Question ID ed314256
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and
Ideas Details
ID: ed314256
The most recent iteration of the immersive theater experience Sleep No More, which premiered in New York City in 2011,
transforms its performance space—a five-story warehouse—into a 1930s-era hotel. Audience members, who wander through
the labyrinthine venue at their own pace and follow the actors as they play out simultaneous, interweaving narrative loops,
confront the impossibility of experiencing the production in its entirety. The play’s refusal of narrative coherence thus hinges
on the sense of spatial fragmentation that the venue’s immense and intricate layout generates.
What does the text most strongly suggest about Sleep No More’s use of its performance space?
The choice of a New York City venue likely enabled the play’s creators to experiment with the use of theatrical space in a
A. way that venues from earlier productions could not.
Audience members likely find the experience of the play disappointing because they generally cannot make their way
B. through the entire venue.
The production’s dependence on a particular performance environment would likely make it difficult to reproduce exactly
C. in a different theatrical space.
Audience members who navigate the space according to a recommended itinerary will likely have a better grasp of the
D. play’s narrative than audience members who depart from that itinerary.
ID: ed314256 Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The text says that the production’s use of its large, winding space has a very specific effect on
the audience. Given that the space itself is so important to creating this effect, it would be difficult to reproduce the
production in a different space.
Choice A is incorrect. The fact that the venue is in New York City isn’t connected to the experimental nature of the
performance. It’s the size of the venue, not its location in New York, that affects the theatrical experience. Choice B is
incorrect. The text never suggests that audience members are disappointed because they can’t see the entire production. In
fact, it suggests that that’s an important part of the experience. Choice D is incorrect. The text doesn’t mention a
recommended itinerary for audience members.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 1a2b29c9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and
Ideas Details
ID: 1a2b29c9
The following text is adapted from María Cristina Mena’s 1914 short story “The Vine-Leaf.”
It is a saying in the capital of Mexico that Dr. Malsufrido carries more family secrets under his hat than any archbishop.
The doctor’s hat is, appropriately enough, uncommonly capacious, rising very high, and sinking so low that it seems to
be supported by his ears and eyebrows, and it has a furry look, as if it had been brushed the wrong way, which is
perhaps what happens to it if it is ever brushed at all. When the doctor takes it off, the family secrets do not fly out like a
flock of parrots, but remain nicely bottled up beneath a dome of old and highly polished ivory.
Based on the text, how do people in the capital of Mexico most likely regard Dr. Malsufrido?
A. Many have come to tolerate him despite his disheveled appearance.
B. Few feel concerned that he will divulge their confidences.
C. Some dislike how freely he discusses his own family.
D. Most would be unimpressed by him were it not for his professional expertise.
ID: 1a2b29c9 Answer
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The text describes a saying in the capital that Malsufrido keeps more secrets than an
archbishop. It also says that when he takes off his hat, “the family secrets do not fly out… but remain nicely bottled up,”
suggesting that he will not betray his confidences.
Choice A is incorrect. This choice doesn’t reflect the text. While his hat is large and appears to have been brushed in the
wrong direction, Dr. Malsufrido does not seem to be regarded as ill-dressed or disheveled. Choice C is incorrect. This choice
is the opposite of what the text says. The secrets of families (his and others’) remain “bottled up” in his head. Choice D is
incorrect. This choice isn’t supported by the text. His professional expertise is not discussed in the passage.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 2fdfe002
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and
Ideas Details
ID: 2fdfe002
The following text is adapted from Countee Cullen’s 1926 poem “Thoughts in a Zoo.”
They in their cruel traps, and we in ours, Survey each other’s rage, and pass the hours
Commiserating each the other’s woe, To mitigate his own pain’s fiery glow. Man could but little proffer in exchange
Save that his cages have a larger range. That lion with his lordly, untamed heart
Has in some man his human counterpart, Some lofty soul in dreams and visions wrapped,
But in the stifling flesh securely trapped.
Based on the text, what challenge do humans sometimes experience?
A. They cannot effectively tame certain wild animals because of a lack of compassion.
B. They cannot focus on setting attainable goals because of a lack of motivation.
C. They quickly become frustrated when faced with difficult tasks because of a lack of self-control.
D. They have aspirations that cannot be fulfilled because of certain limitations.
ID: 2fdfe002 Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. The text metaphorically likens humans to animals in a zoo, suggesting that humans have
dreams that they cannot fulfill because they are trapped.
