SAT Practice 1:
Mapping What the SAT Critical Reading Is All
About
170 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT
demonstrated that pions carry the nuclear
force only over distances greater than half a
fermi—the radius of a proton—yet the
50 distance between bound protons is far less
than that. The pion seemed to be a giant
plumber’s wrench trying to do a tweezer’s job.
In the years since, physicists have refined
Yukawa’s theory to suggest that closely
55 bound protons or neutrons are held by a
“residual” force left over from the strong
forces binding quarks together into protons
and neutrons, so that pions don’t need to be
exchanged. If the protons and neutrons are
60 far enough apart within the nucleus, however,
perhaps pions do the job.
1. Which of the following best summarizes the
“paradox” mentioned in line 1?
(A) Teachers don’t utilize educational materials
effectively.
(B) A law of physics appears to be violated.
(C) Scientists continue to test hypotheses that
they suspect are false.
(D) Hideki Yukawa’s theory is incorrect.
(E) Scientists are increasingly reluctant to ex-
plore the difficult field of nuclear physics.
2. In lines 3–4, the author uses the term “vast knowl-
edge” in order to

(A) emphasize the daunting task faced by sci-
ence teachers
(B) empathize with overburdened students
(C) draw a contrast to an area of relative
ignorance
(D) praise the productivity of physicists relative
to other scientists
(E) acknowledge the difficulty of writing physics
textbooks
The following is an essay regarding current
knowledge of subatomic physics.
A tantalizing paradox peers out from every
basic physics textbook, but rarely do students
Line notice it or teachers exploit it. Despite the vast
knowledge that scientists have accumulated
5 about the subatomic realm, including aston-
ishingly accurate equations for predicting the
behavior of barely detectable particles, an ob-
vious conundrum persists that they are only
recently beginning to understand: protons
10 stick together in atomic nuclei.
All first-year physics students learn that the
atomic nucleus contains neutrons, which have
no charge, and protons, which are positively
charged. They also learn that while opposite
15 charges attract, all like charges repel each
other, just like the north poles of two magnets.
So what keeps all of those positively charged
protons bound together in a nucleus? Physi-
cists have long postulated that there must be

20 another special force, called the nuclear force,
that counteracts the electrical repulsion be-
tween protons. But where does it come from?
One theory, proposed by Nobel laureate
Hideki Yukawa in the 1930s, held that the nu-
25 clear force is conveyed by a particle called a
pion, which, he claimed, is exchanged among
the neutrons and protons in the nucleus.
Forty years later, physicists discovered that
pions, not to mention the protons and neu-
30 trons themselves, are actually composed of yet
smaller particles called “quarks,” which are
held together by aptly named “gluons.” The
force conveyed by gluons is called the “strong”
force. Although experiments had clearly
35 demonstrated that these gluons are responsi-
ble for the force that binds quarks within pro-
tons and neutrons, nothing suggested that
gluons are exchanged between protons and
neutrons. Nevertheless, by the early 1980s,
40 most physicists became convinced that some
combination of gluons and quarks, perhaps the
pion, must be responsible for the nuclear force.
Professor Yukawa’s theory, however, was
dealt a blow by a series of experiments that
45 were conducted at Los Alamos National Labo-
ratory in the early 1990s. These experiments
© 2004 Christopher Black. All rights reserved. Reprinted by per-
mission of the author.
CHAPTER 4 / CRITICAL READING SKILLS 171

6. Which of the following best describes the organi-
zation of this passage as a whole?
(A) presentation of a theory followed by
refutation
(B) description of a problem followed by a history
of attempts to solve it
(C) statement of fact followed by logical analysis
(D) description of a scientific discovery followed
by a discussion of its implications
(E) analysis of a theory and suggestions on how
it should be taught
3. In lines 35–36, the phrase “responsible for” most
nearly means
(A) guardians of
(B) indebted to
(C) representative of
(D) capable of conveying
(E) responsive to
4. According to the passage, the nuclear force can-
not be completely explained in terms of the
exchange of pions because pions
(A) are not composed of quarks
(B) have little or no effect on the distances
between nuclear particles
(C) repel each other
(D) cannot coexist with the gluons that convey
the “strong” force
(E) are positively charged
5. Which of the following best describes the pur-
pose of the fifth paragraph (lines 53–61)?

