Verbal 1546 Ver A

VERBAL
WORKSHOP #1546
STRATEGY/CONCEPT:
IDENTIFYING KEY TERMS IN THE ANSWERS
Sometimes, the test asks questions in convoluted ways. Don’t spend much time analyzing the question; instead,
spend the majority of your time analyzing the answer choices. If you are having trouble with a purpose question,
concentrate on answers that most closely match what was discussed in the underlined sentence of the passage.
With this in mind, let’s practice with some answer choices and a passage, minus the question. You can sometimes
answer the question without even reading it. Consulting the question is an essential strategy, but keep this in mind
for the times when the question is tripping you up. Most of the time, the question is far less important than the answer
choices.
A. halting infection is the most important use of aloe vera. The ancient Egyptians were the first to recognize the
B. the capabilities of aloe vera in relation to healing medicinal properties of aloe vera. Cleopatra is reported to
infection have not been fully verified. have used the plant as a moisturizer. The semi-tropical aloe
C. aloe vera is more effective in treating burns than it is in vera plant closely resembles a cactus, but is in fact a member
palliating insect bites. of the lily family. The gel found in the leaves has been used
D. aloe vera is most frequently used as a moisturizer. for a variety of skin conditions including cuts, burns, and
insect bites. Medical studies have confirmed the immediate
effect of the direct plant and lotions derived from the plant
to reduce pain and inflammation. Anecdotal evidence also
suggests decreased chance of infection in cases where aloe
vera has been used.
Matching key terms in the answer choices to terms in the passage is an invaluable strategy. It will help you more
clearly understand each answer choice and avoid reading too much into the answer choice beyond what is really
there. It is immensely beneficial for those of you who tend to “overthink.”
If you are not sure how to identify key words, start by looking for the “essence” of each answer choice. If you had to
save that answer as a document on the computer and were limited to a one-word file name, what word would you
choose?
KD College Prep — VERBAL WORKSHOP #1546: A

2024 © This material is covered by Federal copyright laws that prohibit its reproduction in whole or in part
without the express, written permission of KD College Prep. No rights claimed for original works of outside authors. 1
STRATEGY/CONCEPT:
WORDS-IN-CONTEXT
Words-in-Context questions comprise approximately 13-18% of the SAT® Writing and Language Test (typically 8-10
of 54 questions).
These questions are fill-in-the blank, so when working these questions:
• Read the sentence in question as well as surrounding sentences as needed for understanding.
• Mark context clues as you read.
• Mark tone clues if your answer choices have strong positive or negative connotations.
Words-in-Context questions will be paired with history, humanities, and natural science passages.
TONE/WORD CHOICE
Literature passages will evaluate your vocabulary slightly differently. Rather than fill-in-the-blank, these questions will
ask you to select an answer choice that most closely matches a word from the passage.
Read the specified and surrounding sentences, highlight/underline relevant context, and replace the word in
question with your own word. Find the best match for “your” word among the answer choices.
Alternatively, replace the word in question with each of the answer choices. Eliminate answers that do not fit
the main idea and tone of that area of the passage.

2 without the express, written permission of KD College Prep. No rights claimed for original works of outside authors.
TRY-ITS
In Pitman shorthand, many common words are _____ by 1

logograms, which are non-phonetic symbols that can be
joined to each other or to phonetically rendered words to Which choice completes the text with the most logical and
minimize the number of strokes. Both reporters and diarists precise word or phrase?
of the 19th century often used Pitman shorthand.
A. represented
B. demonstrated
C. invented
D. discovered
World renowned magicians, like David Copperfield, are 2

____ with their tricks, able to conceal their movements with
sleight of hand. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and
precise word or phrase?
A. deft
B. ambidextrous
C. unconvincing
D. learned
The following text is adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s 3

