SAT Reading Tips + Tricks

Vocab 1

1. Abate

2. Apprehension

3. Ambivalent

4. Antipathy

5. Complacent

6. Concede

7. Contend

8. Conviction

9. Deference

10. Demur

11. Dreary

12. Eminent

13. Empirical

14. Entail

15. Entrenched

16. Fiscal

17. Foment

18. Geriatric

19. Opine

20. Oust

21. Promulgate

22. Ramify

23. Sheer

24. Surly

25. Undermine

26. Vow

27. Warrant

28. Reclusive

29. Sagacity

30. Abdicate

31. Anachronistic

32. Capacious

33. Capitulate

34. Deleterious

35. Evanescent

36. Impute

37. Perfidious

38. Vindicate

39. Adulation

40. Arid

41. Censure

42. Censor

43. Parched

44. Prosaic

45. Spurious

46. Didactic

47. Divulge

48. Eclectic

49. Erudite

50. Furtive

Answers

1. Abate: to make less intense

2. Apprehension: fear towards something

3. Ambivalent: undecisive

4. Antipathy: hate towards something

5. Complacent: satisfied

6. Concede: agree to, admit to, or surrender

7. Contend: maintain or assert

8. Conviction: a firm belief in something

9. Deference: respect for something

10. Demur: to be hesitant to ("Demurred at")

11. Dreary: sad/gloomy

12. Eminent: of high status

13. Empirical: based on observation/logic

14. Entail: to involve or include

15. Entrenched: firmly established

16. Fiscal: related to (government) money

17. Foment: to cause

18. Geriatric: relating to old people

19. Opine: to openly express an opinion

20. Oust: to kick out

21. Promulgate: to put into law or formally declare

22. Ramify: to split/diversify

23. Sheer: so thin that light can shine through

24. Surly: irritable and mean

25. Undermine: to weaken or subvert (usually gradually or secretly)

26. Vow: to promise

27. Warrant: to prove to be reasonable

28. Reclusive: Shy, withdrawn

29. Sagacity: Wisdom

30. Abdicate: relinquish a position

31. Anachronistic: Out of the context of time/out of date

32. Capacious: Very large, spacious

33. Capitulate: Surrender

34. Deleterious: Harmful

35. Evanescent: Not lasting long

36. Impute: To assign or attribute to someone

37. Perfidious: Disloyal

38. Vindicate: To free from blame/to justify in a belief

39. Adulation: high praise

40. Arid: dry

41. Censure: to criticize harshly

42. Censor: prohibiting books/movies/etc

43. Parched: dried up, shriveled

44. Prosaic: relating to prose; dull, commonplace

45. Spurious: lacking authenticity, false

46. Didactic: (often excessively) morally instructive

47. Divulge: make known

48. Eclectic: gained from diverse sources

49. Erudite: scholarly

50. Furtive: sneaky

Vocab 2

1. Arcane

2. Aromatic

3. Begrudge

4. Contentious

5. Ebullient

6. Exonerate

7. Fastidious

8. Garrulous

9. Gregarious

10. Indiscriminate

11. Magnanimous

12. Pantheon

13. Reticent

14. Revere

15. Secession

16. Soporific

17. Urbane

18. Resignation

19. Tenacious

20. Brazen

21. Florid

22. Fortuitious

23. Boisterious

24. Camaraderie

25. Clairvoyant

26. Demagogue

27. Fraught

28. Haughty

29. Lobbyist

30. Pretentious

31. Extenuating

32. Forbearance

33. Hackneyed

34. Hedonistic

35. Impetuous

36. Precocious

37. Rancorous

38. Surreptitious

39. Tactful

40. Accost

41. Adroit

42. Assiduous

43. Bequeath

44. Burgeon

45. Callous

46. Circuitous

47. Compendious

48. Debacle

49. Denigrate

50. Despot

Answers

1. Arcane: difficult to understand

2. Aromatic: nice smell

3. Begrudge: to envy/give reluctantly

4. Contentious: controversial

5. Ebullient: enthusiastic

6. Exonerate: to free from blame

7. Fastidious: nit-picky, fussing over details

8. Garrulous: talkative

9. Gregarious: sociable

10. Indiscriminate: do without considering anything

11. Magnanimous: kind-hearted likely to forgive

12. Pantheon: the group of gods

13. Reticent: quiet/not talkative

14. Revere: respect

15. Secession: withdraw formally

16. Soporific: causing sleepiness

17. Urbane: Refined/Sophisticated

18. Resignation: the acceptance of something undesirable but inevitable

