Central Ideas

Question ID d73a908a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Ideas Details
ID: d73a908a
Believing that living in an impractical space can heighten awareness and even improve health, conceptual artists Madeline
Gins and Shusaku Arakawa designed an apartment building in Japan to be more fanciful than functional. A kitchen
counter is chest-high on one side and knee-high on the other; a ceiling has a door to nowhere. The effect is disorienting
but invigorating: after four years there, filmmaker Nobu Yamaoka reported significant health benefits.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. Although inhabiting a home surrounded by fanciful features such as those designed by Gins and Arakawa can be
rejuvenating, it is unsustainable.
B. Designing disorienting spaces like those in the Gins and Arakawa building is the most effective way to create a
physically stimulating environment.
C. As a filmmaker, Yamaoka has long supported the designs of conceptual artists such as Gins and Arakawa.
D. Although impractical, the design of the apartment building by Gins and Arakawa may improve the well-being of the
building’s residents.
ID: d73a908a Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
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.
Question Difficulty: Medium

Question ID ed314256

Ideas Details
ID: ed314256
The most recent iteration of the immersive theater experience Sleep No More, which premiered in New York City in 2011,
transforms its performance space—a five-story warehouse—into a 1930s-era hotel. Audience members, who wander
through the labyrinthine venue at their own pace and follow the actors as they play out simultaneous, interweaving
narrative loops, confront the impossibility of experiencing the production in its entirety. The play’s refusal of narrative
coherence thus hinges on the sense of spatial fragmentation that the venue’s immense and intricate layout generates.
What does the text most strongly suggest about Sleep No More’s use of its performance space?
A. The choice of a New York City venue likely enabled the play’s creators to experiment with the use of theatrical space
in a way that venues from earlier productions could not.
B. Audience members likely find the experience of the play disappointing because they generally cannot make their way
through the entire venue.
C. The production’s dependence on a particular performance environment would likely make it difficult to reproduce
exactly in a different theatrical space.
D. Audience members who navigate the space according to a recommended itinerary will likely have a better grasp of
the play’s narrative than audience members who depart from that itinerary.
ID: ed314256 Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The text says that the production’s use of its large, winding space has a very specific
effect on the audience. Given that the space itself is so important to creating this effect, it would be difficult to
reproduce the production in a different space.
Choice A is incorrect. The fact that the venue is in New York City isn’t connected to the experimental nature of
the performance. It’s the size of the venue, not its location in New York, that affects the theatrical experience.
Choice B is incorrect. The text never suggests that audience members are disappointed because they can’t see
the entire production. In fact, it suggests that that’s an important part of the experience. Choice D is incorrect.
The text doesn’t mention a recommended itinerary for audience members.
Question Difficulty: Hard

Question ID 92c2564d

Ideas Details
ID: 92c2564d
Utah is home to Pando, a colony of about 47,000 quaking aspen trees that all share a single root system. Pando is one of
the largest single organisms by mass on Earth, but ecologists are worried that its growth is declining in part because of
grazing by animals. The ecologists say that strong fences could prevent deer from eating young trees and help Pando
start thriving again.
According to the text, why are ecologists worried about Pando?
A. It isn’t growing at the same rate it used to.
B. It isn’t producing young trees anymore.
C. It can’t grow into new areas because it is blocked by fences.
D. Its root system can’t support many more new trees.
ID: 92c2564d Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it presents an explanation that is directly stated in the text for why
ecologists are worried about Pando. The text states that Pando is a colony of about 47,000 quaking aspen trees
that represents one of the largest organisms on Earth. According to the text, ecologists are worried that Pando’s
growth is declining, partly because animals are feeding on the trees. In other words, the ecologists are worried
that Pando isn’t growing at the same rate it used to.
Choice B is incorrect. Rather than indicating that Pando isn’t producing young trees anymore, the text reveals
that Pando is indeed producing young trees, stating that those trees can be protected from grazing deer by strong
fences. Choice C is incorrect because the text states that fences can be used to prevent deer from eating Pando’s
young trees, not that Pando itself can’t grow in new areas because it’s blocked by fences. Choice D is incorrect
because the text offers no evidence that Pando’s root system is incapable of supporting new trees or is otherwise
a cause of worry for ecologists.

Question ID 87aa7bab

Ideas Details
ID: 87aa7bab
A common assumption among art historians is that the invention of photography in the mid-nineteenth century
displaced the painted portrait in the public consciousness. The diminishing popularity of the portrait miniature, which
coincided with the rise of photography, seems to support this claim. However, photography’s impact on the portrait
miniature may be overstated. Although records from art exhibitions in the Netherlands from 1820 to 1892 show a
decrease in the number of both full-sized and miniature portraits submitted, this trend was established before the
invention of photography.
Based on the text, what can be concluded about the diminishing popularity of the portrait miniature in the nineteenth
century?
A. Factors other than the rise of photography may be more directly responsible for the portrait miniature’s decline.
B. Although portrait miniatures became less common than photographs, they were widely regarded as having more
artistic merit.
C. The popularity of the portrait miniature likely persisted for longer than art historians have assumed.
D. As demand for portrait miniatures decreased, portrait artists likely shifted their creative focus to photography.
ID: 87aa7bab Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The text says that the impact of photography on the portrait miniature might be
"overstated," as some records show a decrease in the number of portrait miniatures before the invention of
photography. From this, we can conclude that factors other than the rise of photography may be more directly
responsible for the portrait miniature’s decline.
Choice B is incorrect. The text never discusses the "artistic merit" of either art form. Choice C is incorrect. The
text never suggests that the portrait miniature was popular for longer than historians thought—if anything, it
suggests that the portrait miniature started losing its popularity earlier than historians thought. Choice D is
incorrect. The text never suggests that portrait painters shifted to become photographers.

Question ID 602b47c7

Ideas Details
ID: 602b47c7
Biologists have predicted that birds’ feather structures vary with habitat temperature, but this hadn’t been tested in
mountain environments. Ornithologist Sahas Barve studied feathers from 249 songbird species inhabiting different
elevations—and thus experiencing different temperatures—in the Himalaya Mountains. He found that feathers of high-
elevation species not only have a greater proportion of warming downy sections to flat and smooth sections than do
feathers of low-elevation species, but high-elevation species’ feathers also tend to be longer, providing a thicker layer of
insulation.
A. Barve’s investigation shows that some species of Himalayan songbirds have evolved feathers that better regulate
body temperature than do the feathers of other species, contradicting previous predictions.
B. Barve found an association between habitat temperature and feather structure among Himalayan songbirds, lending
new support to a general prediction.
C. Barve discovered that songbirds have adapted to their environment by growing feathers without flat and smooth
sections, complicating an earlier hypothesis.
D. The results of Barve’s study suggest that the ability of birds to withstand cold temperatures is determined more
strongly by feather length than feather structure, challenging an established belief.
ID: 602b47c7 Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B 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 A 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 C 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 D 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.

Question ID 11a9f635

Ideas Details
ID: 11a9f635
Paleontologists searching for signs of ancient life have found many fossilized specimens of prehistoric human ancestors,
including several from the Pleistocene era discovered in a geological formation in the Minatogawa quarry in Japan.
However, to study the emergence of the earliest multicellular organisms to appear on Earth, researchers must turn
elsewhere, such as to the Ediacaran geological formation at Mistaken Point in Canada. A UNESCO World Heritage Site,
the 146-hectare reserve contains more than 10,000 fossils that together document a critical moment in evolutionary
history.
What does the text indicate about the geological formation at Mistaken Point?
A. It holds a greater number of fossils but from a smaller variety of species than the formation in the Minatogawa quarry
does.
B. It has provided evidence that the earliest human species may have emerged before the Pleistocene era.
C. It is widely considered by paleontologists to be the most valuable source of information about prehistoric life forms.
D. It contains specimens from an older time period than those found in the formation in the Minatogawa quarry.
ID: 11a9f635 Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The text says that the formation at Mistaken Point contains fossils of “the earliest
multicellular organisms,” which implies that these fossils are from an older time period than the fossils of
“prehistoric human ancestors” found in the Minatogawa quarry.
Choice A is incorrect. The text says that the formation at Mistake Point contains “more than 10,000 fossils,” but it
doesn’t compare this number to the number of fossils in the Minatogawa quarry. It also doesn’t say anything
about the variety of species in either formation. Choice B is incorrect. The text says that the formation at
Mistaken Point contains fossils of “the earliest multicellular organisms,” but it never says that the site contains
early human fossils too. Rather, the early human fossils mentioned in the text were found in the formation at
Minatogawa quarry. Choice C is incorrect. The text says that the fossils at Mistaken Point “document a critical
moment in evolutionary history,” but it never says that Mistaken Point is the most valuable source of information
about prehistoric life forms.

Question ID e677fa6c

Ideas Details
ID: e677fa6c
The following text is adapted from Edgar Allan Poe’s 1849 story “Landor’s Cottage.”
During a pedestrian trip last summer, through one or two of the river counties of New York, I found myself, as the
day declined, somewhat embarrassed about the road I was pursuing. The land undulated very remarkably; and my
path, for the last hour, had wound about and about so confusedly, in its effort to keep in the valleys, that I no longer
knew in what direction lay the sweet village of B——, where I had determined to stop for the night.
A. The narrator remembers a trip he took and admits to getting lost.
B. The narrator recalls fond memories of a journey that he took through some beautiful river counties.
C. The narrator describes what he saw during a long trip through a frequently visited location.
D. The narrator explains the difficulties he encountered on a trip and how he overcame them.
ID: e677fa6c Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The narrator is “embarrassed” about the route he took, which ends up leaving him
lost and confused about how to get to his destination for the evening.
Choice B is incorrect. This choice doesn’t match the passage. The narrator is embarrassed, rather than fond, and
he doesn’t describe the beauty of the place. Choice C is incorrect. This choice doesn’t match the passage. We
don’t know from this excerpt whether or not the narrator has visited this part of New York multiple times. Choice
D is incorrect. This choice doesn’t match the passage. The narrator doesn’t explain how he overcame being lost
in this excerpt.

