100 RCs for Digital SAT - 10 | 100 Reading Comprehensions for Digital SAT PDF Download

Q91: Passage
The following text is adapted from Jean Webster’s 1912 novel Daddy-Long-Legs. The narrator is a young college student writing letters detailing her weekly experiences.
[The college is] organizing the Freshman basket-ball team and there’s just a chance that I shall make it. I’m little of course, but terribly quick and wiry and tough. While the others are hopping about in the air, I can dodge under their feet and grab the ball.

Q. Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
(a) To compare basketball with other sports
(b) To provide details of how to play basketball
(c) To state how players will be chosen for the basketball team
(d) To explain why the narrator thinks she might make the basketball team
Ans: (d)

• Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. In the first sentence of the text, the narrator states that she thinks there’s a chance she will become part of the basketball team at her college. She goes on to explain that she is “quick” and “tough.” Based on these characteristics, she thinks she has a chance to join the team. Thus, the main purpose of the text is to explain why the narrator thinks she might make the basketball team.
• Choice A is incorrect because the text focuses solely on basketball and doesn’t mention any other kinds of sports.
• Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t describe aspects of the game of basketball. Instead, it provides the narrator’s reasoning for thinking that she might make her school basketball team.
• Choice C is incorrect. Although the narrator explains why she thinks she will be chosen for the basketball team at her school, the text doesn’t go into the general decision-making process or the requirements for being picked for the team.

Q92: Passage
In the late 1800s, Spanish-language newspapers flourished in cities across Texas. San Antonio alone produced eleven newspapers in Spanish between 1890 and 1900. But El Paso surpassed all other cities in the state. This city produced twenty-two newspapers in Spanish during that period. El Paso is located on the border with Mexico and has always had a large population of Spanish speakers. Thus, it is unsurprising that this city became such a rich site for Spanish-language journalism.

Q. Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
(a) To compare Spanish-language newspapers published in Texas today with ones published there during the late 1800s
(b) To explain that Spanish-language newspapers thrived in Texas and especially in El Paso during the late 1800s
(c) To argue that Spanish-language newspapers published in El Paso influenced the ones published in San Antonio during the late 1800s
(d) To explain why Spanish-language newspapers published in Texas were so popular in Mexico during the late 1800s
Ans: (b)

• Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The text begins by stating that there were many Spanish-language newspapers in cities across Texas in the late 1800s, citing San Antonio as a city that produced eleven such newspapers. The text then goes on to note that in El Paso, there were twenty-two newspapers published in Spanish in the late 1800s, more than any other Texas city. The text then concludes by explaining that the reason for this large number of Spanish-language newspapers was likely El Paso’s location near Mexico and its large population of Spanish speakers. Therefore, the main purpose of the text is to explain that Spanish-language newspapers thrived in Texas cities, especially in El Paso, in the late 1800s.
• Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t discuss Spanish-language newspapers published in Texas today, let alone compare them with newspapers that were published in the 1800s.
• Choice C is incorrect. Although the text characterizes El Paso as a particularly rich site for Spanish-language journalism in the late 1800s, the text doesn’t discuss whether newspapers published in El Paso influenced the newspapers published in other cities across Texas, including San Antonio.
• Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t mention whether Spanish-language newspapers published in Texas were also widely read in Mexico. The text only focuses on the popularity of Spanish-language newspapers within Texas, and especially in El Paso.

Q93: Passage
Chile’s Atacama Desert is one of the driest places on Earth. Mary Beth Wilhelm and other astrobiologists search for life, or its remains, in this harsh place because the desert closely mirrors the extreme environment on Mars. The algae and bacteria found in Atacama’s driest regions may offer clues about Martian life. By studying how these and other microorganisms survive such extreme conditions on Earth, Wilhelm’s team hopes to determine whether similar life might have existed on Mars and to develop the best tools to look for evidence of it.

