SAT Practice Test 3

Reading Test

65 Minutes 52 Questions

This section corresponds to Section 1 of your answer sheet.

Directions: Read each passage or pair of passages, then answer the questions that follow. Choose your answers based on what the passage(s) and any accompanying graphics state or imply.

    1. Questions 1–10 are based on the following passage.

    2. The following passage is adapted from the short story “Village Opera,” by early 20th-century Chinese writer Lu Hsun. The narrator recalls a childhood memory of being a guest, along with his mother, in his grandmother’s home in Pingchao Village.

      It was the custom in Luchen where we lived for married women who were not yet in charge of the household to go back to their parents’ home for the summer. Although my father’s mother was then still quite strong, my mother had quite a few household duties. She could not spend many days at her own home during the summer. She could take a few days only after visiting the ancestral graves. At such times I always went with her to stay in her parents’ house. It was in a place called Pingchao Village, not far from the sea, a very out- of-the-way little village on a river, with less than thirty households, peasants, and fishermen, and just one tiny grocery. . . .       We spent most of our days digging up worms, putting them on little hooks made of copper wire, and lying on the river bank to catch shrimps. Shrimps are the silliest water creatures: they willingly use their own pincers to push the point of the hook into their mouths; so in a few hours we could catch a big bowlful. It became the custom to give these shrimps to me. Another thing we did was to take the buffaloes out together, but, maybe because they are animals of a higher species, oxen and buffaloes are hostile to strangers, and they treated me with contempt so that I never dared get too close to them. I could only follow at a distance and stand there. . . . What I looked forward to most was going to Chaochuang to see the opera. Chaochuang was a slightly larger village about two miles away. Since Pingchiao was too small to afford to put on operas, every year it contributed some money for a performance at Chaochuang. At the time, I wasn’t curious why they should have operas every year. Thinking about it now, I dare say it may have been for the late spring festival or for the village sacrifice. That year when I was eleven or twelve, the long-awaited day arrived. But as ill luck would have it, there was no boat for hire that morning. Pingchiao Village had only one sailing boat, which left in the morning and came back in the evening. This was a large boat which it was out of the question to hire; and all the other boats were unsuitable because they were too small. Someone was sent round to the neighbouring villages to ask if they had boats, but no—they had all been hired already. My grandmother was very upset, blamed my cousins for not hiring one earlier, and began to complain. Mother tried to comfort her by saying the operas at Luchen were much better than in these little villages, and there were several every year, so there was no need to go today. But I was nearly in tears from disappointment, and mother did her best to impress on me that no matter what, I must not make a scene, because it would upset my grandmother; and I mustn’t go with other people either, for then grandmother would be worried. In a word, it had fallen through. After lunch, when all my friends had left and the opera had started, I imagined I could hear the sound of gongs and drums, and saw them, with my mind’s eye, in front of the stage buying soya-bean milk. I didn’t catch shrimps that day, and didn’t eat much either. Mother was very upset, but there was nothing she could do. By supper time grandmother realized how I felt, and said I was quite right to be angry, they had been too negligent, and never before had guests been treated so badly. After the meal, youngsters who had come back from the opera gathered round and gaily described it all for us. I was the only one silent; they all sighed and said how sorry they were for me. Suddenly one of the brightest, called Shuang-hsi, had an inspiration, and said: “A big boat—hasn’t Eighth Grand-uncle’s boat come back?” A dozen other boys picked up the idea in a flash, and at once started agitating to take the boat and go with me. I cheered up. But grandmother was nervous, thinking we were all children and undependable. And mother said that since the grown-ups all had to work the next day, it wouldn’t be fair to ask them to go with us and stay up all night. While our fate hung in the balance, Shuang-hsi went to the root of the question and declared loudly: “I give my word it’ll be all right! It’s a big boat, Brother Hsun never jumps around, and we can all swim!” It was true. There wasn’t one boy in the dozen who wasn’t a fish in water, and two or three of them were first-rate swimmers.       Grandmother and mother were convinced and did not raise any more objections. They both smiled, and we immediately rushed out to the evening performance of the opera.

