Question ID 81315093

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 81315093 No.1

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
A marathon is a long-distance running race that is 26.2 miles long.
An ultramarathon is a long-distance running race of more than 26.2 miles.
The Kepler Challenge is a one-day, 37.3-mile ultramarathon in New Zealand.
The Spreelauf is a six-day, 261-mile ultramarathon in Germany.

The student wants to make a generalization about ultramarathons. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information
from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Examples of ultramarathons include the 37.3-mile Kepler Challenge in New Zealand and the 261-mile Spreelauf in
Germany.

B. A marathon is 26.2 miles long, but the Spreelauf ultramarathon, at 261 miles, is far longer.

C. Ultramarathons range widely in length, from a few dozen miles to a few hundred.

D. While the Kepler Challenge is a one-day ultramarathon, the Spreelauf is a six-day ultramarathon.
Question ID 1773fa73
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 1773fa73 No.2

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
A commodity chain is the series of links connecting the production and purchase of a commodity on the world
market.
Chinese American anthropologist Anna Tsing studies the contemporary commodity chain of matsutake mushrooms.
At one end of the matsutake chain are mushroom pickers in Oregon.
At the other end are wealthy consumers who buy the costly matsutake in Japan.
According to Tsing, “Japanese traders began importing matsutake in the 1980s, when the scarcity of matsutake in
Japan first became clear.”

The student wants to provide an overview of the matsutake commodity chain. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. The contemporary matsutake commodity chain has its origins in the 1980s when, according to Tsing, “the scarcity of
matsutake in Japan first became clear.”

B. Commodity chains include the linked production and purchase of commodities, such as the matsutake mushroom, on the
world market.

C. Decades after the Japanese import of matsutake began, a commodity chain now links matsutake pickers in Oregon with
wealthy consumers of the costly mushrooms in Japan.

D. Wealthy consumers who buy the costly mushrooms in Japan are at one end of the matsutake commodity chain.
Question ID 6b5bc97d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 6b5bc97d No.3

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The Sasanian Empire lasted about 400 years (AD 224 to AD 651).
The Sasanians controlled an area spanning 1.4 million square miles.
This area included present-day Iran and Iraq.
The empire’s capital was the ancient city of Ctesiphon.
Ctesiphon was located near present-day Baghdad, Iraq.

The student wants to specify the location of Ctesiphon. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the
notes to accomplish this goal?

A. The Sasanian Empire began in AD 224 and ended in AD 651.

B. The capital of the Sasanian Empire, which spanned 1.4 million square miles, was Ctesiphon.

C. The Sasanians controlled an area of 1.4 million square miles, including present-day Iran and Iraq.

D. Ctesiphon, the capital of the Sasanian Empire, was located near present-day Baghdad, Iraq.
Question ID 5b8b69a2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 5b8b69a2 No.4

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Archaeologist Jon Erlandson and colleagues argue that humans first arrived in the Americas by sea.
They propose that humans traveled between Pacific Ocean islands and coastlines from northeast Asia to the
Americas.
Many of these islands and coastal zones were later submerged as glaciers melted and sea levels rose.
The researchers think that “a coastal route, including kelp forests and estuaries, would have provided a rich mix of
marine, estuarine, riverine, and terrestrial resources” such as seaweeds, fish, and birds.
This proposed scenario is known as the kelp highway hypothesis.

The student wants to summarize the kelp highway hypothesis. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from
the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Pacific Ocean islands and coastlines likely contained “a rich mix of marine, estuarine, riverine, and terrestrial resources”
such as seaweeds, fish, and birds, according to researchers.

B. One argument about how humans first arrived in the Americas is the kelp highway hypothesis proposed by Jon Erlandson
and colleagues.

C. Humans may have first arrived in the Americas by sea, traveling between Pacific Ocean islands and coastlines and
subsisting on a variety of resources.

D. As glaciers melted and sea levels rose, many Pacific Ocean islands and coastal zones were submerged.
Question ID 49fe306b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 49fe306b No.5

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
From Earth, all the meteors in a meteor shower appear to originate from a single spot in the sky.
This spot is called the meteor shower’s radiant.
The Perseid meteor shower is visible in the northern hemisphere in July and August.
Like many meteor showers, it is named for the location of its radiant.
Its radiant is located within the constellation Perseus.

The student wants to explain the origin of the Perseid meteor shower’s name. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. The Perseid meteor shower is named for the constellation Perseus, the location of the meteor shower’s radiant.

B. A meteor shower’s name may be linked to a single spot in the sky.

C. The Perseid meteor shower, which has a radiant, is visible in the northern hemisphere in July and August.

D. From Earth, all the meteors in a meteor shower appear to originate from a radiant, such as the one within Perseus.
Question ID 5888712f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 5888712f No.6

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Physicist Muluneh Abebe was working on a garment suited for both warm and cold conditions.
He analyzed the emissivity, or ability to emit heat, of the materials he planned to use.
Abebe found that reflective metal fibers emitted almost no heat and had an emissivity of 0.02.
He found that silicon carbide fibers absorbed large amounts of heat and had an emissivity of 0.74.
The amount of heat a material absorbs is equal to the amount of heat it emits.

The student wants to contrast the emissivity of reflective metal fibers with that of silicon carbide fibers. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. The ability of reflective metal fibers and silicon carbide fibers to emit heat was determined by an analysis of each
material’s emissivity.

B. The amount of heat a material absorbs is equal to the amount it emits, as evidenced in Abebe’s analyses.

C. Though the reflective metal fibers and silicon carbide fibers had different rates of emissivity, Abebe planned to use both
in a garment.

D. Whereas the reflective metal fibers had an emissivity of just 0.02, the silicon carbide fibers absorbed large amounts of
heat, resulting in an emissivity of 0.74.
Question ID 0acc26b2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 0acc26b2 No.7

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Astronomers estimate that the number of comets orbiting the Sun is in the billions.
81P/Wild is one of many comets whose orbit has changed over time.
81P/Wild’s orbit once lay between the orbits of Uranus and Jupiter.
The comet’s orbit is now positioned between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars.

The student wants to make and support a generalization about the orbits of comets. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish these goals?

A. Astronomers estimate that the number of comets orbiting the Sun is in the billions; the comets’ orbits may change over
time.

B. Like Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars, billions of comets orbit the Sun.

C. One example of a comet is 81P/Wild, whose orbit around the Sun once lay between Uranus’s and Jupiter’s orbits but is
now positioned between those of Jupiter and Mars.

D. A comet’s orbit around the Sun may change over time: the orbit of comet 81P/Wild once lay between the orbits of
Uranus and Jupiter but is now positioned between those of Jupiter and Mars.
Question ID 1c6e1d55
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 1c6e1d55 No.8

Historically, most conductors of major orchestras and opera companies have been European men, but a new, more diverse
generation of artists is stepping up to the podium. Mexico’s Alondra de la Parra took over as conductor for the Queensland
Symphony Orchestra in 2017, ______ and Colombia’s Lina Gonzalez-Granados did the same for the Los Angeles Opera in
2022.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. in addition,

B. lastly,

C. granted,

D. for instance,
Question ID 8622320e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 8622320e No.9

Earth’s auroras—colorful displays of light seen above the northern and southern poles—result, broadly speaking, from the
Sun’s activity. ______ the Sun releases charged particles that are captured by Earth’s magnetic field and channeled toward the
poles. These particles then collide with atoms in the atmosphere, causing the atoms to emit auroral light.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Specifically,

B. Similarly,

C. Nevertheless,

D. Hence,
Question ID 04397a63
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 04397a63 No.10

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The Haudenosaunee Confederacy is a nearly 1,000-year-old alliance of six Native nations in the northeastern US.

The members are bound by a centuries-old agreement known as the Great Law of Peace.
Historian Bruce Johansen is one of several scholars who believe that the principles of the Great Law of Peace
influenced the US Constitution.
This theory is called the influence theory.
Johansen cites the fact that Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson both studied the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

The student wants to present the influence theory to an audience unfamiliar with the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Which
choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Historian Bruce Johansen believes that the Great Law of Peace was very influential.

