SAT官方指南OG 解析7(整理版)
Book Test #7:
Sample Essay - Score of 6
Everyone goes through their lives seeing and experiencing different things. At times, these different situations may cause one to act differently than another would in the same situation. It can be readily stated t hat “Ease does not challenge us; adversity helps us discover who we are.” Through literature, one can see how this statement proves to be true.
In the play, “The Enemy of the People”, by Henrik Ibsen, the protagonist, Dr. Stockholm, faced adversity, and through that, was able to discover his true beliefs and who he was. Before Dr. Stockholm was put in a situation where he had to face adversity, he had lived his life with mild ease and regularity. He acted just like everyone else in the town he lived in. Years later, he discovered that the popular bath houses was infected with bacteria. Determined to spread his findings, Dr. Stockholm went to the newspaper and the local governing office to try and make his discovery known. However, both the paper and the gove rnment weren’t as inspired to really let the public know about this serious problem due to the popularity of the bath houses. As a result, Dr. Stockholm was forced to face adversity and find a way to achieve his previously set goal. Through adversity, Stockholm was able to truely see how his personality was. He was able to understand his severe discontent with the government and society as a whole. In essence, Stockholm was able to discover his actual self. This, however, only happened when he was faced wit h a challenge.
The book, “Where the Heart is” by Billie Letts also used adversity to portray it’s characters true being. The protagonist, Novalee Nation, was placed in a situation where she had to realize and conquer adversity. Novalee was a young girl of 17, who was pregnant. She had experienced extreme hardship her whole life in the trailer park environment that she had previously resided in. She also received lots of abuse from her boyfriend who impregnated her. In the story, he had left her stranded in a K-Mart all by herself, while she was pregnant. All alone, Novalle had to find a way to keep herself and her baby alive. Along the way, through adversity, Novalle found her true, kind self. She also made countless discoveries through meeting different people. Among those things was her true love for photography and literature, and most of all her yearning for love in her life.
In the face of adversity, we all act differently. We each have different ideas and methods that we are accustomed to use for different situations. By acting and making decis ions on our own, as we are often times forced to do when given a challenge, we are able to find out who we truely are and what we truely believe in. The characters Dr. Stockholm and Novalee Nation are examples of that kind of people in literature. However, in literature and life, it is all the same. Ease does not challenge us; adversity helps us discover who we are. Section 3
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Explanation for Correct Answer B :
Choice (B) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by providing a noun, "Mother Teresa," that can be properly modified by the clause "While working . . . Calcutta."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
Choice (A) involves improper modification. The opening clause ("While working . . . Calcutta") cannot logically modify a time ("that was when . . .").
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
Choice (C) involves an error in modification. The opening clause ("While working . . . Calcutta") cannot logically modify a time ("then").
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
Choice (D) includes a modification error. The opening clause ("While working . . . Calcutta") cannot logically modify "Mother Teresa's profound love."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
Choice (E) involves improper modification. The opening clause ("While working . . . Calcutta") cannot logically modify "a profound love."
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Explanation for Correct Answer B :
Choice (B) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by providing an infinitive ("to hold") to parallel the earlier infinitive "to return."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
Choice (A) includes excess words. The words "and they would hold " should simply be "to hold." Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
Choice (C) results in an illogical statement. It does not make sense to suggest that by agreeing "to return to their districts," the legislators held a "series of town meetings."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
Choice (D) involves improper idioms. "Returning" is not something that the legislators would logically "agree with." They would agree "to return" instead. Furthermore, "for holding of" should be the more idiomatic "to hold."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
Choice (E) distorts the intended meaning of the sentence by suggesting that it was during their trip to their districts that the legislators agreed to "the holding of town meetings."