Question ID 66c47028

Ideas Details
ID: 66c47028
In 1934 physicist Eugene Wigner posited the existence of a crystal consisting entirely of electrons in a honeycomb-like
structure. The so-called Wigner crystal remained largely conjecture, however, until Feng Wang and colleagues announced
in 2021 that they had captured an image of one. The researchers trapped electrons between two semiconductors and
then cooled the apparatus, causing the electrons to settle into a crystalline structure. By inserting an ultrathin sheet of
graphene above the crystal, the researchers obtained an impression—the first visual confirmation of the Wigner crystal.
A. Researchers have obtained the most definitive evidence to date of the existence of the Wigner crystal.
B. Researchers have identified an innovative new method for working with unusual crystalline structures.
C. Graphene is the most important of the components required to capture an image of a Wigner crystal.
D. It’s difficult to acquire an image of a Wigner crystal because of the crystal’s honeycomb structure.
ID: 66c47028 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. According to the text,
Eugene Wigner hypothesized that a crystal could exist that would be composed of electrons and have a
honeycomb-like shape. The text goes on to say that the existence of the Wigner crystal remained unconfirmed
until Feng Wang and colleagues were able to make an impression of one using two semiconductors and an
ultrathin sheet of graphene. Thus, the main idea is that researchers have obtained the most definitive evidence
to date of the existence of the Wigner crystal.
Choice B is incorrect because the text focuses on one kind of crystal—the Wigner crystal— and doesn’t discuss
crystalline structures in general. And although the text conveys that Wang and colleagues figured out a way to
capture an image of a Wigner crystal, it doesn’t address the idea of applying this approach to other types of
crystals. Choice C is incorrect because the text describes in general the process Wang and colleagues followed to
obtain an impression of the Wigner crystal; it doesn’t address the relative importance of each component in that
process. Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t state that researchers had a hard time getting an
impression of the Wigner crystal because of its honeycomb structure. Nothing in the text indicates why it took
so long to prove the existence of this crystal or take an impression of it.

Question ID 1a2b29c9

Ideas Details
ID: 1a2b29c9
The following text is adapted from María Cristina Mena’s 1914 short story “The Vine-Leaf.”
It is a saying in the capital of Mexico that Dr. Malsufrido carries more family secrets under his hat than any
archbishop.
The doctor’s hat is, appropriately enough, uncommonly capacious, rising very high, and sinking so low that it seems
to be supported by his ears and eyebrows, and it has a furry look, as if it had been brushed the wrong way, which is
perhaps what happens to it if it is ever brushed at all. When the doctor takes it off, the family secrets do not fly out
like a flock of parrots, but remain nicely bottled up beneath a dome of old and highly polished ivory.
Based on the text, how do people in the capital of Mexico most likely regard Dr. Malsufrido?
A. Many have come to tolerate him despite his disheveled appearance.
B. Few feel concerned that he will divulge their confidences.
C. Some dislike how freely he discusses his own family.
D. Most would be unimpressed by him were it not for his professional expertise.
ID: 1a2b29c9 Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The text describes a saying in the capital that Malsufrido keeps more secrets than
an archbishop. It also says that when he takes off his hat, “the family secrets do not fly out… but remain nicely
bottled up,” suggesting that he will not betray his confidences.
Choice A is incorrect. This choice doesn’t reflect the text. While his hat is large and appears to have been
brushed in the wrong direction, Dr. Malsufrido does not seem to be regarded as ill-dressed or disheveled. Choice
C is incorrect. This choice is the opposite of what the text says. The secrets of families (his and others’) remain
“bottled up” in his head. Choice D is incorrect. This choice isn’t supported by the text. His professional expertise
is not discussed in the passage.

Question ID 2fdfe002

Ideas Details
ID: 2fdfe002
The following text is adapted from Countee Cullen’s 1926 poem “Thoughts in a Zoo.”
They in their cruel traps, and we in ours,

Survey each other’s rage, and pass the hours
Commiserating each the other’s woe,
To mitigate his own pain’s fiery glow.
Man could but little proffer in exchange
Save that his cages have a larger range.
That lion with his lordly, untamed heart
Has in some man his human counterpart,
Some lofty soul in dreams and visions wrapped,
But in the stifling flesh securely trapped.
Based on the text, what challenge do humans sometimes experience?
A. They cannot effectively tame certain wild animals because of a lack of compassion.
B. They cannot focus on setting attainable goals because of a lack of motivation.
C. They quickly become frustrated when faced with difficult tasks because of a lack of self-control.
D. They have aspirations that cannot be fulfilled because of certain limitations.
ID: 2fdfe002 Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The text metaphorically likens humans to animals in a zoo, suggesting that humans
have dreams that they cannot fulfill because they are trapped.
Choice A is incorrect. The speaker says that the lion has an “untamed heart,” but the speaker doesn’t actually
mention anything about humans taming wild animals or a lack of compassion. Choice B is incorrect. The
speaker doesn’t suggest that humans lack motivation. Rather, the speaker thinks that humans are “trapped” and
prevented from achieving their dreams. Choice C is incorrect. The speaker doesn’t mention anything about
humans becoming frustrated or lacking self-control. Rather, the speaker thinks that humans are “trapped” and
prevented from achieving their dreams.

Question ID 701126bc

Ideas Details
ID: 701126bc
In superfluorescence, electrical charges known as dipoles emit light in synchronized bursts so intense that they are visible
to the eye. Until recently, this phenomenon has only been observed at extremely cold temperatures because dipoles
cannot synchronize at higher temperatures. But in a study, Melike Biliroglu and colleagues observed superfluorescence at
room temperature in thin films made of perovskite and other similarly crystalline materials; the researchers propose that
the formation of shock-absorbing quasiparticles called polarons in the material protects dipoles from thermal
interference.
Based on the text, how are polarons believed to be involved in the superfluorescence observed in Biliroglu and
colleagues’ study?
A. Polarons enable superfluorescent bursts to cross from one crystalline material to another.
B. Polarons allow for the dipoles to synchronize despite higher temperatures.
C. Polarons accelerate the dipoles’ release of superfluorescent bursts.
D. Polarons decrease the intensity of the superfluorescent burst.
ID: 701126bc Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes Biliroglu and colleagues’ claim about how the
polarons function in relation to superfluorescence. The text indicates that “until recently,” superfluorescence
(intense, synchronized bursts of light emitted by dipoles) has solely been observed at very cold temperatures.
However, it also states that, recently, Biliroglu and colleagues report observing the phenomenon at room
temperature. They achieved this using “thin films made of perovskite and other similarly crystalline materials,”
which the researchers claim allows for the formation of polarons. They also suggest that these polarons might
absorb the thermal shocks that typically disrupt dipole synchronization at warmer temperatures. Thus, based on
the text, Biliroglu and colleagues believe that polarons help dipoles synchronize at temperatures well above
those at which superfluorescence had previously been observed.
Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t address the prospect of a superfluorescent burst moving between
crystalline materials or any other mediums. Choice C is incorrect because the text’s discussion of polarons is
about how they might enable superfluorescence at higher temperatures than those at which it had previously
been observed. Rather than suggesting that polarons speed up superfluorescent bursts, the text suggests that no
superfluorescence can occur at room temperature in the absence of polarons. Thus, the text indicates that
polarons make superfluorescent bursts more likely to occur at higher temperatures than those at which it had
previously been observed, not that polarons accelerate the bursts. Choice D is incorrect because the text’s
discussion of polarons is about how they might enable superfluorescence at higher temperatures than those at
which it had previously been observed. In the absence of polarons, the text suggests there would be no
superfluorescence at room temperature. Thus, rather than decrease the intensity of superfluorescent bursts,
polarons make them more likely to occur under certain circumstances.
Question ID 5325b3cc

Ideas Details
ID: 5325b3cc
Philadelphia’s Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, founded by Jeri Lynne Johnson, performs classical music, from well-known
compositions by Beethoven to contemporary works by Jessie Montgomery. For the orchestra’s iConduct! program,
Johnson invites community members to learn some basic elements of conducting and then experience conducting the
Black Pearl orchestra themselves.
A. The Black Pearl orchestra performs music from all over the world but mostly performs music composed by
Philadelphians.
B. Johnson founded the Black Pearl orchestra to perform classical music by contemporary artist Jessie Montgomery.
C. The Black Pearl orchestra gives community members the chance to both listen to and participate in classical music
performance.
D. Johnson has community members conduct an orchestra to demonstrate how difficult the task is.
ID: 5325b3cc Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. The text begins by
stating that the Black Pearl orchestra performs classical music, and then goes on to explain that the orchestra
offers an iConduct! program. According to the text, this program offers community members the opportunity to
learn some basics about conducting and then apply what they learn by conducting the orchestra themselves.
Thus, the main idea of the text is that community members can both listen to and participate in a classical
music performance.
Choice A is incorrect. Although the text states that the Black Pearl orchestra is based in Philadelphia, it doesn’t
indicate that most of the music it plays was composed by Philadelphians. Choice B is incorrect. Although the
text does state that Johnson founded the Black Pearl orchestra, this is just a detail and not the main focus of the
text. Moreover, while the text does say that the orchestra sometimes plays music by Montgomery, it doesn’t
assert that the orchestra was founded solely for the purpose of performing Montgomery’s work. Choice D is
incorrect. Although the text explains that community members are invited to conduct the Black Pearl orchestra
after participating in the iConduct! program, the text doesn’t indicate that Johnson allows community members
to do this for the specific purpose of showing how difficult the task is.

Question ID 9731a22b

Ideas Details
ID: 9731a22b
Paleontologist Lucas E. Fiorelli and colleagues have reported the discovery at a mine in Brazil of several egg clutches,
partially preserved single eggs, and egg shells from the Late Cretaceous period. The researchers have concluded that the
area was once a nesting and breeding site for titanosaurs, a group of sauropod dinosaurs. The finding is significant given
the previous lack of known nesting sites in northern regions of South America, which led many paleontologists to assume
that titanosaurs migrated south to lay eggs.
What does the text most strongly suggest about the site discovered by the researchers?
A. It is the earliest known example of a titanosaur nesting and breeding site.
B. It was very difficult to excavate given that it was discovered in a mine.
C. It may have been occupied by other sauropods in addition to titanosaurs.
D. It is farther north than any other nesting site discovered in South America.
ID: 9731a22b Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it presents a statement about the site discovered by the researchers that is
supported by the text. The text discusses Fiorelli and colleagues’ discovery of egg clutches, single eggs, and
eggshells in a Brazilian mine. According to the text, the presence of these eggs, which are from the Late
Cretaceous period, led the researchers to conclude that the location was once a nesting and breeding site for
titanosaurs. The text then explains that the finding is important because of the “previous lack of known nesting
sites in northern regions of South America.” If there haven’t been any other discoveries of a nesting site in South
America’s northern regions and the site in the Brazilian mine is the first, then the text strongly suggests that the
site is farther north than other nesting sites that have been discovered in South America.
Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that the site discovered by Fiorelli and colleagues is the
earliest titanosaur nesting and breeding site known to paleontologists but rather that it’s the first nesting site
found in northern regions of South America. Moreover, the text doesn’t suggest how the timeline of the newly
discovered site compares with that of other titanosaur nesting and breeding sites. Choice B is incorrect because
there is no mention in the text about any difficulties that Fiorelli and colleagues faced when they were
excavating the nesting and breeding site in the Brazilian mine. Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t
support the idea that the nesting and breeding site in the Brazilian mine was occupied by sauropods other than
titanosaurs. The text simply mentions that titanosaurs are sauropod dinosaurs and presents the researchers’
conclusion that the site they discovered was for titanosaurs.

