If you are reading this in an email you received from me, do not click the link to sat.collegeboard.org below. Use the link to my website that is farther down on the email.
http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/sat-question-of-the-day?questionId=20140423&oq=1 (This link takes you to today’s question. If you use my archive, you will see the question related to my SAT explanation for that date.)
The answer is C. The topic of the sentence is the about the minimal or weak evidence that was offered to support the scientist’s claim. So, let’s predict synonyms for minimal and weak. The four wrong answers all mean that his evidence was strong or that there was a lot of evidence. Only Answer C, paltry, means “just a little bit” or weak. Done.
Here’s a little insight into the test. I don’t ever recall seeing a sentence that put a woman in a negative light! Had this sentence been about a female scientist, you would have been looking for a positive word. So, if you see a sentence about a woman, I think it makes sense to eliminate negative answers. If you ever see an exception to my statement, please let me know.
Let’s see what the ACT folks have for us today.
ACT Question of the Day: Use your “back” button to return to my website after reading the ACT Question of the Day.
The answer is F. There’s no mistake. All of the other answers introduce grammar and/or logic errors. For Answer G, we don’t know if the “planning” was beyond anyone’s expectations. For answer H, it wasn’t a “success plan.” For Answer J, you would at least need an apostrophe, “plan’s” succeeding but it would still be awkward. So Answer F is the best choice.
QotD Words of “Wiz-dom”:
I had some inquiries regarding the origin of the Pillars of Test-taking “Wiz-dom” that I mentioned in yesterday’s blog. They are the six basic habits of exceptional test takers and evolved during my early days in the test prep business.
For four years, I was a regional director of the nation’s largest test prep company and hired teachers who I required to be exceptional test takers. When we sat around after hours and talked about our personal experiences with taking tests (If you can imagine that!), I used to ask them what they did in certain situations. I listened carefully and compared their strategies to my own. When I sat down to write my first SAT test prep book in 1995, I reflected on their comments and combined them with my own approaches to taking tests. What resulted was what I originally called “The six habits of exceptional test takers.” Later, in keeping with my logo of a wizard, I renamed them “The Pillars of Test-taking ‘Wiz-dom.'” They serve as the foundation for my entire program.
Over the course of the next several days, I’ll address each one.
Enjoy your day.
Bob Alexander, the “SAT and ACT Wizard”
