New SAT Reading : New SAT

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for New SAT Reading

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #61 : New Sat Writing And Language

1 Although vegetarianism is sometimes considered a recent phenomenon, the practice actually has roots in both ancient India and ancient Greece. 2 In Greece, being vegetarian was a way to abstain from eating ‘beings with souls,’ and vegetarianism was primarily practiced by small religious sects or certain philosophical thinkers. 3 Ancient Indian vegetarianism may have been more widespread, as it was mandatory for many Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists. 4 Buddhist scholars argue whether Gautama Buddha ever ate meat. 5 Obviously, vegetarianism is a constantly evolution practice that has changed considerably over the past several thousand years.

6 During the Middle Ages, vegetarianism remained largely outside the cultural milieu in Europe. 7 Certain aseptic religious sects may have avoided eating meat, but the practice didn’t truly gain ground in Western Europe until the Age of Enlightenment. 8 During and before that time, many people still argued that animals existed only for the benefit of humankind. 9 They were opposed by other people who thought that that was an anthropocentric viewpoint.

10 Over time, vegetarianism gradually gained diction with influential thinkers and by the twentieth century, organizations such as the International Vegetarian Union, the North American Vegetarian Society, and the Animal Aid were appearing. 11 What new form will vegetarianism take in the future?

Which sentence contains a word that is used incorrectly?

Possible Answers:

Sentence 9

Sentence 7

Sentence 4

Sentence 8

Correct answer:

Sentence 7

Explanation:

Sentence 7 refers to “aseptic” monks, but the correct word would be “ascetic.” The former word means germ-free, while the latter word refers to a simple, austere lifestyle often embraced by monastic orders.

Example Question #62 : New Sat Writing And Language

Although vegetarianism is sometimes considered a recent phenomenon, the practice actually has roots in both ancient India and ancient Greece. In Greece, being vegetarian was a way to abstain from eating ‘beings with souls,’ and vegetarianism was primarily practiced by small religious sects or certain philosophical thinkers. Ancient Indian vegetarianism may have been more widespread, as it was mandatory for many Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists. Buddhist scholars argue whether Gautama Buddha ever ate meat. Obviously, vegetarianism is a constantly evolution practice that has changed considerably over the past several thousand years.

During the Middle Ages, vegetarianism remained largely outside the cultural milieu in Europe. Certain aseptic religious sects may have avoided eating meat, but the practice didn’t truly gain ground in Western Europe until the Age of Enlightenment. During and before that time, many people still argued that animals existed only for the benefit of humankind. They were opposed by other people who thought that that was an anthropocentric viewpoint.

Over time, vegetarianism gradually gained diction with influential thinkers and by the twentieth century, organizations such as the International Vegetarian Union, the North American Vegetarian Society, and the Animal Aid were appearing. What new form will vegetarianism take in the future?

What is the best way to combine the underlined sentences?

Possible Answers:

During and before that time, many people were still arguing that animals exist only for humankind’s benefit; however, they were being opposed by other people who thought that that was an anthropocentrism.

“During and before that time, many people still argued that animals existed only for the benefit of humankind, although some opposed that anthropocentric viewpoint.”

During and before that time, many people still argued that animals existed only for the benefit of humankind, being opposed by an anthropocentric viewpoint.

During and before that time, many believed animals exist only for humankind’s benefit, however, they were being opposed by other people who thought that that was an anthropocentrism.

Correct answer:

“During and before that time, many people still argued that animals existed only for the benefit of humankind, although some opposed that anthropocentric viewpoint.”

Explanation:

The ideal new sentence would combine the two original sentences while preserving the author’s meaning and using correct conjunctions and punctuation. A correct sentence would also remove the ambiguity caused by the use of “that” in the first sentence and improve concision. The only sentence that accomplishes all these things is “During and before that time, many people still argued that animals existed only for the benefit of humankind, although some opposed that anthropocentric viewpoint.”