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Explanation for Correct Answer D :
Choice (D) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by providing a main verb ("used") to express a complete thought.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
Choice (A) is a sentence fragment. There is no main verb (only the verbal "using") to complete the thought. Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
Choice (B) is a sentence fragment. There is no main verb to complete the thought.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
Choice (C) results in an awkward construction that distorts the intended meaning of the sentence. The "medieval Chinese warriors" performed a single action (using kites to survey enemy troops), not a two-part action (using kites and surveying) as the sentence suggests.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
Choice (E) involves is an illogical statement. The phrase "used manned kites surveying enemy troops" suggests that the kites alone were surveying. To properly convey the idea that the kites were used to survey enemy troops, "in" should be added before "surveying."
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Explanation for Correct Answer D :
Choice (D) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by providing a singular verb, "was," to agree with the singular subject, "one."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
Choice (A) involves an error in subject-verb agreement. The plural verb "were" cannot agree with the singular subject "one."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
Choice (B) involves an error in agreement. The plural verb "were" does not agree with the singular "something."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
Choice (C) involves an error in subject-verb agreement. The plural verb "were" does not agree with its singular subject, "one."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
Choice (E) involves an inappropriate idiom that distorts the intended meaning of the sentence. It doesn't make sense to say that people thought of a breakfast food "as wrong."
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Explanation for Correct Answer E :
Choice (E) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by removing unnecessary words.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
Choice (A) includes excess words. The phrase "a lesser amount of work to do" could be reduced to the more precise "less work to do."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
Choice (B) makes no sense. It does not make sense to describe "work" as being "least among their colleagues."
Choice (C) involves an error in verb form. The verb phrase "were having" should simply be "had." Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
Choice (D) is awkward and confusing. It does not make sense to characterize "the work they had to do" as "the least of their colleagues."
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Explanation for Correct Answer E :
Choice (E) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by properly conveying the intended comparison. Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
Choice (A) involves an illogical comparison. "Film audiences in the 1950's" cannot logically be compared with "the 1960's and 1970's."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
Choice (B) results in an illogical comparison. It is not logical to compare "Film audiences . . ." with "the 1960's and 1970's."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
Choice (C) is illogical. "Film audiences" cannot logically be compared with "films."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
Choice (D) involves improper diction. To correctly make the comparison, the words "with the" should be changed to "did."
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Explanation for Correct Answer A :
Choice (A) is correct. It avoids the errors of the other choices by properly comparing people ("American architects") with a person ("Frank Lloyd Wright").
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
Choice (B) presents an illogical comparison. A thing ("inspiration") cannot logically be compared with a person ("Frank Lloyd Wright").
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
Choice (C) results in an illogical comparison. A thing ("Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture") cannot logically be compared with people ("American architects").
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
Choice (D) presents an illogical comparison. People ("American architects") cannot logically be compared with a thing ("designs").
Choice (E) results in an illogical comparison. Things ("Frank Lloyd Wright's inspirations") cannot logically be compared with people ("American architects").
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Explanation for Correct Answer D :
Choice (D) is correct. It avoids the errors of the original by properly comparing "poetry" to "fiction" and "drama" and by correctly completing the correlative construction "either . . . or."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
Choice (A) involves an illogical comparison. Something that occurs "in poetry" cannot logically be compared to "fiction or drama."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
Choice (B) results in an illogical comparison. "Fiction" cannot logically be compared with something that happens "in poetry."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
Choice (C) involves an improper idiom. What comes after each part of the correlative construction "either . . . or" is not parallel as it should be. "Either" is followed by the prepositon "in," while "or" is followed by the noun "drama."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
Choice (E) involves an improper idiom. What comes after each part of the correlative construction "either . . . or" must be parallel, but it is not. "Either" is followed by the noun "fiction," while "or" is followed by the preposition "in."
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Explanation for Correct Answer B :
Choice (B) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by removing excess words.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
Choice (A) involves wordiness. The phrase "is the reason why" adds nothing to the setence and so should be removed.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
Choice (C) involves an improper idiom. "The reason for why" should be "the reason that."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
Choice (D) is awkward and wordy. The phrase "As a result of economic hardship causing" should be reduced to the more precise and idiomatic "because economic hardship has been the cause of."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
Choice (E) is awkward and wordy. The phrase "The fact that" should simply be "because," and the words "is why" should be deleted and replaced with a comma.
