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Rhetoric

The document presents a series of questions and notes related to various topics, including research studies and historical facts. Each question requires the student to select the most effective way to present information based on the notes provided. The focus is on summarizing key points and emphasizing relevant information for different audiences.

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ntnminh18.06
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
80 views161 pages

Rhetoric

The document presents a series of questions and notes related to various topics, including research studies and historical facts. Each question requires the student to select the most effective way to present information based on the notes provided. The focus is on summarizing key points and emphasizing relevant information for different audiences.

Uploaded by

ntnminh18.06
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Question ID afec1a70

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: afec1a70
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
As engineered structures, many bird nests are uniquely flexible yet cohesive.
A research team led by Yashraj Bhosale wanted to better understand the mechanics behind these structural
properties.
Bhosale’s team used laboratory models that simulated the arrangement of flexible sticks into nest-like structures.
The researchers analyzed the points where sticks touched one another.
When pressure was applied to the model nests, the number of contact points between the sticks increased,
making the structures stiffer.

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

Bhosale’s team wanted to better understand the mechanics behind bird nests’ uniquely flexible yet cohesive structural
A. properties.

The researchers used laboratory models that simulated the arrangement of flexible sticks and analyzed the points
B. where sticks touched one another.

After analyzing the points where sticks touched, the researchers found that the structures became stiffer when
C. pressure was applied.

D. As analyzed by Bhosale’s team, bird nests are uniquely flexible yet cohesive engineered structures.
Question ID 39ccb463
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 39ccb463
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The Atlantic Monthly magazine was first published in 1857. The magazine focused on politics, art, and literature.
In 2019, historian Cathryn Halverson published the book Faraway Women and the “Atlantic Monthly.”
Its subject is female authors whose autobiographies appeared in the magazine in the early 1900s.
One of the authors discussed is Juanita Harrison.

The student wants to introduce Cathryn Halverson’s book to an audience already familiar with the Atlantic Monthly. Which
choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Cathryn Halverson’s Faraway Women and the “Atlantic Monthly” discusses female authors whose autobiographies
A. appeared in the magazine in the early 1900s.

B. A magazine called the Atlantic Monthly, referred to in Cathryn Halverson’s book title, was first published in 1857.

Faraway Women and the “Atlantic Monthly” features contributors to the Atlantic Monthly, first published in 1857 as a
C. magazine focusing on politics, art, and literature.

An author discussed by Cathryn Halverson is Juanita Harrison, whose autobiography appeared in the Atlantic Monthly
D. in the early 1900s.
Question ID b46e0c8a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: b46e0c8a
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Organisms release cellular material into their environment by shedding substances such as hair or skin.
The DNA in these substances is known as environmental DNA, or eDNA.
Researchers collect and analyze eDNA to detect the presence of species that are difficult to observe.
Geneticist Sara Oyler-McCance’s research team analyzed eDNA in water samples from the Florida Everglades to
detect invasive constrictor snake species in the area.
The study determined a 91% probability of detecting Burmese python eDNA in a given location.

The student wants to present the study to an audience already familiar with environmental DNA. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Sara Oyler-McCance’s researchers analyzed eDNA in water samples from the Florida Everglades for evidence of
A. invasive constrictor snakes, which are difficult to observe.

An analysis of eDNA can detect the presence of invasive species that are difficult to observe, such as constrictor
B. snakes.

Researchers found Burmese python eDNA, or environmental DNA, in water samples; eDNA is the DNA in released
C. cellular materials, such as shed skin cells.

Sara Oyler-McCance’s researchers analyzed environmental DNA (eDNA)—that is, DNA from cellular materials released
D. by organisms—in water samples from the Florida Everglades.
Question ID 48d0bb34
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 48d0bb34
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Sam Maloof (1916–2009) was an American woodworker and furniture designer.
He was the son of Lebanese immigrants.
He received a “genius grant” from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in 1985.
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, owns a rocking chair that Maloof made from walnut wood.
The armrests and the seat of the chair are sleek and contoured, and the back consists of seven spindle-like slats.

The student wants to describe the rocking chair to an audience unfamiliar with Sam Maloof. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

With its sleek, contoured armrests and seat, the walnut rocking chair in Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts is just one
A. piece of furniture created by American woodworker Sam Maloof.

Sam Maloof was born in 1916 and died in 2009, and during his life, he made a chair that you can see if you visit the
B. Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Furniture designer Sam Maloof was a recipient of one of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s “genius
C. grants.”

The rocking chair is made from walnut, and it has been shaped such that its armrests and seat are sleek and
D. contoured.
Question ID aa7e10d0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: aa7e10d0
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Species belonging to the Orchidaceae (orchid) family can be found in both tropical and temperate environments.
Orchidaceae species diversity has not been well studied in temperate forests, such as those in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Arelee Estefanía Muñoz-Hernández led a study to determine how many different Orchidaceae species are present
in the forests of Oaxaca.
Muñoz-Hernández and her team collected orchids each month for a year at a site in Oaxaca.
Seventy-four Orchidaceae species were present at the site.

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

A study led by Arelee Estefanía Muñoz-Hernández identified a total of 74 Orchidaceae species in the temperate
A. forests of Oaxaca, Mexico.

B. There are orchids in many environments, but there are 74 Orchidaceae species in Oaxaca, Mexico.

C. Oaxaca, Mexico, is home to temperate forests containing 74 Orchidaceae species.

Arelee Estefanía Muñoz-Hernández and her team wanted to know how many different Orchidaceae species are
D. present in the forests of Oaxaca, Mexico, so they conducted a study to collect orchids.
Question ID 264e7415
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 264e7415
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike was a road built between 1792 and 1794.
It was the first private turnpike in the United States.
It connected the cities of Philadelphia and Lancaster in the state of Pennsylvania. It was sixty-two miles long.

The student wants to emphasize the distance covered by the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

The sixty-two-mile-long Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike connected the Pennsylvania cities of Philadelphia and
A. Lancaster.

B. The Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike was the first private turnpike in the United States.

The Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike, which connected two Pennsylvania cities, was built between 1792 and
C. 1794.

D. A historic Pennsylvania road, the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike was completed in 1794.
Question ID e3bbf2bf
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: e3bbf2bf
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In World War I, US soldiers who were members of the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma participated in the Choctaw
Code Talkers program.
The Choctaw Code Talkers were trained to relay coded military information in their native language.
In World War II, the US Army recruited Navajo (Diné) soldiers to transmit coded messages in their native
language.
These soldiers were known as the Navajo Code Talkers.

The student wants to emphasize a similarity between the Choctaw Code Talkers and the Navajo Code Talkers. Which
choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

US soldiers who were members of the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma used their native language to relay coded
A. information.

B. In World War II, one group of Navajo (Diné) soldiers was known as the Navajo Code Talkers.

Both the Choctaw Code Talkers and the Navajo Code Talkers transmitted coded military messages in the soldiers’
C. native languages.

D. The Choctaw Code Talkers, not the Navajo Code Talkers, served in World War I.
Question ID 4c43bf61
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 4c43bf61
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The International Center for the Arts of the Americas (ICAA) is directed by Mari Carmen Ramírez.
Ramírez oversaw an initiative to create an online archive of historical documents related to the history of Latin
American and Latino visual art.
The ICAA digitized over 10,000 documents, including the writings of Latin American and Latino artists and critics.
The creation of the archive didn’t require historical documents to be removed from their countries of origin.
Scholars now have more access to these documents.

The student wants to explain an advantage of the ICAA’s archive being digital. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Over 10,000 documents related to the history of Latin American and Latino visual art are part of the ICAA archive.

By offering online versions of historical documents, the ICAA’s archive provides more access to these materials
B. without removing them from their countries of origin.

Among the historical documents in the ICAA’s archive are the writings of Latin American and Latino artists and
C. critics.

The ICAA’s director, Mari Carmen Ramírez, oversaw the creation of an online archive of historical documents related
D. to Latin American and Latino visual art.
Question ID 16631d34
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 16631d34
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The Million Song Dataset (MSD) includes main audio features and descriptive tags for popular songs.
Audio features include acoustic traits such as loudness and pitch intervals.
Many algorithms use these audio features to predict a new song’s popularity.
These algorithms may fail to accurately identify main audio features of a song with varying acoustic traits.
Algorithms based on descriptive tags that describe fixed traits such as genre are more reliable predictors of song
popularity.

The student wants to explain a disadvantage of relying on audio features to predict a song’s popularity. Which choice
most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Many popularity-predicting algorithms are based on a song’s audio features, such as loudness and pitch intervals.

Algorithms based on audio features may misidentify the main features of a song with varying acoustic traits, making
B. such algorithms less reliable predictors of popularity than those based on fixed traits.

Audio features describe acoustic traits such as pitch intervals, which may vary within a song, whereas descriptive
C. tags describe fixed traits such as genre, which are reliable predictors of popularity.

D. The MSD’s descriptive tags are reliable predictors of a song’s popularity, as the traits they describe are fixed.
Question ID e2693197
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: e2693197
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Oracles of the Pink Universe was a 2021 exhibition at the Denver Museum of Art in Colorado.
It featured eight artworks by South African artist Simphiwe Ndzube.
One of these works is a painting titled Assertion of Will. Assertion of Will depicts three standing figures.
The figures wear clothing made of fabric pieces stitched to the painting’s canvas.

The student wants to describe how fabric is used in Assertion of Will. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. In Assertion of Will, the figures’ clothing is made of fabric pieces stitched to the painting’s canvas.

B. The exhibition Oracles of the Pink Universe featured artworks by artist Simphiwe Ndzube.

C. Depicting three standing, clothed figures, Assertion of Will is a painting by Simphiwe Ndzube.

Simphiwe Ndzube’s Assertion of Will was one of eight artworks exhibited in Oracles of the Pink Universe at the Denver
D. Museum of Art.
Question ID 84e108cf
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 84e108cf
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Platinum is a rare and expensive metal. It is used as a catalyst for chemical reactions.
Platinum catalysts typically require a large amount of platinum to be effective.
Researcher Jianbo Tang and his colleagues created a platinum catalyst that combines platinum with liquid
gallium.
Their catalyst was highly effective and required only trace amounts of platinum (0.0001% of the atoms in the
mixture).

The student wants to explain an advantage of the new platinum catalyst developed by Jianbo Tang and his colleagues.
Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Researcher Jianbo Tang and his colleagues created a platinum catalyst that combines platinum, a rare and expensive
A. metal, with liquid gallium.

B. Like other platinum catalysts, the new platinum catalyst requires a particular amount of the metal to be effective.

Platinum is a rare and expensive metal that is used as a catalyst for chemical reactions; however, platinum catalysts
C. typically require a large amount of platinum to be effective.

While still highly effective, the new platinum catalyst requires far less of the rare and expensive metal than do other
D. platinum catalysts.
Question ID ca4ff52d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: ca4ff52d
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Muslins are woven cotton fabrics with a variety of uses.
Dhaka muslin is a handmade fabric produced in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
It has an extremely fine weave and is primarily used to make luxury clothing.
Sheeting muslin is a machine-made fabric produced in factories.
It has a coarse weave and is primarily used to upholster furniture and create backdrops for theater sets.

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

Dhaka muslin is a handmade fabric with an extremely fine weave, while sheeting muslin is machine made with a
A. coarse weave.

B. Dhaka muslin and sheeting muslin are two different types of woven cotton fabrics.

Muslins can be used in a variety of ways, from making luxury clothing to upholstering furniture and creating
C. backdrops for theater sets.

D. Sheeting muslin is machine made, has a coarse weave, and is used for furniture and theater sets.
Question ID 441f0505
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 441f0505
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
A lever is a simple machine consisting of a rigid beam and a fulcrum.
The fulcrum is the point about which the beam pivots. The input force (effort) is the force applied to the lever.
The output force (load) is the force that the lever exerts on another object.
In first-class levers, the fulcrum is located between the effort and the load.
In second-class levers, the load is located between the effort and the fulcrum.

The student wants to contrast first-class levers and second-class levers. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

In levers, the effort is the force applied to the lever; the load, in contrast, is the force that the lever exerts on another
A. object.

B. In first-class and second-class levers, the fulcrum and the load are in different locations.

First-class levers are simple machines consisting of a rigid beam and a fulcrum, but then again, the same is true of
C. second-class levers.

In first-class levers, the fulcrum is located between the effort and the load, but in second-class levers, the load is
D. located between the effort and the fulcrum.
Question ID 6c9df5d1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 6c9df5d1
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Some powerful works of literature have so influenced readers that new legislation has been passed as a result.
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (1789) is the autobiography of a man who endured slavery
on both sides of the Atlantic.
Equiano’s book contributed to the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807.
The Jungle (1906) is a fictional work by Upton Sinclair that describes unsanitary conditions in US meatpacking
plants.
Sinclair’s book contributed to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906.

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

Although both are powerful works of literature that contributed to new legislation, Equiano’s book is an autobiography,
A. while Sinclair’s is fictional.

B. They may have written about different topics, but Equiano and Sinclair both influenced readers.

The 1807 Slave Trade Act resulted in part from a book by Equiano, while the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act resulted in
C. part from a book by Sinclair.

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano and The Jungle are two works of literature that contributed to
D. new legislation (concerning the slave trade and food safety, respectively).
Question ID 4b99b481
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 4b99b481
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Scientists have developed a “freeze-thaw” battery that can retain 92% of its charge after twelve weeks.
The battery contains molten salt (a type of salt that liquifies when heated and solidifies at room temperature).
When the salt is in a liquid state, energy flows through the battery.
When the salt is in a solid state, energy stops flowing and is stored in the battery.
The stored (frozen) energy can be used by reheating (thawing) the battery.

