that Diaz and her team encountered difficulties in their study. Instead, the phrase in quotation marks in the
underlined portion simply presents a term that is used by scientists to refer to a specific process discussed in the
text. Choice C is incorrect because nothing in either the underlined portion or the text as a whole suggests that the
findings of the study presented in the text were surprising or unexpected. In fact, the text suggests that Diaz and her
team wanted to see if aeolian transport could explain the appearance of certain geological materials in Antarctica, and
their findings did indeed confirm the involvement of aeolian transport. Choice D is incorrect. Although the first sentence
of the text mentions soil and rocks, which are two different kinds of geological material, the underlined portion doesn’t
refer to these materials, nor does it explain the difference between them. Rather, the underlined portion introduces the
scientific term “aeolian transport,” which is used in the discussion that follows.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 1f2d6173
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 1f2d6173
Scholarly accounts of the Chicano movement—a movement that advocated for the social, political, and cultural
empowerment of Mexican Americans and reached its zenith in the 1960s and 1970s—tend to focus on the most
militant, outspoken figures in the movement, making it seem uniformly radical. Geographer Juan Herrera has shown,
however, that if we shift our focus toward the way the movement manifested in comparatively low-profile neighborhood
institutions and projects, we see participants espousing an array of political orientations and approaches to community
activism.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

It presents a trend in scholarship on the Chicano movement that the text claims has been reevaluated by
A. researchers in light of Herrera’s work on the movement’s participants.

It identifies an aspect of the Chicano movement that the text implies was overemphasized by scholars due to their
B. own political orientations.

It describes a common approach to studying the Chicano movement that, according to the text, obscures the
C. ideological diversity of the movement’s participants.

It summarizes the conventional method for analyzing the Chicano movement, which the text suggests creates a
D. misleading impression of the effectiveness of neighborhood institutions and projects.

ID: 1f2d6173 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined portion functions in the text as a
whole. The text begins by mentioning scholarly accounts of the Chicano movement, which the underlined portion
describes as tending "to focus on the most militant, outspoken figures in the movement," making the movement as a
whole seem uniformly radical. The text then indicates that the work of geographer Juan Herrera shows that focusing
less on such militant figures and instead paying more attention to manifestations of the Chicano movement in less
widely known neighborhood institutions and projects would reveal that the movement’s participants embraced a range
of political orientations and approaches. Thus, the underlined portion describes a common approach to studying the
Chicano movement that, according to the text, obscures the ideological diversity of the movement’s participants.

Choice A is incorrect. Though the underlined portion does present a trend in scholarship on the Chicano movement, the
text does not indicate that other scholars have reevaluated their methods in light of Herrera’s work. It only indicates that
Herrera’s work suggests that the work of those other scholars does not provide a complete picture of the Chicano
movement. Choice B is incorrect. Though the underlined portion does identify an aspect of the Chicano movement that
the text indicates has been overemphasized, the text does not discuss the political orientations of the scholars whose
work is mentioned in the text. Choice D is incorrect. Though the underlined portion does summarize the conventional
method for analyzing the Chicano movement, the rest of the text does not address the effectiveness of "comparatively
low-profile neighborhood institutions and projects." Instead, the text suggests that those projects were led by people
with a variety of approaches to community activism.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 4eee64fa
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 4eee64fa
Space scientists Anna-Lisa Paul, Stephen M. Elardo, and Robert Ferl planted seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana in samples of
lunar regolith—the surface material of the Moon—and, serving as a control group, in terrestrial soil. They found that
while all the seeds germinated, the roots of the regolith-grown plants were stunted compared with those in the control
group. Moreover, unlike the plants in the control group, the regolith-grown plants exhibited red pigmentation, reduced
leaf size, and inhibited growth rates—indicators of stress that were corroborated by postharvest molecular analysis.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

It describes an experiment that addressed an unresolved question about the extent to which lunar regolith
A. resembles terrestrial soils.

It compares two distinct methods of assessing indicators of stress in plants grown in a simulated lunar
B. environment.

C. It presents evidence in support of the hypothesis that seed germination in lunar habitats is an unattainable goal.

D. It discusses the findings of a study that evaluated the effects of exposing a plant species to lunar soil conditions.

ID: 4eee64fa Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The text describes an experiment wherein space scientists compared plant growth in
terrestrial and lunar soil conditions. It then discusses the findings of the study, including the fact that all the seeds
germinated but that the plants grown in lunar soil exhibited signs of stress.

Choice A is incorrect. The text doesn’t address this question, and never describes any specific characteristics of either
soil. It merely describes the outcome of an experiment that exposed a plant species to lunar soil conditions. Choice B is
incorrect. The text never compares methods of assessing indicators of stress—instead, it simply mentions several
stress indicators observed in the study (red pigmentation, reduced leaf size, and inhibited growth rates). Choice C is
incorrect. The text doesn’t present any evidence that we could never achieve seed germination in lunar habitats, and in
fact states that the seeds in the lunar soil did germinate.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a70cbc53
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: a70cbc53
Raymond Antrobus, an accomplished poet and writer of prose, recently released his debut spoken word poetry album,
The First Time I Wore Hearing Aids, in collaboration with producer Ian Brennan. The album contains both
autobiographical and reflective pieces combining Antrobus’s spoken words with Brennan’s fragmented audio elements
and pieces of music to convey how people who are deaf may experience sound, both its presence and absence. Some
critics suggest that the album questions the function of sound in the world, highlighting that the experience of sound is
multifaceted.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

It introduces a collaborative spoken word poetry project, details the approach taken to produce the work, and then
A. provides an example of critique the album received upon release.

It mentions a collection of spoken word poems, distinguishes one poem as being an exemplar on the album, and
B. then offers a summary of the subject matter of the whole collection.

It summarizes the efforts to produce a collection of spoken word poems, presents biographies of two people who
C. worked on the album, and speculates about the meaning behind the poetry.

It connects two artists to the same spoken word poetry project, explains the extent of their collaboration on each
D. poem, and then provides an overview of the technique used to produce the work.

ID: a70cbc53 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The text first introduces the album as being a collaboration between Antrobus and
Brennan, then describes the approach taken to produce it, then mentions how critics have said that it calls into question
the function of sound.

