SAT Reading Comprehension 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A 19th-century passage uses the phrase 'the better angels of our nature.' In context, this refers to:
- Religious figures
- People's nobler instincts (Correct answer)
- Military leaders
- Weather patterns
Correct answer: People's nobler instincts
The phrase metaphorically describes humanity's best, most virtuous impulses.
Question 2: When a question asks for the 'central claim' of a science passage, the best answer is one that:
- Quotes a single statistic
- Summarizes the main argument the whole passage supports (Correct answer)
- Describes one experiment's setup
- Names the researchers
Correct answer: Summarizes the main argument the whole passage supports
A central claim is the overarching point that all details in the passage work to support.
Question 3: An author describes a rival's theory as 'elegant but ultimately untenable.' The phrase signals that the author finds the theory:
- Beautiful and correct
- Appealing yet impossible to defend (Correct answer)
- Boring and wrong
- Complex and proven
Correct answer: Appealing yet impossible to defend
'Elegant but untenable' praises the theory's appeal while rejecting its validity.
Question 4: A passage notes that data were 'gathered over three decades from diverse populations.' This detail mainly strengthens the study's:
- Brevity
- Reliability and breadth (Correct answer)
- Entertainment value
- Cost
Correct answer: Reliability and breadth
A long time span and varied subjects make findings more robust and generalizable.
Question 5: In a fiction passage, a character 'forced a smile' when greeting a guest. This detail most strongly implies the character feels:
- Genuine joy
- Inward reluctance (Correct answer)
- Physical pain
- Complete indifference
Correct answer: Inward reluctance
A 'forced' smile suggests the friendliness is performed rather than felt.
Question 6: The word 'check' in 'new laws to check the spread of disease' most nearly means:
- Examine
- Restrain (Correct answer)
- Pay for
- Mark
Correct answer: Restrain
Here 'check' means to halt or restrain the spread, not to inspect.
Question 7: A passage concludes by posing an unanswered question to the reader. This rhetorical choice most likely aims to:
- Summarize all data
- Provoke continued reflection (Correct answer)
- Cite a source
- Define a term
Correct answer: Provoke continued reflection
Ending on a question invites readers to keep thinking about the issue.
SAT Reading Comprehension 3
A 19th-century passage uses the phrase 'the better angels of our nature.' In context, this refers to: