SAT October 2026 Asia Form A — Reading and Writing Module 2.
27 questions · Free online practice
Open the interactive worksheetQuestion 1
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? To maximize ______, package distribution centers employ advanced scheduling systems and strategic staging areas that allow for goods received from warehouses to be immediately transferred to trucks for delivery to their final destinations. Some centers are so efficient that even the largest delivery trucks can be filled in a matter of minutes. A. throughput B. liability C. overhead D. staffing
Question 2
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? The Invisible Girl’s ability to turn invisible is illustrative of the lamentably lackluster powers bestowed on many female superheroes, but even those with more formidable powers have been subject to unflattering portrayals that often serve as ______: as Talisman, Elizabeth Twoyoungmen loses control of a vast mystic force and turns on her teammates in Alpha Flight, showing the pitfalls of possessing great power. A. obfuscations B. admonitions C. venerations D. exonerations
Question 3
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole? Research on minor solar eruptions in magnetically quiet regions revealed an interesting pattern. Material expelled during these events follows a narrow arc trajectory back to the Sun’s surface. High-resolution images show these eruptions produce thin streams of hot gas moving at speeds between 55 and 200 kilometers per second. Although these are impressive velocities, they are not sufficient to overcome the confining forces of the Sun’s gravity and magnetic field, so the material is pulled back down. A. It discusses a natural occurrence that leads to the consequences explained later in the text. B. It acknowledges an exception to the pattern described in the first sentence of the text. C. It describes a natural phenomenon that is explained later in the text. D. It presents a research finding that challenges the view mentioned in the first sentence of the text.
Question 4
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text? With examples ranging from the Lost Blue Hole in the Bahamas to Nancy’s Blue Hole in the Abaco Islands, blue holes are large underwater sinkholes: pits filled with dark blue water that contrasts with lighter blue shallower waters surrounding them. The formation of blue holes typically involves several natural processes, including the dissolution of limestone or other soluble rocks. Currently, the deepest blue hole on record is the Taam Ja’ Blue Hole in Chetumal Bay, Mexico, which is reported by Laura Carrillo and colleagues as extending at least 420 meters below sea level. A. It compares a deep sinkhole to a shallower one, details the processes by which both sinkholes formed, and emphasizes the remarkable depth of the deeper sinkhole. B. It defines a kind of sinkhole, describes its typical appearance and formation, and provides information about the deepest known sinkhole. C. It describes the appearance of a particular type of sinkhole, compares the formations of two sinkholes of that type, and then names the researchers who discovered the deepest known sinkhole of that type. D. It explains how a particular sinkhole formed, evaluates that sinkhole’s unusual appearance, and names a research team that is studying the sinkhole.
Question 5
Based on the texts, the author of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 would most likely agree on which point? Text 1 For thousands of years, O’odham farmers in the Sonoran desert of the southwestern US and northern Mexico have cultivated elderberries and chia seeds, sometimes planting these species together so that the elderberry bushes provide shade for chia flowers. Doing so helps protect chia flowers from the harshest heat and light and thereby helps prevent soil moisture from evaporating. Text 2 Chia flowers are well adapted to growing in the desert but grow best when shaded. Inspired by O’odham farmers, who often strategically plant chia flowers in the shade of sun-hardy species like elderberry bushes for protection from the sun and heat, Gary Nabhan and colleagues planted chia flowers in the shade of solar panels in the Sonoran desert and found that the plants grew well, suggesting to Nabhan and colleagues that the panels provide a benefit similar to that provided by elderberry bushes. A. Elderberry bushes can provide shade that protects chia flowers from high-intensity heat and light. B. Nabhan’s team’s method could be refined to more actively prevent soil moisture from evaporating. C. Elderberry bushes grow best when planted in shaded areas, while chia flowers do not require shade to thrive. D. Compared with Nabhan’s approach, the O’odham approach has the advantage of producing chia seeds.
