SAT Practice Test 5: Writing and Language Test 2 Errors + Explanations – Flashcards

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question
Once a political machine had control of enough important positions, its members were able to use public funds to enrich themselves and their friends. Boss Tweed's Tammany Hall group, which controlled New York City in the 1860s—stole more than $30 million, the equivalent of more than $365 million today. 16 TWEED HAD BEEN ELECTED TO A SINGLE TWO-YEAR TERM IN CONGRESS IN 1852.16. The writer is considering deleting the underlined sentence. Should the sentence be kept or deleted? A) Kept, because it introduces the quote from the New York Times in the next sentence. B) Kept, because it adds a vital detail about Tweed that is necessary to understand his power. C) Deleted, because it blurs the focus of the paragraph by introducing loosely related information. D) Deleted, because it contains information that undermines the main claim of the passage.
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Original Answer: D) Deleted, because it contains information that undermines the main claim of the passage. Correct Answer: C) Deleted, because it blurs the focus of the paragraph by introducing loosely related information.Explanation: The sentence is not undermining Boss Tweed's political corruption; rather, this information is simply not related to the focus of the paragraph.
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Eventually, Tweed and his gang were 20 PERSECUTED FOR a number of charges, including fraud and larceny, and many of them were sent to jail.20. A) NO CHANGE B) persecuted on C) persecuted with D) prosecuted on
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Original Answer: B) persecuted on Correct Answer: D) prosecuted onExplanation: The word "persecuted" generally means to be discriminated against, and Boss Tweed and his gang were definitely not discriminated against when they were sent to jail. "Prosecuted" is the right word to use in this context.
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24 The idea is obviously very attractive. An obscure method of photography may be made available to many with little expense.24. Which choice most effectively combines the underlined sentences? A) With the idea being obviously very attractive, an obscure method of photography may be made available to many at little expense. B) The idea is obviously very attractive: an obscure method of photography may be made available to many at little expense. C) An obscure method of photography may be made available to many at little expense, and the idea is obviously very attractive. D) An obscure method of photography, an idea that is obviously very attractive, may be made available to many at little expense.
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Original Answer: D) An obscure method of photography, an idea that is obviously very attractive, may be made available to many at little expense. Correct Answer: B) The idea is obviously very attractive: an obscure method of photography may be made available to many at little expense.Explanation: Choice B) offers the least change to the two sentences while effectively combining them. We are looking for the sentence with the least but most effective change, so while Choice D) is an effective sentence, it has a lot of change and punctuation compared to the original two sentences.
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36 TAKING ON the public interest, investigative journalism involves original, often long-form reporting on such topics as illegal activities, street crime, corporate wrongdoing, and political corruption. 36. A) NO CHANGE B) Undertaken in C) Overtaking D) Taking off from
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Original Answer: A) NO CHANGE Correct Answer: B) Undertaken inExplanation: Investigative journalists are invested IN the public interest, so the correct choice has to include the word "in" in it. The only answer that has this word in it is Choice B).
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41 Although many newsrooms have reduced their staff, some still employ investigative reporters. Nonprofit enterprises such as the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project have begun to fill the void created by staff losses at newspapers and magazines. Enterprising freelance reporters, newly funded by nonprofits, make extensive use of social media, including blogs and Twitter, to foster a public conversation about key issues. 41. Which choice most effectively sets up the examples in the following sentences? A) NO CHANGE B) Investigative journalism also declined between the 1930s and 1950s, only to be revived in the 1960s. C) According to the Pew Research Center, more people get their national and international news from the Internet than from newspapers. D) Indeed, recent years have witnessed innovative adjustments to changing times.
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Original Answer: A) NO CHANGE Correct Answer: D) Indeed, recent years have witnessed innovative adjustments to changing times.Explanation: The original sentence does not set up the sentences that follow. It does not mention anything about changes, which do occur as the paragraph progresses. However, Choice D) does mention "changing times," effectively presenting the sentences about change that follow it.
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