    3. According to the passage, why does the narrator spend time in his mother’s parents’ home?

      1. He always goes with his mother when she visits there.
      2. His grandmother insists that he come with his mother.
      3. He lives with his grandmother most of the year.
      4. His grandmother needs extra help.

    4. As used in line 54, “impress on me” most nearly means

      1. infer.
      2. emphasize.
      3. mark.
      4. understand.

    5. The passage most strongly suggests that which of the following is true?

      1. The narrator’s grandmother lets the narrator do whatever he wants.
      2. The narrator’s mother does not enjoy visiting her mother’s home.
      3. The narrator’s mother is not head of her household.
      4. The narrator’s grandmother thinks his mother is too strict with him.

    6. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

      1. Lines 1–4 (“It was the . . . summer”)
      2. Lines 9–10 (“At such times . . . parents’ house”)
      3. Lines 15–17 (“We spent . . . to catch shrimps”)
      4. Lines 35–36 (“Thinking about it . . . the village sacrifice”)

    7. What theme does the passage communicate through the experiences of the narrator?

      1. Traditions are meant to be changed.
      2. Hope is hard to maintain.
      3. Hardship is a part of life.
      4. Problems can sometimes be solved.

    8. Based on the passage, why do the narrator’s mother and grandmother change their minds about letting him go to the opera?

      1. They decide they could trust the person who owns the boat.
      2. They want to please the narrator since he was so sad.
      3. They are assured that the boys would not be in danger.
      4. They realize that the boat is not that small.

    9. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

      1. Lines 42–44 (“This was . . . too small”)
      2. Lines 58–62 (“After lunch . . . soya-bean milk”)
      3. Lines 79–82 (“And mother . . . all night”)
      4. Lines 87–89 (“It was . . . swimmers”)

    10. The author’s use of the phrase “with my mind’s eye” (line 61) implies that the narrator

      1. sees visions.
      2. has poor eyesight.
      3. wants to go to sleep.
      4. has a good imagination.

    11. As used in line 76, “agitating” most nearly means

      1. campaigning.
      2. shaking.
      3. disturbing.
      4. stirring.

    12. Based on the tone of this passage, what emotion does the author want the reader to feel toward the narrator?

      1. Sympathy
      2. Criticism
      3. Indifference
      4. Hostility

    1. Questions 11–20 are based on the following passage.

    2. The following passage is adapted from a pivotal 1964 speech by South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, called “An Ideal for Which I Am Prepared to Die.” Mandela, later elected first president of democratic South Africa, gave this speech before his trial and imprisonment for activism against apartheid, a now-obsolete system of racial segregation in South Africa.