(A) It resolves a problem indicated in the previ-
ous paragraph.
(B) It provides an example of a concept intro-
duced in the previous paragraph.
(C) It presents a counterexample to a miscon-
ception described in the previous paragraph.
(D) It provides an example similar to the one
presented in the previous paragraph.
(E) It logically analyzes a claim made in the
previous paragraph.
Perfecting your Critical Reading skills takes lots of practice. Check out our Online Practice Plus at www.MHPracticePlus.com/
SATverbal for more tools and resources you can use to get ready for the SAT.
Answer Key 1:
Mapping What the SAT Critical Reading Is All
About
172 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT
evidence in the passage—because if they weren’t,
there would be no consistent way to score the test.
People would be arguing incessantly about the an-
swers to the questions.
6. English teachers ask lots of interesting questions
that could never be asked on the SAT because they
are too subjective, such as “What personal experi-
ences does this story remind you of?” or “What
kind of job would Hamlet have if he were alive
today?” or “What could water represent in this
story?” Contrary to what some claim, SAT Critical
Reading questions are certainly not “worse” than
English teachers’ questions just because they are
less creative. Indeed, you can’t begin to interpret

a passage subjectively until you first interpret it
objectively. You have to understand what the pas-
sage says before you can get creative.
Concept Review 1
1. What is the purpose of this passage? What is the
central idea of this passage? What is the general
structure of this passage?
2. It’s better to read the passage first, before reading
the questions, because you get the most points on
the questions only when you get the “big picture”
of the passage. The “read the questions first” strat-
egy only distracts you from getting the big picture.
3. Active reading means reading with the three key
questions in mind. “Passive” reading (which is
reading without questions in mind and merely
“hoping” to absorb information) is utterly ineffec-
tive on the SAT. Top scorers must read actively.
4. “Objective” means based on clear evidence and
facts, not on your opinion or conjecture.
5. SAT Critical Reading questions must be
objective—that is, based only on the clear, literal
SAT Practice 1
1. B The paradox is that “protons stick together”
(lines 9–10) even though a law of physics suggests
that they should repel each other.
2. C The passage states that “Despite the vast
knowledge that scientists have accumulated”
(lines 3–4), “an obvious conundrum persists”
(lines 7–8). Therefore, the phrase “vast knowl-
edge” is being used to contrast the “conundrum,”

which is a vexing problem yet to be solved.
3. D The passage states that gluons “are responsi-
ble for the force that binds quarks within protons
and neutrons” (lines 35–37). In other words, they
convey the force that binds the particles.
4. B The passage states that “pions carry the nu-
clear force only over distances greater than half a
fermi—the radius of a proton—yet the distance
between bound protons is far less than that” (lines
47–51). This indicates that pions do not bind pro-
tons because they are ineffective in the small dis-
tances between bound nuclear particles.
5. A The fifth paragraph describes how “physicists
have refined Yukawa’s theory” (lines 53–54) in
order to resolve the problem described in the
fourth paragraph, namely, the fact that pions are
not effective in the distances within nuclei.
6. B This is essentially the third key question:
What is the overall structure of the passage? The
passage begins by describing a “conundrum”
(line 8), then describing attempts to resolve it.
The passage ends, however, without a definitive
solution: Scientists still don’t know precisely what
holds an atomic nucleus together. Thus the pas-
sage is a description of a problem followed by a
history of attempts to solve it.
CHAPTER 4 / CRITICAL READING SKILLS 173
Lesson 2:
Analyzing the Purpose and Central Idea
Finding the Purpose

About 20–30% of SAT CR questions are “pur-
pose” questions, such as “The overall purpose
of this passage is to . . .” or “The author refers
to the ‘mountaintop’ in line 6 in order to em-
phasize. . . .” These questions ask why the au-
thor wrote the passage or used a particular
word, phrase, or reference. You will always be
prepared for these questions if you focus on
overall purpose as you read.
SAT CR passages are drawn from a wide range of
disciplines, but every passage has only one of three
possible purposes:
• To examine a concept objectively. A passage that
examines a concept is an analysis. It is strictly
informative, like a newspaper article or a textbook
passage. Think of it as a response to an essay ques-
tion. It is objective—sticking to facts rather than
opinions.
• To prove a point. A passage that proves a point is
an argument. It presents the author’s point of view
on a topic and explains why it is better than another
point of view. It is subjective—a matter of opinion
rather than fact.
• To tell a story. A passage that tells a story is a
narrative—a piece of fiction, a biography, or a
memoir. It describes how a character changes in
order to deal with a conflict or problem.
To understand a passage, begin by asking, “Is
this passage an analysis, an argument, or a
narrative? Is its main purpose to inform to per-

