CHAPTER 2 / DIAGNOSTIC SAT 67
The following essay received 4 points out of a possible 6, meaning that it demonstrates adequate compe-
tencein that it- develops a point of view on the topic
- demonstrates some critical thinking, but perhaps not consistently
- uses some examples, reasons, and other evidence to support its thesis, but perhaps not adequately
- shows a general organization and focus, but shows occasional lapses in this regard
- demonstrates adequate but occasionally inconsistent facility with language
- contains occasional errors in grammar, usage, and mechanics
Whoever said you can’t judge a book by its cover
probably never had to drive on the highway behind a
Hummer. Americans are obsessed with making a first
impression, usually an impression of aggression and
wealth. Certainly, first impressions about human be-
ings are usually wrong, but American culture is, un-
fortunately, being increasingly defined by consumer
items that give an aggressive first impression and last
impression. These items, unlike human beings, are
designed carefully, and their first impressions are in-
tended to convey the entire product.
A good example of this is the Super Bowl. It has
become a flashy, decadent display of consumption
rather than what it should be, a display of athletic
prowess. Our obsession with consumer goods that
make us seem more attractive or stronger and more
powerful have made it clear that we’re not concerned
with substance as much as appearances. Every com-
mercial shouts at you that first appearances are every-
thing. Our schools are filled with people who think
that the most important things in their lives are what
shoes they wear or what cell phone they use.
Popular psychologists like Dr. Phil appear on tele-
vision and tell us how important it is for us to be our-
selves and not let other people tell us who we are, and
then a string of commercials comes on telling you
how a beer or car or deodorant makes you look more
attractive. Which message do we really hear?The following essay received 2 points out of a possible 6, meaning that it demonstrates some incompe-
tencein that it- has a seriously limited point of view
- demonstrates weak critical thinking
- uses inappropriate or insufficient examples, reasons, and other evidence to support its thesis
- is poorly focused and organized and has serious problems with coherence
- demonstrates frequent problems with language and sentence structure
- contains errors in grammar and usage that seriously obscure the author’s meaning
I think that definitely you can’t judge a book by its
cover. Like my friend Cal is a really good wrestler and
he even got into the state finals for his weight class.
Everybody thinks he’s a total jock but not a lot of peo-
ple know also that he works really hard every day
after practice at his uncle’s garage and a lot of people
think he’s as good as a lot of other mechanics. He’s a
lot smarter than people give him credit for and he
get’s really good grades in math.
As a matter of fact he’s in the honors level of
math and will probably take calculus next year, sohe’s not just a jock or even just a great mechanic.
When you look at him, especially when he’s got his
game face on just before a match, you would hardly
believe that he could be a good student.
The next time you see an athlete, don’t assume
that he is just a dumb jock. Professional athletes
have sometimes become senators and business
leaders, so sometimes they have minds as well as
muscles.