Name: __________________________ SAT English Writing & Language Mock Test
Warm up A
Increasingly, computers are running the world, and
these computers operate on a completely separate time
scale than us. They can process many millions of
operations in seconds, operations that would take us
multiple lifetimes to complete. That’s all fine if the
computers are doing the work of computers—making
calculations, assimilating data, or accessing that
data. But what about when computers start working in
human fields and competing with the human mind?
A. No Change
B. from ours.
C. from us.
D. than we do.
Warm up B
Technological advances in robotics have made it
inevitable that robots will increasingly be a part of our
household life, beyond the dish washers that clean our
silverware and the cash registers that calculate our
change. But even our jobs are at risk. Research by the
BBC shows that 35% of our current occupations could
be done completely by machines within the next 20
years. We may soon see drones delivering packages in
our neighborhoods and administering shots at the
doctor's office.
Which choice gives a second supporting example
that is most similar to the example already in the
sentence?
A. No Change
B. the video games that run on our computers.
C. the solid foundations on which our houses are
built.
D. the air conditioners that regulate the
temperature.
Question 01
Many dietitians go on to earn master’s degrees in a
specific subfield. This education helps them develop a
strong knowledge of biology and chemistry so that they
can understand the human body and the effects that
various nutrients can have on overall health. Dietitians
must also compliment this knowledge with good
communication skills, since many interact one-on- one
with patients or even speak publicly to large groups
A. No Change
B. complement
C. condescend
D. complicate
Question 02
It is true that medieval European scholars made few
discoveries in the natural sciences. It must be noted
that scholars in the Islamic world developed and
revolutionized many fields during the Middle Ages.
Their discoveries laid the groundwork for future
breakthroughs and made Europe’s later Scientific
Revolution possible.
A. No Change
B. natural sciences, yet it must be noted
C. natural sciences, even if it’s noted
D. natural sciences, while noting
ID: ___________________
Question 03
In his most controversial article, the audacious
journalist trashed works widely regarded as classics,
ridiculing such literary icons as William Faulkner,
Charles Dickens, and Leo Tolstoy.
A. No Change
B. dismissed
C. dissolved
D. cast aspersions on
Question 04
The very fact that such an achievement is impossible
now shows us just how much things have changed
since Tolstoy's death in 1910. This was the year, in
fact, that Virginia Woolf cited in her oft-quoted remark,
"On or about 1910 human character changed." If we at
least entertain the idea that she is correct, we can
begin to see why she would be willing to make such a
grandiose remark.
The writer is considering deleting the phrase since
Tolstoy's death in 1910 and ending the sentence
with a period after the word changed. Should the
phrase be kept or deleted?
A. Kept, because it contributes to the essay's
biographical sketch of the author of War and
Peace.
B. Kept, because it introduces a topic of
discussion that is continued throughout the
paragraph.
C. Deleted, because the remainder of the
paragraph describes the insignificance of
Tolstoy's death.
D. Deleted, because the paragraph as a whole
is focused on the achievements of another
author.
Question 05
Although printed cheaply and for quick consumption,
today's experience of culture is largely shaped by dime
novels. For much of the nineteenth century, Americans
consumed fiction, poetry, and non-fiction by way of
literary periodicals. Some of our best-known authors
from this period, though there were also some notable
exceptions, published something close to their
complete works between the pages of countless
periodicals.
A. No Change
B. we experience culture the way we do
because of dime novels.
C. dime novels have shaped the way we
experience culture today.
D. the shape of dime novels influences of
cultural experiences.
Question 06
Park rangers can come from all walks of life. Some are
scientists who revel in the ecological aspects of
maintaining the parts. Some are educators who help
visitors to understand the unique aspects and
historical significance of the parks. Still others come
from law enforcement and firefighting, given that their
posts are often very far indeed from the municipal
bodies that typically provide them.
A. No Change
B. these services.
C. those.
D. it.
Question 07
Since the 1980s, scientists have developed and applied
several new methods to create GM crops. These
methods are able to reliably create plants that contain
genes of scientists’ choice, turning conventional crops
into a genetically modified organism.
A. No Change
B. genetic modifications
C. genetically modified organisms
D. a genetic organism
Question 08
[1] One need look no further than to the idea of the
"traditional" family. [2] The shift, however, has yet to
produce a substantive increase in how women, who
are now nearly as likely to work as men, are paid. [3]
In this idea, the father of the family earns the family
wage while the mother tends to the children and the
home. [4] With such an idea bolstering what many
consider to be the goal inherent in the "American
dream," it is no wonder that women in the workplace
should have a somewhat degraded position. [5] Shifting
social and economic roles, however, have begun to
change how people think about gender roles within the
family.
