PSAT unit 3

what is vocabulary on the PSAT and SAT?

- Big words in the readings

- Definitions of words in context

- Words with multiple meanings

anachronism

something out of place in time, especially something that is outdated:

the modern-sounding dialogue was conspicuously anachronistic for a move set in the 1920s

belie

1. to fail to give a true impression of something:

David's bluster belies his lack of self-confidence

2. to betray; to show to be untrue:

The evidence belies the defendant's claim

chicanery

devious trickery or evasion:

Unlike most politicians, she discusses tax policies openly, rather than using chicanery to hide her true motives and affiliations

circuitous

indirect, roundabout:

We took a circuitous route to the cabin because the main highway was closed

confound

1. to cause someone to become confused:

She was confounded by the puzzle for many weeks

2. to confuse two elements as being one:

We should not confound patriotism and loyalty to the government

convoluted

1. of an argument or story complicated and difficult to follow:

The account the witness provided was so convoluted that the jury could not follow it.

2. intricately folded:

The human cortex is a convoluted shell of interconnected neurons

digress

stray from the topic in speaking or writing:

Powell digressed for several pages to describe the history of the village he was visiting

disingenuous

not candid or sincere; deceitful:

The senator's disingenuous comments were just another example of political posturing

dubious

1. questionable:

That is a dubious claim, bordering on the absurd

2. doubting:

I'm dubious that our team will be able to come back and win

duplicty

deceitfulness; double-dealing:

He considered a career as a spy but wondered whether he had the skill or moral flexibility to engage in such duplicity

guile

cunning or slyness in attaining a goal:

David Rohde was able to use guile and patience to escape his Taliban captors

inept

unskilled; clumsy:

Todd's awkward joke was a sincere but inept attempt to lighten the mood

machination

plot or scheme:

Dawn's artful machinations succeeded in gaining her the title of class president

pejure

to lie under oath:

Martha Stewart's conviction for conspiracy to commit perjury landed her six months in prison

spurious

false or fake; not what it seems to be especially as applied to claim or theories:

The stories about Jordan's career as a spy spurious l, generated by his friends wild imaginations

subterfuge

a trick or expedient used to escape a consequence or achieve a goal:

Max's subterfuge involved three alibis and a full-scale replica of himself

surreptitious

kept secret because it is objectionable:

Charlotte was upset when she heard about her husband's surreptitious affair

treacherous

1. characterized by or guilty of betrayal:

Benedict Arnold's treacherous actions are etched in our national history

2. hazardous:

The ocean currents here are very treacherous

unscrupulous

dishonest; showing no moral principles:

The broker's unscrupulous dealings only came to light after he hand stolen several million dollars of his clients money

vex

to make to feel annoyed or frustrated:

I am constantly vexed by my inability to remeber the names of all of your friends

How is grammar tested on Part 1 of the PSAT/SAT?

Through editing and revising questions

what is the first Khan Academy grammar rule?

Subject-Verb agreement

what does it say to watch for?

1. split subjects

2. inverted sentences

3 prepositional phrase. The subject of a sentence is never in a prepositional phrase

what is the second Khan Academy grammar rule?

pronoun-antecedent agreement

what does it say to watch for?

1. distance between pronoun and antecedent

2. multiple nouns before the pronoun

3. pronoun before the antecedent

what is the third Khan Academy grammar rule?

Verb forms

what is the fourth Khan Academy grammar rule?

subject-modifier placement (a noun and its modifier need to be next to each other)

what is the fifth Khan Academy grammar rule?

plurals vs. possessives

what does this rule state?

- plural nouns do not require an apostrophe

- singular possessive nouns require an apostrophe

do pronouns use apostrophes?

no

what are the two types of vocab in context?

- The word is in the sentence

- There is a blank in the sentence

what are types of reading comprehension questions on the PSAT?

1. Main idea vs details

2. Authors purpose

3. Rhetorical Synthesis

what are Rhetorical Synthesis questions?

- series of bulleted notes about a topic

- "Use relative information from the notes" to accomplish a goal

what is the structure of a Rhetorical Synthesis question?

- intro

- bullets

- Goal

- Question prompt

- choices

how should you approach a Rhetorical Synthesis question?

Read, then

- zero-in on the goal and simplify it

- test the choices and BE STRICT

- Make your selection