SAT READING QUESTIONS
Remember, this test is named: SAT I Reasoning Test and it tests reasoning skills more than it tests reading skills.
Even though I have a _________ for Venetian blinds, I have never wanted to put them in my apartment.
(A) glutton
(B) toleration
(C) mediation
(D) polyglot
(E) penchant
CORRECT ANSWER: E
The best way to approach these questions is to come up with a prediction for what kind of word should go in the blank before you look at the answer choices. In this question, we must notice that the term "even though" shifts the sentence. It tells us that the person has never had Venetian blinds, but still likes them. If we were to predict a word it would be something along the lines of: liking, love for, etc. The only answer choice that fits this prediction is Choice E.
Steven was _________ with the governor's views in the beginning of the campaign, but something must have made him angry and swayed him in the opposite direction because by the end of the campaign, he was notorious for his _________ cries of protest.
(A) consonant .. vociferous
(B) compliant .. diminished
(C) averse .. dissonant
(D) amenable .. appreciative
(E) reticent .. tempered
CORRECT ANSWER: A
Once again if we predict what should go in the blanks, we find that the first blank has to do with: in agreement with, or something of the sort. We can eliminate any of the answer choices whose first term does not mean in agreement with. The second blank would lead us to predicting something like: loud. Once again, eliminate any of the choices that do not have a word that means loud for the 2nd blank. After we do that, the only one left is Choice A.
The marriage was doomed from the start as Dana was _________ and _________, while Darren, on the other hand, was kind and thoughtful.
(A) diabolical .. compassionate
(B) heinous .. amiable
(C) malevolent .. ruthless
(D) perverse .. inept
(E) sympathetic .. sinister
CORRECT ANSWER: C
This sentence is too vague for us to predict exactly what should be in the blanks, but we can get an idea of the "type" of words for each blank. Since Darren is kind and thoughtful, which are both positive terms, Dana must be two negative words. The only choice that has two negative words is Choice C.
The following selection discusses the history of the zebra.
According to the author, a zebra has stripes on its body primarily due to
(A) camouflage itself from predators
(B) avoid becoming extinct like the guagga
(C) distinguish herd members
(D) allow it to climb rocky hillsides with ease
(E) distinguish it from the antelopes and wildebeests that it travels with
CORRECT ANSWER: C
Critical Reading questions on the SAT are similar to an open book test. All of the answers are in the passage; you just have to find them! This question asks about the stripes on a zebra's body, which is discussed in lines 12-15. After reading the required lines we learn that the stripes are identifying marks of the zebra. All we have to do is match that up to the choice that says the same thing and we'll get the correct answer.
According to the author, a stallion (line 10) is most similar to which of the following
(A) A president
(B) A boss
(C) A priest
(D) An older brother
(E) A patriarch
CORRECT ANSWER: E
Some critical reading questions will not only test reading skills, but also your vocabulary. From the passage we can tell that the stallion is the head of a family. If we know the definition of a patriarch, we can easily answer this question.
The following selection details some of the history of Dixieland jazz.
The closing of the Storyville district led to
(A) an uprising among young musicians
(B) a proliferation of jazz across the country
(C) a protest from a minority of musicians such as Johnny Dodds
(D) the elimination of the Dixieland jazz sound
(E) the production of a complex melodic line
CORRECT ANSWER: B
When the Storyville district closed, bands had to perform elsewhere. Chicago was a big benefactor of this. Soon younger musicians in cities across the country were trying their hand at jazz. This agrees with Choice B.
The author most likely mentions Jelly Roll Morton to
(A) compare his works to those of Louis Armstrong
(B) present a case for the single melodic line style of music
(C) to resonate with readers a familiar name in the jazz industry
(D) show that New Orleans style jazz continued to flourish
(E) contrast the new style of jazz that young musicians were experimenting with
CORRECT ANSWER: D
These questions can be tricky, as you have to find why the author referred to a specific person in the text. In this case, he is giving information on the evolution of New Orleans jazz and how it was carried on. Jelly Roll was one of the artists that continued this style in the Chicago area.