Question 6
Which choice best describes a notable difference in how the references to palm trees function in Text 1 and Text 2? Text 1 is from George Eliot’s 1860 novel The Mill on the Floss. Text 2 is from Rabindranath Tagore’s 1921 nonfiction book Glimpses of Bengal. Text 1 The wood I walk in on this mild May day, with the young yellow-brown foliage of the oaks between me and the blue sky, the white star-flowers and the blue-eyed speedwell and the ground ivy at my feet, what grove of tropic palms, what strange ferns or splendid broad-petalled blossoms, could ever thrill such deep and delicate fibres within me as this home scene? Text 2 My feelings seem to be those of our ancient earth in the daily ecstasy of its sun-kissed life; my own consciousness seems to stream through each blade of grass, each sucking root, to rise with the sap through the trees, to break out with joyous thrills in the waving fields of corn, in the rustling palm leaves. A. While palm trees serve to evoke natural beauty in both texts, only the author of Text 2 expresses a close sense of identification with palm trees. B. While the narrator of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 both refer to metaphorical palm trees, only the narrator of Text 1 suggests that the palm trees are representative of home. C. While the narrator of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 both discuss palm trees to suggest the value of experiencing the natural world, only the narrator of Text 1 alludes to the labor that goes into cultivating real palm trees. D. While palm trees form part of a series conveying the variety of the natural world in both texts, only the author of Text 2 recognizes how closely interconnected palm trees are with other plants in their environment.
Question 7
The following texts are excerpts from George Eliot’s 1860 novel The Mill on the Floss and Rabindranath Tagore’s 1921 nonfiction book Glimpses of Bengal . Text 1 The wood I walk in on this mild May day, with the young yellow-brown foliage of the oaks between me and the blue sky, the white star-flowers and the blue-eyed speedwell and the ground ivy at my feet, what grove of tropic palms, what strange ferns or splendid broad-petalled blossoms, could ever thrill such deep and delicate fibres within me as this home scene? Text 2 My feelings seem to be those of our ancient earth in the daily ecstasy of its sun-kissed life; my own consciousness seems to stream through each blade of grass, each sucking root, to rise with the sap through the trees, to break out with joyous thrills in the waving fields of corn, in the rustling palm leaves. Which choice best describes a notable difference in how the references to palm trees function in Text 1 and Text 2? A. While palm trees serve to evoke natural beauty in both texts, only the author of Text 2 expresses a close sense of identification with palm trees. B. While the narrator of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 both refer to metaphorical palm trees, only the narrator of Text 1 suggests that the palm trees are representative of home. C. While the narrator of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 both discuss palm trees to suggest the value of experiencing the natural world, only the narrator of Text 1 alludes to the labor that goes into cultivating real palm trees. D. While palm trees form part of a series conveying the variety of the natural world in both texts, only the author of Text 2 recognizes how closely interconnected palm trees are with other plants in their environment.
Question 8
In the Mexican dialect of Spanish, the consonant s is pronounced with greater tension in the tongue than it is in Castilian, the dominant dialect in Spain, resulting in a sharper sound. Margarita Hidalgo, a linguist at San Diego State University, argues that Mexican Spanish acquired this pronunciation from Nahuatl, the language of the Nahua people in Central Mexico: as the Spanish colonizers of Mexico incorporated Nahuatl words into their speech, and as more and more Nahuas spoke Spanish as a second language, the Nahuatl pronunciation of the s consonant replaced the Castilian pronunciation. Information in the text best supports which statement about the consonant s ? A. This consonant appears in a higher percentage of Nahuatl vocabulary than of Castilian vocabulary. B. The pronunciation of this consonant is the principal difference between the Mexican and Castilian dialects of Spanish. C. The pronunciation of this consonant requires greater tension in the tongue in Nahuatl than in Castilian. D. The pronunciation of this consonant in Nahuatl may have been affected by its pronunciation in Mexican Spanish.
