Digital SAT Practice Test Five

1-Although the candidate publicly branded herself as an agent of change, determined to reform outdated bureaucratic protocols and instill a culture of innovation, her actions in office revealed an unwavering tendency to ___________ to long-standing institutional norms, frustrating supporters who had hoped for genuine transformation.

2- The violinist’s performance at the international competition was lauded as a technical and emotional masterpiece, with each note executed with breathtaking precision and artistry; nevertheless, a slight intonation error during the final movement served as a minor yet noticeable ___________ in what was otherwise an impeccable musical experience.

3- Initially admired for her groundbreaking work in biochemical engineering and her eloquent articulation of complex ideas, the professor gradually alienated peers and students alike by adopting a tone so overtly ___________—frequently interrupting colleagues, dismissing alternative perspectives, and flaunting her accolades—that it eroded the very respect her intellect had once effortlessly commanded.

4- In spite of multiple cease-and-desist letters, mounting public criticism, and clear evidence of environmental degradation, the mining corporation continued to drill in the restricted zone, exhibiting a flagrant disregard for both law and ethics, and ultimately forcing the federal government to intervene and mandate that the company immediately ___________ its operations or face criminal charges.

5- Widely considered the ___________ of 21st-century leadership, Chancellor Lutz not only guided her nation through economic turmoil and a global pandemic with poise and prudence, but also exemplified a rare fusion of ethical clarity, strategic foresight, and personal humility that made her a revered figure across political and ideological divides.

6- Among the dozens of reforms outlined in the sprawling 800-page policy document—ranging from incremental tax restructuring to revised labor regulations—the most ___________ recommendation was the nationwide implementation of a universal childcare program, which analysts argued would significantly alter workforce participation rates, particularly among working mothers.

7- In the late 19th century, Nikola Tesla introduced a revolutionary concept in electrical engineering: alternating current (AC). Unlike direct current (DC), which flows steadily in one direction, AC periodically reverses direction, allowing electricity to travel more efficiently over long distances. Tesla’s innovation clashed with Thomas Edison’s existing DC systems, sparking a public and often contentious rivalry known as the “War of the Currents.” Despite Edison’s efforts to discredit AC—often through public demonstrations that emphasized its dangers—Tesla’s model ultimately prevailed. Its success was due not only to its technical advantages but also to the rise of industrial cities, which required efficient power transmission across expansive areas. Tesla’s work laid the foundation for the electrical systems used across the globe today.

8- In the 19th century, naturalist and writer George Perkins Marsh offered a groundbreaking perspective on humanity’s relationship with the environment. In his influential 1864 book Man and Nature, Marsh argued that human activity—particularly deforestation, agriculture, and urbanization—was profoundly altering natural landscapes in ways that could lead to long-term ecological degradation. Drawing on examples from the Mediterranean and the American frontier, Marsh contended that civilizations often collapsed when they failed to manage their natural resources responsibly. His work stood in contrast to the dominant 19th-century view that nature was inexhaustible and meant to be subdued for human benefit. Although his warnings were not immediately heeded, Marsh’s insights laid the intellectual groundwork for later environmental movements and remain relevant in the context of today’s climate debates.

9- (adapted from Zora Neale Hurston’s short story)

Perhaps ten-year-old John was puzzling to the folk there in the Florida woods for he was an imaginative child and fond of day-dreams. The St. John River flowed a scarce three hundred feet from his back door. On its banks at this point grow numerous palms, luxuriant magnolias and bay trees. On the bosom of the stream float millions of delicately colored hyacinths. [John Redding] loved to wander down to the water’s edge, and, casting in dry twigs, watch them sail away down stream to Jacksonville, the sea, the wide world and [he] wanted to follow them.

10- (adapted from George Eliot’s The Mill on the Floss, 1860):

Maggie Tulliver sat alone in the small parlor, her sewing idle in her lap, as the golden afternoon light filtered through the lace curtains. Her thoughts drifted far beyond the narrow confines of the cottage. Though she often complied with her mother’s wishes and performed her domestic duties without protest, a storm of untamed ideas churned just beneath her quiet surface. She longed not only to read books but to live the kind of life she imagined in them—to do something, to become someone, to matter beyond the parlors and kitchens she was confined to.

