Cracking The SAT Premium

D The phrase we could hardly hope refers to whether a paid nurse would be all [the author]
could desire for so important a post, indicating that the author does not believe a paid nurse
would do a perfect job. The author continues to say that the reason for this judgment is what we
know of the paid nurses in hospitals, implying that paid nurses are known to have flaws.
Finally, the author states that at any rate there would be a better chance of an effective system
with a paid nurse. Thus, the correct answer should indicate that while a paid nurse would be an
improvement, the author still expects there to be problems. Choice (A) is incorrect, as ideal is
the opposite of the predicted answer. Choice (B) is incorrect because the author discusses paid
nurses in hospitals in order to make a point about what could be expected from a paid nurse in
general, not about hospitals themselves, and critical is too extreme. Choice (C) is incorrect
because it does not match that there is evidence of a problem with paid nurses in hospitals, and
the phrase we could hardly hope does not indicate that all people have flaws. Choice (D) is
correct because it matches the prediction.

D When you made your prediction for the previous question, you should have underlined that
such a person would be...all we desire...we could hardly hope, from what we know of the
paid nurses in hospitals...but better chance of efficiency and character than present plan.
Therefore, (D) is correct.

A In the final sentence of Passage 1, the author acknowledges that a solution has flaws but is
nonetheless a preferable solution. By using the phrasing we could hardly hope, and at any
rate...better...than...the present plan, the author attempts to gain sympathy for the perspective
that the current situation is so negative that even a flawed solution is an improvement. Choice
(A) is correct because it matches the prediction. Choice (B) is incorrect because the author is
providing a potential solution, which doesn’t match despair. Choice (C) is also incorrect, since
optimistic is the opposite of the predicted answer, and entirely is extreme language. Choice (D)
is incorrect because the author is not trying to criticize a certain group but rather show that the
overall circumstances require even a flawed solution.

B The second paragraph of Passage 2 indicates that the season was very unhealthy, which means
that more people than usual became sick during a particular period. Eliminate (A), as the
weather is not supported as the cause of sickness. Choice (B) matches the prediction, so keep
it. Eliminate (C) because the passage indicates that it was impossible...to judge the result by
statistics. Choice (D) may be true, but it is still incorrect because the third paragraph of
Passage 2 implies only that the proportion of deaths may have been unusually high, not the
number of people who required medical treatment. Choice (B) is the answer.

C The author of Passage 2 states that It was impossible...to judge the result by statistics, and that
even had there been no exceptional disturbing element, there is a defect in the statistics of
workhouse hospitals. Thus, the author indicates that there were other reasons statistical results
could not be drawn, but that even without those other reasons, workhouse hospitals lack a
careful classified list of cases, which would be necessary for statistical analysis. Choices (A)
and (D) are incorrect because they do not match the prediction. Choice (B) is also incorrect; the
passage states that there were several reasons for the lack of evidence of success or failure,
and the season [being] very unhealthy may still have made analysis impossible. Choice (C) is
correct: While the author states that there were other reasons that the results could not be judged