suade, or to inform?” Knowing this makes an-
swering many SAT questions easier.
Often, the introduction to the passage gives
you clues about the purpose. Look for key
words such as these:
• Analysis key words: examine, analyze, scien-
tific, historical, explore
• Argument key words: comment, argue,
opinion, perspective, point of view, position
• Narrative key words: biography, story, auto-
biography, memoir, novel, fiction, account
Finding the Central Idea
Often, the first question after an SAT passage
is a “central idea” question such as “With
which of the following statements would the
author most likely agree?” or “This passage is
primarily concerned with. . . .” Knowing the
central idea is critical to answering these ques-
tions. When you are given two “paired” pas-
sages, it is particularly important to know how
their central ideas compare and contrast.
Although SAT passages contain lots of ideas, each
has only one central idea. Find it. Every different type
of prose has a different type of central idea.
• Every analysis focuses on a question that might
interest a college professor. It might answer a
question such as “What methods do scientists use
to measure the location and intensity of earth-
quakes?” or “What were the social conditions of
women in 19th-century England?”

• Every argument focuses on a thesis—the point the
writer is trying to make. An argument takes a side and
makes an evaluation. It argues against something
substantial and doesn’t merely support a claim that
everyone already agrees with. Too many students for-
get this. When reading an argument, ask “What sub-
stantial idea is this author arguing against?”
• Every narrative focuses on a conflict—the prob-
lem that the main character must deal with. There
is no story without conflict—conflict drives the
story. Basically, every story consists of (1) the intro-
duction of the conflict, (2) the development of the
conflict, and (3) the resolution of the conflict.
Understanding a story begins with understanding
this structure.
Once you discover the purpose of the passage,
find its central idea—the question, the thesis,
or the conflict. Underline it in the passage or
jot it down in the margin. To make sure that
you really have the central idea, check that it is
supported by every paragraph. Often, students
mistakenly think that the first idea in the pas-
sage must be the central idea. Not necessarily.
For instance, an author may describe an oppos-
ing viewpoint before presenting his or her
own, so his or her central idea doesn’t appear
until the second or third paragraph.
Concept Review 2:
Analyzing the Purpose and Central Idea
174 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT

1. Name the three kinds of prose, and describe the purpose of each.
2. For each type of prose, name four “key words” in the introduction that indicate that particular type of prose:
a. Narrative
b. Argument
c. Analysis
3. What is the function of the “central idea” of a piece of prose?
4. The central idea of a narrative is the
5. The central idea of an argument is the
6. The central idea of an analysis is the
7. How do you know whether you’ve found the central idea of a passage?
8. After reading the passage on the next page, write what type of prose it is and its central idea.
CHAPTER 4 / CRITICAL READING SKILLS 175
SAT Practice 2:
Analyzing the Purpose and the Central Idea
feeble light is but a presentiment, and
45 the soul, when it sees it, trembles in doubt
whether the light is not a dream, and the gulf
of darkness reality. This doubt and the still-
harsh tyranny of the materialistic philosophy
divide our soul sharply from that of the Primi-
50 tives. Our soul rings cracked when we seem to
play upon it, as does a costly vase, long buried
in the earth, which is found to have a flaw
when it is dug up once more. For this reason,
the Primitive phase, through which we are
55 now passing, with its temporary similarity of
form, can only be of short duration.
1. Which of the following is the best title for this
passage?
(A) The Art of the Early 20th Century

(B) The Dangers of Materialism
(C) Obstacles to the Revival of Primitive Art
(D) The Similarities in Artistic Movements
(E) The Lack of Purpose in Art
2. In context, the word “aspect” (line 16) most nearly
means
(A) meaningful perspective
(B) facial expression
(C) configuration
(D) contemplation
(E) minor part
3. Which of the following is an example of the
“fundamental truth” mentioned in lines 19–20?
(A) the inability of great artists like Vincent Van
Gogh to achieve fame in their lifetimes
(B) the tendency of artists from all cultures to
eschew social conventions
(C) the failure to reproduce artwork that was
created in the fourth century
BC.
(D) the ability of apes to create paintings that
resemble abstract works by humans
(E) the similarity between two paintings created
a century apart, each in the midst of a great
class war
The following passage was written in 1911 by
Wassily Kandinsky, a renowned abstract painter.
Here he discusses the relationship between Prim-
itivism, an artistic movement that seeks to move
away from technology and the divisions of mod-