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Explanation for Correct Answer A :
Choice (A) is correct. It avoids the errors of the other choices by clearly indicating what happened and when. Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
Choice (B) is awkward and imprecise. Without repeating the subject by using the pronoun "they," the sentence does not make clear what was "not showing any signs of disease."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
Choice (C) involves improper coordination. Two complete thoughts ("In Germany, . . . earlier" and "no outward signs . . . however") are joined with only a comma.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
Choice (D) is vague. It is not clear what the phrase "without any signs of disease" is meant to refer to. Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
Choice (E) is awkward and imprecise. It is not clear what the phrase "not having shown any signs" is meant to refer to.
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Explanation for Correct Answer E :
Choice (E) is correct. It avoids the error of the original by reducing excess words ("since such is the case") to an appropriate idiom ("and so").
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
Choice (A) displays wordiness. The phrase "since such is the case" can be reduced to the more precise and idiomatic "and so."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
Choice (B) exhibits unclear pronoun reference. It is not clear to what the relative pronoun "that" is meant to refer.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
Choice (C) involves improper coordination. Two complete thoughts ("In the wild . . . Zaire River" and "no more than . . . result") are joined with only a comma.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
Choice (D) involves improper coordination. Two complete thoughts ("In the wild . . . Zaire River" and "the number . . . reason") are joined with only a comma.
Corrected Sentence: Although born in the Midwest, Langston Hughes lived most of his adult life in Harlem, in New York City, where, like other writers in the 1930's, he wrote some of his finest works.
Explanation for Correct Answer C :
The error in this sentence occurs at (C), where an improper verb form is used. The past perfect tense of the verb phrase "had wrote" is inconsistent with the simple past tense of the other verbs in the sentence. Also, the past participle of "write" is "written," not "wrote."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The subordinating conjunction "where" correctly introduces the dependent adjective clause that modifies the proper noun "Harlem."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The preposition "like" is appropriate to introduce the adjective prepositional phrase that modifies the proper noun "Langston Hughes."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The superlative adjective "finest" is used correctly to indicate comparison of more than two things (all of Hughes' works).
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :There is an error in the sentence.
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Corrected Sentence: In constant demand as a speaker, Ms. Chernock has never been busier than she is now. Explanation for Correct Answer C :
The error in this sentence occurs at (C), where a double comparative is used. The adverb “more” is not needed to modify the already comparative adjective “busier.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The noun “demand” is appropriately used as the object of the preposition “in,” and the preposition “as” correctly introduces the adjective phrase that modifies the noun “demand.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The singular verb “has” agrees with its singular subject “Ms. Chernock,” the present perfect tense of the verb phrase appropriately indicates an action completed before the action of the dependent clause, and the adverb “never” is idiomatic.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The singular verb “is” agrees with its singular subject “she,” and the adverb “now” correctly modifies “is.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :There is an error in the sentence.
Corrected Sentence: During the night, there are usually two German shepherds at the warehouse to guard against robbery attempts.
Explanation for Correct Answer B :
The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where there is subject-verb disagreement. In this inverted sentence, the singular verb "is" does not agree with the plural subject "German shepherds."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The preposition "During" properly introduces the adverbial prepositional pharse. Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The infinitive phrase "to guard" properly introduces the adverb ial clause, and the preposition "against" is the idiomatic preposition to follow the word "guard."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The noun "attempts" correctly functions as the object of the preposition "against." Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :There is an error in the sentence.
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Corrected Sentence: Candy manufacturers applauded the discovery by researchers that students who smell chocolate while studying and again while taking a test are able to recall more material than students not exposed to the odor of chocolate.
Explanation for Correct Answer B :
The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where an improper pronoun is used to refer to people. The relative pronoun “which” is used instead of the pronoun “who” that is needed.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The noun “discovery” correctly functions as the direct object of the verb “applauded,” and the preposition “by” is the idiomatic preposition to follow the word “discovery.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The adverb “again” appropriately modifies the adverbial phrase “while taking,” which, in turn, modifies the verb “smell.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The plural verb “are” agrees with its plural subject “students,” and the adjective “able” properly functions as a subject complement modifying “students.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :There is an error in the sentence.
