SAT Section 1 Critical Reading

SAT Section 1 Critical Reading practice questions, page 10 of 11, with answer review and explanations.

Question 46

In some of the poorest neighborhoods of New York City, community gardens are springing up as _________ the filth and desolation of their urban surroundings.

  1. an affirmation of
  2. a validation of
  3. a reaction to
  4. an amplification of
  5. a celebration of

Question 47

The neighborhood groups rendering of the proposed office complex ________ the ________ of the project: as they appeared on the drawing, the proposed office buildings appeared to dwarf the rest of the downtown area.

  1. minimized . . grandiosity
  2. accentuated . . beauty
  3. underscored . . vastness
  4. trivialized . . enormity
  5. revealed . . immensity

Question 48

Twentieth-century Japan faced the question of how to _______ the best of modern civilization without losing the benefits of Japan’s _______ way of life.

  1. reject . . ancient
  2. adopt . . outmoded
  3. assimilate . . traditional
  4. incorporate . . contemporary
  5. reshape . . historic

Question 49

The proposal to forbid the use of indoor furniture on front porches has divided the town along ______ lines: the affluent feel the old couches are eyesores, while those who cannot afford new outdoor furniture are _______ about what they feel is an attempt to restrict their lifestyle.

  1. political . . nonplussed
  2. aesthetic . . dismayed
  3. class . . pleased
  4. racial . . angry
  5. socioeconomic . . incensed

Question 50

In his politics, Aristotle characterizes Platos support of collectivism as ________ and _________ the unity of the city; not only would it be difficult to institute and enforce, but the absence of private property would lead to bickering among the citizens.

  1. commendable . . deleterious to
  2. controversial . . essential to
  3. impractical . . detrimental to
  4. divisive . . indifferent toward
  5. unattainable . . supportive of