19. Tenacious: not giving in easily

20. Brazen: bold

21. Florid: Ornate

22. Fortuitious: Lucky

23. Boisterious: Enthusiastic, loud

24. Camaraderie: Togetherness, trust, friendship

25. Clairvoyant: Able to predict the future

26. Demagogue: a political leader who appeals to the common man rather than by using rational argument.

27. Fraught: Filled with tension or negative emotion

28. Haughty: arrogant

29. Lobbyist: One who represents an interest group to government officials

30. Pretentious: Narcissistic

31. Extenuating: Something that makes the situation not as bad

32. Forbearance: Patience/restraint

33. Hackneyed: banal

34. Hedonistic: acting in pursuit of pleasure

35. Impetuous: Rash, impulsive

36. Precocious: Gifted or talented beyond one's years

37. Rancorous: Hateful, unpleasant

38. Surreptitious: Secret

39. Tactful: skillful in acting to avoid offense to others

40. Accost: confront

41. Adroit: skillful

42. Assiduous: diligent

43. Bequeath: hand down (through a will)

44. Burgeon: grow, flourish

45. Callous: insensitive

46. Circuitous: indirect

47. Compendious: succinct

48. Debacle: failure

49. Denigrate: belittle

50. Despot: dictator

Vocab 3

1. Preconception

2. Rhetoric

3. Compassionate

4. Impenetrable

5. Furrow

6. Mercurial

7. Collusion

8. Underpinning

9. Indemnify

10. Avocation

11. Vocation

12. Invocation

13. Supplication

14. Pander

15. Deference

16. Practical

17. Unreasonable

18. Constitution

19. Reminisce

20. Exasperation

21. Provincial

22. Imperious

23. Distinctive

24. Eccentric

Answers

1. Preconception: assumption

2. Rhetoric: the study of English

3. Compassionate: Sympathy/concern

4. Impenetrable: inaccessible to understand

5. Furrow: to make a rut, groove, or trail in the ground

6. Mercurial: subject to sudden changes

7. Collusion: secret or illegal cooperation or conspiracy

8. Underpinning: a set of ideas, motives, or devices that justify or form the basis for something

9. Indemnify: compensate for harm or loss

10. Avocation: a hobby

11: Vocation: professional job

12: Invocation: invoking something/invoking someone for assistance or as an authority.

13. Supplication: asking earnestly or humbly

14. Pander: indulge in a habit or a desire (usually bad)

15. Deference: Submissive

16. Practical: even possible (ex: something impractical CANNOT happen under ANY circumstances)

17. Unreasonable: counterintuitive, doesn't make sense to the average person

18. Constitution: legal document OR a physique (delicate constitution = delicate personality)

19. Reminisce: remembering ENJOYABLE events in the past

20. Exasperation: intense annoyance and irritation

21. Provincial: Narrow-minded

22. Imperious: assuming power or authority without justification; arrogant and domineering

23. Distinctive: different from others/other things

24. Eccentric: unconventional and odd (or a person w/ that personality)

Phrases

1. "Wide field of speculation"

2. "Cross-Cultural"

3. "General commentary"

4. "Agreeable with"

5. "and not only"

6. "be at odds with"

7. "Political Entity"

Answers

1. "Wide field of speculation": Means a variety of ways something could happen

2. "Cross-Cultural": universal to many cultures

3. "General commentary": really generic stuff that is NOT specific to an issue

4. "Agreeable with" only works for people, not policies/things!

5. "and not only": suggests something is incomplete!

6. "be at odds with": be against something

7. "Political Entity": basically means an empire, government, or any other controlling system for a nation/state

Structure of a Science passage

- Underlying Assumption = Hypothesis = beginning!

- Speculation/discussion = end of the passage

Main Idea of Passage [Nonfiction, Fiction]

NONFICTION

- Reread first OR second paragraph after finishing all the questions!!!

- Read the last sentences to MAKE SURE they don't contradict the Main Idea!