Q. Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
(a) To contrast the conditions in the Atacama Desert with those on Mars
(b) To explain why many life-forms cannot survive in the Atacama Desert
(c) To indicate why astrobiologists choose to conduct research in the Atacama Desert
(d) To describe certain limitations to conducting scientific study in the Atacama Desert
Ans: (c)

• Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as a whole. The first sentence describes a unique location on Earth, the Atacama Desert. The next sentence, which is the underlined sentence, states that the reason why astrobiologists study life, or its remains, in this unique location is that Atacama is a harsh environment that closely resembles the extreme environment of Mars. The remainder of the text explains that the researchers hope their work in Atacama will support inquiry into life on Mars. Thus, the underlined portion functions mainly to indicate why astrobiologists choose to conduct research in the Atacama Desert.
• Choice A is incorrect because to contrast two things means to show the differences between them, and the phrase “closely mirrors” in the underlined sentence indicates that the extreme environment in the Atacama Desert is similar to, not different from, that on Mars. This similarity is why, according to the underlined sentence, astrobiologists conduct research in Atacama.
• Choice B is incorrect because the underlined sentence doesn’t address forms of life that are unable to survive the harsh environment of the Atacama Desert. Instead, the underlined sentence explains why astrobiologists study life, or its remains, in this environment.
• Choice D is incorrect because the underlined sentence doesn’t suggest that the scientific research in the Atacama Desert is limited in any way; instead, the sentence explains that the similarity between the environments of Atacama and Mars is the reason why astrobiologists search for life, or its remains, in Atacama.

Q. Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?
(a) It presents an objection to the argument of Guerra et al. about transportation mode choice in urban areas of Mexico.
(b) It explains why it is challenging to influence transit ridership solely by altering characteristics of a transit system.
(c) It illustrates the claim that a characteristic associated with high transit ridership in Mexico City is not associated with high transit ridership elsewhere.
(d) It substantiates the assertion that population density, the spatial distribution of jobs, and demographic characteristics are important factors in transportation mode choice.
Ans: (b)

• Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined portion functions in the text as a whole. The first sentence explains that reproducing the high ridership of Mexico City’s public transit system in other cities by implementing some of its features, such as its low fares, is unlikely to guarantee significant ridership increases in those cities. The following sentence introduces a study by Guerra et al., whose findings—namely that choice of transportation mode in urban centers in Mexico is influenced by a variety of local contextual factors—support this claim. The first part of the last sentence concedes that features of transportation systems likely do have some effect on ridership numbers, but the underlined portion reiterates the study’s conclusion by stating that there is an “irreducibly contextual dimension” to peoples’ choice to use public transportation: that is, there is a complex mix of local contextual factors—including population density, spatial distribution of jobs, and demographics—whose influence over an urban center’s transit ridership is unique to each location, and it is unlikely that simple changes to transit system characteristics could negate the influence of those contextual factors. Thus, the underlined portion explains why it is challenging to influence transit ridership solely by changing some of a transit system’s characteristics.
• Choice A is incorrect. Rather than objecting to the argument of Guerra et al., the underlined portion reiterates their argument by stating that there is an “irreducibly contextual dimension” involved in transportation mode choice; in other words, transportation mode choice in urban areas of Mexico is strongly dependent on contextual factors that are unique to each urban area.
• Choice C is incorrect because it mischaracterizes the text’s central claim, which is that transit ridership is the product of a complex mix of contextual factors and transit system features, not that a characteristic associated with Mexico City’s high transit ridership was found to have no association with high transit ridership elsewhere. Additionally, the underlined portion does not illustrate a claim, but instead restates the findings of Guerra et al.
• Choice D is incorrect. Although Guerra et al. demonstrate that population density, the spatial distribution of jobs, and demographic characteristics—factors that comprise the “contextual dimension of transportation mode choice”—influence transit ridership, the underlined portion does not substantiate—that is, provide evidence in support of—this assertion. Rather, the underlined portion merely restates a study finding that explains why simply altering a transit system’s features would be unlikely to induce significant increases in transit ridership.

Q95: Passage
Changes to vegetation cover and other human activities influence carbon and nitrogen levels in soil, though how deep these effects extend is unclear. Hypothesizing that differences in land use lead to differences in carbon and nitrogen levels that are not restricted to the topsoil layer (0–30 cm deep), Chukwuebuka Okolo and colleagues sampled soils across multiple land-use types (e.g., grazing land, cropland, forest) within each of several Ethiopian locations. They found, though, that across land-use types, carbon and nitrogen decreased to comparably low levels beyond depths of 30 cm.

