Digital SAT Mock Test - 4 - SAT MCQ

Choice 1 is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of the relative appeal of different kinds of plays by Shakespeare to today’s audiences. According to the text, Shakespeare’s tragedies address broad themes that continue to appeal to today’s audiences. Indeed, the text suggests that these themes are timeless, as illustrated by the example of Romeo and Juliet, which the text states is still read and widely performed despite being set in the Italy of Shakespeare’s time. In contrast, the text indicates that audiences and readers may need to be familiar with several centuries of English history in order to understand Shakespeare’s history plays. Because many theatergoers and readers are unlikely to possess such extensive historical knowledge, it follows that they are likely to find Shakespeare’s history plays less engaging than his more accessible tragedies.
Choice 2 is incorrect because the text never introduces a comparison between Shakespeare’s tragedies and twentieth-century plays, only between Shakespeare’s tragedies and his history plays. Since twentieth-century plays aren’t mentioned, there’s no basis in the text for the idea that some of Shakespeare’s tragedies are more relevant than twentieth-century plays to today’s audiences.
Choice 3 is incorrect. Although the text indicates that Romeo and Juliet is thematically accessible to today’s audiences, it doesn’t suggest that Romeo and Juliet is more accessible than Shakespeare’s other tragedies. Rather, the text presents Romeo and Juliet as an example to support the idea that Shakespeare’s tragedies hold continued appeal for today’s readers and theatergoers.
Choice 4 is incorrect. Although experts in English history would likely possess the knowledge needed to understand Shakespeare’s history plays, the text never mentions such experts or suggests that they would enjoy the history plays more than Shakespeare’s other works.

Choice 2 is the best answer. The text describes how Barve found an association between habitat temperature and feather structure among Himalayan songbirds, which supports the general prediction that birds’ feather structures vary with habitat temperature.
Choice 1 is incorrect. Barve’s study isn’t said to contradict previous predictions. In fact, the study supports the prediction described in the first sentence, which is that birds’ feather structures vary with habitat temperature.
Choice 3 is incorrect. Barve’s study isn’t said to “complicate an earlier hypothesis.” In fact, the study supports the earlier prediction described in the first sentence, which is that birds’ feather structures vary with habitat temperature.
Choice 4 is incorrect. The text doesn’t compare the importance of feather length and feather structure, and it doesn’t say that Barve’s study challenges any established beliefs. In fact, the study supports the prediction described in the first sentence, which is that birds’ feather structures vary with habitat temperature.

Choice 1 is the best answer because it presents a finding that, if true, would most strongly support the claim in the underlined sentence. The text begins by explaining that the portrayal of Mexican American culture in Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street inspired later authors to explore their own heritage. Noting that Cisneros’s novella was also influential for its depiction of a formative year in a female character’s youth, the text then claims that this depiction inspired other Latina authors to use fiction to explore their own experiences of youth. Since this claim addresses how Cisneros encouraged Latina authors specifically to portray their youthful experiences, it would be directly supported by such authors stating that her novella influenced them to write about their own adolescence, or the transitional period between childhood and adulthood.

Choice 2 is incorrect. The text states that with its portrayal of Mexican American culture, The House on Mango Street inspired later authors to explore their own heritage, and since this statement isn’t limited to only Latina authors, it can be inferred that authors who aren’t Latina were also likely influenced by the novella. But because the claim in the underlined sentence concerns the novella’s influence on Latina authors specifically, the finding that the book also influenced authors who weren’t Latina would fail to provide support for the claim.

Choice 3 is incorrect because the finding that The House on Mango Street has sold millions of copies and is widely read among students in the US doesn’t relate directly to the text’s claim that the novella has influenced Latina authors specifically.

Choice 4 is incorrect. While comparisons of new novels about young Latina characters by Latina authors to Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street would likely be founded on similarities between those novels and Cisneros’s novella, such similarities wouldn’t necessarily be evidence of the novella’s influence; such similarities might arise if Cisneros and younger Latina authors alike depicted certain basic cultural and historical features of their communities. Testimony from younger Latina authors about how The House on Mango Street had inspired them would be far more persuasive evidence of the novella’s influence.

