Reading and Writing Flashcards
7 cards from real DSAT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Reading and Writing flashcards as text
A passage uses formal academic language throughout, but one sentence reads: 'The policy was a total disaster and nobody liked it.' A student wants to revise this sentence to match the passage's tone. Which revision is best?
Answer: The policy proved deeply unpopular and was widely considered a failure.
Option A uses formal, precise language consistent with academic writing, replacing informal phrases with appropriate diction.
Read the sentence: 'Despite being one of the smallest countries in Europe, Luxembourg has one of the highest GDP per capita in the world.' The word 'Despite' indicates:
Answer: a contrast between two seemingly contradictory facts
'Despite' signals contrast — Luxembourg's small size contrasts with its economic strength.
Which sentence contains a misplaced modifier?
Answer: He bought a car from a dealer with leather seats.
In option C, 'with leather seats' is misplaced and seems to modify 'dealer' rather than 'car'; it should read 'a car with leather seats from a dealer.'
A passage states that a new medication reduced symptoms in 85% of clinical trial participants. The author concludes that the medication is effective. Which assumption is this conclusion based on?
Answer: The clinical trial was representative and conducted without significant flaws.
The conclusion that the medication is effective assumes the trial was valid and representative — without this, the 85% figure could be misleading.
Which choice correctly uses a colon?
Answer: The chef needed three ingredients: flour, eggs, and butter.
A colon is correctly used after a complete independent clause to introduce a list; option A follows this rule.
A student reads a passage about deforestation and wants to cite evidence that the problem is worsening. Which of the following would be the most credible source?
Answer: A peer-reviewed study showing a 20% increase in deforestation rates over the past decade.
A peer-reviewed study provides the most credible, evidence-based data compared to a film, blog post, or political speech.
Which sentence correctly uses the possessive form?
Answer: The committee's decision was unanimous.
'Committee's' correctly shows possession for a singular noun by adding an apostrophe and 's'.