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Contents

1. “How to be at your best on the day of the SAT ....” 1

2. “The Eight Exercises....” 7

Exercise One 9

Exercise Two 26

Exercise Three 42

Exercise Four 56

Exercise Five 71

Exercise Six 85

Exercise Seven 97

Exercise Eight 109

Answers 121

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Chapter

1“ How to be

at your best on the day of the SAT.. . .”

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| The Reading Section: SAT Critical Reading 3

To be at your best on test day, you will need to be functioning at your peak – mentally, physically and emotionally. So plan ahead (approximately two to three months) and get sufficient food, exercise and rest. To be ready, alert and confident on the day itself, you will also need to understand the test structure.

As already mentioned in the preface, the SAT is a long examination (three hours and forty-five minutes) and is divided into 3 main sections:

ļļ Writingļļ Readingļļ Math

The questions are all five-answer multiple choice (A, B, C, D, E) apart from a short essay and 54 math questions. Each section has a maximum score of 800, thereby giving a complete overall score of 2400. A total score of 1650-1800 is adequate for many colleges, while a score of 1800-2100 is a good score. A score in excess of 2100 is considered excellent!

The Reading Section: SAT Critical Reading

1. Sentence completion questions

These questions test both your vocabulary skills and ability to understand complex sentences. It is recommended that you embark on these questions before attempting the passage-based questions as these should take less time to complete. The SAT exam will provide two different types of sentence completion questions: vocabulary in context and logic based. Here are two examples:

Each sentence in this exercise has one or two blanks with each blank suggesting that an appropriate answer has been omitted. Beneath the sentence are five words or sets of words labeled A through E. Choose the word or set of words that, when placed into the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

A recent study suggests that certain species of sharks appear to behave........and have complex social lives that include group hunting.

▭ (A) enigmatically ▭ (B) warily ▭ (C) defensively

▭ (D) malevolently ▭ (E) cooperatively

Answer: The correct answer is (E).

1

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SAT English • Chapter 1 : “ How to be at your best on the day of the SAT....”4

Explanation: The sentence is seeking a word that appropriately describes how a certain species of sharks behave. The details after the comma reaffirms the definition of the word that is missing. The sentence states that the sharks have “complex social lives that include group hunting.” Only cooperatively accurately explains this behavior.

Upon witnessing numerous vicious territorial fights, British primatologist Dame Jane Goodall was forced to renounce her earlier view that these particular primates were always........animals.

▭ (A) naive ▭ (B) curious ▭ (C) peaceful

▭ (D) malevolent ▭ (E) eager

Answer: The correct answer is (C).

Explanation: It is necessary to understand the logical flow of the key ideas in the sentence. For example, the word “Upon” explains that the details at the beginning of the sentence will influence the information that will subsequently appear later in the same sentence. Furthermore, the word “renounce” suggests that a change in the sentence is imminent midway through it. Finally, the words, “her earlier view”, point to what is changing in the sentence. The only suitable answer is peaceful.

2. Reading comprehension questions

Here, the passages often range in length from 100 to 850 words. The passages include content extracted from the humanities, social studies, natural sciences and literary fiction. The passages vary in tone and in style. The styles employed include narrative, persuasive, expository, and/or literary elements. Key steps to successfully navigating your way through these questions include:

ļļ Marking the passage or making short notes as to what a paragraph or key sentence is discussing. Try and pinpoint the thematic structure of the passage by reading the passage twice.ļļ Ensuring that you are reading actively. Ask yourself pertinent questions about the

passage as you go along. Stay engaged even if the passage seems difficult.ļļ Reading the questions ahead so as to get a sense of what the passage is about

and what to keep an eye out for whilst reading. This technique is especially relevant when the passage in question is a difficult one.

2

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| SAT Writing 5

SAT Writing

1. Grammar

In this section of the SAT, you are tasked with improving sentences, identifying sentence errors and improving paragraphs. To succeed in all three areas, an adequate level of grammar, usage, vocabulary and even idiomatic expressions are a must. There is no substitute for reading widely now and preparing for these questions well in advance of the SAT exam by working on relevant exercises daily.