Choice 2 is the best answer. The text tells us that “people who got to touch the items were willing to pay much more money for them than people who weren’t allowed to touch” them. This suggests that being able to interact with a product in person may make it seem more valuable to a shopper.

Choice 1 is incorrect. The text doesn’t discuss how much people spend each month, so there’s not much basis for this claim. Furthermore, since being able to touch a product tends to make people “willing to pay much more money” for it, we might predict that an online shopper would be willing to spend less on the same purchases as an in-person shopper.

Choice 3 is incorrect. The text doesn’t discuss what retailers “should charge,” so there’s not much basis for this claim. Furthermore, the study in the text suggests that in-person stores may actually be able to charge more for a given product, since shoppers can touch it.

Choice 4 is incorrect. The text doesn’t discuss products that are only available online, so there’s not much basis for this claim. Furthermore, products only available online would still have the problem of shoppers not being able to touch them, and the study suggests that this lowers the prices shoppers are willing to pay.

Choice 1 is the best answer because it presents data from the table that most effectively complete the statement about the rates at which employment shifted in France and the United States. The text states that over the last two hundred years employment in the agricultural sector has declined while employment in the service sector has risen in both France and the US, and the data from the table reflect these trends. The text asserts, however, that the transition from agriculture to services “happened at very different rates in the two countries.” This assertion is best supported by a comparison of data from 1900 and 1950: the table shows that in those years, employment in agriculture went from 43% to 32% in France (a decline of 11 percentage points) and from 41% to 14% in the US (a decline of 27 percentage points), and that employment in services went from 28% to 35% in France (an increase of 7 percentage points) and from 31% to 53% in the US (an increase of 22 percentage points). In other words, the rate of change was greater in the US than in France for both sectors.

Choice 2 is incorrect because comparing the data for 1800 and 2012 would suggest a similar rate of change in the two countries, not very different rates: employment in agriculture went from 64% in 1800 to 3% in 2012 in France, which is close to the change from 68% in 1800 to 2% in 2012 in the US, while employment in services went from 14% in 1800 to 76% in 2012 in France, which is close to the change from 13% in 1800 to 80% in 2012 in the US.

Choice 3 is incorrect because comparing the data for 1900 and 2012 would suggest a similar rate of change in the two countries rather than very different rates: employment in agriculture went from 43% in 1900 to 3% in 2012 in France, which is close to the change from 41% in 1900 to 2% in 2012 in the US, while employment in services went from 28% in 1900 to 76% in 2012 in France, which is close to the change from 31% in 1900 to 80% in 2012 in the US.

Choice 4 is incorrect because comparing the data for 1800 and 1900 would suggest a similar rate of change in the two countries, not very different rates: employment in agriculture went from 64% in 1800 to 43% in 1900 in France, which is fairly close to the change from 68% in 1800 to 41% in 1900 in the US, while employment in services went from 14% in 1800 to 28% in 1900 in France, which is close to the change from 13% in 1800 to 31% in 1900 in the US.

Choice 1 is the best answer because it presents an explanation about a helicopter that is directly supported by the text. The text states that Mars’s atmosphere is much less dense than Earth’s, and as a result, the air on Mars doesn’t provide the resistance required to support the blades of a helicopter built for Earth and to keep the helicopter aloft. In other words, a helicopter built for Earth can’t fly on Mars because of the differences in the two planets’ atmospheres.

Choice 2 is incorrect because instead of stating that the blades of helicopters built for Earth are too large to work on Mars, the text indicates that the helicopter built to fly on Mars actually has even longer blades than a helicopter built for Earth.

Choice 3 is incorrect because the text never addresses the role of gravity on Mars or on Earth; instead, it focuses on atmospheric conditions.

Choice 4 is incorrect because the text doesn’t indicate that helicopters built for Earth are too small to operate in the conditions on Mars. In fact, the text states that the size of the helicopter built to fly on Mars is the same size as a helicopter built for Earth, even though it has longer blades that rotate faster.