The student wants to specify how the salt enables energy storage. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Scientists have developed a freeze-thaw battery that contains molten salt, which liquifies when heated and solidifies
A. at room temperature.

B. The stored energy in a freeze-thaw battery, which contains molten salt, can be used by reheating the battery.

When the molten salt in a freeze-thaw battery solidifies at room temperature, energy stops flowing and can be stored
C. in the battery.

D. Molten salt allows a freeze-thaw battery to retain 92% of its charge after twelve weeks.
Question ID a4366255
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: a4366255
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Musicians around the world have used protest songs to raise awareness about human rights violations.
US folk singer Aunt Molly Jackson released the protest song “Poor Miner’s Farewell” in 1932.
It exposed the unlivable wages and dangerous working conditions coal miners faced in Kentucky during the
1920s and 1930s.
South African singer-songwriter Hugh Masekela released the protest song “Bring Him Back Home” in 1987.
It called on the South African government to free Nelson Mandela, an anti-apartheid leader who’d been unjustly
imprisoned.

The student wants to contrast the song “Poor Miner’s Farewell” with the song “Bring Him Back Home.” Which choice
most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. The songs “Poor Miner’s Farewell” and “Bring Him Back Home” both raised awareness about human rights violations.

While both are protest songs, “Poor Miner’s Farewell” is about coal miners in Kentucky, whereas “Bring Him Back
B. Home” is about the anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela.

Hugh Masekela’s song “Bring Him Back Home,” released in 1987, called on the South African government to free
C. Nelson Mandela.

Released in 1932 by Aunt Molly Jackson, the song “Poor Miner’s Farewell” was a protest against the unlivable wages
D. and dangerous working conditions faced by Kentucky coal miners.
Question ID 296801d2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 296801d2
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The Azores is a group of islands about 870 miles off the coast of Portugal.
Historians have long believed that in the fifteenth century Portuguese mariners were the first humans to populate
the Azores.
A 2015 study coauthored by Sofia Gabriel and Maria da Luz Mathias found that Vikings from Scandinavia may
have populated the Azores as early as the ninth century.
The researchers found a genetic connection between house mice in the Azores and house mice in Scandinavia.
House mice may have traveled from Scandinavia to the Azores on Viking ships.

The student wants to specify who may have first populated the Azores, according to the 2015 study. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Historians have long believed that the first humans to populate the Azores, a group of islands about 870 miles off the
A. coast of Portugal, arrived in the fifteenth century.

B. Portuguese mariners may not have been the first humans to populate the Azores.

In their 2015 study, the researchers found a genetic connection between house mice in the Azores and those in
C. Scandinavia.

According to a 2015 study, the first humans to populate the Azores may have been Vikings from Scandinavia, not
D. mariners from Portugal as previously believed.
Question ID 7d5c32e6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 7d5c32e6
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The fifth Solvay Conference on Physics was held in 1927.
It brought together twenty-nine of the era’s preeminent scientists to discuss the emerging field of quantum
theory.
The conference famously featured a debate between physicists Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr.
Bohr proposed that subatomic entities like electrons had only probable realities until they were observed.
Einstein argued that subatomic entities like electrons had a reality independent of observation.
Bohr’s position, later called the Copenhagen interpretation, remains the most widely accepted theory of quantum
mechanics.

The student wants to place Einstein’s argument within its historical context. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

During the dawn of quantum theory, Einstein maintained the independent reality of some subatomic entities, although
A. Bohr’s opposing interpretation would become the widely accepted view.

At the 1927 Solvay Conference on Physics, Einstein disagreed with Bohr’s argument that subatomic entities like
B. electrons had a reality independent of observation.

The attendees of the 1927 Solvay Conference were among the preeminent scientists of their era, including Einstein,
C. who opposed Bohr’s proposal.

In 1927, Einstein and Bohr engaged in a famous debate; Bohr’s argument, later called the Copenhagen interpretation,
D. would remain popular decades after.
Question ID 883493d5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 883493d5
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Allan Houser was a Chiricahua Warm Springs Apache sculptor, illustrator, and painter.
Many of his sculptures featured Native American figures.
He depicted this subject matter using abstract, modernist forms, developing a distinctive style that influenced
many other artists.
His well-known sculpture Sacred Rain Arrow was pictured on the State of Oklahoma license plate.

The student wants to describe the distinctive style of Houser’s sculptures. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. A sculptor, illustrator, and painter, Houser developed a distinctive style for portraying Native American figures.

B. Houser’s sculptures employ abstract, modernist forms to depict Native American figures.

C. Many other artists have been influenced by the style of Houser’s sculptures.

D. The sculpture Sacred Rain Arrow is a well-known example of Houser’s style.


Question ID 2bf05ae9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 2bf05ae9
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In the midst of the US Civil War, Susie Taylor escaped slavery and fled to Union-army-occupied St. Simons Island
off the Georgia coast.
She began working for an all-Black army regiment as a nurse and teacher.
In 1902, she published a book about the time she spent with the regiment.
Her book was the only Civil War memoir to be published by a Black woman.
It is still available to readers in print and online.

The student wants to emphasize the uniqueness of Taylor’s accomplishment. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Taylor fled to St. Simons Island, which was then occupied by the Union army, for whom she began working.

B. After escaping slavery, Taylor began working for an all-Black army regiment as a nurse and teacher.

C. The book Taylor wrote about the time she spent with the regiment is still available to readers in print and online.

D. Taylor was the only Black woman to publish a Civil War memoir.
Question ID e876e395
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: e876e395
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The melting rate of glaciers varies based on air temperature.
In the warm summer months, massive glaciers on the coast of Greenland melt into the surrounding water.
The melting glaciers contribute to rising sea levels each summer.
Huge icebergs also break off Greenland’s glaciers into the water and melt.
In 2017, geoscientist Twila Moon found that the iceberg melting rate depends not on air temperature but on water
temperature.
Because water temperature is consistent, melting icebergs contribute to rising sea levels all year.

The student wants to emphasize a similarity between glaciers and icebergs in Greenland. Which choice most effectively
uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Because icebergs break off Greenland’s glaciers into the water, their melting rate depends on water temperature.

B. Greenland’s glaciers and icebergs both melt during the year, contributing to rising sea levels.

Geoscientist Twila Moon found that the melting rate of Greenland’s icebergs, unlike that of glaciers, does not depend
C. on air temperature.

Glaciers on the coast of Greenland melt during the warm summer months into the surrounding water, the temperature
D. of which remains consistent throughout the year.
Question ID 8fe4f4ab
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 8fe4f4ab
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
One of history’s greatest libraries was the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, Iraq.
It was founded in the eighth century with the goal of preserving all the world’s knowledge.
Scholars at the House of Wisdom collected ancient and contemporary texts from Greece, India, and elsewhere
and translated them into Arabic.
Writings included those of the Greek philosopher Aristotle and the Indian mathematician Aryabhata.
The House of Wisdom used Chinese papermaking technology to create paper versions to be studied and shared.

The student wants to explain how the House of Wisdom preserved the world’s knowledge. Which choice most effectively
uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

The House of Wisdom was known for bringing together knowledge from around the world, including from Greece,
A. India, and China.

B. Founded in Iraq in the eighth century, the House of Wisdom employed many scholars as translators.

Writings from the Greek philosopher Aristotle and the Indian mathematician Aryabhata were preserved at the House
C. of Wisdom.

The House of Wisdom collected writings from different countries and created paper versions in Arabic to be studied
D. and shared.
Question ID bb275f0d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: bb275f0d
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Cities tend to have a wide range of flowering vegetation in parks, yards, and gardens.
This vegetation provides a varied diet for honeybees, strengthening bees’ immune systems.
On average, 62.5 percent of bees in an urban area will survive a harsh winter.
Rural areas are often dominated by monoculture crops such as corn or wheat.
On average, only 40 percent of honeybees in a rural area will survive a harsh winter.

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

Cities tend to have a wider range of flowering vegetation than do rural areas, which are often dominated by
A. monoculture crops.

In urban areas, over 60 percent of honeybees, on average, will survive a harsh winter, whereas in rural areas, only 40
B. percent will.

The strength of honeybees’ immune systems depends on what the bees eat, and a varied diet is more available to
C. bees in an urban area than to those in a rural area.

Honeybees are more likely to thrive in cities than in rural areas because the varied diet available in urban areas
D. strengthens the bees’ immune systems.
Question ID 6249b173
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 6249b173
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 2018 researchers Adwait Deshpande, Shreejata Gupta, and Anindya Sinha were observing wild macaques in
India’s Bandipur National Park.
They saw macaques calling out to and gesturing at humans who were eating or carrying food.
They designed a study to find out if the macaques were intentionally communicating to try to persuade the
humans to share their food.
In the study trials, macaques frequently called out to and gestured at humans holding food.
In the study trials, macaques called out to and gestured at empty-handed humans less frequently.

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

Macaques in the study called out to and gestured more frequently at humans holding food than at empty-handed
A. humans.

In 2018, researchers who had observed macaques in India’s Bandipur National Park calling out to and gesturing at
B. humans designed a study.

The researchers hoped to find out if the macaques were intentionally communicating to try to persuade humans to
C. share their food.

D. The researchers studied how macaques behaved around both humans holding food and empty-handed humans.
Question ID a3204ab0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: a3204ab0
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Yellowstone is a national park in the northwest United States.
In 1995, gray wolves were reintroduced into the park.
Since then, the number of gray wolves in the park has stabilized at roughly 100.
This number is believed to be the park’s carrying capacity.
Carrying capacity describes the maximum number of a species that a specific environment’s resources can
sustain over time.

The student wants to specify the number of gray wolves in Yellowstone. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Gray wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone, a national park in the northwest United States, in 1995.

B. As of 1995, there were gray wolves living in Yellowstone, a national park in the northwest United States.

The carrying capacity of an environment, such as Yellowstone, describes the maximum number of species that the
C. environment can sustain over time.

D. Yellowstone is a national park that has roughly 100 gray wolves living in it.
Question ID 3b02e88a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 3b02e88a
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The ancient Arab dhow was a sailing vessel distinguishable by its triangular sails and stitched hull construction.
Dhows were used primarily for trade along the coasts of Arab, South Asian, and East African countries.
Contemporary shipbuilders in Oman use a mix of modern and traditional materials to build replicas of ancient
dhows.
Most of the materials used are traditional.
Replica hulls are stitched together using the same traditional coconut palm fiber rope used on the hulls of ancient
dhows.

The student wants to make a generalization about the materials used in dhow replicas. Which choice most effectively
uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A traditional material that was used to stitch together the hulls of ancient dhows, coconut palm fiber rope is still used
A. by shipbuilders.

B. The ancient Arab dhow was a sailing vessel used primarily for trade and distinguishable by its triangular sails.

C. Although most materials used in dhow replicas are traditional, some modern materials are used.

Contemporary shipbuilders in Oman build replicas of the dhow, which was an ancient sailing vessel with a stitched
D. hull construction.
Question ID bc930940
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: bc930940
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Chiura Obata was a Japanese American artist who lived in California.
Yosemite Falls is a notable painting by Obata. It uses a Japanese method of black ink painting called sumi-e.
This painting was completed in 1930.

The student wants to indicate the year Yosemite Falls was completed. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. While living in California, Obata created black ink paintings.

B. Obata, a Japanese American artist, created a notable painting.

C. Yosemite Falls was completed in 1930.

D. Obata used a Japanese painting method called sumi-e.


Question ID c6645cab
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: c6645cab
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Dr. Sunil Bajpai studies dinosaurs at the Indian Institute of Technology.
Bajpai’s research team recently found a 167-million-year-old dicraeosaurid fossil.
It is the oldest fossil from the dicraeosaurid dinosaur group ever recovered.
It was found in the Thar Desert in western India.

The student wants to indicate where the dicraeosaurid fossil was found. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. The dicraeosaurid fossil was found in western India’s Thar Desert.

B. Bajpai’s team recently found the oldest dicraeosaurid fossil ever recovered.

C. Dr. Sunil Bajpai, of the Indian Institute of Technology, is part of a research team.

D. The fossil, which is from the dicraeosaurid dinosaur group, is 167 million years old.
Question ID 63a4fa29
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 63a4fa29
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 2013, archaeologists studied cat bone fragments they had found in the ruins of Quanhucun, a Chinese farming
village.
The fragments were estimated to be 5,300 years old.
A chemical analysis of the fragments revealed that the cats had consumed large amounts of grain.
The grain consumption is evidence that the Quanhucun cats may have been domesticated.

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

As part of a 2013 study of cat domestication, a chemical analysis was conducted on cat bone fragments found in
A. Quanhucun, China.

A 2013 analysis of cat bone fragments found in Quanhucun, China, suggests that cats there may have been
B. domesticated 5,300 years ago.

C. In 2013, archaeologists studied what cats in Quanhucun, China, had eaten more than 5,000 years ago.

D. Cat bone fragments estimated to be 5,300 years old were found in Quanhucun, China, in 2013.
Question ID 00460c13
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 00460c13
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Novelist Willa Cather grew up in Nebraska and attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Some of Cather’s best-known novels are set in Nebraska.
Two such novels are O Pioneers! (1913) and My Ántonia (1918).
Cather’s novels describe the experiences of immigrants who settled in the Great Plains.

The student wants to identify the setting of Cather’s novel My Ántonia. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. My Ántonia is set in Nebraska, where Cather grew up.