Question 9
Cover crops, such as flax, are planted by many farmers between main growing seasons. While these crops are known for increasing biodiversity, Christopher Poeplau and his coauthor argued in a 2015 study that cover crops’ role in supporting soil carbon sequestration deserves more attention. Cover crops remove carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from the air and convert it to organic compounds; some of these compounds are stored in the soil as soil organic carbon (SOC), which contributes to the buildup of SOC stocks over time. Based on data from numerous farm fields, Poeplau and his coauthor concluded that cover crops contribute meaningfully to soil carbon sequestration and, if widely adopted, could help offset agricultural emissions of atmospheric CO 2 and other greenhouse gases. Which finding, if true, would be most consistent with Poeplau and his coauthor’s conclusion? A. Cover crops generally exhibit reduced carbon sequestration rates in fields exposed to high levels of greenhouse gas emissions compared with fields exposed to low levels of those emissions. B. Flax captures considerably more CO2 in fields where it is the sole cover crop compared with fields where it is grown alongside other species of cover crops. C. SOC stocks vary more in fields where cover crops have been grown for decades compared with fields where cover crops have only recently been introduced. D. SOC stocks tend to be significantly lower in fields without cover crops compared with fields where cover crops have been grown for several years.
Question 10
The 2021 poetry collection Double Trio continues Nathaniel Mackey’s “long song,” a sprawling work that consists of a pair of serialized poems called Song of the Andoumboulou and Mu, whose joint publication spans multiple installments over several decades. In this long song, Mackey actualizes what he calls “discrepant engagement,” a compositional strategy that involves continuously revising and remixing diverse cultural references to illuminate the complex interconnectedness of global cultures. Mackey’s long song’s open-endedness is essential to the way it manifests discrepant engagement—that is, the work’s associative logic and resistance to linear narrative prevent readers from imposing a definitive and coherent interpretation on its presentation of world cultures. A. “Though at the outset of his project Mackey conceived of Song of the Andoumboulou and Mu as two discrete series, in the preface of 2006’s Splay Anthem, Mackey indicates that their seriality eventually enabled his realization that they were in fact two facets of a single work.” B. “Though nominally an epic whose band of wandering travelers evoke the ancient Greek epic hero Odysseus, unlike traditional Western epics, which often conclude with the hero’s return home, Mackey’s long song possesses an open-endedness that renders the final homecoming elusive.” C. “The intellectual scope of Mackey’s work is capacious, drawing on such wide-ranging cultural influences as the traditional stories of the Dogon people of West Africa, philosophical schools of the ancient Mediterranean, the history of the African diaspora, quantum mechanics, modernist poetry, and experimental jazz music.” D. “Seriality in Mackey’s long song operates recursively, meaning that, in combination with the work’s marshaling of an eclectic array of cultural allusions, it endlessly reiterates and recontextualizes the same archetypal images and narrative incidents, uncovering in these elements new and unexpected meanings with each repetition.”
Question 11
Many studies have found a positive association between levels of dissolved organic carbon and mercury in bodies of fresh water undisturbed by human activity. But Mark E. Brigham and colleagues did not find this correlation in an examination of freshwater bodies disturbed by urban development, leading some scientists to hypothesize that the association could be particular to undisturbed waters. However, Tomáš Navrátil and colleagues carried out a study on freshwater bodies disturbed by coal emissions that showed similar results to the studies on undisturbed waters, suggesting that A. Brigham and colleagues’ study used different methods to measure the concentration of mercury in fresh water than Navrátil and colleagues’ study did. B. disturbances linked to urban development affect significantly more bodies of fresh water than disturbances linked to coal pollution do. C. the effects of urban development on the association between levels of dissolved organic carbon and mercury should not be taken as indicative of the effects of every type of human disturbance. D. levels of dissolved organic carbon and mercury are both much higher in bodies of fresh water disturbed by urban development than they are in bodies of fresh water disturbed by coal emissions.