Choice 2 is the best answer. The passage tells us that Shang dynasty bronze artifacts contained "a rare form of lead," but that bronze artifacts after this time did not contain that lead. Although we don’t know where that specific type of bronze came from, we can conclude that that source was not used after the end of the Shang dynasty—otherwise, post-Shang dynasty pieces would also contain that rare form of lead.
Choice 1 is incorrect. Despite these pieces containing "a rare form of lead," there is no direct claim in the passage that Shang dynasty bronze is itself more rare or valuable than bronze pieces from other periods. Therefore, there’s no basis for this inference.
Choice 3 is incorrect. Although the passage mentions that the nature of the bronze in Chinese artifacts changed after the Shang dynasty, bronze was still used to create artifacts after this time. The passage in fact explicitly states "bronze artifacts from China dated after the Shang dynasty…," indicating that bronze was still used in China after the Shang dynasty.
Choice 4 is incorrect. There’s no mention in the passage of methods used to analyze bronze artifacts, so there’s no basis for this inference.

Choice 4 is the best answer. The researchers concluded that as we approach maximum plausible surface temperatures, there will be a larger percentage of sites where thermal pollution could contribute to meeting home heating needs. By showing that only a small percentage of homes can currently use thermal pollution for home heating, and that this percentage would grow much larger at maximum plausible surface temperatures, this choice supports the researchers’ conclusion.
Choice 1 is incorrect. We do not know how many sites could have all (i.e., 100%) of their local heating needs met by thermal pollution, as the graph only classifies sites by whether "0%," "Up to 25%," and "More than 25%" of heating needs could be met.
Choice 2 is incorrect. The graph is not depicting need for supplemental heating from thermal pollution, but rather potential to use thermal pollution for supplemental heating.

Choice 3 is incorrect. The graph indicates that, at current surface temperatures, less than 10% of sites can meet 25% of local home heating needs and that more than 80% of sites cannot meet any local home heating needs.

• Choice C is the best answer because it uses data from the table to effectively exemplify the idea that the film outputs of the four individuals included in the table should be considered bare minimums—that is, that we should assume that the individuals actually had higher outputs than those recorded. The table presents the years during which the individuals were active and the number of known films the individuals are credited in. The table indicates that Lillian St. Cyr has 66 film credits as an actor and that Edwin Carewe has 58 film credits as a director; it follows that if some films and records for the era were lost, it’s possible that Lillian St. Cyr acted in far more than 66 films and that Edwin Carewe directed more than 58 films.
• Choice A is incorrect because it doesn’t effectively exemplify the idea that the film outputs of the four individuals included in the table should be considered bare minimums. Rather than addressing the idea that the individuals likely had higher outputs than those presented in the table, this choice simply compares data from the table to make the point that Dark Cloud has fewer credited acting roles than Lillian St. Cyr (35 and 66, respectively).
• Choice B is incorrect because it misrepresents data from the table, even though it may exemplify the idea that the film outputs of the four individuals included in the table should be considered bare minimums by implying that Edwin Carewe acted in more than 47 films. The table indicates that Edwin Carewe was active from 1912 to 1934, meaning that his 47 credited acting roles were in films made before or during 1934, not after that time.
• Choice D is incorrect because it doesn’t effectively exemplify the idea that the film outputs of the four individuals included in the table should be considered bare minimums. Instead of addressing the idea that the individuals likely had higher outputs than those recorded, this choice suggests that James Young Deer actually acted in and directed fewer films than presented in the table (only 33 known films as a director instead of 35, and only 10 known films as an actor instead of 33).

• Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is pronoun-antecedent agreement. The plural pronoun “they” agrees in number with the plural antecedent “customers.”
• Choice B is incorrect because the singular pronoun “one” doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent “customers.”
• Choice C is incorrect because the second person pronoun “you” isn’t conventional as a substitute for “customers.” It suggests that the audience (“you”) is the customer.
• Choice D is incorrect because the singular pronoun “it” doesn’t agree in number with the plural antecedent “customers.”

