H-English 1: SAT Question of the Day/Grammar Quiz
Seminole/Muscogee director Sterlin Harjo _______ television's tendency to situate Native characters in the distant past: this rejection is evident in his series Reservation Dogs, which revolves around teenagers who dress in contemporary styles and whose dialogue is laced with current slang. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? A) repudiates B) proclaims C) foretells D) recants
A
evoke (verb)
bring or recall to the conscious mind Ex. A country's national anthem is meant to ____ feelings of pride in its citizens.
impede (verb)
delay or prevent (someone or something) by obstructing them; hinder. Ex. The city council attempted to ___ the fast-food restaurant's efforts to install a drive-thru window.
eloquent (adjective)
fluent or persuasive speaking or writing Ex. Shakespeare's sonnets are considered some of the most ____ poems in British literature.
bias (noun)
prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually in a way considered to be unfair. Ex. Though she promised to be free of ________, it became evident very quickly that my mom preferred a dog over a cat as a potential pet.
explicit (adjective)
stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt Ex. The teacher's classroom rules were ____; they were written on a poster right above her desk.
adhere (verb)
to believe in and follow the practices of Ex. It can be difficult to ______ to a workout regimen without coaching and discipline
Public-awareness campaigns about the need to reduce single-use plastics can be successful, says researcher Kim Borg of Monash University in Australia, when these campaigns give consumers a choice: for example, Japan achieved a 40 percent reduction in plastic-bag use after cashiers were instructed to ask customers whether _______ wanted a bag. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A) they B) one C) you D) it
A
Given that the conditions in binary star systems should make planetary formation nearly impossible, it's not surprising that the existence of planets in such systems has lacked _______ explanation. Roman Rafikov and Kedron Silsbee shed light on the subject when they used modeling to determine a complex set of factors that could support planets' development. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? A) a discernible B) a straightforward C) an inconclusive D) an unbiased
B
Scientists believe that, unlike most other species of barnacle, turtle barnacles (Chelonibia testudinari) can dissolve the cement-like secretions they use to attach _______ to a sea turtle shell, enabling the barnacles to move short distances across the shell's surface. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A) it B) themselves C) them D) itself
B
Following the principles of community-based participatory research, tribal nations and research institutions are equal partners in health studies conducted on reservations. A collaboration between the Crow Tribe and Montana State University _______ this model: tribal citizens worked alongside scientists to design the methodology and continue to assist in data collection. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? A) circumvents B) eclipses C) fabricates D) exemplifies
D
The province of Xoconochco was situated on the Pacific coast, hundreds of kilometers southeast of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire. Because Xoconochco's location within the empire was so _______ , cacao and other trade goods produced there could reach the capital only after a long overland journey. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? A) unobtrusive B) concealed C) approximate D) peripheral
D
imminent (adjective)
about to happen Ex. The decreasing temperatures and darkening skies mean that a rainstorm is imminent.
divergent (adjective)
tending to be different or develop in different directions Ex. Due to the unclear instructions, student took _________ paths in their papers, with some arguing multiple perspectives and some switching topics altogether.
"To You" is an 1856 poem by Walt Whitman. In the poem, Whitman suggests that readers, whom he addresses directly, have not fully understood themselves, writing, _______" Which quotation from "To You" most effectively illustrates the claim? A) "You have not known what you are, you have slumber'd upon yourself / all your life, / Your eyelids have been the same as closed most of the time." B) "These immense meadows, these interminable rivers, you are immense / and interminable as they." C) "I should have made my way straight to you long ago, / I should have blabb'd nothing but you, I should have chanted nothing / but you." D) "I will leave all and come and make the hymns of you, / None has understood you, but I understand you."