1913 play Pygmalion. In the play, a phonetics professor
records the speech of a Cockney flower girl and bets he can As used in the text, what does the word “charge” most
“improve” her accent. nearly mean?
THE BYSTANDER [to the girl] You be careful: There’s a A. mock

bloke here behind taking down every blessed word you’re B. rush
saying. C. arrest
D. change
THE FLOWER GIRL [terrified] I ain’t done nothing
wrong. I’ve a right to sell flowers if I keep off the kerb.
[Hysterically] I’m a respectable girl: so help me, I never
spoke to him except to ask him to buy a flower off me. Oh,
sir, don’t let him charge me. They’ll take away my character
and drive me on the streets for speaking to gentlemen.
They—
THE NOTE TAKER [overbearing but good-humored] Oh,

shut up, shut up. Do I look like a policeman?

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
9 QUESTIONS, 10 MINUTES
Inorganic substances like metals and ceramics decay at a 1

much slower _____ than animal hides or clothing made
from natural fibers. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and
precise word or phrase?
A. commitment
B. position
C. rate
D. requirement
The scope of previous archeological theories pales in 2

comparison to that of Sir Cunfliffe’s theory, which examines
the archeological record in terms of millennia and does not Which choice completes the text with the most logical and
become _____ in minutia of individual societies. precise word or phrase?
A. mired
B. enlightened
C. divided
D. expedited
Some contend that stringent health requirements are 3

economically unfeasible for small restaurants, but advocates
of these policies consider the cost, although high, to be Which choice completes the text with the most logical and
negligible in contrast to the increased healthcare costs of precise word or phrase?
an obese nation. The ultimate goal of such regulations is to
spur the restaurant industry into providing healthier _____ A. exposition
than it currently offers. B. fare
C. commerce
D. secretions
The following text is adapted from Paula McCreary’s 2001 4

short story “Moving On.”
As used in the text, what does the word “ceremony” most
She had spent the summer after high school graduation nearly mean?
acquiring the large stack of “stuff” her father was then
without ceremony cramming into the car. Rachel and her A. solemnity
mother had measured storage containers and bed risers and B. illusion
then listened in rapt interest to sales pitches regarding the C. custom
door hangers and which shower caddy would adequately D. fanfare
hold her shampoo and loofahs.

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
The following text is from Agatha Hitchcock’s 2004 essay 5

“Unrealistic Reality.”
As used in the text, what does the word “line” most nearly
Our culture is obsessed with ranking and status and mean?
therefore encourages the pursuit of attention at any cost,
which renders the line between fame and infamy irrelevant. A. delineation
It still holds that positive attention and publicity are B. queue
preferable, but negative attention and the publicity one C. axis
acquires from reality television are superior alternatives to D. restriction
the absence of attention.
The following text is adapted from Candace Roberts’ 2004 6

nonfiction article “A Tribute to Black playwrights.”
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined
As an aspiring playwright, I like to read plays not only to sentence in the overall structure of the text?
study their craft but also to find out when, how, and why
they were composed. To me, the evolution of the creative A. It affirms the author’s viewpoint that reading one text
work is sometimes as important to its appreciation as the can provide an introduction to another.
play itself, especially if it is long in the development, and B. It suggests an iconoclastic tenant that the author has
my little researches into the context of the production and found cause to defend.
the author’s frame of mind keep me engaged. My reading C. It provides elaboration on a sentiment expressed in the
of Jean Toomer and Langston Hughes, two Black dramatists preceding sentence.
and poets, led me to Lorraine Hansberry’s 1959 play, A D. It establishes a counterargument meant to anticipate
Raisin in the Sun, which was inspired by the playwright’s claims in the following sentence.
childhood experience.
His last words were “Useless, useless,” after he was fatally 7

shot by pursuing soldiers. John Wilkes Booth was probably
as well-known a personage as President Abraham Lincoln, According to the text, what does the author believe about
whom he assassinated in Ford’s Theater, but unlike Lincoln, assassination?
Booth was actually popular. Though he is now one of our
most revered presidents, at the time of his death, Lincoln A. It is inferior to kidnapping.
was loved and hated in equal measure by the American B. It is a reprehensible act.
people who perceived him as the cause of the 600,000 C. It is an extension of intense belief.
American deaths in the Civil War as well as the ensuing D. It is a futile endeavor.
economic hardships. Assassination is an extremely poor
form of justice and one that should always be reviled by the
upstanding, but Booth’s success in his assassination venture
satisfied many citizens, if not himself.

