DSAT Expression of Ideas 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student researching climate change takes these notes: (1) Arctic ice has lost ~13% of its area per decade since 1979; (2) Rising ocean temperatures cause more frequent coral bleaching; (3) Global temperatures have risen ~1.1°C above pre-industrial levels. The student wants a single sentence illustrating multiple indicators. Which best accomplishes this?
- Climate change is a serious global problem that needs immediate attention.
- Scientists have been studying climate change for several decades.
- From shrinking Arctic ice to bleaching coral reefs and rising global temperatures, multiple environmental indicators confirm that climate change is measurably altering the planet. (Correct answer)
- The Arctic ice has melted, and ocean temperatures have risen.
Correct answer: From shrinking Arctic ice to bleaching coral reefs and rising global temperatures, multiple environmental indicators confirm that climate change is measurably altering the planet.
Option C synthesizes all three notes into a single sentence that effectively illustrates multiple distinct climate indicators.
Question 2: Which of the following most effectively functions as a topic sentence for a paragraph about the economic benefits of urban green spaces?
- Trees are an important part of the natural environment.
- Urban green spaces, including parks and community gardens, generate significant economic value by attracting tourism, reducing energy costs, and boosting property values. (Correct answer)
- Many cities have invested in parks and recreational areas over the years.
- Green spaces require maintenance and funding from city governments.
Correct answer: Urban green spaces, including parks and community gardens, generate significant economic value by attracting tourism, reducing energy costs, and boosting property values.
A strong topic sentence introduces the main idea and previews supporting points; option B clearly states that green spaces provide economic benefits and names three of them.
Question 3: A student wants to add a sentence transitioning from a paragraph about the causes of the Great Depression to a paragraph about its effects. Which sentence best accomplishes this?
- The Great Depression began in 1929 with the stock market crash.
- Many economists have studied the Great Depression extensively.
- Understanding these causes helps explain the widespread unemployment, poverty, and social upheaval that followed. (Correct answer)
- The New Deal was President Roosevelt's response to the economic crisis.
Correct answer: Understanding these causes helps explain the widespread unemployment, poverty, and social upheaval that followed.
Option C explicitly references the causes (from the previous paragraph) and points toward the effects (for the next paragraph), creating an effective bridge.
Question 4: A student writing about solar energy explains how photovoltaic cells work. The student wants the next sentence to describe practical benefits for homeowners. Which best accomplishes this?
- Solar panels were first developed in the 1950s by Bell Laboratories.
- Some people find solar panels aesthetically unappealing on rooftops.
- This technology allows homeowners to generate clean electricity, reduce utility bills, and decrease dependence on fossil fuels. (Correct answer)
- The installation of solar panels requires trained professionals.
Correct answer: This technology allows homeowners to generate clean electricity, reduce utility bills, and decrease dependence on fossil fuels.
Option C lists three specific practical benefits (clean electricity, cost savings, reduced fossil fuel use) that logically follow from explaining how the technology works.
Question 5: A student notices: 'The program was very successful. It achieved great results.' Which revision best combines these sentences while eliminating redundancy?
- The very successful program achieved great results that were successful.
- The program achieved remarkable results. (Correct answer)
- The program was very successful because it achieved great results.
- Successfully, the program achieved many great results.
Correct answer: The program achieved remarkable results.
Option B combines both ideas concisely; "remarkable results" captures both "very successful" and "great results" without restating either.
Question 6: A student writing about the history of the internet wants a sentence showing how early internet use differed from today's. Which sentence best accomplishes this?
- The internet has become an essential part of daily life for billions of people.
- While the early internet was primarily used by academics and government researchers to share data, today it connects billions of users for communication, commerce, and entertainment. (Correct answer)
- Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web in 1989.
- Many technological advances have occurred since the internet was created.
Correct answer: While the early internet was primarily used by academics and government researchers to share data, today it connects billions of users for communication, commerce, and entertainment.
Option B directly contrasts early internet use (academics, data sharing) with contemporary use (billions of users, diverse purposes).
Question 7: Which of the following best describes the purpose of including a counterargument in a persuasive essay?
- To confuse the reader and make the topic seem more complex
- To demonstrate that the writer has not fully researched the topic
- To acknowledge opposing views and strengthen the essay's credibility by refuting them (Correct answer)
- To provide additional support for the opposing side's argument
Correct answer: To acknowledge opposing views and strengthen the essay's credibility by refuting them
Addressing counterarguments shows awareness of multiple perspectives and makes an argument more persuasive by demonstrating its validity against the best objections.
DSAT Expression of Ideas 2
A student researching climate change takes these notes: (1) Arctic ice has lost ~13% of its area per decade since 1979; (2) Rising ocean temperatures cause more frequent coral bleaching; (3) Global temperatures have risen ~1.1°C above pre-industrial levels.
The student wants a single sentence illustrating multiple indicators.
Which best accomplishes this?