SAT Question of the Day
2014-02-19 09:00:40
While the novel contains elements of the supernatural, it remains firmly committed to ______ in all other aspects; indeed, the author's prologue even reminds the reader that it is based on a true story.
(A) farce
(B) drudgery
(C) pragmatism
(D) realism
(E) reverie
The correct answer is D
Explanation: To find the missing word, try to predict its meaning by using clues in the sentence. Here, the main clue is the use of the word "while" at the beginning of the sentence. This sets up a contrasting relationship between the first two clauses of the sentence. Thus, the novel must remain rooted in the opposite of the "supernatural" and must instead reflect elements of a "true story." Choice D is correct, as "realism" is "the act of reflecting a fictional story in a way that is true to life."
None of the other choices work, either:
farce: a comic work involving crude characterizations
drudgery: hard or dull work
pragmatism: the state of being practical
reverie: a daydream
SAT Question of the Day
2014-02-21 09:00:25
Let the function f be defined by f(x) = 2x + 11. If f(a + 2) = 25, what is one possible value of a?
The correct answer is 5
Explanation: To solve this for a, plug in (a + 2) for x in the function, and use 25 as the output. Thus, 25 = 2(a + 2) + 11. Subtract 11 from both sides to get 14 = 2(a + 2). Now, divide both sides by 2 to get 7 = a + 2. Subtract 2 from both sides to get a = 5.
SAT Question of the Day
2014-02-24 09:00:16
The dancer possessed unbelievably thick skin, and she either inured herself to criticism (A) (B)
or remained completely oblivious from it. No error
(C) (D) (E)
The correct answer is D
Explanation: The error in this sentence occurs at choice D where the preposition “from” does not agree idiomatically with its adjective, “oblivious.” “Oblivious” usually depends on the preposition “to,” so this word choice error could be corrected by changing “from” to “to.”
SAT Question of the Day
2014-02-26 09:00:27
Sasha recently purchased winter clothes for an upcoming skiing trip. She bought both wool and cotton sweaters. If wool sweaters cost $50 and cotton sweaters $40, and if she spent $470 total for 10 sweaters, how many more wool sweaters did Sasha buy than cotton sweaters?
(A) 1
(B) 3
(C) 4
(D) 7
(E) 10
The correct answer is C
Explanation: This question asks the student to set up and solve a system of equations. Let w be the number of wool sweaters purchased and c the number of cotton sweaters. Set up one equation for the number of sweaters purchased (which sums to 10) and one for the amount of money spent (given that wool cost $50 each and cotton $40 each and that Sasha spent $470 total):
w + c = 10
50w + 40c = 470
Solve the top equation for w, and use substitution to find c.
w + c = 10 becomes w = 10 – c by subtracting c from both sides.
Thus, 50w + 40c = 470 is now 50(10 – c) + 40c = 470, or 500 – 50c + 40c = 470, or 500 – 10c = 470.
Isolate -10c by subtracting 500 from both sides, leaving: -10c = -30.
Now, divide both sides by -10 to get c = 3.
Plug 3 in for c in the first equation to get w + 3 = 10, meaning w = 7 (by subtracting 3 from both sides). Thus, Sasha bought 7 wool sweaters and 3 cotton ones, meaning she bought 4 more wool sweaters than cotton ones, making choice C correct.
SAT Question of the Day
2014-02-28 09:00:44
The magician used special effects to ______ the illusions presented on stage; for instance, she made the explosions look much bigger and more impressive than they actually were.
(A) enhance
(B) enrapture
(C) encase
(D) enervate
(E) enlighten
The correct answer is A
Explanation: To find the missing word, try to predict its meaning by using clues in the sentence. Here, the main clue is everything that comes after “for instance,” which indicates that an example is being presented, an example of what is described in the first clause. Thus, the effects must have similarly “made the explosions look much bigger and more impressive,” suggesting that the missing word means “to make bigger or better in quality.” As such, choice A is correct: “enhance” means “to intensify, increase, or further improve the quality of something.”
None of the other choices work, either:
enrapture: to give intense joy or pleasure to
encase: to enclose or cover
enervate: to weaken or sap of energy
enlighten: to provide someone with greater knowledge of something
SAT Question of the Day
2014-03-03 09:00:00
If 3/8 of a number is 6 more than 1/3 of a number, what is 7/8 of the number?