      The lack of human dignity experienced by Africans is the direct result of the policy of white supremacy. . . . Menial tasks in South Africa are invariably performed by Africans. When anything has to be carried or cleaned the white man will look around for an African to do it for him, whether the African is employed by him or not. Because of this sort of attitude, whites . . . do not look upon them as people with families of their own; they do not realise that they have emotions—that they fall in love like white people do; that they want to be with their wives and children like white people want to be with theirs; that they want to earn enough money to support their families properly, to feed and clothe them and send them to school. . . . Pass laws,1 which to the Africans are among the most hated bits of legislation in South Africa, render any African liable to police surveillance at any time. I doubt whether there is a single African male in South Africa who has not at some stage had a brush with the police over his pass. Hundreds and thousands of Africans are thrown into jail each year under pass laws. Even worse than this is the fact that pass laws keep husband and wife apart and lead to the breakdown of family life. Poverty and the breakdown of family life have secondary effects. Children wander about the streets of the townships because they have no schools to go to, or no money to enable them to go to school, or no parents at home to see that they go to school, because both parents (if there be two) have to work to keep the family alive. This leads to a breakdown in moral standards . . . and to growing violence which erupts not only politically, but everywhere. . . . Africans want to perform work which they are capable of doing, and not work which the government declares them to be capable of. Africans want to be allowed to live where they obtain work, and not be endorsed out of an area because they were not born there. Africans want to be allowed to own land in places where they work, and not to be obliged to live in rented houses which they can never call their own. Africans want to be part of the general population, and not confined to living in their own ghettoes. African men want to have their wives and children to live with them where they work. . . . Africans want to be allowed out after eleven o’clock at night and not to be confined to their rooms like little children. Africans want to be allowed to travel in their own country and to seek work where they want to and not where the labour bureau tells them to. Africans want a just share in the whole of South Africa; they want security and a stake in society. Above all, we want equal political rights, because without them our disabilities will be permanent. I know this sounds revolutionary to the whites in this country, because the majority of voters will be Africans. This makes the white man fear democracy. But this fear cannot be allowed to stand in the way of the only solution which will guarantee racial harmony and freedom for all. It is not true that the enfranchisement of all will result in racial domination. Political division, based on colour, is entirely artificial and, when it disappears, so will the domination of one colour group by another. The ANC2 has spent half a century fighting against racialism. When it triumphs it will not change that policy.       This then is what the ANC is fighting. Their struggle is a truly national one. It is a struggle of the African people, inspired by their own suffering and their own experience. It is a struggle for the right to live.       During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.
      1Pass laws: Black South Africans were legally required to carry pass books, which were like internal passports with the purpose of restricting where Africans could go, thus maintaining racial segregation.

      2ANC: African National Congress, the political organization that spearheaded the movement for equal rights in South Africa.

    3. The most likely intended purpose of this speech is to

      1. explain the political goals of the ANC.
      2. explain why Mandela is not guilty of the crime of which he is accused.
      3. argue that the laws passed under apartheid are illegal.
      4. explain to white South Africans why the apartheid system must be abolished.

    4. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

      1. Lines 1–3 (“The lack of . . . supremacy”)
      2. Lines 36–37 (“Africans want . . . of doing”)
      3. Lines 67–68 (“The ANC . . . racialism”)
      4. Lines 75–76 (“During . . . African people”)

    5. As used in line 40, the phrase “endorsed out of” most nearly means

      1. supported by.
      2. restricted from.
      3. authorized for.
      4. approved to be in.

    6. It can most reasonably be inferred that pass laws

      1. led to the criminal behavior they were designed to prevent.
      2. were fundamentally European and incompatible with African life.
      3. led to the passage of additional apartheid laws.
      4. were a necessary part of South Africa’s transition to democracy.

    7. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

      1. Lines 19–21 (“I doubt . . . his pass”)
      2. Lines 21–23 (“Hundreds . . . pass laws”)
      3. Lines 26–27 (“Poverty . . . effects”)
      4. Lines 32–35 (“This leads to . . . but everywhere”)

    8. As used in line 65, “artificial” most nearly means

      1. simulated.
      2. not genuine.
      3. imitative.
      4. human-made.

    9. According to Mandela’s claims, what is true of democracy?

      1. It is fundamentally incompatible with white rule.
      2. It existed in South Africa before apartheid.
      3. It is a goal of white South Africans.
      4. It would lead to increased crime at all levels.

    10. The statement in lines 67–69 (“The ANC . . . policy”) is important to the overall argument in its suggestion that

      1. black South Africans will initiate steps to curb violence without pass laws.
      2. black South Africans will be happier once there are equal political rights.
      3. black South Africans will not retaliate once there are equal political rights.
      4. black South Africans will continue to endorse a separate but equal system.

    11. It can most reasonably be inferred that Mandela would most likely support which of the following future policies?

      1. Reduction of domestic employment
      2. Job training for untrained workers
      3. Pass laws for all whites and blacks
      4. Investment in overseas business

    12. The sixth paragraph of Mandela’s speech can best be described as

      1. a promise that the changes he proposes will be good for all people.
      2. a contrast between his former beliefs and those he currently holds.
      3. an acknowledgment that he knows there is no perfect system.
      4. a thank-you for people’s continued support in a difficult situation.