B. The influence theory is supported by the fact that Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson both studied the
Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

C. The influence theory holds that the principles of the Great Law of Peace, a centuries-old agreement binding six Native
nations in the northeastern US, influenced the US Constitution.

D. Native people, including the members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, influenced the founding of the US in many
different ways.
Question ID 164a32e7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 164a32e7 No.11

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Claude McKay (1889–1948) was a Jamaican American writer.
Songs of Jamaica (1912) and Constab Ballads (1912) are two acclaimed poetry collections that McKay published while
living in Jamaica.
McKay moved to Harlem in New York City in 1914.
He is best known as a poet and novelist of the Harlem Renaissance, a literary and cultural movement of the 1920s
and 1930s.
His most famous works include the poetry collection Harlem Shadows (1922) and the novel Home to Harlem (1928).

The student wants to emphasize Claude McKay’s accomplishments before moving to Harlem. Which choice most effectively
uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Jamaican American writer Claude McKay is the author of works such as Songs of Jamaica (1912), Constab Ballads (1912),
Harlem Shadows (1922), and Home to Harlem (1928).

B. Although he is best known as a Harlem Renaissance writer, Claude McKay had published two acclaimed poetry
collections in 1912 while living in Jamaica: Songs of Jamaica and Constab Ballads.

C. In 1914, Claude McKay moved to Harlem, where he would become known as a poet and novelist of the Harlem
Renaissance (a literary and cultural movement of the 1920s and 1930s).

D. Before moving to Harlem, Claude McKay—author of the poetry collection Harlem Shadows (1922) and the novel Home to
Harlem (1928)—lived in Jamaica.
Question ID fbffb352
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: fbffb352 No.12

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Archaeologist Dr. Sada Mire founded the Horn Heritage Foundation to preserve the cultural history of regions in the
Horn of Africa.
Horn Heritage has overseen a preservation project to create 3D digital scans of ancient rock art in Somaliland.
Paintings found at the Laas Geel caves are included in the scans.
The Laas Geel paintings feature human figures and animals.
Paintings found at the Dhagah Nabi Galay caves are included in the scans.
The Dhagah Nabi Galay caves feature what are thought to be the earliest examples of writing in East Africa.

The student wants to emphasize a similarity between the Laas Geel paintings and the Dhagah Nabi Galay paintings. Which
choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. The earliest examples of writing in East Africa are thought to be featured in the paintings at the Dhagah Nabi Galay caves
in Somaliland.

B. The paintings at the Dhagah Nabi Galay caves feature examples of writing, while those at the Laas Geel caves feature
humans and animals.

C. In Somaliland, the paintings in the Laas Geel caves feature human figures and animals.

D. The Laas Geel paintings and the Dhagah Nabi Galay paintings are both examples of ancient rock art found in Somaliland.
Question ID 9f1a0d91
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 9f1a0d91 No.13

“Tulip mania”—the rapid rise and sudden fall of the price of tulip bulbs in seventeenth-century Amsterdam—is often cited as
an example of the perils of rampant market speculation. However, recent research has demonstrated that the episode was
neither as frenzied nor as disastrous as has been thought. The popular myth surrounding it, ______ should be regarded with
some skepticism.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. for example,

B. by contrast,

C. nevertheless,

D. therefore,
Question ID 17e49403
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 17e49403 No.14

When, in the 1800s, geologists first realized that much of Earth had once been covered by great sheets of ice, some
theorized that the phenomenon was cyclical, occurring at regular intervals. Each Ice Age is so destructive, though, that it
largely erases the geological evidence of its predecessor. ______ geologists were unable to confirm the theory of cyclical Ice
Ages until the 1960s.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Hence,

B. Moreover,

C. Nevertheless,

D. Next,
Question ID 5222ffab
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 5222ffab No.15

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Neuroscientists Krishnan Padmanabhan and Zhen Chen sought to better understand the workings of the brain’s
olfactory system.
They devised a study using mathematical models.
They found that certain fibers allow the brain to toggle from one method of processing smells to another.
In one method, cells in the piriform cortex (where the perception of odor forms) capture olfactory information at a
given moment.
In the other, the cells track changes in olfactory information over time.

The student wants to summarize the study’s findings. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes
to accomplish this goal?

A. To arrive at these findings, which describe dual methods of processing smells in the piriform cortex, Padmanabhan and
Chen devised a study using mathematical models.

B. Padmanabhan and Chen showed that olfactory information is captured by cells in the piriform cortex, where the
perception of odor forms.

C. Using mathematical models, Padmanabhan and Chen devised a study to better understand the workings of the brain’s
olfactory system.

D. According to Padmanabhan and Chen, the brain can toggle between capturing olfactory information at a given moment
and tracking changes in that information over time.
Question ID 7aac173e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 7aac173e No.16

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Architect Julian Abele studied Gregorian and neo-Gothic architecture in Europe.
Abele worked for an architecture firm that was hired in 1924 to design buildings for Duke University’s new campus.
Most of the buildings on Duke’s campus were designed in the Gregorian or neo-Gothic architectural styles.
At the time, Abele was not formally credited with designing the buildings.
Based on the buildings’ architectural styles, historians believe Abele designed most of the campus buildings.

The student wants to specify why historians believe Abele designed most of Duke’s campus buildings. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Given that most of the buildings on Duke’s campus feature architectural styles that Abele had studied in Europe,
historians believe Abele is the one who designed them.

B. Though Abele wasn’t formally credited at the time, historians believe he designed most of the buildings on Duke’s
campus.

C. Most of Duke’s campus buildings, which were designed by a firm Abele worked for, were designed in the Gregorian and
neo-Gothic architectural styles.

D. Abele, an architect who studied Gregorian and neo-Gothic architecture in Europe, is believed to have designed most of
the buildings on Duke’s campus.
Question ID 3dcc7140
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 3dcc7140 No.17

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Nissologists are scientists who study islands.
Some nissologists define an island as any piece of land surrounded by water.
Using that definition, they determined that Sweden has 221,000 islands.
Other nissologists define an island as being 1 kilometer square, a certain distance from the mainland, and having at
least 50 permanent residents.
Using that definition, they determined that Sweden has 24 islands.

The student wants to make and support a generalization about nissologists’ definition of an island. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish these goals?

A. The definition of an island as any piece of land surrounded by water is supported by some nissologists, scientists who
study islands.

B. Multiple counts of Sweden’s islands have been based on different definitions of an island.

C. Based on a recent count, Sweden has a relatively small number of islands with at least 50 permanent residents.

D. Nissologists’ different definitions can result in huge disparities in counts of islands, as the example of Sweden shows.
Question ID b7571c0a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: b7571c0a No.18

Practical movie effects, such as the use of actual locations in a film, provide a more realistic visual experience than computer-
generated imagery (CGI) does, but giving audiences the “real thing” can be prohibitively expensive. ______ many filmmakers
use a blended approach, employing practical effects whenever possible and CGI elements as necessary to control costs.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Similarly,

B. For this reason,

C. Furthermore,

D. In other words,
Question ID d54e16ee
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: d54e16ee No.19

Originally coined by economist Joan Robinson to refer to markets with multiple sellers of a product but only one buyer, the
term “monopsony” can also refer to markets where demand for labor is limited. In a product monopsony, the single buyer
can force sellers to lower their prices. ______ in a labor monopsony, employers can force workers to accept lower wages.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Earlier,

B. Instead,

C. Similarly,

D. In particular,
Question ID a1ca7ec4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: a1ca7ec4 No.20

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Cecilia Vicuña is a multidisciplinary artist.
In 1971, her first solo art exhibition, Pinturas, poemas y explicaciones, was shown at the Museo Nacional de Bellas
Artes in Santiago, Chile.
Her poetry collection Precario/Precarious was published in 1983 by Tanam Press.
Her poetry collection Instan was published in 2002 by Kelsey St. Press.
She lives part time in Chile, where she was born, and part time in New York.