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
The War of the Worlds is an 1898 novel by H. G. Wells 8

that describes an invasion of Earth by beings from the
planet Mars. In the story, Wells implies that the invasion Which quotation from The War of the Worlds most
was undertaken in response to the impending fate of Mars, effectively illustrates the claim?
writing, _____
A. “Their world is far gone in its cooling and this world
is…crowded only with what they regard as inferior
animals.”
B. “The secular cooling that must someday overtake our
planet has already gone far indeed with our neighbour.”
C. “It necessarily follows that [Mars] is not only more
distant from time’s beginning but nearer its end.”
D. “Long before this earth ceased to be molten, life upon
[Mars’] surface must have begun its course.”
Playwright Lorraine Hansberry’s parents were prominent 9

Black Americans in Chicago, which was dominated by
restrictive covenants that prohibited non-white citizens Which choice most logically completes the text?
from buying property in specific neighborhoods (legal until
the 1948 Shelley v. Kraemer decision). The Hansberrys A. future generations have the Hansberrys to thank for the
purchased a home in Woodlawn, in which around five- end of restrictive neighborhood covenants.
hundred property owners had agreed that no part of the B. while Hansberry v. Lee was a groundbreaking case, it
surrounding land could “sold, leased to or permitted to did not address the discriminatory practices at the heart
be occupied by any person of the colored race.” In 1937, of restrictive covenants.
Anna M. Lee and her neighbors sued to stop the Hansberry C. the decision handed down in Burke v. Kleiman was
family from moving into their Woodlawn home. The Illinois instrumental in ending the discriminatory practice of
Supreme Court determined that the covenant’s validity restrictive covenants.
could not be questioned a second time (following Burke v. D. the Shelley v. Kraemer decision allowed the Hansberry
Kleiman in 1934), but after an appeal to the U.S. Supreme family to remain in their Woodlawn home.
Court, Hansberry v. Lee established that litigants are not
bound to a judgement rendered for which they were not
parties and were not adequately represented. Legal scholars
have suggested, therefore, that _____

STRATEGY/CONCEPT:
VERBS
Verbs show actions and specify time. All verbs can be in past, present, or future tense. Within each tense, there are
four main subcategories that can provide more specific information about time.
Simple: used to show action (the most frequently used tense)
Progressive: used to show ongoing actions
Perfect: used to refer to an action that is completed at a specific time
Perfect Progressive: used to indicate an action that is ongoing at one point in time and then stops at a
different time (a combination of perfect and progressive tenses)
Past Present Future
I studied for the test I study for the test because I will study for the test
Simple
yesterday. I want to succeed. tomorrow.
I was studying for the test

I am studying for the test I will be studying during
Progressive when a bird flew into my
right now. my family’s game night.
window.
After I had studied for the Now, I have studied for the I will have studied for the
Perfect
test, I went to soccer practice. test. test by tomorrow.
I had been studying for

I have been studying since I will have been studying
three hours before I finally
Perfect Progressive 6:00 this morning for the test for three hours by the time
internalized all the terms that
this afternoon. dinner arrives.
would be on the test.
Some verbs are easy to overlook because they don’t show what some might consider to be ‘traditional’ actions.
Here are some common examples:
Verb Type Example

State of Being am, are, is, was, were, be, being, been, became, become, remain
Sense hear, seem, appear, see, feel, taste
Internal Process think, believe, love, like, prefer
Ownership has, have, had, own, got, possess
For the test, there are three key questions to ask about verbs:
• Who is performing this action?
• When is this action being performed?
• Is this action being performed by a singular or plural entity?