Question ID f7bd14de

Ideas Details
ID: f7bd14de
Several scholars have argued that conditions in England in the late ninth through early eleventh centuries—namely,
burgeoning literacy amid running conflicts between England’s Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and Danish invaders—were
especially conducive to the production of the Old English epic poem Beowulf, and they have dated the poem’s
composition accordingly. It is not inconceivable that Beowulf emerged from such a context, but privileging contextual fit
over the linguistic evidence of an eighth- or even seventh-century composition requires a level of justification that thus
far has not been presented.
A. Although there are some grounds for believing that Beowulf was composed between the late ninth and early eleventh
centuries, advocates for that view tend to rely on evidence that has been called into question by advocates for an
earlier date.
B. Although several scholars have dated Beowulf to the late ninth through early eleventh centuries, others have argued
that doing so privileges a controversial interpretation of the social conditions of the period.
C. Although Beowulf fits well with the historical context of England in the late ninth through early eleventh centuries, it
fits equally well with the historical context of England in the seventh and eighth centuries.
D. Although the claim of a late ninth- through early eleventh-century composition date for Beowulf has some plausibility,
advocates for the claim have not compellingly addressed evidence suggesting an earlier date.
ID: f7bd14de Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. The text states that some
scholars have dated the composition of Beowulf to the late ninth through early eleventh centuries due to the
poem’s fit with that period’s historical context. The text goes on to say that while it is “not inconceivable that
Beowulf emerged from such a context”—that is, it is possible that Beowulf was composed during the late ninth
through eleventh centuries—there is linguistic evidence that the poem was composed earlier, in the seventh or
eighth century. According to the text, favoring the historical context over the linguistic evidence requires
justification that scholars have not yet supplied. In other words, the text suggests that scholars who favor the
later composition date need to explain why the poem’s fit with historical context should take precedence over
the linguistic evidence, but they have not yet done so. Thus, the main idea of the text is that while there is some
plausibility to the later composition date, advocates for the later date have not compellingly addressed evidence
suggestive of an earlier date.
Choice A is incorrect because the text says that scholars who date the poem to the late ninth through early
eleventh centuries have failed to account for the linguistic evidence that the poem may have been composed
earlier, not that the evidence those scholars cite in favor of their view is unreliable or that anyone has cast doubt
on that evidence. In other words, the text does not suggest that there are problems with the evidence cited by
advocates of the later composition date, only that there is other evidence of an earlier composition date that
those advocates need to consider. Choice B is incorrect because nothing in the text suggests that those scholars
who date the poem to the late ninth through early eleventh centuries are giving priority to a controversial view
of the social conditions at that time. The text makes no reference to any controversy about how scholars
interpret that historical period. Instead, the text suggests that scholars who date the poem on the basis of its fit
with the historical context of England in the late ninth through early eleventh centuries have failed to account
for linguistic evidence that the poem may have been composed earlier. Choice C is incorrect because the text
says nothing about how well the poem fits the historical context of England in the seventh and eighth centuries,
let alone that it fits that historical context as well as it fits the historical context of the late ninth through early
eleventh centuries. Rather, the text says that there is linguistic evidence that the poem may have been
composed in the seventh or eighth century.

Question ID 96802cc0

Ideas Details
ID: 96802cc0
For centuries, the widespread acknowledgment of the involvement of the cerebellum—a dense brain structure in
vertebrates—in coordinating motor control in humans has hindered recognition of other possible functions of the
structure. Neuroscience research from the last two decades now suggests that the cerebellum regulates emotion and
social behavior, and recent research by Ilaria Carta and colleagues has identified a pathway connecting the cerebellum to
a center for motivation and reward processing known as the ventral tegmental area (VTA).
A. The recent verification of a pathway between the VTA and the cerebellum confirms the cerebellum’s long-suspected
role in motor coordination.
B. Recent advances in the field of neuroscience have challenged widely accepted claims about the function of a pathway
connecting the VTA and the cerebellum.
C. The cerebellum has primarily been thought to regulate motor functioning, but in recent years neuroscience
researchers have been uncovering additional functions.
D. Technological limitations have historically hindered the study of the cerebellum, but the recent development of new
technologies has led to greater insights into its functions.
ID: 96802cc0 Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The text says that the cerebellum has long been thought to regulate motor
functioning, but new research shows that it may also have other functions—including regulating emotion and
social behavior and some connection to motivation and rewards processing.
Choice A is incorrect. The VTA is described as “a center for motivation and reward processing,” and the discovery
of the pathway between the VTA and the cerebellum supports the theory that the cerebellum is involved in
functions other than motor coordination. Choice B is incorrect. The text says that recent research has identified
this pathway, but it doesn’t discuss any previous “widely accepted claims” about the pathway’s function. The
“widespread acknowledgement” mentioned early in the passage is about the cerebellum alone, not its
connection to the VTA. Choice D is incorrect. The text never discusses any technological limitations or any new
technologies.

Question ID b7d51f84

Ideas Details
ID: b7d51f84
In West Africa, jalis have traditionally been keepers of information about family histories and records of important events.
They have often served as teachers and advisers, too. New technologies may have changed some aspects of the role
today, but jalis continue to be valued for knowing and protecting their peoples’ stories.
A. Even though there have been some changes in their role, jalis continue to preserve their communities’ histories.
B. Although jalis have many roles, many of them like teaching best.
C. Jalis have been entertaining the people within their communities for centuries.
D. Technology can now do some of the things jalis used to be responsible for.
ID: b7d51f84 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it best states the main idea of the text. According to the text, jalis’
traditional role has been to maintain information about families’ histories and significant events. The text goes
on to say that although technological changes have altered jalis’ role somewhat, jalis are still valued for
preserving the histories of their communities.
Choice B is incorrect because the text says nothing about jalis’ views of the various tasks they perform. There is
no information to support the idea that many jalis prefer teaching to other tasks. Choice C is incorrect because
the text doesn’t describe jalis as being sources of entertainment. Rather, jalis are presented as valued sources of
knowledge. Additionally, the text gives no indication of how long jalis have been serving their communities.
Choice D is incorrect because the main focus of the text is on jalis’ role and their continued value despite the
effects of technology, not on what technology can now do. Although the text indicates that jalis’ role has changed
as a result of technological changes, the text doesn’t present any specific information about technology
performing tasks that jalis once performed.

Question ID d0f51067

Ideas Details
ID: d0f51067
Modern dog breeds are largely the result of 160 years of owners crossbreeding certain dogs in order to select for
particular physical appearances. Owners often say that some breeds are also more likely than others to have particular
personality traits—basset hounds are affectionate; boxers are easy to train—but Kathleen Morrill and colleagues found
through a combination of owner surveys and DNA sequencing of 2,000 dogs that while physical traits are predictably
heritable among purebred dogs, behavior varies widely among dogs of the same breed.
A. Dog breeds would not exist without many years of human intervention in dogs’ reproduction.
B. Research fails to confirm a commonly held belief about dog breeds and behavior.
C. The dog breeds most popular among owners have often changed over the past 160 years.
D. A study of dog breeds is notable for its usage of both opinion surveys and DNA sequencing.
ID: d0f51067 Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. The text indicates that
dog owners typically claim that some dog breeds are “more likely than others to have particular personality
traits.” In other words, the text points out that a commonly held belief about dog breeds is that their personality
traits are heritable. The text then states that Kathleen Morrill and colleagues undertook research about dog trait
heritability and found that “behavior varies widely among dogs of the same breed.” Because Morrill and
colleagues found evidence for variability rather than consistency in the behavior of dogs of the same breed, the
statement that research fails to uphold a commonly held belief about dog breeds and behavior accurately reflects
the main idea of the text.
Choice A is incorrect. Although the text mentions that humans have long intervened in dogs’ reproduction by
intentionally crossbreeding certain dogs, it doesn’t argue that such intervention is essential to the existence of
dog breeds. Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t discuss the popularity of any dog breeds; breeds are
mentioned as having certain traits, but the text says nothing about the popularity of these breeds or traits.
Choice D is incorrect. Although the text briefly mentions that Morrill and colleagues conducted a study about
dog traits using both surveys and DNA sequencing, this is not the main focus of the text. The text concerns the
study’s results about the heritability of dog traits, not the particular methodology used by Morrill and colleagues.

Question ID 1c69ff20

Ideas Details
ID: 1c69ff20
For many years, the only existing fossil evidence of mixopterid eurypterids—an extinct family of large aquatic arthropods
known as sea scorpions and related to modern arachnids and horseshoe crabs—came from four species living on the
paleocontinent of Laurussia. In a discovery that expands our understanding of the geographical distribution of
mixopterids, paleontologist Bo Wang and others have identified fossilized remains of a new mixopterid species,
Terropterus xiushanensis, that lived over 400 million years ago on the paleocontinent of Gondwana.
According to the text, why was Wang and his team’s discovery of the Terropterus xiushanensis fossil significant?
A. The fossil constitutes the first evidence found by scientists that mixopterids lived more than 400 million years ago.
B. The fossil helps establish that mixopterids are more closely related to modern arachnids and horseshoe crabs than
previously thought.
C. The fossil helps establish a more accurate timeline of the evolution of mixopterids on the paleocontinents of Laurussia
and Gondwana.
D. The fossil constitutes the first evidence found by scientists that mixopterids existed outside the paleocontinent of
Laurussia.
ID: 1c69ff20 Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it states why Wang and his team’s discovery of the Terropterus
xiushanensis fossil was significant. The text explains that up until Wang and his team’s discovery, the only fossil
evidence of mixopterids came from the paleocontinent of Laurussia. Wang and his team, however, identified
fossil remains of a mixopterid species from the paleocontinent Gondwana. Therefore, the team’s discovery was
significant because the fossil remains of a mixopterid species were outside of the paleocontinent Laurussia.
Choice A is incorrect. Although the text states that Wang and his team identified fossilized remains of a
mixopterid species that lived more than 400 million years ago, it doesn’t indicate that mixopterid fossils
previously found by scientists dated to a more recent period than that. Choice B is incorrect. Although the text
states that mixopterids are related to modern arachnids and horseshoe crabs, it doesn’t suggest that the fossil
discovered by Wang and his team confirmed that this relationship is closer than scientists had previously
thought. Choice C is incorrect because the team’s fossil established the presence of mixopterids on Gondwana,
not on Laurussia. Moreover, the text only discusses the fossil in relation to the geographical distribution of
mixopterids, not in relation to their evolution.