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Corrected Sentence:
Explanation for Correct Answer E :There is no error in this sentence.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The indefinite pronoun “One” correctly functions as the singular subject of the sentence, and the helping verb “can” agrees with its singular subject.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The negative adverb “hardly” appropriately modifies the verb phrase “can … determine.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The subordinating conjunction “which” correctly introduces the dependent noun clause that functions as the direct object of the verb phrase “can hardly determine,” and the singular verb “contributes” agrees with its subject “which.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The comparative adverb “more” is correctly used to compare two things, “skill” and “practice.”
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Corrected Sentence:
Explanation for Correct Answer E :There is no error in this sentence.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The noun “refugees” appropriately functions as the direct object of the verb phrase “had not expected,” and the preposition “from” correctly introduc es the adjective prepositional phrase that modifies “refugees.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The infinitive “to be” is the idiomatic verbal form to follow “expected.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no er ror at (C). The conjunction “as” is appropriately used in the comparative construction “as … as,” and the plural pronoun “those” is parallel with the plural noun “refugees,” to which it is compared. Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The past perfect tense of the verb phrase “had seen” is consistent with the past perfect tense of the verb of the main clause.
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Corrected Sentence: Although naturalists have identified six hundred different forms of the corion snail, there are actually no more than two true species within this genus.
Explanation for Correct Answer B :
The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where the singular verb “is” does not agree with its plural subject, “species.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The subordinating conjunction “Although” appropriately introduces the adverbial dependent clause.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The words “no,” “more,” and “than” combi ne to form an appropriate idiom. Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The preposition “within” correctly introduces the adverbial phrase that modifies the verb of the independent clause.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :There is an error in the sentence.
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Corrected Sentence: The department of transportation has introduced pictorial traffic signs because drivers can react to them more quickly than to verbal ones.
Explanation for Correct Answer B :
The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where a singular pronoun, “this,” is used instead of the plural pronoun “them” to refer to the plural noun “signs.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The singular verb phrase “has introduced” agrees with its singular subject, “department.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The comparative adverbial phrase “more quickly” is appropriate to compare one type of traffic sign to another.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The prepositional phrase “to verbal ones” is parallel with what should be the preceding prepositional phrase “to them,” and the plural pronoun “ones” correctly refers to the plural noun “signs” to which it refers.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :There is an error in the sentence.
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Corrected Sentence:She claimed that the “representational” actor tries to imitate a character’s behavior, whereas the “presentational” actor attempt s to reveal human behavior through self-understanding. Explanation for Correct Answer A :
The error in this sentence occurs at (A), where the present progressive tense of the verb “is having” is improperly used, resulting in a lack of parallelism with the present-tense verb in the subordinate clause, “attempts.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The subordinating conjunction “whereas” appropriately introduces the dependent adverbial clause and indicates a contrast with the p receding dependent noun clause introduced by “that.”Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The infinitive verbal form “to reveal” is idiomatic and appropriately functions as the object of the verb “attempts.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The prepositional phrase introduced by “through” correctly functions as an adverb that modifies “attempts.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :There is an error in the sentence.
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Corrected Sentence: Many nations, and the United Nations itself, have issued stamps that commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the UN charter.
Explanation for Correct Answer B :
The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where the singular verb phrase "has issued" does not agree with the compound subject "many nations and the United Nations."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The reflexive pronoun "itself" properly refers to the singular proper noun "United Nations" (which is a single organization).
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The relative pronoun "that" appropriately introduces the dependent adjective clause that modifies the noun "stamps," and the plural verb "commemorate" agrees with its plural subject "stamps." Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The prepositional phrase introduced by "of" functions correctly as an adjective modifying the noun "anniversary," and the words "signing" and "of" combine to form an appropriate idiom. Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :There is an error in the sentence.