FICTION

- look at Topic Sentences + end of 1st para and beginning of 2nd para + read the last sentences of the passage (the last sentences should not contradict the Main Point!)

Old Idea/New Idea

- Old Idea: the idea that will be refuted = usually mentioned in beginning + usually words w/ negative connotation → critical tone (ex: Pyramids are only in Egypt)

Ex: “Some researchers/scientists believe” …

Ex: “Most people believe” …

Ex: “Conventional wisdom holds that” …

Ex: “For centuries, people believed that” …

- New Idea: the rebuttal to the Old Idea = serves as MAIN point of passage = usually words w/ positive connotation → accepting tone! (ex: Pyramids are NOT in just Egypt (but DON’T assume Pyramids are in many other places!!)

Ex: “It now seems clear that” … Main Idea of Passage

Ex: “It has been found that” … Main Idea of Passage

The ending of the paragraph CANNOT contradict the New Idea since the New Idea = main point!

Theme Questions [2 things]

- The theme MUST be very general and have NOTHING specific about the passage!

- Read the topic sentences of each paragraph to NOT get distracted by fluff inside the paragraphs (since the Theme is VERY general!)

Evidence questions [3 things]

- The quote needs to have the conclusion of the statement from the previous answer

- The quote has to be specific to the idea of the previous answer (like if the answer is P > Q make sure the quote shows P > Q and NOT Not P > Not Q)

- If an evidence line refers to a quote from another person, then do NOT use it (most likely useless!)

Vocab in Context questions [4 things]

- Notice synonym or antonym phrases (ex: although she walked with pride, she felt remorseful) → remorseful = antonym of walking w/ pride!

- “Or” = Synonym OR Antonym

Ex: “Sad, or rather, melancholy” (melancholy is MORE specific descriptor than sad)

Ex: “I didn’t know to “sad or weep” (Sad and Weep are antonyms)

- Make sure that the connotation of the vocab word matches the connotation of the paragraph!

Ex: a game that stirred the community

A. Forced

B. Transformed

C. Inspired

The answer is C since the sentence is positive AND the vocab word is positive!

- Phrase instead of vocab: make sense of what the phrase means (ex: “closing in on” means approaching, NOT hypothesizing)

Main Focus shifts from?

Look at FIRST and LAST sentence of passage!!

Questions in the passage [3]

1. The author doesn't know the answer (usually Science)

2. Author knows the question's answer but highlights the question as a point (ex: "Are women people?")

3. Author is being rhetorical and makes the passage more reflective and analytical (usually Literature)

Further study needed

Line 55-56

What does the author imply about the natural environment? Evidence?

Humor reveals Henry's preoccupation

What describes the effect of Henry's lines (29-31)?

They are destined to be unhappy

Lines 70-73 (NOT 69-70 bc 69-70 describes ppl WITHOUT exceptional traits, but the question asks abt ppl WITH exceptional traits)

Basil believes ppl w/ exceptional traits are?

Evidence?

People are empowered by their democracy

Lines 19-21

Main Idea of passage?

Evidence

Establish himself as a unifying candidate

Introduce the critique (his argument)

Wilson uses line 46 in order to?

Wilson uses lines 48-52 in order to?

Support democracy

Purpose of line 16?

She's an inappropriate match (even if she DOES have feelings for him)

Lines 71-75

Aunt Agatha implies that the problem w/ Gussie's latest romantic attachment is?

Evidence?

Expression is condition for communication

Lines 31-34 (the passage says "and"!!)

What describes relationship b/w expression and communication?

Evidence?

The answer is a specific statement so it MAY BE unrelated to the main point of the passage.

1. Eliminate the wrong statements (No mention of other art forms so eliminate A + she wants structure so eliminate D)

2. If it gives the evidence, see the line numbers to decide which of the uneliminated statements is best supported by evidence. It does NOT have to relate to the main idea!!!

Questions like these

Recent Past AND Late Past!!!!

What does the author mean by "have been"?

The answer is D since it literally says "they immerse themselves in their fields"

Moreover, the effects of experience are highly specific to the experiences themselves. If you train people to do one thing (recognize shapes, solve math puzzles, find hidden words), they get better at doing that thing, but almost nothing else. Music doesn't make you better at math, conjugating Latin doesn't make you more logical, brain-training games don't make you smarter. Accomplished people don't bulk up their brains with intellectual calisthenics; they immerse themselves in their fields. Novelists read lots of novels, scientists read lots of science.