The best placement for sentence 2 would be
A. where it is now.
B. before sentence 1.
C. after sentence 4.
D. after sentence 5
Question 09
While a large number of people believe that social
media are fads that will soon die out, a new trend
shows that such a belief may be false. It's true that
most younger people write to one another (via Twitter,
Facebook, or text) more than speaking to one another
(who uses a phone to talk anymore?), but the spoken
word is as important as ever. This importance is
nowhere clearer than in the rise of speech-language
pathologists (SLPs).
Which of the following would best introduce the
main subject of this paragraph?
A. No Change
B. Although many believe that society is moving
away from the spoken word altogether,
C. Even though some believe that kids today
can't write or spell,
D. Because a new batch of research has been
performed on the belief,
Question 10
What is known, of course, is that stuttering is the
repetition of sounds, prolonged vowels, and complete
stops—verbal blocks. A stutterer’s speech is often
uncontrollable. Compared to nonstutterers, it is
sometimes faster than average but usually more
slower. Sometimes, too, the voice changes in pitch,
loudness, and inflection.
A. No Change
B. to nonstutterers’ speech, if not faster
sometimes, then usually slower.
C. to that of nonstutterers, it is as fast, but
usually slower.
D. to the speech of nonstutterers, it is
sometimes faster but usually slower.
Question 11
Transportation planners perform critical work within
the broader field of urban and regional planning. As of
2010, there were approximately 40,300 urban and
regional planners employed in the United States. The
United States Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts
steady job growth in this field, projecting that 16
percent of new jobs in all occupations will be related to
urban and regional planning. Population growth and
concerns about environmental sustainability are
expected to spur the need for transportation planning
professionals.
Which choice completes the sentence with
accurate data based on the graph?
A. No Change
B. warning, however, that job growth in urban
and regional planning will slow to 14 percent
by 2020.
C. predicting that employment of urban and
regional planners will increase 16 percent
between 2010 and 2020.
D. indicating that 14 to 18 percent of urban and
regional planning positions will remain
unfilled.
Question 12
[1] Muslim scientists also made important advances in
the theory and practice of medicine. [2] For instance,
the Persian doctor al-Razi revolutionized how doctors
diagnosed disease. [3] In the 9th century CE, he wrote
the first accurate descriptions of smallpox and
measles. [4] He also challenged mistaken ancient ideas
about the causes of disease. [5] A vaccine for smallpox
wasn’t developed until several centuries later, however.
[6] Perhaps most impressively, Al-Razi conducted one
of history’s earliest clinical trials to study the
effectiveness of bloodletting as a cure for disease.
Which of the following changes would most
improve the focus of the passage?
A. Move sentence 3 so that it follows sentence 4.
B. Move sentence 5 so that it follows sentence 3.
C. Delete sentence 5.
D. Delete sentence 6.
Question 13
The gap between science and public understanding
prevents action on global warming. This is
disheartening news in many ways because it makes
the prospect of change seem incredibly difficult to
some the movement needs a more scientific consensus
as well as a human heart.
A. No Change
B. difficult. To some, the movement needs
C. difficult to some. The movement needs
D. difficult to some, the movement needs
Question 14
Among the possibilities to reconfigure a building’s
lighting is the installation of full-pane windows to allow
the greatest degree of sunlight to reach office interiors.
alternatively, businesses can install light tubes, these
are pipes placed in workplace roofs to capture
and funnel sunlight down into a building’s interior.
A. No Change
B. they are
C. which are
D. those being
Question 15
The book was a hit. Children were entertained by its
plot about the antics of a mischievous cat and is
captivated by its eye-catching illustrations and
memorable rhythms and rhymes. Its sales inspired
another publishing company, Random House, to
establish a series for early readers called Beginner
Books
A. No Change
B. was
C. has been
D. Delete the underlined portion
Question 16
Throughout the country, books are regularly being
challenged. Individuals or groups deem material
inappropriate for young people. Objectionable material
is usually cited as the reason. At first, they may
request that the material be removed from library
shelves, or they insist that it be excised from school
curricula. If their initial efforts fail, they may petition
higher authorities or rally additional support from the
larger community. As a last resort, they may turn to
the legal system for help, filing a lawsuit to enjoin the
availability of materials they find offensive.
Which choice most effectively establishes the main
topic of this paragraph?
A. It is difficult to challenge the availability of
books or other material because what is
objectionable to some people may not be
objectionable to others.
B. All citizens enjoy the right to challenge the
use of objectionable material in the
classrooms and libraries of public schools.
C. Those who want to keep certain books or
other materials away from youngsters
protest in a more or less predictable way.
D. Challenges to books and other objectionable
materials are usually made with the well-
being of young people in mind.
Question 17
The startup didn't become financially beneficial until it
reached a critical mass of customers using the app on
a daily basis.
