SAT Question of the Day (ACT too!): Dec. 17, 2013

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=20131217&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.  When making comparisons, the proper words to use are “like” and “as.”  “As” is used when comparing actions (verbs) and “like” is used when comparing nouns.  In this sentence, the comparison is about how the throwers “use the same technique” (a verb phrase); so, we need “as.”  That leaves us with C and D.  C is better because it is shorter and more parallel to the to “modern discus throwers.”  “Ancient Greeks” makes more sense than “they did in ancient Greece.”

Be sure you become a like vs. as expert.  It shows up on the test frequently.

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.

You need to learn and practice my PICK strategy.  The I stands for insertable and is used to eliminate answers that add or disagree with the passage. P and C are used to eliminate wrong answers for other reasons.  K stands for “know.”  You’ll KNOW the right answer when you use PIC!

The answer is H.  Answers F and J add to the story and G disagrees (lines 11-16).  That leaves H.  Notice how the reading test isn’t about directly selecting the best answer.  It is all about eliminating answers that aren’t as good as the best answer.  You pick what is left over after you see what is wrong with the other answers.  That is why PICK is invaluable; it helps identify and eliminate wrong answers.  Watch Video #3 for a full explanation.  You can also check it out on my free website.

Be sure to stay focused for the next few school days.  It will be hard because you’ll be distracted by thoughts of the coming vacation.  However, there are only a few school days left and you can do it if you try.

The SAT & ACT Wizard

About Bob Alexander

Bob has been a professional educator starting with teaching biology, becoming a school administrator, and then working as an education lobbyist in Washington, DC. He got his start in national testing by becoming a consulting test writer, later joining Kaplan as a director, and finally starting his own business in 1995. He has written numerous books, consulted for school districts and colleges, developed his website and been featured on a DVD set. He offers SAT and ACT prep classes and tutors individuals and small groups of students in central Florida.
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