Introduction to the SAT Reading Test
Answers to the Defining Medium Words DrillI chose the medium words of this drill as examples of ones that students typically get overconfident about being able to define. Don't get discouraged if you tripped up on some of these, the point of the drill was to make you more cautious.
| 1. plastic | Capable of being shaped or formed; easily molded or influenced; malleable |
| 2. discriminating | Showing careful judgment; perceptive; astute |
| 3. parochial | Having a limited outlook; narrow-minded; provincial |
| 4. formidable | Arousing fear, dread, awe, or wonder; threatening; intimidating |
Answers to the Second Definition Drill
| Easy Word | Hard Second Definition |
| 1. conviction | D. certainty |
| 2. buoyant | H. cheerful |
| 3. slight | E. insult |
| 4. complex | J. network |
| 5. composed | A. calm |
| 6. eclipse | L. surpass |
| 7. parallel | G. equivalent |
| 8. diversion | I. entertainment |
| 9. detached | K. uninvolved |
| 10. gravity | C. seriousness |
| 11. appropriate | F. seize |
| 12. compromise | B. endanger |
Answers to the Positive or Negative Drill
As I mentioned, the words in this drill are all very difficult. Even without knowing the precise definition of these words, however, you probably got most of these right.
| 1. amity (+) | 2. vogue (+) | 3. foible (—) |
| 4. placate (+) | 5. virulent (—) | 6. revere (+) |
| 7. plaintive (—) | 8. equanimity (+) | 9. disparage (—) |
| 10. virtuoso (+) | 11. acerbic (—) | 12. salutary (+) |
Answers to the Judging Difficulty Drill
The following assessment of difficulty is based on the percentage of high school students who know the words in the list, ranked from 1 (easy) to 3 (medium) to 5 (difficult).
Sometimes it's a judgement call whether a word is an easy or an easy-medium, say, or a medium versus a medium-hard. So long as you're within plus or minus 1 of the rankings below, you're fine. If you're off consistently, determine whether you tended to overestimate or underestimate the rankings. If your vocabulary is strong, for example, you may tend to underestimate the difficulty of words; if your vocabulary is on the weak side, you may tend to overestimate the difficulty of words.
| 1. voluntary (2) | 10. subtle (4) |
| 2. expenditures (3) | 11. fertile (2) |
| 3. munificent (5) | 12. formal (1) |
| 4. confide (3) | 13. validity (2) |
| 5. adequate (1) | 14. serene (3) |
| 6. innate (4) | 15. capricious (5) |
| 7. repel (2) | 16. articulate (3) |
| 8. somber (3) | 17. viable (5) |
| 9. proclivity (5) | 18. apathy (3) |
More on: SATs and Other Tests
From The RocketReview Revolution: The Ultimate Guide to the New SAT and the PSAT by Adam Robinson. Copyright © 2005. Used by arrangement with Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
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