Answer Key 5: Using Context Intelligently
230 MCGRAW-HILL’S SATConcept Review 5- Parallelism is the grammatical and logical consis-
tency in phrases that list or compare things in a
sentence. - A modifier is a word or phrase that describes an-
other word. A word that modifies a noun is called
anadjective,and a word that modifies a verb, an
adjective, or another adverb is an adverb. - Try to infer its meaning from its usage in the sen-
tence, then look it up in the dictionary to see if
you are correct, then make a flashcard for the
word using the College Hill system described in
Chapter 3. - Britain can hardly be considered an island,despite
the fact that it is separated from the European
continent both physically and linguistically. - Even while it maintains a deep respect, even rev-
erence, for its history, Britain can hardly be con-
sideredarchaic.
6. Britain can hardly be considered an empire,hav-
ing been reduced to a mere shadow of the vast do-
minion it once was.
7. The speakers ran the gamut from the eloquent to
the bumbling; some were articulatewhile others
spoke with profound ineptitude.(You may have
used different words, but be sure that the first
word is positivein tone and corresponds roughly to
articulateand that the second word is negative and
corresponds roughly to ineptitudein meaning.)
8. I did not want to sit through another lecture that
was rambling and mind-numbing; rather, I was
hoping for one that was focusedandengaging.
(You may have used different words, but be sure
that both words are positivein tone and that the
first corresponds roughly to focusedand that the
second word corresponds roughly to engagingin
meaning.)
SAT Practice 5- E Somethingpedestrian and conventionalis ordi-
nary and uses methods that have been used many
times before. Therefore it is not new.
lucidity=clarity;analysis=examination of parts;
articulation=expression;mediocrity=average-
ness;innovation=novelty, creativity - B Torazesomething is to destroy it completely.
If a historical building is not razed,it is preserved
or, even better, made new again.
renovated=made new again - C Brevity of expressionisconciseness.
vivid=full of lively forms or colors; concise=to
the point; accessible=easily understood; concrete
=perceived through the senses - D Ameléeis a fight. If the groups were fighting,
they probably have disagreed witheach other.
Therefore the melée was not unexpected. - B A highway that has been devastated by the
earthquakewould be hard to travel through.
impassable=unable to be travelled through - E Those who think they can write a novel if they
simply sit down and typeare probably unaware of
how challenging such a task is. They are naive.
amateur=nonprofessional;candid=frank and
honest;renowned=reputable, well-known; skepti-
cal=inclined to doubting; superb=exceptional;
timid = shy; naive = lacking a sophisticated
understanding- D If something cannot be tested with scientific
rigorand is not a reliable method,it must be with-
out a reasonable, scientific basis.
intuitive=based on hunches rather than reason;
ornamental=decorative - A Despite indicates contrast. Paranoia and
extreme competitivenessare certainly bad things.
Of course, cutthroat executiveswould claim that
they help, but they can’t really be helpfultosuccess
in the business world.
by-products=results of a process; conducive=
helpful;detrimental=harmful;inequities=unfair
situations - D If something is transformedinto a menacing
poison,then it must not have been so bad before.
Perhaps it was only a little bit troublesome.
epidemic=a broad outbreak; derivative=repetitive
of previous works; rudiment =basic element;
virulent=dangerous;nuisance=annoyance