barrons reading workbook for the new SAT

Dedication Dedicated to my wife Caitlin, my son Andrew, and my daughter Eloise— without your love and support, this book would not have been possible I would like to especially thank my mom, my dad, Andy, Mitchell, Mercedez, Hannah, Alaina, Andrew, and Doug for their help with this undertaking I am grateful to everyone at Barron’s Thanks so much to all of my students over the years—I have learned far more from you than you have learned from me About the Author Brian W Stewart is the founder and president of BWS Education Consulting, Inc., a boutique tutoring and test preparation company based in Columbus, Ohio He has worked with thousands of students to help them improve their test scores and earn admission to selective schools Brian is a graduate of Princeton University (A.B.) and The Ohio State University (M.Ed.) You can connect with Brian at www.bwseducationconsulting.com Contents Introduction FAQs About the New SAT Reading Test Diagnostic Test Self-Assessment Guide Answers Explained Chapter 1: Reading Strategies Chapter 2: Words in Context: Strategy and Practice Practice Exercises Answers Explained Chapter 3: Graph Analysis: Strategy and Practice Practice Exercises Answers Explained Chapter 4: Practice Exercises of Increasing Difficulty Exercise A Answers Explained Exercise B Answers Explained Exercise C Answers Explained PRACTICE TESTS Practice Test Answers Explained Practice Test Answers Explained Practice Test Answers Explained Introduction FAQs ABOUT THE NEW SAT READING TEST How does the Reading section factor into the overall new SAT? The new SAT has two required sections—(1) Math and (2) Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Each section will be scored between 200–800, making for a potential total score of between 400-1600 The Reading section and the Writing and Language section will contribute in equal measure to your overall Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score What is the general format of the new SAT Reading section? It is a single section with these features: ■ First test section ■ 65 minutes long ■ 52 questions (10 Fiction, 21 Social Studies, 21 Science) What will the reading passages be like? ■ passages total—each passage between 500 and 750 words for a total of around 3,250 words – One fiction passage—a selection from U.S or world literature – Two social studies passages—one from social science and one from a U.S founding document or a selection from the “Great Global Conversation” (e.g., a historical speech or essay) – Two science passages ■ One of the passages will comprise two smaller passages that you will need to compare and contrast in the questions ■ Two graphs accompany the reading that you will need to analyze ■ The passages range in difficulty from early high school level to early college level What are the questions like? ■ 10 Words in Context questions Example: As used in line 30, the word “advance” most closely means ■ 10 Command of Evidence questions Example: Which option gives the best evidence for the answer to the previous question? ■ 32 Analysis questions Examples: – What statement best summarizes the passage? – The paragraph in lines 21–37 primarily serves to – The narrator’s statement in lines 48–51 (“The primary forecast”) most clearly implies that ■ The questions for a given passage generally appear in the same order as the material in the passage (e.g., Question is about lines 1–5, Question is about lines 6–9, etc.) ■ The questions are arranged in a random order of difficulty ■ There are 10–11 questions per passage How is the new SAT Reading Test different from the old SAT Critical Reading Test? Old SAT Critical Reading Test New SAT Reading Test A completely separate section for scoring purposes Combined with the Writing and Language section for the overall “Evidence-Based Reading and Writing” score shorter test sections large test section Sentence Completion questions—necessary to know lots of Words in Context questions—more important to be able to difficult vocabulary words determine appropriate word meaning in a given situation No graphs; no “evidence” questions Graphs to analyze; demonstrate command of text through evidence-based questions Questions require considerable reading time Easier to determine what is being asked A quarter point guessing penalty NO guessing penalty How can I use this book to prepare? ■ IF YOU HAVE ONE DAY, look over the reading strategies, become familiar with the test directions and format, and try a couple of passages under time constraints ■ IF YOU HAVE ONE WEEK, complete the diagnostic test, read the strategy chapter, and targeted practice on the types of passages and questions that give you difficulty ■ IF YOU HAVE A MONTH OR MORE, everything in this book Start with the diagnostic, read the strategy chapter very carefully, and complete the practice exercises under time constraints, carefully reflecting on your approach as you practice further What can I beyond this book to prepare? ■ Practice with the other Barron’s books that have excellent sample reading tests, such as Barron’s New SAT, Barron’s Practice Tests for the New SAT, and Barron’s Strategies and Practice for the New PSAT ■ Take rigorous courses in school, such as A.P English Language and Composition, A.P U.S History, and International Baccalaureate Literature ■ Make reading a daily habit—talk