Choice B is incorrect. While the text does mention a collection of spoken word poems, it doesn’t single out one poem as
being particularly noteworthy. Additionally, the text doesn’t simply summarize the subject matter—it goes into detail
about the content and production of the album. Choice C is incorrect. The text doesn’t provide biographical information
about the two artists, and the text doesn’t speculate about the meaning behind the poetry—instead, it relays what some
critics have said about the album. Choice D is incorrect. The text doesn’t provide just an overview of the production
techniques used but instead goes into more detail about the content and audio elements of the album, as well as
critical response to the album.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID a2be625e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: a2be625e
The following text is from Sarah Orne Jewett’s 1899 short story “Martha’s Lady.” Martha is employed by Miss Pyne as a
maid.

Miss Pyne sat by the window watching, in her best dress, looking stately and calm; she seldom went out now, and
it was almost time for the carriage. Martha was just coming in from the garden with the strawberries, and with
more flowers in her apron. It was a bright cool evening in June, the golden robins sang in the elms, and the sun
was going down behind the apple-trees at the foot of the garden. The beautiful old house stood wide open to the
long-expected guest.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To convey the worries brought about by a new guest

B. To describe how the characters have changed over time

C. To contrast the activity indoors with the stillness outside

D. To depict the setting as the characters await a visitor’s arrival

ID: a2be625e Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately reflects the main purpose of the text. The text portrays Miss
Pyne as awaiting the arrival of a carriage while Martha brings strawberries and flowers from the garden into the house.
The text also describes the surroundings of the scene, stating that Miss Pyne looks "stately and calm," the evening is
bright and cool, and birds are singing in the garden as the sun sets. Then the last sentence states that the house was
"wide open to the long-expected guest," which strongly suggests that Miss Pyne’s anticipation and Martha’s activities
were in preparation for the guest who is expected to arrive in the carriage. Thus, the text depicts the setting and
conveys what these characters are doing as they await the arrival of their visitor.

Choice A is incorrect because there is nothing in the text to indicate that the characters feel any worry about the guest’s
arrival. The text indicates that the guest was "long-expected," but characterizing Miss Pyne as "stately and calm"
conflicts with the idea that the characters are worried about the guest. Choice B is incorrect because the text describes
a moment in time when two characters are awaiting the arrival of a visitor rather than an extended period over which
characters could be seen changing. Choice C is incorrect. Although the text describes the activity indoors (Miss Pyne
sitting calmly), it describes a higher level of activity, not stillness, outside (Martha bringing fruit and flowers and birds
singing).

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 5e732e67
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 5e732e67
Many films from the early 1900s have been lost. These losses include several films by the first wave of Black women
filmmakers. We know about these lost movies only from small pieces of evidence. For example, an advertisement for
Jennie Louise Touissant Welcome’s documentary Doing Their Bit still exists. There’s a reference in a magazine to
Tressie Souders’s film A Woman’s Error. And Maria P. Williams’s The Flames of Wrath is mentioned in a letter and a
newspaper article, and one image from the movie was discovered in the 1990s.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. The text identifies a complex problem, then presents examples of unsuccessful attempts to solve that problem.

B. The text summarizes a debate among researchers, then gives reasons for supporting one side in that debate.

C. The text describes a general situation, then illustrates that situation with specific examples.

The text discusses several notable individuals, then explains commonly overlooked differences between those
D. individuals.

ID: 5e732e67 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The first three sentences describe the general situation: these early films have been lost,
and we only know about them from small pieces of evidence. The rest of the text offers specific examples of the small
pieces of evidence.

Choice A is incorrect. This isn’t the overall structure. The fact that we only know about these lost early films from small
pieces of evidence isn’t presented as a “complex problem”—that’s too extreme. And the examples presented are not
“unsuccessful attempts” to solve it. If anything, the examples represent a success, because we discovered that these
films existed in the first place. Choice B is incorrect. This isn’t the overall structure. There’s no “debate” presented in the
text, so there’s no “side” for the text to support. Choice D is incorrect. This isn’t the overall structure. The text doesn’t
discuss any “differences” between the filmmakers.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID d9e55268
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: d9e55268
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 14b7dced
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 14b7dced
The following text is from Walt Whitman’s 1860 poem “Calamus 24.”
I HEAR it is charged against me that I seek to destroy institutions; But really I am neither for nor against institutions
(What indeed have I in common with them?—Or what with the destruction of them?),
Only I will establish in the Mannahatta [Manhattan] and in every city of These States, inland and seaboard,
And in the fields and woods, and above every keel [ship] little or large, that dents the water,
Without edifices, or rules, or trustees, or any argument, The institution of the dear love of comrades.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. The speaker questions an increasingly prevalent attitude, then summarizes his worldview.

B. The speaker regrets his isolation from others, then predicts a profound change in society.

C. The speaker concedes his personal shortcomings, then boasts of his many achievements.

D. The speaker addresses a criticism leveled against him, then announces a grand ambition of his.

ID: 14b7dced Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it best describes the overall structure of the text. The speaker begins by stating
that he has heard that others are accusing him of seeking to destroy institutions. The speaker then addresses this
criticism by stating that he is “neither for nor against institutions.” Instead, the speaker states that his ultimate goal is to
instill “the institution of the dear love of comrades” everywhere in the country. Therefore, the overall structure of the text
is best described as an address of criticism followed by an announcement of a grand ambition.

Choice A is incorrect. While the speaker does address an opinion of him that he believes to be untrue, he doesn’t
indicate that this attitude has become increasingly prevalent. The speaker also concludes by explaining his goal for the
future rather than his current worldview. Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t portray the speaker as isolated
or regretful, and the speaker gestures toward a hope for societal change but doesn’t offer an explicit prediction that it
will happen. Choice C is incorrect because the speaker addresses a criticism of him that he believes to be false; he
doesn’t admit any personal shortcomings. Moreover, the speaker concludes by stating a goal he has rather than
showcasing his achievements.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 56ec23a0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 56ec23a0
Hiroshi Senju is known worldwide for his paintings of waterfalls. These paintings are large and tend not to show the
entire waterfall. Instead, Senju focuses on just the point where the falling water reaches the pool below, keeping the top
of the waterfall out of view. While Senju’s paintings are rooted in art movements originating in the United States, the
artist uses traditional Japanese techniques and materials that make his work instantly recognizable.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. It introduces an artist and then explains some common characteristics of well-known paintings by that artist.