A
In ancient Greece, an Epicurean was a follower of Epicurus, a philosopher whose beliefs revolved around the pursuit of pleasure. Epicurus defined pleasure as "the absence of pain in the body and of trouble in the _______ that all life's virtues derived from this absence. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A) soul," positing B) soul": positing C) soul"; positing D) soul." Positing
A
The following text is from Maggie Pogue Johnson 1910 poem "Poet of Our Race." In this poem, the speaker is addressing Paul Laurence Dunbar, a Black author. Thou, with stroke of mighty pen, Hast told of joy and mirth, And read the hearts and souls of men As cradled from their birth. The language of the flowers, Thou hast read them all, And e'en the little brook Responded to thy call. Which choice best states the main purpose of the text? A) To praise a certain writer for being especially perceptive regarding people and nature B) To establish that a certain writer has read extensively about a variety of topics C) To call attention to a certain writer's careful and elaborately detailed writing process D) To recount fond memories of an afternoon spent in nature with a certain writer
A
For painter Jacob Lawrence, being _______ was an important part of the artistic process. Because he paid close attention to all the details of his Harlem neighborhood, Lawrence's artwork captured nuances in the beauty and vitality of the Black experience during the Harlem Renaissance and the Great Migration. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? A) skeptical B) observant C) critical D) confident
B
Former astronaut Ellen Ochoa says that although she doesn't have a definite idea of when it might happen, she _______ that humans will someday need to be able to live in other environments than those found on Earth. This conjecture informs her interest in future research missions to the moon. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? A) demands B) speculates C) doubts D) establishes
B) speculates
A study by a team including finance professor Madhu Veeraraghavan suggests that exposure to sunshine during the workday can lead to overly optimistic behavior. __ Using data spanning from 1994 to 2010 for a set of US companies, the team compared over 29,000 annual earnings forecasts to the actual earnings later reported by those companies. ___ The team found that the greater the exposure to sunshine at work in the two weeks before a manager submitted an earnings forecast, the more the manager's forecast exceeded what the company actually earned that year. Which choice best states the function of the underlined sentence in the overall structure of the text? A) To summarize the results of the team's analysis B) To present a specific example that illustrates the study's findings C) To explain part of the methodology used in the team's study D) To call out a challenge the team faced in conducting its analysis
C
Beginning in the 1950s, Navajo Nation legislator Annie Dodge Wauneka continuously worked to promote public health; this _______ effort involved traveling throughout the vast Navajo homeland and writing a medical dictionary for speakers of Diné bizaad, the Navajo language. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? A) impartial B) offhand C) persistent D) mandatory
C
British scientists James Watson and Francis Crick won the Nobel Prize in part for their 1953 paper announcing the double helix structure of DNA, but it is misleading to say that Watson and Crick discovered the double helix. _______ findings were based on a famous X-ray image of DNA fibers, "Photo 51," developed by X-ray crystallographer Rosalind Franklin and her graduate student Raymond Gosling. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A) They're B) It's C) Their D) Its
C
In 1937, Chinese American screen actor Anna May Wong, who had portrayed numerous villains and secondary characters but never a heroine, finally got a starring role in Paramount Pictures' Daughter of Shanghai, a film that _______ "expanded the range of possibilities for Asian images on screen." Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A) critic, Stina Chyn, claims B) critic, Stina Chyn, claims, C) critic Stina Chyn claims D) critic Stina Chyn, claim
C
Stomata, tiny pore structures in a leaf that absorb gases needed for plant growth, open when guard cells surrounding each pore swell with water. In a pivotal 2007 article, plant cell _______ showed that lipid molecules called phosphatidylinositol phosphates are responsible for signaling guard cells to open stomata. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A) biologist, Yuree Lee B) biologist Yuree Lee, C) biologist Yuree Lee D) biologist, Yuree Lee,
C
The following text is adapted from Edith Nesbit's 1906 novel The Railway Children. Mother did not spend all her time in paying dull [visits] to dull ladies, and sitting dully at home waiting for dull ladies to pay [visits] to her. She was almost always there, ready to play with the children, and read to them, and help them to do their home-lessons. Besides this she used to write stories for them while they were at school, and read them aloud after tea, and she always made up funny pieces of poetry for their birthdays and for other great occasions. According to the text, what is true about Mother? A) She wishes that more ladies would visit her. B) Birthdays are her favorite special occasion. C) She creates stories and poems for her children. D) Reading to her children is her favorite activity.