TRY-ITS
Cobras are snakes belonging to the genus Naja, but the term 1
“cobra” is often less accurately applied to other snakes, most
notably the king cobra, which _____ at all and which does Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the
not appear to demonstrate any monarchical tendencies. conventions of Standard English?
A. are not a cobra

B. are not cobras
C. is not a cobra
D. is not cobras
Aquatic insects in the order Ephemeroptera, mayflies, 2

despite what their common name might _____ most active
between spring and fall, not necessarily in the month of Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the
May. conventions of Standard English?
A. be suggesting are
B. suggest, are
C. have been suggested, are
D. suggest, is
The African painted dog is an essential member of its 3

ecosystem, _____ upon sick and infirm members of animal
species to improve genetics by way of natural selection. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the
conventions of Standard English?
A. it preys
B. and preys
C. having preyed
D. preying

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
9 QUESTIONS, 6 MINUTES
Influential jazz musician Carla Bley’s compositions 1

and arrangements _____ wide audiences through such
recordings as Gary Burton’s A Genuine Tong Funeral, an Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the
album dedicated to Bley’s first extended composition. conventions of Standard English?
A. reaches
B. reached
C. has reached
D. reaching
The old Court House was offered to the Congress as a 2

meeting place, but according to the diary of John Adams,
____ chose to meet “in the last house at the west end of Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the
Market Street, on the south side of the street; long chamber conventions of Standard English?
with two fireplaces, two large closets and two doors.”
A. they
B. it
C. them
D. he
Michael Jibson holds the record for most costume changes 3

during a theatrical _____ during the musical Our House.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the
A. performance. He wore 29 outfit’s

B. performance; he wore 29 outfits
C. performance; he wore 29 outfits’
D. performance: he wore 29 outfit’s
The invention of the printing press in the 15th century 4

revolutionized the way information _____ Johannes
Gutenberg is credited with the groundbreaking invention. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the
A. would be disseminated, and

B. was disseminated.
C. will be disseminated;
D. was disseminating,

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Jazz musician Carla Bley moved to New York at age 17, 5

working as a cigarette girl at the jazz club Birdland where
she met pianist Paul Bley, _____ in 1957. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the
A. whom she marry

B. who she marries
C. whom she married
D. who she married
The ultimate goal of the Artificial Retina Project is to design 6

a device to help restore limited _____ recognition to those
who have been blinded by retinal disease. Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the
A. vision; it enables reading and unaided mobility. Facial

B. vision that enables reading; unaided mobility and facial
C. vision. Enabling reading, unaided mobility, facial
D. vision that enables reading, unaided mobility, and facial
Amadeo Modigliani’s painting, of which surviving works 7

date primarily from the period of 1913-1919, was influenced
by many art periods. Evidence of low Renaissance portraits, Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the
African primitive sculpture, and the modern painters of the conventions of Standard English?
time _____ in Modigliani’s works.
A. are reflected
B. is reflected
C. were reflected
D. was reflected
Taxonomic categorization of the maned wolf (Chrysocyon 8

brachyurus) has perplexed biologists since the creature’s
discovery in the 19th century. _____ it resembles a fox, Which choice completes the text with the most logical
it lacks many distinctive genetic features unique to foxes, transition?
leading experts to conclude that C. brachyurus is the last
remaining member of the large canids that survived the late A. Since
Pleistocene extinction. B. Because
C. Though
D. Considering that