(A) 126
(B) 132
(C) 138
(D) 140
(E) 144
The correct answer is A
Explanation: Translate each line into math terms, using x as "a number." "3/8 of a number is" means "(3/8)x =". "6 more than 1/3 of a number" means "6 + (1/3)x." Thus, (3/8)x = 6 + (1/3)x. Solve for x by subtracting 1/3 from both sides (turn 3/8 into 9/24 and 1/3 into 8/24 to make the subtraction work) to get (1/24)x = 6. Now, divide both sides by 1/24 to get x = 144. Next, find 7/8 of 144 by multiplying 144 x 7/8 to get 126. Thus, A is correct.
SAT Question of the Day
2014-03-05 09:00:50
Because they are not usually taught how to write a proper research paper, many papers turned in by college freshmen disappoint the professors whoa assigned the papers.
(A) Because they are not usually taught how to write a proper research paper
(B) They have not usually been taught how to write a proper research paper
(C) Many people are not usually taught how to write a proper research paper
(D) Because many people have not been taught how to write a proper research paper
(E) Not having been taught how to write a proper research paper
The correct answer is D
Explanation: As written, this sentence contains a modifier error. The first part of the sentence, "Because they are not usually taught how to write a proper research paper," is an introductory modifier, and, as such, it needs to be followed immediately by its subject. Here, the implied subject is "many papers." However, "many papers" cannot have been taught anything, as a paper cannot learn. Thus, the introductory modifier needs to be reconstructed so that it is no longer a modifying phrase. Choice D does this by inserting a subject, "many people," into the phrase.
SAT Question of the Day
2014-03-07 09:00:50
What is the least possible integer for which 12x is the cube of a number?
The correct answer is 18
Explanation:Break 12 into prime factors: 2 and 3. Any number that multiplies by 12 to create a perfect cube would have to be multiplied by 2 and 3 as well, meaning that it must be a multiple of 6. 12 is 6 x 2, so the other number must be the product of 6 and 3 (as three 6's are needed, and 2 x 3 creates 6). Thus, 18 is correct, as 18 x 12 is equivalent to 6 x 6 x 6, which equals 216.
An alternative approach is to make a list of the perfect cubes and divide them by 12: 1 is not; 8 is not; 27 is not; 64 is not; 125 is not; 216 is. 216/12 is 18.
An Insider’s Guide To The New SAT
2014-03-06 00:37:56
Surprising no one in the test preparation industry, College Board's newly released details on the revised SAT reveal the significant impact the Common Core Standards will have on one major college admissions test.
What do I need to know?
First, these changes aren't happening right away. If your child is planning to take the test before March of 2016, he or she will take the current version. If your child is in the class of 2017 (or later) and plans to take the SAT, these changes will probably affect you. So if you have a 9th grader at home, he or she may be among the very first to take the new SAT.
What should my child do?
1) Don’t leave anything blank The new test eliminates the ¼ point guessing penalty. Answer every single question, even if you have no idea. Don’t leave a single question blank.
2) Ditch the vocab cards Way less to memorize but there’s a catch: plan to see words with more than one meaning. Which meaning is correct? Well that will depend on context. Tricky. The solution: read, read, read.
3) Get comfortable with lots of interactive content Graphs and charts will illustrate information in an adjacent passage, for example. Students will be required to interpret and synthesize information from a variety of sources on the page, not just part of a passage.
4) Write a whole different kind of essay Gone are the days of writing ridiculous essays filled with made up historic battles and novels by fictitious authors. Writing the essay will now be more like writing one for an AP exam. You’ll be given a document and asked to analyze and explain it. That sounds hard! However, “The essay prompt will be shared in advance and remain consistent. Only the source material (the passage) will change,” states College Board. So knowing the essay prompt ahead of time and preparing ways to answer it will be crucial. You have more time now too, 50 minutes instead of 25. Oh and its optional (but most competitive universities will still require it).
5) Say goodbye to the 2400 It’s back to the old 1600 maximum score many of us remember from the olden days. This will better enable those who were familiar with the old test and never quite got the hang of the March 2005 onwards scoring system to return to their comfortable roots. But with extensive recentering and curving, it won’t be easy to compare a 1200 in 2018 with a 1200 in 2000.
6) Count on more challenging math The 2005 revamp increased the difficulty of SAT math problems, a trend that will only continue on the new exam. From CB’s description, there will be more higher-level math on the test in areas such as Problem Solving and Data Analysis. The use of a calculator will no longer be allowed in certain parts of the math test, a huge shift that will have many students weak at mental math quaking in their sneakers. Students who are able to think about math abstractly will be rewarded over those used to approaching problems in rigidly defined steps.
