Table Of Content1
Dedication
Dedicated to my wife Caitlin, my son Andrew, and my daughter Eloise—
without your love and support, this book would not have been possible. I
would like to especially thank my mom, my dad, Andy, Mitchell, Mercedez,
Hannah, Alaina, Andrew, and Doug for their help with this undertaking. I am
grateful to everyone at Barron’s.
Thanks so much to all of my students over the years—I have learned far more
from you than you have learned from me.
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About the Author
Brian W. Stewart is the founder and president of BWS Education Consulting,
Inc., a boutique tutoring and test preparation company based in Columbus,
Ohio. He has worked with thousands of students to help them improve their
test scores and earn admission to selective schools. Brian is a graduate of
Princeton University (A.B.) and The Ohio State University (M.Ed.). You can
connect with Brian at www.bwseducationconsulting.com.
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Copyright © 2016 by Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in
any form without the written permission of the copyright owner.
All inquiries should be addressed to:
Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.
250 Wireless Boulevard
Hauppauge, New York 11788
www.barronseduc.com
eISBN: 978-1-4380-6808-4
First e-Book publication: March, 2016
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Contents
Introduction
FAQs About the New SAT Reading Test
Diagnostic Test
Self-Assessment Guide
Answers Explained
Chapter 1: Reading Strategies
Chapter 2: Words in Context: Strategy and Practice
Practice Exercises
Answers Explained
Chapter 3: Graph Analysis: Strategy and Practice
Practice Exercises
Answers Explained
Chapter 4: Practice Exercises of Increasing Difficulty
Exercise A
Answers Explained
Exercise B
Answers Explained
Exercise C
Answers Explained
PRACTICE TESTS
Practice Test 1
Answers Explained
Practice Test 2
Answers Explained
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Practice Test 3
Answers Explained
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Welcome to the e-Book version of the Reading Workbook for the New
SAT!
This e-Book may appear differently depending on the device you are
using to view it on. Please adjust your device accordingly.
Throughout this e-Book, you may find several hyperlinks that will help
navigate you through the content, bring you to helpful resources, and
allow you to click between questions and answers.
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Introduction
FAQs ABOUT THE NEW SAT READING TEST
How does the Reading section factor into the overall new SAT?
The new SAT has two required sections—(1) Math and (2) Evidence-Based
Reading and Writing. Each section will be scored between 200–800, making
for a potential total score of between 400-1600. The Reading section and the
Writing and Language section will contribute in equal measure to your overall
Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score.
What is the general format of the new SAT Reading section?
It is a single section with these features:
■ First test section
■ 65 minutes long
■ 52 questions (10 Fiction, 21 Social Studies, 21 Science).
What will the reading passages be like?
■ 5 passages total—each passage between 500 and 750 words for a total of
around 3,250 words.
– One fiction passage—a selection from U.S. or world literature
– Two social studies passages—one from social science and one from a
U.S. founding document or a selection from the “Great Global
Conversation” (e.g., a historical speech or essay)
– Two science passages
■ One of the passages will comprise two smaller passages that you will
need to compare and contrast in the questions.
■ Two graphs accompany the reading that you will need to analyze.
■ The passages range in difficulty from early high school level to early
college level.
What are the questions like?
■ 10 Words in Context questions
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Example: As used in line 30, the word “advance” most closely means . .
.
■ 10 Command of Evidence questions
Example: Which option gives the best evidence for the answer to the
previous question?
■ 32 Analysis questions
Examples:
– What statement best summarizes the passage?
– The paragraph in lines 21–37 primarily serves to . . .
– The narrator’s statement in lines 48–51 (“The primary . . . forecast”)
most clearly implies that . . .
■ The questions for a given passage generally appear in the same order as
the material in the passage (e.g., Question 1 is about lines 1–5, Question
2 is about lines 6–9, etc.).
■ The questions are arranged in a random order of difficulty.
■ There are 10–11 questions per passage.
How is the new SAT Reading Test different from the old SAT
Critical Reading Test?
Old SAT Critical Reading Test New SAT Reading Test
A completely separate section for scoring Combined with the Writing and Language section
purposes for the overall “Evidence-Based Reading and
Writing” score
3 shorter test sections 1 large test section
Sentence Completion questions—necessary to Words in Context questions—more important to
know lots of difficult vocabulary words be able to determine appropriate word meaning in
a given situation
No graphs; no “evidence” questions Graphs to analyze; demonstrate command of text
through evidence-based questions
Questions require considerable reading time Easier to determine what is being asked
A quarter point guessing penalty NO guessing penalty
How can I use this book to prepare?
■ IF YOU HAVE ONE DAY, look over the reading strategies, become familiar
with the test directions and format, and try a couple of passages under
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