SAT Question of the Day
2014-07-14 09:00:50
The 1954 debut concert of Elvis Presley, which took place in Memphis's Overton Park and featured two performers ahead of him on the bill, were considerably less publicized than was his debut performance on the Ed Sullivan Show two years later.
(A) were considerably less publicized than was his debut performance on the Ed Sullivan Show two years later
(B) it was considerably less publicized than was his debut performance on the Ed Sullivan Show two years later
(C) was considerably less publicized than his debut performance would be on the Ed Sullivan Show two years later
(D) was considerably less publicized than was his debut performance on the Ed Sullivan Show two years later
(E) were considerably less publicized than was his debut performance on the Ed Sullivan Show two years later
The correct answer is D
Explanation: As written, this sentence contains a verb choice error. The plural past-tense verb "were" does not agree in number with its subject, the singular "debut concert of Elvis Presley." Choice D corrects this error by changing "were" to the singular "was."
SAT Question of the Day
2014-07-16 09:00:57
Which of the following integers is in the solution set of |2 - 5x| < 10
I. 2
II. -2
III. 2.3
(A) I only
(B) III only
(C) I and III only
(D) I, II, and III
(E) None of the above
The correct answer is A
Explanation: When dealing with inequalities, set up two equations, since either the positive value of 2 - 5x is less than 10 or the negative value of it is less than 10:
2 - 5x < 10 or -(2 - 5x) < 10
In the first equation, subtract 2 from both sides to get -5x < 8. Now, divide both sides by - 5, and remember to flip the inequality sign. This leaves x > -8/5, or -1.6.
In the second equation, start by dividing both sides by -1 to get rid of the negative sign. Remember to flip the inequality sign too. This leaves 2 - 5x > -10. Next, subtract 2 from both sides to get -5x > -12. Divide both sides by - 5, and flip the inequality sign again, leaving x < 12/5.
Thus, x is between -8/5 and 12/5, or -1.6 and 2.4: -1.6 < x < 2.4. Of the choices, 2 alone is in that range and an integer (2.3 is not an integer), making choice A correct.
Alternately, this question could be approached by plugging in the answer choices to see which works and does not work.
SAT Question of the Day
2014-07-18 09:00:19
The school nurse worried about the bug bite on the child because of the _____ that surrounded it, since similar swelling is often a sign of infection.
(A) discernment
(B) scarring
(C) persuasion
(D) perturbation
(E) distension
The correct answer is E
Explanation: To find the missing word, try to predict its meaning by looking at clues int he sentence. Here, the best clue is the phrase "since similar swelling," a phrase that implies that the child himself/herself had swelling around the bug bite. This suggests that the missing word means "swelling," making choice E correct: "distension" is "swelling or pressure caused from within."
None of the other choices work, either:
discernment: the ability to judge well
scarring: the action of leaving a permanent mark on the skin where a sore or wound has not fully healed
persuasion: the action of causing someone else to believe something
perturbation: something that causes anxiety or uneasiness
SAT Question of the Day
2014-07-21 09:00:40
In a certain rectangular prism, at least two faces have an area of 24, and at least two faces have an area of 16. If all the sides of the prism have lengths that are integer values, which of the following could be the total volume of the prism?
I. 48 cubic units
II. 96 cubic units
III. 192 cubic units
(A) I only
(B) I and II
(C) I and III
(D) II and III
(E) I, II, and III
The correct answer is E
Explanation: Start by figuring out integer lengths for the given sides by looking for factors of them.
The factors of 24 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24.
The factors of 16 are 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16.
Next, check for possible ways of making cubes with these numbers by looking for similar factors in the answer choices (basically three of the factors need to be similar).
48 has factors of 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, and 48. This means the prism could have sides of 2, 3, and 8. That would result in two faces of 6, two faces of 16, and and two faces of 24. It would also result in a volume of 2 x 3 x 8, or 48.
96 has factors of 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, 48, and 96. This means the prism could have sides of 4, 4, and 6. If the sides are 4, 4, and 6, the result would be two faces of 16, two of 24, and another set of 24. The volume of that prism would be 4 x 4 x 6, or 96 cubic units.
192 has factors of 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 96, and 192. This means the prism could have sides of 2, 8, and 12. If it did, the prism would have two sides of area 16, two sides of area 24, and two sides of area 96. It would also have a volume of 2 x 8 x 12, or 192.