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Corrected Sentence:The tribal council’s program familiarized young people with Cherokee history, taught them tribal traditions, and gave them the opportunity to learn skills used by ancient artists.
Explanation for Correct Answer C :
The error in this sentence occurs at (C), where an independent clause breaks the parallelism of the two preceding verb phrases (“familiarized…history” and “taught…traditions”).
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The preposition “with” after the verb “familiarized” is idiomatic.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The past tense of the verb “taught” is consistent with the past tense of the other verbs in the sentence, and the plural pronoun “them” correctly refers to the plural noun “people.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The noun “opportunity” p roperly functions as the direct object of the verb, and the preposition “to,” after the word “opportunity,” is idiomatic.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :There is an error in the sentence.
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Corrected Sentence: Observation of diverse animal species shows that the most successful in the struggle for survival are those which are most adaptable to changes in their world.
Explanation for Correct Answer A :
The error in this sentence occurs at (A), where the plural verb “show” does not agree with the singular subject “Observation.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The superlative adjective phrase “most successful” is appropriate for comparing all of the animal species in the world.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The indefinite pronoun “those” appropriately functions as the subject complement of the verb “are.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The adjective “adaptable” appropriately functions as the subject complement of the verb “are,” and the preposition “to” after the word “adaptable” is idiomatic.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :There is an error in the sentence.
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Corrected Sentence: Far from having been a diehard conservative, Hoover was, some scholars now contend,
The error in this sentence occurs at (A), where the use of the adverb “away” is not idiomatic. The idiomatic phrase for this sentence is “Far from.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The proper noun “Hoover” correctly functions as the subject of the main clause, and the singular verb “was” agrees with its singular subject, “Hoover.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The adverb “now” appropriately modifies the plural verb “contend,” which agrees with its plural subject “scholars.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The prepo sition “of” properly introduces the adjective phrase that modifies the noun “progressive,” and the singular pronoun “his” agrees with the singular noun “Hoover,” to which it refers. Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :There is an error in the sentence.
25
ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Corrected Sentence: For the past hundred years or more, Yellowstone National Park has been a kind of sociological laboratory in which North Americans have been exploring the meaning of the national-park concept.
Explanation for Correct Answer B :
The error in this sentence occurs at (B), where the past tense of the verb “was” is inconsistent with the present perfect progressive tense of the verb phrase “have been exploring.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The preposition “For” appropriately introduces an adverbial phrase that modifies the verb of the main clause.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The preposition “in” is an appropriate idiom to connect the noun “laboratory” to the adjective clause that describes “laboratory,” and “which” is the correct relative pronoun to introduce that clause.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The noun phrase “the meaning” appropriately functions as the direct object of the verb phrase “have been exploring,” and the preposition “of” after the word “meaning” is idiomatic.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :There is an error in the sentence.
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Corrected Sentence: Alerted by the nervousness and evasiveness of the witness, the jurors were quick to
The error in this sentence occurs at (C), where the preposition “to” after the word “inconsistent” is not idiomatic. “With” is needed instead.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The past participle “Alerted” appropriately modifies the noun “jurors,” and the preposition “by” combines with “Alerted” to form an appropriate idiom.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The infinitive “to perceive” correctly functions as an adverb modifying the adjective “quick.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The plural pronoun “those” correctly functions as the object of the preposition and appropriately refers to the plural noun “statements.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :There is an error in the sentence.
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Corrected Sentence: In many respects Anna Karenina and Emma Bovary are very similar characters, but Bovary has more spirit and determination.
Explanation for Correct Answer D :
The error in this sentence occurs at (D), where the superlative adjective “most” is used instead of the comparative adjective “more” that is needed when comparing only two entities.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The prepositional phrase “In … respects” is idiomatic, and the plural adjective “many” appro priately modifies the plural noun “respects.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The coordinating conjunction “but” connects two independent clauses and appropriately indicates a contrast between them.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The singular verb “has” agrees with its singular subject “Bovary” (the second instance).