B. Cather, author of My Ántonia, described the experiences of immigrants in her novels.

C. Among Cather’s best-known novels are O Pioneers! (1913) and My Ántonia (1918).

D. Cather attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and set some of her novels in Nebraska.
Question ID dd11e5ab
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: dd11e5ab
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Muckrakers were journalists who sought to expose corruption in US institutions during the Progressive Era
(1897–1920).
Ida Tarbell was a muckraker who investigated the Standard Oil Company.
She interviewed Standard Oil Company executives, oil industry workers, and public officials.
She examined thousands of pages of the company’s internal communications, including letters and financial
records.
Her book The History of the Standard Oil Company (1904) exposed the company’s unfair business practices.

The student wants to emphasize the thoroughness of Ida Tarbell’s investigation of the Standard Oil Company. Which
choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Ida Tarbell not only interviewed Standard Oil executives, oil industry workers, and public officials but also examined
A. thousands of pages of the company’s internal communications.

Ida Tarbell, who investigated the Standard Oil Company, was a muckraker (a journalist who sought to expose
B. corruption in US institutions during the Progressive Era, 1897–1920).

C. As part of her investigation of the Standard Oil Company, muckraker Ida Tarbell conducted interviews.

Published in 1904, muckraker Ida Tarbell’s book The History of the Standard Oil Company exposed the company’s
D. unfair business practices.
Question ID 74149724
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 74149724
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
John Carver was one of the 41 signatories of the Mayflower Compact.
The Mayflower Compact was a legal agreement among the pilgrims that immigrated to Plymouth Colony.
It was created in 1620 to establish a common government.
It states that the pilgrims who signed it wanted to “plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia” under
King James.
Carver became the first governor of Plymouth Colony.

The student wants to specify the reason the Mayflower Compact was created. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Stating that its signatories wanted to “plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia,” the Mayflower Compact
A. was a legal agreement among the pilgrims that immigrated to Plymouth Colony.

Created in 1620, the Mayflower Compact states that the pilgrims wanted to “plant the first colony in the northern
B. parts of Virginia.”

The Mayflower Compact was created to establish a common government among the pilgrims that immigrated to
C. Plymouth Colony.

D. The Mayflower Compact had 41 signatories, including John Carver, the first governor of Plymouth Colony.
Question ID f1d8550e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: f1d8550e
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Jordan Bennett is a Mi’Kmaq visual artist. The Mi’Kmaq are a First Nations people in North America.
Bennett’s paintings pay homage to traditional Mi’Kmaq craftsmanship and have been displayed in over 75
exhibitions.
His 2017 exhibition Wije’wi was held at the Grenfell Art Gallery.
His 2018 exhibition Ketu’elmita’jik was held at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.

The student wants to emphasize the order in which two of Jordan Bennett’s exhibitions were held. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Jordan Bennett’s 2017 exhibition Wije’wi was followed a year later by his exhibition Ketu’elmita’jik.

Jordan Bennett’s paintings, some of which appeared in 2017 and 2018 exhibitions, pay homage to traditional
B. Mi’Kmaq craftsmanship.

Mi’Kmaq visual artist Jordan Bennett has displayed his work in over 75 exhibitions, including Wije’wi and
C. Ketu’elmita’jik.

Jordan Bennett’s 2018 exhibition Ketu’elmita’jik was held at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia; another was held at the
D. Grenfell Art Gallery.
Question ID ff8d2125
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: ff8d2125
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Crown shyness is a phenomenon in which the tops (crowns) of neighboring trees grow close together but don’t
overlap.
To explain how this happens, Australian forester M.R. Jacobs proposes the mutual abrasion theory.
According to Jacobs’s theory, when trees brush against one another, branches break off.
Malaysian scholar Francis S.P. Ng posits the mutual shade avoidance theory.
According to Ng’s theory, when tree branches detect shade from nearby trees’ branches, they stop growing.

The student wants to compare the causes of crown shyness proposed in the two theories. Which choice most effectively
uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

While Jacobs proposes that crown shyness is caused by neighboring tree branches brushing against one another, Ng
A. posits that it occurs when branches detect shade from nearby trees’ branches.

B. Both Jacobs and Ng have proposed theories to explain what causes crown shyness.

C. Ng posits the mutual shade avoidance theory, whereas Jacobs proposes an alternative theory.

Jacobs’s mutual abrasion theory proposes that when neighboring trees brush against one another, branches break
D. off, resulting in a phenomenon in which the tops of trees grow close together but don’t overlap.
Question ID 5a2a4b36
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 5a2a4b36
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Pauline Hopkins (1859-1930) was an African American writer.
In her career, she created many genre-defining stories.
Her serialized novel Hagar’s Daughter was published from 1901 to 1902 in The Colored American Magazine.
It is considered the first African American mystery novel.

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

A. Pauline Hopkins is the author of Hagar’s Daughter, a serialized novel published from 1901 to 1902.

African American writer Pauline Hopkins created many genre-defining stories during her career, including the first
B. African American mystery novel, Hagar’s Daughter.

Published in The Colored American Magazine from 1901 to 1902, Hagar’s Daughter is a serialized novel by Pauline
C. Hopkins.

D. Hagar’s Daughter by Pauline Hopkins is considered the first African American mystery novel.
Question ID 8b2636ee
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 8b2636ee
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Angana Chaudhuri is a scientist. Chaudhuri studies sedimentary rocks.
A scientist who studies sedimentary rocks is called a sedimentologist.
Shale, chalk, and sandstone are examples of sedimentary rocks.

The student wants to identify what type of scientist Chaudhuri is. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Chalk is a type of sedimentary rock.

B. Some scientists study shale, chalk, and sandstone.

C. There are scientists who study sedimentary rocks.

D. Chaudhuri is a sedimentologist.
Question ID 79c6a01e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 79c6a01e
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The engineer Robert Fulton designed the Clermont steamboat in 1807. He designed it in New York City.
Clermont was the world’s first commercially successful steamboat.
The city of Fulton, Missouri, is named after Robert Fulton. New York City’s Fulton Street is named after him.

The student wants to indicate how Fulton, Missouri, got its name. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Fulton, Missouri, shares its name with Fulton Street in New York City.

B. Fulton Street is in New York City, where the steamboat Clermont was designed in 1807.

C. Designed in 1807 in New York City, Clermont was the first commercially successful steamboat.

D. Fulton, Missouri, is named after Robert Fulton, designer of the first commercially successful steamboat.
Question ID 23da9791
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 23da9791
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Scientists have long sought to determine the origin of glass in Chile’s Atacama Desert.
A 2017 study concluded that ancient grass fires had melted the area’s sandy soil into glass.
In 2021, a different study revealed that the mineral signatures of glass samples were consistent with the mineral
signatures of comet samples collected by NASA.
That study concluded that the glass had formed as a result of a cometary explosion close to the desert’s surface.

The student wants to describe how scientific understanding about the glass’s origin has evolved. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Scientists have long sought to determine the origin of the glass, with one study concluding that it formed when
A. ancient grass fires melted the area’s sandy soil.

B. Studies in 2017 and 2021 offered different explanations for the origin of the glass.

Mineral signatures of glass samples are consistent with those of comet samples collected by NASA, according to
C. new research.

A 2017 study concluded that ancient grass fires had caused the glass’s formation, but new research suggests that
D. the glass formed as a result of a cometary explosion close to the desert’s surface.
Question ID 878f835a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 878f835a
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Some atoms contain an excess of neutrons. Often, these neutrons form a “skin” on the atom’s surface.
An atom of lead-208 has a neutron skin.
The thickness of its neutron skin is approximately 0.28 trillionths of a millimeter.

The student wants to emphasize the thickness of lead-208’s neutron skin. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. The neutron skin surrounding an atom of lead-208 measures about 0.28 trillionths of a millimeter.

B. Atoms with excess neutrons will often acquire a neutron skin.

C. An atom of lead-208, like some other atoms, is surrounded by a neutron skin.

D. Neutrons surround the surface of an atom of lead-208.


Question ID 8432a140
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 8432a140
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Marine biologist Camille Jazmin Gaynus studies coral reefs.
Coral reefs are vital underwater ecosystems that provide habitats to 25% of all marine species.
Reefs can include up to 8,000 species of fish, such as toadfish, seahorses, and clown triggerfish.
The Amazon Reef is a coral reef in Brazil. It is one of the largest known reefs in the world.

The student wants to introduce the scientist and her field of study to a new audience. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Located in Brazil, the Amazon Reef is one of the largest known coral reefs in the world.

Marine biologist Camille Jazmin Gaynus studies coral reefs, vital underwater ecosystems that provide homes to 25%
B. of all marine species.

Providing homes to 25% of all marine species, including up to 8,000 species of fish, coral reefs are vital underwater
C. ecosystems and thus of great interest to marine biologists.

As Camille Jazmin Gaynus knows well, coral reefs are vital underwater ecosystems, providing homes to thousands of
D. species of fish.
Question ID 94f48106
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 94f48106
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 2022, University of Miami researchers discovered brine pools in the Gulf of Aqaba.
A brine pool is an underwater lake that sits on the ocean floor.
The water in brine pools is three to eight times saltier than the surrounding ocean.
The extreme saltiness of this water makes it toxic to most sea life.
Some forms of bacteria are able to survive in brine pools.

The student wants to explain why brine pools are toxic to most sea life. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Though brine pools are toxic to most sea life, some bacteria can survive there.

B. The water in brine pools is toxic to most sea life because it is three to eight times saltier than the surrounding ocean.

C. The brine pools in the Gulf of Aqaba are toxic to most sea life and were discovered by researchers in 2022.

D. Brine pools are salty underwater lakes that sit on the ocean floor.
Question ID 64e88c58
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 64e88c58
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 1971, experimental musician Pauline Oliveros created Sonic Meditations.
Sonic Meditations is not music but rather a series of sound-based exercises called meditations.
Each meditation consists of instructions for participants to make, imagine, listen to, or remember sounds.
The instructions for Meditation V state, “walk so silently that the bottoms of your feet become ears.”
Those for Meditation XVIII state, “listen to a sound until you no longer recognize it.”

The student wants to provide an explanation and an example of Oliveros’s Sonic Meditations. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Sonic Meditations is not music but rather a series of sound-based meditations that consist of instructions; Meditation
A. XVIII, for instance, instructs participants to “listen to a sound until you no longer recognize it.”

In 1971, Oliveros created Sonic Meditations, a series of meditations that consist of instructions for participants to
B. make, imagine, listen to, or remember sounds.

“Walk so silently that the bottoms of your feet become ears” is one example of the instructions found in Oliveros’s
C. Sonic Meditations.

While both meditations consist of instructions, Meditation XVIII instructs participants to “listen,” whereas Meditation
D. V instructs participants to “walk.”
Question ID 2c61e0b9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 2c61e0b9
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
British musicians John Lennon and Paul McCartney shared writing credit for numerous Beatles songs.
Many Lennon-McCartney songs were actually written by either Lennon or McCartney, not by both.
The exact authorship of specific parts of many Beatles songs, such as the verse for “In My Life,” is disputed.
Mark Glickman, Jason Brown, and Ryan Song used statistical methods to analyze the musical content of Beatles
songs.
They concluded that there is 18.9% probability that McCartney wrote the verse for “In My Life,” stating that the
verse is “consistent with Lennon’s songwriting style.”

The student wants to make a generalization about the kind of study conducted by Glickman, Brown, and Song. Which
choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Based on statistical analysis, Glickman, Brown, and Song claim that John Lennon wrote the verse of “In My Life.”

There is only an 18.9% probability that Paul McCartney wrote the verse for “In My Life”; John Lennon is the more likely
B. author.

C. It is likely that John Lennon, not Paul McCartney, wrote the verse for “In My Life.”

D. Researchers have used statistical methods to address questions of authorship within the field of music.
Question ID 14037904
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 14037904
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present is a history book by Ojibwe author
David Treuer.
In a review, a critic for The Economist noted that “Treuer’s storytelling skills shine” and that the book is an
“elegant handling of [a] complex narrative.”
A critic for O, The Oprah Magazine called it “a marvel of research and storytelling.”
A critic for the Missoulian dubbed it “a monumental achievement.”

The student wants to emphasize a similarity in how critics responded to Treuer’s book. Which choice most effectively
uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Treuer’s book, which was widely reviewed, focuses on Native American history from 1890 to the present.

Dubbed “a monumental achievement” by the Missoulian, Treuer’s book documents over a century of Native American
B. history.

Critics praised Treuer’s book for its compelling narrative, with O, The Oprah Magazine calling it “a marvel of research
and storytelling” and The Economist likewise writing that “Treuer’s storytelling skills shine” and that the book is an
C. “elegant handling of [a] complex narrative.”

While the Missoulian focused on the book’s broader achievement, The Economist zeroed in on Treuer’s storytelling
D. skills.
Question ID 113f16da
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 113f16da
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Some animals have evolved to physically resemble another animal, plant, or object. This is known as mimicry.
Crab spiders mimic the appearance of flowers. This helps crab spiders ambush their prey.
Katydids mimic the appearance of leaves. This helps katydids hide from their predators.

The student wants to emphasize a difference in how katydids and crab spiders use mimicry. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Katydids mimic the appearance of flowers, and crab spiders mimic that of leaves.

B. Katydids and crab spiders are two examples of animals that use mimicry.

C. Unlike crab spiders, which use mimicry to ambush prey, katydids use mimicry to hide from predators.

D. Animals that use mimicry have evolved to resemble another animal, plant, or object.
Question ID d436a2b2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: d436a2b2
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Komodo dragons are the largest lizards in the world.
They live on four islands in Komodo National Park, Indonesia. The park has a total of twenty-nine islands.