Example Question #63 : New Sat Writing And Language

1 Although vegetarianism is sometimes considered a recent phenomenon, the practice actually has roots in both ancient India and ancient Greece. 2 In Greece, being vegetarian was a way to abstain from eating ‘beings with souls,’ and vegetarianism was primarily practiced by small religious sects or certain philosophical thinkers. 3 Ancient Indian vegetarianism may have been more widespread, as it was mandatory for many Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists. 4 Buddhist scholars argue whether Gautama Buddha ever ate meat. 5 Obviously, vegetarianism is a constantly evolution practice that has changed considerably over the past several thousand years.

6 During the Middle Ages, vegetarianism remained largely outside the cultural milieu in Europe. 7 Certain aseptic religious sects may have avoided eating meat, but the practice didn’t truly gain ground in Western Europe until the Age of Enlightenment. 8 During and before that time, many people still argued that animals existed only for the benefit of humankind. 9 They were opposed by other people who thought that that was an anthropocentric viewpoint.

10 Over time, vegetarianism gradually gained diction with influential thinkers and by the twentieth century, organizations such as the International Vegetarian Union, the North American Vegetarian Society, and the Animal Aid were appearing. 11 What new form will vegetarianism take in the future?

Where should the following sentence be inserted in the text? “Luminaries such as Ovid, Leonardo da Vinci, Mahatma Gandhi, and even Benjamin Franklin were all supporters of the vegetarian cause.”

Possible Answers:

After Sentence 9

After Sentence 8

After Sentence 11

After Sentence 10

Correct answer:

After Sentence 9

Explanation:

This sentence would conclude the second paragraph nicely. It lists several famous proponents of vegetarianism, and Sentences 8 and 9 were concerned with explaining that some people were historically proponents of the practice and others were opponents. Generally, specific examples belong best in the sentence that immediately follows the introduction of the broader topic or point.

Example Question #64 : New Sat Writing And Language

Although vegetarianism is sometimes considered a recent phenomenon, the practice actually has roots in both ancient India and ancient Greece. In Greece, being vegetarian was a way to abstain from eating ‘beings with souls,’ and vegetarianism was primarily practiced by small religious sects or certain philosophical thinkers. Ancient Indian vegetarianism may have been more widespread, as it was mandatory for many Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists. Buddhist scholars argue whether Gautama Buddha ever ate meat. Obviously, vegetarianism is a constantly evolution practice that has changed considerably over the past several thousand years.

During the Middle Ages, vegetarianism remained largely outside the cultural milieu in Europe. Certain aseptic religious sects may have avoided eating meat, but the practice didn’t truly gain ground in Western Europe until the Age of Enlightenment. During and before that time, many people still argued that animals existed only for the benefit of humankind. They were opposed by other people who thought that that was an anthropocentric viewpoint.

Over time, vegetarianism gradually gained diction with influential thinkers and by the twentieth century, organizations such as the International Vegetarian Union, the North American Vegetarian Society, and the Animal Aid were appearing. What new form will vegetarianism take in the future?

In the context of the passage, what is the best definition for the underlined word “sects”?

Possible Answers:

Nonbelievers

Hierarchies

Subgroups

Stereotypes

Correct answer:

Subgroups

Explanation:

The word “sect” is used to refer to a smaller –and often more extreme– group within a religion or belief system. These sects are sometimes seen as heretical by members of the larger religious group, but not always.

Example Question #65 : New Sat Writing And Language

1 Although vegetarianism is sometimes considered a recent phenomenon, the practice actually has roots in both ancient India and ancient Greece. 2 In Greece, being vegetarian was a way to abstain from eating ‘beings with souls,’ and vegetarianism was primarily practiced by small religious sects or certain philosophical thinkers. 3 Ancient Indian vegetarianism may have been more widespread, as it was mandatory for many Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists. 4 Buddhist scholars argue whether Gautama Buddha ever ate meat. 5 Obviously, vegetarianism is a constantly evolution practice that has changed considerably over the past several thousand years.

6 During the Middle Ages, vegetarianism remained largely outside the cultural milieu in Europe. 7 Certain aseptic religious sects may have avoided eating meat, but the practice didn’t truly gain ground in Western Europe until the Age of Enlightenment. 8 During and before that time, many people still argued that animals existed only for the benefit of humankind. 9 They were opposed by other people who thought that that was an anthropocentric viewpoint.