According to the author of Passage 2, what do novelists and scientists have in common?

A) They take risks when they pursue knowledge.

B) They are eager to improve their minds.

C) They are curious about other subjects.

D) They become absorbed in their own fields.

It is D since it says "assume" in relation to what the critics do

As with ancient peoples who believed that eating fierce animals made them fierce, they assume that watching quick cuts in rock videos turns your mental life into quick cuts or that reading bullet points and online postings turns your thoughts into bullet points and online postings.

The analogy in the final sentence of Passage 2 has primarily which effect?

A) It uses ornate language to illustrate a difficult concept.

B) It employs humor to soften a severe opinion of human behavior.

C) It alludes to the past to evoke a nostalgic response. D) It criticizes the view of a particular group.

Claim: setting forth an idea or opinion --> "In the desert, what's worth more: a kilogram of gold or a kilogram of water?" asks Kris Zacny of HoneyBee Robotics in New York. "Gold is useless. Water will let you live."

Proposal: arguing FOR a plan of action --> We should build an off-planet economy free of any bonds with Earth, in which the materials extracted and processed from the moon and asteroids are delivered for space-based projects.

Claim vs Proposal?

FOR QUESTIONS ABT ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT RESEARCH, READ BEFORE THE PART ABOUT THE STUDY

Which statement best captures Ken Dial's central assumption in setting up his research?

A) The acquisition of flight in young birds sheds light on the acquisition of flight in their evolutionary ancestors.

B) The tendency of certain young birds to jump erratically is a somewhat recent evolved behavior.

C) Young birds in a controlled research setting are less likely than birds in the wild to require perches when at rest.

D) Ground-dwelling and tree-climbing predecessors to birds evolved in parallel

The answers are in [mitigated adjective] but not [extreme] so the 2nd adjective is an EXTREME version of the 1st adjective!

Not knowing what the vocab means:

In the passage, Akira addresses Chie with

A) affection but not genuine love.

B) objectivity but not complete impartiality.

C) amusement but not mocking disparagement.

D) respect but not utter deference.

Eliminate any answer choice w/ an extreme word (ex: eliminate B since it says "only"!)

(33) The central claim of the passage is that

A) educated women to face a decision about how to engage with existing institutions.

B) women can have positions of influence in English society only if they give up some of their traditional roles.

C) the male monopoly on power in English society has had grave and continuing effects.

D) the entry of educated women into positions of power traditionally held by men will transform those positions.

#33 and #34 are general questions

so #35 is the 1st specific question, so it is probably in the beginning of the passage.

This is NOT always true but it is a general trend!

Find the location for the answers!

Find a synonym of "running a household and raising children" in the passage --> the synonym is "duties of motherhood"

Here we must seek their interests in the wishes of nature. Is it not apparent, that their delicate constitutions, their peaceful inclinations, and the many duties of motherhood, set them apart from strenuous habits and onerous duties, and summon them to gentle occupations and the cares of the home? And is it not evident that the great conserving principle of Societies, which makes the division of powers a source of harmony, has been expressed and revealed by nature itself when it divided the functions of the two sexes in so obviously distinct a manner?

It can be inferred that the authors of Passage 1 believe that running a household and raising children

A) are rewarding for men as well as for women.

B) yield less value for society than do the roles performed by men.

C) entail very few activities that are difficult or unpleasant.

D) require skills similar to those needed to run a country or a business

It says "conversation ensued" so LOOK for a conversation in the passage, like the passage-type conversation in line 50!

If the passage says it will provide something, LOOK FOR IT!!!

When a question stem mentions a claim of the author, it is the MAIN claim of the passage (in this case, it is each state going unity!)

Which choice provides the best support for Lincoln's claim that the Union must be preserved

as a whole?

A) Lines 29-31 ("acts ... revolutionary ")

B) Lines 35-37 ("I shall. .. States")

C) Lines 40-42 ("The power ... Government")

D) Lines 46-50 ("Where ... object")

CHOICE B is wrong since in the quote, the woman can't control how beautiful they are BUT they can control their actions (like the indiscretions) so A is correct!