ern society, and Materialism, which denies that
there is a spiritual component of reality.
Every work of art is the child of its age and, in
many cases, the mother of our emotions. It
Line follows that each period of culture produces
an art of its own which can never be repeated.
5 Efforts to revive the art-principles of the past
will at best produce an art that is still-born. It
is impossible for us to live and feel as did the
ancient Greeks. In the same way those who
strive to follow the Greek methods in sculp-
10 ture achieve only a similarity of form, the
work remaining soulless for all time. Such
imitation is mere aping. Externally the mon-
key completely resembles the human being;
he will sit holding a book in front of his nose,
15 and turn over the pages with a thoughtful
aspect, but his actions have for him no real
meaning.
There is, however, in art another kind of
external similarity which is founded on a fun-
20 damental truth. When there is a similarity of
inner tendency in the whole moral and spiri-
tual atmosphere, a similarity of ideals, at first
closely pursued but later lost to sight, a simi-
larity in the inner feeling of any one period to
25 that of another, the logical result will be a
revival of the external forms which served to
express those inner feelings in an earlier age.
An example of this today is our sympathy, our

spiritual relationship, with the Primitives.
30 Like ourselves, these artists sought to express
in their work only internal truths, renouncing
in consequence all considerations of external
form.
This all-important spark of inner life today
35 is at present only a spark. Our minds, which
are even now only just awakening after years
of materialism, are infected with the despair
of unbelief, of lack of purpose and ideal. The
nightmare of materialism, which has turned
40 the life of the universe into an evil, useless
game, is not yet past; it holds the awakening
soul still in its grip. Only a feeble light glimmers
like a tiny star in a vast gulf of darkness. This
Wassily Kandinsky, Concerning the Spiritual in Art. © 1997
Dover Publications. Reprinted by permission of Dover
Publications.
176 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT
6. According to the metaphor in the final paragraph,
the “costly vase” (line 51) represents
(A) a materialistic aspiration
(B) a meticulously crafted piece of modern art
(C) an irretrievable frame of mind
(D) a cynical attempt at forgery
(E) a lack of purpose
4. In saying that the soul “trembles in doubt” (line
45) when it sees the “feeble light” (line 44), the
author suggests that
(A) artists have doubts about whether the era of

materialism is truly past
(B) the public is unsure that its hunger for art
will be met
(C) artists do not know from where their next
inspiration will come
(D) the Primitives found mysterious lights more
frightening than modern people do
(E) artists usually do not work well under the
harsh light of scrutiny
5. How would the author characterize the effect of
materialism on the artist’s soul?
(A) supportive
(B) confusing
(C) calming
(D) oppressive
(E) inspirational
CHAPTER 4 / CRITICAL READING SKILLS 177
Answer Key 2:
Analyzing the Purpose and Central Idea
6. the question being analyzed
7. The central idea must “carry through” the entire
passage, so to check that you’ve found the central
idea, make sure that every paragraph contributes
to that central idea. If not, then reread the para-
graph until it “fits” with the central idea, or recon-
sider what the central idea is.
8. This passage is an argument; the author is pre-
senting a subjective theory about art and artistic
movements. Its central idea, or thesis, is summa-
rized in lines 3–4: each period of culture produces

an art of its own which can never be repeated.
Concept Review 2
1. Narrative: to tell a story; argument: to persuade;
analysis: to inform.
2. a. Narrative: biography, story, autobiography,
memoir, novel, fiction, account
b. Argument: comment, argue, opinion, perspec-
tive, point of view, position
c. Analysis: examine, analyze, scientific, historical,
explore
3. The central idea is the idea that focuses, organizes,
and unifies the passage. Every paragraph must
contribute to the central idea.
4. the conflict
5. the thesis
SAT Practice 2
1. C The title should capture the central idea of
the passage, which is the thesis that it is difficult
to rekindle primitive art because all art is “a child
of its age” (line 1) and because modern material-
ism is interfering with primitive impulses. The
best title, then, is (C) Obstacles to the Revival of
Primitive Art.
2. B The passage says that a monkey can look at a
book with a “thoughtful aspect” but really have no
understanding of the book. Since the monkey
does not understand the book, choices (A) and (D)
are illogical. The sentence is saying that the mon-
key only looks thoughtful, so choice (B) is the only
sensible one.