10 Over time, vegetarianism gradually gained diction with influential thinkers and by the twentieth century, organizations such as the International Vegetarian Union, the North American Vegetarian Society, and the Animal Aid were appearing. 11 What new form will vegetarianism take in the future?

Which of the following sentences contains a comma error?

Possible Answers:

Sentence 10

Sentence 6

Sentence 8

None of these

Correct answer:

Sentence 10

Explanation:

Sentence 10 contains two independent clauses (“Over time, vegetarianism gradually gained diction with influential thinkers” and “by the twentieth century, organizations such as the International Vegetarian Union, the North American Vegetarian Society, and the Animal Aid were appearing”) that are joined by a conjunction (“and”). All sentences that contain two independent clauses separated by a conjunction must also have a comma before the conjunction, so the current version of Sentence 10 is incorrect.

Example Question #66 : New Sat Writing And Language

1 Although vegetarianism is sometimes considered a recent phenomenon, the practice actually has roots in both ancient India and ancient Greece. 2 In Greece, being vegetarian was a way to abstain from eating ‘beings with souls,’ and vegetarianism was primarily practiced by small religious sects or certain philosophical thinkers. 3 Ancient Indian vegetarianism may have been more widespread, as it was mandatory for many Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists. 4 Buddhist scholars argue whether Gautama Buddha ever ate meat. 5 Obviously, vegetarianism is a constantly evolution practice that has changed considerably over the past several thousand years.

6 During the Middle Ages, vegetarianism remained largely outside the cultural milieu in Europe. 7 Certain aseptic religious sects may have avoided eating meat, but the practice didn’t truly gain ground in Western Europe until the Age of Enlightenment. 8 During and before that time, many people still argued that animals existed only for the benefit of humankind. 9 They were opposed by other people who thought that that was an anthropocentric viewpoint.

10 Over time, vegetarianism gradually gained diction with influential thinkers and by the twentieth century, organizations such as the International Vegetarian Union, the North American Vegetarian Society, and the Animal Aid were appearing. 11 What new form will vegetarianism take in the future?

What transitional word or phrase would be the best way to begin Sentence 7?

Possible Answers:

As in ancient India,

As in ancient Greece,

However,

Nevertheless,

Correct answer:

As in ancient Greece,

Explanation:

This sentence discusses the fact that vegetarianism in the Middle Ages was restricted mostly to small religious groups, which is similar to the situation in ancient Greece that Sentence 2 describes. The transitional phrase “As in ancient Greece” would help highlight this similarity for readers. "As in ancient India" would be factually inacurate, as vegetarianism was more widespread in that region. Either "nevertheless" or "however" would suggest a direct oppositional relationship to the sentence preceding it (also, it is more grammatically correct to use a semi-colon to connect independent clauses beginning with "however" (although this is a disputed grammatical convention)). 

Example Question #67 : New Sat Writing And Language

Maybe your thinking of getting a dog; but you are not sure how it will affect your budget. Don’t worry! It’s possible to enjoy the companionship with a dog without spending too much of your precious dollars.

First, you will want to make a list of all the necessary items needed before you bring Fluffy home. Compare costs at different pet stores, grocery stores and big box stores. You will need to buy food, a leash, and purchase toys for your dog.

When it comes to the many dog food choices, you don’t want to just buy the cheaper option. You will want to do some research to see what is healthiest for your dog! One of the best ways to save money on dog food is to buy it in bulk.

Don’t forget to plan for some other big expenses, the vet consultation, wellness exam, and any treatments your dog needs. When you bring your pet to the vet, they may need shots, which can vary for price. Call different clinics in the area and ask how much they charge for the standard immunizations? You might find that there is a lot of differences between offices.

The key to sticking to your budget is planning everything out! With good preparation and organization, a dog will not cost you more money than you planned for.

How should the underlined section be corrected?

Possible Answers:

NO CHANGE

dog? But

dog: but

dog, but

Correct answer:

dog, but

Explanation:

This question asks you about the correct use of a semicolon. A semicolon should be used to separate two related, but complete sentences. In this context, a semicolon is not appropriate punctuation since the second part of the sentence begins with the conjunction "but." A semicolon generally should not be used before a conjunction. The best option to punctuate this sentence is a comma and the conjunction "but."

