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SAT Critical Reading
Practice Test

Section 3

Time — 20 Minutes

19 Questions

Each sentence below has one or two blanks, each blank indicating that something has been omitted. Beneath the sentence are five words or sets of words labeled A through E. Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

Example:

Hoping to ------- the dispute, negotiators proposed a compromise that they felt would be ------- to both labor and management.

(A) enforce . . useful

(B) end . . divisive

(C) overcome . . unattractive

(D) extend . . satisfactory

(E) resolve . . acceptable

1. The biggest challenge faced by a novice of foreign affairs is to overcome his or her lack of ----- in this field.

	(A) strength
	(B) grace
	(C) skill
	(D) experience
	(E) inferiority

2. French physician Pierre Fauchard was a ----- the field of dentistry, authoring a text on oral surgery and correcting many of the ----- of his time.

	(A) student of . . commonalities
	(B) pioneer in . . misconceptions
	(C) critic of . . convictions
	(D) leader in . . traumas
	(E) friend of . . fabrications

3. Employees of the company respected the owner because she was both ----- and -----: powerful and respected in stature yet well balanced and down-to-earth in nature.

	(A) legendary . . cosmopolitan
	(B) overlooked . . witty
	(C) dubious . . stern
	(D) notorious . . vocal
	(E) distinguished . . grounded

4. Shelby, one of the group's least ----- writers, surprised everyone when she penned ten short stories in one week.

	(A) cooperative
	(B) whimsical
	(C) prolific
	(D) melancholic
	(E) impassioned

5. After the law opening up ----- trade with the new republic, many ----- stepped in and exploited newfound financial opportunities.

	(A) immediate . . thrillseekers
	(B) fettered . . industrialists
	(C) parochial . . opportunists
	(D) unrestricted . . profiteers
	(E) selected . . exiles

6. Opponents of the ecologically friendly company's nationwide switchover from plastic to recycled paper grocery bags argued that the change would actually have ----- effects on the environment.

	(A) altruistic
	(B) surreptitious
	(C) catastrophic
	(D) deleterious
	(E) parsimonious

The two passages below are followed by questions based on their content and on the relationship between the two passages. Answer the questions on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passages and in any introductory material that may be provided.

Questions 7-19 are based on the following passages.

		The following passages discuss the use and production of biofuels. Passage 1 is adapted from a British newspaper article, while Passage 2 is adapted from an editorial by an American author.

		Passage 1

		Describing the potential impact of food shortages
		caused by the use of biofuels as the "elephant in
		the room," Professor John Beddington, England's
Line		Chief Scientific Adviser, recently warned that the
5		rush towards biofuels is threatening both
		worldwide food production levels as well as the
		lives of billions of people. "It's very hard to
		imagine how we can see the world growing
		enough crops to produce renewable energy and at
10		the same time meet the enormous demand for
		food," said Professor Beddington. "The supply of
		food really isn't keeping up." By just 2030, it is
		speculated that the world population will have
		increased to such an extent that a 50% boost in
15		food production will be needed. But, herein lies
		the contradiction, as rushing into biofuels, which
		are "environmentally friendly," means that more
		arable land will by necessity be allocated to fuel
		rather than food. Because of the increased strain
20		on water supplies due to climate change effects
		though, it doesn't look likely that crop outputs
		will be able to climb quickly enough to support
		both food and fuel production.

		Professor Beddington also cautions that it is likely
25		to be only a matter of time before shoppers
		throughout England face large price increases due
		to the soaring cost of feeding livestock. Yet his
		comments come only one month after the British
		government welcomed European Commission
30		targets requiring 10% of all fuel sold in British gas
		stations to be derived from plants within the next
		12 years. To make matters worse, biofuels already
		attract healthy tax breaks in order to encourage
		their uptake, and Environment Secretary Hilary
35		Benn recently announced that farmers would soon
		be able to claim subsidies to grow crops for
		energy.

		The popularity of biofuels and the potential impact
		from their increased use is not only a British
40		problem, though. If the White House target of
		doubling ethanol production this year is met, and if
		a large portion of that ethanol is generated from
		corn, the world will almost certainly face an
		agricultural and financial challenge just to feed
45		itself. Professor Beddington warns that the
		prospect of food shortage is so acute over the next
		two decades that farmers, scientists, and, most
		importantly, politicians must begin to tackle it
		immediately.

50		One might think that biofuels could be a savior in
		terms of drastically reducing greenhouse gas
		emissions, but, sadly, this just isn't the case.
		Recent studies have shed new light on the true net
		effect of biofuels when all factors, such as the use
55		of water and fertilizers on the crop, are taken into
		consideration. Furthermore, tropical rainforests
		are now being cleared to allow farmers to grow
		biofuel crops. As Professor Beddington says, this
		is simply "insane," as deforestation already
60		accounts for approximately 18 percent of world
		greenhouse gas emissions.