3. E The “fundamental truth” described in the sec-
ond paragraph is that a “revival of external forms”
(line 26), that is, art forms that resemble those of
the past, can occur only when there is “a similar-
ity of inner tendency in the whole moral and
spiritual atmosphere” (lines 20–22). The only
example given that suggests that fact is (E).
4. A In these lines, the author is using a metaphor
to describe how “our minds” and “the soul,” by
which he means the artistic, spiritual mind, are
affected by the materialism of the age. Artistic
inspiration is described as a “spark,” and materi-
alism as a “nightmare” and a “vast gulf of dark-
ness.” The soul “trembles” because it doubts that
the light is “not a dream,” meaning that the light
might be a dream and the darkness reality. There-
fore the author suggests that materialism might
still hold the artistic soul in its grip.
5. D The metaphor in the final paragraph makes it
clear that materialism “holds the awakening soul
in its grip” (lines 41–42). This is not a nurturing
grip, because the soul “trembles” (line 45) before
the “nightmare of materialism” (line 39). Therefore,
according to the author, materialism oppresses the
artistic soul.
6. C The “costly vase” is described as something
that has been “long buried in the earth, which is
found to have a flaw when it is dug up once more”
(lines 51–53). This vase is compared to “our soul”
(line 50), which is described as having a “sympa-

thy” (line 28) and “spiritual relationship” (line 29)
with the primitives. Therefore, the costly vase
clearly represents the irretrievable idea of
primitivism.
178 MCGRAW-HILL’S SAT
The Structure of an Argument
There are many ways to prove a point. For instance,
if you want to persuade your readers to support gun
control, you might tell a tragic story of a gun-related
death, cite government statistics about gun violence,
refer to a study about the behavior of people when
they have guns versus when they don’t, or discuss the
effectiveness or ineffectiveness of past gun policies
and education programs. Each of these is a different
rhetorical device for persuading the reader. Noticing
the choices a writer makes when constructing an
argument makes you not only a better reader but also
a better writer.
When reading an argument, pay attention to
the rhetorical devices the author uses with a
critical eye. Are they convincing to you? Are
the examples strong? Is the reasoning sound?
Asking these questions helps you to read more
actively. Furthermore, reading critically pre-
pares you to answer higher-order questions
such as “Which of the following, if true, would
suggest a basic flaw in the author’s reasoning?”
or “Which of the following elements is NOT
used in this passage?”
The Structure of a Narrative

As we discussed in the last lesson, every narrative has
the same basic skeleton: The conflict is introduced,
then developed, and then resolved. This is helpful to
remember because paragraphs don’t work the same
way in narratives as they do in other kinds of prose.
For instance, in an essay, a new paragraph signals the
start of a new idea, but in a narrative, it also may
signal a new line of dialogue or a new scene.
To understand the structure of a narrative,
continually ask “How does this dialogue or
description introduce, explain, develop, or
resolve the conflict?” For instance, a descrip-
tion of a fight between friends establishes a
conflict. A paragraph about a character’s inner
thoughts about the fight develops the conflict.
And a dialogue in which the friends make up
resolves the conflict. Look for such key points
in every narrative you read.
Lesson 3:
Finding Patterns in the Structure of the Passage
Finding the Structure of the Passage
Many SAT CR questions are structure ques-
tions such as “Which of the following best de-
scribes the overall structure of this passage?”
or “What is the relationship between the third
paragraph and the fourth paragraph?” They
ask you to focus on the relationships between
paragraphs and how they work together to
convey the central idea. After you’ve found the
purpose and central idea of the passage, ask

“What does each paragraph or section do to
support the central idea?”
A good piece of prose is like a good painting: It
has an effective structure—the parts work together to
create an overall effect. The basic unit of structure in
a passage is the paragraph. To give another analogy,
a paragraph is like a stepping-stone on a journey.
Good writers make sure that each paragraph takes
the reader further on the journey. No paragraph
should deviate from the goal of developing the cen-
tral idea.
The Structure of an Analysis
Most analytical essays have three basic parts: the intro-
duction, the development, and the conclusion. The first
paragraph of an analytical essay usually introduces the
topic. A good introduction shows why the topic is worth
exploring and draws the reader in by revealing interest-
ing facts. It might describe an interesting phenomenon,
a theory, or concept. If it describes a phenomenon, then
the next paragraphs might give examples of it, present
a theory to explain it, or describe its discovery. The pas-
sage also may describe a problem or debate related to
that phenomenon.
There are many ways to structure an analysis,
so pay attention. As you read, focus on the role
each paragraph is playing and what devices
the author uses to support the central idea.
SAT questions often ask about devices, as in
“The author’s reference to the ‘maze’ (line 32)
serves the same illustrative purpose as which

of the following?”
CHAPTER 4 / CRITICAL READING SKILLS 179
Concept Review 3:
Finding Patterns in the Structure of the Passage
1. What is the “structure” of a passage?
2. What is the basic unit of structure in a passage?
3. What are the three basic parts of most analyses?
4. What are the three basic parts of most narratives?
5. Name four kinds of rhetorical devices that an argument might use.