Choice A is incorrect. The speaker says that the lion has an “untamed heart,” but the speaker doesn’t actually mention
anything about humans taming wild animals or a lack of compassion. Choice B is incorrect. The speaker doesn’t suggest
that humans lack motivation. Rather, the speaker thinks that humans are “trapped” and prevented from achieving their
dreams. Choice C is incorrect. The speaker doesn’t mention anything about humans becoming frustrated or lacking self-
control. Rather, the speaker thinks that humans are “trapped” and prevented from achieving their dreams.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 96802cc0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and
Ideas Details
ID: 96802cc0
For centuries, the widespread acknowledgment of the involvement of the cerebellum—a dense brain structure in vertebrates
—in coordinating motor control in humans has hindered recognition of other possible functions of the structure.
Neuroscience research from the last two decades now suggests that the cerebellum regulates emotion and social behavior,
and recent research by Ilaria Carta and colleagues has identified a pathway connecting the cerebellum to a center for
motivation and reward processing known as the ventral tegmental area (VTA).
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
The recent verification of a pathway between the VTA and the cerebellum confirms the cerebellum’s long-suspected role
A. in motor coordination.
Recent advances in the field of neuroscience have challenged widely accepted claims about the function of a pathway
B. connecting the VTA and the cerebellum.
The cerebellum has primarily been thought to regulate motor functioning, but in recent years neuroscience researchers
C. have been uncovering additional functions.
Technological limitations have historically hindered the study of the cerebellum, but the recent development of new
D. technologies has led to greater insights into its functions.
ID: 96802cc0 Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The text says that the cerebellum has long been thought to regulate motor functioning, but new
research shows that it may also have other functions—including regulating emotion and social behavior and some
connection to motivation and rewards processing.
Choice A is incorrect. The VTA is described as “a center for motivation and reward processing,” and the discovery of the
pathway between the VTA and the cerebellum supports the theory that the cerebellum is involved in functions other than
motor coordination. Choice B is incorrect. The text says that recent research has identified this pathway, but it doesn’t
discuss any previous “widely accepted claims” about the pathway’s function. The “widespread acknowledgement”
mentioned early in the passage is about the cerebellum alone, not its connection to the VTA. Choice D is incorrect. The text
never discusses any technological limitations or any new technologies.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID d0fbf1ae
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and
Ideas Details
ID: d0fbf1ae
Algae living within the tissues of corals play a critical role in keeping corals, and the marine ecosystems they are part of,
thriving. Some coral species appear brown in color when healthy due to the algae colonies living in their tissues. In the event
of an environmental stressor, the algae can die or be expelled, causing the corals to appear white. To recover the algae, the
bleached corals then begin to produce bright colors, which block intense sunlight, encouraging the light-sensitive algae to
recolonize the corals.
What does the text most strongly suggest about corals that produce bright colors?
A. These corals have likely been subjected to stressful environmental conditions.
B. These corals are likely more vulnerable to exposure from intense sunlight than white corals are.
C. These corals have likely recovered from an environmental event without the assistance of algae colonies.
D. These corals are more likely to survive without algae colonies than brown corals are.
ID: d0fbf1ae Answer
Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. The text says that corals produce bright colors to block sunlight and encourage algae to
recolonize after “an environmental stressor.” From this, we can infer that corals that produce bright colors have probably
been subjected to an environmental stressor.
Choice B is incorrect. The text says that corals produce bright colors to block intense sunlight, which protects the light-
sensitive algae that keep the coral healthy. In other words, bright colors make the coral’s health less vulnerable to intense
sunlight. Choice C is incorrect. The text says that corals produce bright colors to encourage algae to recolonize, not that they
have recovered without the assistance of algae colonies. Choice D is incorrect. The text never compares the likelihood of
differently colored corals surviving without algae colonies.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 14189fbb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and
Ideas Details
ID: 14189fbb
Having written the impassioned call to arms “Letter to the Spanish Americans” in 1791, Peruvian intellectual Juan Pablo
Viscardo y Guzmán is often considered a forerunner for the independence movements in Latin America. But Viscardo’s role
in history would have remained insignificant were it not for Venezuelan revolutionary Francisco de Miranda, who was handed
the unpublished letter after Viscardo’s death. Miranda not only helped circulate the letter, but his edits and footnotes to the
text position Miranda as a central figure in the text’s creation.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
A. The original authorship of “Letter to the Spanish Americans” is disputed by contemporary historians.
B. The majority of the most eloquently stated arguments in “Letter to the Spanish Americans” were written by Miranda.
C. Miranda played a crucial role in influencing the content and distribution of “Letter to the Spanish Americans.”
D. “Letter to the Spanish Americans” persuaded many people in Latin America to pursue national independence.
ID: 14189fbb Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The text describes how Miranda circulated, edited, and added footnotes to “Letter to the
Spanish Americans,” and it claims that the letter and its author would have “remained insignificant” if it weren’t for Miranda’s
efforts.