The student wants to emphasize how many islands in Komodo National Park have Komodo dragons living on them.
Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Komodo dragons, the world’s largest lizards, live on islands in Komodo National Park, Indonesia.

B. The largest lizards in the world are found in Komodo National Park.

C. Only four of the twenty-nine islands in Komodo National Park have Komodo dragons living on them.

D. There are twenty-nine islands in Indonesia’s Komodo National Park.


Question ID f4b63a04
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: f4b63a04
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 2013, paleontology professor Hesham Sallam and his students from Mansoura University in Egypt made a
discovery.
The team found a partial dinosaur skeleton at a site in Egypt’s Dakhla Oasis.
The skeleton belonged to a dinosaur species that lived approximately 80 million years ago.
The new species was named Mansourasaurus to recognize the team that discovered it.

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

A. Mansourasaurus, a new species discovered in Egypt in 2013, lived approximately 80 million years ago.

B. A partial dinosaur skeleton found in Egypt’s Dakhla Oasis belonged to a species named Mansourasaurus.

Mansourasaurus, a species that lived approximately 80 million years ago, was discovered in 2013 by Egyptian
C. paleontologist Hesham Sallam and a team of university students.

The new species was named Mansourasaurus to recognize the team that discovered it, a professor and students
D. from Mansoura University.
Question ID af88c47a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: af88c47a
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Freddie Wong (born 1985) is a director and special effects artist from the United States.
He is best known for the action-comedy web series Video Game High School (VGHS).
VGHS premiered in 2012 on RocketJump, a YouTube channel that Wong cocreated.
The series was celebrated for its inventive video game–centric world and high-quality special effects.
VGHS was nominated for a Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Digital Series.

The student wants to begin a narrative about Wong’s award-nominated web series. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

In 2012, director and visual effects artist Freddie Wong launched a new action-comedy web series: Video Game High
A. School.

Video Game High School was celebrated for its inventive video game–centric world and high-quality special effects,
B. and it was nominated for a Producer’s Guild Award for Outstanding Digital Series.

Wong, cocreator of the YouTube channel RocketJump, would go on to see his web series be nominated for a
C. Producers Guild Award.

D. In 2012, Video Game High School premiered on RocketJump; it would later be nominated for an award.
Question ID d6dec50e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: d6dec50e
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 2019, Emily Shepard and colleagues in the UK and Germany studied the effect of wind on auks’ success in
landing at cliffside nesting sites.
They found as wind conditions intensified, the birds needed more attempts in order to make a successful landing.
When the wind was still, almost 100% of landing attempts were successful.
In a strong breeze, approximately 40% of attempts were successful.
In near-gale conditions, only around 20% of attempts were successful.

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

For a 2019 study, researchers from the UK and Germany collected data on auks’ attempts to land at cliffside nesting
A. sites in different wind conditions.

Emily Shepard and her colleagues wanted to know the extent to which wind affected auks’ success in landing at
B. cliffside nesting sites, so they conducted a study.

Knowing that auks often need multiple attempts to land at their cliffside nesting sites, Emily Shepard studied the
C. birds’ success rate, which was only around 20% in some conditions.

Emily Shepard’s 2019 study of auks’ success in landing at cliffside nesting sites showed that as wind conditions
D. intensified, the birds’ success rate decreased.
Question ID 94cb8720
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 94cb8720
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 2020, theater students at Radford and Virginia Tech chose an interactive, online format to present a play about
woman suffrage activists.
Their “Women and the Vote” website featured an interactive digital drawing of a Victorian-style house.
Audiences were asked to focus on a room of their choice and select from that room an artifact related to the
suffrage movement.
One click took them to video clips, songs, artwork, and texts associated with the artifact.
The play was popular with audiences because the format allowed them to control the experience.

The student wants to explain an advantage of the “Women and the Vote” format. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

“Women and the Vote” featured a drawing of a Victorian-style house with several rooms, each containing suffrage
A. artifacts.

B. To access video clips, songs, artwork, and texts, audiences had to first click on an artifact.

C. The “Women and the Vote” format appealed to audiences because it allowed them to control the experience.

Using an interactive format, theater students at Radford and Virginia Tech created “Women and the Vote,” a play
D. about woman suffrage activists.
Question ID 9551ef8b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 9551ef8b
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The magnificent frigatebird (fregata magnificens) is a species of seabird that feeds mainly on fish, tuna, squid,
and other small sea animals.
It is unusual among seabirds in that it doesn’t dive into the water for prey.
One way it acquires food is by using its hook-tipped bill to snatch prey from the surface of the water.
Another way it acquires food is by taking it from weaker birds by force.
This behavior is known as kleptoparasitism.

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

A. A magnificent frigatebird never dives into the water, instead using its hook-tipped bill to snatch prey from the surface.

B. Neither of a magnificent frigatebird’s two ways of acquiring food requires the bird to dive into the water.

C. Of the magnificent frigatebird’s two ways of acquiring food, only one is known as kleptoparasitism.

In addition to snatching prey from the water with its hook-tipped bill, a magnificent frigatebird takes food from other
D. birds by force.
Question ID 6de02dfa
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 6de02dfa
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:​
Thailand’s annual Songkran Water Festival is held each April. It marks Songkran, the traditional Thai New Year.
People splash and spray each other for fun at the festival’s community-wide water fights.
In Bangkok, thousands gather along Silom Road for the city’s largest water fight.
In Chiang Mai, thousands gather at a historical monument called the Tha Phae Gate for the city’s largest water
fight.

The student wants to emphasize a similarity in how people in Bangkok and Chiang Mai celebrate Songkran. Which choice
most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

The largest water fight in Bangkok takes place along a city street, whereas the largest water fight in Chiang Mai takes
A. place at a historical monument.

B. In both Bangkok and Chiang Mai, thousands gather to celebrate Songkran with water fights.

C. People in both Bangkok and Chiang Mai celebrate Songkran, but they don’t do so in exactly the same way.

D. Each April, people in Thailand celebrate Songkran, the traditional Thai New Year.
Question ID c92ea686
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: c92ea686
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The Ramayana is a Sanskrit epic poem from ancient India.
In The Ramayana, the character Kaikeyi is often portrayed as a villain. Kaikeyi is a 2022 novel by Vaishnavi Patel.
The novel is a retelling of the epic poem from Kaikeyi’s point of view. It often portrays Kaikeyi as heroic.

The student wants to emphasize whose point of view the novel is told from. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. From the point of view of The Ramayana, the character Kaikeyi is often a villain.

B. Vaishnavi Patel often portrays the character as heroic.

C. Kaikeyi is a retelling of The Ramayana from the character Kaikeyi’s point of view.

D. The Ramayana is an epic poem that features the character Kaikeyi.


Question ID 1bb4aec8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 1bb4aec8
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Meteorites found on Earth are divided into two categories.
A meteorite that was observed falling to Earth before being recovered is known as a meteorite fall.
All other meteorites found on Earth are known as meteorite finds.
There have been about 1,200 recorded meteorite falls. There have been over 60,000 recorded meteorite finds.

The student wants to contrast the number of meteorite falls with the number of meteorite finds. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A meteorite that was observed falling to Earth before being recovered is known as a meteorite fall; all others are
A. known as meteorite finds.

B. Meteorites found on Earth are divided into two categories: meteorite falls and meteorite finds.

C. There have been about 1,200 recorded meteorite falls, or meteorites observed falling to Earth.

D. While there have been only about 1,200 recorded meteorite falls, there have been over 60,000 meteorite finds.
Question ID 1792fa73
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 1792fa73
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The tundra is a type of environment characterized by especially harsh winter conditions.
Winter temperatures in the tundra average a frigid −30 degrees Fahrenheit.
Animals that have adapted to these conditions can survive tundra winters.
During the tundra’s short growing season, average temperatures can reach a relatively mild 54 degrees
Fahrenheit.
Around 1,700 different kinds of plants are able to grow in the tundra.

The student wants to emphasize how harsh the conditions can be in the tundra. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Winters in the tundra are especially harsh, with temperatures averaging a frigid −30 degrees Fahrenheit.

B. Animals that have adapted to harsh winter conditions can survive tundra winters.

There are around 1,700 different kinds of plants that can live in the tundra, where average temperatures can reach a
C. mild 54 degrees Fahrenheit.

Along with animals that have adapted to the tundra’s conditions, around 1,700 different kinds of plants can live in the
D. tundra.
Question ID 58281fc4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 58281fc4
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Soo Sunny Park is a Korean American artist who uses light as her primary medium of expression.
She created her work Unwoven Light in 2013.
Unwoven Light featured a chain-link fence fitted with iridescent plexiglass tiles.
When light passed through the fence, colorful prisms formed.

The student wants to describe Unwoven Light to an audience unfamiliar with Soo Sunny Park. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Park’s 2013 installation Unwoven Light, which included a chain-link fence and iridescent tiles made from plexiglass,
A. featured light as its primary medium of expression.

B. Korean American light artist Soo Sunny Park created Unwoven Light in 2013.

C. The chain-link fence in Soo Sunny Park’s Unwoven Light was fitted with tiles made from iridescent plexiglass.

In Unwoven Light, a 2013 work by Korean American artist Soo Sunny Park, light formed colorful prisms as it passed
D. through a fence Park had fitted with iridescent tiles.
Question ID 17ec916d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 17ec916d
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Bharati Mukherjee was an Indian-born author of novels and short stories.
She published the novel The Holder of the World in 1993.
A central character in the novel is a woman living in twentieth-century United States.
Another central character is a woman living in seventeenth-century India.

The student wants to introduce the novel The Holder of the World to an audience already familiar with Bharati Mukherjee.
Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Bharati Mukherjee’s settings include both twentieth-century United States and seventeenth-century India.

In addition to her novel The Holder of the World, which was published in 1993, Indian-born author Bharati Mukherjee
B. wrote other novels and short stories.

Bharati Mukherjee’s novel The Holder of the World centers around two women, one living in twentieth-century United
C. States and the other in seventeenth-century India.

D. The Holder of the World was not the only novel written by Indian-born author Bharati Mukherjee.
Question ID d8aa8ba2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: d8aa8ba2
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In astronomy, the mass of stars can be described in units called solar masses.
One solar mass is roughly equal to the mass of the Sun.
The mass of the star Proxima Centauri is 0.122 solar masses.
The mass of the star Sirius A is 2.063 solar masses.

The student wants to emphasize the mass of Sirius A. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the
notes to accomplish this goal?

A. The mass of stars, like Proxima Centauri, can be described in units called solar masses.

In astronomy, the mass of stars can be described in units called solar masses, and one solar mass is roughly equal to
B. the mass of the Sun.

C. The Sun is more massive than Proxima Centauri, which has a mass of 0.122 solar masses.

D. With a mass of 2.063 solar masses, Sirius A is more massive than the Sun.
Question ID 24014c3f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 24014c3f
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Severo Ochoa discovered the enzyme PNPase in 1955.
PNPase is involved in both the creation and degradation of mRNA.
Ochoa incorrectly hypothesized that PNPase provides the genetic blueprints for mRNA.
The discovery of PNPase proved critical to deciphering the human genetic code.
Deciphering the genetic code has led to a better understanding of how genetic variations affect human health.

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

Ochoa’s 1955 discovery of PNPase proved critical to deciphering the human genetic code, leading to a better
A. understanding of how genetic variations affect human health.

B. Ochoa first discovered PNPase, an enzyme that he hypothesized contained the genetic blueprints for mRNA, in 1955.

C. In 1955, Ochoa discovered the PNPase enzyme, which is involved in both the creation and degradation of mRNA.

Though his discovery of PNPase was critical to deciphering the human genetic code, Ochoa incorrectly hypothesized
D. that the enzyme was the source of mRNA’s genetic blueprints.
Question ID 3067723b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 3067723b
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The Seikan Tunnel is a rail tunnel in Japan. It connects the island of Honshu to the island of Hokkaido.
It is roughly 33 miles long. The Channel Tunnel is a rail tunnel in Europe.
It connects Folkestone, England, to Coquelles, France. It is about 31 miles long.

The student wants to compare the lengths of the two rail tunnels. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Some of the world’s rail tunnels, including one tunnel that extends from Folkestone, England, to Coquelles, France, are
A. longer than 30 miles.

B. The Seikan Tunnel is roughly 33 miles long, while the slightly shorter Channel Tunnel is about 31 miles long.

C. The Seikan Tunnel, which is roughly 33 miles long, connects the Japanese islands of Honshu and Hokkaido.

Both the Seikan Tunnel, which is located in Japan, and the Channel Tunnel, which is located in Europe, are examples
D. of rail tunnels.
Question ID 07456405
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 07456405
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Malapportionment is the over- or underrepresentation (relative to population size) of electoral districts in a
governing body.
It is a common feature of representative governments.
There are 169 seats in Norway’s supreme legislature (the Storting).
Seats are distributed by a formula that awards 1 point per resident and 1.8 points per unit of land.
Less populated rural districts with large tracts of land receive a disproportionate number of seats compared to
smaller but more populated urban districts.

The student wants to refute a claim that malapportionment in the Storting favors small urban districts. Which choice
most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Less populated rural districts are disproportionally underrepresented in the Storting, creating an unfair advantage for
A. smaller but more populated urban districts.

It’s untrue that malapportionment in the 169-seat Storting favors small urban districts; rather, the formula for
B. distributing seats overrepresents more populated districts.

A common feature of representative governments, malapportionment occurs when electoral districts are over- or
C. underrepresented.

