About the SAT Reading

The author's description of the trees that once grew near the flower bush in lines 39-40 ("gigantic pines...overshadowed it") are meant to provide

• tense foreshadowing in advance of the story

• a celebration of the strength of the trees

• visual irony when viewed against the delicacy of a flower

• sound cues that convey frustration

The contrast between the first paragraph and the last can best be described as

• unhappy people who live in a place that contains beauty

• a bleak opening to a dark story that nonetheless contains hope

• a dark prison in a place peopled by heroes

• sadness in the face of happiness

The central idea of the passage is that

• a gloomy prison bears a hopeful symbol of comfort to prisoners and readers of this story

• nature finds a way to take a bleak and gloomy place and make it more pleasant

• founders of a new colony allotted a dismal plot of land to both a prison and a cemetery

• a rosebush has stood outside a prison for many centuries

Which situation is most similar to the one described in lines 24-25 ("it seemed never to have known a youthful era")

• a playful bear cub

• a bitter old king

• a wandering fortune teller

• a naïve little child

Why does the prison convey a feeling of doom, despite the beautiful rosebush near its entrance?

• The building itself looked menacing

• A throng of prisoners has gathered in front of its door

• The building is old and from another era

• It was built in a declining section of Boston

The rosebush in the story can be most closely compared to

• A splash of water on a hot day

• a flat tire on a getaway car

• a painting in a museum

• the first crocus of spring time

This test-taking strategy works with vocabulary words but also helps you focus in on answers in the passage.

• eliminating answers

• managing your time

• looking for clues and context clues

• getting plenty of rest and eating a good breakfast

What is the primary purpose of the SAT Reading section?

• To test mathematical skills

• To assess reading comprehension and analytical skills

• To evaluate scientific knowledge

• To measure physical fitness

Which of the following is a common strategy for answering SAT Reading questions?

• Ignoring the passage

• Reading the questions first

• Skipping difficult questions

• Memorizing the passage

In the context of SAT Reading, what does 'context clues' refer to?

• Hints within the text that help define difficult words

• The main idea of the passage

• The author's tone

• The structure of the passage