The student wants to introduce the artist’s 1983 poetry collection. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information
from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Before she published the books Precario/Precarious (1983) and Instan (2002), Cecilia Vicuña exhibited visual art at the
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Santiago, Chile.

B. Cecilia Vicuña is a true multidisciplinary artist whose works include numerous poetry collections and visual art exhibitions.

C. Published in 1983 by Tanam Press, Precario/Precarious is a collection of poetry by the multidisciplinary artist Cecilia
Vicuña.

D. In 1971, Cecilia Vicuña exhibited her first solo art exhibition, Pinturas, poemas y explicaciones, in Chile, her country of
birth.
Question ID 47e238be
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 47e238be No.21

Seismologists Kaiqing Yuan and Barbara Romanowicz have proposed that the magma fueling Iceland’s more than 30 active
volcano systems emerges from deep within Earth. The great depths involved—nearly 3,000 km—mark Iceland’s volcanoes as
extreme outliers; ______ many of Earth’s volcanoes are fed by shallow pockets of magma found less than 15 km below the
surface.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. indeed,

B. nevertheless,

C. in addition,

D. consequently,
Question ID d7c5388f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: d7c5388f No.22

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Planetary scientists classify asteroids based on their composition.
C-type asteroids are composed primarily of carbon.
They account for roughly 75 percent of known asteroids.
S-type asteroids are primarily made up of silicate minerals.
They account for roughly 17 percent of known asteroids.

The student wants to emphasize a difference between C-type and S-type asteroids. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Planetary scientists classify asteroids into types, two of which are the C-type and the S-type.

B. Planetary scientists consider an asteroid’s composition (such as whether the asteroid is composed mainly of silicate
minerals or carbon) when classifying it.

C. Roughly 17 percent of known asteroids are classified as S-type asteroids; another percentage is classified as C-type
asteroids.

D. C-type asteroids are mainly composed of carbon, whereas S-type asteroids are primarily made up of silicate minerals.
Question ID dd087f31
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: dd087f31 No.23

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s 2013 novel Americanah chronicles the divergent experiences of Ifemelu and Obinze, a young
Nigerian couple, after high school. Ifemelu moves to the United States to attend a prestigious university. ______ Obinze travels
to London, hoping to start a career there. However, frustrated with the lack of opportunities, he soon returns to Nigeria.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Meanwhile,

B. Nevertheless,

C. Secondly,

D. In fact,
Question ID 622a351d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 622a351d No.24

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 1978, Sámi activists staged protests to block the construction of a dam on the Alta River in Norway.
The dam would disrupt Sámi fishing and reindeer herding.
The dam was ultimately built, but the Alta conflict had a lasting impact.
It brought international attention to the issue of Sámi rights.
It led to a set of 2005 legal protections establishing Sámi rights to lands, waters, and resources.

The student wants to make and support a generalization about the Alta conflict. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. During the Alta conflict, Sámi activists staged protests to block the construction of a dam on the Alta River in Norway that
would disrupt local fishing and reindeer herding.

B. Although the dam that the Sámi activists had protested was ultimately built, the Alta conflict had a lasting impact.

C. Sámi rights to lands, waters, and resources received international attention and legal protections as a result of the Alta
conflict.

D. The Alta conflict had a lasting impact, resulting in international attention and legal protections for Sámi rights to lands,
waters, and resources.
Question ID 0c13dea9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 0c13dea9 No.25

The chemical trimethylamine N-oxide not only gives fish their fishy smell but also protects them from crushing hydrostatic
pressure in deep waters. Trimethylamine N-oxide strengthens the bonds between water molecules in a fish’s body. ______
these water molecules maintain their linked structure at extreme depths, thus preventing pressure-related damage.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Nevertheless,

B. As a result,

C. However,

D. For instance,
Question ID 4fde4454
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 4fde4454 No.26

One poll taken after the first 1960 presidential debate suggested that John Kennedy lost badly: only 21 percent of those who
listened on the radio rated him the winner. ______ the debate was ultimately considered a victory for the telegenic young
senator, who rated higher than his opponent, Vice President Richard Nixon, among those watching on the new medium of
television.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. In other words,

B. Therefore,

C. Likewise,

D. Nevertheless,
Question ID 34e1124f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 34e1124f No.27

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In geology, an Aeolian landform is one that has been created by the wind.
In Greek mythology, Aeolus is the keeper of the winds.
Aeolian landforms are created when the wind erodes, transports, or deposits material.
A mushroom rock is a rock formation in which the top is wider than the base.
A mushroom rock can be formed when the wind erodes the base and the top at different rates.

The student wants to provide an explanation and an example of Aeolian landforms. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Aeolian landforms are created by different wind-based processes; for example, some are created by wind erosion.

B. Aeolian landforms—landforms created by the wind—include the mushroom rock, a rock formation in which the wind
erodes the base of the rock faster than the top.

C. Erosion, transportation, and deposition are three examples of how the wind can create Aeolian landforms and mushroom
rocks.

D. A mushroom rock is a rock formation that owes its shape to the wind, a natural force associated with Aeolus in Greek
mythology.
Question ID 7fd39a42
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 7fd39a42 No.28

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Circular particle accelerators known as synchrotrons radiate energy in the form of light.
Synchrotron light is among the brightest light ever produced.
Synchrotron light is an ideal tool for researchers investigating the structure of matter.
The first synchrotron created for the purpose of providing synchrotron light was built in 1968.
It was called Tantalus and was housed near the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

The student wants to emphasize the location of the first synchrotron built to provide synchrotron light. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Tantalus, the first synchrotron created for the purpose of providing synchrotron light, was built in 1968.

B. Circular particle accelerators known as synchrotrons radiate energy in the form of light, and this light is an ideal tool for
researchers investigating the structure of matter.

C. The first synchrotron created for the purpose of providing synchrotron light, Tantalus, was housed near the University of
Wisconsin–Madison.

D. Synchrotron light is among the brightest light ever produced, making it an ideal tool for researchers investigating the
structure of matter.
Question ID 96a86bce
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 96a86bce No.29

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Cambodia’s Angkor Wat was built in the 1100s to honor the Hindu god Vishnu.
It has been a Buddhist temple since the sixteenth century.
Decorrelation stretch analysis is a novel digital imaging technique that enhances the contrast between colors in a
photograph.
Archaeologist Noel Hidalgo Tan applied decorrelation stretch analysis to photographs he had taken of Angkor Wat’s
plaster walls.
Tan’s analysis revealed hundreds of images unknown to researchers.

The student wants to present Tan’s research to an audience unfamiliar with Angkor Wat. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Tan photographed Angkor Wat’s plaster walls and then applied decorrelation stretch analysis to the photographs.

B. Decorrelation stretch analysis is a novel digital imaging technique that Tan used to enhance the contrast between colors
in a photograph.

C. Using a novel digital imaging technique, Tan revealed hundreds of images hidden on the walls of Angkor Wat, a
Cambodian temple.

D. Built to honor a Hindu god before becoming a Buddhist temple, Cambodia’s Angkor Wat concealed hundreds of images
on its plaster walls.
Question ID db3ad406
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: db3ad406 No.30

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Stars form in a galaxy when gravity causes a massive cloud of dust and gas to collapse.
A galaxy in a phase of rapid star formation is called a starburst galaxy.
Quenching is a process in which a galaxy loses star-forming gas.
A galaxy that no longer forms stars is called a quenched galaxy.
A quenched galaxy has entered the poststarburst phase.

The student wants to explain what a quenched galaxy is. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the
notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Before quenching, a starburst galaxy will form stars at a rapid rate.

B. When it becomes quenched, a starburst galaxy enters the poststarburst phase.

C. Having entered the poststarburst phase, a quenched galaxy is one that no longer forms stars.

D. A starburst galaxy will lose star-forming gas and eventually become quenched.
Question ID 973632d2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 973632d2 No.31

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In North America, woodlands have expanded into areas that were once grasslands.
Thomas Rogers and F. Leland Russell of Wichita State University investigated whether woodland expansion is related
to changes in climate.
Rogers and Russell analyzed core samples from oak trees on a site that was not wooded in the past and indexed the
age of the trees with historical climate data to see if tree populations and climate were correlated.
Tree population growth was associated with dry intervals.
Droughts may have played a role in woodland expansion.