• Choice B is the best answer because it provides both an explanation and an example of “flauna.” The sentence explains that flauna, a combination of the words “flora” and “fauna,” is a term used by Jon Ching to describe the plant-animal hybrids in his paintings. The sentence also mentions an example of Ching’s flauna: a parrot with leaves for feathers.
• Choice A is incorrect. While the sentence partially explains what “flauna” is, it doesn’t provide a full explanation or specific example of Ching’s flauna.
• Choice C is incorrect. While the sentence partially explains what “flauna” is and includes a title of a Ching painting, it doesn’t provide a full explanation or specific example of Ching’s flauna.
• Choice D is incorrect. While the sentence partially explains what “flauna” is and includes the titles of two Ching paintings, it doesn’t provide a full explanation of Ching’s flauna.

• Choice D is the best answer because it best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text’s overall portrayal of how the women in Ohiyesa’s tribe harvested maple syrup. The text states that the women used an axe to strike the maple trees in order to find out which ones would produce sap. The underlined sentence compares the trees to people, with the sap described as the trees’ “life-blood.” Some of the trees are ready to give out their sap, while others are unwilling to do so. Using personification, the sentence provides greater detail about the aspect of the maple trees—their potential to give sap—that the women are evaluating.
• Choice A is incorrect because the personalities of the women are not discussed in the text. Although the underlined sentence does mention “individual characters,” this reference is not to the women in the text but rather to the maple trees, which the sentence compares to people with individual character traits.
• Choice B is incorrect because the underlined sentence focuses on the trees’ willingness or refusal to yield sap, not on the beneficial relationship between the women and the trees. Additionally, although the text does suggest that the women and their tribe benefit from the maple trees since the trees allow the women to harvest syrup, there is nothing in the text to suggest that the trees benefit from this relationship in turn.
• Choice C is incorrect because the underlined sentence is comparing maple trees to humans, not addressing the influence of the natural environment on how the actual humans in the text, the women, behave.

• Choice B is the best answer. The convention being tested is the use of verbs to express tense. In this choice, the past perfect verb “had doubled” properly indicates that the doubling of the organization’s initial membership occurred during a specific period before the present (between the organization’s founding in 1967 and the end of the 1990s).
• Choice A is incorrect because the present perfect verb “has doubled” doesn’t indicate that the organization’s doubling of its initial membership occurred during a specific period in the past.
• Choice C is incorrect because the present tense verb “doubles” doesn’t indicate that the organization’s doubling of its initial membership occurred during a specific period in the past.
• Choice D is incorrect because the future tense verb “will double” doesn’t indicate that the organization’s doubling of its initial membership occurred during a specific period in the past.

• Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. According to the text, conceptual artists Gins and Arakawa have designed an apartment building that is disorienting because of several unconventional elements, such as uneven kitchen counters and “a door to nowhere.” The text goes on to suggest that there may be benefits to this kind of design because filmmaker Yamaoka lived in the apartment building for four years and reported health benefits. Thus, although the design is impractical, it may improve the well-being of the apartment building’s residents.
• Choice A is incorrect. Although the text mentions that Yamaoka lived in the apartment for four years, it doesn’t address how long someone can beneficially live in a home surrounded by fanciful features or whether doing so can be sustained.
• Choice B is incorrect. Although the text mentions the potential benefits of living in a home with disorienting design features, it doesn’t suggest that this is the most effective method to create a physically stimulating environment.
• Choice C is incorrect because the text refers to Yamaoka to support the claim that Gins and Arakawa’s apartment building design may be beneficial, but the text doesn’t indicate that Yamaoka supports the designs of other conceptual artists.