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following 9

notes:
The student wants to emphasize and provide an example
• Oolong tea is traditionally processed through a series of of a change in the method of oolong tea production. Which
steps, including withering, bruising, oxidation, fixation, choice most effectively uses relevant information from the
rolling, and drying. notes to accomplish this goal?
• While traditional methods are still employed, modern
techniques, such as machinery for rolling and drying, A. Oolong tea is still sometimes processed through a series
have been integrated to enhance efficiency in oolong tea of traditional methods, but modern techniques, such
production. as the use of machinery for rolling and drying, have
• Oolong teas exhibit diverse flavor profiles, often been integrated to enhance efficiency in oolong tea
influenced by the region of cultivation. production.
• Famous oolong varieties include Tieguanyin from B. Created through a series of steps, including withering,
China, Dong Ding from Taiwan, and Formosa Oolong, bruising, oxidation, fixation, rolling, and drying, oolong
also from Taiwan. teas exhibit diverse flavor profiles.
C. Current methods of oolong tea production include the
use of machinery for rolling and drying, the region of
cultivation influences the diverse flavor profiles.
D. Famous oolong varieties, created by withering,
bruising, oxidation, fixation, rolling, and drying, include
Tieguanyin from China, Dong Ding from Taiwan, and
Formosa Oolong, also from Taiwan.

BUILDING YOUR VOCABULARY
DEFINE EACH WORD
COALITION
Tone: + / n / − Part of Speech: n / v / adj / adv Synonym: _____________ Antonym: _____________
COMPLY
DECRY
INDIGENOUS
OBSCURE
OBVIATE
PRECIPITATE
PREDICATE
RECTIFY
REMORSE


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VERBAL

KD College Prep — VERBAL WORKSHOP #1546: A

These questions are fill-in-the blank, so when working these questions:

KD College Prep — VERBAL WORKSHOP #1546: A

In Pitman shorthand, many common words are _____ by 1

World renowned magicians, like David Copperfield, are 2

The following text is adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s 3

THE BYSTANDER [to the girl] You be careful: There’s a A. mock

THE NOTE TAKER [overbearing but good-humored] Oh,

KD College Prep — VERBAL WORKSHOP #1546: A

Inorganic substances like metals and ceramics decay at a 1

The scope of previous archeological theories pales in 2

Some contend that stringent health requirements are 3

The following text is adapted from Paula McCreary’s 2001 4

KD College Prep — VERBAL WORKSHOP #1546: A

The following text is from Agatha Hitchcock’s 2004 essay 5

The following text is adapted from Candace Roberts’ 2004 6

His last words were “Useless, useless,” after he was fatally 7

KD College Prep — VERBAL WORKSHOP #1546: A

The War of the Worlds is an 1898 novel by H. G. Wells 8

Playwright Lorraine Hansberry’s parents were prominent 9

KD College Prep — VERBAL WORKSHOP #1546: A

Past Present Future

I was studying for the test

I had been studying for

Verb Type Example

Sense hear, seem, appear, see, feel, taste

Internal Process think, believe, love, like, prefer

Ownership has, have, had, own, got, possess

KD College Prep — VERBAL WORKSHOP #1546: A

A. are not a cobra

Aquatic insects in the order Ephemeroptera, mayflies, 2

The African painted dog is an essential member of its 3

KD College Prep — VERBAL WORKSHOP #1546: A

Influential jazz musician Carla Bley’s compositions 1

The old Court House was offered to the Congress as a 2

Michael Jibson holds the record for most costume changes 3

A. performance. He wore 29 outfit’s

The invention of the printing press in the 15th century 4

A. would be disseminated, and

KD College Prep — VERBAL WORKSHOP #1546: A

Jazz musician Carla Bley moved to New York at age 17, 5

A. whom she marry

The ultimate goal of the Artificial Retina Project is to design 6

A. vision; it enables reading and unaided mobility. Facial

Amadeo Modigliani’s painting, of which surviving works 7

Taxonomic categorization of the maned wolf (Chrysocyon 8

KD College Prep — VERBAL WORKSHOP #1546: A

While researching a topic, a student has taken the following 9

KD College Prep — VERBAL WORKSHOP #1546: A

KD College Prep — VERBAL WORKSHOP #1546: A

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