The student wants to emphasize the aim of the research study. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from
the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Thomas Rogers and F. Leland Russell, researchers at Wichita State University, wanted to know if woodland expansion is
related to changes in climate.

B. Thanks to the work done by Thomas Rogers and F. Leland Russell, we now know that droughts may have played a role in
woodland expansion.

C. Wichita State University researchers have determined that tree population growth was associated with dry intervals.

D. Thomas Rogers and F. Leland Russell analyzed core samples from oak trees on a site that was not wooded in the past,
indexing the age of the trees with historical climate data.
Question ID f114cbf0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: f114cbf0 No.32

A firefly uses specialized muscles to draw oxygen into its lower abdomen through narrow tubes, triggering a chemical
reaction whereby the oxygen combines with chemicals in the firefly’s abdomen to produce a glow. ______ when the firefly
stops drawing in oxygen, the reaction—and the glow—cease.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. For instance,

B. By contrast,

C. Specifically,

D. In conclusion,
Question ID b7c404d1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: b7c404d1 No.33

With her room-sized installation The Interstitium, Iranian American artist Laleh Mehran succeeded in creating a space that
felt, as intended, both “familiar and distant.” ______ with a video screen placed at the far end of the coal slag-encrusted room,
her installation was reminiscent of a typical movie theater—albeit one found in a subterranean coal mine.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Next,

B. Nevertheless,

C. Indeed,

D. Instead,
Question ID d9d314d9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: d9d314d9 No.34

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Pinnipeds, which include seals, sea lions, and walruses, live in and around water.
Pinnipeds are descended not from sea animals but from four-legged, land-dwelling carnivores.
Canadian paleobiologist Natalia Rybczynski recently found a fossil with four legs, webbed toes, and the skull and
teeth of a seal.
Rybczynski refers to her rare find as a “transitional fossil.”
The fossil illustrates an early stage in the evolution of pinnipeds from their land-dwelling ancestors.

The student wants to emphasize the fossil’s significance. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the
notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Canadian paleobiologist Natalia Rybczynski’s fossil has the skull and teeth of a seal, which, like sea lions and walruses, is a
pinniped.

B. Pinnipeds are descended from four-legged, land-dwelling carnivores; a fossil that resembles both was recently found.

C. Having four legs but the skull and teeth of a seal, the rare fossil illustrates an early stage in the evolution of pinnipeds
from their land-dwelling ancestors.

D. A “transitional fossil” was recently found by paleobiologist Natalia Rybczynski.

Question ID ad729337
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: ad729337 No.35

With its clichéd imagery of suburban lawns and power lines, John Ashbery’s 2004 poem “Ignorance of the Law Is No Excuse”
may seem barren terrain for critical analysis. ______ cultural critic Lauren Berlant finds fertile ground in just its first two stanzas,
devoting most of a book chapter to deciphering the “weight of the default space” Ashbery creates in this poem.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Likewise,

B. Nonetheless,

C. In turn,

D. That is,
Question ID ce282575
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: ce282575 No.36

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 novel The Hobbit features two maps.
The novel opens with a reproduction of the map that the characters use on their quest.
This map introduces readers to the fictional world they are about to enter.
The novel closes with a map depicting every stop on the characters’ journey.
That map allows readers to reconstruct the story they have just read.

The student wants to contrast the purposes of the two maps in The Hobbit. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. The Hobbit’s opening map introduces readers to the fictional world they are about to enter, while the closing map allows
them to reconstruct the story they have just read.

B. The Hobbit, a novel published by J.R.R. Tolkien in 1937, features a reproduction of a map that the characters use on their
quest, as well as a map that appears at the end of the novel.

C. The Hobbit’s two maps, one opening and one closing the novel, each serve a purpose for readers.

D. In 1937, author J.R.R. Tolkien published The Hobbit, a novel featuring both an opening and a closing map.
Question ID 0ee64efc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 0ee64efc No.37

In the 1850s, William Still was instrumental in helping nearly 1,000 people escape from slavery, earning him the moniker “the
Father of the Underground Railroad.” ______ despite the fame of his contributions during his lifetime, Still is discussed far less
today than other prominent Black abolitionists from his era, such as Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. For example,

B. However,

C. Specifically,

D. Similarly,
Question ID b8eec031
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: b8eec031 No.38

Researchers Helena Mihaljević-Brandt, Lucía Santamaría, and Marco Tullney report that while mathematicians may have
traditionally worked alone, evidence points to a shift in the opposite direction. ______ mathematicians are choosing to
collaborate with their peers—a trend illustrated by a rise in the number of mathematics publications credited to multiple
authors.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Similarly,

B. For this reason,

C. Furthermore,

D. Increasingly,
Question ID 9e34720b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 9e34720b No.39

Although those who migrated to California in 1849 dreamed of finding gold nuggets in streambeds, the state’s richest
deposits were buried deeply in rock, beyond the reach of individual prospectors. ______ by 1852, many had given up their
fortune-hunting dreams and gone to work for one of the large companies capable of managing California’s complex mining
operations.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Furthermore,

B. Still,

C. Consequently,

D. Next,
Question ID 63c73b50
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 63c73b50 No.40

In 2018, Kurt Luther and Vikram Mohanty created the web-based tool Civil War Photo Sleuth (CWPS). A user uploading an
unknown Civil War soldier’s photograph to CWPS first tags the photo with all known information. ______ CWPS’s facial-
recognition software analyzes twenty-seven different physical features and looks for matches to tagged images already in
the database.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Then,

B. In fact,

C. Likewise,

D. For example,
Question ID 3831f2d7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 3831f2d7 No.41

Arkansas aviator Louise Thaden was already a record breaker when she won the inaugural National Women’s Air Derby, a
race from California to Ohio, in August of 1929. ______ in December of 1928, Thaden had set an aviation record when she
reached an altitude of 20,269 feet in a Travel Air biplane.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Earlier,

B. However,

C. Next,

D. As a result,
Question ID 1469d23a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 1469d23a No.42

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Etel Adnan was a Lebanese American poet and artist known for making many leporellos.
A leporello is an artist’s book that is folded accordion style.
When the book is expanded, the artist’s work is revealed, and its zigzag shape allows it to stand on its own.
Her leporello December from My Window (1993) features a panoramic landscape.
It is painted using ink and watercolor.

The student wants to describe Adnan’s December from My Window to an audience already familiar with leporellos. Which
choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Featuring a panoramic landscape, the 1993 work is one of Adnan’s many leporellos, which are accordion-style folded
books that when expanded reveal the artist’s work.

B. When expanded, Adnan’s 1993 leporello December from My Window reveals a panoramic landscape painted in ink and
watercolor.

C. Known for making many other accordion-style folded books called leporellos, Adnan created December from My Window
in 1993.

D. A leporello, such as Adnan’s December from My Window, is folded accordion style, and due to its zigzag shape it is able to
stand on its own when fully expanded.
Question ID 2b5e0731
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 2b5e0731 No.43

With darkness falling, a mother elephant loses sight of her calf and wants to make sure it is safe. ______ she releases an
infrasonic call for the calf to hear. Infrasonic sound is below the range of human hearing, but many animals can hear these
sounds from several miles away.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. For example,

B. For this reason,

C. Nowadays,

D. Similarly,
Question ID 3ea7372e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 3ea7372e No.44

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In the art world, the term biennial traditionally refers to an art exhibition that takes place every two years in a single
location.
Such biennials are held in New York, Berlin, and Venice.
In 2006, artists Ed Gomez and Luis Hernandez founded the unconventional MexiCali Biennial.
The MexiCali Biennial hosts exhibitions in different venues on both sides of the US-Mexico border.
The MexiCali Biennial has taken place on an uneven schedule, with exhibitions in 2006, 2009–10, 2013, and 2018–20.