		Passage 2

		The United States invests roughly $3 billion each
		year through tax credits which promote the
		production and use of renewable fuels such as
65		ethanol. Doesn't sound like much in terms of our
		national economy? Consider that this $3 billion
		actually translates into a $15 billion reduction in
		the country's petroleum import bill. This simple
		fact alone is reason enough for anyone who shares
70		an interest in either America's prosperity or its
		national security to support continued investment
		in biofuels. But this is really just the tip of the
		iceberg. Many well-documented studies have
		shown that by replacing oil with fuels made from
75		biomass, America reduces its overall carbon
		dioxide emissions, therefore mitigating the effects
		of global warming.

		Unfortunately though, in our blind and dangerous
		reliance on the status quo in America, the true
80		facts about ethanol and other biofuels are being
		badly burned as a firestorm of criticisms spreads
		like wildfire. The hallowed journal Science
		recently published claims that biofuel production
		in the United States might indirectly cause
85		rainforests to be cut down, while the rabidly anti-
		ethanol Wall Street Journal published even more
		damaging "science" as well, "The ink is still moist
		on Capitol Hill's latest energy bill and, as if on cue,
		a scientific avalanche is demolishing its
90		assumptions. To wit, trendy climate-change
		policies like ethanol and other biofuels are actually
		worse for the environment than fossil fuels."

		As is so commonly the case when faulty science is
		used to support a logical argument, this "scientific
95		avalanche" of biofuel bashing evidence is itself
		turning out to be nothing more than a pile of
		biowaste. The theoretical model used by
		researchers in the journal Science has been
		invalidated by respected scientists from the U.S.
100		Department of Energy's Argonne National
		Laboratory and Biomass Program. Similarly, actual
		data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture
		(USDA) debunks the myth that the American thirst
		for ethanol is causing land to be cleared for fuel
105		instead of food, and, ultimately, food prices will
		skyrocket as a result. Department of Agriculture
		projections show that annual corn yields are
		expected to rise steadily, from just over 155
		bushels per acre this year to just over 173 bushels
110		per acre in 2017, while at the same time, total
		acreage devoted to corn in the United States is not
		expected to increase. This jump in efficiency helps
		explain why experts at the USDA firmly maintain
		that levels of corn supplies for livestock feed,
115		export, and other non-biofuel uses will not dip
		even as ethanol production expands. So while it is
		true, as biofuel critics point out, that the
		population keeps expanding and more food will be
		needed in the future, it is completely untrue that
120		biofuels will result in food shortages. Further,
		these increasing supplies of corn help put in
		perspective the fallacious arguments that ethanol
		as fuel can be blamed for widespread food price
		increases.

125		Most often, those quoting scientific studies
		regarding the dangers of biofuel fail to mention
		the true state of affairs. For example, the
		production of ethanol for fuel only uses starch
		from the grains and actually doesn't remove
130		protein, fiber, fat, vitamins, or minerals from the
		food supply. One bushel of corn produces more
		than 2 gallons of ethanol as well as approximately
		18 pounds of distillers grains, a very significant
		and highly nutritious ethanol byproduct used in a
135		variety of livestock feeds.

7. The authors of both passages would most likely agree with which of the following statements?

	(A) Future population increases will lead to a larger global demand for food.
	(B) An increase in the use of biofuels will cause prices on consumer goods to soar.
	(C) The use of tax credits and incentives in order to boost the production of biofuels is a sensible policy.
	(D) Tropical rainforests are being cleared so that farmers can grow biofuel crops.
	(E) Boosting the production of biofuels will inevitably lead to worldwide water shortages.

8. The author of Passage 2 would probably respond to the British policy of "healthy tax breaks" for biofuels and "subsidies to grow crops for energy" (lines 33 and 36) by pointing out that

	(A) agricultural subsidies have been hotly debated in the US, with no clear consensus regarding what is best for the national economy
	(B) the policy of granting tax breaks is often misunderstood, as many people only think of full tax exemptions, and not tax credits
	(C) similar incentives in the US have actually led to huge savings due to decreases in the import levels of traditional fossil fuels
	(D) such measures would most likely lead to increased food prices in England, as well as an ultimate shortage of food
	(E) enacting such a system opens the door to widespread corruption, in that some businesses may be favored over others

9. The metaphor "elephant in the room" in lines 2-3 is used in Passage 1 to describe

	(A) an issue of great importance which is not being discussed sufficiently
	(B) an eventuality whose only potential consequences are negative
	(C) an issue with too many facets to be dealt with adequately
	(D) a situation which is deteriorating exponentially
	(E) a circumstance which dominates all others

