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. If you are seeing this in my blog, do the SAT Question of the Day by clicking on this link:
http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/sat-question-of-the-day?src=R&questionId=20130502 (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 B. Always 1) figure out the topic, 2) use key words and phrases, 3) apply internal punctuation (commas, semicolons, etc.), and then 4) make a prediction for the blank(s) prior to looking at the answers.
For this sentence, “even those” clues us in that they don’t agree with Robinson. So, we are looking for a word that indicates they wouldn’t support his views. Then the second word is positive because Robinson “courageously” did something. (He did not “compromise his convictions” and it doesn’t matter what that means. “Courageously” is positive on its own.)
Now for the fun part of attacking this question, start a question with two blanks by choosing the prediction you like better. Let’s start by finding a first word among the answers that means agree. Only “concur” works. We are all done! We don’t even need to look at the second words in the answers. How easy was that? However, let’s check our work by looking at the second word that goes with “concur.” “Recognize” is a positive word and it looks good because it goes along with our prediction.
Finally, we check our work by reading the sentence using our words. It sounds terrific. Circle “B” in the test booklet, bubble it on the answer sheet, and move on to the next question.
Let’s move on to the ACT question.
http://www.act.org/qotd/ (The ACT staff does not put a date on their questions so if you click on an archived blog, you’ll get today’s question and the old explanation. Sorry. The SAT staff has dated their questions; so, the archive is helpful. The ACT folks simply don’t do that.)
The answer is C. The slope-intercept equation has become a popular test topic for both the ACT and SAT the last several years. You need to memorize y = mx + b. M is the slope and b is the y-intercept. After memorizing it, learn to recognize it on the test. This particular question is very straightforward (but that isn’t always the case.) 3 is the slope and +1 is the y-intercept. Answers A, B, and C have positive slopes that are the same size; they are in the running and we can eliminate D and E because they have negative slopes. (They are going “down hill” when you look at them from left to right.) Only C is a graph that intercepts the y-axis above 0. So, it can be the only one with a y-intercept of +1. We are all done.
If you are taking the SAT this weekend (and anytime you take either the SAT or ACT in the future), be sure to do warmups. Athletes, singers, musicians, and other performers always warm up prior to taking the court, field or stage don’t they? Well, you should do as well. Don’t let the first SAT question you see this weekend count for your score! Get your hands on some practice questions before you go to the test site. Do them during breakfast, while being driven to the test site, and even while you sit in the car waiting for everyone else to arrive. (Be sure they are not in your possession at the test site.) Doing a few math, reading, and writing questions will help get your head in the game. You can even review questions you’ve done previously. Just don’t let the first SAT questions you see on test day be ones that will affect your future.
Have a great day and be sure to remember to let me know how things went on the test this weekend.
Wizard