The student wants to emphasize a difference between the MexiCali Biennial and traditional biennials. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. In 2006, artists Ed Gomez and Luis Hernandez founded the MexiCali Biennial, which has taken place in 2006, 2009–10,
2013, and 2018–20.

B. Unlike traditional biennials, the MexiCali Biennial hosts exhibitions in different venues on an uneven schedule.

C. The term biennial traditionally refers to an art exhibition that takes place every two years in a single location, not to
exhibitions hosted at a variety of times and venues.

D. Biennial exhibitions have been held in New York, Berlin, and Venice but also on both sides of the US-Mexico border.
Question ID 1c36e3e1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 1c36e3e1 No.45

The number of dark spots that appear on the Sun, known as sunspots, can vary greatly. For example, there were about 180
sunspots in November 2001. ______ there were only about 2 sunspots in December 2008.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. In other words,

B. Similarly,

C. Therefore,

D. By comparison,
Question ID 8d1ddd1b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 8d1ddd1b No.46

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Ducklings expend up to 62.8% less energy when swimming in a line behind their mother than when swimming alone.
The physics behind this energy savings hasn’t always been well understood.
Naval architect Zhiming Yuan used computer simulations to study the effect of the mother duck’s wake.
The study revealed that ducklings are pushed in a forward direction by the wake’s waves.
Yuan determined this push reduces the effect of wave drag on the ducklings by 158%.

The student wants to present the study and its methodology. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from
the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. A study revealed that ducklings, which expend up to 62.8% less energy when swimming in a line behind their mother,
also experience 158% less drag.

B. Seeking to understand how ducklings swimming in a line behind their mother save energy, Zhiming Yuan used computer
simulations to study the effect of the mother duck’s wake.

C. Zhiming Yuan studied the physics behind the fact that by being pushed in a forward direction by waves, ducklings save
energy.

D. Naval architect Zhiming Yuan discovered that ducklings are pushed in a forward direction by the waves of their mother’s
wake, reducing the effect of drag by 158%.
Question ID 82ec9628
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 82ec9628 No.47

Archaeologist Sue Brunning explains why the seventh-century ship burial site at Sutton Hoo in England was likely the tomb
of a king. First, the gold artifacts inside the ship suggest that the person buried with them was a wealthy and respected
leader. ______ the massive effort required to bury the ship would likely only have been undertaken for a king.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Instead,

B. Still,

C. Specifically,

D. Second,
Question ID ba263620
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: ba263620 No.48

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 1897, African American inventor Andrew Beard invented an automatic coupler.
It improved on the existing design of train car couplers.
It made the job of connecting train cars safer.
In 1938, African American inventor Frederick Jones invented a mobile refrigeration system.
It improved on the existing design of food transport trucks.
It enabled trucks to carry perishable foods farther.

The student wants to emphasize a similarity between Beard’s invention and Jones’s invention. Which choice most effectively
uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Beard’s automatic coupler and Jones’s mobile refrigeration system both improved on existing designs.

B. In 1897, Beard invented an automatic coupler, which made the job of connecting train cars safer.

C. Beard’s invention made the job of connecting train cars safer, whereas Jones’s invention enabled food transport trucks to
carry perishables farther.

D. Jones’s mobile refrigeration system, which he invented in 1938, made it possible for food transport trucks to carry
perishable foods farther.
Question ID 4f2710ab
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 4f2710ab No.49

Organisms have evolved a number of surprising adaptations to ensure their survival in adverse conditions. Tadpole shrimp
(Triops longicaudatus) embryos, ______ can pause development for over ten years during extended periods of drought.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. in contrast,

B. for example,

C. meanwhile,

D. consequently,
Question ID 480ade7e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 480ade7e No.50

In response to adverse environmental conditions, many plants produce abscisic acid (ABA), a stress hormone. ABA triggers a
slowdown in the biological processes of most plants. ______ when the mustard plant Schrenkiella parvula produces ABA in
response to an environmental stressor, the hormone triggers accelerated growth.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Moreover,

B. In contrast,

C. For example,

D. Thus,
Question ID 34a5ba1c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 34a5ba1c No.51

By 1936, Spanish Romani dancer Carmen Amaya was known all over Spain for her powerful style of flamenco dancing.
However, in July of that year, the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War made it difficult for her to perform in her home country.
______ Amaya left Spain to perform abroad, dancing for audiences across North and South America.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. In comparison,

B. As a result,

C. First of all,

D. For example,
Question ID c34d6bff
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: c34d6bff No.52

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
African American women played prominent roles in the Civil Rights Movement, including at the famous 1963 March
on Washington.
Civil rights activist Anna Hedgeman, one of the march’s organizers, was a political adviser who had worked for
President Truman.
Civil rights activist Daisy Bates was a well-known journalist and advocate for school desegregation.
Hedgeman worked behind the scenes to make sure a woman was included in the lineup of speakers at the march.
Bates was the sole woman to speak, delivering a brief but memorable address to the cheering crowd.

The student wants to compare the two women’s contributions to the March on Washington. Which choice most effectively
uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Hedgeman and Bates contributed to the march in different ways; Bates, for example, delivered a brief but memorable
address.

B. Hedgeman worked in politics and helped organize the march, while Bates was a journalist and school desegregation
advocate.

C. Although Hedgeman worked behind the scenes to make sure a woman speaker was included, Bates was the sole woman
to speak at the march.

D. Many African American women, including Bates and Hedgeman, fought for civil rights, but only one spoke at the march.
Question ID ac8eb085
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: ac8eb085 No.53

“O2 Arena,” an award-winning science fiction story by Nigerian author Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki, takes place in an
alternate version of Nigeria where breathable air is a rare commodity that is owned and sold by companies. ______ people
must purchase it with currency called O2 credits.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. As a result,

B. In any case,

C. Nevertheless,

D. Earlier,
Question ID 37957752
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 37957752 No.54

As biologist Terrie Williams has documented, deep dives present a challenge for seals and other marine mammals. A seal
must exert enough energy to propel itself hundreds of meters downward, while keeping its heart rate low enough that it
doesn’t run out of oxygen while underwater. ______ a seal moves its flippers as little as possible on a deep dive, gliding to
conserve energy.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. In the first place,

B. On the other hand,

C. For this reason,

D. In comparison,
Question ID 2b5f4bdc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 2b5f4bdc No.55

In the early 1900s, Jovita Idár fought injustice on both sides of the Mexico–United States border. As a reporter for the Texas
newspaper La Crónica, she voiced support for the Mexican people’s revolt against authoritarian rule. ______ she founded the
League of Mexican Women, a group that advocated for the rights of Mexican Americans.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Additionally,

B. In conclusion,

C. For example,

D. Rather,
Question ID 90117366
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 90117366 No.56

To explore how blinking affects social interactions, Dutch researchers observed interactions between human speakers and
“listeners” (animated human faces on a screen). The researchers found that when the listeners blinked slowly, the speakers
tended to talk for less time. ______ quicker blinks were associated with longer talking times.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. For example,

B. Specifically,

C. Firstly,

D. By contrast,
Question ID ed80971c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: ed80971c No.57

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The Pueblo of Zuni is located about 150 miles west of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
It is the traditional home of the A:shiwi (Zuni) people.
The A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center was established by tribal members in 1992.
Its mission is stated on its website: “As a tribal museum and heritage center for the Zuni people and by the Zuni
people we work to provide learning experiences that emphasize A:shiwi ways of knowing, as well as exploring
modern concepts of knowledge and the transfer of knowledge.”

The student wants to emphasize how long the museum has existed. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information
from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. The Pueblo of Zuni is home to the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center, which was founded by tribal members.

B. The A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center has served the Pueblo of Zuni since 1992.

C. According to its website, the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center (founded in the 1990s) works to “emphasize
A:shiwi ways of knowing.”