B. It explains a specific painting technique and then provides examples of artists who use the technique.

C. It describes a famous painting and then compares it to a lesser-known painting from the same time period.

It gives an opinion on an artist and then suggests multiple reasons why the artist’s work has been largely
D. overlooked.

ID: 56ec23a0 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The first sentence introduces Senju as a famous artist, while the next three sentences
describe the defining features of his art, such as it only showing part of the waterfall and its origins in US art
movements and Japanese techniques.

Choice B is incorrect. The text doesn’t provide examples of any other artists who use Senju’s techniques. Choice C is
incorrect. The text doesn’t describe any single famous painting or make comparisons between paintings. Choice D is
incorrect. The text doesn’t provide an opinion on Senju (just facts), nor does it suggest that his art has been overlooked
—in fact, it states that he is “known worldwide.”

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID be947479
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: be947479
Jazz tap is a dance form that was first developed in African American communities. Jazz tap was heavily influenced by
jazz music, which became widely popular in the United States in the 1920s. Tap dancers were inspired by jazz music’s
quick rhythms and by the way jazz musicians would make up melodies as they played. As jazz music continued to
develop in the 1930s and 1940s, jazz tap evolved with it. Because of jazz music’s influence, jazz tap quickly developed
into a dance form that was very different from earlier kinds of tap dance.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. It explains why audiences prefer some kinds of music over others.

B. It discusses the development of a dance form.

C. It describes how to play a musical instrument.

D. It emphasizes the popularity of a famous dancer.

ID: be947479 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it best describes the main purpose of the text. The text indicates where and when
jazz tap first developed (in African American communities in the 1920s) and what influenced it (the quick rhythms and
improvisations in jazz music) and then explains that it evolved alongside jazz music in the 1930s and 1940s, resulting in
a very different form of tap dance than had existed before. Therefore, the main purpose of the text is to discuss jazz
tap’s development.

Choice A is incorrect. Although the text indicates that jazz music became widely popular in the US in the 1920s and
describes some of jazz music’s qualities, the text never explains why audiences prefer some kinds of music—jazz or
otherwise—over others. Choice C is incorrect because the text never mentions any musical instruments and doesn’t
describe how to play one. Choice D is incorrect because the text discusses jazz tap generally and never identifies a
particular dancer, famous or otherwise.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 1c6b1fa0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 1c6b1fa0
In 1801, a Blackfoot chief named Ac Ko Mok Ki drew a finely detailed map of the Upper Missouri region. This work
demonstrates a vast amount of topographic knowledge, as the map features specific names of mountains and rivers,
as well as the first-known sketch of the drainage network of the Missouri River. The map is especially notable because
Ac Ko Mok Ki also included details about the numerous tribes that lived in the area.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It emphasizes Ac Ko Mok Ki’s desire to represent other tribes on the map.

B. It explains how Ac Ko Mok Ki developed an interest in mapmaking.

C. It identifies some reasons why the map is impressive.

D. It details how the map was used for hunting and trading purposes.

ID: 1c6b1fa0 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it best describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as a whole.
The text presents information about a map drawn by Blackfoot chief Ac Ko Mok Ki in 1801. The underlined sentence
states that the map "demonstrates a vast amount of topographic knowledge" and mentions that it features the "specific
names of mountains and rivers" and includes the first-known sketch of the Missouri River’s drainage network. These are
all characteristics that indicate that the map was executed with remarkable skill. Thus, the underlined sentence
identifies some reasons why the map is impressive.

Choice A is incorrect. Though the sentence after the underlined sentence in the text mentions that Ac Ko Mok Ki
included information about other tribes on his map, the underlined sentence itself does not address this topic. Choice B
is incorrect because nothing in the underlined sentence indicates how Ac Ko Mok Ki became interested in mapmaking,
only that his mapmaking skills are impressive. Choice D is incorrect because though the underlined sentence describes
several features of the map, it does not specifically describe how the map was used.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 1782cdd7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 1782cdd7
In many agricultural environments, the banks of streams are kept forested to protect water quality, but it’s been unclear
what effects these forests may have on stream biodiversity. To investigate the issue, biologist Xingli Giam and
colleagues studied an Indonesian oil palm plantation, comparing the species richness of forested streams with that of
nonforested streams. Giam and colleagues found that species richness was significantly higher in forested streams, a
finding the researchers attribute to the role leaf litter plays in sheltering fish from predators and providing food
resources.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

It discusses research intended to settle a debate about how agricultural yields can be increased without negative
A. effects on water quality.

It explains the differences between stream-protection strategies used in oil palm plantations and stream-protection
B. strategies used in other kinds of agricultural environments.

It describes findings that challenge a previously held view about how fish that inhabit streams in agricultural
C. environments attempt to avoid predators.

It presents a study that addresses an unresolved question about the presence of forests along streams in
D. agricultural environments.

ID: 1782cdd7 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The author first describes an unresolved question: what effect do bank forests have on
stream biodiversity? Then the author presents a study that answers the question: bank forests increase stream
biodiversity.

Choice A is incorrect. This isn’t the main purpose of the text. The text never mentions agricultural yields. Choice B is
incorrect. This isn’t the main purpose of the text. The text never mentions other kinds of agricultural environments.
Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t the main purpose of the text. The text never mentions any previously held view about
how fish in these streams try to avoid predators.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 6d44060a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 6d44060a
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?

It provides a characterization about a field of thought by noting two works in it and then details a way in which some
A. works in that field are more comprehensive than others.

It mentions two renowned works and then claims that despite their popularity it is impossible for these works to
B. serve the purpose their authors intended.

It summarizes the history of a field of thought by discussing two works and then proposes a topic of further
C. 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
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 19688783
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 19688783
The following text is from Lucy Maud Montgomery’s 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables. Anne, an eleven-year-old girl, has
come to live on a farm with a woman named Marilla in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Anne reveled in the world of color about her.

“Oh, Marilla,” she exclaimed one Saturday morning, coming dancing in with her arms full of gorgeous boughs, “I’m
so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to
November, wouldn’t it? Look at these maple branches. Don’t they give you a thrill—several thrills? I’m going to
decorate my room with them.”
“Messy things,” said Marilla, whose aesthetic sense was not noticeably developed. “You clutter up your room
entirely too much with out-of-doors stuff, Anne. Bedrooms were made to sleep in.”

