SAT Question of the Day
2014-08-29 09:00:56
Though itself an ______ work, James Joyce's The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is a far easier read than are either his Ulysses or Finnegan's Wake.
(A) obeisant
(B) obsolete
(C) abstruse
(D) absolute
(E) opalescent
The correct answer is C
Explanation: To find the missing word, try to predict its meaning by using clues in the sentence. Here, the main clue is the word "though," which sets up a contrasting relationship between the two clauses of the sentence. It implies that Portrait is a hard work to read but that it is easier to read than are Ulysses or Finnegan's Wake. Thus, the missing word must mean "difficult to read," making C correct: "abstruse" means "difficult to understand or understood only by a few."
None of the other choices work, either:
obeisant: respectful
obsolete: no longer produced or used
absolute: total or complete
opalescent: showing multiple colors
SAT Question of the Day
2014-09-01 09:00:08
If |x - y| = 6 and x and y are both negative numbers, which of the following is NOT a possible value of y?
(A) -2
(B) -3
(C) -4
(D) -5
(E) -6
The correct answer is E
Explanation: The best approach to this question is to simply plug in the answer choices until one does not work. If |x - y| = 6, then x - y equals either 6 or -6. Plug in the listed values for y and see if there is a possible x value that can be created to make the equation true:
(A) If y is -2 and x is -8, then |-8 - -2| = |-8 + 2| = |-6| = 6. So, y could be -2.
(B) If y is -3 and x is -9, then |-9 - -3| = |-9 + 3| = |-6| = 6. So, y could be -3.
(C) If y is -4 and x is -10, then |-10 - -4| = |-10 + 4| = |-6| = 6. So, y could be -4.
(D) If y is -5 and x is -11, then |-11 - -5| = |-11 + 5| = |-6| = 6. So, y could be --5.
(E) If y is -6, then x would have to be 0 to make the equation work. Since the question stem states that x and y both have to be negative numbers, x cannot be 0, so y cannot be -6. As the question asks for the value of y that does NOT work, choice E is correct.
SAT Question of the Day
2014-09-03 09:00:21
Doctors which are willing to help fight outbreaks of deadly viruses such as Ebola (A) (B)
are rare, since the risk of infection is especially high for anyone who comes into (C) (D)
contact with the infected. No error (E)
The correct answer is A
Explanation: The error in this sentence occurs at choice A where the pronoun "which" is used incorrectly to refer to people. Since "doctors" are people, the proper pronoun to use is "who," so this pronoun choice error could be corrected by replacing "which" with "who."
SAT Question of the Day
2014-09-05 09:00:39
Whippoorwill's Well-Knit Wool Store tracked customer transactions for a full week. In that week, 550 customers entered the store, and 450 made a purchase. 325 customers purchased sweaters, and 200 customers purchased scarves. How many customers purchased both a sweaters and scarves?
The correct answer is 75
Explanation: Add up the number of customers who purchased either sweaters or scarves and subtract from it the number of customers who purchased anything. That will represent the overlap.
525 customers purchased either sweaters, scarves, or both. 450 customers made a purchase. Thus, the overlap is 525 - 450, or 75. This means that 75 people purchased both sweaters or scarves.
SAT Question of the Day
2014-09-17 09:00:14
Judges often consider how repentant a criminal is in making a sentence: if the defendant seems ______, the judge will make a more lenient sentence than would be given for a a criminal who shows little remorse.
(A) contrite
(B) concrete
(C) convalescent
(D) condescending
(E) conspicuous
The correct answer is A
Explanation: To find the missing word, use clues in the sentence to predict its meaning. Here, the main clue is the colon, which is used to separate explanatory information from the rest of a sentence. Thus, the fact that judges consider "how repentant a criminal is" during sentencing is explained by what follows the colon. Since the judge is less "lenient" when a person "shows little remorse," it follows that he or she would be "more lenient" when the criminal shows remorse or is more "repentant," implying that the missing word must mean "repentant." Choice A is correct, then, as "contrite" means "feeling or showing remorse or penitence."
None of the other choices work, either:
concrete: real or solid
convalescent: recovering from an illness
condescending: having or showing a feeling of patronizing superiority
conspicuous: out in the open or obvious
SAT Question of the Day
2014-09-08 09:00:49
Bonnie and Clyde are as ______ today as they were in their lifetime thanks to the success of the iconic 1967 film depiction of their notorious exploits and shocking story.
(A) infamous
(B) ambiguous
(C) indignant
(D) ingenuous
(E) ambitious
The correct answer is A
Explanation: To find the missing word, try to predict its meaning by using clues in the sentence. Here, the best clue is the phrase "notorious exploits and shocking story," which describes what Bonnie and Clyde were involved with in their lifetime. Since the missing word similarly describes what they were, it follows that the missing word must mean something similar to notorious. Choice A is correct, then: "infamous" means "famous or well known for a bad quality or deed."
None of the other words work, either:
ambiguous: unclear in meaning
indignant: showing anger at perceived injustice
ingenuous: innocent and unsuspecting
ambitious: having a desire to succeed
SAT Question of the Day
2014-09-10 09:00:12
A store is having a sale in which all DVDs are reduced in price by 15%. Additionally, the store offers a promotion in which one DVD is sold for half off the cost when another DVD is purchased at the original sale price. If two DVDs together cost $30.60, what was the price of ONE DVD before the sale took effect?