10. The author of Passage 1 implies that a hypothetical "agricultural and financial challenge" (line 43) would occur because

	(A) an overabundance of corn crops will lead to saturation of the market, causing prices to drop dramatically
	(B) the goal of doubling ethanol production is actually too modest, as a much larger increase is necessary
	(C) excessive planting of corn crops will lead to depletion of important minerals in the soil due to a failure to properly rotate crops
	(D) an increased percentage of land dedicated to corn crops would be nullified by a larger increase in the percentage of these crops being used for biofuel
	(E) fewer and fewer families are pursuing farming as a career due to the economic hardships associated with such a lifestyle

11. In line 45, "acute" most nearly means

	(A) astute
	(B) discerning
	(C) severe
	(D) endemic
	(E) piercing

12. The author of Passage 1 implies that the "true net effect" of biofuels (lines 52-53) is such that

	(A) the use of biofuels has led to a dramatic decrease in greenhouse gas emissions
	(B) greenhouse gas emissions are not drastically reduced through the use of biofuels
	(C) the use of water and fertilizers on crops used to produce biofuels is irrelevant
	(D) the economic gains from biofuel use are offset by tax breaks and farm subsidies
	(E) by replacing oil with fuels made from biomass, overall carbon dioxide emissions are reduced

13. The quotation marks used in line 17 of Passage 1 ("environmentally friendly") and line 85 of Passage 2 ("science") both serve to

	(A) emphasize the importance of specific claims
	(B) ridicule accepted theories
	(C) define technical terms for nontechnical readers
	(D) recognize the authority of those making the assertions
	(E) express skepticism about the veracity of particular terms

14. Which best summarizes the "blind and dangerous reliance on the status quo" (lines 76-77) described by the author of Passage 2 ?

	(A) An unwillingness to shift away from traditional fuels because they are more familiar
	(B) A dissatisfaction with the current dependence on foreign oil supplies
	(C) An unflinching belief in the economic ideology put forth by supporters of biofuels
	(D) Uninformed backing of an untested alternative to traditional fossil fuels
	(E) A dependence on federal subsidies to uphold the profitability of certain crops

15. Which of the following would most closely negate the argument put forth by the author of Passage 2 in lines 121-131 ("Most often … livestock feeds") ?

	(A) Protein deficiency is a serious threat in developing countries, as it can often lead to death if unaddressed.
	(B) In the debate regarding changes to the food pyramid by the US Department of Agriculture, some argue that emphasis on the model itself should be reduced.
	(C) More than 20 percent of the annual North American production of distillers grains is exported to countries in the European Union for use in livestock feed.
	(D) The use of distillers grains in livestock feed has recently been investigated due to a link to dangerous bacteria growth.
	(E) Approximately 3.2 million metric tons of distillers grains are produced in North America each year, with more than 98 percent coming from plants that produce ethanol.

16. The tone of the author of Passage 2 in lines 80-81 ("The hallowed … claims") is best described as

	(A) sincere and unquestioning
	(B) disenchanted and obdurate
	(C) sarcastic and unconvinced
	(D) derisive and despondent
	(E) skeptical and enraged

17. One issue related to biofuels raised by the author of Passage 1 but NOT addressed by the author of Passage 2 is

	(A) the potential for food shortages due to increased production of biofuels
	(B) the threat of water shortages due in part to increased production of biofuels
	(C) the potential effect of widespread use of biofuels on global warming and greenhouse gas emissions
	(D) the use of tax credits to promote the production of biofuels
	(E) the possibility that food prices will increase due to increased production of biofuels

18. Which hypothetical American biofuel policy proposal would likely be applauded by the author of Passage 1 ?

	(A) A proposal to set corn prices according to biofuel price levels
	(B) A scheme to reimburse all service stations for the cost of adding ethanol pumps next to existing gasoline pumps
	(C) A mandate that all new cars sold in America must burn ethanol in addition to gasoline
	(D) A federal target of doubling ethanol production each year until it becomes America's largest fuel source
	(E) A plan to limit the percentage of domestic crops grown for biofuel use such that food needs are met first

19. Which contrast best describes how the author of each passage views the increased use of biofuels in their respective countries?

	(A) As unacceptable under any conditions in Passage 1; as essential to the global economy in Passage 2
	(B) As a potential economic boost in Passage 1; as a danger to the oil industry in Passage 2
	(C) As a danger to growing food supply needs in Passage 1; as a necessity for easing dependence on foreign oil in Passage 2
	(D) As an unreliable fuel source in Passage 1; as a desired alternative in Passage 2
	(E) As a potential catalyst of international consumer good price increases; as a necessary evil in Passage 2