Since I, II, and III are all possible, choice E is correct.
SAT Question of the Day
2014-07-23 09:00:22
Somewhat surprisingly, the 1950s teen movie Gidget features ______ character in Big Kahuna, a countercultural rebel who defies the conformist society around him.
(A) a traditionalistic
(B) a staid
(C) an adept
(D) an iconoclastic
(E) an implausible
The correct answer is D
Explanation: To find the missing word, try to predict its meaning by using clues in the sentence. Here, the best clue comes after the comma, as the sentence implies that the type of character Big Kahuna is defined as is equivalent to what follows the comma. Thus, Big Kahuna must be "countercultural" and a "rebel" against "the conformist society." This suggests the missing word must similarly mean countercultural or rebellious. Choice D is correct then, as "iconoclastic" means "describing a person who attacks cherished institutions or traditional views."
None of the other choices work, either:
traditionalistic: descriptive of a person who seeks to honor traditions and resist change
staid: sedate, respectable, and unadventurous
adept: very skilled and proficient in something
implausible: not seeming reasonable, realistic, or believable
SAT Question of the Day
2014-07-25 09:00:09
If e/f = 16 and f is 4/3, what is the value of 3/2 of 3?
The correct answer is 32
Explanation: Start by substituting 4/3 in for f in the original equation:
e/f = 16 means that e/(4/3) = 16.
Multiply both sides by 4/3 to get e alone: (4/3) • 16 is 21.333.
That means that e is 21.3333.
3/2 of e, thus, is 3/2 • 21.3333, which is 32
SAT Question of the Day
2014-07-28 09:00:56
Opponents argued that the new research neither corroborated or completely refuted (A) (B)
any of the existing evidence and was, instead, inconclusive. No error (C) (D) (E)
The correct answer is B
Explanation: The error in this sentence occurs at choice B where the conjunction "or" does not agree idiomatically with the adverb "neither." Idiomatically, "neither" is followed by "nor," and "either" by "or." Thus, this word choice error could be corrected by changing "or" to "nor."
SAT Question of the Day
2014-07-30 09:00:24
A t-shirt is to be chosen at random from a drawer full of t-shirts. The probability that the t-shirt chosen will be white is 2/7. Which of the following could NOT be the number of t-shirts in the drawer?
(A) 21
(B) 35
(C) 37
(D) 42
(E) 49
The correct answer is C
Explanation: Probability is the number of desired outcomes divided by the number of total outcomes. Thus, if the total outcomes here is 7, then the total number of t-shirts must be a multiple of 7, since it would be impossible to pick a fraction of a t-shirt. All of the answer choices are divisible by 7 except for 37. There cannot be a 2/7 chance of choosing a white t-shirt from a drawer with 37 total t-shirts. Choice C is correct.
SAT Question of the Day
2014-08-01 09:00:44
Nearly every nation has some sort of award given for ______ service to the nation; in France, for instance, awards the Legion of Honor for citizens who do outstanding work for the nation.
(A) exemplary
(B) empirical
(C) extraneous
(D) efficient
(E) enervating
The correct answer is A
Explanation: To find the missing word, try to predict its meaning by using keywords in the sentence. Here, the key phrase is "outstanding work for the nation" which serves as example of the type of "service to the nation" described by the missing word. Thus, it follows that the missing word means something akin to "outstanding." Choice A is correct, then: "exemplary" means "outstanding or representing the best of its kind."
None of the other choices work either:
empirical: based on observation rather than theory
extraneous: more than is necessary
efficient: achieving maximum output with minimal input
enervating: sapping or draining of energy
SAT Question of the Day
2014-08-04 09:00:37
Circle A has a diameter of x. Circle B has a radius of x. What is the ratio of the area of Circle A to the area of Circle B?
(A) 1:4
(B) 1:2
(C) 1:1
(D) 2:1
(E) 4:1
The correct answer is A
Explanation: The area of a circle is calculated as πr2. To find the areas of these circles, start by finding the radii. In A, if the diameter is x, then the radius is 1/2 of x, or x/2. The area, then, will be
π(x/2)2 which simplifies to (x2π)/4.
The radius of B is x, so the area is πx2. Thus, the ratio of A:B is (x2π)/4: x2π, which simplifies to 1/4: 1 and then finally to 1:4, the same as choice A.