Practice

Test Two paired passages

Make time to take the practice test.

It’s one of the best ways to get ready
for the SAT.

After you’ve taken the practice test, score it

right away at [Link]/scoring.

© 2016 The College Board. College Board, SAT, and the acorn logo are registered trademarks of the College Board.
 1 1
Questions 42-52 are based on the following Companies are eyeing the iron, silicon, and

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
passages. aluminium in lunar soil and asteroids, which could
Passage 1 is adapted from Michael Slezak, “Space Mining:
be used in 3D printers to make spare parts or
the Next Gold Rush?” ©2013 by New Scientist. Passage 2 is machinery. Others want to turn space dirt into
from the editors of New Scientist, “Taming the Final 45 concrete for landing pads, shelters, and roads.
Frontier.” ©2013 by New Scientist. Passage 2
Passage 1 The motivation for deep-space travel is shifting
Follow the money and you will end up in space. from discovery to economics. The past year has seen
That’s the message from a first-of-its-kind forum on a flurry of proposals aimed at bringing celestial riches
mining beyond Earth. down to Earth. No doubt this will make a few
Line Convened in Sydney by the Australian Centre for 50 billionaires even wealthier, but we all stand to gain:
5 Space Engineering Research, the event brought the mineral bounty and spin-off technologies could
together mining companies, robotics experts, lunar enrich us all.
scientists, and government agencies that are all But before the miners start firing up their rockets,
working to make space mining a reality. we should pause for thought. At first glance, space
The forum comes hot on the heels of the 55 mining seems to sidestep most environmental
10 2012 unveiling of two private asteroid-mining firms. concerns: there is (probably!) no life on asteroids,
Planetary Resources of Washington says it will and thus no habitats to trash. But its consequences
launch its first prospecting telescopes in two years, —both here on Earth and in space—merit careful
while Deep Space Industries of Virginia hopes to be consideration.
harvesting metals from asteroids by 2020. Another 60 Part of this is about principles. Some will argue
15 commercial venture that sprung up in 2012, that space’s “magnificent desolation” is not ours to
Golden Spike of Colorado, will be offering trips to despoil, just as they argue that our own planet’s poles
the moon, including to potential lunar miners. should remain pristine. Others will suggest that
Within a few decades, these firms may be glutting ourselves on space’s riches is not an
meeting earthly demands for precious metals, such as 65 acceptable alternative to developing more sustainable
20 platinum and gold, and the rare earth elements vital ways of earthly life.
for personal electronics, such as yttrium and History suggests that those will be hard lines to
lanthanum. But like the gold rush pioneers who hold, and it may be difficult to persuade the public
transformed the western United States, the first space that such barren environments are worth preserving.
miners won’t just enrich themselves. They also hope 70 After all, they exist in vast abundance, and even
25 to build an off-planet economy free of any bonds fewer people will experience them than have walked
with Earth, in which the materials extracted and through Antarctica’s icy landscapes.
processed from the moon and asteroids are delivered There’s also the emerging off-world economy to
for space-based projects. consider. The resources that are valuable in orbit and
In this scenario, water mined from other 75 beyond may be very different to those we prize on
30 worlds could become the most desired commodity. Earth. Questions of their stewardship have barely
“In the desert, what’s worth more: a kilogram of gold been broached—and the relevant legal and regulatory
or a kilogram of water?” asks Kris Zacny of framework is fragmentary, to put it mildly.
HoneyBee Robotics in New York. “Gold is useless. Space miners, like their earthly counterparts, are
Water will let you live.” 80 often reluctant to engage with such questions.
35 Water ice from the moon’s poles could be sent to One speaker at last week’s space-mining forum in
astronauts on the International Space Station for Sydney, Australia, concluded with a plea that
drinking or as a radiation shield. Splitting water into regulation should be avoided. But miners have much
oxygen and hydrogen makes spacecraft fuel, so to gain from a broad agreement on the for-profit
ice-rich asteroids could become interplanetary 85 exploitation of space. Without consensus, claims will
40 refuelling stations. be disputed, investments risky, and the gains made
insecure. It is in all of our long-term interests to seek
one out.

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal.

14 CO NTI N U E
 1 1

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
42 46
In lines 9-17, the author of Passage 1 mentions What function does the discussion of water in
several companies primarily to lines 35-40 serve in Passage 1?
A) note the technological advances that make space A) It continues an extended comparison that begins
mining possible. in the previous paragraph.
B) provide evidence of the growing interest in space B) It provides an unexpected answer to a question
mining. raised in the previous paragraph.
C) emphasize the large profits to be made from C) It offers hypothetical examples supporting a
space mining. claim made in the previous paragraph.
D) highlight the diverse ways to carry out space D) It examines possible outcomes of a proposal put
mining operations. forth in the previous paragraph.