A woman only had to be beautiful or amiable; when she possessed these two advantages, she saw a hundred fortunes at her feet. If she did not profit from them, she had a bizarre character or a rare philosophy that made her scorn wealth; then she was deemed to be like a crazy woman.

(lines show 53-55)

Which choice most effectively supports the author's claim that women have undermined

their own cause?

A) Lines 40-41 ("the cabinet...indiscretions")

B) Lines 53-55 ("If... wealth")

C) Lines 59-61 ("the older ... inconstancy")

D) Lines 73-75 ("If...for it")

This is Old Idea to New Idea, where the "new reality" is the New Idea and the Old Idea is the "fantasy"!

Around the middle of the 20th century, science dispensed with the fantasy that we could easily colonize the other planets in our solar system. Science fiction writers absorbed the new reality: soon, moon and 5 asteroid settings replaced Mars and Venus.

As used in line 2 "dispensed with" most nearly means

A) distributed.

B) disposed of.

C) identified with.

D) renewed.

The passage mentions MANY examples of women undermining their own cause ("crime as in fortune", "ruse returned to them", "indiscretions", etc) --> C is correct!

Women have done more harm than good. Constraint and dissimulation have been their lot. What force has robbed them of, ruse returned to them; they had recourse to all the resources of their charms, and the most irreproachable persons did not resist them. Poison and the sword were both subject to them; they commanded in crime as in fortune. The French government, especially, depended throughout the centuries on the nocturnal administrations of women; the cabinet could keep no secrets as a result of their indiscretions; all have been subject to the cupidity and ambition of this sex, formerly contemptible and respected, and since the revolution, respectable and scorned.

The central problem that the author describes in the second paragraph (lines 32-44) is that women

A) are encouraged by their husbands to secretly gather information.

B) have played a significant but unacknowledged role in political life.

C) have been responsible for undermining their own cause.

D) must play a more active role in civic life.

The 1st question is (A) since the passage says "everyone" and "everywhere" so it has to be about the audience

The 2nd question is (B) since the passage says nothing about Edna's musical education and nothing about Edna's confusion about what the other guests want. It says "signaled out" which literally means being treated differently. Don't make a non-sequitur!!

"She sat perfectly, still before the piano, not touching the keys, while Robert carried Mademoiselle Reisz's message to Edna at the window. A general air of surprise and genuine satisfaction fell upon everyone as they saw the pianist enter. There was a settling down, and a prevailing air of expectancy everywhere. Edna was a trifle embarrassed at being thus signaled out for the imperious little woman's favor. She would not dare to choose, and begged Mademoiselle Reisz would please herself in her selections."

The words "satisfaction" and "expectancy"

A. shows that those in attendance have fixed ideas about Mademoiselle Reisz's performance.

B. characterizes Mademoiselle Reisz's feelings about being asked to play in a group.

C. indicates that Edna has been waiting for Mademoiselle Reisz to acknowledge her presence.

D. demonstrate that the listeners anticipate that Mademoiselle Reisz will not be able to play the pieces well

Edna refuses to choose the music that Mademoiselle Reisz will play because she:

A. feels that her musical education is insufficient for the honor of making the selection

B. is uncomfortable with being treated differently than the other guests

C. does not know what music the other guests would like to hear

D. wants to hear "Solitude" but doesn't know how to ask for it

Means what the person considers as the opposing viewpoint!

If question asks "A person acknowledges that" ... ?

Look for stuff that is found THROUGHOUT the passage, not just supported by 1 or 2 lines!!!

Which of the following statements is best supported by the passage?

LOOK FOR words with one type of connotation and words with the opposite connotation

There is a contrast between:

The answer is D since she is offended by the other character. It is not vengeance since she does not display a threat to the other character, and vengeance has too much of a negative connotation.

" 'For five an thrity five years' she said with great justice 'I have never seen an individual who dared in my own house to question my authority' "

Here, "justice" means:

A. vengeance

B. rightousness

C. humiliation

D. offense

The answer is (C).

(A) is wrong since Rebecca doesn't leave in the paragraph

(B) is wrong since "between them" means there is aggression for BOTH characters, but Rebecca is the one who started the altercation and is aggressive towards Miss Pinkerton

(C) is correct

[Convo about Rebecca talking trash to Mrs. Pinkerton and an argument that ensues]

The conversation serves mainly to:

A. present the moment when Rebecca leaves

B. account of the hostility between them

C. underscore Rebecca's relationship with Miss Pinkerton

C, since it describes the length of time that the INDEPENDENT FORCES caused him to go to the expedition.