11-(adapted from an early 20th-century coming-of-age novel):

Anna stood at the window of her family’s bakery in the heart of Boston’s immigrant quarter, the scent of fresh bread clinging to her apron. Outside, carriages clattered down cobbled streets, and voices in half a dozen languages mingled in the thick summer air. Her parents, recent arrivals from Poland, took pride in their shop and in the life they had built from nothing, brick by brick, loaf by loaf. Anna was proud too, but she felt the quiet pull of another kind of life—one filled with lecture halls and libraries, not ovens and counters. Her parents often spoke of security, of sacrifice and survival. But Anna dreamed in a different register—of arguments made in hushed seminar rooms, of books worn at the spine from study, of writing her name on the spines of books that others, someday, might read.

12- Text 1:

Climate scientist Dr. Elaine Navarro and her research team analyzed satellite-based temperature data collected over the past 40 years to study the rate of polar ice loss. Their study concluded that ice melt has been accelerating due to rising global temperatures and identified a strong correlation between increased greenhouse gas concentrations and the shrinking ice mass in the Arctic and Antarctic. Navarro’s team emphasized the reliability of satellite data in capturing long-term climate patterns.

 Text 2:

Environmental analyst Dr. Hugo Benton critiques the overreliance on satellite data to assess polar ice loss. Benton argues that while satellite imaging provides valuable information, it can be limited by cloud interference, seasonal fluctuations, and calibration issues across decades. He also points out that the data might not adequately account for variables like underwater melting or regional ocean currents, which could significantly influence ice stability. He calls for a broader integration of on-site measurements and oceanographic data in climate studies.

13-Percentage of Coastal Region Artisans Who Are Female, by Main Craft Type

![Graph showing percentages — assume a bar chart with categories: jewelry (black), pottery (gray), textiles (light gray) — across north coast, central coast, and south coast, similar to the format in the original image.]

Coastal Region

Historian Femi Okoro and his team examined gender representation in artisan crafts across three coastal regions. Women were significantly represented in certain crafts and, in some cases, made up more than half of the workforce in those categories. For example, ______

14- Percentage of Urban Neighborhood Residents Who Commute by Each Mode of Transportation, by Region

Each percentage refers to the share of residents in each region who primarily commute using that mode.

Urban sociologist Dr. Leila Nasser surveyed commuting patterns across three major city regions. She noted that certain transportation methods were especially popular among residents in specific areas and, in some cases, dominated commuting habits in those neighborhoods. For instance, ______

15- Biologists studying isolated freshwater lakes have proposed that populations of fish within each lake share nearly identical genetic material with other aquatic organisms in that same environment. This theory, known as environmental genomic convergence, suggests that organisms exposed to the same environmental pressures—such as water pH, temperature, and nutrient levels—will gradually evolve similar genetic adaptations, especially when they are confined to a single lake system for many generations. Early genetic analyses of algae and small crustaceans in a few lakes seemed to support this idea.

However, the theory remains controversial, particularly when applied across a broad range of species with distinct evolutionary histories.

16-Glaciologists have long hypothesized that glacier retreat (the shrinking of glacier mass and area) is primarily driven by increased atmospheric temperatures due to global climate change. According to this view, warmer air causes the surface of glaciers to melt faster than snow can accumulate, leading to a net loss of ice over time. This theory has been supported by satellite data showing glacier shrinkage correlating with regional temperature increases over the past several decades.

Recently, however, some researchers have proposed alternative or additional explanations for rapid glacial retreat in certain regions, such as changes in ocean currents, subsurface geothermal activity, or volcanic heat flow beneath ice sheets.

