Bluebook SAT Test Making Inferences 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Read this passage: 'After the storm, the streets were empty. Shop windows were dark, and the only sounds were the drip of water from eaves and the distant wail of a siren.' What can most reasonably be inferred about the time of day?
- It is early morning before businesses open
- It is nighttime or very late in the evening (Correct answer)
- It is midday during a holiday
- It is rush hour and people are indoors
Correct answer: It is nighttime or very late in the evening
Dark shop windows and empty streets after a storm most strongly suggest nighttime, when businesses are typically closed.
While empty streets could occur in the morning or on holidays, the detail of 'dark windows' combined with post-storm stillness most strongly suggests nighttime. Early morning (A) is possible but less supported than nighttime (B). Midday holiday (C) is speculative. Rush hour indoors (D) contradicts the post-storm context.
Question 2: A passage states: 'Dr. Hernandez reviewed the test results, exhaled slowly, and picked up the phone. She had called families with this kind of news before, but it never got easier.' What can be inferred about the nature of the news?
- The test results were inconclusive and required further testing
- The news is likely negative or difficult for the family to receive (Correct answer)
- Dr. Hernandez is a new doctor unfamiliar with delivering test results
- The patient has made a full recovery from a serious illness
Correct answer: The news is likely negative or difficult for the family to receive
The slow exhale and the remark that delivering 'this kind of news' never gets easier strongly imply the news is bad or distressing.
The emotional weight conveyed — the slow exhale, the prior experience with similar calls, the difficulty — all indicate the news is negative or at least very difficult to deliver. A positive recovery (D) would not typically be described as something that 'never gets easier.' Inconclusive results (A) are rarely framed this way. There is no evidence she is inexperienced (C).
Question 3: Read: 'The company announced record profits for the third consecutive quarter. Shortly after, the CEO donated $50 million to charity, purchased a second yacht, and awarded himself a $20 million bonus.' What can be inferred about how the CEO prioritized the record profits?
- The CEO used most of the profits to expand the company's operations
- The CEO reinvested the profits primarily in employee salaries
- The CEO directed significant personal benefit from the company's success (Correct answer)
- The CEO was motivated primarily by philanthropic goals
Correct answer: The CEO directed significant personal benefit from the company's success
The yacht and $20 million bonus indicate the CEO directed substantial personal gain from the profits, making C the most supported inference.
The $50M to charity sounds generous, but it is paired with a yacht and a $20M personal bonus. The text provides no evidence of operational expansion (A) or employee salary increases (B). While there is charity (D), the bonus and yacht suggest personal enrichment was at least equally prioritized. C is the most directly supported inference.
Question 4: Read this passage: 'Before the invention of refrigeration, preserving food required salt, smoking, pickling, or drying. Communities built their diets around what was locally available and seasonally fresh. Spices were so valued partly because they could mask the taste of food that had begun to spoil.' What can be inferred about the role of spices in pre-refrigeration societies?
- Spices were primarily a luxury item with no practical function
- Spices served both culinary and practical preservation purposes in pre-modern diets (Correct answer)
- Spices were only used by wealthy households that could afford imported goods
- The value of spices was entirely due to their ability to mask spoilage
Correct answer: Spices served both culinary and practical preservation purposes in pre-modern diets
The passage says spices were valued 'partly because' they masked spoilage, implying they had additional value — supporting the inference that their role was both culinary and practical.
The key word is 'partly' — spices helped with spoilage, but that wasn't the only reason they were valued. This eliminates D (which says it was 'entirely' for spoilage) and A (which says no practical function). C is possible but not supported. B correctly infers that spices had multiple roles — culinary appeal and practical food management.
Question 5: A passage reads: 'The senator had campaigned on fiscal responsibility and reducing government waste. When the new budget was released, her district received twice the federal funding of comparable districts.' What can be inferred about the senator's behavior?