For years, for a lifetime, the machinery of my destiny has worked in secret to prepare for this moment; its clockwork has moved exactly toward this time and place and no other.

The sentence in lines 10-13 ("For years... other") mainly serves to

A) expose a side of the narrator that he prefers to keep hidden.

B) demonstrate that the narrator thinks in a methodical and scientific manner.

C) show that the narrator feels himself to be influenced by powerful and independent forces.

D) emphasize the length of time during which the narrator has prepared for his expedition.

The "medical breakthrough" is pharming, which is NOT a scientific study!!

Thus A is correct!

One enterprise is now delivering on this dream. Welcome to the world of "pharming," in which simple genetic tweaks turn animals into living pharmaceutical factories. The researchers paired the antithrombin gene with a promoter (which is a sequence of DNA that controls gene activity) that is normally active in the goat's mammary glands during milk production. When the transgenic females lactated, the promoter turned the transgene on and the goats' udders filled with milk containing antithrombin. All that was left to do was to collect the milk, and extract and purify the protein. Et voilà—human medicine! ATryn hit the market in 2006, becoming the world's first transgenic animal drug.

The primary purpose of the passage is to

A) present the background of a medical breakthrough. B) evaluate the research that led to a scientific discovery.

C) summarize the findings of a long-term research project.

D) explain the development of a branch of scientific study

The answer is B since it literally says "some of them proved to be transgenic". There is no mention of other genes or other microinjected animals!

Then they implanted the eggs in the wombs of female goats. When the kids were born, some of them proved to be transgenic, the human gene nestled safely in their cells. The researchers paired the antithrombin gene with a promoter (which is a sequence of DNA that controls gene activity) that is normally active in the goat's mammary glands during milk production. When the transgenic females lactated, the promoter turned the transgene on and the goats' udders filled with milk containing antithrombin

Which of the following does the author suggest about the "female goats" mentioned in line 59?

A) They secreted antithrombin in their milk after giving birth.

B) Some of their kids were not born with the antithrombin gene.

C) They were the first animals to receive microinjections. D) Their cells already contained genes usually found in humans

Read the graph correctly; each triplet represents a chronological progression in a certain type of area!

Chart 2 suggests which of the following about population change in the 1990s?

A) Large numbers of people moved from suburban areas to urban areas in the 1990s.

B) Growth rates fell in smaller metropolitan areas in the 1990s.

C) Large numbers of people moved from metropolitan areas to nonmetropolitan areas in the 1990s.

D) The US population as a whole grew more in the 1990s than in the 1980s.

Literally says "put down his fork" so it's C

When Lymie put down his fork and began to count them off, one by one, on the fingers of his left hand, the waitress, whose name was Irma, thought he was through eating and tried to take his plate away.

It can reasonably be inferred that Irma, the waitress, thinks Lymie is "through eating" (line 37) because

A) he has begun reading his book.

B) his plate is empty.

C) he is no longer holding his fork.

D) he has asked her to clear the table.

Choice A since the rights can't be "alienated" from a slave who is a different race, or by gender since it says that al humans have rights.

The next question is B since it talks about how the right can be wrested but not alienated, meaning how it is recognized by the law. Thus, B is correct and the evidence is "may be wrested from the slave, but they cannot be alienated"

Human beings have rights, because they are moral beings: the rights of all men grow out of their moral nature; and as all men have the same moral nature, they have essentially the same rights. These rights may be wrested from the slave, but they cannot be alienated: his title to himself is as perfect now, as is that of Lyman Beecher.

What is Grimké's central claim in Passage 2?

A) The rights of individuals are not determined by race or gender.

B) Men and women must learn to work together to improve society.

C) Moral rights are the most important distinction between human beings and animals.

D) Men and women should have equal opportunities to flourish.

In Passage 2, Grimké makes which point about human rights?

A) They are viewed differently in various cultures around the world.

B) They retain their moral authority regardless of whether they are recognized by law.

C) They are sometimes at odds with moral responsibilities.

D) They have become more advanced and refined throughout history

EVIDENCE FOR THAT??