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :There is an error in the sentence.
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Corrected Sentence: Between the sales manager and me ex isted an easy, cooperative working relationship; neither of us hesitated to discuss problems.
The error in this sentence occurs at (A), where an incorrect pronoun case is used. The nomin ative case of the first-person pronoun “I” is used where the objective case “me” is needed.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The verb “existed” can be singular or plural and agrees with its singular subject, “relationship.” The past tense is consistent with the past tense of the verb in the other independent clause. Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The indefinite article “an” and the adjective “easy” both appropriately modify the noun “relationship.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The indefinite singular pronoun “neither,” which refers to the two singular nouns in the preceding clause, “manager” and “me,” is an appropriate subject for the second clause. The pronoun “us” is in the objective case and correctly functions as the object of the preposition “of.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :There is an error in the sentence.
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Corrected Sentence:
Explanation for Correct Answer E :There is no error in this sentence.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
There is no error at (A). The preposition “As” appropriately introduces the adjective prepositional phrase that modifies the subject of the sentence, “Thomas à Becket.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
There is no error at (B). The noun phrase “an independence” correctly functions as the direct object of the verb “assumed.”
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
There is no error at (C). The use of the preposition “to” after the word “intolerable” is idiomatic. Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
There is no error at (D). The past perfect tense of the verb phrase “had … been” correctly indicates an action that was completed before the action of the two preceding past-tense verbs, and the adverb “long” and the verb “been” combine to form an appropriate idiom.
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ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Explanation for Correct Answer A :
Choice (A) is correct. The sentence has a clear subject and verb, "she attended," and it properly org anizes the rest of the information with the word "where."
Choice (B) is unsatisfactory because "[a]ttending Stanford University" and "where she met…and became…in geology" are both dependent clauses.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
Choice (C) is unsatisfactory because it has no subject; the sentence consists of two dependent clauses. Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
Choice (D) is unsatisfactory because it is imprecise: the resulting sentence does not clarif y the relationship between the Hoovers and Stanford University.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
Choice (E) is unsatisfactory because it joins two independent thoughts with only a comma.
31
ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Explanation for Correct Answer D :
Choice (D) is correct. The word "that" properly connects the modifying clause "that would…ship" to the independent clause "In the process…crib," resulting in a clear and correct sentence.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
Choice (A) is unsatisfactory because it is illogical: it says that the purpose of Hoover designing the crib was for it to remain stable, not for her sons to have a place to sleep.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
Choice (B) is unsatisfactory because the stability of the crib was the key feature of its design; the two parts of the sentence should not be separated by "and."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
Choice (C) is unsatisfactory because the word "nevertheless" implies a contrast between the two clauses that does not exist in the sentence.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
Choice (E) is unsatisfactory because it unnecessarily repeats the word "designed."
32
ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Explanation for Correct Answer D :
Choice (D) is correct. The writer's intention is to praise Hoover, and the second paragraph is essentially a list of her accomplishments, so it makes sense in the paragraph's concluding sentence for the writer to reiterate that these details show what a "remarkable woman" Hoover was.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
Choice (A) is unsatisfactory because it makes an illogical link with the preceding sentence: it makes no sense to state that Hoover designed a crib "because as a child she had learned several languages."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
Choice (B) is unsatisfactory because it inappropriately switches verb tenses ("she was also learning and published").
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
Choice (C) is unsatisfactory because it is unclear what time the phrase "[b]y this t ime" is referring to. Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
Choice (E) is unsatisfactory because "[n]evertheless" implies a contrast between the achievement of designing a crib and the achievements of learning languages and publishing scholarly papers that is not supported by the passage.