D. Knowledge has been one of the central themes of the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center from its founding.
Question ID 13f36b03
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 13f36b03 No.58

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Jon Ching is a Los Angeles-based painter.
He uses the term “flauna” to describe the plant-animal hybrids that he depicts in his surreal paintings.
“Flauna” is a combination of the words “flora” and “fauna.”
His painting Nectar depicts a parrot with leaves for feathers.
His painting Primaveral depicts a snow leopard whose fur sprouts flowers.

The student wants to provide an explanation and example of “flauna.” Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. The term “flauna,” used by Los Angeles-based painter Jon Ching, is a combination of the words “flora” and “fauna.”

B. Jon Ching uses the term “flauna,” a combination of the words “flora” and “fauna,” to describe the subjects of his surreal
paintings: plant-animal hybrids such as a parrot with leaves for feathers.

C. Jon Ching, who created Nectar, refers to the subjects of his paintings as “flauna.”

D. The subjects of Nectar and Primaveral are types of “flauna,” a term that the paintings’ creator, Jon Ching, uses when
describing his surreal artworks.
Question ID 52b31d7b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 52b31d7b No.59

In November 1934, Amrita Sher-Gil was living in what must have seemed like the ideal city for a young artist: Paris. She was
studying firsthand the color-saturated style of France’s modernist masters and beginning to make a name for herself as a
painter. ______ Sher-Gil longed to return to her childhood home of India; only there, she believed, could her art truly flourish.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Still,

B. Therefore,

C. Indeed,

D. Furthermore,
Question ID a86c0b1b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: a86c0b1b No.60

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Ancient Native American and Australian Aboriginal cultures described the Pleiades star cluster as having seven stars.
It was referred to as the Seven Sisters in the mythology of ancient Greece.
Today, the cluster appears to have only six stars.
Two of the stars have moved so close together that they now appear as one.

The student wants to specify the reason the Pleiades’ appearance changed. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Ancient Native American and Australian Aboriginal cultures described the Pleiades, which was referred to in Greek
mythology as the Seven Sisters, as having seven stars.

B. Although once referred to as the Seven Sisters, the Pleiades appears to have only six stars today.

C. In the time since ancient cultures described the Pleiades as having seven stars, two of the cluster’s stars have moved so
close together that they now appear as one.

D. The Pleiades has seven stars, but two are so close together that they appear to be a single star.
Question ID eaded344
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: eaded344 No.61

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The painter Frida Kahlo is one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century.
She was born in Coyoacán, Mexico, in 1907.
She is best known for her vivid and richly symbolic self-portraits.
The Two Fridas (1939) features two versions of Kahlo sitting together.
One version wears a European-style dress and the other a traditional Tehuana dress.

The student wants to introduce Kahlo to an audience unfamiliar with the artist. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Known for being vivid and richly symbolic, Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits include The Two Fridas (1939).

B. The 1939 painting The Two Fridas is one example of a self-portrait by Frida Kahlo.

C. One painting by Frida Kahlo features two versions of herself, with one version wearing a European-style dress and the
other a traditional Tehuana dress.

D. One of the most influential artists of the twentieth century, Mexican painter Frida Kahlo is best known for her self-
portraits, which are vivid and richly symbolic.
Question ID 86b78078
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 86b78078 No.62

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Samuel Selvon was a Trinidadian author.
The Lonely Londoners is one of his most celebrated novels.
Selvon published the novel in 1956.
It is about a group of men who emigrate from the Caribbean to Great Britain after World War II.
Some of The Lonely Londoners’ characters also appear in Selvon’s later novel Moses Ascending.

The student wants to introduce Samuel Selvon and his novel The Lonely Londoners to a new audience. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. In 1956, Trinidadian author Samuel Selvon published one of his most celebrated novels, The Lonely Londoners, which is
about a group of men who emigrate from the Caribbean to Great Britain after World War II.

B. Samuel Selvon wrote the novel Moses Ascending after he wrote The Lonely Londoners.

C. The Lonely Londoners, a celebrated novel that was published in 1956, depicts post–World War II Caribbean migration from
the perspective of a Trinidadian author.

D. Some of the characters who appear in Samuel Selvon’s Moses Ascending also appear in The Lonely Londoners.
Question ID 4f9ee1dc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 4f9ee1dc No.63

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Seven species of sea turtle exist today.
Five sea turtle species can be found in the Atlantic Ocean.
One of those species is the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle.
Its scientific name is Lepidochelys kempii.
Another of those species is the olive ridley sea turtle.
Its scientific name is Lepidochelys olivacea.

The student wants to emphasize a similarity between the two sea turtle species. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Among the seven species of sea turtle is the olive ridley sea turtle, which can be found in the Atlantic Ocean.

B. The Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is referred to as Lepidochelys kempii, while the olive ridley sea turtle is referred to as
Lepidochelys olivacea.

C. Both the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle and the olive ridley sea turtle can be found in the Atlantic Ocean.

D. The Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) and the olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) are different
species.
Question ID 2bda9edb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 2bda9edb No.64

In 1885, Chinese-born California resident Mary Tape became a hero of the Asian American civil rights movement. In January
of that year, she won an antidiscrimination case in the California Supreme Court. ______ in April, she wrote an open letter
criticizing her local board of education for discrimination. Both actions are remembered today as historic stands against
racism.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Later,

B. For instance,

C. In other words,

D. Rather,
Question ID e3484c07
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: e3484c07 No.65

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Bioluminescence is the emission of light by living organisms.
This light is produced by chemical reactions in organisms’ cells.
Jellyfish emit flashes of blue light.
This behavior serves to startle predators.
Black dragonfish emit a steady red light.
This behavior helps them locate prey in deep waters.

The student wants to emphasize a difference between the behavior of jellyfish and that of black dragonfish. Which choice
most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Both jellyfish and black dragonfish are organisms that emit light, which is produced by chemical reactions in these
organisms’ cells.

B. Black dragonfish emit a steady red light, which helps them locate prey in deep waters.

C. Bioluminescence, the emission of light by living organisms, results from chemical reactions in organisms’ cells.

D. Jellyfish emit light to startle predators, whereas black dragonfish do so to locate prey.
Question ID fc95a352
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: fc95a352 No.66

When designing costumes for film, American artist Suttirat Larlarb typically custom fits the garments to each actor. ______ for
the film Sunshine, in which astronauts must reignite a dying Sun, she designed a golden spacesuit and had a factory
reproduce it in a few standard sizes; lacking a tailor-made quality, the final creations reflected the ungainliness of actual
spacesuits.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Nevertheless,

B. Thus,

C. Likewise,

D. Moreover,
Question ID 5a5e22b5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 5a5e22b5 No.67

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Gravitational waves are powerful ripples that originate in deep space and eventually pass through Earth.
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) is a physics study that began in 2002.
LIGO’s goal is to detect and analyze gravitational waves.
LIGO uses a pair of massive gravitational wave detectors called interferometers that are thousands of miles apart.
In 2015, for the first time in history, LIGO researchers detected a gravitational wave passing through Earth.

The student wants to present LIGO’s aim and methodology. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the
notes to accomplish this goal?

A. In 2015, LIGO’s massive interferometers detected a powerful ripple that originated in deep space and eventually passed
through Earth.

B. Though the physics study LIGO began in 2002, its massive interferometers didn’t detect a gravitational wave until 2015.

C. To achieve its aims, LIGO uses a pair of massive interferometers that are thousands of miles apart.

D. A physics study designed to detect and analyze gravitational waves, LIGO uses a pair of massive interferometers that are
thousands of miles apart.
Question ID bc56170b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: bc56170b No.68

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Most, but not all, of the Moon’s oxygen comes from the Sun, via solar wind.
Cosmochemist Kentaro Terada from Osaka University wondered if some of the unaccounted-for oxygen could be
coming from Earth.
In 2008, he analyzed data from the Japanese satellite Kaguya.
Kaguya gathered data about gases and particles it encountered while orbiting the Moon.
Based on the Kaguya data, Terada confirmed his suspicion that Earth is sending oxygen to the Moon.