• Choice A is the best answer because it most logically completes the text’s discussion of Euro-American farmers’ use of Haudenosaunee agricultural techniques. According to the text, some Euro-American farmers were using these techniques in the early nineteenth century despite few of the farmers having seen Haudenosaunee farms. One explanation for these facts might be that the farmers developed techniques on their own that already had been invented centuries earlier by the Haudenosaunee people, but the text explicitly bars, or rules out, this explanation. If Euro-American farmers didn’t learn these techniques from direct observation of Haudenosaunee practices and didn’t invent the techniques independently, then the most logical explanation is that they learned the techniques from other people who were more directly influenced by Haudenosaunee practices than the farmers themselves were. Once they learned about Haudenosaunee agricultural practices, Euro-American farmers could then apply those practices to their own farming.
• Choice B is incorrect because the fact that some Euro-American farmers in the northeastern United States were using Haudenosaunee techniques suggests that the techniques were likely useful for the crops the farmers raised, not that the crops typically cultivated by the farmers were not well suited to Haudenosaunee farming techniques. If the farmers’ crops were ill suited to the techniques, it’s unlikely that the farmers would have used those techniques.
• Choice C is incorrect because the text indicates only that Haudenosaunee agricultural techniques were used by Euro-American farmers in the northeastern United States, not that these techniques were widely used outside this region.
• Choice D is incorrect because the text states that some Euro-American farmers were using Haudenosaunee farming techniques early in the nineteenth century. This suggests that some EuroAmerican farmers were beginning to recognize the benefits of these techniques near the start of the century, not that such farmers only began to recognize the benefits of the techniques much later.

• Choice A is the best answer. The convention being tested is the coordination of clauses within a sentence. This choice correctly uses a comma and the coordinating conjunction “but” to join a main clause (“Typically…value”) and a subordinate clause (“when…Whitman”) that precedes a main clause (“such… scholars”).
• Choice B is incorrect because it results in a run-on sentence. A main clause is fused without punctuation and/or a conjunction to a subordinate clause that precedes a main clause.
• Choice C is incorrect because it results in a comma splice. A comma can’t be used in this way to mark the boundary between a main clause and a subordinate clause that precedes a main clause.
• Choice D is incorrect. Without a comma preceding it, the conjunction “but” can’t be used in this way to join a main clause and a subordinate clause that precedes a main clause.

• Choice A is the best answer. “For instance” logically signals that the information in this sentence—that larch trees lose their needles every fall—is an example supporting the claim in the previous sentence (that not all conifer species keep their leaves or needles year-round).
• Choice B is incorrect because “nevertheless” illogically signals that the information in this sentence is true in spite of the claim about conifer species in the previous sentence. Instead, it’s an example supporting that claim.
• Choice C is incorrect because “meanwhile” illogically signals that the information in this sentence is separate from (while occurring simultaneously with) the claim about conifer species in the previous sentence. Instead, it’s an example supporting that claim.
• Choice D is incorrect because “in addition” illogically signals that the information in this sentence is merely an additional fact related to the claim about conifer species in the previous sentence. Instead, it’s an example supporting that claim.

To calculate (7 + 3i) + (−8 + 9i), add the real parts of each complex number, 7 + (−8) = −1, and then add the imaginary parts, 3i + 9i = 12i. The result is −1 + 12i.
Choices B, C, and D are incorrect and likely result from common errors that arise when adding complex numbers. For example, choice B is the result of adding 3i and −9i, and choice C is the result of adding 7 and 8.

Choice C is the correct answer. The perimeter of a rectangle is the sum of the four sides and can be calculated using the formula P = 2l + 2w, where l is the length and w is the width of the rectangle. Subtracting 2w from both sides of the equation gives 
P – 2w = 2 l, and then dividing by 2 yields
Choice A is incorrect. This choice does not use the fact that the perimeter of a rectangle is the sum of two length and two widths. Choice B and D are incorrect. In each of these choices, the equation incorrectly doubles the perimeter.

Choice B is the correct answer. The number of teenagers surveyed in the data is 170. Of those surveyed, a total of 59 teenagers had a summer job; thus, the percent of those teenager surveyed who had a summer job is 59/170 = 0.347, which rounds to 35%. Choice A is incorrect. This choice, 22%, is the approximate percent ( 20/89 ≈ 0.22) of teenagers aged 14 to 15 who had summer jobs. But that is not precisely what is asked in this question. Choices C and D are incorrect and may be the result of calculating relative frequencies that are different from what the problem asks. 