Awarding more points per unit of land than points per resident, the formula for distributing Storting seats
D. overrepresents less populated rural districts with large tracts of land.
Question ID e2d97f10
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: e2d97f10
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Pterosaurs were flying reptiles that existed millions of years ago.
In a 2021 study, Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan analyzed fragments of pterosaur jawbones located in the Sahara
Desert.
She was initially unsure if the bones belonged to juvenile or adult pterosaurs.
She used advanced microscope techniques to determine that the bones had few growth lines relative to the
bones of fully grown pterosaurs.
She concluded that the bones belonged to juveniles.

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

In 2021, Chinsamy-Turan studied pterosaur jawbones and was initially unsure if the bones belonged to juveniles or
A. adults.

B. Pterosaur jawbones located in the Sahara Desert were the focus of a 2021 study.

In a 2021 study, Chinsamy-Turan used advanced microscope techniques to analyze the jawbones of pterosaurs, flying
C. reptiles that existed millions of years ago.

In a 2021 study, Chinsamy-Turan determined that pterosaur jawbones located in the Sahara Desert had few growth
D. lines relative to the bones of fully grown pterosaurs and thus belonged to juveniles.
Question ID bce57278
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: bce57278
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Some US reformers sought to improve society in the 1800s by building utopias.
A utopia is a community intended to represent a perfect society based on a specific set of principles.
One such community was Brook Farm near Boston, Massachusetts.
It was founded in 1841 by writer George Ripley.
Ripley wrote in a letter that his goal for Brook Farm was “to guarantee the highest mental freedom, by providing
all with labor, adapted to their tastes and talents, and securing to them the fruits of their industry.”

The student wants to explain the goal of Brook Farm using a quotation from George Ripley. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. In a letter, writer George Ripley explained his goal to “guarantee the highest mental freedom.”

Utopias, such as Brook Farm, founded by George Ripley in 1841, were based on a specific set of principles intended to
B. create a perfect society.

Founded by George Ripley near Boston, Massachusetts, Brook Farm was part of a trend in the 1800s, when reformers
C. in the United States built utopias.

Established in 1841, Brook Farm was a utopian community created to “guarantee the highest mental freedom, by
D. providing all with labor... [and] the fruits of their industry,” according to founder George Ripley.
Question ID 2b89bfe5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 2b89bfe5
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 1999, astronomer Todd Henry studied the differences in surface temperature between the Sun and nearby
stars.
His team mapped all stars within 10 parsecs (approximately 200 trillion miles) of the Sun.
The surface temperature of the Sun is around 9,800°F, which classifies it as a G star.
327 of the 357 stars in the study were classified as K or M stars, with surface temperatures under 8,900°F (cooler
than the Sun).
11 of the 357 stars in the study were classified as A or F stars, with surface temperatures greater than 10,300°F
(hotter than the Sun).

The student wants to emphasize how hot the Sun is relative to nearby stars. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

At around 9,800°F, which classifies it as a G star, the Sun is hotter than most but not all of the stars within 10 parsecs
A. of it.

Astronomer Todd Henry determined that the Sun, at around 9,800°F, is a G star, and several other stars within a 10-
B. parsec range are A or F stars.

Of the 357 stars within ten parsecs of the Sun, 327 are classified as K or M stars, with surface temperatures under
C. 8,900°F.

While most of the stars within 10 parsecs of the Sun are classified as K, M, A, or F stars, the Sun is classified as a G
D. star due to its surface temperature of 9,800°F.
Question ID 7572131d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 7572131d
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Elizabeth Catlett’s sculpture Recognition (1970) shows two African American figures with rounded, indistinct
features.
The figures reach out to each other in a pose that symbolizes a close, supportive relationship.
Her sculpture Students Aspire (1978) shows two African American figures with sharply defined features.
The figures hold an equal sign above their heads with one hand and embrace each other with the other hand.
This pose symbolizes their support for each other in the pursuit of equality.

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

A. Catlett’s Students Aspire depicts two figures supporting each other in the pursuit of equality.

Recognition and Students Aspire both show African American figures in poses that symbolize supportive
B. relationships.

C. Catlett completed Recognition in 1970 and Students Aspire in 1978.

The figures in Recognition have features that are rounded and indistinct, while the figures in Students Aspire have
D. sharply defined features.
Question ID 54c1b2dd
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 54c1b2dd
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 1851, German American artist Emanuel Leutze painted Washington Crossing the Delaware.
His huge painting (149 × 255 inches) depicts the first US president crossing a river with soldiers in the
Revolutionary War.
In 2019, Cree artist Kent Monkman painted mistikôsiwak (Wooden Boat People): Resurgence of the People.
Monkman’s huge painting (132 × 264 inches) was inspired by Leutze’s.
It portrays Indigenous people in a boat rescuing refugees.

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

A. Monkman, a Cree artist, finished his painting in 2019; Leutze, a German American artist, completed his in 1851.

Although Monkman’s painting was inspired by Leutze’s, the people and actions the two paintings portray are very
B. different.

C. Leutze’s and Monkman’s paintings are both huge, measuring 149 × 255 inches and 132 × 264 inches, respectively.

D. Leutze’s painting depicts Revolutionary War soldiers, while Monkman’s depicts Indigenous people and refugees.
Question ID 5fa51c86
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 5fa51c86
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Ulaanbaatar is the capital of Mongolia. The city’s population is 907,802.
Ulaanbaatar contains 31.98 percent of Mongolia’s population. Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam.
The city’s population is 7,781,631. Hanoi contains 8.14 percent of Vietnam’s population.

The student wants to emphasize the relative sizes of the two capitals’ populations. Which choice most effectively uses
information from the given sentences to emphasize the relative sizes of the two capitals’ populations?

Mongolia’s capital is Ulaanbaatar, which has 907,802 people, and Vietnam’s capital is Hanoi, which has 7,781,631
A. people.

Comparing Vietnam and Mongolia, 7,781,631 is 8.14 percent of Vietnam’s population, and 907,802 is 31.98 percent of
B. Mongolia’s.

Even though Hanoi (population 7,781,631) is larger than Ulaanbaatar (population 907,802), Ulaanbaatar accounts for
C. more of its country’s population.

The populations of the capitals of Mongolia and Vietnam are 907,802 (Ulaanbaatar) and 7,781,631 (Hanoi),
D. respectively.
Question ID 4e063114
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 4e063114
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Georeferencing is the process of assigning geographic coordinates to an image.
This process enables mapping software to place the image in its real-world location.
A 2017 project by Tania López Marrero and colleagues georeferenced a set of aerial photographs of Puerto Rico’s
coastline taken in 1930.
These photographs are the earliest known aerial photographs of Puerto Rico.
López Marrero’s project provided data that can help researchers analyze changes in Puerto Rico’s coastline.

The student wants to define the term “georeferencing.” Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the
notes to accomplish this goal?

A 2017 project by Tania López Marrero and colleagues assigned geographic coordinates to photographs of Puerto
A. Rico’s coastline and also used georeferencing.

Tania López Marrero and colleagues used georeferencing in their analysis of the earliest known aerial photographs of
B. Puerto Rico.

C. Georeferenced aerial photographs from 1930 can help researchers analyze changes in Puerto Rico’s coastline.

Georeferencing is the process of assigning geographic coordinates to an image so that mapping software can place
D. it in its real-world location.
Question ID 5d3177aa
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 5d3177aa
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In the early 1960s, the US had a strict national-origins quota system for immigrants.
The number of new immigrants allowed from a country each year was based on how many people from that
country lived in the US in 1890.
This system favored immigrants from northern Europe.
Almost 70% of slots were reserved for immigrants from Great Britain, Ireland, and Germany.
The 1965 Hart-Celler Act abolished the national-origins quota system.

The student wants to present the significance of the Hart-Celler Act to an audience unfamiliar with the history of US
immigration. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Almost 70% of slots were reserved for immigrants from Great Britain, Ireland, and Germany at the time the Hart-Celler
A. Act was proposed.

Prior to the Hart-Celler Act, new immigration quotas were based on how many people from each country lived in the
B. US in 1890.

C. The quota system in place in the early 1960s was abolished by the 1965 Hart-Celler Act.

The 1965 Hart-Celler Act abolished the national-origins quota system, which favored immigrants from northern
D. Europe.
Question ID 7c9d0e38
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 7c9d0e38
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Roughly 96% of Australia’s estimated 200,000 animal species are invertebrates.
Invertebrates of the order Hymenoptera, which consists of sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants, are estimated to total
14,800 species in Australia.
Invertebrates of the order Coleoptera, which consists of beetles and weevils, are estimated to total 28,200
species in Australia.
Some of these invertebrates’ populations are threatened by invasive bird and fish species.

The student wants to emphasize the different orders in which Australia’s invertebrate animals are classified. Which
choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

In Australia, 28,200 species are estimated to be beetles and weevils, both classified as invertebrates of the order
A. Coleoptera.

Among Australia’s many invertebrates, sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants belong to the order Hymenoptera, while
B. beetles and weevils belong to the order Coleoptera.

Many sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants of the order Hymenoptera are threatened by some of Australia’s invasive bird
C. and fish species.

D. The order Hymenoptera is estimated to make up 14,800 of Australia’s 200,000 animal species.
Question ID ff3865b3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: ff3865b3
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
A wok is a cooking pan that originated in China during the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE).
The wok’s round, wide base helps to cook food evenly. The wok’s high, angled sides help to contain oil splatters.
Grace Young is a cook and culinary historian. Her book The Breath of a Wok (2004) traces the history of the wok.

The student wants to describe the wok’s shape. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes
to accomplish this goal?

A. Grace Young’s 2004 book, The Breath of a Wok, traces the history of the cooking pan.

B. Able to cook food evenly and contain oil splatters, the wok is the subject of Grace Young’s 2004 book.

C. A wok is a cooking pan with a round, wide base and high, angled sides.

The design of a wok, a type of cooking pan that originated in China during the Han dynasty, helps the pan cook food
D. evenly and contain oil splatters.
Question ID 35507eba
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 35507eba
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Pointillism is a painting technique in which small, distinct dots of color are applied in patterns to form an image.
Betty Acquah is an artist from Ghana who uses pointillism in her work.
“By extending dabs of color in the subject matter into the background and vice-versa, an illusion of movement is
created,” she says about pointillism.
Her work often portrays Ghanaian women, whom she sees as the “unsung heroines of the Ghanaian Republic.”
Her pointillist painting “Exquisite” (2016) features five dancing women twirling their skirts.

The student wants to provide a quotation from Acquah that explains why she used pointillism in “Exquisite.” Which
choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

In painting “Exquisite,” Acquah applied pointillism to create what she called an “illusion of movement” within the
A. painting’s five dancing women and their twirling skirts.

B. Pointillism, the technique used in Acquah’s “Exquisite,” involves the application of small, distinct dots of color.

In “Exquisite,” Acquah uses a technique that she says involves “extending dabs of color in the subject matter into the
C. background and vice-versa.”

“Exquisite” portrays Acquah’s fellow Ghanaian women as she sees them: the “unsung heroes of the Ghanaian
D. Republic.”
Question ID f1631638
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: f1631638
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Gaspar Enriquez is an artist. He specializes in portraits of Mexican Americans.
A portrait is an artistic representation of a person.
Enriquez completed a painting of the sculptor Luis Jimenez in 2003.
He completed a drawing of the writer Rudolfo Anaya in 2016.

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

The portraits, or artistic representations, of Luis Jimenez and Rudolfo Anaya were both completed by Enriquez in the
A. early 2000s.

Enriquez has completed portraits of numerous Mexican Americans, including sculptor Luis Jimenez and writer
B. Rudolfo Anaya.

While both are by Enriquez, the 2003 portrait of Luis Jimenez is a painting, and the 2016 portrait of Rudolfo Anaya is a
C. drawing.

D. Luis Jimenez was a Mexican American sculptor, and Rudolfo Anaya was a Mexican American writer.
Question ID fdd9a360
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: fdd9a360
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The popular wood-wide web theory posits that trees can communicate and exchange resources with one another
via common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs) of fungi.
Ecologist Dr. Suzanne Simard first suggested this theory in 1997. She described trees as “super-cooperators.”
In the 2022 study “The Decay of the Wood-Wide Web?,” mycologist Dr. Justine Karst and colleagues evaluated
dozens of CMN studies.
They write that CMNs “have captured the interest of broad audiences. We are concerned, however, that recent
claims about CMNs in forests are disconnected from evidence.”

The student wants to use a quotation to emphasize a potential problem with the wood-wide web theory. Which choice
most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Describing trees as “super-cooperators,” Simard first suggested that trees can exchange resources with one another
A. in 1997.

In “The Decay of the Wood-Wide Web?,” Karst and colleagues note that common mycorrhizal networks “have
B. captured the interest of broad audiences.”

After evaluating dozens of CMN studies, Karst and colleagues expressed concern that recent claims about common
C. mycorrhizal networks are “disconnected from evidence.”

Despite the concerns expressed in the 2022 study “The Decay of the Wood-Wide Web?,” the wood-wide web theory
D. remains popular.
Question ID 1b94a80a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 1b94a80a
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Wool is a natural—and economically important—fiber that is obtained from animals like sheep.
Australia is a leading producer of wool. The thickness of wool fibers varies across sheep breeds.
Merino sheep produce fine wool that is used for apparel.
Rambouillet sheep produce fine wool that is used for apparel.
Romney sheep produce thick wool that is used for rugs and blankets.

The student wants to emphasize how Romney wool differs from Merino and Rambouillet wool. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Romney wool is just one of the many kinds of wools, each originating from a different breed of sheep.