The student wants to emphasize the aim of the research study. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from
the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. As it orbited the Moon, the Kaguya satellite collected data that was later analyzed by cosmochemist Kentaro Terada.

B. Before 2008, Kentaro Terada wondered if the Moon was receiving some of its oxygen from Earth.

C. Cosmochemist Kentaro Terada set out to determine whether some of the Moon’s oxygen was coming from Earth.

D. Kentaro Terada’s study determined that Earth is sending a small amount of oxygen to the Moon.
Question ID d7f31e68
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: d7f31e68 No.69

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Annie Wu is a prominent American flutist who graduated from the New England Conservatory.
She has won multiple national flute competitions.
She is best known for a 2011 YouTube video that has been viewed over two million times.
The video shows her performing Three Beats for Beatbox Flute, an original work by composer Greg Pattillo.
Wu combines flute playing and beatboxing in the video.

The student wants to emphasize Wu’s most well-known achievement. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Annie Wu, who has won multiple national flute competitions, has also combined flute playing and beatboxing.

B. Among her many achievements, prominent American flutist Annie Wu graduated from the New England Conservatory
and has won multiple national flute competitions.

C. Annie Wu is best known for a 2011 YouTube video performance of Three Beats for Beatbox Flute that has been viewed
over two million times.

D. Composer Greg Pattillo’s original work Three Beats for Beatbox Flute combines flute playing and beatboxing.
Question ID 6351062d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 6351062d No.70

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In the late 1890s, over 14,000 unique varieties of apples were grown in the US.
The rise of industrial agriculture in the mid-1900s narrowed the range of commercially grown crops.
Thousands of apple varieties considered less suitable for commercial growth were lost.
Today, only 15 apple varieties dominate the market, making up 90% of apples purchased in the US.
The Lost Apple Project, based in Washington State, attempts to find and grow lost apple varieties.

The student wants to emphasize the decline in unique apple varieties in the US and specify why this decline occurred. Which
choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish these goals?

A. The Lost Apple Project is dedicated to finding some of the apple varieties lost following a shift in agricultural practices in
the mid-1900s.

B. While over 14,000 apple varieties were grown in the US in the late 1890s, only 15 unique varieties make up most of the
apples sold today.

C. Since the rise of industrial agriculture, US farmers have mainly grown the same few unique apple varieties, resulting in the
loss of thousands of varieties less suitable for commercial growth.

D. As industrial agriculture rose to prominence in the mid-1900s, the number of crops selected for cultivation decreased
dramatically.
Question ID 5bb7dc03
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 5bb7dc03 No.71

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Started in 1925, the Scripps National Spelling Bee is a US-based spelling competition.
The words used in the competition have diverse linguistic origins.
In 2008, Sameer Mishra won by correctly spelling the word “guerdon.”
“Guerdon” derives from the Anglo-French word “guerdun.”
In 2009, Kavya Shivashankar won by correctly spelling the word “Laodicean.”
“Laodicean” derives from the ancient Greek word “Laodíkeia.”

The student wants to emphasize a difference in the origins of the two words. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. “Guerdon,” the final word of the 2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee, is of Anglo-French origin, while the following year’s
final word, “Laodicean,” derives from ancient Greek.

B. In 2008, Sameer Mishra won the Scripps National Spelling Bee by correctly spelling the word “guerdon”; however, the
following year, Kavya Shivashankar won based on spelling the word “Laodicean.”

C. Kavya Shivashankar won the 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee by correctly spelling “Laodicean,” which derives from the
ancient Greek word “Laodíkeia.”

D. The Scripps National Spelling Bee uses words from diverse linguistic origins, such as “guerdon” and “Laodicean.”
Question ID 9e2d4ef7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 9e2d4ef7 No.72

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Abdulrazak Gurnah was awarded the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Gurnah was born in Zanzibar in East Africa and currently lives in the United Kingdom.
Many readers have singled out Gurnah’s 1994 book Paradise for praise.
Paradise is a historical novel about events that occurred in colonial East Africa.

The student wants to introduce Paradise to an audience unfamiliar with the novel and its author. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Abdulrazak Gurnah, who wrote Paradise and later was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, was born in Zanzibar in East
Africa and currently lives in the United Kingdom.

B. Many readers have singled out Abdulrazak Gurnah’s 1994 book Paradise, a historical novel about colonial East Africa, for
praise.

C. A much-praised historical novel about colonial East Africa, Paradise (1994) was written by Abdulrazak Gurnah, winner of
the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature.

D. Paradise is a historical novel about events that occurred in colonial East Africa, Abdulrazak Gurnah’s homeland.
Question ID 87d8a2ff
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 87d8a2ff No.73

During a 2021 launch, Rocket Labs’ Electron rocket experienced an unexpected failure: its second-stage booster shut down
suddenly after ignition. ______ instead of downplaying the incident, Rocket Labs’ CEO publicly acknowledged what happened
and apologized for the loss of the rocket’s payload, which had consisted of two satellites.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Afterward,

B. Additionally,

C. Indeed,

D. Similarly,
Question ID 94f4eecb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 94f4eecb No.74

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Las sergas de Esplandián was a novel popular in sixteenth-century Spain.
The novel featured a fictional island inhabited solely by Black women and known as California.
That same century, Spanish explorers learned of an “island” off the west coast of Mexico.
They called it California after the island in the novel.
The “island” was actually the peninsula now known as Baja California (“Lower California”), which lies to the south of
the US state of California.

The student wants to emphasize the role a misconception played in the naming of a place. Which choice most effectively
uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. The novel Las sergas de Esplandián featured a fictional island known as California.

B. To the south of the US state of California lies Baja California (“Lower California”), originally called California after a fictional
place.

C. In the sixteenth century, Spanish explorers learned of a peninsula off the west coast of Mexico and called it California.

D. Thinking it was an island, Spanish explorers called a peninsula California after an island in a popular novel.
Question ID 99183985
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 99183985 No.75

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Some sandstone arches in Utah’s Arches National Park have been defaced by tourists’ carvings.
Park rangers can smooth away some carvings using power grinders.
For deep carvings, power grinding is not always feasible because it can greatly alter or damage the rock.
Park rangers can use an infilling technique, which involves filling in carvings with ground sandstone and a bonding
agent.
This technique is minimally invasive.

The student wants to explain an advantage of the infilling technique. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information
from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. To remove carvings from sandstone arches in Utah’s Arches National Park, power grinding is not always feasible.

B. Filling in carvings with ground sandstone and a bonding agent is less invasive than smoothing them away with a power
grinder, which can greatly alter or damage the sandstone arches.

C. Park rangers can use a power grinding technique to smooth away carvings or fill them in with ground sandstone and a
bonding agent.

D. As methods for removing carvings from sandstone, power grinding and infilling differ in their level of invasiveness.
Question ID 4154a7a3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 4154a7a3 No.76

In 1891, dancer and choreographer Loie Fuller first performed her celebrated Serpentine Dance, artfully twirling her long,
flowing skirt to create striking visual effects. ______ in 1896, cinema pioneers Auguste and Louis Lumière made a
groundbreaking short film of Fuller’s dance.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. However,

B. In conclusion,

C. Later,

D. In other words,
Question ID 9c78f702
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 9c78f702 No.77

Phytoplankton play a crucial role in the ocean’s uptake of carbon from the atmosphere. When alive, these tiny marine
organisms absorb atmospheric carbon via photosynthesis. ______ after they die, the phytoplankton sink to the seafloor, where
the carbon in their cells gets stored in sediment, preventing it from cycling back into the atmosphere.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Specifically,

B. By contrast,

C. Nevertheless,

D. Then,
Question ID d3898d32
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: d3898d32 No.78

Riley Black—the author of critically acclaimed books such as My Beloved Brontosaurus (2013)—is best known for writing
about dinosaurs, but she has also conducted hands-on fieldwork. ______ her fieldwork has included paleontological digs in
Utah, Montana, and Wyoming, and her dinosaur fossil discoveries can be seen at places such as the Carnegie Museum of
Natural History.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Regardless,

