Digital SAT
®
Sample Questions and
Answer Explanations
, THE DIGITAL SAT SAMPLE QUESTIONS READING AND WRITING
RW question 1 RW question 2
To dye wool, Navajo (Diné) weaver Lillie Taylor uses Jan Gimsa, Robert Sleigh, and Ulrike Gimsa have
plants and vegetables from Arizona, where she lives. For hypothesized that the sail-like structure running down
example, she achieved the deep reds and browns featured the back of the dinosaur Spinosaurus aegyptiacus
in her 2003 rug In the Path of the Four Seasons by using improved the animal’s success in underwater pursuits of
Arizona dock roots, drying and grinding them before prey species capable of making quick, evasive
mixing the powder with water to create a dye bath. To movements. To evaluate their hypothesis, a second team
intensify the appearance of certain colors, Taylor also of researchers constructed two battery-powered
sometimes mixes in clay obtained from nearby soil. mechanical models of S. aegyptiacus, one with a sail and
one without, and subjected the models to a series of
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
identical tests in a water-filled tank.
A) Reds and browns are not commonly featured in
Which finding from the model tests, if true, would most
most of Taylor’s rugs.
strongly support Gimsa and colleagues’ hypothesis?
B) In the Path of the Four Seasons is widely acclaimed for
its many colors and innovative weaving techniques. A) The model with a sail took significantly longer to
travel a specified distance while submerged than the
C) Taylor draws on local resources in the approach she
model without a sail did.
uses to dye wool.
B) The model with a sail displaced significantly more
D) Taylor finds it difficult to locate Arizona dock root
water while submerged than the model without a
in the desert.
sail did.
Key C
C) The model with a sail had significantly less battery
power remaining after completing the tests than the
Domain Information and Ideas model without a sail did.
Skill Central Ideas and Details D) The model with a sail took significantly less time to
complete a sharp turn while submerged than the
Key Explanation: Choice C is the best answer. The model without a sail did.
passage focuses on the idea that the artist Lillie Taylor
uses resources such as plants and vegetables from Key D
where she lives in Arizona to make dyes for wool.
Domain Information and Ideas
Distractor Explanations: Choice A is incorrect because
the passage offers no evidence that reds and browns Skill Command of Evidence (Textual)
are unusual colors in Taylor’s rugs; in fact, it offers an
example of a rug that does feature those colors. Choice B Key Explanation: Choice D is the best answer. The
is incorrect because the passage offers no indication passage states that Gimsa and colleagues’ hypothesis
of whether In the Path of the Four Seasons is widely was that the sail-like structure on the back of S.
acclaimed; it also does not mention whether the weaving aegyptiacus enhanced the dinosaur’s ability to travel
techniques are innovative. Choice D is incorrect because underwater to hunt down “prey species capable of
the passage offers no evidence that Taylor has a hard making quick, evasive movements.” This choice’s finding
time finding Arizona dock root. would effectively support the hypothesis because it
would indicate that the sail-like structure would enable a
2 THE DIGITAL SAT SAMPLE QUESTIONS
, THE DIGITAL SAT SAMPLE QUESTIONS READING AND WRITING
dinosaur moving underwater to maneuver more quickly Key Explanation: Choice B is the best answer. The
than a dinosaur moving underwater without the structure. quotation addresses both aspects of the claim: cycles of
anticipation (“Each, coming, brings ambitions high”) and
Distractor Explanations: Choice A is incorrect because
regretful reflection (“And each, departing, leaves a sigh /
it would essentially contradict the hypothesis by
Linked to the past”).
suggesting that a dinosaur moving underwater with
the sail-like structure would move more slowly than Distractor Explanations: Choice A is incorrect because
a dinosaur moving underwater without the structure. the quotation focuses on anticipation (“An ominous
Choice B is incorrect because there is no clear passage- stillness fills the night, / A pause—a hush”) but not
based relationship between the amount of water regretful reflection. Choice C is incorrect because the
displaced and the hypothesis. Choice C is incorrect quotation focuses on worry and anxiety (“. . . a sense
because there is no clear passage-based relationship of care / Akin to fright?”) rather than anticipation and
between the amount of battery power used and the regretful reflection. Choice D is incorrect because the
hypothesis. quotation focuses on regretful reflection (“It tells of many
a squandered day”) but not anticipation.
RW question 3
“Ghosts of the Old Year” is an early 1900s poem by James
Weldon Johnson. In the poem, the speaker describes
experiencing an ongoing cycle of anticipation followed
by regretful reflection:
Which quotation from “Ghosts of the Old Year” most
effectively illustrates the claim?
A) “The snow has ceased its fluttering flight, / The
wind sunk to a whisper light, / An ominous stillness
fills the night, / A pause—a hush.”
B) “And so the years go swiftly by, / Each, coming,
brings ambitions high, / And each, departing, leaves
a sigh / Linked to the past.”
C) “What does this brazen tongue declare, / That
falling on the midnight air / Brings to my heart a
sense of care / Akin to fright?”
D) “It tells of many a squandered day, / Of slighted
gems and treasured clay, / Of precious stores not
laid away, / Of fields unreaped.”