2. SAT Essay

The SAT essay tests your ability to write effectively on a given topic (prompt). The topic will be relevant to a vast range of fields and interests such as: the arts, sports, literature, technology, science, current events and history. Advanced knowledge on a specific subject is not required here. Your essay style could be a narrative, expository, persuasive or argumentative one. You may choose to support the viewpoint in the prompt or you may differ with the point of view accordingly. Either way, keep in mind that there is no formula for writing an excellent essay. Crafting an outstanding essay is not about a rigid adherence to a ‘magic formula’ but rather a powerful development of ideas, deliberate audience engagement, precise use of language, effective organizational skills and suitable selection of evidence. To put it succinctly, your essay should show how well you can argue your point of view on any relevant topic in 25 minutes.

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“The Eight Exercises....”

Chapter

2

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Exercise One | SAT Writing: ESSAY 9

Exercise One

SAT Writing: ESSAY

Think carefully about the central idea presented in the quotation and in the assignment below.

“Follow your dreams. I am not saying it’s going to be easy, but I am saying it’s going to be worth it.”

Moffat Machingura, author of How I Kissed Heartbreak Goodbye: Tips to find true love and escape the heartbreak cafe.

Assignment (Prompt): Are dreams really that important? Should we follow our dreams? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your personal point of view on this subject. Support your position with appropriate persuasions and examples obtained from your reading, studies, observations or experiences. (Duration: 25 minutes)

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SAT English • Chapter 2 : “The Eight Exercises....”10

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Exercise One | SAT Writing: GRAMMAR 11

SAT Writing: GRAMMAR

SAT identification of sentence errors

The following sentences test your ability to identify grammar and usage errors. Each sentence will contain either a single error or no error at all. If the sentence contains an error, select the one underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct and indicate its corresponding letter as your answer. If the sentence is correct, select choice E. It is recommended that you take no more than a minute for each question.

Sixty percent of the people alive today have (A) never made a telephone call, but (B) twenty percent still (C) have no electricity connections to their (D) houses. No error (E)

▭ (A) ▭ (B) ▭ (C)

▭ (D) ▭ (E)

Ans: B.

1. Dyslexia is a challenging circumstance, (A) it affects (B) millions of people around the world, (C) and is an impediment to (D) social progress. No error (E)

▭ (A) ▭ (B) ▭ (C)

▭ (D) ▭ (E)

2. The organization’s CEO has taken (A) steps to ensure that she (B) can undertake the pressure and anxiety associated with (C) the role, including (D) joining a yoga class and enlisting the support of a group of friends. No error (E)

▭ (A) ▭ (B) ▭ (C)

▭ (D) ▭ (E)

3. If you are certain (A) that you are in the right, (B) you would not (C) impede an independent examination of (D) the case. No error (E)

▭ (A) ▭ (B) ▭ (C)

▭ (D) ▭ (E)

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SAT English • Chapter 2 : “The Eight Exercises....”12

4. The trade union insisted (A) on an increase in their (B) members’ (C) starting salary, and threatened to call a strike if the company refused to (D) accede to the demand. No error (E)

▭ (A) ▭ (B) ▭ (C)

▭ (D) ▭ (E)

5. Movie critics assert that (A) the number of scenes depicting (B) substance abuse have (C) increased dramatically over (D) the last decade. No error (E)

▭ (A) ▭ (B) ▭ (C)

▭ (D) ▭ (E)

6. Staff with less (A) personal issues are (B) likely (C) to be more (D) productive. No error (E)

▭ (A) ▭ (B) ▭ (C)

▭ (D) ▭ (E)

7. The five wealthiest men in Britain have (A) assets worth more than (B) the combined assets (C) of the seventy poorest countries of (D) the world. No error (E)

▭ (A) ▭ (B) ▭ (C)

▭ (D) ▭ (E)

8. Marooned (A) on a desert island, coconuts and other (B) exotic fruits formed (C) the basis of the sailor’s (D) diet. No error (E)

▭ (A) ▭ (B) ▭ (C)

▭ (D) ▭ (E)

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