B. Sheep wool varies from breed to breed, so Romney wool will be different than other kinds of wool.

The fine wool produced by Merino and Rambouillet sheep is used for apparel, whereas the thicker wool of Romney
C. sheep is used in rugs and blankets.

Wool is an economically important fiber—especially in Australia—that can be used to make apparel or even rugs and
D. blankets.
Question ID 88308a39
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 88308a39
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Shaun Tan is an Australian author.
In 2008, he published Tales from Outer Suburbia, a book of fifteen short stories.
The stories describe surreal events occurring in otherwise ordinary suburban neighborhoods.
In 2018, he published Tales from the Inner City, a book of twenty-five short stories.
The stories describe surreal events occurring in otherwise ordinary urban settings.

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

Shaun Tan’s book Tales from Outer Suburbia, which describes surreal events occurring in otherwise ordinary places,
A. contains fewer short stories than Tales from the Inner City does.

B. Tales from Outer Suburbia was published in 2008, and Tales from the Inner City was published in 2018.

C. Unlike Tales from the Inner City, Shaun Tan’s book Tales from Outer Suburbia is set in suburban neighborhoods.

Shaun Tan’s books Tales from Outer Suburbia and Tales from the Inner City both describe surreal events occurring in
D. otherwise ordinary places.
Question ID a0da8114
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: a0da8114
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Tibetan mastiffs are large dogs native to the Himalayas.
A mutation in their EPAS1 gene prevents excess hemoglobin production.
A mutation in their HBB gene boosts hemoglobin’s oxygen-carrying ability.
These mutations enable the dogs to withstand hypoxic (low-oxygen) conditions at high altitudes.
In a 2016 study, Zhen Wang and colleagues noted that Tibetan wolves’ DNA has the same EPAS1 and HBB
mutations.
Wang and colleagues determined that the dogs first acquired these mutations by interbreeding with Tibetan
wolves around 24,000 years ago.

The student wants to present the conclusion of Zhen Wang and colleagues’ 2016 study. Which choice most effectively
uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Like Tibetan mastiffs, Tibetan wolves can withstand hypoxic conditions at high altitudes.

Both Tibetan mastiffs and Tibetan wolves have mutations in their EPAS1 and HBB genes, which prevent excess
B. hemoglobin production and boost hemoglobin’s oxygen-carrying ability, respectively.

In addition to preventing excess hemoglobin production, a mutation in Tibetan mastiffs’ HBB gene boosts
C. hemoglobin’s oxygen-carrying ability.

By interbreeding with Tibetan wolves around 24,000 years ago, Tibetan mastiffs acquired the genetic mutations that
D. enable them to withstand hypoxic conditions.
Question ID 0fab0c90
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 0fab0c90
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The Gullah are a group of African Americans who have lived in parts of the southeastern United States since the
18th century.
Gullah culture is influenced by West African and Central African traditions.
Louise Miller Cohen is a Gullah historian, storyteller, and preservationist.
She founded the Gullah Museum of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, in 2003.
Vermelle Rodrigues is a Gullah historian, artist, and preservationist.
She founded the Gullah Museum of Georgetown, South Carolina, in 2003.

The student wants to emphasize the duration and purpose of Cohen’s and Rodrigues’s work. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

At the Gullah Museums in Hilton Head Island and Georgetown, South Carolina, visitors can learn more about the
A. Gullah people who have lived in the region for centuries.

Louise Miller Cohen and Vermelle Rodrigues have worked to preserve the culture of the Gullah people, who have lived
B. in the United States since the 18th century.

Since 2003, Louise Miller Cohen and Vermelle Rodrigues have worked to preserve Gullah culture through their
C. museums.

Influenced by the traditions of West and Central Africa, Gullah culture developed in parts of the southeastern United
D. States in the 18th century.
Question ID 56cad44a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 56cad44a
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Mexican tetras are a fish species with two distinct populations.
Surface-dwelling tetras live on the surface and are able to see.
Cave-dwelling tetras live in total darkness and have lost the ability to see.
Cave-dwelling tetras have asymmetrical skulls with more sensory receptors on one side than the other.
These receptors help cave-dwelling tetras navigate in darkness.

The student wants to emphasize a difference between surface-dwelling and cave-dwelling tetras. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Surface-dwelling and cave-dwelling tetras may belong to the same species, but they are quite different.

B. Cave-dwelling tetras can no longer see but use sensory receptors on their skulls to navigate.

C. Mexican tetras are a fish species with two distinct populations: surface-dwelling tetras and cave-dwelling tetras.

D. Surface-dwelling tetras can see, whereas cave-dwelling tetras cannot.


Question ID d2b52c50
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: d2b52c50
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
On January 3, 1959, Alaska became the 49th state to join the US.
On August 21, 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state to join the US.
A new 50-star US flag was unveiled the same day.

The student wants to emphasize the order in which Alaska and Hawaii became US states. Which choice most effectively
uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Alaska, the 49th US state, became a state several months before Hawaii, the 50th state, did.

B. On August 21, 1959, a new 50-star US flag was unveiled.

C. The 49th and 50th states to join the US did so in the same year.

D. The same day that Hawaii became a US state—August 21, 1959—a new US flag was unveiled.
Question ID 10cd0327
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 10cd0327
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
A thermal inversion is a phenomenon where a layer of atmosphere is warmer than the layer beneath it.
In 2022, a team of researchers studied the presence of thermal inversions in twenty-five gas giants.
Gas giants are planets largely composed of helium and hydrogen.
The team found that gas giants featuring a thermal inversion were also likely to contain heat-absorbing metals.
One explanation for this relationship is that these metals may reside in a planet’s upper atmosphere, where their
absorbed heat causes an increase in temperature.

The student wants to present the study’s findings to an audience already familiar with thermal inversions. Which choice
most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Heat-absorbing metals may reside in a planet’s upper atmosphere.

B. The team studied thermal inversions in twenty-five gas giants, which are largely composed of helium and hydrogen.

Researchers found that gas giants featuring a thermal inversion were likely to contain heat-absorbing metals, which
C. may reside in the planets’ upper atmospheres.

Gas giants were likely to contain heat-absorbing metals when they featured a layer of atmosphere warmer than the
D. layer beneath it, researchers found; this phenomenon is known as a thermal inversion.
Question ID 4b376902
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 4b376902
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
NASA uses rovers, large remote vehicles with wheels, to explore the surface of Mars.
NASA’s rovers can’t explore regions inaccessible to wheeled vehicles.
Rovers are also heavy, making them difficult to land on the planet’s surface.
Microprobes, robotic probes that weigh as little as 50 milligrams, could be deployed virtually anywhere on the
surface of Mars.
Microprobes have been proposed as an alternative to rovers.

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

A. Despite being heavy, NASA’s rovers can land successfully on the surface of Mars.

Microprobes, which weigh as little as 50 milligrams, could explore areas of Mars that are inaccessible to NASA’s
B. heavy, wheeled rovers.

C. NASA currently uses its rovers on Mars, but microprobes have been proposed as an alternative.

D. Though they are different sizes, both microprobes and rovers can be used to explore the surface of Mars.
Question ID dede8260
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: dede8260
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
When medical students mention their patients on social media, they may violate patient confidentiality.
Terry Kind led a study to determine how many medical schools have student policies that mention social media
use.
Kind and her team reviewed 132 medical school websites, examining publicly available student policies.
Only thirteen medical schools had guidelines that explicitly mention social media, and only five defined what
constitutes acceptable social media use.

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

A. The student policies of 132 medical schools can be found online, according to research by Terry Kind.

To find out how many medical schools have guidelines about student social media use, Terry Kind and her team
B. examined the student policies of 132 medical schools.

Out of 132 medical schools, only thirteen had student policies that mentioned social media, and only five specified
C. what use was acceptable.

Terry Kind and her team wanted to know how many medical schools have student social media policies in place
D. about protecting patient confidentiality.
Question ID 81315093
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 81315093
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?

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

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

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

Decades after the Japanese import of matsutake began, a commodity chain now links matsutake pickers in Oregon
C. 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
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
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?

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

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

Humans may have first arrived in the Americas by sea, traveling between Pacific Ocean islands and coastlines and
C. 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
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 b5cd28a7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: b5cd28a7
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Samuel Delany is a US writer known for his science fiction.
Delany’s science fiction novel Babel-17 was published in 1966. The novel won a Nebula Award in 1967.
The Nebula Awards are given each year to the best works of science fiction published in the US.

The student wants to indicate the title of a novel that won a Nebula Award. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Babel-17, by Samuel Delany, won a Nebula Award in 1967.

B. Samuel Delany published a science fiction novel in 1966.

C. Samuel Delany is an award-winning US writer known for his science fiction.

D. One of Samuel Delany’s novels was among the best works of science fiction published in the US.
Question ID 5888712f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 5888712f
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?

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

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

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

Whereas the reflective metal fibers had an emissivity of just 0.02, the silicon carbide fibers absorbed large amounts
D. 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
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?

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

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

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

A comet’s orbit around the Sun may change over time: the orbit of comet 81P/Wild once lay between the orbits of
D. Uranus and Jupiter but is now positioned between those of Jupiter and Mars.
Question ID 9336f63b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 9336f63b
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
A small number of US Navy sailors of Filipino descent served during the US Civil War (1861–1865).
Stephen Amos was born in the Philippines around 1830. He enlisted in the US Navy in November 1863.
Raphael Ignases was born in the Philippines around 1834. He enlisted in the US Navy in July 1861.

The student wants to emphasize the historical significance of Stephen Amos’s enlistment date. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Both Stephen Amos and Raphael Ignases were US Navy sailors of Filipino descent, but Amos enlisted in the Navy in
A. 1863, two years later than Ignases.

Stephen Amos was a US Navy sailor of Filipino descent, along with Raphael Ignases, who was born in the Philippines
B. around 1834.

Stephen Amos enlisted in the US Navy in 1863, making him one of the few sailors of Filipino descent to serve in the
C. US Civil War (1861–1865).

When Stephen Amos enlisted in the US Navy in November 1863, he joined sailors such as Raphael Ignases, who had
D. been born in the Philippines around 1834.
Question ID 9922b364
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 9922b364
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Ibn Sina was a Persian philosopher and physician.
His book The Canon of Medicine recorded the most advanced medical knowledge of his time.
It was published in the year 1025 CE.
It was used as a medical textbook in Middle Eastern and European universities for centuries.

The student wants to identify the year that The Canon of Medicine was published. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Ibn Sina’s book The Canon of Medicine was published in the year 1025 CE.

B. A Persian philosopher and physician wrote a medical textbook called The Canon of Medicine.

C. The Canon of Medicine was a medical textbook used by Middle Eastern and European universities for centuries.

D. Ibn Sina recorded the most advanced medical knowledge of his time in his book The Canon of Medicine.
Question ID 04397a63
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 04397a63
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.

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

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

Native people, including the members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, influenced the founding of the US in many
D. different ways.
Question ID de01ccef
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: de01ccef
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The background colors of US and UK road signs are used to denote each sign’s purpose.
Directional signs are a type of sign containing information such as route names, distance to a destination, etc.
Highways, major roadways, and minor roadways in the US generally use green for directional signs.
Highways in the UK generally use blue for directional signs.
Major roadways in the UK generally use green for directional signs.

The student wants to contrast how green backgrounds are used in US and UK road signs. Which choice most effectively
uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Blue backgrounds are generally used on directional highway signs in the UK, in contrast to the green highway signs
A. used in the US.

In the US, green signs indicate directional information on both highways and major roadways, but in the UK,
B. directional signs of this color generally appear only on major roadways.

Green road signs are used in both the US and UK to denote directional information on major roadways, like distance
C. to a destination or route names.

Both the UK and the US use directional signs, which include information on route names and distance to a
D. destination.
Question ID 164a32e7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 164a32e7
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?

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

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

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

Before moving to Harlem, Claude McKay—author of the poetry collection Harlem Shadows (1922) and the novel Home
D. 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
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?

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

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

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

The Laas Geel paintings and the Dhagah Nabi Galay paintings are both examples of ancient rock art found in
D. Somaliland.
Question ID cfade68d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: cfade68d
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Marcela Guerrero is a curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.
She curated the Whitney’s 2018 exhibition Pacha, Llaqta, Wasichay: Indigenous Space, Modern Architecture, New
Art.
This exhibition featured works by seven emerging Latino artists.
She curated the Whitney’s 2020 exhibition Vida Americana: Mexican Muralists Remake American Art, 1925–1945.
This exhibition included nearly 200 works by twentieth-century Latino and Mexican artists.

The student wants to describe the exhibition that Guerrero curated in 2018. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Held at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the exhibition Vida Americana: Mexican Muralists Remake American Art,
A. 1925–1945 included nearly 200 works by twentieth-century Mexican and Latino artists.

Pacha, Llaqta, Wasichay: Indigenous Space, Modern Architecture, New Art, an exhibition at the Whitney Museum of
B. American Art, featured works by seven emerging Latino artists.

C. In both 2018 and 2020, Marcela Guerrero curated exhibitions at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.

While one exhibition that Marcela Guerrero curated featured works by emerging artists, another included works by
D. twentieth-century artists.
Question ID 804928b6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 804928b6
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Mary Kang is a Korean American portrait photographer. She is based in New York City and in Austin, Texas.
One of Kang’s photographs features artist Dominique Fung. In the portrait, Fung is seated on the floor.
Five of Fung’s paintings are resting against the wall behind her.

The student wants to describe where Fung is in the photograph to an audience already familiar with Kang and Fung.
Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Dominique Fung is in a photograph by Mary Kang, a portrait photographer based in New York City and Austin, Texas.