(A) $15
(B) $18
(C) $20
(D) $24
(E) $25
The correct answer is D
Explanation: $30.60 is the price of the two DVDs after a couple changes. Let the original price be x dollars. The first DVD was sold at a 15% reduction, meaning it sold at .85x (since 100% - 15% would be 85% of the price). The second DVD sold at half that price, meaning it sold at .425x. Thus, the price of the two DVDs is .85x + .425x, or 1.275x. 1.275x is equal to 30.60, so x can be determined by using the equation
1.275x = 30.60
Divide both sides by 1.275 to isolate x, leaving x = 24. Thus, the price of one DVD was originally $24, making choice D correct.
Should Class Start-Times Be Moved Up?
2014-09-10 20:36:06
The United States has the highest number of students whose learning suffers from sleep. As reported by the students’ teachers, 73% of students’ learning is negatively affected by a lack of sleep. Lack of sleep impairs cognitive functioning, and with almost three-quarters of the nation’s students being hurt by sleep deprivation, we need to ask: should we move school start-times up?
Beyond healing and repairing the body, especially with the heart and blood vessels, sleep helps the brain form new pathways for new information. These new pathways foster memory creation and allow information that was processed throughout the day to be consolidated for future recall. The effects of not getting the recommended nine to ten hours of sleep a night for teenagers are present after only losing one to two hours of sleep; cognitive ability suffers as if you haven’t slept for a day or two. The lack of sleep also leads to micro-sleep. Micro-sleep is the instance in which you appear to be conscious and functioning, yet you cannot remember what you have done for the past few minutes. For those who drive, you might know it as highway hypnosis, when you go on auto-pilot and may not remember driving from your house to the stop sign down the street. Dr. Fitzpatrick, a sleep researcher from Northwestern University, describes not sleeping as if “[y]our brain is running on empty.” Consistent sleep deprivation can lead to brain alterations that cause deficiencies in solving problems, negatively affect decision making, and create issues with controlling emotions.
With all of its downfalls, the lack of sleep is not inevitable and the effects are not irreversible. Dr. Fitzpatrick explains that "[a]s long you haven't gone into extreme sleep deprivation, if you go back to seven to nine hours per night, as long as there has been no permanent damage, you can probably restore the functionality of accumulating, processing and being able to recall memories.” Getting nine to ten hours of sleep a night, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, avoiding large meals within an hour of going to bed, and not using computers, tablets, or smart-phones at night can help you get back into the sleeping groove.
Moving school times up would also help with the ever-growing problem of sleep deprivation. The American Academy of Pediatrics advocated for moving school start-times up to 8:30 am or later for middle school and high school students so they could get 8.5 hours a night. As students age, they go to bed later and later, with most teenagers going to bed after 10:30pm. Because of their late nights, teenagers need later start-times. Younger students, who tend to go to bed and wake up earlier than teenagers, could start classes before older students.
Many high schools start before 7 am, and with students falling asleep as late as they do after an already long day, wouldn't having a later start-time be beneficial? What possible downsides do you think a later start-time could have? Do you think the sleeping habits of students would change, or would they just stay up later, causing them to get the same amount of sleep in the end? We’d love to know your thoughts, so comment below!
SAT Question of the Day
2014-09-12 09:00:11
One of the most celebrated authors of the past three decades, Toni Morrison's books are literary events.
(A) One of the most celebrated authors of the past three decades, Toni Morrison's books are literary events.
(B) One of the most celebrated authors of the past three decades, Toni Morrison makes literary events when she writes a book.
(C) Toni Morrison's books are literary events because she is one of the most celebrated authors of the past three decades.
(D) Toni Morrison, one of the most celebrated authors of the past three decades, her books are literary events.
(E) Because she is one of the most celebrated authors of the past three decades, Toni Morrison's books are literary events.
The correct answer is C
Explanation: As written, this sentence contains a modifier error. The phrase "One of the most celebrated authors of the past three decades" is an introductory modifier and, as such, needs to be followed immediately by its subject. Logically, that modifier's subject would have to be the author, "Toni Morrison," not her "books." Choice C corrects this error by eliminating the introductory modifier and restructuring the sentence.
SAT Question of the Day
2014-09-15 09:00:18
If |x - 2| + 6 = 9, and |y + 3| + 4 = 11, then xy could be:
(A) -10
(B) -5
(C) -4
(D) 4
(E) 50
The correct answer is E
Explanation: Start by simplifying each expression:
|x - 2| + 6 = 9 simplifies to |x - 2| = 3.
|y + 3| + 4 = 11 simplifies to |y + 3| = 7.
Both expressions involve absolute values, which means that both equations will provide 2 solutions: a positive one and a negative one (that is, |x - 2| = 3 means that either x -2 is 3 or x - 2 is -3). Thus, solve both equations for both the positive and negative solutions.
If x - 2 = 3, then x is 5.
If x - 2 = -3, then x is -1.
If y + 3 = 7, then y is 4.
If y + 3 = -7, then y is -10.
Finally, multiply the different x and y solutions together to find possible values of xy:
5 times 4 is 20
5 times 10 is 50
-1 times 4 is -4
-1 times -10 is 10
Of these, only 50 is an answer choice, making E correct.