Q. Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
(a) It describes a phenomenon that scientists do not fully understand, explains a research team’s hypothesis about that phenomenon, and then describes a finding that led the team to refine the hypothesis.
(b) It introduces an unresolved scientific question, presents a research team’s hypothesis pertaining to that question, and then describes an observation made by the team that conflicts with that hypothesis.
(c) It discusses a process that scientists are somewhat unclear about, introduces competing hypotheses about that process, and then explains how a research team concluded that one of those hypotheses is likely correct.
(d) It explains a hypothesis that has been the subject of scientific debate, discusses how a research team tested that hypothesis, and then presents data the team collected that validate the hypothesis.
Ans: (b)

• Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the overall structure of the text. The text begins by noting that scientists are unclear about the extent to which changes in vegetation cover and other human activities affect carbon and nitrogen levels in soil. The text then introduces a hypothesis, proposed by Chukwuebuka Okolo and colleagues, which asserts that differences in land use lead to differences in carbon and nitrogen levels beyond the topsoil layer. Finally, the text explains that when Okolo and his colleagues tested this hypothesis by sampling soils, they found that carbon and nitrogen levels decreased to comparably low levels beyond the topsoil layer, contradicting their original hypothesis.
• Choice A is incorrect because although the research team’s finding conflicts with their hypothesis, the text does not suggest that the team refined their hypothesis in response to this finding.
• Choice C is incorrect because the text does not present competing hypotheses about how deep differences in carbon and nitrogen levels extend. Instead, the text presents a single hypothesis and describes how the team’s observations conflicted with it.
• Choice D is incorrect because the team’s data did not validate their hypothesis; instead, the data contradicted it, showing that carbon and nitrogen levels decreased to comparably low levels beyond the topsoil layer across all land-use types.

Q. According to the text, what was surprising to scientists studying the seismic activity data from NASA’s InSight lander?
(a) The surface temperature of Mars has been rising.
(b) There were different types of seismic waves causing marsquakes.
(c) NASA’s InSight lander collected less data than scientists had expected.
(d) All the marsquakes started from the same location on the planet.
Ans: (d)

• Choice D is the best answer because it presents a statement about what surprised the scientists that is supported by the text. The text states that the marsquakes described in the data from NASA’s InSight lander originated from the same location on Mars. The text goes on to say that because they had expected the opposite (that marsquakes would originate from all over the planet), this discovery surprised the scientists.
• Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t say that the data from NASA’s InSight lander revealed any surprising information about the planet’s surface temperature. Instead, the text mentions the cooling of Mars’s surface as a reason the scientists expected that marsquakes had multiple origins. In addition, cooling would indicate that the temperature has been falling rather than rising.
• Choice B is incorrect. Although the text indicates that by studying seismic activity scientists found a possible explanation for what causes marsquakes, the text doesn’t say that they discovered that marsquakes are caused by different types of seismic waves. Rather, the text states that based on the data from NASA’s InSight lander, scientists now believe that this seismic activity happens because of areas of active magma that flow below the planet’s surface.
• Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t discuss the amount of data NASA’s InSight lander collected or whether scientists who studied the data found the amount to be as expected. Instead, the text focuses on what the data revealed about where on Mars the marsquakes originated.

Q97: Passage
The ancient writing system used in the Maya kingdoms of southern Mexico and Central America had a symbol for the number zero. The earliest known example of the symbol dates to more than 2,000 years ago. At that time, almost none of the writing systems elsewhere in the world possessed a zero symbol. And the use of zero in Mexico and Central America may be even more ancient. Some historians suggest that Maya mathematicians inherited it from the Olmec civilization, which flourished in the region 2,400–3,600 years ago.

