Digital SAT Supporting & Undermining Practice Questions

1. Botanist Elena Ruiz studied a species of wildflower that grows on both windy coastal cliffs and in sheltered inland meadows. She observed that coastal plants tend to be shorter and produce thicker leaves than inland plants do. Ruiz hypothesizes that the cliff environment itself, rather than genetic differences between the two groups, causes these traits.

Which finding, if true, would most directly support Ruiz’s hypothesis?

A) Coastal wildflowers produce more seeds per plant than inland wildflowers do.

B) When seeds from coastal plants are grown in sheltered inland soil, the resulting plants are about as tall as typical inland plants.

C) The coastal and inland populations flower at slightly different times of year.

D) Pollinating insects visit inland meadows more frequently than coastal cliffs.

Question 1 of 5

2. Historian Marcus Lee argues that a sharp decline in the use of a local port in the late 1700s was caused primarily by silting: over time, sediment made the harbor too shallow for large trading vessels. He notes that records from the period show reduced shipping traffic and lower customs revenue.

Which finding, if true, would most directly weaken Lee’s claim?

A) Merchants using the port in the early 1700s often complained about high customs fees.

B) Several nearby ports also experienced revenue declines in the late 1700s.

C) Newly discovered ship logs show that large vessels continued entering the harbor regularly during the decline, but many captains avoided the port because of political unrest in the town.

D) Sediment buildup in harbors was a common problem in coastal towns during the 1700s.

Question 2 of 5

3. Researchers studying an ancient settlement found that cooking pots near household hearths contain traces of lentils, barley, and goat milk. Because these residues appear in vessels from nearly every excavated ceremonial building, the researchers hypothesize that these foods were staples of the settlement’s daily diet rather than foods eaten only on special occasions.

Which finding, if true, would most directly support the researchers’ hypothesis?

A) Decorative serving bowls found in the settlement contain traces of honey and rare spices.

B) Written records from a neighboring region mention barley harvest festivals.

C) Storage jars from ordinary homes, not just ceremonial buildings, also contain large quantities of lentils and barley.

D) Goat bones were found mainly in a refuse pit near the edge of the settlement.

Question 3 of 5

4. A literary scholar claims that a certain anonymous 19th-century essay was likely written by novelist Harriet Vale. The scholar bases this claim partly on the essay’s frequent use of long, winding sentences and ironic understatement, both features common in Vale’s confirmed works.

Which finding, if true, would most directly weaken the scholar’s claim?

A) Vale often published fiction and essays in the same magazines as several other writers of her time.

B) Some critics have argued that irony was a common feature of 19th-century prose.

C) Vale’s later novels contain fewer long sentences than her early novels do.

D) Two other prominent novelists from the 19th-century were also known for frequent use of long, winding sentences and ironic understatement.

Question 4 of 5

5. Marine biologist Tasha Green observed that a species of reef fish appears in greater numbers around coral formations with many narrow crevices than around smoother coral surfaces nearby. She hypothesizes that the fish prefer crevice-rich coral because those structures offer protection from predators.

Which finding, if true, would most directly support Green’s hypothesis?

A) The fish are more brightly colored than many other reef species in the area.

B) Predator species are less successful at capturing the fish in tanks containing artificial coral with many narrow hiding spaces than in tanks with smooth structures.

C) Crevice-rich coral also tends to grow in slightly deeper water than smooth coral does.

D) The fish feed on plankton that drift through both kinds of coral habitat.

Question 5 of 5