7) It’s not all about book smarts, get ready for “real-world” contexts Students will be reading passages and interpreting data about issues they might encounter in real life. Like what? Hopefully topics like choosing a summer job or understanding the way sales tax changes affect local communities.
8) Re-read Dr. King’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail” Each SAT will contain “an excerpt from one of the Founding Documents or a text from the ongoing Great Global Conversation about freedom, justice, and human dignity.” This is a really interesting change. It could spark new conversations about civic engagement and what it means to be a good citizen. It could also mystify foreign students who are less familiar with how the Bill of Rights, for example, influences contemporary law and policy here in the US.
9) Keep your pencils sharpened The new SAT will still be administered on paper, but there will also be a (I predict rather slow) roll-out of an online version of the test taken on a computer. (ACT has made similar announcements about moving to an online version of the test). While it seems like a no brainer to administer tests on computers in today’s highly-connected, technologically advanced society, computers remain significantly more rare and expensive than pencils and paper. Most tests administered on computers take advantage of technology that allows for more accurate scoring despite administering fewer questions. Test takers who answer a question correctly subsequently get a harder one. Answer that one wrong and you get a slightly easier one. But tests like these are expensive to design and administer. GMAC’s GMAT, for example, costs each student $250 per administration. So don’t expect the SAT to go wholly online anytime soon.
10) Take advantage of free online preparation A deal with Khan Academy will provide all students with access to free tutoring resources. While affluent families will still hire tutors for their children, more preparation material provided directly from College Board than ever before will be available online. Practicing on real material created by the makers of the test is the best way to prepare for the SAT, so this change is great news for students around the world.
Who will benefit from these changes?
• Students with excellent skills in reading comprehension, logical reasoning, and data analysis.
• Students who read independently. The best way to tackle those challenging word-in-context questions? Start enjoying the process of extracting meaning from complex texts.
• Elite high schools that engage their students in rigorous, small-class debates about ethics, philosophy, and decision-making.
• High-end test preparation companies and their tutors who already teach reasoning skills (rather than test-taking tricks) and are nimble enough to adapt to these changes.
• Middle class and lower middle class students who cannot afford one-on-one test preparation but have access to free Khan Academy materials on the internet
Who will not?
• The big test preparation firms. With more official material than ever online as well as free tutorials in how to solve difficult problems, the need for “spun” preparation material (which looks real but isn’t created by the makers of the test) and tricks for solving weird SAT-specific problems is greatly lessened.
• Students who find the current test unbearably long. The new exam is three hours and fifty minutes (with optional essay) versus the current exam’s three hours and forty-five minute length.
• Students with learning disabilities. Students who contend with visual-spatial processing disabilities in particular may be negatively impacted by the necessity of interpreting charts and graphs to arrive at the credited response.
• Students who do not write well under time pressure. 50 minutes is a lot more time than the old 25 minutes allotted for the essay, but it’s still far less time than a diligent student would spend at home each night outlining and writing several drafts of an important short written assignment due in class. Students who dread in-class essays will find the new essay format difficult.
SAT Question of the Day
2014-03-17 09:00:24
Let the symbol x § y be defined for all numbers x and y as follows:
x § y = 3x - y if x < y
x § y = x + y if x > y
x § y = 2 if x = y
If a § 4 = 2, which of the following could be the value of a?
(A) - 2
(B) 0
(C) 2
(D) 5
(E) 6
The correct answer is C
Plug in the answer choices for a to see which (with 4 for y) combines to create an output of 2. Keep in mind that the function you use depends on a's relationship to 4.
(A) if a = -2, then -2 = x, and x < y (which is 4). Thus, the first function applies: 3(-2) - 4 = -10, not 2.
(B) if a = 0, then 0 = x, and x < y (which is 4). Thus, the first function applies: 3(0) - 4 = -4, not 2.
(C) if a = 2, then 22 = x, and x < y (which is 4). Thus, the first function applies: 3(2) - 4 = 2. This works!
(D) if a = 5, then 5 = x, and x > y (which is 4). Thus, the second function applies: 5 + 4 = 9, not 2.
(E) if a = 6, then 6 = x, and x > y (which is 4). Thus, the second function applies: 6 + 4 = 10, not 2.