Q. According to the text, what do some historians suggest about Maya civilization?
(a) Maya civilization acquired the use of zero from the Olmec civilization.
(b) Maya civilization respected its historians more than it respected its mathematicians.
(c) Maya civilization was highly secretive about its intellectual achievements.
(d) Maya civilization tried to introduce its writing system to other civilizations.
Ans: (a)

• Choice A is the best answer because it presents information about Maya civilization that is supported by the text. The text states that the writing system used in the Maya kingdoms had a symbol for the number zero. It goes on to say that at the time of the zero symbol’s earliest example, more than 2,000 years ago, almost no other writing systems in the world featured such a symbol. The text also points out that some historians suggest that Maya mathematicians inherited the use of zero from the Olmec civilization, which existed in the same area as the Maya civilization at an earlier date. Thus, according to the text, some historians suggest that the Maya civilization acquired the use of zero from the Olmec civilization.
• Choice B is incorrect because although the text mentions present-day historians and Maya mathematicians, it does not say anything about how much the Maya civilization respected its historians and mathematicians.
• Choice C is incorrect because the text does not indicate that the Maya civilization treated its use of the zero symbol, or any other intellectual achievements, as secrets to be kept from other civilizations.
• Choice D is incorrect because although the text mentions historians who suggest that the writing system of the Maya civilization inherited some features from the earlier Olmec civilization, the text does not describe any attempts of Maya civilization to introduce its writing system to other civilizations.

Q98: Passage
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.

Q. 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.
(b) George Eliot, which Adam Bede’s title page indicated was the name of the novel’s author, was widely assumed to be a 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.
Ans: (a)

• Choice A is the best answer. The sentence identifies the novel’s real author, explaining that Mary Ann Evans published the novel under the pseudonym of George Eliot.
• Choice B is incorrect. The sentence explains that George Eliot was assumed to be a pseudonym; it doesn’t identify the novel’s real author.
• Choice C is incorrect. The sentence specifies the pseudonym used on the novel’s title page; it doesn’t identify the novel’s real author.
• Choice D is incorrect. While the sentence indicates that the novel’s real author used a pseudonym, it doesn’t identify that author as Mary Ann Evans.

Q99: Passage
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.

Q. 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?
(a) Scientists have developed a freeze-thaw battery that contains molten salt, which liquifies when heated and solidifies at room temperature.
(b) The stored energy in a freeze-thaw battery, which contains molten salt, can be used by reheating the battery.
(c) When the molten salt in a freeze-thaw battery solidifies at room temperature, energy stops flowing and can be stored in the battery.
(d) Molten salt allows a freeze-thaw battery to retain 92% of its charge after twelve weeks.
Ans: (c)

• Choice C is the best answer. The sentence specifies how the salt in a freeze-thaw battery enables energy storage, explaining that energy stops flowing and can be stored when the salt solidifies at room temperature.
• Choice A is incorrect. The sentence explains some properties of molten salt; it doesn’t specify how that salt enables energy storage.
• Choice B is incorrect. The sentence indicates how the energy in a freeze-thaw battery can be released; it doesn’t specify how the salt in the battery enables energy storage.
• Choice D is incorrect. The sentence specifies how much charge the freeze-thaw battery retains when storing energy; it doesn’t specify how the salt in the battery enables energy storage.

Q100: Passage
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
• The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) keeps a list of all at-risk species.
• Species on the list are classified as either endangered or threatened.
• A species that is in danger of extinction throughout most or all of its range is classified as endangered.
• A species that is likely to soon become endangered is classified as threatened.
• The California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii) is likely to soon become endangered, according to the FWS.

Q. The student wants to indicate the California red-legged frog’s FWS classification category. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
(a) Species on the FWS list, which includes the California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii), are classified as either endangered or threatened.
(b) The California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii) appears on the FWS list of at-risk species.
(c) According to the FWS, the California red-legged frog is in the endangered category, in danger of extinction throughout most or all of its range.
(d) Likely to soon become endangered, the California red-legged frog is classified as threatened by the FWS.
Ans: (d)

• Choice D is the best answer. The sentence effectively indicates the California red-legged frog’s FWS classification category, noting that the FWS classifies the frog as threatened, a classification given to species that are likely to soon become endangered.
• Choice A is incorrect. The sentence specifies the classification categories of the FWS list; it doesn’t indicate the classification category of the California red-legged frog.
• Choice B is incorrect. While the sentence does note that the California red-legged frog is among the species classified by the FWS, it doesn’t indicate what classification category the California red-legged frog occupies.
• Choice C is incorrect. While the sentence does appear to indicate the California red-legged frog’s FWS classification category, the sentence is factually incorrect and therefore ineffective; the frog’s classification category is threatened, not endangered.