Question 12
Archaeological evidence indicates that board games have existed in human societies for at least five millennia, with examples discovered in the tombs of ancient Egypt and the ruins of Mesopotamia. The purpose of these ancient games was ______ provide entertainment during leisure time, to reflect cultural beliefs, and to develop strategic thinking skills among players. A. threefold to B. threefold. To C. threefold: to D. threefold; to
Question 13
Machinists must account for multiple parameters—including material properties, cutting tool geometry, and machine capabilities—when setting up a machining project. Experienced ______ that tool speed and workpiece feed rate recommendations from manufacturer charts are only the first considerations, learn to balance these competing factors by adjusting their parameters based on specific variables, such as the cutting depth, desired surface finish, and workpiece rigidity. A. operators, have recognized B. operators recognize C. operators, recognizing D. operators can recognize
Question 14
As one of aviation’s earliest female stunt performers, Gladys Ingle developed a versatile repertoire of acrobatic feats. Her specialized skills included standing on the wing of a flying aircraft and shooting a bow and arrow at a ______ perfect balance during aerial maneuvers, such as vertical loops; and even walking across the wing as an aircraft flew at full speed beneath a bridge. A. target. Maintaining B. target maintaining C. target, maintaining D. target; maintaining
Question 15
During a recent investigation, archaeologists ______ an explanation for the consistent and seemingly deliberate placement of petrogylphs (rock carvings) near water analyzed several sites on Carribbean islands. They discovered that many of the pools near petroglyphs had consistent water levels year-round, creating perfect reflecting surfaces for the carved symbols on the rocks. A. sought B. had sought C. seeking D. were seeking
Question 16
For his mash-up “Smells Like Rockin’ Robin,” DJ Mark Vidler layered Kurt Cobain’s minor-key vocals from “Smells Like Teen Spirit” over the Jackson 5’s major-key blues progression from “Rockin’ ______ by inserting the grunge singer’s vocal melody as pitch-shifted “blue notes” within the pop-soul group’s harmonic framework, creates an intensified “bluesy” feeling and subverts the expectations of listeners familiar with either musical source. A. Robin”—a technique that, B. Robin”; a technique that, C. Robin,” a technique that D. Robin.” A technique that
Question 17
Named for the year in which it was detected by Japanese astronomers, SN 2004dj was a supernova (the explosion of a massive ______ in the constellation Camelopardalis, 11 million light-years from Earth, the transient yet powerful blast propelled particles and debris into space at extremely high speeds. A. star). Occurring B. star) and occurring C. star) occurring D. star), occurring
Question 18
The Hornbostel-Sachs system classifies musical instruments by how they produce sound. For example, an instrument that is popular in Russia called the garmon produces sound primarily through the vibration of air through the instrument’s body. ______ under the Hornbostel-Sachs system, the garmon is an aerophone. A. Instead, B. Thus, C. Furthermore, D. Similarly,
Question 19
Scientists studying forest restoration have discovered that trees depend on complex partnerships with microscopic organisms for survival. The researchers found that special fungi called endophytes live inside tree leaves and serve as a defense mechanism. ______ these endophytes help by fighting off diseases and boosting the tree’s immune system. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition? A. In conclusion, B. Alternatively, C. Specifically, D. Nevertheless,
Question 20
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition? On March 8, 1971, the Apollo 14 crew received a ticker-tape parade in New York City in recognition of their mission to the Moon. Of the 206 ticker-tape parades held between 1886 and 2022, a number were for the US space program. ______ the Apollo 14 parade was just one of 10 honoring astronauts. A. Therefore, B. Nevertheless, C. In addition, D. Indeed,
Question 21
Between April 1848 and October 1849, Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s novel The Caxtons was serialized in fourteen parts in Blackwood’s Magazine. Scholars typically regard the serial version of Bulwer-Lytton’s novel as less authoritative than the version later published in book form. ______ as scholar Philip Allingham notes, serialized texts were the versions in which the nineteenth-century readership first “saw itself and its world reflected, and to which it responded, often with great emotion.” A. Accordingly, they emphasize the appeal of the serial version for Victorian audiences; B. Consequently, the book version of the novel is often favored over the serial version; C. Still, the serial version is important to an understanding of the novel’s historical context; D. However, others regard the serial version as a more faithful representation of Bulwer-Lytton’s intentions;
Question 22
The student wants to provide an example of a position in ballet. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal? While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: Body positions are an important part of dance. In ballet, there is a position called third position. It is one of several positions for the dancer’s feet. A. Third position is an example of a position in ballet. B. In dance, some positions are for the dancer’s feet. C. Body positions are an important part of dance, including ballet. D. Ballet includes several dance positions for the dancer’s feet.
Question 23
The student wants to explain why ERW is a superior method for capturing CO2. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal? While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) is a method of spreading crushed basalt on farmland to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) and improve soil health. ERW increases crop yields and removes harmful CO2 from the air. ERW offers a low-cost, low-tech alternative to expensive, energy-intensive carbon capture methods. The CO2 captured by ERW becomes stable bicarbonate in soil water, which eventually streams into the ocean to remain safely stored for hundreds of years. ERW can improve rural economies by reducing farmers’ need for fertilizers and increasing their earnings from carbon credits. A. The CO2 captured by ERW becomes stable bicarbonate, which improves soil health by remaining in the ocean for hundreds of years. B. ERW is a method of spreading crushed basalt on farmland to capture CO2, improving rural economies. C. ERW improves soil health and helps farmers increase their income from selling carbon credits. D. ERW removes CO2 from the air in a way that is both low-cost and low-tech.
Question 24
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? Researchers have developed algorithms that take into account how various ______ influence production schedules, allowing rapid solution generation for manufacturing planning problems. The algorithms help identify efficient production schedules by processing those quantifiable inputs (e.g., demand patterns and capacity constraints) without exhaustively testing all possible scenarios. A. optimizations B. parameters C. predictions D. anomalies
Question 25
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? TROPOMI and other data sets of plants’ solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (a photosynthesis by-product) are derived from remote-sensor input that is highly sensitive to the first signs of photosynthesis decline, allowing scientists to detect ecosystem-wide plant stress caused by excessive heat when such stress is ______ and not yet reflected in vegetation indices, like the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. A. attenuated B. incipient C. ambivalent D. profuse
Question 26
Which choice best states the main idea of the text? Primarily encountered by modern readers as inert written texts, the vernacular riddles of early medieval England contain “implicit vestiges” of an interactive performance context, scholar Jill Frederick argues. Locative phrases (e.g., “here” and “now”) scattered throughout the riddles indicate the space shared by their speakers and audiences; the common refrain “say what I am called” invites a verbalized response; and the conflation of many of the riddles’ speakers with their solutions (typically animals, objects, or natural phenomena) suggests a form of dramatic impersonation perhaps meant to entertain during public gatherings. A. People of early medieval England likely found that era’s vernacular riddles to be more amusing than modern readers do, given that there is substantial evidence to indicate that they are best experienced in the context of an interactive performance rather than exclusively as written texts. B. Scholars once assumed that the vernacular riddles of early medieval England were originally intended to be read silently, but newly uncovered historical documents corroborate Jill Frederick’s assertion that they may in fact have been intended primarily for oral performance. C. It is reasonable to conclude based on textual evidence from the vernacular riddles of early medieval England that they were mainly performed at large public gatherings, though documentation of the locations in which they were performed is unlikely to exist. D. Linguistic evidence found within the vernacular riddles of early medieval England suggests that they may have been intended to be performed in communal settings, though this isn’t how they are generally experienced by readers today.
Question 27
What does the text most strongly suggest about the steppe hypothesis? Many linguists support the steppe hypothesis, which holds that the Indo-European language family originated approximately 6,000 years before present (YBP) on the Pontic-Caspian Steppe. Using the novel linguistics approach of computational phylogenetics, a research team proposed an age of approximately 8,120 YBP. As part of their findings, the team also presented a hypothesis as to how Indo-European spread, proposing that a major branch of Indo-European traveled northward from the language family’s source to the Pontic-Caspian Steppe, expanding from there across much of Europe. A. It is weakened by the team’s findings, though the team’s hypothesis nevertheless accounts for the slight possibility that a minor branch of Indo-European originated on the Pontic-Caspian Steppe. B. It is more popular among linguists than other, competing hypotheses, which are better supported by the team’s findings than the steppe hypothesis is. C. It is based on older and less reliable research approaches than those used by the team, which included the innovative method of computational phylogenetics. D. It is incompatible with the team’s findings, though the team’s hypothesis nevertheless accords a position of importance to the Pontic-Caspian Steppe in the spread of Indo-European.