C
dispute (noun)
a disagreement, argument, or debate Ex. A handshake, or verbal, agreement between employer and employee can lead to a ____ when one party does not follow through and there is written documentation to resolve the matter.
consensus (noun)
a general agreement Ex. With everyone wanting a different cuisine, the group of friends found it nearly impossible to come to a ___.
anecdote (noun)
a short and amusing or interesting story about a real incident or person Ex. Our professor opened the semester with a number of humorous _________ about excuses he has heard from students who missed class.
apprehensive (adjective)
anxious or fearful that something bad or unpleasant will happen Ex. Lauren was _________ about her upcoming violin recital: She had practiced enough but had never performed in front of more than four or five people.
arbitary (adjective)
based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system Ex. The town's enforcement of parking rules felt ____________, as some days the rules would be strictly enforced and other days it seem impossible to get a ticket no matter how severe the infraction.
analogous (adjective)
comparable in certain respects, typically in a way which makes clearer the nature of the things compared Ex. The rocking of a ship against the waves has been described by some as _________ to the ups and downs of a rollercoaster ride.
brevity (noun)
concise and exact use of words in writing or speech Ex. Sabrina's notes were known for their ________, as entire concepts were often summed up into a small series of words and phrases.
dormant (adjective)
having normal physical functions suspended or slowed down for a period of time; in or as if in a deep sleep. Ex. Though the volcano once erupted randomly and violently for decades, it now lies ______ and is a popular tourist attraction.
decisive (adjective)
settling an issue; producing a definite result Ex. Megan scored a ___ victory for her field hockey team, netting four goals in just the first half of the game.
ambivalence (noun)
the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas about something or someone Ex. Understandably, Jillian struggled with _____________ regarding the group project: she loved working with her friends but felt that the work was never divided evenly.
concede (verb)
to admit that something is true or valid after first denying or resisting it Ex. After an intense debate, I was forced to ___ that my opponent had a strong argument regarding the need for district-wide budget reallocation.
corroborate (verb)
to confirm or give support to (a statement, theory, or finding) Ex. The thief claimed to have an alibi at the time of the crime but could not produce any friend or family to ___ his story.
In 2007, computer scientist Luis von Ahn was working on converting printed books into a digital format. He found that some words were distorted enough that digital scanners couldn't recognize them, but most humans could easily read them. Based on that finding, von Ahn invented a simple security test to keep automated "bots" out of websites. The first version of the reCAPTCHA test asked users to type one known word and one of the many words scanners couldn't recognize. Correct answers proved the users were humans and added data to the book-digitizing project. Which choice best states the main purpose of the text? A) To discuss von Ahn's invention of reCAPTCHA B) To explain how digital scanners work C) To call attention to von Ahn's book-digitizing project D) To indicate how popular reCAPTCHA is
A
deference (noun)
humble submission and respect Ex. The student spoke with ____ to his master when discussing the proper application of a mixed martial arts technique.
buttress (verb)
to increase the strength of or justification for; to reinforce Ex. The commissioner has promised to train 30 new recruits by the end of the year in order to ___________ the police force as the city's borders expand.
exert (verb)
to make a physical or mental effort Ex. Math Olympiad competitors ___ a tremendous amount of mental energy solving calculations while under a time limit.
denounce (verb)
to publicly declare to be wrong or evil Ex. The principal was expected to ____ graphic T-shirts as unacceptable school attire, but she surprised everyone when she stated that she considered them to be an important part of self-expression.
advocate (verb)
to publicly recommend or support Ex. Upon his appointment, the new vice president of the company promised to _______ for increased vocation time for all employees.
assert (verb)
to state a fact or belief confidently and forcefully Ex. After listening to the rest of the board members shout over each other, Dominic felt the need to ___________ that this time could have been better spent offering practical solutions to the issues.
allude (verb)
to suggest or call attention to indirectly; to hint at Ex. I didn't mean to __________ to your past breakup when discussing celebrity romances that ended badly.
degrade
treat or regard (someone) with contempt or disrespect Ex. The harsh note taped to the bulletin board in the employee breakroom was clearly meant to ____ those who were not clocking back in from breaks on time.