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To demonstrate that Anne has a newly developed appreciation of nature

B. To describe an argument that Anne and Marilla often have

C. To emphasize Marilla’s disapproval of how Anne has decorated her room

D. To show that Anne and Marilla have very different personalities

ID: 19688783 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The text begins by
noting that Anne “reveled in the world of color about her”—that is, she takes great delight in colorful things. It then
relates a scene when she enthusiastically enters the house with autumn foliage and announces that she will decorate
her room with it. The focus of the text then shifts to Marilla, who has an undeveloped “aesthetic sense,” or appreciation
of beauty, as can be seen when she dismisses the maple leaves as “messy things” and criticizes Anne for cluttering her
room with objects from outside. This episode thus illustrates that Anne and Marilla differ in their appreciation of beauty
and, more generally, in their basic character: Anne is exuberant and joyful, while Marilla is stern and critical. Therefore,
the purpose of the text is to show that Anne and Marilla have very different personalities.

Choice A is incorrect because the text presents Anne’s appreciation of nature as a basic personality trait, not as a
newfound enthusiasm, and never indicates how recently she developed that appreciation. Choice B is incorrect.
Although the text portrays Anne and Marilla as having different personalities and attitudes toward natural beauty and
home decoration, it doesn’t show them engaging in an argument about this difference or suggest that they often argue
about it. Choice C is incorrect. Although the text does indicate that Marilla disapproves of how Anne plans to decorate
her room, Marilla’s disapproval is a supporting detail that serves to develop her personality, which the text as a whole
contrasts with Anne’s personality.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID d69bc408
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: d69bc408
The following text is adapted from Aphra Behn’s 1689 novel The Lucky Mistake. Atlante and Rinaldo are neighbors who
have been secretly exchanging letters through Charlot, Atlante’s sister.
[Atlante] gave this letter to Charlot; who immediately ran into the balcony with it, where she still found Rinaldo in a
melancholy posture, leaning his head on his hand: She showed him the letter, but was afraid to toss it to him, for fear
it might fall to the ground; so he ran and fetched a long cane, which he cleft at one end, and held it while she put the
letter into the cleft, and stayed not to hear what he said to it. But never was man so transported with joy, as he was at
the reading of this letter; it gives him new wounds; for to the generous, nothing obliges love so much as love.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. It describes the delivery of a letter, and then portrays a character’s happiness at reading that letter.

It establishes that a character is desperate to receive a letter, and then explains why another character has not yet
B. written that letter.

C. It presents a character’s concerns about delivering a letter, and then details the contents of that letter.

It reveals the inspiration behind a character’s letter, and then emphasizes the excitement that another character
D. feels upon receiving that letter.

ID: d69bc408 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the overall structure of the text. The narrator begins
by explaining how Charlot carefully delivers Atlante’s letter to Rinaldo, and then relates that Rinaldo feels “transported
with joy” after reading the letter. Therefore, the overall structure of the text is best described as a description of the
delivery of a letter followed by the portrayal of a character’s happiness after reading the letter.

Choice B is incorrect because the text indicates that the letter has been written; there’s no explanation why another
character hasn’t written one. In addition, the text’s description of Rinaldo “in a melancholy posture” suggests that he’s
sad and thoughtful, not that he’s desperate to receive the letter. Choice C is incorrect. Although the text states that
Charlot won’t toss the letter to Rinaldo because she doesn’t want it to fall, the text doesn’t refer to the contents of the
letter. Instead, the text describes how happy Rinaldo feels after reading it. Choice D is incorrect. Although the text does
describe Rinaldo’s reaction to the letter, the text doesn’t begin by discussing Atlante’s inspiration for writing the letter.
Instead, the text begins by discussing the delivery of the letter.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID a1d2c4d0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: a1d2c4d0
Pteropods are small swimming snails with thin, delicate calcium carbonate shells. These animals are thought to be
especially vulnerable to ocean acidification due to calcium carbonate’s susceptibility to dissolution at lower pH values.
Victoria L. Peck and colleagues recently found that the periostracum (a protective coating on pteropods’ outer shells)
prevents this dissolution when intact. Moreover, the team was surprised to discover that even when the periostracum is
breached, pteropods can still mitigate damage by rebuilding the inner shell wall.

Which choice best describes the main purpose of the text?

A. To call for additional research on biological mechanisms that improve pteropod survival rates

B. To discuss a conclusion drawn in a study of calcium carbonate’s role in protecting the periostracum of pteropods

C. To address some of the ways ocean acidification has altered pteropod behavior over time

To present findings that suggest that a concern about the effects of ocean acidification on pteropod shells may be
D. unwarranted

ID: a1d2c4d0 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text, which is to present
findings that suggest a previously held concern about the effects of ocean acidification on pteropod shells may be
unwarranted. The text introduces the concern that pteropods are thought to be particularly vulnerable to ocean
acidification, or lower pH levels, due to the susceptibility of their calcium carbonate shells to dissolution at lower pH
levels. However, the text then describes findings from a recent study that suggest this concern may be unjustified,
insofar as the protective periostracum coating on a pteropod’s shell prevents dissolution, and even when the coating is
breached, a pteropod can rebuild the inner shell wall, reducing the damage.

Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t call for additional research or suggest that more research is needed on
biological mechanisms that improve pteropod survival rates. Instead, the text discusses a recent study showing that
pteropods may not be as vulnerable to ocean acidification as is feared. Choice B is incorrect because the study
discussed in the text doesn’t address calcium carbonate’s role in protecting the periostracum of pteropods. According
to the text, the study addresses the periostracum’s role in protecting pteropods’ calcium carbonate shells from
dissolution due to ocean acidification. Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t address how ocean acidification
has altered pteropod behavior over time. Instead, the text focuses on the potential effects of ocean acidification on
pteropods’ shells and the mechanisms protecting against those effects.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 02e49a0c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 02e49a0c
Genetic studies have led researchers to suggest that turtles are most closely related to the group that includes modern
crocodiles. But studies of fossils have suggested instead that turtles are most closely related to other groups, such as
the one that contains modern snakes. However, many of the fossil studies have relied on incomplete data sets. For a
2022 investigation, biologist Tiago R. Simões and colleagues examined more than 1,000 reptile fossils collected
worldwide. From this large data set, they found clear agreement with the results of the genetic studies.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence?

A. It offers an overview of the tools scientists use to examine fossils.

B. It describes a limitation of some studies about the origin of turtles.

C. It summarizes previous research on the evolution of crocodiles.

D. It criticizes a widely held belief about genetic studies of reptiles.

ID: 02e49a0c Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The sentence mentions that some fossil studies have relied on incomplete data sets,
suggesting that these studies are limited in what they can tell us about turtles’ origins.