B. Mary Kang is a photographer based in both New York City and Austin, Texas.

C. Five paintings by artist Dominique Fung can be seen in the background of Mary Kang’s photograph.

D. In Kang’s portrait of her, Fung is seated on the floor, with five of her paintings resting against the wall behind her.
Question ID 5222ffab
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 5222ffab
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?

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

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

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

According to Padmanabhan and Chen, the brain can toggle between capturing olfactory information at a given
D. moment and tracking changes in that information over time.
Question ID 570dd854
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 570dd854
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Here I Have Returned is a sculpture by Egyptian American artist Sherin Guirguis.
It is a large, curved strip of wood inspired by the shape of a sistrum.
A sistrum is a curved musical instrument played by ancient Egyptian priestesses in ceremonies.
Guirguis says that the sculpture symbolizes “women who have lifted and supported Egyptian society and culture.”
Overall, Guirguis wants her works to “engage audiences in a dialogue about power, agency, and social
transformation.”

The student wants to use a quotation from Guirguis to explain what the sculpture represents. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Guirguis, whose works include a sculpture that is a large, curved strip of wood, has explained that she wants her work
A. to create a dialogue with audiences.

Inspired by the sistrum played by Egyptian priestesses, Here I Have Returned symbolizes “women who have lifted and
B. supported Egyptian society and culture,” according to Guirguis.

According to Guirguis, the curved strip of wood used in Here I Have Returned was inspired by the sistrum, a musical
C. instrument played by ancient Egyptian priestesses in ceremonies.

Guirguis, the sculptor of Here I Have Returned, wants her works to “engage audiences in a dialogue about power,
D. agency, and social transformation.”
Question ID 4223d4a6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 4223d4a6
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 1965, Yale University historians claimed that a world map called the Vinland Map was drawn in the fifteenth
century.
Since that time, the map’s age has been the subject of debate.
In 2021, researchers conducted a study to analyze the elemental composition of the map’s ink.
Their analysis revealed that the ink contains a titanium compound not used in inks until the 1920s.
The researchers concluded that the map was drawn in the twentieth century.

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

Given the debate about the Vinland Map’s age, researchers in 2021 conducted a study to analyze the elemental
A. composition of the map’s ink.

A 2021 study of the Vinland Map’s ink revealed that it contains a titanium compound not used in inks until the 1920s,
B. indicating that the map was drawn in the twentieth century.

C. The Vinland Map, believed by some to have been drawn in the fifteenth century, was the focus of a 2021 study.

Aware that a certain titanium compound was not used in inks until the 1920s, researchers in 2021 studied the
D. elemental composition of the Vinland Map’s ink.
Question ID 7aac173e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 7aac173e
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?

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

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

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

Abele, an architect who studied Gregorian and neo-Gothic architecture in Europe, is believed to have designed most of
D. the buildings on Duke’s campus.
Question ID 72ae9bca
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 72ae9bca
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In the early 1900s, suffragists organized marches for women’s voting rights.
Suffragists in the United Kingdom marched from Edinburgh to London.
This march began on October 12, 1912, and ended on November 16, 1912.
Suffragists in the United States marched from New York City to Albany, New York.
This march began on December 16, 1912, and ended on December 28, 1912.

The student wants to emphasize the order in which the two marches occurred. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

After suffragists in the UK marched from Edinburgh to London, suffragists in the US marched from New York City to
A. Albany, New York.

B. In the early 1900s, suffragists in the UK and the US marched for women’s voting rights.

A march from New York City to Albany, New York, was followed by one that began in Edinburgh and ended in London.
C.

D. From October 12 to November 16, 1912, suffragists in the UK marched from Edinburgh to London.
Question ID 3dcc7140
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 3dcc7140
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?

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

Nissologists’ different definitions can result in huge disparities in counts of islands, as the example of Sweden
D. shows.
Question ID a1ca7ec4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: a1ca7ec4
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?

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

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

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

In 1971, Cecilia Vicuña exhibited her first solo art exhibition, Pinturas, poemas y explicaciones, in Chile, her country of
D. birth.
Question ID 4c26f18a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 4c26f18a
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
By interlocking their bodies, ants can form bridges to help fellow ants cross gaps.
In 2020, Yasemin Ozkan-Aydin was inspired by ant behavior to design collaborative quadruped robots.
Over the course of a year, she designed, built, tested, and refined her robots.
Each robot is programmed to send a signal to another robot upon encountering a gap in a path.
The signaled robot connects to the back of the signaler robot via magnetic sensors and pushes it across the gap.

The student wants to begin a narrative about the creation of the robots. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

When one of Yasemin Ozkan-Aydin’s robots encounters a gap in its path, it sends a signal to another robot; the
A. signaled robot connects to the back of the signaler and pushes it across the gap.

B. After a year, Yasemin Ozkan-Aydin had designed, built, tested, and refined her robots.

Inspired by ants, which form bridges with their interlocked bodies to help fellow ants cross gaps, Yasemin Ozkan-
C. Aydin set out to design quadruped robots capable of similarly collaborative behavior.

D. Ants, which have inspired the design of robots, form bridges by interlocking their bodies.
Question ID d7c5388f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: d7c5388f
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.

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

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

D. C-type asteroids are mainly composed of carbon, whereas S-type asteroids are primarily made up of silicate minerals.
Question ID 622a351d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 622a351d
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?

During the Alta conflict, Sámi activists staged protests to block the construction of a dam on the Alta River in Norway
A. 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.

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

The Alta conflict had a lasting impact, resulting in international attention and legal protections for Sámi rights to
D. lands, waters, and resources.
Question ID 34e1124f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 34e1124f
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.

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

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

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

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 7fd39a42
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.

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

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

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

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 96a86bce
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.

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

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

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

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: db3ad406
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
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?

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

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

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

Thomas Rogers and F. Leland Russell analyzed core samples from oak trees on a site that was not wooded in the
D. past, indexing the age of the trees with historical climate data.
Question ID d9d314d9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: d9d314d9
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?

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

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

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

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


Question ID ce282575
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: ce282575
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?

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

The Hobbit, a novel published by J.R.R. Tolkien in 1937, features a reproduction of a map that the characters use on
B. 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 e98b1690
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: e98b1690
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Bike-share programs provide bicycles for shared use.
In docked bike sharing, riders rent a bike and return it to designated docking stations.
Docked programs are orderly and offer consistency to riders but require significant space and money to
implement.
In dockless bike sharing, riders locate a bike and leave it wherever they choose.
Dockless programs are relatively simple and inexpensive to implement and offer flexibility to riders.
Dockless programs can be disorganized.

The student wants to compare some disadvantages of docked and dockless bike-share programs. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Dockless programs can be disorganized; docked programs, on the other hand, offer order and consistency.

Worth noting is that while dockless programs are relatively easy and inexpensive to implement, they are less flexible
B. than docked programs.

Docked programs are more resource-intensive than dockless programs, but they avoid some of the latter’s
C. organizational challenges.

D. Though dockless programs offer flexibility, docked bike-share programs provide bicycles for shared use.
Question ID 1469d23a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 1469d23a
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?

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

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

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

A leporello, such as Adnan’s December from My Window, is folded accordion style, and due to its zigzag shape it is
D. able to stand on its own when fully expanded.
Question ID 3ea7372e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 3ea7372e
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?

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

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

The term biennial traditionally refers to an art exhibition that takes place every two years in a single location, not to
C. 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 54f29331
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 54f29331
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The green iguana is a species of reptile. It can be found in Central America and Brazil.
The green iguana primarily eats leaves and fruit. It has an average length of 4.8 feet.

The student wants to specify the average length of the green iguana. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. The green iguana can be found in Central America.

B. The green iguana has an average length of 4.8 feet.

C. One species of reptile found in Brazil primarily eats leaves and fruit.

D. The green iguana is a reptile that primarily eats leaves and fruit.
Question ID 28a46cb0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 28a46cb0
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The international Slow Food movement was founded in 1989 with the signing of the “Slow Food Manifesto.”
The movement promotes universal access to healthy, high-quality food.
It calls for sustainable food production practices that protect local environments, ecosystems, and biodiversity.
It advocates for fair treatment of and compensation for food production workers.
The Slow Food USA organization was founded in 2000.

The student wants to introduce the Slow Food movement to a new audience. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

The international Slow Food movement, founded in 1989, promotes universal access to healthy, high-quality food that
A. is produced sustainably by workers who are treated and compensated fairly.

The signing of the “Slow Food Manifesto” in 1989 marked the founding of the international Slow Food movement,
B. while the Slow Food USA organization was founded in 2000.

C. The Slow Food movement advocates for food production workers.

D. Goals of the movement include universal access to healthy, high-quality food and sustainable food practices.
Question ID 259d16ac
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 259d16ac
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 1859, the novel Adam Bede was published in England.
According to the novel’s title page, the author’s name was George Eliot.
George Eliot was widely assumed to be a pseudonym.
A pseudonym is a fake name used to conceal an author’s identity.
A woman named Mary Ann Evans later revealed herself as the novel’s real author.

The student wants to identify the real author of Adam Bede. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information
from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. The real author of Adam Bede was Mary Ann Evans, who published the novel using the pseudonym George Eliot.

George Eliot, which Adam Bede’s title page indicated was the name of the novel’s author, was widely assumed to be a
B. pseudonym.

C. The title page of the novel Adam Bede indicated that the author’s name was George Eliot.

D. A woman who had used a pseudonym to conceal her identity later revealed herself as the real author of Adam Bede.
Question ID f2f6009b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: f2f6009b
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Little is known about the life of Wong Fei-hung (1847–1925).
He was born near Foshan, China, and gained local recognition as a physician and Hung Ga (also known as Hung
Gar) Kung Fu master.
He achieved many incredible martial arts feats—some confirmed and some rumored.
He has become an internationally known folk hero thanks to his depiction in over a hundred films, television
shows, and other media.
In the 1991 film Once Upon a Time in China, actor Jet Li portrays Wong Fei-hung using superhuman kung fu
abilities to save his community.

The student wants to emphasize the effect media had on building Wong Fei-hung’s legacy. Which choice most effectively
uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Thanks to his depiction in over a hundred pieces of media, Wong Fei-hung was locally known as a successful
A. physician and Hung Ga Kung Fu master.

Though he was known locally during his lifetime, Wong Fei-hung’s later depiction in television, film, and other media
B. has turned him into an internationally known folk hero.

Various media have depicted Wong Fei-hung, the successful physician and kung fu master who became an
C. internationally known folk hero.

Wong Fei-hung’s abilities as a kung fu master are depicted in many media, including the 1991 film Once Upon a Time
D. in China.
Question ID 8d1ddd1b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 8d1ddd1b
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 study revealed that ducklings, which expend up to 62.8% less energy when swimming in a line behind their mother,
A. also experience 158% less drag.

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

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

Naval architect Zhiming Yuan discovered that ducklings are pushed in a forward direction by the waves of their
D. mother’s wake, reducing the effect of drag by 158%.
Question ID ba263620
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: ba263620
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.

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

Jones’s mobile refrigeration system, which he invented in 1938, made it possible for food transport trucks to carry
D. perishable foods farther.
Question ID b44141cf
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: b44141cf
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Researchers in a 2021 study wanted to determine the rate at which 17 languages conveyed both information and
syllables.
They calculated the bits of information conveyed per second (the IR, or information rate).
The IR was found to be approximately consistent across the 17 languages (an average of 39 bits per second).
They calculated the number of syllables spoken per second (the SR, or syllable rate).
Spanish had the second-fastest SR (7.7 syllables per second).
Vietnamese had the sixteenth-fastest SR (5.3 syllables per second).

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

A. The 2021 study determined the information rate (IR) of 17 languages in bits of information conveyed per second.

Researchers found that information was conveyed more quickly in Spanish, at 7.7 syllables per second, than in
B. Vietnamese, at 5.3 syllables per second.

Vietnamese had the sixteenth-fastest syllable rate, lower than that of Spanish, which had the second-fastest;
C. however, Spanish had the lower information rate of the two.

Though some of the languages differed in number of syllables spoken per second, all 17 conveyed information at
D. roughly the same rate.
Question ID c34d6bff
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: c34d6bff
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?

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

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

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

Many African American women, including Bates and Hedgeman, fought for civil rights, but only one spoke at the
D. march.
Question ID ed80971c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: ed80971c
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?

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

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

According to its website, the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center (founded in the 1990s) works to
C. “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 114bbce6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 114bbce6
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Earthquakes start at a point called a “focus” and spread out from there as seismic waves.
The two types of seismic waves that travel beneath Earth’s surface are primary waves (P waves) and secondary
waves (S waves).
P waves travel more quickly beneath Earth’s surface than do S waves.
P waves compress and expand the ground, causing it to move backward and forward.
S waves cause the ground to move from side to side.

The student wants to emphasize a similarity between P waves and S waves. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. P waves and S waves both travel beneath Earth’s surface, causing the ground to move.

B. P waves travel away from an earthquake’s starting point at a higher rate of speed than do S waves.

C. Spreading out from the focus of an earthquake, P waves move the ground backward and forward.

D. Although P waves and S waves start at the same point, they behave very differently.
Question ID 13f36b03
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 13f36b03
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.”

Jon Ching uses the term “flauna,” a combination of the words “flora” and “fauna,” to describe the subjects of his
B. 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.”

