Structure and Content 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 Structure and Content flashcards as text
A Digital SAT passage about public health uses statistics in paragraph 2, expert testimony in paragraph 3, and a historical case study in paragraph 4. What is the author's likely purpose in varying the types of evidence?
Answer: To build a multi-dimensional argument that appeals to different types of readers and addresses the topic from multiple angles
Varying evidence types — quantitative, expert opinion, and historical — creates a more robust and persuasive argument by approaching the claim from multiple angles.
A passage begins with the sentence: 'By 2050, more than two-thirds of the world's population will live in cities.' What structural role does this sentence most likely play?
Answer: It establishes the scope and urgency of the topic to orient the reader from the start
An opening statistic about scale and future projection orients readers to the topic's relevance and urgency, functioning as a hook.
In a literary passage, the narrator describes a room in meticulous detail — dusty bookshelves, a stopped clock, wilting flowers. What content function does this descriptive passage serve?
Answer: It creates atmosphere and foreshadows themes of stagnation or decay
Rich environmental description in literary fiction typically establishes mood and foreshadows thematic concerns, here signaling stagnation or arrested time.
A Digital SAT question asks: 'Which choice most logically completes the text?' and presents a blank at the end of an argumentative paragraph. What structural clue should you look for first?
Answer: The logical relationship signaled by the last transition word or phrase before the blank
The transition word or phrase just before the blank reveals the logical relationship (contrast, addition, cause-effect) the completing sentence must fulfill.
An SAT passage presents a scientist's initial hypothesis, three experiments that progressively refine it, and a final revised hypothesis. What organizational structure is this?
Answer: Iterative refinement — showing how knowledge develops through repeated testing
The structure traces the iterative nature of scientific inquiry, showing how hypotheses evolve through repeated experimentation.
A passage's second paragraph begins: 'Not everyone agrees with this assessment.' What does this sentence signal about the paragraph's content?
Answer: The paragraph will present a counterargument or alternative perspective to the view in the first paragraph
The phrase 'not everyone agrees' is a classic signal phrase that introduces a counterargument or contrasting viewpoint.
Which of the following best describes the difference between a passage's 'main idea' and its 'central argument'?
Answer: The main idea is what the passage is about; the central argument is the specific claim the author wants the reader to accept
The main idea identifies the subject and scope of the passage, while the central argument is the debatable claim the author advances and supports with evidence.