Choice A is incorrect. While the sentence mentions the incompleteness of the data sets studied, it doesn’t mention any
tools or techniques used to examine fossils. Choice C is incorrect. The sentence doesn’t mention anything about the
evolution of crocodiles. Choice D is incorrect. This sentence doesn’t directly mention or criticize any "widely held belief,"
and it focuses on a limitation of fossil studies of reptiles, not genetic studies.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 662892ad
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 662892ad
Wakako Yamauchi is best known for And the Soul Shall Dance, her 1977 play about a Japanese American family in
Southern California. The play is based on a short story Yamauchi had published three years earlier. Adapting the story
wasn’t easy. Theater relies on dialogue between characters, but the original story features little dialogue and instead
describes its characters’ silent thoughts. To transform the story into a play, Yamauchi created situations where
characters reveal their thoughts by speaking them aloud during conversations with each other.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It offers information about how Yamauchi adapted her short story into a play.

B. It argues that Yamauchi’s play influenced later playwrights.

C. It explains why Yamauchi’s short story is better known than the play adaptation is.

D. It describes how Yamauchi chose the actors who performed in the play.

ID: 662892ad Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it best describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as a whole.
According to the text, it was hard for Yamauchi to adapt her short story into the play And the Soul Shall Dance because
the story had included little dialogue, instead describing the characters’ silent thoughts. The underlined sentence offers
information about how Yamauchi ultimately succeeded in adapting the story into a play: it explains that Yamauchi
created situations where the characters of the play could reveal their internal thoughts while speaking with each other.

Choice B is incorrect because neither the underlined sentence nor the text as a whole makes any mention of
playwrights other than Yamauchi or how the play might have influenced them. Choice C is incorrect because the text
states that Yamauchi is best known for her play And the Soul Shall Dance, which conveys that the play is better known
than the short story it’s based on is. Choice D is incorrect because neither the underlined sentence nor the text as a
whole mentions the actors who performed in the play or Yamauchi’s approach to choosing them.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID d563bf65
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: d563bf65
The following text is adapted from Jean Webster’s 1912 novel Daddy-Long-Legs. The narrator is a young college student
writing letters detailing her weekly experiences.

[The college is] organizing the Freshman basket-ball team and there’s just a chance that I shall make it. I’m little of
course, but terribly quick and wiry and tough. While the others are hopping about in the air, I can dodge under their
feet and grab the ball.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To compare basketball with other sports

B. To provide details of how to play basketball

C. To state how players will be chosen for the basketball team

D. To explain why the narrator thinks she might make the basketball team

ID: d563bf65 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. In the first sentence of
the text, the narrator states that she thinks there’s a chance she will become part of the basketball team at her college.
She goes on to explain that she is "quick" and "tough." Based on these characteristics, she thinks she has a chance to
join the team. Thus, the main purpose of the text is to explain why the narrator thinks she might make the basketball
team.

Choice A is incorrect because the text focuses solely on basketball and doesn’t mention any other kinds of sports.
Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t describe aspects of the game of basketball. Instead, it provides the
narrator’s reasoning for thinking that she might make her school basketball team. Choice C is incorrect. Although the
narrator explains why she thinks she will be chosen for the basketball team at her school, the text doesn’t go into the
general decision-making process or the requirements for being picked for the team.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 97360a00
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 97360a00
The following text is adapted from Gwendolyn Bennett’s 1926 poem “Street Lamps in Early Spring.”
Night wears a garment
All velvet soft, all violet blue...
And over her face she draws a veil
As shimmering fine as floating dew...
And here and there
In the black of her hair
The subtle hands of Night
Move slowly with their gem-starred light.

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A. It presents alternating descriptions of night in a rural area and in a city.

B. It sketches an image of nightfall, then an image of sunrise.

C. It makes an extended comparison of night to a human being.

D. It portrays how night changes from one season of the year to the next.

ID: 97360a00 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes the overall structure of the text. Throughout the text,
the speaker characterizes nighttime as if it were a person who wears clothing (“a garment” that is “velvet soft” and
“violet blue”) and a veil “over her face” and who moves her hands “slowly with their gem-starred light” through her dark
hair. Thus, the text is structured as an extended comparison of night to a human being.

Choice A is incorrect because the text never mentions any particular location; instead, it focuses on presenting a single
description of night as a person with certain clothing and features. Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t make
any reference to the sun or sunrise; instead, it focuses on presenting a single image of night as a person with certain
clothing and features. Choice D is incorrect. Rather than describing how nighttime changes seasonally (or in any other
way), the text presents a single image of night as a person with certain clothing and features.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID aa7fc89b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: aa7fc89b
The following text is adapted from Susan Glaspell’s 1912 short story “‘Out There.’” An elderly shop owner is looking at a
picture that he recently acquired and hopes to sell.
It did seem that the picture failed to fit in with the rest of the shop. A persuasive young fellow who claimed he was
closing out his stock let the old man have it for what he called a song. It was only a little out-of-the-way store which
subsisted chiefly on the framing of pictures. The old man looked around at his views of the city, his pictures of cats
and dogs, his flaming bits of landscape. “Don’t belong in here,” he fumed.
And yet the old man was secretly proud of his acquisition. There was a hidden dignity in his scowling as he shuffled
about pondering the least ridiculous place for the picture.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To reveal the shop owner’s conflicted feelings about the new picture

B. To convey the shop owner’s resentment of the person he got the new picture from

C. To describe the items that the shop owner most highly prizes

D. To explain differences between the new picture and other pictures in the shop

ID: aa7fc89b Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The text begins by
stating that the new picture “failed to fit in” with the other items that the shop owner has. The text goes on to illustrate
that point by describing the other pictures the shop owner has, indicating that the shop owner is fuming because he
doesn’t think the new picture belongs in the store. In the second paragraph, however, the text indicates that the shop
owner is “secretly proud of his acquisition.” The main purpose of the text is thus to reveal the shop owner’s conflicted
feelings about the new picture.

Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that the shop owner resents the young man who sold him the
new picture; in fact, the text gives no indication of the owner’s feelings about the young man at all. Choice C is incorrect.
Although the text indicates that the new picture is different from the other items in the shop, there’s no suggestion that
the shop owner prizes either the new picture or the pictures of the city, pets, and landscapes more than he prizes any
other items. Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t describe what the new picture looks like; rather, the text
identifies some of the other kinds of images that the shop owner has and states that they’re different from the new
picture without explaining how they’re different.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID e23f50b9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: e23f50b9
The people of medieval Europe have traditionally been seen as uninterested in cleanliness and hygiene, but modern
research has shown that this is largely a myth. According to historian Eleanor Janega, most medieval towns in Europe
had at least one public bathhouse, which often offered both full-immersion baths and—more affordably—steam baths.
While such amenities were available mainly to town dwellers, regular bathing in rivers and streams or daily sponge
baths at home were common practices throughout medieval Europe.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion?

A. It asserts that in medieval Europe steam baths were more popular in rural areas than in urban ones.

B. It describes a limitation of earlier historians’ studies of medieval European bathing habits.

C. It concedes that not all people in medieval Europe had access to public bathhouses.

D. It explains why Janega decided to study the popularity of public bathhouses in medieval Europe.

ID: e23f50b9 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most effectively describes the function of the underlined portion. The text
discusses the long-standing misconception that people in medieval Europe were uninterested in cleanliness and
hygiene. As evidence that this idea is false, the text cites historian Eleanor Janega’s assertion that in medieval Europe,
towns usually had at least one bathhouse, where people could take immersion baths or steam baths for a fee. The
underlined portion then notes that mainly town dwellers had access to these bathhouses. The remainder of the text
explains that those who lacked such access were nonetheless able to bathe in outdoor waterways or take sponge baths
at home. Therefore, the underlined portion concedes that some people in medieval Europe lacked access to public
bathhouses.

Choice A is incorrect. The underlined portion establishes that amenities such as steam baths were mainly available to
town dwellers, which suggests in turn that steam baths were largely unavailable to people in rural areas. Thus, the
distinction made by the underlined portion is not between the popularity of steam baths in towns versus their lack of
popularity in rural areas but instead between their presence in towns and absence in rural areas. Choice B is incorrect.
Although the text does explain that recent historians have disproved the idea that medieval Europeans rarely bathed, it
doesn’t attribute that misconception to earlier historians of medieval Europe or suggest that their research was subject
to limitations. Moreover, the underlined portion addresses a limitation of life in medieval Europe, not of historical
research. Choice D is incorrect because the underlined portion doesn’t address why historian Eleanor Janega decided to
study the popularity of public bathhouses in medieval Europe—nor does any portion of the text. The text mentions
Janega in passing, but it doesn’t go into detail about why she decided to study the popularity of public bathhouses in
medieval Europe.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 48555763
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 48555763
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
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 ae2b3112
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: ae2b3112
By combining Indigenous and classical music, Cree composer and cellist Cris Derksen creates works that reflect the
diverse cultural landscape of Canada. For her album Orchestral Powwow, Derksen composed new songs in the style of
traditional powwow music that were accompanied by classical arrangements played by an orchestra. But where an
orchestra would normally follow the directions of a conductor, the musicians on Orchestral Powwow are led by the beat
of a powwow drum.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To examine how Derksen’s musical compositions blend cultures

B. To argue that Derksen should be recognized for creating a new style of music

C. To describe the difficulties Derksen encountered when producing her album

D. To establish a contrast between Derksen’s classical training and her Cree heritage

ID: ae2b3112 Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text, which is to discuss how
Derksen’s compositions incorporate elements from both Indigenous and classical music. After introducing Derksen, the
text describes how the songs Derksen composed for her album Orchestral Powwow feature aspects of the two musical
traditions. Specifically, the text notes that Derksen wrote songs in the style of traditional powwow music but
accompanied them with classical arrangements played by an orchestra that followed the beat of a powwow drum
rather than the directions of a conductor. In this way, Derksen’s compositions blend different cultures.

Choice B is incorrect because although the text suggests that Derksen’s songs contain innovative elements since they
blend styles from two different musical traditions, it doesn’t discuss whether her compositions constitute a new style of
music, let alone whether Derksen should be recognized for creating a new style of music. Choice C is incorrect because
the text doesn’t mention any difficulties Derksen encountered when producing her album. Rather, the text describes how
the songs on the album exemplify how Derksen combines music from two different cultures. Choice D is incorrect
because although the text mentions Derksen’s Cree heritage and suggests that she relies on knowledge of both
Indigenous and classical music when she composes her songs, it doesn’t discuss her musical training. Additionally, the
text is primarily focused on how Derksen combines different cultural traditions, not on contrasting Derksen’s training
with her heritage.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 8bc66f89
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 8bc66f89
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 7a0e31ea
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 7a0e31ea
The following text is from Betty Smith’s 1943 novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Francie, a young girl, visits the library
often.

Francie thought that all the books in the world were in that library and she had a plan about reading all the books in
the world. She was reading a book a day in alphabetical order and not skipping the dry ones. She remembered that
the first author had been Abbott. She had been reading a book a day for a long time now and she was still in the
B’s. Already she had read about bees and buffaloes, Bermuda vacations and Byzantine architecture. For all her
enthusiasm, she had to admit that some of the B’s had been hard going. But Francie was a reader.
©1947 by Betty Smith

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

A. To illustrate Francie’s enjoyment of an unusual topic

B. To explain why Francie prefers reading over other activities

C. To portray Francie’s determination to meet a goal

D. To describe a book that Francie greatly admires

ID: 7a0e31ea Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text, which is to portray
Francie’s determination to reach her goal of reading all the books in the world. The text indicates that to achieve this
aim, Francie works systematically and persistently: she reads all the books in the library in alphabetical order and
devotes much time and effort to the project, finishing one book per day over a long period of time. The text then
suggests that even though she progresses slowly ("she was still in the B’s") and that she struggled with some books
("some of the B’s had been hard going"), she doesn’t give up because she thinks of herself as "a reader." These details
show Francie’s resolve.