Question ID 14189fbb

Ideas Details
ID: 14189fbb
Having written the impassioned call to arms “Letter to the Spanish Americans” in 1791, Peruvian intellectual Juan Pablo
Viscardo y Guzmán is often considered a forerunner for the independence movements in Latin America. But Viscardo’s
role in history would have remained insignificant were it not for Venezuelan revolutionary Francisco de Miranda, who was
handed the unpublished letter after Viscardo’s death. Miranda not only helped circulate the letter, but his edits and
footnotes to the text position Miranda as a central figure in the text’s creation.
A. The original authorship of “Letter to the Spanish Americans” is disputed by contemporary historians.
B. The majority of the most eloquently stated arguments in “Letter to the Spanish Americans” were written by Miranda.
C. Miranda played a crucial role in influencing the content and distribution of “Letter to the Spanish Americans.”
D. “Letter to the Spanish Americans” persuaded many people in Latin America to pursue national independence.
ID: 14189fbb Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The text describes how Miranda circulated, edited, and added footnotes to “Letter to
the Spanish Americans,” and it claims that the letter and its author would have “remained insignificant” if it
weren’t for Miranda’s efforts.
Choice A is incorrect. The text only says that Viscardo wrote the letter and that Miranda edited it: it never
suggests that the original authorship of the letter is up for debate. Choice B is incorrect. This contradicts the
text. The text says that Miranda edited and footnoted the letter, but it identifies Viscardo as the letter’s author. It
also never identifies certain arguments as more eloquent than others. Choice D is incorrect. This is outside the
scope of the text. The paragraph describes Miranda’s role in the creation and distribution of the letter, but it
doesn’t get into the effects of the letter on other people.

Question ID d0fbf1ae

Ideas Details
ID: d0fbf1ae
Algae living within the tissues of corals play a critical role in keeping corals, and the marine ecosystems they are part of,
thriving. Some coral species appear brown in color when healthy due to the algae colonies living in their tissues. In the
event of an environmental stressor, the algae can die or be expelled, causing the corals to appear white. To recover the
algae, the bleached corals then begin to produce bright colors, which block intense sunlight, encouraging the light-
sensitive algae to recolonize the corals.
What does the text most strongly suggest about corals that produce bright colors?
A. These corals have likely been subjected to stressful environmental conditions.
B. These corals are likely more vulnerable to exposure from intense sunlight than white corals are.
C. These corals have likely recovered from an environmental event without the assistance of algae colonies.
D. These corals are more likely to survive without algae colonies than brown corals are.
ID: d0fbf1ae Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The text says that corals produce bright colors to block sunlight and encourage
algae to recolonize after “an environmental stressor.” From this, we can infer that corals that produce bright
colors have probably been subjected to an environmental stressor.
Choice B is incorrect. The text says that corals produce bright colors to block intense sunlight, which protects
the light-sensitive algae that keep the coral healthy. In other words, bright colors make the coral’s health less
vulnerable to intense sunlight. Choice C is incorrect. The text says that corals produce bright colors to encourage
algae to recolonize, not that they have recovered without the assistance of algae colonies. Choice D is incorrect.
The text never compares the likelihood of differently colored corals surviving without algae colonies.

Question ID dc3ea63e

Ideas Details
ID: dc3ea63e
To dye wool, Navajo (Diné) weaver Lillie Taylor uses plants and vegetables from Arizona, where she lives. For example, she
achieved the deep reds and browns featured in her 2003 rug In the Path of the Four Seasons by using Arizona dock roots,
drying and grinding them before mixing the powder with water to create a dye bath. To intensify the appearance of
certain colors, Taylor also sometimes mixes in clay obtained from nearby soil.
A. Reds and browns are not commonly featured in most of Taylor’s rugs.
B. Taylor draws on local resources in the approach she uses to dye wool.
C. Taylor finds it difficult to locate Arizona dock root in the desert.
D. In the Path of the Four Seasons is widely acclaimed for its many colors and innovative weaving techniques.
ID: dc3ea63e Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. It best states the main idea of the text. The text opens with the statement that Taylor
uses local plants and vegetables to dye wool. The rest of the text describes how she does this.
Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t state the main idea of the text. The text only mentions one rug: In the Path of
the Four Seasons, in which reds and browns are featured. It never mentions whether or not these colors are
featured in her other rugs. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t state the main idea of the text. The text never says
that Taylor finds it difficult to locate Arizona dock roots. Choice D is incorrect. This doesn’t state the main idea of
the text. The text never says that In the Path of the Four Seasons is widely acclaimed. Rather, it discusses the rug
to illustrate the point made earlier in the passage: that Taylor uses local plants and vegetables to dye wool.

Question ID 4d3e3c52

Ideas Details
ID: 4d3e3c52
In a paper about p-i-n planar perovskite solar cells (one of several perovskite cell architectures designed to collect and
store solar power), Lyndsey McMillon-Brown et al. describe a method for fabricating the cell’s electronic transport layer
(ETL) using a spray coating. Conventional ETL fabrication is accomplished using a solution of nanoparticles. The process
can result in a loss of up to 80% of the solution, increasing the cost of manufacturing at scale—an issue that may be
obviated by spray coating fabrication, which the researchers describe as “highly reproducible, concise, and practical.”
What does the text most strongly suggest about conventional ETL fabrication?
A. It is less suitable for manufacturing large volumes of planar p-i-n perovskite solar cells than an alternative fabrication
method may be.
B. It is more expensive when manufacturing at scale than are processes for fabricating ETLs used in other perovskite
solar cell architectures.
C. It typically entails a greater loss of nanoparticle solution than do other established approaches for ETL fabrication.
D. It is somewhat imprecise and therefore limits the potential effectiveness of p-i-n planar perovskite solar cells at
capturing and storing solar power.
ID: 4d3e3c52 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. Conventional solar cell fabrication increases “the cost of manufacturing at scale,”
but spray coating might get rid of that problem.
Choice B is incorrect. This is not completely supported by the text. While it’s true that conventional ETL
fabrication is expensive at scale, there’s nothing in the text that mentions other perovskite solar cell
architectures. Choice C is incorrect. This choice does not match the text. Only one conventional method of ETL
fabrication is described, so we can’t compare the solution loss in this method to that of other conventional
methods. Choice D is incorrect. This choice isn’t supported by the text. The text never suggests that the
effectiveness of solar cells changes based on their method of fabrication.

Question ID 66bef967

Ideas Details
ID: 66bef967
Choctaw/Cherokee artist Jeffrey Gibson turns punching bags used by boxers into art by decorating them with beadwork
and elements of Native dressmaking. These elements include leather fringe and jingles, the metal cones that cover the
dresses worn in the jingle dance, a women’s dance of the Ojibwe people. Thus, Gibson combines an object commonly
associated with masculinity (a punching bag) with art forms traditionally practiced by women in most Native communities
(beadwork and dressmaking). In this way, he rejects the division of male and female gender roles.
Which choice best describes Gibson’s approach to art, as presented in the text?
A. He draws from traditional Native art forms to create his original works.
B. He has been influenced by Native and non-Native artists equally.
C. He finds inspiration from boxing in designing the dresses he makes.
D. He rejects expectations about color and pattern when incorporating beadwork.
ID: 66bef967 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes Gibson’s approach to art. As the text explains,
Gibson, who is Cherokee and Choctaw, transforms punching bags into art pieces by applying (or attaching) to
them beadwork and elements of Native dressmaking, including leather fringe and the jingles of the jingle dress.
The text goes on to say that in most Native communities, the art forms of beadwork and dressmaking are
traditionally practiced by women. Therefore, Gibson’s approach to art consists of creating original works by
drawing from traditional Native art forms.
Choice B is incorrect. Because Gibson incorporates Native art forms into his own original artwork, it can be
inferred that he has been influenced by other Native artists, but the text never suggests that non-Native artists
have influenced him. Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t indicate that Gibson designs dresses
influenced by boxing but instead that he turns punching bags, which are used in boxing, into works of art by
applying elements of Native dressmaking to them. Choice D is incorrect. Although Gibson does incorporate
beadwork into his art, the text never mentions the colors or patterns that he uses or suggests that his art defies
the expectations that people might have about color and pattern in beadwork.

Question ID a59245a1

Ideas Details
ID: a59245a1
The painter María Izquierdo played an important role in the development of twentieth-century Mexican art, but her work
has never been well-known in the United States except among art historians. One reason for Izquierdo’s relative obscurity
is the enormous popularity of some of her peers. In particular, the painters Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera have so
captivated the interest of US audiences that Izquierdo and other Mexican artists from the period often get overlooked,
despite the high quality of their work.
A. Izquierdo’s work is not as well-known in the United States as it should be because Kahlo and Rivera draw so much of
the public’s attention.
B. During Izquierdo’s lifetime, her paintings were displayed in galleries in the United States much more frequently than
paintings by Kahlo and Rivera were.
C. Izquierdo painted some of the same subjects that Kahlo and Rivera painted but used different techniques than they
used.
D. Few of Izquierdo’s works are in galleries today because she produced only a small number of paintings.
ID: a59245a1 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. The text begins by
stating that María Izquierdo was an important figure in the history of twentieth-century Mexican art, but despite
her importance, her work hasn’t received widespread recognition in the United States. According to the text, one
reason for this is that Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera are so famous in the US that they overshadow other
important Mexican artists, including Izquierdo. Thus, the main idea of the text is that Izquierdo’s work is less
well known in the US than it should be because Kahlo and Rivera draw most of the public’s attention.
Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t discuss the appearance of Izquierdo’s paintings in galleries in the
US during her lifetime, nor does it suggest that her paintings were displayed more frequently than paintings by
Kahlo or Rivera were. Instead, the text focuses on the fact that Izquierdo has been overlooked in the US because
of Kahlo’s and Rivera’s greater popularity. Choice C is incorrect because the text doesn’t discuss either the
subject matter of Izquierdo’s paintings or the techniques she used, nor does it compare these aspects of her
paintings with those of Kahlo’s and Rivera’s paintings. Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t mention
how many of Izquierdo’s paintings appear in galleries today, nor does it state that she produced only a small
number of paintings.

