SAT · IB · 내신 — Vocabulary · Reading · Grammar · Test Prep
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CORRECT ANSWERS
📚 How to Use This Worksheet
First, study each EXAMPLE section carefully — memorize the key point in bold. Then scroll to the quiz and select your answer. Get it right → 🎉 confetti. Get it wrong → read the detailed explanation. No peeking at answers beforehand!
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Vocabulary
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Reading
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Grammar
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Test Prep
Vocabulary Study
🔤 Core Word List
Example 01 — Connotation vs. Denotation
NOTORIOUS vs. FAMOUS
Both words mean "widely known," but their connotations differ sharply. Famous is neutral or positive ("a famous scientist"). Notorious carries a strongly negative connotation — known for something bad or scandalous.
Trap: SAT passages often use "notorious" where students expect "famous." Check the surrounding tone before choosing.
NOTORIOUS = NOT-orious → NOT a compliment
Example 02 — Transition Words (Contrast / Concession)
ALBEIT · NOTWITHSTANDING · DESPITE
All three signal contrast or concession, but their grammar differs:
• Despite + noun/gerund → "Despite the rain, ..."
• Although / Albeit + clause → "Although it rained, ..." / "The result, albeit imperfect, was ..."
• Notwithstanding + noun (formal / IB essays) → "Notwithstanding the evidence, ..."
ALBEIT = "even though" — squeezes into the middle of a sentence
Example 03 — SAT High-Frequency Academic Vocabulary
SUBSTANTIATE · CORROBORATE · VALIDATE
These three verbs appear constantly in SAT evidence-based questions. They all mean "to support or prove." The key nuance: Corroborate specifically means one source confirms another source. Substantiate = provide concrete evidence. Validate = officially confirm accuracy.
Example sentence: "The second experiment corroborated the initial findings, substantiating the team's hypothesis."
CORROBORATE = two pieces of evidence COLLABORATE
Reading Study
📖 Passage Comprehension
Example 04 — Main Purpose / Central Claim Questions
The "Primary Purpose" Trap
SAT/IB passages always have a central claim — one sentence that the entire passage supports. Eliminate answers that are:
① Too narrow (only one paragraph's idea)
② Too broad (beyond what the passage covers)
③ Factually true but not the author's purpose
The correct answer matches the passage's tone + scope. If the passage is persuasive, the purpose is "to argue." If analytical, it is "to examine."
PURPOSE = TONE + SCOPE → never too big, never too small
Example 05 — Inference Questions ("Most Likely" / "Suggests")
Inferring Author's Attitude
Inference answers must be directly supported by the text — not assumed. Look for loaded adjectives, hedge words (perhaps, arguably, seemingly), and verb choice (claims vs. demonstrates vs. insists).
The author's use of "claims" instead of "proves" signals skepticism. "Insists" signals strong assertion. These subtle cues determine the correct inference.
LOADED VERB = author's hidden opinion → find the verb, find the attitude
Example 06 — Evidence Support / Paired Question Strategy
SAT Paired Evidence Questions
In SAT Reading, two consecutive questions are often paired: Q1 asks for a claim; Q2 asks "which lines best support the previous answer?" Strategy: answer Q2 first. Find all four line options, read them, then see which one directly supports a claim in Q1.
Common mistake: choosing lines that are about the same topic but don't directly prove the specific claim.
PAIRED Qs → Q2 FIRST → match lines to claim exactly
Grammar Study
✍️ Structure & Usage
Example 07 — Subject-Verb Agreement: Tricky Cases
Collective Nouns & Intervening Phrases
The subject and verb must agree even when a long phrase separates them. The words between commas are distractors.
"The committee, along with several advisors, is reviewing the plan."
→ "along with several advisors" is a prepositional phrase, NOT part of the subject. The real subject is "the committee" (singular) → is, not are.
Also note: "The number of students is high" BUT "A number of students are present."
CROSS OUT the middle phrase → subject stands alone → choose verb
Example 08 — Misplaced Modifiers & Dangling Modifiers
The "Walking Down the Street" Trap
A modifier must be immediately next to the noun it modifies.
❌ "Walking down the street, the skyscrapers were impressive."
→ The skyscrapers cannot walk.
✅ "Walking down the street, she found the skyscrapers impressive."
On grammar questions: find the intro phrase → ask "WHO does this describe?" → make sure that person/thing is the sentence's subject.
INTRO PHRASE → subject must be the DOER of that action
Test Strategy Study
🎯 Exam-Specific Skills
Example 09 — SAT Writing: Adding / Deleting Sentences
The "Should the author add/delete this sentence?" Question
These questions always give you a reason in each choice. The reason must be accurate AND relevant. Both conditions must be true.
If the reason says "this provides a relevant example," check: Is the example actually mentioned? Is it really relevant? If the reason is factually wrong, eliminate regardless of add/delete.
REASON must be TRUE + RELEVANT → reject half-right answers
Example 10 — IB Paper 1: Guiding Questions Strategy
IB English Unseen Text Analysis
For IB Paper 1, you analyze an unseen text using literary/stylistic devices. High-scoring responses always:
① Name the device (e.g., "enjambment," "anaphora," "polysyndeton")
② Quote the text (keep it short, 1-5 words)
③ Explain the effect on the reader — emotional or thematic impact
Never just describe what happens. Always connect to purpose or effect.
DEVICE → QUOTE → EFFECT (never stop at description)
Self-Test
📝 10-Question Quiz
01Vocabulary★★☆ Medium
Choose the word that best fits the sentence based on CONNOTATION.
The documentary portrayed the hacker as a __________ figure who had infiltrated dozens of government databases and was wanted in three countries.