    1. Questions 21–31 are based on the following passage and supplementary material.

    2. The following passage discusses the surprisingly complex endeavor of keeping dictionaries up-to-date.

      If you’ve ever played Scrabble, you know who the ultimate arbiter in that word game is: You challenge a word your opponent makes by reaching for that infallible judge, the dictionary. After all, a dictionary is a definitive collection of words, spellings, and meanings, right? Actually, that isn’t quite so, because while we regard dictionaries as catalogs of correctness, the truth is that dictionaries do not tell the whole story. We can think of them as horses pulling tidy carts of our cluttered language, but in fact, as David Skinner wrote in the New York Times (May 17, 2013), “in following Webster’s you’re following the followers.” That’s because language is an ever-changing thing in which new words are invented all the time and old words are put to new use. Keeping up with this is daunting task, as the writers of the Oxford English Dictionary, or OED, found out over 100 years ago.       In 1879, members of the Philological Society of London began working with James Murray of Oxford University Press to produce a more complete dictionary than what was available at the time. In ten years, they estimated, they would publish a four-volume, 6,400-page dictionary covering all English language vocabulary from the Early Middle English period (c. CE 1150) onward. However, five years along they were only as far as the word “ant”! The task of tracking new words and new meanings of existing words while examining the previous seven centuries of the language’s development proved monumental. It turned out that their work required ten volumes, included over 400,000 words, and was not fully published until 1924. Even then, the editors’ first job after completion of the monstrous OED was to print an addendum, which came out a mere nine years later. As Skinner says, “There is always much more to know about a word than what a dictionary can tell you.” According to Global Language Monitor, a new word is created every 98 minutes; this results in an average of about 14 words per day. They come from regular people; from writers; from specialized, often scientific fields; and from the Internet. A short list of the words spawned by the Internet and its technologies includes “blog,” “avatar,” “spam,” and “webisode.” Every year, Merriam-Webster’s, publisher of America’s premier dictionary, adds a jumble of words that have been coined by Web users and promulgated across the Internet’s multitudinous channels: websites, chat rooms, forums, blogs, and, of course, social media platforms.       Just like other professional and social realms, the Internet produces both new words and new definitions of old words. The word “troll,” for example, dates back to 1616 as a name for “a dwarf or giant in Scandinavian folklore inhabiting caves or hills.” In the last decade, however, “troll” emerged as a term for someone who participates in Internet discussions, not to contribute meaningfully, but for the sole purpose of making harsh rebuttals and insults.       Dictionary makers are faced with tough decisions. Any dictionary that doesn’t include Internet-produced words would be seen as being behind the times, although many feel that dictionaries go too far in their role as recorders of what gets said rather than rule-makers of correct usage. One of the most controversial new entries happened in 2013, when several major dictionaries added a definition for “literally” that literally means the literal opposite of its meaning! To some it seemed to erode the very purpose of a dictionary, but consensus prevailed, and Merriam- Webster’s now lists “in effect; virtually” as one meaning of literally. In response to criticism it received, Merriam-Webster’s wrote, “the use is pure hyperbole intended to gain emphasis.” Seemingly as a concession to those who call the definition incorrect, it added, “but it often appears in contexts where no additional emphasis is necessary.” For those who grumble about the imprecision that this entry enjoins, perhaps the best attitude to have is that expressed on the Oxford English Dictionary’s website: “An exhilarating aspect of a living language is that it continually changes.”

    3. The stance the author takes in the passage is best described as that of

      1. a columnist discussing a topic of interest.
      2. a pundit advocating support for a position.
      3. a reporter investigating a current event.
      4. a researcher cataloging historical data.