- The senator successfully negotiated a fair funding formula for her district
- The senator's actions in office appear inconsistent with her campaign promises (Correct answer)
- Federal funding allocations are determined by population size, not political influence
- The senator's district had greater infrastructure needs than comparable districts
Correct answer: The senator's actions in office appear inconsistent with her campaign promises
Receiving twice the funding while campaigning on reducing waste suggests a gap between rhetoric and action.
The passage sets up a contrast: campaign promise of fiscal restraint versus a district receiving disproportionate federal funding. This contrast most directly supports inference B — that her actions contradict her stated values. Choices C and D introduce explanations not supported by the text. Choice A frames the outcome positively, ignoring the contrast the passage establishes.
Question 6: Read: 'The ancient city showed signs of abrupt abandonment: food left in bowls, tools resting in mid-task positions, and personal belongings scattered as if dropped in haste. No bodies were found.' What can most reasonably be inferred about how the city was abandoned?
- The inhabitants were conquered by an invading army and enslaved
- The city's residents likely left suddenly due to an unforeseen emergency (Correct answer)
- A plague killed the inhabitants and looters took the bodies
- The city was abandoned gradually as residents moved to more prosperous regions
Correct answer: The city's residents likely left suddenly due to an unforeseen emergency
Food left out, tools mid-use, and belongings dropped all point to a sudden, unplanned departure — consistent with an unforeseen emergency.
Choice D (gradual abandonment) contradicts the evidence of abrupt conditions. Choice A (conquest) is possible but not uniquely supported — conquest doesn't explain no bodies. Choice C introduces a plague explanation with no textual evidence. Choice B is best supported: the 'signs of abrupt abandonment' described — food, mid-task tools, dropped belongings — indicate people left quickly and unexpectedly.
Question 7: Read this passage: 'At the job interview, Marcus arrived 20 minutes late, wore wrinkled clothes, and spent most of the interview checking his phone. When asked about his previous job, he gave vague answers and laughed nervously.' What can be inferred about Marcus's likely outcome?
- Marcus will likely receive a job offer because employers value authenticity
- Marcus's behavior suggests he will probably not be hired (Correct answer)
- The interviewer was impressed by Marcus's relaxed and casual demeanor
- Marcus was nervous because he was overqualified for the position
Correct answer: Marcus's behavior suggests he will probably not be hired
Lateness, unprofessional dress, phone use, and vague answers are widely recognized as negative interview behaviors — strongly suggesting he won't be hired.
All described behaviors — tardiness, wrinkled clothes, phone checking, vague answers, nervous laughter — are red flags in professional interviewing contexts. Choice A applies an implausible positive spin. Choice C misreads 'checking his phone' and nervousness as positive. Choice D introduces overqualification with no textual evidence. B is the clearly supported inference.
Question 8: A passage reads: 'The new restaurant opened to long lines and enthusiastic reviews in its first month. By the third month, the lines had shortened. By six months, a 'Closed' sign appeared in the window.' What can be inferred about the restaurant's trajectory?
- The restaurant closed temporarily for renovations before reopening with a new menu
- The restaurant experienced initial success but ultimately failed to sustain its customer base (Correct answer)
- Health code violations caused the restaurant to be shut down by local authorities
- The owners chose to close the restaurant after achieving their financial goals
Correct answer: The restaurant experienced initial success but ultimately failed to sustain its customer base
The progression from long lines to shortened lines to closure follows a pattern of declining success, supporting inference B.
The passage provides no evidence for renovation (A), health violations (C), or financial goal achievement (D). The narrative arc — initial excitement, declining interest, closure — most logically supports B: the restaurant had early success but couldn't maintain it. This is the most parsimonious inference from the evidence given.
Bluebook SAT Test Making Inferences 1
Read this passage: 'After the storm, the streets were empty.
Shop windows were dark, and the only sounds were the drip of water from eaves and the distant wail of a siren.' What can most reasonably be inferred about the time of day?