SAT Reading Practice Test Questions- Social Science based Set 2

Questions 6-7 are based on the following passage.

The critic Edmund Wilson was not a self-conscious letter writer or one who tried to sustain studied mannerisms. Nor did he resort to artifice or entangle himself in circumlocutions. The young, middle- aged, and old Wilson Line 5 speaks directly through his letters, which are informal for the most part and which undisguisedly reflect his changing moods. On occasion-in response, perhaps, to the misery of a friend or a public outrage or a personal challenge-he can become eloquent, even passionate, but that is not his Line  10 prevailing tone.

6. Based on the information in the passage, Wilson’s letters can best be described as

1. cynical
2. spontaneous
3. critical
4. preachy
5. witty

7. The reference to the “young, middle-aged, and old Wilson” (line 4) serves to suggest the

1. multifaceted nature of Wilson’s literary persona
2. maturity Wilson displayed even as a youth
3. effect aging had on Wilson’s temperament
4. longevity of Wilson’s literary career
5. consistency of Wilson’s letter-writing style

Questions 8-9 are based on the following passage.

The belief that it is harmful to the Black community for authors to explore the humanity of our leaders can have troubling effects. At the least, it promotes the belief that our heroes have to be perfect to be useful. At worst, Line 5 it censors our full investigation of Black life. If our paintings of that life are stock and cramped, their colors drab and predictable, the representations of our culture are likely to be untrue. They will not capture the breadth and complexity of Black identity.

8. The passage implies that Black leaders have sometimes been portrayed as being

1. overly sentimental
2. deeply complex
3. above reproach
4. without regret
5. beyond understanding

9. In context, the “paintings” (lines 5-6) are best understood as a reference to

1. realistic sculptures
2. historical biographies
3. whimsical novels
4. political cartoons
5. colorful theorems