    4. According to the first two paragraphs, what claim does the author seek to refute?

      1. The assertion that Merriam-Webster’s is the best authority to follow
      2. The assumption that Scrabble users rely on dictionaries for aid
      3. The notion that dictionaries are absolute and undeniable authorities
      4. The prediction that dictionaries will become cluttered over time

    5. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

      1. Lines 1–2 (“If you’ve . . . game is”)
      2. Lines 2–4 (“You challenge . . . dictionary”)
      3. Lines 4–6 (“After all, . . . right”)
      4. Lines 11–13 (“David Skinner . . . followers”)

    6. As used in line 32, “monumental” most nearly means

      1. important.
      2. impossible.
      3. tremendous.
      4. ungainly.

    7. What idea does the author convey in lines 45–46 through the use of the succession of phrases “from regular people; from writers; from specialized, often scientific fields”?

      1. Definitions of words reflect usage for varied purposes among different people.
      2. Dictionaries must be accessible to users from all walks of life.
      3. People from several professional fields contributed to the development of the OED.
      4. Words come from many sources, including nonphilological ones.

    8. What conclusion can most reasonably be inferred from lines 49–54 (“Every year . . . social media platforms”)?

      1. Dictionaries are easily updated through online and other digital tools.
      2. Navigating the Web requires adopting new meanings for existing words.
      3. The Internet is the most prolific source of new words today.
      4. Words gain not only meaning but also legitimacy through usage.

    9. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

      1. Lines 42–44 (“According to . . . per day”)
      2. Lines 57–60 (“The word . . . or hills”)
      3. Lines 60–64 (“In the last . . . insults”)
      4. Lines 74–75 (“To some . . . a dictionary”)

    10. What statement is best supported by the data presented in the graphic?

      1. Before 2014, fewer than five words from the Internet were added.
      2. Fewer words from the Internet were added from 2006–2008 than during 2009.
      3. More words from the Internet were added in the years after 2010 than before 2010.
      4. So far, in the 21st century, 26 words from the Internet have been added.

    11. As used in line 74, “erode” most nearly means

      1. diminish.
      2. dissolve.
      3. consume.
      4. wear.

    12. As presented in the passage, the relationship between language and dictionaries is that 

      1. dictionaries reflect the flaws and inconsistencies of language.
      2. dictionaries attempt to address the idea that language changes over time.
      3. dictionaries establish definite meanings for new words.
      4. dictionaries support the opinion that the study of language is exhilarating.

    13. Data in the graphic most directly support which conclusion from the passage?

      1. Dictionaries are imperfect records of the English language.
      2. Language changes in response to the needs of those who use it.
      3. Many new words originate from evolving technologies.
      4. Online usage constantly adapts the meaning of existing words.

    1. Questions 32–42 are based on the following passages.

    2. Passage 1 focuses on new techniques for tracking newborn loggerhead sea turtles, one species found in the Sargasso Sea. Passage 2 describes the unique wildlife habitat found in the Sargasso Sea.