Choice A is incorrect. The text only says that Viscardo wrote the letter and that Miranda edited it: it never suggests that the
original authorship of the letter is up for debate. Choice B is incorrect. This contradicts the text. The text says that Miranda
edited and footnoted the letter, but it identifies Viscardo as the letter’s author. It also never identifies certain arguments as
more eloquent than others. Choice D is incorrect. This is outside the scope of the text. The paragraph describes Miranda’s
role in the creation and distribution of the letter, but it doesn’t get into the effects of the letter on other people.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 4d3e3c52
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and
Ideas Details
ID: 4d3e3c52
In a paper about p-i-n planar perovskite solar cells (one of several perovskite cell architectures designed to collect and store
solar power), Lyndsey McMillon-Brown et al. describe a method for fabricating the cell’s electronic transport layer (ETL)
using a spray coating. Conventional ETL fabrication is accomplished using a solution of nanoparticles. The process can
result in a loss of up to 80% of the solution, increasing the cost of manufacturing at scale—an issue that may be obviated by
spray coating fabrication, which the researchers describe as “highly reproducible, concise, and practical.”
What does the text most strongly suggest about conventional ETL fabrication?
It is less suitable for manufacturing large volumes of planar p-i-n perovskite solar cells than an alternative fabrication
A. method may be.
It is more expensive when manufacturing at scale than are processes for fabricating ETLs used in other perovskite solar
B. cell architectures.
C. It typically entails a greater loss of nanoparticle solution than do other established approaches for ETL fabrication.
It is somewhat imprecise and therefore limits the potential effectiveness of p-i-n planar perovskite solar cells at capturing
D. and storing solar power.
ID: 4d3e3c52 Answer
Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer. Conventional solar cell fabrication increases “the cost of manufacturing at scale,” but spray
coating might get rid of that problem.
Choice B is incorrect. This is not completely supported by the text. While it’s true that conventional ETL fabrication is
expensive at scale, there’s nothing in the text that mentions other perovskite solar cell architectures. Choice C is incorrect.
This choice does not match the text. Only one conventional method of ETL fabrication is described, so we can’t compare the
solution loss in this method to that of other conventional methods. Choice D is incorrect. This choice isn’t supported by the
text. The text never suggests that the effectiveness of solar cells changes based on their method of fabrication.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID d1b8a9ad
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and
Ideas Details
ID: d1b8a9ad
Disco remains one of the most ridiculed popular music genres of the late twentieth century. But as scholars have argued, the
genre is far less superficial than many people believe. Take the case of disco icon Donna Summer: she may have been
associated with popular songs about love and heartbreak (subjects hardly unique to disco, by the way), but like many Black
women singers before her, much of her music also reflects concerns about community and identity. These concerns are
present in many of the genre’s greatest songs, and they generally don’t require much digging to reveal.
What does the text most strongly suggest about the disco genre?
It has been unjustly ignored by most scholars despite the importance of the themes addressed by many of the genre’s
A. songs.
B. It evolved over time from a superficial genre focused on romance to a genre focused on more serious concerns.
C. It has been unfairly dismissed for the inclusion of subject matter that is also found in other musical genres.
It gave rise to a Black women’s musical tradition that has endured even though the genre itself faded in the late twentieth
D. century.
ID: d1b8a9ad Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The text argues that disco is "far less superficial" than its popular perception might indicate, and
that love and heartbreak are "subjects hardly unique to disco."
Choice A is incorrect. This choice conflicts with the text, which says that scholars argue that disco "is far less superficial
than many people believe." Choice B is incorrect. This choice says the opposite of what the text suggests. The writer argues
that the genre is not as superficial as commonly believed, but that it always reflected "concerns about community and
identity." Choice D is incorrect. The text doesn’t support this choice. There’s nothing in the text about disco giving rise to an
enduring Black women’s musical tradition.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 16025337
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and
Ideas Details
ID: 16025337
The following text is adapted from William Shakespeare’s 1609 poem “Sonnet 27.” The poem is addressed to a close friend
as if he were physically present.
Weary with toil, I [hurry] to my bed, The dear repose for limbs with travel tired; But then begins a journey in my head
To work my mind, when body’s work’s expired: For then my thoughts—from far where I abide—
[Begin] a zealous pilgrimage to thee, And keep my drooping eyelids open wide,
What is the main idea of the text?
A. The speaker is asleep and dreaming about traveling to see the friend.
B. The speaker is planning an upcoming trip to the friend’s house.
C. The speaker is too fatigued to continue a discussion with the friend.
D. The speaker is thinking about the friend instead of immediately falling asleep.
ID: 16025337 Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer it most accurately states the main idea of the text. The speaker describes going to bed for
“repose” (rest) but finding that his thoughts are focused on the friend the speaker is addressing, and the thoughts are
keeping the speaker awake.