B. Subsequently,

C. Specifically,

D. Conversely,
Question ID ecb31049
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: ecb31049 No.79

The Sun and other stars are powered by nuclear fusion reactions, in which two atoms collide to form a single heavier atom,
releasing energy. Scientists have long believed that fusion has the potential to meet humanity’s clean energy needs. ______
prior to December 2022, no fusion reaction in a laboratory setting had ever generated a net energy gain.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. For this reason,

B. Moreover,

C. Specifically,

D. That said,
Question ID eea351c4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: eea351c4 No.80

“Wishcycling”—putting nonrecyclable items into recycling bins under the mistaken belief that those items can be recycled—
ultimately does more harm than good. Nonrecyclable items, such as greasy pizza boxes, can contaminate recyclable
materials, rendering entire batches unusable. ______ nonrecyclable products can damage recycling plants’ machinery.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Fittingly,

B. On the contrary,

C. Moreover,

D. Nevertheless,
Question ID 0205e563
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 0205e563 No.81

At two weeks old, the time their critical socialization period begins, wolves can smell but cannot yet see or hear.
Domesticated dogs, ______ can see, hear, and smell by the end of two weeks. This relative lack of sensory input may help
explain why wolves behave so differently around humans than dogs do: from a very young age, wolves are more wary and
less exploratory.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. in other words,

B. for instance,

C. by contrast,

D. accordingly,
Question ID efc19153
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: efc19153 No.82

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Just like states have state flags, some cities have city flags.
Over one hundred US cities have redesigned their flags since 2015.
The city of Pocatello, Idaho, redesigned its flag after it was named the most poorly designed flag in North America.
Pocatello’s new flag better represents the city’s mountainous geography and civic priorities.
Residents consider the new flag to be a meaningful symbol of civic pride.

The student wants to make and support a generalization about the effect of redesigning a city flag. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Over one hundred US cities have redesigned their flags, including Pocatello, whose flag had been named the most poorly
designed flag in North America.

B. Pocatello is just one of over one hundred US cities that have redesigned their flags.

C. After it was named the most poorly designed flag in North America, the flag of Pocatello was redesigned to better
represent the city’s geography and civic priorities.

D. Redesigning a poorly designed city flag can create a meaningful symbol of civic pride, as was the case when Pocatello
redesigned its original flag to better represent its geography and civic priorities.
Question ID eae29760
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: eae29760 No.83

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The calendar used by most of the world (the Gregorian calendar) has 365 days.
Because 365 days can’t be divided evenly by 7 (the number of days in a week), calendar dates fall on a different day
of the week each year.
The Hanke-Henry permanent calendar, developed as an alternative to the Gregorian calendar, has 364 days.
Because 364 can be divided evenly by 7, calendar dates fall on the same day of the week each year, which supports
more predictable scheduling.

The student wants to explain an advantage of the Hanke-Henry calendar. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. The Gregorian calendar has 365 days, which is one day longer than the Hanke-Henry permanent calendar.

B. Adopting the Hanke-Henry permanent calendar would help solve a problem with the Gregorian calendar.

C. Designed so calendar dates would occur on the same day of the week each year, the Hanke-Henry calendar supports
more predictable scheduling than does the Gregorian calendar.

D. The Hanke-Henry permanent calendar was developed as an alternative to the Gregorian calendar, which is currently the
most-used calendar in the world.
Question ID 835b101b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 835b101b No.84

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Minnesota defines a lake as an inland body of water of at least 10 acres.
Wisconsin’s definition of a lake doesn’t take size into account.
By its own definition, Wisconsin has over 15,000 lakes, many smaller than 10 acres.
By Minnesota’s definition, Wisconsin has only about 6,000 lakes.

The student wants to contrast Minnesota’s definition of a lake with Wisconsin’s. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Wisconsin, which doesn’t take size into account in defining a lake, claims that it has over 15,000 lakes.

B. Because its definition of a lake is different from Minnesota’s, it is unclear how many lakes Wisconsin really has.

C. According to Minnesota’s definition of a lake—an inland body of water of at least 10 acres—Wisconsin has about 6,000
lakes.

D. Minnesota’s definition of a lake—an inland body of water of at least 10 acres—is more restrictive than Wisconsin’s, which
doesn’t take size into account.
Question ID 39d1a519
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 39d1a519 No.85

To discover which fruit varieties were grown in Italy’s Umbria region before the introduction of industrial farming, botanist
Isabella Dalla Ragione often turns to centuries-old lists of cooking ingredients. ______ she analyzes Renaissance paintings of
Umbria, as they can provide accurate representations of fruits that were grown there long ago.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. In sum,

B. Instead,

C. Thus,

D. Additionally,
Question ID aec8d3e8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: aec8d3e8 No.86

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Chemical leavening agents cause carbon dioxide to be released within a liquid batter, making the batter rise as it
bakes.
Baking soda and baking powder are chemical leavening agents.
Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate.
To produce carbon dioxide, baking soda needs to be mixed with liquid and an acidic ingredient such as honey.
Baking powder is a mixture of sodium bicarbonate and an acid.
To produce carbon dioxide, baking powder needs to be mixed with liquid but not with an acidic ingredient.

The student wants to emphasize a difference between baking soda and baking powder. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. To make batters rise, bakers use chemical leavening agents such as baking soda and baking powder.

B. Baking soda and baking powder are chemical leavening agents that, when mixed with other ingredients, cause carbon
dioxide to be released within a batter.

C. Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, and honey is a type of acidic ingredient.

D. To produce carbon dioxide within a liquid batter, baking soda needs to be mixed with an acidic ingredient, whereas
baking powder does not.
Question ID 6916c8e5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Transitions

ID: 6916c8e5 No.87

Laetitia Ky’s hair is her art. Inspired by hairstyles from various African tribes, the Ivorian artist uses wire and thread to sculpt
her hair into all kinds of shapes. ______ she once made her hair into the shape of the continent of Africa—including the island
of Madagascar!

Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?

A. Soon,

B. Elsewhere,

C. For example,

D. However,
Question ID 56b000d0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 56b000d0 No.88

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The factors that affect clutch size (the number of eggs laid at one time) have been well studied in birds but not in
lizards.
A team led by Shai Meiri of Tel Aviv University investigated which factors influence lizard clutch size.
Meiri’s team obtained clutch-size and habitat data for over 3,900 lizard species and analyzed the data with statistical
models.
Larger clutch size was associated with environments in higher latitudes that have more seasonal change.
Lizards in higher-latitude environments may lay larger clutches to take advantage of shorter windows of favorable
conditions.

The student wants to emphasize the aim of the research study. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from
the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Researchers wanted to know which factors influence lizard egg clutch size because such factors have been well studied in
birds but not in lizards.

B. After they obtained data for over 3,900 lizard species, researchers determined that larger clutch size was associated with
environments in higher latitudes that have more seasonal change.

C. We now know that lizards in higher-latitude environments may lay larger clutches to take advantage of shorter windows
of favorable conditions.

D. Researchers obtained clutch-size and habitat data for over 3,900 lizard species and analyzed the data with statistical
models.
Question ID 92dec236
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 92dec236 No.89

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Maika’i Tubbs is a Native Hawaiian sculptor and installation artist.
His work has been shown in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Germany, among other places.
Many of his sculptures feature discarded objects.
His work Erasure (2008) includes discarded audiocassette tapes and magnets.
His work Home Grown (2009) includes discarded pushpins, plastic plates and forks, and wood.

The student wants to emphasize a similarity between the two works. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information
from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Erasure (2008) uses discarded objects such as audiocassette tapes and magnets; Home Grown (2009), however, includes
pushpins, plastic plates and forks, and wood.

B. Tubbs’s work, which often features discarded objects, has been shown both within the United States and abroad.

C. Like many of Tubbs’s sculptures, both Erasure and Home Grown include discarded objects: Erasure uses audiocassette
tapes, and Home Grown uses plastic forks.

D. Tubbs completed Erasure in 2008 and Home Grown in 2009.