      Passage 1
      A baby loggerhead sea turtle hatches in its nest buried deep in the sand. Soon, it emerges onto the beach with its siblings. The palm-sized creatures venture across the sand and into the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. The tiny turtles must vanish quickly to avoid the many predators looming on the dunes or near the water. Seagulls, raccoons, and other animals are eager to make a meal out of the brand-new hatchlings.       Until now, scientists have been unable to track where baby sea turtles go once they reach the water. Small satellite transmitters have allowed older loggerheads to be tracked and studied from afar, giving researchers a window into their migration patterns, their social behaviors, and other patterns that can be difficult to track in the ocean. But the travels of a newly hatched sea turtle have remained a mystery. Scientists on the island of Boa Vista, off the coast of West Africa, have successfully tagged eleven hatchlings with nanoacoustic tags. This has allowed scientists to follow the baby turtles for their first eight hours in the ocean. The tags, which send a ping that the researchers can then plot, are glued to the shells of the baby loggerheads. The glue was specifically designed to dissolve completely within a few days. The tags are small enough to avoid interfering with the turtles’ swimming. The hatchlings surprised scientists with their speed. Once the turtles found the ocean currents that would transport them, they could travel at a speed of nearly 200 feet per minute. In the first eight hours of their journeys, some traveled more than nine miles. Tagged turtles released in various locations all eventually made their way to the Sargasso Sea in the Northern Atlantic Ocean. Here, they become part of the floating ecosystem, eating bite-sized prey and using the sargassum seaweed as rafts. They can sometimes spend up to a decade here before returning to the shores where they hatched. The use of nanoacoustic tags should help protect this endangered species by giving scientists more information about these turtles and when they are most vulnerable.
      Passage 2
            A great number of species make their home in the vast waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Although the entire ocean makes up an ecosystem, many smaller habitats are found within, including an open-water habitat off the coast of the Northern Atlantic Ocean known as the Sargasso Sea. Sargassum is an algae that floats in masses that can continue for miles. The waters of the Gulf Stream push the water in a northward motion into this area. This constant motion and varying temperatures support the accumulation of the brown-colored seaweed. The Sargasso Sea is so immense that one method of information collection has not been enough for scientists to obtain an accurate picture of what takes place within this ecosystem. Researchers have needed to employ several methods of sampling. Methods such as dragging mesh nets over the surface of the water and videotaping beneath areas of sargassum have served scientists well. Information collected has shown that the Gulf Stream pushes brown algae from open water into the Sargasso Sea area, creating a diverse floating habitat in an area that would otherwise not support that wildlife. In the most recent study of the sargassum community off the shores of North Carolina, eighty-one fish species were documented as using the area as a microhabitat. This is an increase from previous studies. The types of fish found here are both commercially and environmentally important. Also found here are juvenile loggerhead sea turtles. The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is working to regulate the harvesting of sargassum. The Council hopes to have the area classified as an Essential Fish Habitat, which would afford it certain protections. Further research needs to be done before scientists understand how best to protect the Sargasso Sea as well as understand how it goes about supporting so many important types of wildlife.

    3. The central idea of Passage 1 is that

      1. the island of Boa Vista, off the coast of Africa, has become a key research center for monitoring baby loggerhead sea turtles.
      2. the number of baby loggerhead sea turtles decreases every year, which concerns scientists around the world.
      3. scientists are using new technology to track the movements of newborn loggerhead sea turtles, and the results have surprised them.
      4. scientists are interested in how long loggerhead sea turtles remain in the Sargasso Sea before returning to where they hatched.

    4. Passage 1 most strongly suggests that which of the following is true of the scientists’ usage of nanoacoustic tags?

      1. The size of the tags is appropriate for baby turtles and will thus offer the most accurate readings.
      2. The low cost of the tags is greatly preferable to the expensive satellite technology previously used.
      3. The tags protect baby loggerhead turtles from the predators they are likely to meet in the first eight hours of their journey.
      4. Scientists prefer gluing the tags because they believe it is more humane than clipping older satellite tags to flippers.

    5. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

      1. Lines 21–23 (“This has . . . ocean”)
      2. Lines 23–25 (“The tags, which . . . loggerheads”)
      3. Lines 27–28 (“The tags are . . . swimming”)
      4. Lines 34–36 (“Tagged turtles . . . Ocean”)

    6. As used in line 44 of Passage 1, “vulnerable” most nearly means

      1. defenseless.
      2. inexperienced.
      3. naive.
      4. open.

    7. Passage 2 most strongly suggests that which of the following is true of the importance of the Sargasso Sea research?

      1. The research is important in order to ensure that the Gulf Stream does not push the algae too far north.
      2. Data about the Sargasso ecosystem is valuable to conservationists and the fishing industry alike.
      3. The research is important for convincing politicians that fish species are disappearing from the ecosystem.
      4. Through these studies, scientists are able to eliminate predators from the North Carolina microhabitat.

    8. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

      1. Lines 52–53 (“The waters of . . . area”)
      2. Lines 53–55 (“This constant . . . seaweed”)
      3. Lines 69–72 (“In the most . . . microhabitat”)
      4. Lines 73–74 (“The types of fish . . . important”)

    9. As used in line 78 of Passage 2, “classified” most nearly means

      1. arranged.
      2. cataloged.
      3. categorized.
      4. pigeonholed.