43 47
The author of Passage 1 indicates that space mining The central claim of Passage 2 is that space mining
could have which positive effect? has positive potential but
A) It could yield materials important to Earth’s A) it will end up encouraging humanity’s reckless
economy. treatment of the environment.
B) It could raise the value of some precious metals B) its effects should be thoughtfully considered
on Earth. before it becomes a reality.
C) It could create unanticipated technological C) such potential may not include replenishing key
innovations. resources that are disappearing on Earth.
D) It could change scientists’ understanding of D) experts disagree about the commercial viability
space resources. of the discoveries it could yield.

44 48
Which choice provides the best evidence for the As used in line 68, “hold” most nearly means
answer to the previous question? A) maintain.
A) Lines 18-22 (“Within . . . lanthanum”) B) grip.
B) Lines 24-28 (“They . . . projects”) C) restrain.
C) Lines 29-30 (“In this . . . commodity”) D) withstand.
D) Lines 41-44 (“Companies . . . machinery”)

45
As used in line 19, “demands” most nearly means
A) offers.
B) claims.
C) inquiries.
D) desires.

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal.

15 CO NTI N U E
 1 1

.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
49 51
Which statement best describes the relationship Which choice provides the best evidence for the
between the passages? answer to the previous question?
A) Passage 2 refutes the central claim advanced in A) Lines 60-63 (“Some . . . pristine”)
Passage 1. B) Lines 74-76 (“The resources . . . Earth”)
B) Passage 2 illustrates the phenomenon described C) Lines 81-83 (“One . . . avoided”)
in more general terms in Passage 1.
D) Lines 85-87 (“Without . . . insecure”)
C) Passage 2 argues against the practicality of the
proposals put forth in Passage 1.
D) Passage 2 expresses reservations about 52
developments discussed in Passage 1.
Which point about the resources that will be highly
valued in space is implicit in Passage 1 and explicit in
Passage 2?
50
A) They may be different resources from those that
The author of Passage 2 would most likely respond to are valuable on Earth.
the discussion of the future of space mining in
lines 18-28, Passage 1, by claiming that such a future B) They will be valuable only if they can be
harvested cheaply.
A) is inconsistent with the sustainable use of space
resources. C) They are likely to be primarily precious metals
and rare earth elements.
B) will be difficult to bring about in the absence of
regulations. D) They may increase in value as those same
resources become rare on Earth.
C) cannot be attained without technologies that do
not yet exist.
D) seems certain to affect Earth’s economy in a
negative way.

STOP
If you finish before time is called, you may check your work on this section only.
Do not turn to any other section.

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal.

16
 1 1
Questions 22-32 are based on the following

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
21
passages.
Data in the graph provide most direct support for
which idea in the passage? Passage 1 is adapted from Nicholas Carr, “Author
Nicholas Carr: The Web Shatters Focus, Rewires Brains.”
A) Acting on empathy can be counterproductive. ©2010 by Condé Nast. Passage 2 is from Steven Pinker,
B) Ethical economics is defined by character. “Mind over Mass Media.” ©2010 by The New York Times
Company.
C) Ethical economics is still possible.
Passage 1
D) People fear losses more than they hope for gains.
The mental consequences of our online
info-crunching are not universally bad.
Certain cognitive skills are strengthened by our use
Line of computers and the Net. These tend to involve
5 more primitive mental functions, such as hand-eye
coordination, reflex response, and the processing of
visual cues. One much-cited study of video gaming
revealed that after just 10 days of playing action
games on computers, a group of young people had
10 significantly boosted the speed with which they could
shift their visual focus between various images and
tasks.
It’s likely that Web browsing also strengthens
brain functions related to fast-paced problem
15 solving, particularly when it requires spotting
patterns in a welter of data. A British study of the
way women search for medical information online
indicated that an experienced Internet user can, at
least in some cases, assess the trustworthiness and
20 probable value of a Web page in a matter of seconds.
The more we practice surfing and scanning, the more
adept our brain becomes at those tasks.
But it would be a serious mistake to look narrowly
at such benefits and conclude that the Web is making
25 us smarter. In a Science article published in early
2009, prominent developmental psychologist Patricia
Greenfield reviewed more than 40 studies of the
effects of various types of media on intelligence and
learning ability. She concluded that “every medium
30 develops some cognitive skills at the expense of
others.” Our growing use of the Net and other
screen-based technologies, she wrote, has led to the
“widespread and sophisticated development of
visual-spatial skills.” But those gains go hand in hand
35 with a weakening of our capacity for the kind of
“deep processing” that underpins “mindful
knowledge acquisition, inductive analysis, critical
thinking, imagination, and reflection.”
We know that the human brain is highly
40 plastic; neurons and synapses change as
circumstances change. When we adapt to a new
cultural phenomenon, including the use of a new