Example Question #68 : New Sat Writing And Language

Maybe your thinking of getting a dog; but you are not sure how it will affect your budget. Don’t worry! It’s possible to enjoy the companionship with a dog without spending too much of your precious dollars.

First, you will want to make a list of all the necessary items needed before you bring Fluffy home. Compare costs at different pet stores, grocery stores and big box stores. You will need to buy food, a leash, and purchase toys for your dog.

When it comes to the many dog food choices, you don’t want to just buy the cheaper option. You will want to do some research to see what is healthiest for your dog! One of the best ways to save money on dog food is to buy it in bulk.

Don’t forget to plan for some other big expenses, the vet consultation, wellness exam, and any treatments your dog needs. When you bring your pet to the vet, they may need shots, which can vary for price. Call different clinics in the area and ask how much they charge for the standard immunizations? You might find that there is a lot of differences between offices.

The key to sticking to your budget is planning everything out! With good preparation and organization, a dog will not cost you more money than you planned for.

How should the underlined section be corrected?

Possible Answers:

NO CHANGE

companionship for a dog

dog companionship

companionship of a dog

Correct answer:

companionship of a dog

Explanation:

This question asks you about the correct preposition to use with a verb. This sentence is describing the ability to enjoy a dog's companionship. The correct preposition to use to indicate this possession is "of:" "the companionship of a dog."

Example Question #69 : New Sat Writing And Language

Maybe your thinking of getting a dog; but you are not sure how it will affect your budget. Don’t worry! It’s possible to enjoy the companionship with a dog without spending too much of your precious dollars.

First, you will want to make a list of all the necessary items needed before you bring Fluffy home. Compare costs at different pet stores, grocery stores and big box stores. You will need to buy food, a leash, and purchase toys for your dog.

When it comes to the many dog food choices, you don’t want to just buy the cheaper option. You will want to do some research to see what is healthiest for your dog! One of the best ways to save money on dog food is to buy it in bulk.

Don’t forget to plan for some other big expenses, the vet consultation, wellness exam, and any treatments your dog needs. When you bring your pet to the vet, they may need shots, which can vary for price. Call different clinics in the area and ask how much they charge for the standard immunizations? You might find that there is a lot of differences between offices.

The key to sticking to your budget is planning everything out! With good preparation and organization, a dog will not cost you more money than you planned for.

How should the underlined section be corrected?

Possible Answers:

a large amount of

NO CHANGE

too many

much

Correct answer:

too many

Explanation:

This question asks you to correct a modifier countability error. Since the noun being modified, "dollars," is countable, a countable modifier must be used. It may seem like an uncountable modifier like "too much" should be used since the sentence is discussing money, but since the countable noun "dollars" is used, the correct choice is the countable "too many."

Example Question #70 : New Sat Writing And Language

Maybe your thinking of getting a dog; but you are not sure how it will affect your budget. Don’t worry! It’s possible to enjoy the companionship with a dog without spending too much of your precious dollars.

First, you will want to make a list of all the necessary items needed before you bring Fluffy home. Compare costs at different pet stores, grocery stores and big box stores. You will need to buy food, a leash, and purchase toys for your dog.

When it comes to the many dog food choices, you don’t want to just buy the cheaper option. You will want to do some research to see what is healthiest for your dog! One of the best ways to save money on dog food is to buy it in bulk.

Don’t forget to plan for some other big expenses, the vet consultation, wellness exam, and any treatments your dog needs. When you bring your pet to the vet, they may need shots, which can vary for price. Call different clinics in the area and ask how much they charge for the standard immunizations? You might find that there is a lot of differences between offices.

The key to sticking to your budget is planning everything out! With good preparation and organization, a dog will not cost you more money than you planned for.

How should the underlined sentence be corrected?

Possible Answers:

a list of all the necessary items you need

a necessary list of all the needed items

NO CHANGE

a list of all the necessary items

Correct answer:

a list of all the necessary items

Explanation:

This question asks you to eliminate redundant words. The words "necessary" and "needed" convey the same meaning in this statement, so it is not necessary to include both. The phrase "all the necessary items" conveys the same meaning concisely. 

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors