SAT, October 2026 North America Form A, Reading and Writing module 1.
27 questions · Free online practice
Open the interactive worksheetQuestion 1
The collectibles market is one of the most difficult segments of the consumer economy to _____. Few economists would have predicted, for example, that the prices of video game cartridges from the 1980s and 1990s would soar in the late 2010s, but soar they did. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? A. monitor B. avoid C. forecast D. exchange
Question 2
As a member of Indigenous Photograph, artist Luvia Lazo (Zapotec) can promote her work more broadly than she could without the organization's reach. Photography editors around the world can search for Indigenous photographer members on the site to _____ images that accurately depict the lives of Indigenous peoples. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? A. protect B. alter C. locate D. withhold
Question 3
Biologist Bryson Voirin and colleagues have employed hat-like monitors to _____ long-standing misconceptions about the activity patterns of sloths. It was once widely believed that the pygmy three-toed sloth and other sloths sleep all day. Data from the monitors reveal that in the wild sloths sleep about nine hours a day. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase? A. codify B. analyze C. perpetuate D. dispel
Question 4
The following text is adapted from the 1895 poem “Shadow River" by Emily Pauline Johnson (Tekahionwake). The speaker is looking at the reflections of plants in a river. The little fern-leaf, bending Upon the brink, its green reflection greets, And kisses soft the shadow that it meets With touch so fine, The border line The keenest vision can't define; So perfect is the blending. As used in the text, what does the word "define" most nearly mean? A. Restate B. Explain C. Perceive D. Compress
Question 5
Covering windows with film creates a practical trade-off. While these films effectively reduce heat gain and improve energy efficiency in buildings with large windows, they simultaneously decrease natural light transmission. In a classroom, for instance, installing window film might keep indoor temperatures comfortable during summer without excessive air conditioning but could reduce natural daylight enough to require additional artificial lighting. Thus, building managers must carefully select a film based on its optical properties to balance thermal control with visual comfort. Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?? A. It explains why the building managers mentioned in the last sentence often avoid installing window films in certain settings. B. It introduces a new topic that shifts the focus of the text from window films to classrooms. C. It provides a specific example of the trade-off discussed in general terms earlier in the text. D. It contradicts the claim about energy efficiency made in the previous sentence.
Question 6
What is a city? The answer depends on where you live! Many countries define an area as a city based on how many people live there. However, not every country uses the same numbers. Iceland defines a city as an area with a population of at least 200, while Italy defines a city as having a minimum population of 10,ooo. Some countries even define cities using other factors, like the number of buildings in the area. Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text? A. It lists the number of cities in one country, then compares that number to the number of cities in another country. B. It poses a question, then explains why the question has many answers. C. It describes two locations, then explains why only one of the locations is considered a city. D. It offers a recommendation, then provides reasons for that recommendation.
Question 7
Using data from a global consumer-to-consumer retail website, Alfio Ventura, Eve Sarah Troll, and colleagues evaluated whether pricing approaches vary across countries. Although the website will convert prices to the buyers' home currency, most sellers target local markets, so the researchers used virtual private networks to collect prices in each country's predominant currency. They found some striking inter-country differences in pricing strategy, such as the fact that 84.0% of sellers in Puerto Rico price their goods in whole numbers (e.g., \$17) but only 0.3% of sellers in Indonesia do. Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?? A. It describes an aspect of the study design that allowed the researchers to see how buyers in a given country reacted to pricing strategies rarely used in that country. B. It presents a component of the researchers' methodology that enabled them to convert all prices to the same currency for comparison. C. It discusses how the researchers controlled for the possibility that pricing strategies could change depending on the goods being sold. D. It explains a step that the researchers took to ensure that their data accurately reflected sellers' intended prices.
Question 8
James Fong and his team claim to have discovered a new color, which they named olo. Olo is a very saturated blue-green color that can't be seen with the human eye under natural conditions. In the human eye, long, medium, and short cones in the retina help sense bright light and color. Olo can only be seen by activating the medium cones alone. Fong and team activated these cones by using a targeted laser technology to stimulate just the medium cone cells. According to the text, how can the color olo be seen? A. By activating only the long cones in the retina B. By activating the long, medium, and short cones in the retina C. By activating both the long and short cones in the retina D. By activating only the medium cones in the retina
Question 9
Omar Asensio and colleagues examined consumer reviews of 12,720 electric-vehicle charging stations in the US, classifying each review as positive or negative. They found that, among publicly owned or managed charging stations, the proportion of negative reviews in Maryland was slightly higher for paid stations (those requiring a fee to use) than it was for free stations, and the proportion of negative reviews in Pennsylvania was substantially higher for paid stations than it was for free stations. Assuming that the paid and free stations provide roughly equivalent levels of service, these results suggest that Which choice most logically completes the text? A. users of paid stations have higher expectations of the quality of the stations than do users of free stations. B. the fees for using paid publicly owned or managed stations are higher in Maryland than in Pennsylvania. C. electric-vehicle owners do not typically know whether a given station is publicly owned or managed. D. free stations are less common in Maryland than they are in Pennsylvania.
Question 10
In a 2018 study, Wee-Lee Tan and Yen-Nee Goh found that Malaysian consumers who reported more positive attitudes toward environmentally sustainable residences also reported greater intentions to purchase such properties. Subsequently, another team of researchers surveyed the attitudes of members of various demographic groups in Vietnam about a new food product that is environmentally sustainable. Finding that parents of small children had the most positive attitude toward the food product, the researchers, citing the results of Tan and Goh's study, concluded that parents of small children are more likely than other groups to purchase the food product, suggesting that the researchers may have assumed that Which choice most logically completes the text? A. parents of small children in Vietnam and parents of small children in Malaysia are similar in their attitudes toward environmentally sustainable goods. B. the relationship between attitude and purchase intention for environmentally sustainable goods is not substantially affected by the type of good being purchased. C. regardless of consumers' demographic characteristics, consumers' attitudes toward goods are strongly influenced by their perceptions of the environmental sustainability of those goods. D. the perception that goods are environmentally sustainable and the resulting increase in purchase intention are independent of those goods' actual environmental sustainability.
Question 11
Biologist Rosanna Alegado believes that we might learn how multicellular organisms developed from single-celled ones if we understand why the single-celled organism Salpingoeca rosetta, the oldest living relative of animals, sometimes forms colonies of cells. Alegado and colleagues reviewed data from many studies about how S. rosetta responds when exposed to another type of single-celled organism, bacteria, including Ana M. Cerdeno-Tarraga's work with Bacteroides fragilis bacteria and Ingrid Brettar's work with Aquiflexum balticum bacteria. Alegado and colleagues concluded that neither B. fragilis nor A. balticum are likely to have played a significant role in the development of multicellular organisms. Which finding, if true, would most directly support Alegado and colleagues' conclusion? A. S. rosetta did not tend to form colonies when exposed to either B. fragilis or A. balticum. B. S. rosetta tended to form colonies when exposed to B. fragilis, but not when exposed to A. balticum. C. S. rosetta tended to form colonies when exposed to A. balticum, but not when exposed to B. fragilis. D. S. rosetta tended to form colonies when exposed to B. fragilis and when exposed to A. balticum.
Question 12
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. The pronunciation of this consonant requires greater tension in the tongue in Nahuatl than in Castilian. B. The pronunciation of this consonant in Nahuatl may have been affected by its pronunciation in Mexican Spanish. C. This consonant appears in a higher percentage of Nahuatl vocabulary than of Castilian vocabulary. D. The pronunciation of this consonant is the principal difference between the Mexican and Castilian dialects of Spanish.
Question 13
A student is collecting data about countries with volcanoes that have been active in the time since 1800 and in the time since 1960. The student records that Ecuador has _____. Which choice most effectively uses data from the graph to complete the statement? A. fewer volcanoes that have been active since 1960 than Spain has. B. the same number of volcanoes that have been active since 1800 as Spain has. C. no volcanoes that have been active since 1800. D. more volcanoes that have been active since 1960 than Spain has.
Question 14
Nanoengineers have developed synthesized mesoporous silica nanoparticles that are used to transport genes and medicines to specific cells in the body. As nanotechnology evolves, medical technology. _____ to evolve as well. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A. had likely been continuing B. would likely have continued C. had likely continued D. will likely continue
Question 15
The Seymchan meteorite is made of a mix of rock-forming minerals and iron-nickel metal, which means it is classified as a stony-iron meteorite. The three main types of meteorites are _____ and iron. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A. stony-iron stony, B. stony-iron stony C. stony-iron and stony, D. stony-iron, stony,
Question 16
The Bohr model of the atom, a model of the atom developed by a Danish _____ in 1913, proposed that electrons circling a nucleus move in fixed orbits. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A. physicist Niels Bohr, B. physicist Niels Bohr C. physicist, Niels Bohr D. physicist, Niels Bohr,
Question 17
Several of the world's most famous lions have lived in the Greater Kruger National Park in South Africa. Between 2010 and 2012, for instance, the two members of a dominant coalition (band of male lions) called the Matimba, prowled the park, vying for territory. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A. lions, Ginger, and Shaka B. lions, Ginger and Shaka, C. lions Ginger, and Shaka D. lions Ginger and Shaka,
Question 18
The Austronesian language family includes the Buginese language, spoken mainly in _____ some 1,200 languages, the Austronesian family accounts for one-fifth of the world's languages, making it of keen interest to linguists such as Diane Massam. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A. Indonesia comprising B. Indonesia, comprising C. Indonesia. Comprising D. Indonesia and comprising
Question 19
With an installed capacity of 112 megawatts, the Hatchobaru geothermal power plant in Japan offers a dependable source of renewable energy. Power plants like Hatchobaru supply only a small fraction of Japan's _____ the scarcity of sites with the necessary combination of high-temperature geothermal reservoirs and fractured rock limiting the widespread development of such systems. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A. electricity, though, B. electricity, though C. electricity; though, D. electricity, though;
Question 20
A recent study _____ by biologists Brandi Pessman and Eileen Hebets at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln found that in noisy environments, some funnel-weaving spiders built webs that amplified the sound of incoming vibrations at a particular frequency, allowing the spiders “to better hear certain signals above the noise," according to Pessman. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English? A. was conducted B. is conducted C. conducted D. had been conducted
Question 21
Humans inherit specific physical traits (like having straight or curly hair) from their parents. _____ horses inherit specific physical traits (like having brown or white coats) from their parents. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition? A. Similarly, B. In conclusion, C. In other words, D. As a result,
Question 22
Portuguese researcher Isabel C.F.R. Ferreira reports that the benzoic acid in almond mushrooms benefits the mushroom by combating harmful molecules called free radicals. Ferreira suggests that the acid can promote cellular health in humans, who also experience free radical damage. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition? A. Even so, B. Conversely, C. For example, D. Furthermore,
Question 23
The Hornbostel-Sachs system classifies musical instruments by how they produce sound. For example, an instrument that is popular in China called the pipa produces sound primarily through the vibration of its strings. _____ _____ under the Hornbostel-Sachs system, the pipa is a chordophone. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition? A. Instead, B. Thus, C. Furthermore, D. Similarly,
Question 24
Broadcasting from the Yakama Nation's lands in central Washington, the Native-run radio station KYNR 1490 AM does much to serve the local Sahaptin-speaking community. _____ it broadcasts local news and music as well as programming in the Sahaptin language. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition? A. Instead, B. As a result, C. Specifically, D. Nevertheless,
Question 25
Generally, sleek vehicles are more aerodynamic than bulkier ones. The streamlined nose of a jet, _____ helps it glide through wind with relative ease, while a boxy pickup truck encounters more wind resistance, making it less aerodynamic. Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition? A. meanwhile, B. additionally, C. for example, D. however,
Question 26
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: The Los Ajos-La Madera Mountains are a mountain range located in northwestern Mexico.. The range is one of the dozens of “sky islands" in the southwestern US and northwestern Mexico.. A sky island is an isolated mountain range whose environment differs drastically from that of the surrounding lowlands.. The US Forest Service (USFS) said, “The mountains are 'islands' surrounded by deserts that are 'seas.". The USFS said, “Each Sky Island is a unique ecosystem." The student wants to provide an example of a sky island. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal? A. In the southwestern US and northwestern Mexico, there are dozens of sky islands: isolated mountain ranges whose environments differ drastically from that of the surrounding lowlands. B. There are dozens of sky islands in the southwestern US and northwestern Mexico, such as the Los Ajos- La Madera Mountains. C. Sky islands are isolated mountain ranges whose environments differ drastically from that of the surrounding lowlands; as the USFS puts it, “the mountains are 'islands' surrounded by deserts that are ‘seas." D. The USFS considers each of the sky islands, whose environments differ drastically from that of the surrounding lowlands, to be a “unique ecosystem."
Question 27
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes: A U-shaped curve in a river channel is called a meander.: A meander forms when water erodes sediment from one side of the riverbank and redeposits that sediment on the opposite side. Meanders will gradually change shape and migrate downstream over time.. A river with high sinuosity has many meanders, and a river with low sinuosity has few.. The Indus River in Pakistan has high sinuosity. The student wants to define the term “high-sinuosity river." Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal? A. A high-sinuosity river has U-shaped curves called meanders that will gradually change shape and shift downstream. B. Over time, the many meanders in the high-sinuosity Indus River will change shape and migrate downstream. C. A high-sinuosity river is one that has many meanders, or U-shaped curves. D. High sinuosity is caused by the erosion and redepositing of sediment in a riverbank over time.