17- In the early twentieth century, several architectural movements in Western Europe began incorporating design principles that emphasized harmony with nature, simplicity of form, and functional spatial layout. Interestingly, some of these ideas closely mirrored principles that had been foundational to Japanese architecture for centuries, particularly in the use of sliding partitions, natural materials, and open indoor-outdoor transitions. Yet at the time, very few European architects had ever traveled to Japan, and comprehensive translations of Japanese architectural texts were scarce.

Barring the possibility that European architects independently and coincidentally developed ideas long embedded in Japanese architectural tradition, these circumstances most strongly suggest that _______

18-In the 1970s, marine biologists working in the deep-sea vents of the Pacific Ocean discovered ecosystems thriving in total darkness, sustained not by sunlight—as is the case with most life on Earth—but by chemosynthesis, a process in which microorganisms convert chemicals from vent emissions into usable energy. These ecosystems were found to include complex organisms such as tube worms, crabs, and certain species of fish. At the time of the discovery, the prevailing belief in biology was that sunlight was the primary energy source for all complex life on Earth.

Given that scientists found these ecosystems in remote areas inaccessible to sunlight and discovered no evidence of photosynthesis within them, these findings most strongly suggest that _______

19- Historians have long referred to Ada Lovelace as the world’s first computer programmer, a distinction that has gained widespread acceptance in popular science literature. Lovelace ______ viewed her work not merely as technical calculation but as a poetic exploration of the imaginative potential of mathematics—a nuance often lost in modern characterizations.

20- Nigerian novelist Amos Tutuola’s incorporation of Yoruba oral traditions into his English-language novels—notably The Palm-Wine Drinkard (1952)—_______ critics’ appreciation of how indigenous storytelling techniques shape postcolonial literary expression.

21-Because the Moon’s gravitational pull gradually slows Earth’s rotation, scientists must occasionally modify Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to maintain synchronization with astronomical time. This adjustment involves the insertion of a leap second, which is _______ the discrepancy between the two timekeeping methods approaches one full second.

22-Despite the prevailing belief that annotations, dog-eared pages, and ink stains generally reduce a manuscript’s ________, exceptions are made in the rare case that such markings originate from figures of historical renown—say, Leonardo da Vinci—whose marginal notes are often viewed as invaluable insights into the creative process.

23-From a distance, the intricate facade of the library appeared to be constructed entirely from carved limestone, its surface etched with what seemed to be classical Greco-Roman motifs. Up close, however, the building revealed itself to be _______ concrete cleverly molded and painted to mimic the weathered elegance of ancient stonework.

24-Many desert plants have developed unique adaptations that enable them to survive harsh, arid climates. Cacti, for example, store water in their thick stems and have spines instead of leaves to reduce water loss. Joshua trees, ________, rely on deep root systems and a specialized pollination relationship with the yucca moth to thrive in the Mojave Desert.

25- Some species of octopuses display remarkable intelligence, using tools, solving puzzles, and even escaping enclosures in captivity. The mimic octopus, ________, takes this intelligence a step further by imitating the appearance and movements of other sea creatures, such as lionfish and sea snakes, to avoid predators.

26- While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:

·        Tarsila do Amaral (1886–1973) was a Brazilian modernist painter.

·        She was a central figure in the development of modern art in Latin America.

·        Her 1928 painting Abaporu helped inspire the Brazilian artistic movement known as Antropofagia (or “cultural cannibalism”).

·        The painting features an exaggerated human figure with a tiny head, a huge foot, and a cactus in the background.

·        Abaporu is currently housed in the Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires (MALBA).

The student wants to describe Abaporu to an audience unfamiliar with Tarsila do Amaral or her work.

27- While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:

• Maya Lin (b. 1959) is an American designer and sculptor best known for her minimalist aesthetic.
• At age 21, while still an undergraduate at Yale University, she won a national design competition for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
• The memorial consists of two black granite walls set into the earth, engraved with the names of over 58,000 American soldiers who died in the Vietnam War.
• Lin faced significant criticism for the memorial’s unconventional appearance but defended her vision as one meant to evoke reflection and healing.
• Her later works often explored the relationship between nature and architecture.

The student wants to describe Maya Lin’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial to an audience unfamiliar with her work.