Choice A is incorrect because the speaker isn’t asleep; the thoughts about the friend are keeping the speaker awake. Choice
B is incorrect because the speaker isn’t talking about taking a literal trip; rather, the speaker uses the metaphor of a journey
to describe internal thoughts. Choice C is incorrect because the speaker isn’t having a discussion with the friend.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 5eda42a3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and
Ideas Details
ID: 5eda42a3
The following text is from Maggie Pogue Johnson’s 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, The language of the flowers,
Hast told of joy and mirth, Thou hast read them all,
And read the hearts and souls of men And e’en the little brook
As cradled from their birth. 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
ID: 5eda42a3 Answer
Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately states the main purpose of the text. In the first part of the text, the
speaker addresses Paul Laurence Dunbar’s ability to understand people (he has “read the hearts and souls of men” and
written of their “joy and mirth”). In the second part of the text, the speaker describes Dunbar’s thorough understanding of the
natural world (he has read “the language of the flowers” and engaged with “the little brook”). Thus, the text mainly praises
Dunbar for being especially perceptive about people and nature.
Choice B is incorrect because the speaker describes Dunbar as having read the “hearts and souls of men” and the “language
of flowers” to convey Dunbar’s ability to comprehend people and nature, not to suggest that Dunbar has literally read any of
these things or has read a great deal about them. Choice C is incorrect because the text notes how well Dunbar has made
sense of the topics he’s written about but doesn’t address any specific parts of Dunbar’s writing process beyond the
suggestion that he used a pen. Choice D is incorrect because the text focuses on Dunbar’s understanding of people and
nature as expressed in his writing. Nothing in the text suggests that the speaker is recalling a particular afternoon actually
spent in nature with Dunbar; even if there had been a shared experience, the text isn’t focused on reminiscing.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID d2e0cba5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and
Ideas Details
ID: d2e0cba5
In a study of new technology adoption, Davit Marikyan et al. examined negative disconfirmation (which occurs when
experiences fall short of one’s expectations) to determine whether it could lead to positive outcomes for users. The team
focused on established users of “smart home” technology, which presents inherent utilization challenges but tends to
attract users with high expectations, often leading to feelings of dissonance. The researchers found that many users
employed cognitive mechanisms to mitigate those feelings, ultimately reversing their initial sense of disappointment.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
Research suggests that most users of smart home technology will not achieve a feeling of satisfaction given the
A. utilization challenges of such technology.
Although most smart home technology is aimed at meeting or exceeding users’ high expectations, those expectations in
B. general remain poorly understood.
Research suggests that users with high expectations for a new technology can feel content with that technology even
C. after experiencing negative disconfirmation.
Although negative disconfirmation has often been studied, little is known about the cognitive mechanisms shaping users’
D. reactions to it in the context of new technology adoption.
ID: d2e0cba5 Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer. The passage begins by describing the study, and concludes with its results: "many users
employed cognitive mechanisms to mitigate those feelings [of negative disconfirmation]."
Choice A is incorrect. This is the opposite of what the text claims. Rather, the researchers found that "many users" reversed
"their initial sense of disappointment." Choice B is incorrect. This choice doesn’t reflect the text. What the expectations of
smart home tech users are is not discussed. Choice D is incorrect. This choice doesn’t reflect the text. How often these
topics have been studied is not mentioned.
Question Difficulty: Hard
Question ID 7c9a65bb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Reading and Writing Information and Central Ideas and
Ideas Details
ID: 7c9a65bb
Optical tweezers are specialized scientific tools—particularly useful in biology and medicine—that use high-powered beams
of light to trap and manipulate minuscule particles for study. Use of the tool has led to several scientific and medical
breakthroughs over the last few decades, but the particles are often under prolonged exposure to the intense heat of the
light beams. To overcome the risk of overheating, and thereby damage, researchers sometimes attach nano-sized glass
beads to particles, allowing the light to focus on the beads instead of the particles.
Based on the text, what is one advantage of attaching glass beads to particles when using optical tweezers?
A. It decreases the time it takes for the optical tweezers to locate and capture the particles.
B. It facilitates the maneuvering of particles without directly heating the particles themselves.
C. It allows researchers to use weaker light beams to manipulate particles.
D. It adds a material to which particles can transfer any heat absorbed from the optical tweezers’ light beam.
ID: 7c9a65bb Answer
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer. The text says that the glass beads get the "focus" of the light beams so that the particles don’t
overheat. From this, we can infer that the beads allow the particles to be manipulated without being directly heated by the
light beams.
Choice A is incorrect. The text never says that attaching the glass beads saves time in any way. Choice C is incorrect. The
text never says that attaching the glass beads allows researchers to use weaker light beams. Choice D is incorrect. The text
doesn’t say that the particles can transfer heat to the glass beads—rather, it says the heat from the light focuses on the glass
beads instead of the particles.
Question Difficulty: Hard