to your local librarian about books that may suit your interests, read well-written online journals and blogs, and download an e-reader to your smartphone so you can read good books no matter where you are ■ If you are ambitious, read publications that you find more challenging The Best American series is good for a wide variety of texts If you have trouble with fiction, seek out books by authors like Emily Dickinson, James Joyce, and Charles Dickens If you struggle with social studies, read historical documents and publications like The Economist or The Atlantic And if you find science challenging, read publications like Science News and Scientific American, and check out online resources like Pubmed.gov ■ Use the free official practice resources available at KhanAcademy.org The SAT Reading Test is a test of your reading skill, not any specific knowledge You will well on this test if you improve your overall reading comprehension ability, which is exactly what this text is designed to Let’s get started! Diagnostic Test 65 MINUTES, 52 QUESTIONS Directions: Each passage or pair of passages is accompanied by several questions After reading the passage(s), choose the best answer to each question based on what is indicated explicitly or implicitly in the passage(s) or in the associated graphics Questions 1–10 are based on the following reading selection The following is an excerpt from Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, 1814 The novel’s protagonist, Fanny Price, returns home after many years of living with her wealthy relatives at Mansfield Park Line (5) (10) (15) (20) (25) (30) William was gone: and the home he had left her in was—Fanny could not conceal it from herself—in almost every respect the very reverse of what she could have wished It was the abode of noise, disorder, and impropriety Nobody was in their right place, nothing was done as it ought to be She could not respect her parents as she had hoped On her father, her confidence had not been sanguine, but he was more negligent of his family, his habits were worse, and his manners coarser, than she had been prepared for He did not want abilities; but he had no curiosity, and no information beyond his profession; he read only the newspaper and the navy-list; he talked only of the dockyard, the harbour, Spithead, and the Motherbank; he swore and he drank, he was dirty and gross She had never been able to recall anything approaching to tenderness in his former treatment of herself There had remained only a general impression of roughness and loudness; and now he scarcely ever noticed her, but to make her the object of a coarse joke Her disappointment in her mother was greater: there she had hoped much, and found almost nothing Every flattering scheme of being of consequence to her soon fell to the ground Mrs Price was not unkind; but, instead of gaining on her affection and confidence, and becoming more and more (35) (40) (45) (50) (55) (60) (65) (70) (75) dear, her daughter never met with greater kindness from her than on the first day of her arrival The instinct of nature was soon satisfied, and Mrs Price’s attachment had no other source Her heart and her time were already quite full; she had neither leisure nor affection to bestow on Fanny Her daughters never had been much to her She was fond of her sons, especially of William, but Betsey was the first of her girls whom she had ever much regarded To her she was most injudiciously indulgent William was her pride; Betsey her darling; and John, Richard, Sam, Tom, and Charles occupied all the rest of her maternal solicitude, alternately her worries and her comforts These shared her heart; her time was given chiefly to her house and her servants Her days were spent in a kind of slow bustle; all was busy without getting on, always behindhand and lamenting it, without altering her ways; wishing to be an economist, without contrivance or regularity; dissatisfied with her servants, without skill to make them better, and whether helping, or reprimanding, or indulging them, without any power of engaging their respect Of her two sisters, Mrs Price very much more resembled Lady Bertram than Mrs Norris She was a manager by necessity, without any of Mrs Norris’s inclination for it, or any of her activity Her disposition was naturally easy and indolent, like Lady Bertram’s; and a situation of similar affluence and do-nothingness would have been much more suited to her capacity than the exertions and self-denials of the one which her imprudent marriage had placed her in She might have made just as good a woman of consequence as Lady Bertram, but Mrs Norris would have been a more respectable mother of nine children on a small income Much of all this Fanny could not but be sensible of She might scruple to make use ... Introduction FAQs ABOUT THE NEW SAT READING TEST How does the Reading section factor into the overall new SAT? The new SAT has two required sections—(1) Math and (2) Evidence-Based Reading and Writing... per passage How is the new SAT Reading Test different from the old SAT Critical Reading Test? Old SAT Critical Reading Test New SAT Reading Test A completely separate section for scoring purposes... with the other Barron’s books that have excellent sample reading tests, such as Barron’s New SAT, Barron’s Practice Tests for the New SAT, and Barron’s Strategies and Practice for the New PSAT