Choice A is the correct answer. Since Boyd’s production of tomatoes declined by 20% and the production of raspberries declined by 50% from the previous year, this year, his tomato production was 140 − 0.2(140) = 112 pounds and his raspberry production was 60 − 0.5(60) = 30 pounds. The percent decline in the total yield is the decline in the number of pounds of tomatoes and raspberries divided by the original number of pounds of tomatoes and raspberries, which is 
Choice B is incorrect. This choice is close to the answer, but rounding may have erroneously led to this answer. Choice C is incorrect. This choice, 35%, may be a result of calculating the mean of 20% and 50%. Choice D is incorrect. This choice is the approximate percent weight of the tomatoes and raspberries produced this year compared to the last year, but that’s not what the problem asks for. 

Multiplying each side of the second equation by 3 and then adding the equations eliminates x, as follows:

Solving the obtained equation for y gives y = −2.
Substituting −2 for y in the second equation of the system gives x − 10(−2) = 16, which simplifies to x + 20 = 16, or x = −4.
Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because there is no solution to the system for which the x-coordinate is one of the numbers given in these choices. For example, substituting −14 for x in the second equation gives y = −3. But the pair (−14, −3) does not satisfy the first equation, and it is therefore not a solution to the system of equations. 

Substitute x = 6, then solve the given equation for k.
Original equation:
Substitute x = 6: 
Add 6 to both sides:
Square both sides: 3k + 3 = 36
Subtract 3 from both sides and divide both sides by 3:
k = 11

Since the speed of light is constant, we can use the rate formula: time = distance/speed. We must also be careful to convert kilometers to meters:

Original equation:

Multiply both sides by D²:

Divide both sides by B:

Take the square root of both sides:

Original system: x - y = -4
x - 2y = - 6
Subtract corresponding sides of equation:
(x - y) - (x - 2y) = -4 - (-6) Simplify:    y = 2
Substitute y = 2 into first equation to find x: x - 2 = -4
Add 2: x = -2
Therefore the ordered pair is (-2, 2).

The table indicates that a total 500 patients had the antibody and that 20 of these patients nevertheless had a negative test result. Therefore the probability of this result is 20/500 = 0.04.

First, translate the given fact into an equation.
The square of a positive number is 0.24 greater than the number itself: x² = x + 0.24
Subtract x and 0.24: x² - x - 0.24 = 0
Multiply by 100 to eliminate
the decimal: 100x² - 100x - 24 = 0
Now we factor using Product-Sum Method. Remember that the product number is ac = (100)(-24) = -2,400, and the sum number is b = -100. The two numbers with a sum of -100 and a product of -2,400 are 20 and -120.
Expand middle-term using
-100 = 20 - 120: 100x² + 20x - 120x - 24 = 0
Factor by grouping in
pairs: 20x(5x + 1) - 24(5x + 1) = 0
Take out common factor: (5x + 1)(20x - 24) = 0
Using the Zero Product Property, we see that x = -1/5 or x = 24/20 = 6/5. Since we are told that x is a positive number, x = 6/5 or 1.2.

Set up a proportion: 48/8 = 57/x
Cross multiply: 456 = 48x
Divide by 48: 9.5 = x

Since the function takes “all values of x,” one way to solve this problem is to choose a value of x to work with, like x = 1.
Original function: g(x + 1) = x² + 2x + 4
Substitute x = 1: g(2) = (1)² + 2(1) + 4 = 1 + 2 + 4 = 7
Therefore, the function g(x) will give an output of 7 for an input of 2. We can now test our choices for an input of x = 2. (Notice g(x) and g(x + 1) have different inputs.)
(A) (2)² + 4 = 8
(B) (2)² + 3 = 7
(C) (2 - 1)² + 4 = 5
(D) (2 - 1)² + 3 = 4
Notice that only the expression in (B) gives the correct output.