The subjects of Nectar and Primaveral are types of “flauna,” a term that the paintings’ creator, Jon Ching, uses when
D. describing his surreal artworks.
Question ID ec03f090
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: ec03f090
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
A sestina is a thirty-nine-line poetic form.
Each line of the poem ends with one of six end words, which alternate according to a set pattern.
“Forage Sestina” is a sestina by Marilyn Hacker. Its end words are words, structure, wire, beam, wall, and room.
“Towards Autumn” is a sestina by Marilyn Hacker.
Its end words are daughter, friend, bread, mother, lover, and myself.

The student wants to use one of the poems to illustrate the sestina form. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Hacker employs the sestina, a poetic form with thirty-nine lines and six end words, in both “Forage Sestina” and
A. “Towards Autumn.”

As a sestina, “Towards Autumn” contains thirty-nine lines and six end words—in this case, daughter, friend, bread,
B. mother, lover, and myself—that alternate in a set pattern.

The thirty-nine-line sestina form uses the words daughter, friend, bread, mother, lover, and myself, which are found in
C. the poem “Forage Sestina.”

Hacker has used the sestina form multiple times, as in “Towards Autumn,” which contains these six words: words,
D. structure, wire, beam, wall, and room.
Question ID a86c0b1b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: a86c0b1b
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?

Ancient Native American and Australian Aboriginal cultures described the Pleiades, which was referred to in Greek
A. 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.

In the time since ancient cultures described the Pleiades as having seven stars, two of the cluster’s stars have moved
C. 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
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.

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

One of the most influential artists of the twentieth century, Mexican painter Frida Kahlo is best known for her self-
D. portraits, which are vivid and richly symbolic.
Question ID e2eb70b9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: e2eb70b9
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Traditionally, manufacturers have dyed denim jeans blue by dipping them in a solution containing indigo powder.
Indigo doesn’t dissolve in just water, so manufacturers must mix hazardous chemicals with water to dissolve the
powder.
Textile researcher Smriti Rai discovered a process for dyeing blue jeans without chemicals.
Rai added indigo powder to a hydrogel containing nanocellulose and produced a dye that could be spread directly
onto the denim.
Nanocellulose is a natural, plant-based substance that separates the molecules of indigo powder.

The student wants to emphasize a difference between the two approaches to dyeing blue jeans. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Though created using a different process, Rai’s dye contains the same ingredient as the dye produced by blue jean
A. manufacturers.

Nanocellulose is a natural, plant-based substance that separates the molecules of indigo powder, which doesn’t
B. dissolve in water.

C. The traditional approach to dyeing blue jeans is to dip them in a solution containing hazardous chemicals.

Rai’s approach substitutes a natural, plant-based substance for the hazardous chemicals that manufacturers have
D. traditionally used.
Question ID c40a1964
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: c40a1964
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Leigh Torres is a marine ecologist.
She conducted a study of blue whales in New Zealand’s South Taranaki Bight region.
She wanted to know how ocean temperature affects where the whales forage for krill in that region.
She found that during a marine heat wave, the whales foraged farther offshore than they had during cooler
periods.
The offshore waters, which were colder than areas closer to shore, had a higher relative abundance of krill.

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?

Analyzing ocean temperature data, Torres found that during a marine heat wave, blue whales foraged farther offshore
A. than they had during cooler periods.

In her study, Torres sought to determine how ocean temperature affects where blue whales forage for krill in the
B. South Taranaki Bight region.

C. Torres’s study revealed that blue whales were attracted to offshore waters with a relatively high abundance of krill.

D. Torres, a marine ecologist, studied blue whales in the South Taranaki Bight region, where the whales forage.
Question ID 86b78078
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 86b78078
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?

In 1956, Trinidadian author Samuel Selvon published one of his most celebrated novels, The Lonely Londoners, which
A. 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.

The Lonely Londoners, a celebrated novel that was published in 1956, depicts post–World War II Caribbean migration
C. 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
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.

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

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

The Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) and the olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) are different
D. species.
Question ID 2c7dced2
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 2c7dced2
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Sister Rosetta Tharpe (1915–1973) was a gospel musician.
She was known for her passionate vocals and electric guitar performances.
In 2018, Tharpe was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for her major impact on the genre.
According to songwriter Roxie Moore, “[Tharpe] would sing until you cried and then she would sing until you
danced for joy.”
According to guitarist Celisse Henderson, “Tharpe is the unquestioned founding mother of rock ’n’ roll.”

The student wants to use a quotation to support a claim about Tharpe’s contribution to rock ’n’ roll. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Gospel musician Sister Rosetta Tharpe had a major impact on rock ’n’ roll, and she was known for her passionate
A. electric guitar performances.

B. Celisse Henderson believes that Sister Rosetta Tharpe had a major impact on the development of rock ’n’ roll.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe had such a major impact on rock ’n’ roll that Celisse Henderson called her “the unquestioned
C. founding mother” of the genre.

A gospel musician, Sister Rosetta Tharpe had the ability to “sing until you cried” and also “until you danced for joy,”
D. according to Roxie Moore.
Question ID e3484c07
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: e3484c07
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?

Both jellyfish and black dragonfish are organisms that emit light, which is produced by chemical reactions in these
A. 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 5a5e22b5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 5a5e22b5
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?

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

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

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

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

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: bc56170b
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
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.

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

Annie Wu is best known for a 2011 YouTube video performance of Three Beats for Beatbox Flute that has been
C. 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
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?

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

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

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

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

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 5bb7dc03
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?

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

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

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

D. The Scripps National Spelling Bee uses words from diverse linguistic origins, such as “guerdon” and “Laodicean.”
Question ID e6b57c9b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: e6b57c9b
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Iranian scholar Abu Rayhan al-Biruni studied Earth’s physical features.
He theorized that a large landmass existed west of Europe and east of Asia.
Al-Biruni published his landmass theory in 1037 CE.

The student wants to specify when al-Biruni published his landmass theory. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. In 1037 CE, al-Biruni published his theory that a large landmass existed west of Europe and east of Asia.

B. Al-Biruni, who studied Earth’s physical features, published a theory about a large landmass.

C. Al-Biruni was an Iranian scholar who studied Earth’s physical features.

An Iranian scholar who studied Earth’s physical features, al-Biruni theorized that a large landmass existed west of
D. Europe and east of Asia.
Question ID 9e2d4ef7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 9e2d4ef7
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?

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

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

A much-praised historical novel about colonial East Africa, Paradise (1994) was written by Abdulrazak Gurnah, winner
C. 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 94f4eecb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 94f4eecb
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.

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

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

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

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

D. As methods for removing carvings from sandstone, power grinding and infilling differ in their level of invasiveness.
Question ID 70538b9a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 70538b9a
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In the 1930s, the Imperial Sugar Cane Institute in India sought to limit the country’s dependence on imported
sugarcane.
The institute enlisted botanist Janaki Ammal to breed a local variety of sugarcane.
She crossbred the imported sugarcane species Saccharum officinarum with grasses native to India.
She succeeded in creating sugarcane hybrids well suited to India’s climate.

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

By crossbreeding the imported sugarcane species Saccharum officinarum with grasses native to India, Ammal
A. succeeded in creating sugarcane hybrids well suited to India’s climate.

In the 1930s, the Imperial Sugar Cane Institute, which enlisted Ammal, sought to limit dependence on imported
B. sugarcane.

Ammal was enlisted by the Imperial Sugar Cane Institute at a time when a local variety of sugarcane needed to be
C. produced.

As part of efforts to breed a local variety of sugarcane, an imported sugarcane species called Saccharum officinarum
D. was crossbred with grasses native to India.
Question ID 25adba4e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 25adba4e
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 1897, twenty Black US Army infantrymen rode bicycles from Montana to Missouri.
The 1,900-mile journey took forty-one days. The goal was to test the idea of forming a military bicycle corps.
In 2022, Erick Cedeño, a Black long-distance cyclist, reenacted the journey.
Cedeño wanted to honor the infantrymen on the journey’s 125th anniversary.

The student wants to emphasize how far the infantrymen traveled. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. The US infantrymen rode their bicycles from Montana to Missouri—traveling a total of 1,900 miles.

B. The 125th anniversary of the infantrymen’s journey was in 2022.

C. The goal of the 1897 journey was to test the idea of forming a military bicycle corps.

D. Over a century later, Erick Cedeño honored the infantrymen by reenacting their 1897 journey.
Question ID 3150021d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 3150021d
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The Royal Alcázar of Seville is a historic royal palace in Andalucía, Spain.
The palace is famous for its intricate tilework. The palace features majolica and arista tiles.
In the majolica style, designs are painted directly on the ceramic tiles.
In the arista style, designs are stamped into the ceramic tiles.

The student wants to contrast the two styles of tiles. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the
notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Tiles in the majolica and arista styles can be found in the Royal Alcázar of Seville in Andalucía, Spain.

Featuring tiles in the majolica and arista styles, the Royal Alcázar of Seville in Spain is famous for its intricate
B. tilework.

In the arista style, designs are stamped into the ceramic tiles, whereas in the majolica style, the designs are painted
C. directly on them.

Among the famous tilework of the Royal Alcázar of Seville are majolica style tiles, made by painting designs directly
D. on the ceramic tiles.
Question ID 02527f43
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 02527f43
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
“Raymond’s Run” is a short story. It was written by African American author Toni Cade Bambara.
It was first published in her book Gorilla, My Love in 1972. It is told from a first person perspective.
It takes place in Harlem.

The student wants to indicate where the short story takes place. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information
from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. “Raymond’s Run” takes place in Harlem.

B. “Raymond’s Run” was published in Gorilla, My Love.

C. “Raymond’s Run” is told from a first person perspective.

D. “Raymond’s Run” was written by Toni Cade Bambara.


Question ID e8494245
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: e8494245
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Political scientist Graham Allison is known for his Thucydides trap theory.
Allison’s theory states that whenever “a rising power is threatening to displace a ruling power,” conflict is likely.
The theory is based on Thucydides’s explanation of the conflict between Athens and Sparta.
Thucydides wrote that “the rise of Athens and the fear this instilled in Sparta” made conflict “inevitable.”
History professor Edmund Stewart recently challenged the historical basis of the theory.
Stewart claimed that Athens was not a rising power and that the rivals experienced a “clash of cultures” instead.

The student wants to use a quotation to challenge Thucydides’s explanation of the conflict between Athens and Sparta.
Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

According to Allison’s Thucydides trap theory, whenever “a rising power is threatening to displace a ruling power,”
A. conflict is likely.

Thucydides wrote that conflict between the two powers was “inevitable,” although Stewart later challenged the
B. historical basis of this claim.

C. According to Stewart, a “clash of cultures” between Athens and Sparta caused the conflict, not Athens’s rise.

Thucydides explained that conflict was caused by “the rise of Athens and the fear this instilled in Sparta,” but Allison
D. disagreed, seeing the conflict as an example of the Thucydides trap.
Question ID efc19153
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: efc19153
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?

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

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

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

Redesigning a poorly designed city flag can create a meaningful symbol of civic pride, as was the case when
D. 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
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.

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

The Hanke-Henry permanent calendar was developed as an alternative to the Gregorian calendar, which is currently
D. 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
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.

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

Minnesota’s definition of a lake—an inland body of water of at least 10 acres—is more restrictive than Wisconsin’s,
D. which doesn’t take size into account.
Question ID aec8d3e8
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: aec8d3e8
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.

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

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

To produce carbon dioxide within a liquid batter, baking soda needs to be mixed with an acidic ingredient, whereas
D. baking powder does not.
Question ID 7fa2b1ee
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 7fa2b1ee
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In meteorology, an air mass is a large body of air with generally uniform humidity and temperature.
Air masses are commonly classified by two-letter names.
The first letter indicates the humidity of the air mass, while the second letter indicates the temperature.
cA (continental arctic) means dry and cold, for example. mT (maritime tropical) means moist and warm.
This classification system is based on the work of a Swedish meteorologist named Tor Bergeron (1891–1977).

The student wants to provide an example of an air mass. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from
the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Air masses are large bodies of air with generally uniform humidity and temperature.

The air mass classification system uses two-letter names and is based on the work of Tor Bergeron, a Swedish
B. meteorologist.

C. Air masses are commonly classified by a two-letter name that indicates humidity and temperature.

D. One type of air mass is known as a cA, or continental arctic, air mass because it is dry and cold.
Question ID 56b000d0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 56b000d0
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?

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

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

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

Researchers obtained clutch-size and habitat data for over 3,900 lizard species and analyzed the data with statistical
D. models.
Question ID f6d454c1
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: f6d454c1
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
If a moon orbiting a planet comes close enough to that planet, tidal forces can cause the moon to break apart.
In a 2022 study, researchers proposed that Saturn was once orbited by a large moon they named Chrysalis.
Their simulations indicated that Chrysalis would likely have come very close to Saturn around 160 million years
ago.
At that distance, Chrysalis would have been broken apart by tidal forces.
The researchers hypothesized that the resulting debris formed Saturn’s rings.

The student wants to recount the sequence of events proposed by the researchers. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

According to researchers’ simulations, two events likely occurred around 160 million years ago: first, Chrysalis came
A. very close to Saturn, and second, debris from Saturn’s rings caused the moon to break apart.

If a moon orbiting a planet (like Saturn) comes close enough to that planet, tidal forces can cause the moon to break
B. apart.

Around 160 million years ago, a large moon (Chrysalis) came close enough to Saturn that tidal forces broke the moon
C. apart; its debris then formed the planet’s rings.

First, researchers proposed that Saturn was orbited by a large moon (Chrysalis); next, they conducted simulations;
D. and, finally, they formed a hypothesis.
Question ID 92dec236
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical


Synthesis

ID: 92dec236
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?

Erasure (2008) uses discarded objects such as audiocassette tapes and magnets; Home Grown (2009), however,
A. 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.

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

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

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