    10. It can most reasonably be inferred from the phrase “needs to be done” (line 81) that the author of Passage 2 thinks

      1. new methods for researching the ecosystem are required before funding continues.
      2. the Sargasso Sea is becoming a problem for shipping lanes and requires removal.
      3. the scientific community has ignored this complex and delicate ecosystem.
      4. the Sargasso ecosystem is worthy of our attention and requires intense study.

    11. The author uses the words “great,” “vast,” and “immense” in Passage 2 in order to emphasize that

      1. the work researchers conduct is highly respected by a growing scientific community.
      2. the microhabitats are large despite their name and require extensive periods for study.
      3. the amount of funding required for Sargasso Sea research is commensurate with the large area that must be covered.
      4. the level of complexity for researchers is heightened by the large area that must be covered.

    12. Which statement best describes the difference between the purpose of Passage 1 and the purpose of Passage 2?

      1. The purpose of Passage 2 is to convince politicians to lend aid, while Passage 1 speaks to a general audience.
      2. Passage 1 aims to convince readers that these studies are futile, while Passage 2 has a more optimistic viewpoint of the research.
      3. Passage 2 discusses current research trends for an entire ecosystem, while Passage 1 focuses on a single species.
      4. The purpose of Passage 2 is to show that scientists cannot agree on a single research method, while they are able to do so in Passage 1.

    13. Both passages support which generalization?

      1. The most dangerous period of time for young loggerhead turtles is the first eight hours of life.
      2. The technology used to research the ecosystem and its inhabitants continues to evolve.
      3. Recent studies show that the number of fish and turtle species in the Sargasso Sea is increasing.
      4. The ability of scientists to collect data on the Sargasso Sea properly depends on vital government grants.

    1. Questions 43–52 are based on the following passage and supplementary material.

    2. The following passage explains what causes colorblindness and why men are affected more often than women.

      About eight percent of men of European descent are colorblind, but only about half a percent of women are affected by the same condition. Most of these people are “red-green” colorblind, meaning they cannot see colors related to green or red. Not only are they unable to tell red and green apart, but yellows and oranges do not appear different, nor do blues and purples. Colorblindness is not “blindness” but is instead an inability to distinguish certain wavelengths of light. A red-green colorblind man looking at a red object can see the object and can see that it is not white; however, he is unable to tell whether the object is red or green, as they both appear similar to him.       People with normal color vision see color because they have an array of three types of photosensitive cells, called cones, on the back of their retinas. Each type of cone has a different pigment that is sensitive to a certain part of the visible light spectrum. The visible light spectrum runs from smaller wavelengths at the blue end, through medium wavelengths in the green to yellow range, to long wavelengths at the red end. The cones are often referred to as blue, green, and red cones, based on the wavelength of light they absorb most. The blue cones absorb the blue wavelengths of light most, although they also absorb a small amount of the green wavelengths. The green cones have their maximum absorption in the green wavelengths, but also absorb partially into the blue and up into the yellow wavelengths. The range that the red cones absorb significantly overlaps the range of the green cones; the red cone maximum absorption is in the yellow wavelengths, but red cones also absorb a bit down into the green, through the yellow, and up into the red wavelengths. Even though the green and red cones absorb much of the same part of the visible spectrum, a person who lacks the sensitive pigment in either red or green cones will have difficulty perceiving either color, because the brain compares the signals from both to determine exactly which region of light is being absorbed. With only one set of cones sending signals, the brain will perceive light from the green, yellow, and red wavelengths to be about the same. A person will lack the pigment for either green or red cones if he or she lacks the gene necessary to make that pigment. Because genes are inherited from our parents, half from each parent, we would expect men and women to have an equal chance of being colorblind. The actual ratio is about sixteen colorblind men for each colorblind woman. The reason for this inequality becomes clear once we know that the genes for making the cone pigments are on the X chromosome. Women have two X chromosomes, one from each parent. Men only have one X chromosome, which they get from their mother. A woman can receive a colorblind gene on an X chromosome from one parent, but if the other X chromosome has a normal cone pigment gene, she will still make normal pigments and have normal color vision. The woman would need to receive the colorblind gene from each parent to be colorblind. Since a man only has the one X chromosome, receiving the colorblind gene from his mother will always cause colorblindness in a man. Women who have only one copy of the colorblind gene are referred to as carriers because they carry the gene but are not affected by it. By tracking the family members with colorblindness, we can create a chart, called a pedigree, to determine which women in the family are carriers. A colorblind daughter must have had a colorblind father and either a colorblind or carrier mother, as she must have received a copy of the colorblind gene from each parent. A colorblind son also must have had either a colorblind or carrier mother, but whether or not the father was colorblind will not affect the son.