33
ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Explanation for Correct Answer A :
Choice (A) is correct. Changing "being" to "was" transforms the clause "Lou Hoover…versatile person" into the independent clause the sentence needs, and makes verb tenses consistent throughout the sentence. Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
Choice (B) is unsatisfactory because it fails to address the fact that the original sentence consists of two dependent clauses.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
Choice (C) is unsatisfactory because the replacement of "she" with "Lou Hoover" creates a grammatically incorrect sentence that seems to compare Lou Hoover to herself.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
Choice (D) is unsatisfactory because the deletion of "she was" does not change the fact that the sentence lacks an independent clause.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
Choice (E) is unsatisfactory because, while "had been" is an adequate substitution to make in the second clause, the sentence still consists of two dependent clauses.
34
ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Explanation for Correct Answer B :
Choice (B) is correct. The sentence is properly linked with the preceding sentences through the phrase "[i]n addition," and the relationship between the two clauses is accurately indicated with the word "when." Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
Choice (A) is unsatisfactory because entertaining Jessie DePriest was the act that broke the racial barrier; the two parts of the sentence should not be separated by "and" as if they describe separate events.
Choice (C) is unsatisfactory because it reflects an unnecessary shift in tenses from the rest of the passage. Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
Choice (D) is unsatisfactory because the information in sentence 14 is not a consequence of the information in sentence 13.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
Choice (E) is unsatisfactory because it is illogical; this structure would only make sense if the clauses were reversed ("By entertaining Jessie DePriest…she became the first person to…").
35
ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Explanation for Correct Answer B :
Choice (B) is correct. Every sentence of the passage (except for the first two) praises Hoover as an exceptionally gifted and active woman, so a concluding sentence summarizing Hoover's life in a positive way is appropriate and expected.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
Choice (A) is unsatisfactory because the passage does not discuss Hoover as "gracious" or "polished"; the focus of the passage is on Hoover's adventures and accomplishments.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
Choice (C) is unsatisfactory because the first mention of Hoover's personal papers should not come in the last sentence of a passage about her life.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
Choice (D) is unsatisfactory because it is not "obvious" that little is known about Hoover's early life. It is logical to assume that the writer knows a great deal about Hoover's early life, but the passage focuses on her accomplishments as an adult.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
Choice (E) is unsatisfactory because it makes no sense to say that historians are the only people who know the year and town of Hoover's birth. All readers of the passage now know this information.
Section 4
1
ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Explanation for Correct Answer E :
Choice (E) is correct. "Drenched" means soaked. If one were to insert this term into the text, the sentence would read “Initially only the carpeting outside the restroom was drenched by water from the burst pipe; eventually the entire hallway flooded.” A burst pipe would spill water onto the carpet, thereby drenching it. Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
Choice (A) is incorrect. "Diverted" means turned aside. If one were to insert this term into the text, the sentence would read “Initially only the carpeting outside the restroom was diverted by water from the burst pipe; eventually the entire hallway flooded.” A carpet does not typically move and thus is not likely to be turned aside by water from a broken pipe.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
Choice (B) is incorrect. "Confined" means restricted or closed in. If one were to insert this term into the text, the sentence would read “I nitially only the carpeting outside the restroom was confined by water from the burst pipe; eventually the entire hallway flooded.” Water cannot generally restrict or close in something solid, such as a carpet.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
Choice (C) is incorrect. "Scuttled" means caused to sink. If one were to insert this term into the text, the sentence would read “Initially only the carpeting outside the restroom was scuttled by water from the burst pipe; eventually the entire hallway flooded.” In order to be scuttled, an object must first be floating, usually by design. So boats can be scuttled, but carpeting, which is not designed or intended to float, cannot.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
Choice (D) is incorrect. "Cleansed" means cleaned. If one were to insert this term into the text, the sentence would read “Initially only the carpeting outside the restroom was cleansed by water from the burst pipe; eventually the entire hallway flooded.” Water gushing from a burst pipe would not b e said to clean the carpeting. Carpets are usually ruined when they get wet from burst pipes.
