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So, what’s the upshot of all of this? Don’t blindly guess. Use the process of elimination. Out of the four answer choices, you should be able to eliminate at least one of them—hopefully two. Just try your best on every question.
STRIKETHROUGH
When eliminating an answer, use the strikethrough button!
DISTRACTORS
On a multiple-choice test, the wrong answer choices aren’t called wrongs, they’re called distractors. A distractor is a plausible 10 but incorrect answer designed to potentially mislead students. In the SAT Reading & Writing section, each wrong answer choice is a distractor that represents a mistake a student might reasonably make due to faulty reasoning or unsupported assumptions. For example:
Because she always works harder than anyone else in her 4 th grade class, the teacher considers my younger sister to be the most student in the class.
A) intelligent B) rewarding C) diligent D) calculating E) metallic
First of all: metallic ??? Is the younger sister a robot in the 4 th grade? The SAT would never have something like that as an answer because it’s not a distractor. No one would be misled by E; it’s implausible. However, a few of the other answer choices do seem plausible, at least at first glance. That’s a distractor’s job: to draw you away from the correct answer and confuse you. Look at the definition of distract . distract 1. to draw or direct (as in one’s mind or attention) to a different object or direction 2. to stir up or confuse with conflicting motives or emotions Basically, they’re scams. Life is full of them, and so is the SAT. And just like in life, the best way to avoid getting scammed is to be informed and employ best practices. After you successfully complete this book, you will have accomplished both.
The answer is C) diligent 11 , by the way. And diligent is what you need to be when it comes to the SAT . (Hey! That rhymed.)
BEST PRACTICES: Consider the answers before you choose an answer.
Some students choose an answer choice before fully considering it or fully considering any of the other answer choices.
consider
1.
to think carefully about
10 Having an appearance of truth or reason; believable 11 Constant in effort to accomplish something
10
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