Key B
Domain Information and Ideas
Skill Command of Evidence (Textual)
3 THE DIGITAL SAT SAMPLE QUESTIONS
®
Sample Questions and
Answer Explanations
, THE DIGITAL SAT SAMPLE QUESTIONS READING AND WRITING
RW question 1 RW question 2
To dye wool, Navajo (Diné) weaver Lillie Taylor uses Jan Gimsa, Robert Sleigh, and Ulrike Gimsa have
plants and vegetables from Arizona, where she lives. For hypothesized that the sail-like structure running down
example, she achieved the deep reds and browns featured the back of the dinosaur Spinosaurus aegyptiacus
in her 2003 rug In the Path of the Four Seasons by using improved the animal’s success in underwater pursuits of
Arizona dock roots, drying and grinding them before prey species capable of making quick, evasive
mixing the powder with water to create a dye bath. To movements. To evaluate their hypothesis, a second team
intensify the appearance of certain colors, Taylor also of researchers constructed two battery-powered
sometimes mixes in clay obtained from nearby soil. mechanical models of S. aegyptiacus, one with a sail and
one without, and subjected the models to a series of
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
identical tests in a water-filled tank.
A) Reds and browns are not commonly featured in
Which finding from the model tests, if true, would most
most of Taylor’s rugs.
strongly support Gimsa and colleagues’ hypothesis?
B) In the Path of the Four Seasons is widely acclaimed for
its many colors and innovative weaving techniques. A) The model with a sail took significantly longer to
travel a specified distance while submerged than the
C) Taylor draws on local resources in the approach she
model without a sail did.
uses to dye wool.
B) The model with a sail displaced significantly more
D) Taylor finds it difficult to locate Arizona dock root
water while submerged than the model without a
in the desert.
sail did.
Key C
C) The model with a sail had significantly less battery
power remaining after completing the tests than the
Domain Information and Ideas model without a sail did.
Skill Central Ideas and Details D) The model with a sail took significantly less time to
complete a sharp turn while submerged than the
Key Explanation: Choice C is the best answer. The model without a sail did.
passage focuses on the idea that the artist Lillie Taylor
uses resources such as plants and vegetables from Key D
where she lives in Arizona to make dyes for wool.
Domain Information and Ideas
Distractor Explanations: Choice A is incorrect because
the passage offers no evidence that reds and browns Skill Command of Evidence (Textual)
are unusual colors in Taylor’s rugs; in fact, it offers an
example of a rug that does feature those colors. Choice B Key Explanation: Choice D is the best answer. The
is incorrect because the passage offers no indication passage states that Gimsa and colleagues’ hypothesis
of whether In the Path of the Four Seasons is widely was that the sail-like structure on the back of S.
acclaimed; it also does not mention whether the weaving aegyptiacus enhanced the dinosaur’s ability to travel
techniques are innovative. Choice D is incorrect because underwater to hunt down “prey species capable of
the passage offers no evidence that Taylor has a hard making quick, evasive movements.” This choice’s finding
time finding Arizona dock root. would effectively support the hypothesis because it
would indicate that the sail-like structure would enable a
2 THE DIGITAL SAT SAMPLE QUESTIONS
, THE DIGITAL SAT SAMPLE QUESTIONS READING AND WRITING
dinosaur moving underwater to maneuver more quickly Key Explanation: Choice B is the best answer. The
than a dinosaur moving underwater without the structure. quotation addresses both aspects of the claim: cycles of
anticipation (“Each, coming, brings ambitions high”) and
Distractor Explanations: Choice A is incorrect because
regretful reflection (“And each, departing, leaves a sigh /
it would essentially contradict the hypothesis by
Linked to the past”).
suggesting that a dinosaur moving underwater with
the sail-like structure would move more slowly than Distractor Explanations: Choice A is incorrect because
a dinosaur moving underwater without the structure. the quotation focuses on anticipation (“An ominous
Choice B is incorrect because there is no clear passage- stillness fills the night, / A pause—a hush”) but not
based relationship between the amount of water regretful reflection. Choice C is incorrect because the
displaced and the hypothesis. Choice C is incorrect quotation focuses on worry and anxiety (“. . . a sense
because there is no clear passage-based relationship of care / Akin to fright?”) rather than anticipation and
between the amount of battery power used and the regretful reflection. Choice D is incorrect because the
hypothesis. quotation focuses on regretful reflection (“It tells of many
a squandered day”) but not anticipation.
RW question 3
“Ghosts of the Old Year” is an early 1900s poem by James
Weldon Johnson. In the poem, the speaker describes
experiencing an ongoing cycle of anticipation followed
by regretful reflection:
Which quotation from “Ghosts of the Old Year” most
effectively illustrates the claim?
A) “The snow has ceased its fluttering flight, / The
wind sunk to a whisper light, / An ominous stillness
fills the night, / A pause—a hush.”
B) “And so the years go swiftly by, / Each, coming,
brings ambitions high, / And each, departing, leaves
a sigh / Linked to the past.”
C) “What does this brazen tongue declare, / That
falling on the midnight air / Brings to my heart a
sense of care / Akin to fright?”
D) “It tells of many a squandered day, / Of slighted
gems and treasured clay, / Of precious stores not
laid away, / Of fields unreaped.”
Key B
Domain Information and Ideas
Skill Command of Evidence (Textual)
3 THE DIGITAL SAT SAMPLE QUESTIONS