Question ID d1b8a9ad

Ideas Details
ID: d1b8a9ad
Disco remains one of the most ridiculed popular music genres of the late twentieth century. But as scholars have argued,
the genre is far less superficial than many people believe. Take the case of disco icon Donna Summer: she may have been
associated with popular songs about love and heartbreak (subjects hardly unique to disco, by the way), but like many
Black women singers before her, much of her music also reflects concerns about community and identity. These concerns
are present in many of the genre’s greatest songs, and they generally don’t require much digging to reveal.
What does the text most strongly suggest about the disco genre?
A. It has been unjustly ignored by most scholars despite the importance of the themes addressed by many of the
genre’s songs.
B. It evolved over time from a superficial genre focused on romance to a genre focused on more serious concerns.
C. It has been unfairly dismissed for the inclusion of subject matter that is also found in other musical genres.
D. It gave rise to a Black women’s musical tradition that has endured even though the genre itself faded in the late
twentieth century.
ID: d1b8a9ad Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The text argues that disco is "far less superficial" than its popular perception might
indicate, and that love and heartbreak are "subjects hardly unique to disco."
Choice A is incorrect. This choice conflicts with the text, which says that scholars argue that disco "is far less
superficial than many people believe." Choice B is incorrect. This choice says the opposite of what the text
suggests. The writer argues that the genre is not as superficial as commonly believed, but that it always reflected
"concerns about community and identity." Choice D is incorrect. The text doesn’t support this choice. There’s
nothing in the text about disco giving rise to an enduring Black women’s musical tradition.

Question ID 12030076

Ideas Details
ID: 12030076
NASA’s Aspera mission, led by Carlos Vargas, will investigate the circumgalactic medium (CGM), the huge swaths of low-
density gas that fill and surround galaxies. Specifically, the team will focus on portions of the gas that exist in a “warm-
hot” phase: these portions haven’t previously been observable but are thought to fuel new star formation and hold most
of the mass that makes up a galaxy. Using a telescope capable of revealing these parts of the CGM, the Aspera mission
should help answer long-standing questions about how galaxies emerge, change, and even interact.
A. As the leader of NASA’s Aspera mission, Vargas will be the first person to investigate the makeup of the CGM.
B. Although galaxies that are surrounded by the CGM have been studied, researchers have been unable to directly
observe low-density gas in the CGM in the “warm-hot” phase.
C. Researchers don’t yet have a complete understanding of the process of galaxy evolution but have raised the
possibility that galaxies interact with each other at times.
D. The Aspera mission is expected to produce the first direct observations of CGM gas in the “warm-hot” phase, which
likely has an important role in the evolution of galaxies.
ID: 12030076 Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. The text begins by
mentioning NASA’s Aspera mission, which will investigate the low-density gas that makes up the
circumgalactic medium (CGM). According to the text, this mission will focus on a portion of the CGM’s gas that
exists in a “warm-hot” phase; this “warm-hot” gas has not been previously observed, but it is thought to make up
most of the mass of galaxies and play a part in star formation. Finally, the text mentions a telescope capable of
examining this previously unobservable “warm-hot” gas: the Aspera mission will use this telescope in the hope
of answering questions about galaxy formation and change. Therefore, the main idea of the text is that the
Aspera mission is likely to produce the first direct observations of CGM gas in the “warm-hot” phase, which
likely has an important role in the evolution of galaxies.
Choice A is incorrect. Although this choice mentions the Aspera mission, names its leader, and generally states
the mission’s purpose, it does not reference the “warm-hot” gas or fully convey the reason why the Aspera
mission is significant. Choice B is incorrect. Although this choice mentions the “warm-hot” gas that makes up a
portion of the CGM, it does not reference the Aspera mission or describe its importance. The text also does not
mention that galaxies surrounded by the CGM have been studied. Choice C is incorrect. Although this choice
describes a problem related to the CGM that researchers have been attempting to solve and presents the
speculation of those researchers, it does not mention the Aspera mission or describe its purpose.

Question ID f8befe75

Ideas Details
ID: f8befe75
Many intellectual histories of the Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s rely heavily on essays and other
explicitly ideological works as primary sources, a tendency that can overrepresent the perspectives of a small number of
thinkers, most of whom were male. Historian Ashley D. Farmer has shown that expanding the array of primary sources to
encompass more types of print material—including political cartoons, advertisements, and artwork—leads to a much
better understanding of the movement and the crucial and diverse roles that Black women played in shaping it.
Which choice best describes the main idea of the text?
A. Farmer’s methods and research have enriched the historical understanding of the Black Power movement and Black
women’s contributions to it.
B. Before Farmer’s research, historians had largely ignored the intellectual dimensions of the Black Power movement.
C. Other historians of the Black Power movement have criticized Farmer’s use of unconventional primary sources.
D. The figures in the Black Power movement whom historians tend to cite would have agreed with Farmer’s conclusions
about women’s roles in the movement.
ID: f8befe75 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. It best describes the main idea of the text. The text starts by saying that historians
of the Black Power movement are too reliant on openly ideological works, which were written mostly by men, as
sources. The text then describes Farmer’s research: she has shown that including other kinds of sources leads to
a better understanding of the Black Power movement and the role Black women played in it.
Choice B is incorrect. This doesn’t describe the main idea of the text. In fact, it conflicts with the text. The text
says that historians have relied on "essays and other explicitly ideological works," which suggests that they have
studied at least some of the intellectual dimensions of the Black Power movement. Choice C is incorrect. This
doesn’t describe the main idea of the text. The text never mentions how other historians of the Black Power
movement view Farmer’s use of unconventional sources. In fact, the text itself argues in favor of Farmer’s
research, claiming that it has led to a "much better understanding of the movement." Choice D is incorrect. This
doesn’t describe the main idea of the text. The text never mentions what any figures in the Black Power
movement thought about women’s roles in the movement.

Question ID 16025337

Ideas Details
ID: 16025337
The following text is adapted from William Shakespeare’s 1609 poem “Sonnet 27.” The poem is addressed to a close
friend as if he were physically present.
Weary with toil, I [hurry] to my bed,
The dear repose for limbs with travel tired;
But then begins a journey in my head
To work my mind, when body’s work’s expired:
For then my thoughts—from far where I abide—
[Begin] a zealous pilgrimage to thee,
And keep my drooping eyelids open wide,
What is the main idea of the text?
A. The speaker is asleep and dreaming about traveling to see the friend.
B. The speaker is planning an upcoming trip to the friend’s house.
C. The speaker is too fatigued to continue a discussion with the friend.
D. The speaker is thinking about the friend instead of immediately falling asleep.
ID: 16025337 Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer it most accurately states the main idea of the text. The speaker describes going to
bed for “repose” (rest) but finding that his thoughts are focused on the friend the speaker is addressing, and the
thoughts are keeping the speaker awake.
Choice A is incorrect because the speaker isn’t asleep; the thoughts about the friend are keeping the speaker
awake. Choice B is incorrect because the speaker isn’t talking about taking a literal trip; rather, the speaker uses
the metaphor of a journey to describe internal thoughts. Choice C is incorrect because the speaker isn’t having a
discussion with the friend.

Question ID 659c6c1d

Ideas Details
ID: 659c6c1d
The following text is adapted from Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel Treasure Island. Bill is a sailor staying at the
Admiral Benbow, an inn run by the narrator’s parents.
Every day when [Bill] came back from his stroll he would ask if any seafaring men had gone by along the road. At first we
thought it was the want of company of his own kind that made him ask this question, but at last we began to see he was
desirous to avoid them. When a seaman did [stay] at the Admiral Benbow (as now and then some did) he would look in
at him through the curtained door before he entered the parlour; and he was always sure to be as silent as a mouse when
any such was present.
According to the text, why does Bill regularly ask about “seafaring men”?
A. He’s hoping to find an old friend and fellow sailor.
B. He’s trying to secure a job as part of the crew on a new ship.
C. He isn’t sure that other guests at the inn will be welcoming of sailors.
D. He doesn’t want to encounter any other sailor unexpectedly.
ID: 659c6c1d Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The narrator says that, at first, they thought Bill asked regularly about other
seafarers because he wanted their company, but eventually they realized that Bill actually wanted to avoid them.
Choice A is incorrect. This isn’t the reason the text gives for why Bill regularly asks about “seafaring men.” The
narrator says that, at first, they thought Bill asked regularly about other seafarers because he wanted their
company, but eventually they realized that Bill wanted to avoid them. Choice B is incorrect. This isn’t the reason
the text gives for why Bill regularly asks about “seafaring men.” The narrator says that, at first, they thought Bill
asked regularly about other seafarers because he wanted their company, but eventually they realized that Bill
wanted to avoid them. Choice C is incorrect. This isn’t the reason the text gives for why Bill regularly asks about
“seafaring men.” The narrator says that, at first, they thought Bill asked regularly about other seafarers because
he wanted their company, but eventually they realized that Bill wanted to avoid them.

Question ID 3f05e40f

Ideas Details
ID: 3f05e40f
In many of his sculptures, artist Richard Hunt uses broad forms rather than extreme accuracy to hint at specific people or
ideas. In his first major work, Arachne (1956), Hunt constructed the mythical character Arachne, a weaver who was
changed into a spider, by welding bits of steel together into something that, although vaguely human, is strange and
machine-like. And his large bronze sculpture The Light of Truth (2021) commemorates activist and journalist Ida B. Wells
using mainly flowing, curved pieces of metal that create stylized flame.
Which choice best states the text’s main idea about Hunt?
A. He often depicts the subjects of his sculptures using an unrealistic style.
B. He uses different kinds of materials depending on what kind of sculpture he plans to create.
C. He tends to base his art on important historical figures rather than on fictional characters.
D. He has altered his approach to sculpture over time, and his works have become increasingly abstract.
ID: 3f05e40f Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. According to the text,
many of Richard Hunt’s sculptures “use broad forms rather than extreme accuracy”—in other words, they are
more abstract than realistic. To illustrate Hunt’s abstract approach, the text characterizes his sculpture of
Arachne as “vaguely human” and his work in honor of Ida B. Wells as “using mainly flowing, curved pieces of
metal that create stylized flame.” Thus, the main idea is that Hunt often depicts the subjects of his sculptures
using an unrealistic style.
Choice B is incorrect. Although the text indicates that one of Hunt’s sculptures is made of steel and another of
bronze, there is no mention of why he chose these materials. Choice C is incorrect because the text says nothing
about how Hunt chose the subjects for his sculptures. Furthermore, of the two examples provided in the text,
only Ida B. Wells is an important historical figure; Arachne is a “mythical character.” Choice D is incorrect
because the text says nothing about how Hunt’s style changed over time. In fact, although the two examples of
Hunt’s work discussed in the text were created 65 years apart, they are both described as heavily stylized rather
than realistic, which may suggest that some aspects of Hunt’s style haven’t changed over that time.