    3. The passage is primarily concerned with

      1. how to determine whether a person is colorblind.
      2. research being conducted about colorblindness.
      3. how people who are colorblind perceive color.
      4. the genetic and physiological causes of colorblindness.

    4. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

      1. Lines 1–3 (“About eight . . . condition”)
      2. Lines 15–18 (“People with . . . retinas”)
      3. Lines 24–26 (“The cones . . . absorb most”)
      4. Lines 47–49 (“A person . . . pigment”)

    5. In the sixth paragraph, the author mentions details about X chromosomes primarily to

      1. give examples of other traits inherited from mothers.
      2. explain why more men than women are colorblind.
      3. illustrate how genes affect vision and colorblindness.
      4. contrast colorblindness with other genetic disorders.

    6. Based on the information in the passage, which choice best describes what causes red and green to be the two colors that a colorblind person often cannot perceive?

      1. A colorblind person is missing both red and green cones on the back of the retinas.
      2. Because blue wavelengths are brighter, they overpower both red and green wavelengths.
      3. Because red and green absorption ranges overlap greatly, the colorblind person’s brain has trouble interpreting the difference between those two colors.
      4. Red and green are on opposite sides of the color wheel, so their absorption ranges are at the farthest, opposite ends of the visible light spectrum.

    7. Which choice would best support the author's line of reasoning in the first paragraph?

      1. Details about other types of colorblindness
      2. A more detailed explanation of the light spectrum
      3. A list of other genetic disorders that affect men
      4. Information about how colorblindness is diagnosed

    8. As used in line 19, “sensitive” most nearly means

      1. delicate.
      2. responsive.
      3. sympathetic.
      4. vulnerable.

    9. Based on the information in the passage, it can most reasonably be inferred that which of the following statements is true?

      1. Colorblindness can be corrected with treatments designed to encourage the growth of the missing genes that make pigments.
      2. A person with normal color vision can become colorblind as he or she ages and the photosensitive cells degenerate.
      3. A person who is colorblind will experience the visual world in a way that is different from a person with normal color vision.
      4. Colorblindness cannot be diagnosed without invasive and expensive genetic testing of both a person and his or her parents.

    10. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

      1. Lines 10–14 (“A red-green . . . him”)
      2. Lines 26–27 (“The blue cones . . . wavelengths”)
      3. Lines 42–44 (“the brain . . . absorbed”)
      4. Lines 71–74 (“By tracking . . . carriers”)

    11. As used in line 71, “affected” most nearly means

      1. changed.
      2. concerned.
      3. exaggerated.
      4. involved.

    12. Based on the information in the passage and the graphic, which of the following statements is true?

      1. A male with a colorblind mother and a father who is not colorblind has a 100 percent chance of being a carrier for the colorblind gene, but not colorblind himself.
      2. A male with a colorblind father and a mother who is a carrier has a 100 percent chance of being colorblind.
      3. A female with a colorblind father and a mother who is not a carrier has a 100 percent chance of being a carrier for the colorblind gene.
      4. A female with a mother who is a carrier but not colorblind and a colorblind father has a 100 percent chance of being colorblind.