2
ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Explanation for Correct Answer B :
Choice (B) is correct. "Maintain" in this context means to keep up the level of, and "vulnerable" means open to attack. If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Communal nests have advantages and disadvantages for animals like voles and mice: they enable the animals to maintain body heat, but leave them more vulnerab le to discovery by predators." The colon indicates that the missing terms will describe both an advantage and a disadvantage of communal nests. Such an environment would certainly help animals to "maintain body heat," but it is not surprising that a group of rodents is more likely to attract predators, making them "vulnerable" to attack.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
Choice (A) is incorrect. "Insure" means to take necessary measures and precautions. "Inclined" can mean predisposed, or susceptible. If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Communal nests have advantages and disadvantages for animals like voles and mice: they enable the animals to insure body heat, but leave them more inclined to discovery by predators." Such nests might increase the likelihood of an attack, but it makes little sense to say that body heat may be "insured."
Explanation for Incorrect Answer C :
Choice (C) is incorrect. "Squander" means to waste, and "liable" in this context means likely. If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Communal nests have advantages and disadvantages for animals like voles and mice: they enable the animals to squander body heat, but leave them more liable to discovery by predators." Conserving heat is an important element of survival for small animals, so it makes little sense to claim that communal nests "enable," or allow, these creatures to waste body heat. Furthermore, the sentence structure indicates that the first missing term will describe an advantage of communal nests, not a disadvantage.
Choice (D) is incorrect. "Stimulate" in this context means to increase, and "resistant" means able to avoid. If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Communal nests have advantages and disadvantages for animals like voles and mice: they enable the animals to stimulate body heat, but leave them more resistant to discovery by predators." The structure of the sentence indicates that the second missing term will describe a disadvantage of communal nests, but something that makes animals more "resistant" to predators is obviously advantageous.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
Choice (E) is incorrect. "Retain" means to keep, and "immune" means protected against. If one were to insert these terms into the text, the sentence would read "Communal nests have advantages and disadvantages for animals like voles and mice: they enable the animals to retain body heat, but leave them more immune to discovery by predators." The second missing term should relate to a disadvantage of communal nests, but an environment that makes animals "immune to," or protected from, predators is certainly an advantage.
3
ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS
Explanation for Correct Answer C :
Choice (C) is correct. "Curiosity" means a desire to find out. If one were to insert this term into the text, the sentence would read “He displayed a nearly pathological curiosity, insisting on knowing every detail o f his friends’ lives.” The participial phrase "insisting on knowing every detail of his friends' lives" following the comma signals that the phrase will explain the claim that precedes it. "Pathological" means unhealthy, and a person who insists on knowing every detail of his friends' lives would be displaying an unhealthy curiosity.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer A :
Choice (A) is incorrect. "Orderliness" means a tendency to keep things in order. If one were to insert this term into the text, the sente nce would read “He displayed a nearly pathological orderliness, insisting on knowing every detail of his friends’ lives.” The phrase following the comma is positioned in the sentence as if it were an explanation of what is meant by "nearly pathological orderliness." That expectation, however, is not met, since insisting on knowing every detail of the lives of one's friends is not orderliness.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer B :
Choice (B) is incorrect. "Credulity" means a tendency to believe too readily. If one were to insert this term into the text, the sentence would read “He displayed a nearly pathological credulity, insisting on knowing every detail of his friends’ lives.” The word "credulity" means a tendency to believe almost anything other people s ay; it has nothing to do with asking for information. However, the position of the phrase "insisting on knowing every detail of his friends’ lives" in the sentence implies that it is meant to serve as a definition or explanation of the statement preceding the comma.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer D :
Choice (D) is incorrect. "Shyness" means avoiding contact with others. If one were to insert this term into the text, the sentence would read “He displayed a nearly pathological shyness, insisting on knowin g every detail of his friends’ lives.” The participial phrase beginning with "insisiting" is positioned after the main clause of the sentence in a way that implies that it should provide a helpful explanation for the statement about shyness, which it does not.
Explanation for Incorrect Answer E :
Choice (E) is incorrect. "Morbidity" in this context means a preoccupation with ideas of disease or death. If one were to insert this term into the text, the sentence would read “He displayed a nearly pathologica l morbidity, insisting on knowing every detail of his friends’ lives.” Despite the implication made by the placement in the