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DSAT R&W Practice Question-Craft and Structure-Words in Context – Hard | New Syllabus

DSAT R&W Practice Question-Craft and Structure-Words in Context - Hard

DSAT R&W Practice Question-Craft and Structure-Words in Context – Hard

DSAT R&W Practice Question-Craft and Structure-Words in Context – 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

DSAT R&W – Exam Style Practice Questions – All Topics

Question Hard

Text
Noting the correspondence of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa to his self-portrait in red chalk, artist Lillian Schwartz argued that the former is a self-portrait, too—that by mapping his own features onto those of its ostensible subject, Lisa del Giocondo, Leonardo depicted himself as a woman. Indeed, by subjecting both works to digital analysis, Schwartz ______ the two faces’ structural resemblance.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

A) corroborated

B) amalgamated

C) promulgated

D) consolidated

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Solution

Ans: A

The text describes how Schwartz used digital analysis to confirm the structural resemblance between the two artworks, supporting her argument about Leonardo’s technique. “Corroborated” (Option A) means to confirm or give support to a statement or theory, which perfectly fits this context. The other options don’t fit as well: “amalgamated” (B) means combined, “promulgated” (C) means published widely, and “consolidated” (D) means strengthened or combined – none of which accurately describe the act of providing evidence to support a claim.

Syllabus Classification: This question falls under “Words in Context” in the “Craft and Structure” category, testing precise vocabulary selection in an art historical context.

Difficulty Note: Marked as “Hard” due to the advanced vocabulary options and specialized art historical context.

Question Hard

Text
The following text is from Charles Chesnutt’s 1905 novel The Colonel’s Dream. Mr. French and Mr. Kirby work together.

Mr. French, the senior partner, who sat opposite Kirby, was an older man—a safe guess would have placed him somewhere in the debatable ground between forty and fifty; of a good height, as could be seen even from the seated figure, the upper part of which was fielded with the unconscious ease which one associates with military training.

As used in the text, what does the word “placed” most nearly mean?

A) Estimated

B) Arranged

C) Engaged

D) Altered

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Solution

Ans: A

In the context, “placed” refers to an approximate judgment of age, making “estimated” the most fitting meaning.

Option A: Estimated (correct, aligns with guessing age)

Option B: Arranged (incorrect, does not fit context)

Option C: Engaged (incorrect, unrelated to meaning)

Option D: Altered (incorrect, does not apply)

Question Hard

Text 1
The results of randomized clinical trials testing the efficacy of common medical interventions sometimes fail to————- conclude that practitioners reach based on their real-world observations of patients. While there are several possible reasons for this, one is that practitioners may overlook confounding variables that account for the results they attribute to the interventions in question.

Text 2 (Question)
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

A) disseminate

B) corroborate

C) circumvent

D) implement

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Solution

Answer: B

“Corroborate” fits best, as the trials fail to support or confirm the conclusions practitioners draw from observations, due to confounding variables.

Question Hard

Text 1
Matilda Coxe Stevenson, who explored the Rocky Mountains as an ethnologist and geologist, undoubtedly accomplished much, but her place in our historical memory is perhaps more ___ than that of a noteworthy “first” such as Barbara Hillary, who was the first African American woman to reach the North Pole, a deed for which she will always be remembered.

Text 2 (Question)
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

A) conspicuous

B) uncertain

C) enduring

D) deserving

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Solution

Ans: C

The context compares Stevenson’s lasting recognition to Hillary’s specific achievement, suggesting “enduring” fits best to indicate a long-lasting place in memory.

Option A: conspicuous (incorrect, means noticeable, not lasting)

Option B: uncertain (incorrect, implies doubt, not comparison)

Option C: enduring (correct, implies lasting recognition)

Option D: deserving (incorrect, implies merit, not memory duration)

Question Hard

Text 1
In the late 2010s, the price of cards from the Pokémon Trading Card Game rose dramatically, which had the counterintuitive effect of ___ demand: buyers who hadn’t previously wanted to purchase Pokémon cards suddenly thronged the market, believing prices would continue to rise and the cards could be resold later at a profit.

Text 2 (Question)
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

A) precipitating

B) monetizing

C) exploiting

D) stabilizing

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Solution

Ans: A

The context indicates that the price rise triggered an increase in demand, making “precipitating” the most logical and precise choice to describe causing or triggering the effect.

Option A: precipitating (correct, means to cause or trigger)

Option B: monetizing (incorrect, means to generate revenue, not relevant)

Option C: exploiting (incorrect, implies taking advantage, not causing demand)

Option D: stabilizing (incorrect, implies steadying, opposite of the effect)

Question Hard

Rejecting the premise that the literary magazine Ebony and Topaz (1927) should present a unified vision of Black American identity, editor Charles S. Johnson fostered his contributors’ diverse perspectives by promoting their authorial autonomy. Johnson’s self-effacement diverged from the editorial stances of W.E.B. Du Bois and Alain Locke, whose decisions for their publications were more ______.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

A) proficient

B) dogmatic

C) ambiguous

D) unpretentious

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Solution

Answer: B

“Dogmatic” fits best, as Du Bois and Locke enforced a unified vision, contrasting with Johnson’s encouragement of diverse perspectives.

Question Hard

Economist Marco Castillo and colleagues showed that nuisance costs—the time and effort people must spend to make donations—reduce charitable giving. Charities can mitigate this effect by compensating donors for nuisance costs, but those costs, though variable, are largely ______ donation size, so charities that compensate donors will likely favor attracting a few large donors over many small donors.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

A) supplemental to

B) predictive of

C) independent of

D) subsumed in

▶️ Answer/Explanation
Solution

Answer: C

“Independent of” fits best, as nuisance costs not tied to donation size explain why charities prefer fewer large donors over many small ones when compensating for those costs.

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