SAT Test Critical Reading
Questions
Since our lines are about 1.5 times as wide as those you will
see on the SAT (we're SAT gurus, not web design gurus as you can probably
already tell), our passage may appear to be shorter. However, it will take you
roughly the same amount of time to read as a "real one".
In all honesty though,
the SAT passages are often times a bit more interesting. Do not use the test
time to read these though. If, by some weird chance, you become captivated by a
passage, you can read more about the passage's material after the test -- on
your time!
The following passage
chronicles an interview between a communications professor and the author.
As a communications
specialist, I teach my students to become more aware of interpersonal
communication such as symbolic behavior, use of words, and nonverbal mannerisms.
My goal is to ignite symbols in their minds so we can come to a point of
agreement on language.
5 I immensely enjoy the work because life is becoming more this way -- persuade
people to accept your point of view. We are both communicating and persuadable
animals. It's not unethical and I train my students in an ethical manner.
Many of my peers have left academia and taken up positions in business.
10 They
tend to become human resources officers. Happiness in job behavior is directly
related to profits. If you get your employees to trust you, then you will
increase your profits. This is why professionals in my field are so highly
valued.
Many famous psychologists reach over into communications and many
15 study my field
so they can learn more about interpersonal relationships. Whether it's John
Miller at the office or Bill Clinton attending a political fundraiser,
communications is important in everything we do.
The majority of research is centered around conflict communication. There is
definitely a strong desire to learn the proper steps to be taken to
20 maintain a
cool, rational process. I believe the increase in interest in communications can
be traced to the Cuban missile crisis.
Our research has made great strides in a relatively short
period of time. We now know that it sometimes truly is more effective to have a
spokesperson with a robotic, or monotonous if you will tone. This type of
25 spokesperson is often most effective in crisis situations because their relative
lack of emotion can signal that heads are remaining cool and problems are being
dealt with effectively. This was illustrated wonderfully by the U.S. military
spokespeople during the first Persian Gulf war.
While we have studied military communications,
we have most of our work 30 in the area of business communications. We now
regularly consult companies on how to conduct job interviews. We have learned
that most interviewers make up their minds about a job candidate within the
first 5 minutes of the interview. We have also discovered why this is and we
will tell companies what is productive and counterproductive about these
35
interviews and hiring managers. We also conduct work on how to handle other
business issues such as earnings releases and product recalls.
Communication specialists do have a sense of power and many people will argue it
is a grave misuse of power. When someone has enough
40 power over behavior, the argument can be raised
that it is a grave abuse of power
1.)
The word "ignite" in line 3 means to
(A)
tolerate
(B)
set on fire
(C)
place
(D)
incinerate
(E) celebrate
2.)
What is the speaker's main point in lines 5 through 8?
(A)
Many falsely consider communications to be unethical.
(B)
Bill Clinton would have never enjoyed much success if he had not been an
effective communicator.
(C)
People act like animals.
(D) The
students are taught in an ethical manner.
(E) Communications is a fulfilling discipline to teach.
3.)
It can be inferred from lines 14 through 16 that
(A)
The famous psychologists should have been communications specialists.
(B)
Communications is a multi-disciplinary field.
(C)
Interpersonal relationships are important to not only communications
professionals.
(D) There
were no famous psychologists who examined communications issues or they would
have been mentioned by name.
(E) Communications is important in everything we do.
4.)
Based on lines 24 through 26, which situation would not be effectively communicated
by a compassionate style of spokesperson?
(A)
military training accident
(B)
scientific discovery
(C)
jury decision
(D)
declaration of war
(E) charitable contribution
5.)
The tone of this passage as a whole can be best described as
(A)
satirical
(B)
elegiac
(C)
soporific
(D)
informative
(E) persuasive
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SAT
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