Question ID db2da2bf

Ideas Details
ID: db2da2bf
In 2019, 20 previously unknown moons were confirmed to be orbiting Saturn. Three of the moons have prograde orbits
(orbiting in the direction the planet spins), and the other 17 have retrograde orbits (orbiting in the opposite direction of
the planet’s spin). All but one of the 20 moons are thought to be remnants of bodies that orbited Saturn until they broke
apart in collisions. Although the one exceptional moon orbits in the same direction as the planet’s spin, its orbit is highly
eccentric compared to the rest, which may suggest that it has a different origin than the other 19 moons.
Based on the text, which choice best describes the moon with the eccentric orbit?
A. It doesn’t have a retrograde orbit, but it likely has the same origin as the moons with retrograde orbits.
B. Its orbit is so tilted with respect to the other moons’ orbits that it’s neither prograde nor retrograde.
C. It has a prograde orbit that is likely the result of having collided with another body orbiting Saturn.
D. It has a prograde orbit and may not be a remnant of an earlier body that orbited Saturn.
ID: db2da2bf Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately describes the moon with the eccentric orbit. The text
indicates that three of the 20 newly discovered moons have prograde orbits, meaning that they orbit Saturn in
the same direction as the planet’s spin, while the other 17 moons have retrograde orbits, meaning that they orbit
Saturn in the opposite direction of the planet’s spin. The text then states that 19 of the 20 moons appear to be the
remains of earlier bodies that orbited Saturn but were broken apart in collisions. The one exception is a moon
that orbits Saturn in the same direction as the planet’s spin, meaning that the exceptional moon’s orbit is
prograde. The text goes on to state that the exceptional moon’s orbit is so eccentric that the moon may have
formed through a different process than the other 19 moons. The moon with the eccentric orbit, therefore, has a
prograde orbit and may not be a remnant of an earlier body that orbited Saturn.
Choice A is incorrect because nothing in the text supports the idea that the moon with the eccentric orbit likely
has the same origin as the moons with retrograde orbits. Although it’s true that the moon has a prograde orbit
(and thus doesn’t have a retrograde orbit), the only information the text provides about the moon’s origin is that
it may be different than the origin of the other 19 moons. Choice B is incorrect because the text states that the
moon in question orbits Saturn in the same direction as the planet’s spin, meaning that the moon’s orbit is
prograde, not that its orbit is neither prograde nor retrograde. Choice C is incorrect because the text merely notes
that the moon in question has a prograde orbit without giving any indication of what likely caused that orbit.

Question ID ad680167

Ideas Details
ID: ad680167
The recovery of a 1,000-year-old Chinese shipwreck in the Java Sea near present-day Indonesia has yielded a treasure
trove of artifacts, including thousands of small ceramic bowls. Using a portable X-ray fluorescence analyzer tool, Lisa
Niziolek and her team were able to detect the chemical composition of these bowls without damaging them. By
comparing the chemical signatures of the bowls with those of the materials still at old Chinese kiln sites, Niziolek and her
team can pinpoint which Chinese kilns likely produced the ceramic bowls.
A. Because of a new technology, researchers can locate and recover more shipwrecks than they could in the past.
B. Researchers have been able to identify the location of a number of Chinese kilns in operation 1,000 years ago.
C. With the help of a special tool, researchers have determined the likely origin of bowls recovered from a shipwreck.
D. Before the invention of portable X-ray fluorescence, researchers needed to take a small piece out of an artifact to
analyze its components.
ID: ad680167 Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. According to the text,
thousands of ceramic bowls were found in a recovered Chinese shipwreck. The text goes on to say that Niziolek
and her team used a special tool, a portable X-ray fluorescence analyzer, to determine the bowls’ chemical
signatures. Comparing these chemical signatures with the chemical signatures of materials they had collected
from old Chinese kiln sites, the text says, allowed the researchers to identify which kilns had produced the
bowls. In other words, the researchers determined the bowls’ origin.
Choice A is incorrect. Although the text indicates that the researchers used technology in the form of a portable
X-ray fluorescence analyzer, it doesn’t specifically state that this technology is new. In addition, the text says
that Niziolek and her team used the tool to determine the chemical composition of bowls that were found in a
Chinese shipwreck, not to locate and recover the shipwreck itself. There’s no indication in the text that a new
technology can help researchers locate and recover shipwrecks. Choice B is incorrect because the text indicates
that the researchers collected materials from old kiln sites for chemical comparison with the ceramic bowls,
which means that the researchers must have already known the location of those kiln sites. Rather than
identifying the location of the kilns, the researchers determined which kilns in operation 1,000 years ago had
likely produced the bowls that were found in the shipwreck. Choice D is incorrect. Although the text says that
using a portable X-ray fluorescence analyzer tool enabled Niziolek and her team to analyze artifacts in the form
of ceramic bowls without damaging them, the text doesn’t discuss how researchers analyzed artifacts before this
tool was invented. Moreover, the point that the bowls were left undamaged isn’t the text’s main idea. Rather, it’s a
detail that’s provided to develop the main idea, which is that the researchers used a special tool to determine
where the bowls had been produced.

Question ID b7f79059

Ideas Details
ID: b7f79059
The following text is from Ezra Pound’s 1909 poem “Hymn III,” based on the work of Marcantonio Flaminio.
As a fragile and lovely flower unfolds its gleaming
foliage on the breast of the fostering earth, if
the dew and the rain draw it forth;
So doth my tender mind flourish, if it be fed with the
sweet dew of the fostering spirit,
Lacking this, it beginneth straightway to languish,
even as a floweret born upon dry earth, if the
dew and the rain tend it not.
Based on the text, in what way is the human mind like a flower?
A. It becomes increasingly vigorous with the passage of time.
B. It draws strength from changes in the weather.
C. It requires proper nourishment in order to thrive.
D. It perseveres despite challenging circumstances.
ID: b7f79059 Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it presents a description of how the human mind is like a flower that is
directly supported by the text. The text compares the needs of a “fragile and lovely flower” to those of the
speaker’s “tender mind”: both need to be fed if they’re going to survive. Without such feeding, they’ll “beginneth
straightway to languish,” or weaken. Thus, the text suggests that the human mind is like a flower in that they
both need proper nourishment in order to thrive.
Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t address the passage of time or describe either the human mind or
a flower as becoming increasingly vigorous. Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that human
minds or flowers draw strength from changes in weather. The references to rain in the text pertain to a flower’s
need for water rather than the general effects of changing weather. Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t
suggest that the human mind or a flower will persist regardless of challenging circumstances. In fact, the text
indicates that they’ll both languish right away if not given what they need.

Question ID adbcbce0

Ideas Details
ID: adbcbce0
The following text is adapted from Christina Rossetti’s 1881 poem “Monna Innominata 2.”
I wish I could remember that first day,
First hour, first moment of your meeting me,
If bright or dim the season, it might be
Summer or Winter for [all] I can say;
So unrecorded did it slip away,
So blind was I to see and to foresee,
So dull to mark the budding of my tree
That would not blossom yet for many a May.
A. The speaker celebrates how the passage of time has strengthened a relationship that once seemed unimportant.
B. Because the speaker did not anticipate how important a relationship would become, she cannot recall how the
relationship began, which she regrets.
C. As the anniversary of the beginning of an important relationship approaches, the speaker feels conflicted about how
best to commemorate it.
D. After years of neglecting a once valuable relationship, the speaker worries it may be too late for her to salvage the
relationship.
ID: adbcbce0 Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The speaker says that they wish they could remember when they first met someone,
but they can’t remember the meeting at all, because they didn’t know at the time that the relationship would
"blossom" later on.
Choice A is incorrect. The speaker does say that the relationship has "blossomed" over time, but only briefly at
the end—and they don’t really "celebrate" that fact. Rather, the text has a more regretful tone: it’s about how the
speaker can’t remember first meeting this person, and they wish they could. Choice C is incorrect. The speaker
doesn’t mention an anniversary—in fact, the speaker can’t remember when they met the person they’re talking
about. Choice D is incorrect. The speaker doesn’t say that they neglected the relationship. In fact, the speaker
suggests that the relationship has become very important to them—that’s why the speaker wishes that they
could remember their first meeting.

Question ID d5c2a4d4

Ideas Details
ID: d5c2a4d4
The following text is adapted from Guy de Maupassant’s nineteenth-century short story “The Trip of Le Horla” (translated
by Albert M. C. McMaster, A. E. Henderson, Mme. Quesada, et al.). The narrator is part of a group traveling in a hot-air
balloon at night.
The earth no longer seems to exist, it is buried in milky vapors that resemble a sea. We are now alone in space with
the moon, which looks like another balloon travelling opposite us; and our balloon, which shines in the air, appears
like another, larger moon, a world wandering in the sky amid the stars, through infinity. We no longer speak, think
nor live; we float along through space in delicious inertia. The air which is bearing us up has made of us all beings
which resemble itself, silent, joyous, irresponsible beings, peculiarly alert, although motionless.
A. The narrator feels a growing sense of isolation even though his companions are nearby during the balloon ride.
B. The narrator and his companions are completely absorbed in the change in perspective they gain while riding in the
balloon.
C. The narrator and his companions are troubled by the disorienting effects of the altitude while riding in the balloon.
D. The narrator is pleasantly surprised by his companions’ unrestrained enthusiasm about the sensation of riding in the
balloon.
ID: d5c2a4d4 Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. The narrator describes
the view he and his companions have from the balloon: the earth lies beneath "milky vapors," and the balloon
itself looks like another moon. The narrator goes on to explain how the people riding in the balloon are affected
by the ride, explaining that they are immersed in the experience: floating along in "delicious inertia," or
inactivity, like "silent, joyous, irresponsible beings." Thus, the main idea is that the narrator and his companions
are completely absorbed in the change in perspective they gain while riding in the balloon.
Choice A is incorrect because the narrator never describes himself as feeling isolated from his companions;
instead, he characterizes riding in the balloon as an experience he is sharing with them. And although he does
imply a sense of isolation, it is isolation from those on the ground, as when he says of himself and his
companions, "We are now alone." Choice C is incorrect because the narrator doesn’t suggest that he or his
companions are troubled by the effects of the balloon ride. Instead, he describes himself and his companions as
"joyous" and the experience of floating in the balloon as "delicious." Choice D is incorrect because nothing in the
text suggests that the narrator is surprised by his companions’ response to the balloon ride. In fact, the text
indicates that the narrator and his companions are having the same experience: they’re described as "silent" and
"motionless," rather than as having unrestrained enthusiasm.