A. No Change
B. Profitable
C. commercially rewarding
D. worthy of great compensation
Question 18
Observation of young children during the early stages
of stuttering have led to a list of warning signs that can
help identify a child who is developing a speech
problem. Most children use “um’s” and “ah’s,” and will
repeat words or syllables as they learn to speak. It is
not a serious concern if a child says, “I like to go and
play games,” unless such repetitions occur often, more
than once every twenty words or so.
A. No Change
B. Observations of young children during the
early stages of stuttering
C. Observations of young children, which
during the early stages of stuttering
D. Observation of young children, during the
early stages of stuttering
Question 19
Archaeologists dig excruciatingly slowly. They engage
in a methodical process of shaving the ground just a
few centimeters at a time so the soil and the artifacts
can tell us the story of the past. It’s a destructive
science, really, because once the earth is disturbed, it
can never be returned exactly as it had been.
For the sake of cohesion, which choice most
effectively combines the sentences in the
underlined portions?
A. slowly, and they engage
B. slowly; while digging, they engage
C. slowly, but they engage
D. slowly, engaging
Question 20
Home schoolers are now a divisive, multidimensional,
heterogeneous population. No longer the preserve of
left wing unschoolers and right wing fundamentalists,
the great range of people make it very difficult to draw
even broad generalizations about the phenomenon. In
addition, one article of faith unites all home schoolers:
that home schooling should be unregulated. Home
schoolers of all stripes believe that they alone should
decide how their children are educated, and they unite
in order to press for the absence of regulations or the
most permissive regulation possible.
Which choice results in the most effective opening
sentence of this paragraph?
A. No Change
B. multiethnic and heterogeneous
C. diversified and homogeneous
D. diverse
Question 21
There are scientific ways to get the most out of
studying according to recent studies. There is evidence
that study sessions work better when they are done in
small short chunks, rather than in one marathon ten-
hour session. Too many students are afraid to split up
their schedules because they're afraid of forgetting
what they've read, but what they don't realize is that
study sessions in place of sleep can result in a 20%
drop in attention levels.
Which choice results in a sentence that best
supports the point developed in this paragraph?
A. No Change
B. the brain needs time to process information
before it can retain it.
C. routine is the best way to establish a habit in
the mind.
D. rote memorization is not as effective as doing
practice tests.
Question 22 Question 25
When the Beatles were about to debut on American This 17th-century philosopher ushered Western
television in 1964, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” had thought through an era of great public doubt and
already sold a million copies more than the sales of upheaval and into the age of self-reliant rationalism.
any other song. Consequently, arriving at the airport in Political and religious tradition and authority—the
New York, an avalanche of reporters greeted the group. reigning premodern sources of truth and knowledge—
That there were many reporters there to skewer these were being questioned and rejected as new ideas
longhaired interlopers was not a delusion. Luckily for identified potential inconsistencies. Because
the Beatles, their wit won over the American media— foundations of truth seemed to be crumbling,
and helped ensure that we’d still be celebrating them Descartes’s writings proposed an alternative
more than a half century later. foundation: individual reason.
A. No Change A. No Change
B. a large amount of reporters greeted the B. In a time when foundations of truth seemed
group to be crumbling, Descartes's writings
C. the group was greeted by an avalanche of proposed an alternative foundation:
reporters individual reason.
D. reporters in great numbers greeted the group C. Despite the fact that foundations of truth
seemed to be crumbling, Descartes's writings
proposed an alternative foundation:
Question 23 individual reason.
MCP lengthens storage life by three to four times when D. Although foundations of truth seemed to be
applied to apples. This extended life allows producers crumbling, Descartes's writings proposed an
to sell their apples in the off-season, months after the alternative foundation: individual reason.
apples have been harvested.
Which choice most effectively combines the
underlined sentences?
A. When applied to apples, MCP lengthens
storage life by three to four times, allowing
producers to sell their apples in the off-season,
months after the apples have been harvested.
B. Producers are allowed to sell their apples
months after they have been harvested—in the
off-season—because MCP, when applied to
apples, lengthens their storage life by three to
four times.
C. MCP lengthens storage life, when applied to
apples, by three to four times, allowing
producers to sell their apples months after the
apples have been harvested in the off-season.
D. Months after apples have been harvested,
producers are allowed to sell their apples, in
the off-season, because MCP lengthens storage
life when applied to apples by three to four
times.

Question 24
Examining the model, the researchers determined that
one had found a new species, a 75-million-year-old
crocodile. While not every discovery will be as dramatic
as this one, paleontologists anticipate further
expanding their knowledge of ancient life-forms as CT
scanning and 3-D printing continue to make fossils
more accessible.
A. No Change
B. he or she
C. they
D. It