Choice A is incorrect. Although the text mentions several topics (bees and buffaloes, Bermuda vacations, and Byzantine
architecture) that Francie has read about, it doesn’t indicate that any of these topics are unusual or that she especially
enjoyed reading about one of these topics in particular. If anything, the text suggests that she may have found some of
these topics to be dull, saying that she even read the "dry ones"—that is, the boring books—and that some of the books
were "hard going," meaning they were difficult to get through. Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t discuss
Francie’s involvement in other activities, only her dedication to reading. Although it’s possible that Francie dedicates
herself to reading because she prefers it to other activities, the text doesn’t indicate whether this is the case. Choice D is
incorrect. Although the text mentions one author (Abbott) whose book Francie has read as well as several topics (bees
and buffaloes, Bermuda vacations, and Byzantine architecture) she has encountered, the text doesn’t say whether
Francie admires any of the books she’s read so far. Instead, the text focuses on the time and effort she devotes to
reaching her goal of reading all the books in the world—even ones she doesn’t enjoy.
Question Difficulty: Medium
Question ID cce2f8dc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: cce2f8dc
In 2023 literary scholar Jeremy Douglass cautioned technology investors and enthusiasts who predict conventional
books’ ultimate displacement by newer forms of media. Douglass observed that the concept of an “interactive” text is
much older than technologists assume, extending back to the first time readers scratched notes into a text’s margins. In
addition, newer media, such as video games, haven’t replaced older forms of entertainment, such as comic books, but
rather exist alongside them. Douglass believes that rather than supplanting books, technology is simply making new
forms of expression possible.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

A. It challenges the stance of the investors and enthusiasts who are mentioned earlier in the text.

B. It explains the basis for the claim made by the technologists mentioned in the text.

It suggests that academics are better suited than investors to see the potential uses of contemporary interactive
C. texts.

D. It provides a historical anecdote about the technological challenges involved in reading the earliest interactive texts.

ID: cce2f8dc Answer

Correct Answer: A

Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined portion functions in the text as a
whole. The first sentence of the text introduces literary scholar Jeremy Douglass’s warning to technology investors and
enthusiasts against predicting the displacement of conventional books by newer media forms. The next sentence,
which is underlined in part, presents Douglass’s observation that interactive texts are hardly new; they have been
available for longer than technologists assume, beginning with the first time readers wrote notes in texts’ margins.
Thus, the function of the underlined portion is to challenge the stance of the technology investors and enthusiasts
mentioned earlier in the text. As the remainder of the text points out, newer media doesn’t necessarily replace older
media, but rather, as Douglass believes, leads to new forms of expression.

Choice B is incorrect because the underlined portion challenges the position taken by investors and enthusiasts; it
doesn’t provide context for their claims. Choice C is incorrect because the underlined portion doesn’t mention
academics or compare them to investors regarding their ability to see potential in using contemporary interactive texts;
instead, the underlined portion challenges the position of investors and enthusiasts who predict that conventional
books will be replaced by newer forms of media. Choice D is incorrect because the underlined portion doesn’t address
technological challenges; instead, it disputes the stance taken by investors and enthusiasts, suggesting that
conventional books haven’t been displaced by traditional interactions with texts, such as writing in the margins, and
won’t be supplanted by newer forms of media either.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 6bc0ba75
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 6bc0ba75
The mimosa tree evolved in East Asia, where the beetle Bruchidius terrenus preys on its seeds. In 1785, mimosa trees
were introduced to North America, far from any B. terrenus. But evolutionary links between predators and their prey can
persist across centuries and continents. Around 2001, B. terrenus was introduced in southeastern North America near
where botanist Shu-Mei Chang and colleagues had been monitoring mimosa trees. Within a year, 93 percent of the trees
had been attacked by the beetles.

Which choice best describes the function of the third sentence in the overall structure of the text?

A. It states the hypothesis that Chang and colleagues had set out to investigate using mimosa trees and B. terrenus.

B. It presents a generalization that is exemplified by the discussion of the mimosa trees and B. terrenus.

C. It provides context that clarifies why the species mentioned spread to new locations.

D. It offers an alternative explanation for the findings of Chang and colleagues.

ID: 6bc0ba75 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the third sentence within the overall
structure of the text. The third sentence makes a generalization, asserting that evolutionary links between predators
and prey can persist across great expanses of time and distance. This generalization is exemplified by the text’s
discussion of the relationship between mimosa trees and B. terrenus beetles. When mimosa trees were introduced to
North America in 1785, no B. terrenus beetles were present, so the relationship between the trees and the beetles that
exists in their native East Asia was disrupted. When the beetles were introduced to North America more than 200 years
later, however, they quickly attacked mimosa trees, illustrating the generalization that links between predators and prey
"can persist across centuries and continents."

Choice A is incorrect because the third sentence doesn’t indicate that Chang and colleagues were investigating any
hypothesis. According to the text, Chang and colleagues were simply monitoring mimosa trees when the beetles
happened to be introduced to the area. Choice C is incorrect because the third sentence doesn’t discuss any particular
species, let alone the species mentioned elsewhere in the text, nor does the sentence explain why species spread to
new locations. Choice D is incorrect because the third sentence offers a generalization about the relationship between
predators and prey, not an explanation for the findings by Chang and colleagues that’s an "alternative" to an explanation
presented elsewhere in the text.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID b4d29611
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: b4d29611
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?

It details the shortcomings of certain historical sources, then argues that research should avoid those sources
A. altogether.

It describes a problem that arises in research on a particular topic, then sketches a historian’s approach to
B. addressing that problem.

C. It lists the advantages of a particular research method, then acknowledges a historian’s criticism of that method.

It characterizes a particular topic as especially challenging to research, then suggests a related topic for historians
D. 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
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.

It outlines a method used in some archaeological fieldwork, then explains why an alternative method is superior to
B. it.

It presents contradictory conclusions drawn by archaeologists, then evaluates a study that has apparently resolved
C. 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 d5600e74
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: d5600e74
The following text is adapted from Pam Muñoz Ryan’s 2020 novel Mañanaland. In the village where Max lives, there is
an old fortress called La Reina. Children in the village say that the fortress is haunted.

For as long as he could remember, Max had begged Papá [his father] to take him to see La Reina and the ruins up
close. He’d be a hero among his friends if he was the first boy to cross the haunted gates! Just because Papá
didn’t believe in ghosts didn’t mean they weren’t there. Maybe this summer Papá would finally take him. He was
almost twelve.
©2020 by Pam Muñoz Ryan

Which choice best describes the overall purpose of the text?

