DSAT R&W Practice Question-Craft and Structure-Words in Context - Easy
DSAT R&W Practice Question-Craft and Structure-Text Structure and Purpose-Hard
DSAT R&W Practice Question-Craft and Structure-Text Structure and Purpose-Hard is part of Craft and Structure : This section evaluates skills in understanding advanced academic vocabulary words from the context they are used in, analyzing an author’s rhetorical (persuasive writing) techniques and purpose, and synthesizing key ideas by making connections between multiple related texts on a topic.
Weightage : 20%
Subtopic: Cross-Text Connections
▶️ Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
The word “placed” in this context most nearly means “estimated” because:
- The phrase “a safe guess would have placed him…” implies making an approximate judgment about Mr. French’s age.
- The other options do not fit the context:
- B) “Contracted”: Irrelevant to age estimation.
- C) “Adapted”: Implies adjustment, which doesn’t apply here.
- D) “Arranged”: Suggests physical placement, not an estimation.
▶️ Answer/Explanation
Ans: C) engendering
The word “engendering” correctly:
- Indicates the creation or stimulation of demand due to the price rise
- Fits the counterintuitive effect where higher prices led to increased interest
- Maintains logical coherence with the context of market behavior
▶️ Answer/Explanation
Ans: C) moreover,
The transition “moreover” correctly:
- Indicates an addition to the previous year’s events
- Maintains a positive flow by expanding the festival’s offerings
- Fits the context of enhancing the event
▶️ Answer/Explanation
Ans: D) hesitant
The blank requires a word that:
- Contrasts with “eager” to produce established classics
- Reflects risk-aversion (“favor keeping audiences happy over taking risks”)
- Makes logical sense with “stage a work from a relatively unknown playwright”
Why D is correct:
“Hesitant” perfectly captures the cautious attitude toward unknown works implied by the risk-averse context.
▶️ Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
The phrase “Drawn by its silent call” suggests being attracted or enticed (Option B) by the woods’ quiet appeal. This matches the poem’s theme of seeking refuge in nature. The other options don’t fit the context: “depicted” (A) would require visual representation, “forgotten” (C) contradicts the active engagement with nature, and “predicted” (D) suggests forecasting rather than responding to nature’s call.
▶️ Answer/Explanation
Ans: A
The text states that naming is “entirely the choice” of discoverers, making “permissible” (Option A) the only accurate term. “Infeasible” (B) contradicts the example given, “selective” (C) describes a process not mentioned, and “mandatory” (D) would conflict with the explicit statement that naming isn’t required.
▶️ Answer/Explanation
Ans: B
The main idea of the text is that the Florida Highwaymen’s paintings, including Moonlit St, Lucie, shaped cultural perceptions of Florida through their recurring natural imagery, making these images widely associated with the state due to the group’s influence. Option B best captures this by highlighting the widespread association and influence of the Highwaymen’s work.
Question
The following text is from Bram Stokerʼs 1897 novel Dracula. The narrator is being driven in a carriage through a remote region at night.
The baying of the wolves sounded nearer and nearer, as though they were closing round on us from every side. I grew dreadfully afraid, and the horses shared my fear. The driver, however, was not in the least disturbed; he kept turning his head to left and right, but I could not see anything through the darkness.
As used in the text, what does the word “disturbed” most nearly mean?
A. Disorganized
B. Alarmed
C. Offended
D. Interrupted
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans. B
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because as used in the text, “disturbed” most nearly means alarmed. The text portrays the narrator traveling in a carriage as wolves howl in the surrounding darkness. The text contrasts the reaction of both the narrator and the horses pulling the carriage with that of the driver of the carriage: the narrator and horses are “dreadfully afraid,” but the driver is “not in the least disturbed.” In other words, the driver is not alarmed by the wolves nearby.
Choice A is incorrect. Although in some contexts, “disturbed” can mean disorganized, the text doesn’t portray a character acting in a disorganized manner; instead, the driver continues to drive the carriage, even though the horses pulling it are alarmed. Choice C is incorrect. Although in some contexts, “disturbed” can mean offended, the text doesn’t portray one character feeling offended, or upset, by another’s actions; instead, it contrasts the fear felt by the narrator with another character’s lack of fear. Choice D is incorrect. Although in some contexts, “disturbed” can mean interrupted, the text doesn’t portray an action being interrupted; indeed, the travel depicted in the scene continues despite the threat of the wolves outside the carriage.
Question
Dance choreographer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar aims to give people the opportunity to be ______ her creative process. For example, live performances of her dance HairStories, which debuted in 2001, featured videos of people across the United States talking about their hair and audience members sharing pictures of their interesting hairstyles.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
A. nervous about
B. completed by
C. delayed by
D. involved in
▶️Answer/Explanation
Ans. D
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer. “Involved in” means “playing an active role in.” This ts the context clues describing how Zollar includes the audience in her shows by incorporating their stories and pictures.
Choice A is incorrect. “Nervous” means “worried or anxious about.” Nothing in the text suggests that people would be nervous about Zollar’s creative process. Choice B is incorrect. “Completed by” means “made whole
by.” It doesn’t make sense to say that Zollar’s shows would make her audience complete. Choice C is incorrect. “Delayed by” means “made late by.” Nothing in the text suggests that people would be delayed by Zollar’s
creative process.