Question ID 5eda42a3

Ideas Details
ID: 5eda42a3
The following text is from Maggie Pogue Johnson’s 1910 poem “Poet of Our Race.” In this poem, the speaker is
addressing Paul Laurence Dunbar, a Black author.
Thou, with stroke of mighty pen,
Hast told of joy and mirth,
And read the hearts and souls of men
As cradled from their birth.
The language of the flowers,
Thou hast read them all,
And e’en the little brook
Responded to thy call.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
A. To praise a certain writer for being especially perceptive regarding people and nature
B. To establish that a certain writer has read extensively about a variety of topics
C. To call attention to a certain writer’s careful and elaborately detailed writing process
D. To recount fond memories of an afternoon spent in nature with a certain writer
ID: 5eda42a3 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately states the main purpose of the text. In the first part of the
text, the speaker addresses Paul Laurence Dunbar’s ability to understand people (he has “read the hearts and
souls of men” and written of their “joy and mirth”). In the second part of the text, the speaker describes Dunbar’s
thorough understanding of the natural world (he has read “the language of the flowers” and engaged with “the
little brook”). Thus, the text mainly praises Dunbar for being especially perceptive about people and nature.
Choice B is incorrect because the speaker describes Dunbar as having read the “hearts and souls of men” and the
“language of flowers” to convey Dunbar’s ability to comprehend people and nature, not to suggest that Dunbar
has literally read any of these things or has read a great deal about them. Choice C is incorrect because the text
notes how well Dunbar has made sense of the topics he’s written about but doesn’t address any specific parts of
Dunbar’s writing process beyond the suggestion that he used a pen. Choice D is incorrect because the text
focuses on Dunbar’s understanding of people and nature as expressed in his writing. Nothing in the text
suggests that the speaker is recalling a particular afternoon actually spent in nature with Dunbar; even if there
had been a shared experience, the text isn’t focused on reminiscing.

Question ID 95146ebb

Ideas Details
ID: 95146ebb
The ice melted on a Norwegian mountain during a particularly warm summer in 2019, revealing a 1,700-year-old sandal
to a mountaineer looking for artifacts. The sandal would normally have degraded quickly, but it was instead well
preserved for centuries by the surrounding ice. According to archaeologist Espen Finstad and his team, the sandal, like
those worn by imperial Romans, wouldn’t have offered any protection from the cold in the mountains, so some kind of
insulation, like fabric or animal skin, would have needed to be worn on the feet with the sandal.
What does the text indicate about the discovery of the sandal?
A. Temperatures contributed to both protecting and revealing the sandal.
B. The discovery revealed that the Roman Empire had more influence on Norway than archaeologists previously
assumed.
C. Archaeologists would have found the sandal eventually without help from the general public.
D. The sandal would have degraded if it hadn’t been removed from the ice.
ID: 95146ebb Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. A "particularly warm summer" revealed the sandal, and centuries of ice kept it "well
preserved."
Choice B is incorrect. This choice doesn’t reflect the information in the text. The sandal is similar to Roman
sandals, but there is no indication that it was a result of Roman influence. Choice C is incorrect. The text doesn’t
support this choice. We don’t have enough information to know whether or not archaeologists would have found
the sandal without people like the treasure-hunting mountaineer. Choice D is incorrect. The text says the
opposite of this choice. The sandal was preserved by the ice for centuries.

Question ID 7ffae38a

Ideas Details
ID: 7ffae38a
The following text is adapted from Jack London’s 1903 novel The Call of the Wild. Buck is a sled dog living with John
Thornton in Yukon, Canada.
Thornton alone held [Buck]. The rest of mankind was as nothing. Chance travellers might praise or pet him; but he was
cold under it all, and from a too demonstrative man he would get up and walk away. When Thornton’s partners, Hans
and Pete, arrived on the long-expected raft, Buck refused to notice them till he learned they were close to Thornton;
after that he tolerated them in a passive sort of way, accepting favors from them as though he favored them by
accepting.
A. Buck has become less social since he began living with Thornton.
B. Buck mistrusts humans and does his best to avoid them.
C. Buck has been especially well liked by most of Thornton’s friends.
D. Buck holds Thornton in higher regard than any other person.
ID: 7ffae38a Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. After establishing that
Buck views most people “as nothing,” the text explains that Buck won’t acknowledge people other than Thornton
unless they appear friendly toward Thornton, and even then he’s only reluctantly accepting. Thus, the text
focuses on the idea that Thornton has a special status in Buck’s mind, with Buck holding him in higher regard
than other people.
Choice A is incorrect because the text conveys that Buck isn’t social with people other than Thornton but doesn’t
address Buck’s life or temperament before he lived with Thornton. Choice B is incorrect because the text conveys
that Buck doesn’t really care about people other than Thornton and is aloof toward them. However, there’s no
indication that Buck mistrusts and avoids people generally; indeed, he accepts Thornton, who is a human.
Choice C is incorrect because the text refers to random travelers praising and petting Buck and Thornton’s
partners giving Buck favors, but there’s no indication that any of these people are Thornton’s friends or that they
have a particular fondness for Buck.

Question ID 7c9a65bb

Ideas Details
ID: 7c9a65bb
Optical tweezers are specialized scientific tools—particularly useful in biology and medicine—that use high-powered
beams of light to trap and manipulate minuscule particles for study. Use of the tool has led to several scientific and
medical breakthroughs over the last few decades, but the particles are often under prolonged exposure to the intense
heat of the light beams. To overcome the risk of overheating, and thereby damage, researchers sometimes attach nano-
sized glass beads to particles, allowing the light to focus on the beads instead of the particles.
Based on the text, what is one advantage of attaching glass beads to particles when using optical tweezers?
A. It decreases the time it takes for the optical tweezers to locate and capture the particles.
B. It facilitates the maneuvering of particles without directly heating the particles themselves.
C. It allows researchers to use weaker light beams to manipulate particles.
D. It adds a material to which particles can transfer any heat absorbed from the optical tweezers’ light beam.
ID: 7c9a65bb Answer

Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The text says that the glass beads get the "focus" of the light beams so that the
particles don’t overheat. From this, we can infer that the beads allow the particles to be manipulated without
being directly heated by the light beams.
Choice A is incorrect. The text never says that attaching the glass beads saves time in any way. Choice C is
incorrect. The text never says that attaching the glass beads allows researchers to use weaker light beams.
Choice D is incorrect. The text doesn’t say that the particles can transfer heat to the glass beads—rather, it says
the heat from the light focuses on the glass beads instead of the particles.

Question ID d2e0cba5

Ideas Details
ID: d2e0cba5
In a study of new technology adoption, Davit Marikyan et al. examined negative disconfirmation (which occurs when
experiences fall short of one’s expectations) to determine whether it could lead to positive outcomes for users. The team
focused on established users of “smart home” technology, which presents inherent utilization challenges but tends to
attract users with high expectations, often leading to feelings of dissonance. The researchers found that many users
employed cognitive mechanisms to mitigate those feelings, ultimately reversing their initial sense of disappointment.
A. Research suggests that most users of smart home technology will not achieve a feeling of satisfaction given the
utilization challenges of such technology.
B. Although most smart home technology is aimed at meeting or exceeding users’ high expectations, those expectations
in general remain poorly understood.
C. Research suggests that users with high expectations for a new technology can feel content with that technology even
after experiencing negative disconfirmation.
D. Although negative disconfirmation has often been studied, little is known about the cognitive mechanisms shaping
users’ reactions to it in the context of new technology adoption.
ID: d2e0cba5 Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The passage begins by describing the study, and concludes with its results: "many
users employed cognitive mechanisms to mitigate those feelings [of negative disconfirmation]."
Choice A is incorrect. This is the opposite of what the text claims. Rather, the researchers found that "many
users" reversed "their initial sense of disappointment." Choice B is incorrect. This choice doesn’t reflect the text.
What the expectations of smart home tech users are is not discussed. Choice D is incorrect. This choice doesn’t
reflect the text. How often these topics have been studied is not mentioned.

Question ID 409058ee

Ideas Details
ID: 409058ee
To protect themselves when being attacked, hagfish—jawless marine animals that resemble eels—will release large
quantities of slimy, mucus-like threads. Because these threads are unusually strong and elastic, scientist Atsuko Negishi
and her colleagues have been trying to recreate them in a lab as an eco-friendly alternative to petroleum-based fibers
that are often used in fabrics. The researchers want to reproduce the threads in the lab because farming hagfish for their
slime would be expensive and potentially harmful to the hagfish.
Which choice best states the text’s main idea?
A. The slimy threads that hagfish release might help researchers create a new kind of fabric.
B. Hagfish have inspired researchers to develop a new petroleum-based fabric.
C. Hagfish are not well suited to being raised in captivity.
D. The ability of hagfish to slime their attackers compensates for their being jawless.
ID: 409058ee Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The text first describes hagfish slime and its properties, then it transitions to talking
about the possibilities of using lab-made equivalents to use in eco-friendly fabrics.
Choice B is incorrect. The text says the opposite of this choice. The researchers are developing an alternative to
petroleum-based fabric. Choice C is incorrect. This choice is too narrow to be the main point of the text. Only one
line describes how farming would be “potentially harmful” to the hagfish. Choice D is incorrect. This choice isn’t
supported by the text. We don’t know from the text whether being jawless makes the hagfish more vulnerable.

Question ID b62cb782

Ideas Details
ID: b62cb782
Culinary anthropologist Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor may be known for her decades of work in national public television
and radio, but her book Vibration Cooking: or, the Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl is likely her most influential project. The
1970 book, whose title refers to Smart-Grosvenor’s roots in the Low Country of South Carolina, was unusual for its time. It
combined memoir, recipes, travel writing, and social commentary and challenged notions about conventions of food and
cooking. Long admired by many, the book and its author have shaped contemporary approaches to writing about
cuisine.
Which choice best describes the main idea of the text?
A. Smart-Grosvenor’s unconventional book Vibration Cooking: or, the Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl is an important
contribution to food writing.
B. Smart-Grosvenor held many different positions over her life, including reporter and food writer.
C. Smart-Grosvenor’s groundbreaking book Vibration Cooking: or, the Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl didn’t receive the
praise it deserved when it was first published in 1970.
D. Smart-Grosvenor was a talented chef whose work inspired many people to start cooking for themselves.
ID: b62cb782 Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. The text describes the
book Vibration Cooking: or, the Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl as Smart-Grosvenor’s “most influential project” and
as “unusual for its time.” The text also notes that the book and author have influenced contemporary approaches
to writing about food and cooking. Therefore, the text mainly conveys that Vibration Cooking: or, the Travel Notes
of a Geechee Girl is an unconventional and important contribution to food writing.
Choice B is incorrect. Although the text mentions that Smart-Grosvenor worked in national public television and
radio and was a food writer, these details aren’t the main focus. Rather than focusing on Smart-Grosvenor’s
various jobs, the text focuses specifically on one specific book she wrote. Choice C is incorrect. Although the text
suggests that Vibration Cooking: or, the Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl was groundbreaking, it doesn’t suggest
that the book didn’t receive praise when it was published. In fact, the text states that the book is “long
admired.” Choice D is incorrect because the text states that Smart-Grosvenor was a culinary anthropologist and
that her book influenced later approaches to food writing but doesn’t indicate that Smart-Grosvenor or her book
influenced people to begin cooking for themselves.