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 8 CONTINUE

 1 1
medium, we end up with a different brain, says

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
22
Michael Merzenich, a pioneer of the field of
45 neuroplasticity. That means our online habits The author of Passage 1 indicates which of the
continue to reverberate in the workings of our brain following about the use of screen-based technologies?
cells even when we’re not at a computer. We’re A) It should be thoroughly studied.
exercising the neural circuits devoted to skimming B) It makes the brain increasingly rigid.
and multitasking while ignoring those used for
50 reading and thinking deeply.
C) It has some positive effects.
D) It should be widely encouraged.
Passage 2
Critics of new media sometimes use science itself
to press their case, citing research that shows how
“experience can change the brain.” But cognitive 23
neuroscientists roll their eyes at such talk. Yes, every Which choice provides the best evidence for the
55 time we learn a fact or skill the wiring of the brain answer to the previous question?
changes; it’s not as if the information is stored in the A) Lines 3-4 (“Certain . . . Net”)
pancreas. But the existence of neural plasticity does
not mean the brain is a blob of clay pounded into B) Lines 23-25 (“But . . . smarter”)
shape by experience. C) Lines 25-29 (“In a . . . ability”)
60 Experience does not revamp the basic D) Lines 29-31 (“She . . . others”)
information-processing capacities of the brain.
Speed-reading programs have long claimed to do just
that, but the verdict was rendered by Woody Allen 24
after he read Leo Tolstoy’s famously long novel
65 War and Peace in one sitting: “It was about Russia.” The author of Passage 1 indicates that becoming
Genuine multitasking, too, has been exposed as a adept at using the Internet can
myth, not just by laboratory studies but by the A) make people complacent about their health.
familiar sight of an SUV undulating between lanes as
the driver cuts deals on his cell phone. B) undermine the ability to think deeply.
70 Moreover, the effects of experience are highly C) increase people’s social contacts.
specific to the experiences themselves. If you train D) improve people’s self-confidence.
people to do one thing (recognize shapes, solve math
puzzles, find hidden words), they get better at doing
that thing, but almost nothing else. Music doesn’t 25
75 make you better at math, conjugating Latin doesn’t
make you more logical, brain-training games don’t As used in line 40, “plastic” most nearly means
make you smarter. Accomplished people don’t bulk A) creative.
up their brains with intellectual calisthenics; they
B) artificial.
immerse themselves in their fields. Novelists read
80 lots of novels, scientists read lots of science. C) malleable.
The effects of consuming electronic media are D) sculptural.
likely to be far more limited than the panic implies.
Media critics write as if the brain takes on the
qualities of whatever it consumes, the informational
85 equivalent of “you are what you eat.” As with ancient
peoples who believed that eating fierce animals made
them fierce, they assume that watching quick cuts in
rock videos turns your mental life into quick cuts or
that reading bullet points and online postings turns
90 your thoughts into bullet points and online postings.

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 9 CONTINUE

 1 1

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
26 30
The author of Passage 2 refers to the novel Which choice best describes the relationship between
War and Peace primarily to suggest that the two passages?
Woody Allen A) Passage 2 relates first-hand experiences that
A) did not like Tolstoy’s writing style. contrast with the clinical approach in Passage 1.
B) could not comprehend the novel by B) Passage 2 critiques the conclusions drawn from
speed-reading it. the research discussed in Passage 1.
C) had become quite skilled at multitasking. C) Passage 2 takes a high-level view of a result that
D) regretted having read such a long novel. Passage 1 examines in depth.
D) Passage 2 predicts the negative reactions that the
findings discussed in Passage 1 might produce.
27
According to the author of Passage 2, what do
novelists and scientists have in common? 31
A) They take risks when they pursue knowledge. On which of the following points would the authors
of both passages most likely agree?
B) They are eager to improve their minds.
A) Computer-savvy children tend to demonstrate
C) They are curious about other subjects. better hand-eye coordination than do their
D) They become absorbed in their own fields. parents.
B) Those who criticize consumers of electronic
media tend to overreact in their criticism.
28
C) Improved visual-spatial skills do not generalize
The analogy in the final sentence of Passage 2 has to improved skills in other areas.
primarily which effect?
D) Internet users are unlikely to prefer reading
A) It uses ornate language to illustrate a difficult onscreen text to reading actual books.
concept.
B) It employs humor to soften a severe opinion of
human behavior. 32
C) It alludes to the past to evoke a nostalgic Which choice provides the best evidence that the
response. author of Passage 2 would agree to some extent with
D) It criticizes the view of a particular group. the claim attributed to Michael Merzenich in
lines 41-43, Passage 1?
A) Lines 51-53 (“Critics . . . brain”)
29 B) Lines 54-56 (“Yes . . . changes”)
The main purpose of each passage is to C) Lines 57-59 (“But . . . experience”)
A) compare brain function in those who play games D) Lines 83-84 (“Media . . . consumes”)
on the Internet and those who browse on it.
B) report on the problem-solving skills of
individuals with varying levels of Internet
experience.
C) take a position on increasing financial support
for studies related to technology and intelligence.
D) make an argument about the effects of electronic
media use on the brain.

Unauthorized copying or reuse of any part of this page is illegal. 10 CONTINUE