A. To portray how proud Max’s father is of Max

B. To explain why Max doesn’t want to grow up yet

C. To criticize Max for disliking summer

D. To show how much Max wants to visit La Reina

ID: d5600e74 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately describes the overall purpose of the text. The text indicates that
"for as long as he could remember," Max had "begged" his father to take him to La Reina. This point is later emphasized
in the text by indicating that "this summer" his father might "finally take" Max to visit La Reina. Thus, the purpose of the
text as a whole is to show how much Max wants to visit La Reina.

Choice A is incorrect. The text does not discuss Papa’s feelings toward Max. Rather, it mentions that Max has long
wanted Papa to take him to La Reina and that, unlike Max and some other children, Papa does not believe that La Reina
is haunted. Choice B is incorrect. The text mentions that Max is "almost twelve" at the time, which suggests anticipation
of growing up rather than refusal to. Choice C is incorrect. The text indicates that Max hopes to visit La Reina during the
current summer, but nothing suggests that Max dislikes summer.

Question Difficulty: Easy

Question ID 03eeecf3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 03eeecf3
The following text is from H.D.’s 1916 poem “Mid-Day.” In the poem, the speaker is on a path in an outdoor setting.

A slight wind shakes the seed-pods— my thoughts are spent as the black seeds. My thoughts tear me,
I dread their fever. I am scattered in its whirl. I am scattered like the hot shrivelled seeds.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

It illustrates a change in the natural environment that the speaker implies is responsible for the growing misgivings
A. described in the text.

It establishes an example of consistency in the natural landscape that the speaker then contrasts with the
B. unpredictability of human emotions.

It presents an observation of an occurrence in the natural world that the speaker then expands on to convey a sense
C. of a turbulent interior state.

It evokes the ordinariness of an event in nature to suggest that the critical self-evaluation the speaker engages in is
D. a common pursuit.

ID: 03eeecf3 Answer

Correct Answer: C

Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole. In
the text, the speaker mentions the occurrence in nature of seedpods being shaken by a slight wind. The speaker then
goes on to compare the black seeds to thoughts, using language that indicates that the speaker’s state of mind is
unsettled (e.g., "my thoughts are spent"; "My thoughts tear me, I dread their fever"). The text concludes with a
comparison between the speaker’s "scattered" state of mind and the "hot shrivelled seeds." Thus, the underlined portion
of the text presents an observation of an occurrence in the natural world that the speaker then expands on to convey a
sense of a turbulent interior state.

Choice A is incorrect because the text does not indicate that the seedpods are the cause of the speaker’s state of mind;
thus, they could not be responsible for any misgivings the speaker has. Choice B is incorrect because the text does not
contrast the natural landscape with the speaker’s state of mind or describe the wind shaking the seedpods as
consistent; rather, the text suggests that the state of the natural world and the speaker’s state of mind are similar in that
both are unsettled. Choice D is incorrect because there is no indication in the text that the speaker regularly engages in
critical self-evaluation, only that in this particular instance the speaker’s state of mind is turbulent.

Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID 9b01bcf4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 9b01bcf4
The 1967 release of Harold Cruse’s book The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual isolated him from almost all other scholars
and activists of the American Civil Rights Movement—though many of those thinkers disagreed with each other, he
nonetheless found ways to disagree with them all. He thought that activists who believed that Black people such as
himself should culturally assimilate were naïve. But he also sharply criticized Black nationalists such as Marcus Garvey
who wanted to establish independent, self-contained Black economies and societies, even though Cruse himself
identified as a Black nationalist.

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?

A. It describes a direction that Cruse felt the Civil Rights Movement ought to take.

B. It indicates that Cruse’s reputation as a persistent antagonist of other scholars is undeserved.

C. It describes a controversy that Cruse’s work caused within the Black nationalist movement.

D. It helps explain Cruse’s position with respect to the community of civil rights thinkers.

ID: 9b01bcf4 Answer

Correct Answer: D

Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The text as a whole claims that Cruse disagreed with virtually all other Civil Rights scholars
and activists. The underlined sentence describes one way that Cruse both did and didn’t fit in with those thinkers: he
criticized Black nationalists, even though he identified as one.

Choice A is incorrect. The underlined sentence doesn’t do this. It describes Cruse’s criticisms—it never mentions what
Cruse did want the movement to do instead. Choice B is incorrect. This conflicts with the text, which argues that Cruse
did disagree with almost all other scholars of the Civil Rights Movement. Choice C is incorrect. This is a step too far.
The text never says that Cruse’s work caused controversy within the Black nationalist movement.

Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 1090b367
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: 1090b367
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 d168e7c5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Text Structure and
Purpose

ID: d168e7c5
The following text is from Annie Dillard’s 1987 autobiographical novel An American Childhood. The narrator is a young
girl living in Pittsburgh.

I walked. My mother had given me the freedom of the streets as soon as I could say our telephone number. I
walked and memorized the neighborhood. I made a mental map and located myself upon it. At night in bed I
rehearsed the small world’s scheme and set challenges: Find the store using backyards only. Imagine a route from
the school to my friend’s house.
©1987 by Annie Dillard

Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

A. It describes the narrator trying to memorize her telephone number.

B. It provides examples of what the narrator thinks about at night.

C. It gives directions to the narrator’s favorite local store.

D. It portrays the narrator’s relationship with her mother.

ID: d168e7c5 Answer

Correct Answer: B

Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it accurately describes how the underlined portion functions in the text as a whole.
In the text, the narrator explains that she walks around her neighborhood, making a "mental map" of the area that she
imagines herself navigating through. She then states that she rehearses "the small world’s scheme"—that is, imagines
moving through her mental map—and challenges herself to use the map in her mind while lying in bed at night. The
underlined portion presents two such challenges (getting to the store through backyards and traveling from school to a
friend’s house) and thus provides examples of what the narrator thinks about at night.

Choice A is incorrect because the underlined portion makes no mention of memorizing a telephone number. Although
the narrator mentions that she had to learn the home telephone number before her mother would give her permission to
walk around the neighborhood, there is nothing in the underlined portion or the rest of the text about memorizing the
telephone number. Choice C is incorrect. Although the underlined portion refers to navigation tasks like finding a route
to a store only through backyards, the text contains no specific directions to any store, nor is any store identified as the
narrator’s favorite. Choice D is incorrect because the underlined portion makes no mention of the narrator’s mother and
doesn’t address the narrator’s relationship with her. Although the narrator mentions that her mother gave her permission
as a child to walk around the neighborhood, there is nothing in the underlined portion or the rest of the text about the
mother or her relationship to her child.

Question Difficulty: Medium