Question ID 303537cf

Ideas Details
ID: 303537cf
The following text is adapted from Lewis Carroll’s 1889 satirical novel Sylvie and Bruno. A crowd has gathered outside a
room belonging to the Warden, an official who reports to the Lord Chancellor.
One man, who was more excited than the rest, flung his hat high into the air, and shouted (as well as I could make out)
“Who roar for the Sub-Warden?” Everybody roared, but whether it was for the Sub-Warden, or not, did not clearly
appear: some were shouting “Bread!” and some “Taxes!”, but no one seemed to know what it was they really wanted.
All this I saw from the open window of the Warden’s breakfast-saloon, looking across the shoulder of the Lord
Chancellor.
“What can it all mean?” he kept repeating to himself. “I never heard such shouting before—and at this time of the
morning, too! And with such unanimity!”
Based on the text, how does the Lord Chancellor respond to the crowd?
A. He asks about the meaning of the crowd’s shouting, even though he claims to know what the crowd wants.
B. He indicates a desire to speak to the crowd, even though the crowd has asked to speak to the Sub-Warden.
C. He expresses sympathy for the crowd’s demands, even though the crowd’s shouting annoys him.
D. He describes the crowd as being united, even though the crowd clearly appears otherwise.
ID: 303537cf Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it presents a statement about how the Lord Chancellor responds to the
crowd that is supported by the text. The text indicates that the people in the crowd are roaring and shouting
“Bread!” or “Taxes!” and presents them as not knowing what they really want. The Lord Chancellor’s response is
to ask what their shouting means but also to observe that they’re shouting with “unanimity,” or total agreement.
Clearly, this isn’t the case, which supports the statement that the Lord Chancellor describes the crowd as being
united even though it’s not.
Choice A is incorrect because it isn’t supported by the text. Although the text indicates that the Lord Chancellor
asks about the meaning of the crowd’s shouting, it doesn’t suggest that he knows what the crowd really wants.
Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that the Lord Chancellor wants to speak to the crowd.
Furthermore, the text doesn’t indicate that the crowd wants to hear from the Sub-Warden. Although the crowd
roars when asked “Who roar for the Sub-Warden?” it’s unclear what the roaring means. Choice C is incorrect
because the text doesn’t suggest that the Lord Chancellor knows of or sympathizes with the crowd’s demands. In
addition, the text doesn’t indicate that the crowd’s shouting annoys the Lord Chancellor, just that it causes him to
keep repeating “What can it all mean?”

Question ID a3fb5e77

Ideas Details
ID: a3fb5e77
Some animal-behavior studies involve observing wild animals in their natural habitat, and some involve capturing wild
animals and observing them in a laboratory. Each approach has advantages over the other. In wild studies, researchers
can more easily presume that the animals are behaving normally, and in lab studies, researchers can more easily control
factors that might affect the results. But if, for example, the results from a wild study and a lab study of Western scrub-
jays (Aphelocoma californica) contradict each other, one or both of the studies must have failed to account for some
factor that was relevant to the birds’ behavior.
A. When the results of a natural-habitat study and those from a lab study of a wild animal such as the Western scrub-jay
conflict, the study in the natural habitat is more likely than the lab study to have accurate results.
B. Studying wild animals such as the Western scrub-jay in both their natural habitat and lab settings is likely to yield
conflicting results that researchers cannot fully resolve.
C. Wild animals such as the Western scrub-jay can be effectively studied in their natural habitat and in the lab, but each
approach has drawbacks that could affect the accuracy of the findings.
D. Differing results between natural-habitat and lab studies of wild animals such as the Western scrub-jay are a strong
indication that both of the studies had design flaws that affected the accuracy of their results.
ID: a3fb5e77 Answer

Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. The text begins by
explaining that wild animals can be studied in their natural habitat or in a laboratory setting, with each setting
offering unique advantages to researchers. The text then highlights an instance in which Western scrub-jays
were studied in both settings but with conflicting results, indicating that one or both studies may have failed to
account for the disadvantages of its research setting. Thus, the main idea of the text is that while wild animals
can be effectively studied in natural or lab settings, there are drawbacks to each that need to be considered to
ensure accurate results.
Choice A is incorrect because the text does not position one study setting (natural or lab) as superior to the other;
rather, the text states that each one has advantages over the other. Choice B is incorrect. The text provides a
hypothetical example of two studies in different environments with conflicting results, but this single example
cannot be extrapolated to a general claim about the likelihood that results of studies in different environments
will conflict. Additionally, the text does not assert anything about how researchers can or cannot resolve
conflicting study results. Choice D is incorrect because the text does not state that discrepancies between
natural-habitat and lab-based animal behavior studies are due to both of the designs being flawed. Rather, the
text states that the conflict in results can be the consequence of one or both of the studies having failed to
account for some factor.

Question ID a66f9b8d

Ideas Details
ID: a66f9b8d
Cats can judge unseen people’s positions in space by the sound of their voices and thus react with surprise when the
same person calls to them from two different locations in a short span of time. Saho Takagi and colleagues reached this
conclusion by measuring cats’ levels of surprise based on their ear and head movements while the cats heard recordings
of their owners’ voices from two speakers spaced far apart. Cats exhibited a low level of surprise when owners’ voices
were played twice from the same speaker, but they showed a high level of surprise when the voice was played once each
from the two different speakers.
According to the text, how did the researchers determine the level of surprise displayed by the cats in the study?
A. They watched how each cat moved its ears and head.
B. They examined how each cat reacted to the voice of a stranger.
C. They studied how each cat physically interacted with its owner.
D. They tracked how each cat moved around the room.
ID: a66f9b8d Answer

Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it explains how the researchers determined the level of surprise displayed
by the cats in the study. The text states that Saho Takagi and colleagues played recordings of the voice of each
cat’s owner and measured how surprised the cat was by the recording based on how it moved its ears and head.
Choice B is incorrect because, as the text explains, the recordings played for each cat in the study were of the
voice of the cat’s owner, not a stranger’s voice. Choice C is incorrect because the text explains that during the
study, the cats didn’t interact directly with their owners; instead, the cats listened to recordings of their owners’
voices. Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t indicate that the researchers monitored the cats’
movement around the room in which the study was conducted.

Question ID 835545cd

Ideas Details
ID: 835545cd
The following text is adapted from Charles W. Chesnutt’s 1901 novel The Marrow of Tradition.
Mrs. Ochiltree was a woman of strong individuality, whose comments upon her acquaintance[s], present or absent,
were marked by a frankness at times no less than startling. This characteristic caused her to be more or less avoided.
Mrs. Ochiltree was aware of this sentiment on the part of her acquaintance[s], and rather exulted in it.
Based on the text, what is true about Mrs. Ochiltree’s acquaintances?
A. They try to refrain from discussing topics that would upset Mrs. Ochiltree.
B. They are unable to spend as much time with Mrs. Ochiltree as she would like.
C. They are too preoccupied with their own concerns to speak with Mrs. Ochiltree.
D. They are likely offended by what Mrs. Ochiltree has said about them.
ID: 835545cd Answer

Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it presents a statement about Mrs. Ochiltree’s acquaintances that is
supported by the text. The text indicates that Mrs. Ochiltree makes comments about her acquaintances that are
frank, or direct and blunt, and sometimes startling. It also states that because of this behavior, the acquaintances
tend to avoid Mrs. Ochiltree. Together, these details suggest that the acquaintances choose not to be around Mrs.
Ochiltree because they are offended by the things she has said about them.
Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that Mrs. Ochiltree’s acquaintances avoid discussing
topics that would upset Mrs. Ochiltree; instead, it states that they avoid being around Mrs. Ochiltree at all. Choice
B is incorrect because the text makes it clear that Mrs. Ochiltree knows her acquaintances often avoid her and is
pleased about it (she “rather exulted in it”), not that she wants to spend more time with them. Choice C is
incorrect because the text doesn’t suggest that Mrs. Ochiltree’s acquaintances don’t speak with Mrs. Ochiltree
because they are too focused on their own concerns, but rather because they don’t like the frank comments she
makes.

Central Ideas

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Central Ideas

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Central Ideas

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Question ID d73a908a

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

ID: d73a908a Answer

Question Difficulty: Medium

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

ID: ed314256 Answer

Question Difficulty: Hard

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

According to the text, why are ecologists worried about Pando?

A. It isn’t growing at the same rate it used to.

B. It isn’t producing young trees anymore.

C. It can’t grow into new areas because it is blocked by fences.

D. Its root system can’t support many more new trees.

ID: 92c2564d Answer

Question Difficulty: Medium

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

ID: 87aa7bab Answer

Question Difficulty: Medium

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

ID: 602b47c7 Answer

Question Difficulty: Medium

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

ID: 11a9f635 Answer

Question Difficulty: Medium

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

A. The narrator remembers a trip he took and admits to getting lost.

ID: e677fa6c Answer

Question Difficulty: Medium

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

ID: 66c47028 Answer

Question Difficulty: Medium

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

A. Many have come to tolerate him despite his disheveled appearance.

B. Few feel concerned that he will divulge their confidences.

C. Some dislike how freely he discusses his own family.

ID: 1a2b29c9 Answer

Question Difficulty: Hard

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

They in their cruel traps, and we in ours,

Based on the text, what challenge do humans sometimes experience?

B. They cannot focus on setting attainable goals because of a lack of motivation.

D. They have aspirations that cannot be fulfilled because of certain limitations.

ID: 2fdfe002 Answer

Question Difficulty: Hard

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

B. Polarons allow for the dipoles to synchronize despite higher temperatures.

C. Polarons accelerate the dipoles’ release of superfluorescent bursts.

D. Polarons decrease the intensity of the superfluorescent burst.

ID: 701126bc Answer

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and

Which choice best states the main idea of the text?

ID: 5325b3cc Answer

Question Difficulty: Medium

SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and