✅ Correct! Explanation:Notorious is the only word with a negative connotation — "widely known for bad reasons." Distinguished, celebrated, and eminent all carry positive or neutral connotations. The context clues (infiltrated, wanted in three countries) confirm a negative tone.
02Vocabulary★★★ Hard
Which transition word CORRECTLY completes the sentence grammatically and logically?
The study's conclusions, __________ controversial among certain researchers, have been widely accepted by the broader scientific community.
✅ Correct! Explanation:Albeit is used mid-sentence before an adjective or adjective phrase to signal "even though." → "albeit controversial" = even though controversial. Despite requires a noun or gerund and cannot interrupt a sentence mid-clause. However is a conjunctive adverb that needs a semicolon or new sentence. Notwithstanding functions like "despite" and also cannot fit this slot.
03Vocabulary★★★ Hard
Which word MOST PRECISELY replaces the underlined word in the sentence?
The second team's results supported the original experiment, proving that the drug's effectiveness was not a coincidence.
✅ Correct! Explanation:Corroborate specifically means one source or piece of evidence confirms another existing source. This is the exact scenario: a second team's results confirm the original experiment. Substantiate means to provide evidence for a claim (not specifically confirm another source). Validate = officially approve/confirm accuracy. Authenticate = prove genuineness of an object or document, not used for experiments.
04Reading★★☆ Medium
Read the passage and identify the author's PRIMARY PURPOSE.
The ocean covers more than 70 percent of Earth's surface, yet scientists have mapped less than 20 percent of it in high resolution. This vast unmapped territory presents both an opportunity and an obligation: an opportunity to discover new species, geological formations, and resources, and an obligation to protect what we do not yet understand. Without a comprehensive mapping effort, we risk exploiting or destroying ecosystems before we have even documented their existence.
✅ Correct! Explanation:
The passage uses language of obligation and risk ("obligation," "risk exploiting") — this signals an argumentative purpose. The statistic (70% / 20%) is supporting evidence, not the main point, so B is too narrow. The passage never mentions history (A) or compares to other regions (D). C matches both the tone (persuasive) and scope (the entire passage argues for mapping).
05Reading★★★ Hard
Based on the passage, what can be INFERRED about the author's attitude toward current policies?
Governments repeatedly claim to prioritize environmental protection, yet annual deforestation rates have increased in four of the past six years. What the data suggests, though officials may argue otherwise, is a troubling gap between stated intentions and measurable outcomes.
✅ Correct! Explanation:
The key is verb choice: the author uses "claim" (not "state" or "confirm") to describe governments' words — this signals skepticism. The phrase "though officials may argue otherwise" further shows the author is countering official positions. The word "troubling" expresses negative evaluation. These loaded word choices make the attitude clearly critical, not neutral.
06Reading★★★ Hard
Which choice provides the BEST evidence for the claim that economic pressure influences scientific publication?
Some researchers argue that publication bias distorts scientific knowledge, with positive results far more likely to be published than null results. This pattern does not arise by chance. Journals prefer exciting findings, funding bodies reward visible output, and careers depend on frequent publication.
[Lines 1–2]: "Some researchers argue that publication bias distorts scientific knowledge, with positive results far more likely to be published than null results."
[Lines 3–3]: "This pattern does not arise by chance."
[Lines 4–6]: "Journals prefer exciting findings, funding bodies reward visible output, and careers depend on frequent publication."
[Lines 7–9 — hypothetical]: "Despite these pressures, many scientists maintain rigorous standards of transparency and pre-registration."
✅ Correct! Explanation:
The specific claim is that economic pressure influences publication. Lines 4–6 directly name "funding bodies reward visible output" and "careers depend on frequent publication" — both are economic/career incentives. Lines 1–2 describe the bias itself (not its economic cause). Line 3 is too vague. Lines 7–9 actually contradict the claim by noting exceptions. Always match the evidence to the specific claim, not just the general topic.
07Grammar★★☆ Medium
Choose the grammatically CORRECT version of the sentence.
The team of researchers, as well as the independent consultant hired last month, __________ submitted a final report to the board.
✅ Correct! Explanation:
Cross out the intervening phrase: "as well as the independent consultant hired last month" is a parenthetical — not part of the grammatical subject. The true subject is "The team" (singular collective noun) → requires has. Note: "as well as," "along with," "in addition to," and "together with" do NOT create compound subjects. Only "and" creates a compound (plural) subject. "Have each" is grammatically awkward; "had each" changes the tense unnecessarily.
08Grammar★★★ Hard
Which revision CORRECTLY fixes the error in the sentence?
Having trained for years in classical technique, the performance was considered flawless by the judges.
✅ Correct! Explanation:
The introductory phrase "Having trained for years" describes the dancer — the person who trained. The subject of the main clause must be the dancer. In C, "the dancer" immediately follows the comma — correct! In A, "the judges" trained? — wrong. In B & D, "the performance" trained? — impossible. The subject after a participial phrase must logically be the one performing the action in that phrase.
09Test Prep★★★ Hard
The author wants to add the following sentence. Should it be added, and why?
Sentence to add: "Studies have also shown that screen time before bed disrupts melatonin production."
Paragraph context: "Urban residents face unique challenges in achieving quality sleep. Noise pollution from traffic, artificial light from streetlamps, and irregular work schedules all interfere with the body's natural circadian rhythms. Addressing these environmental factors requires coordinated policy action at the city level."
✅ Correct! Explanation:
The paragraph is specifically about urban environmental factors (noise, light, work schedules) — external conditions in cities. Screen time is an individual behavior, not an urban environmental factor. Even though it's scientifically true and related to sleep, the reason in D is both accurate AND relevant to why it doesn't fit. In SAT writing questions, the reason must be right — A's reason ("relevant scientific detail") is factually true but ignores the misfit with the paragraph's specific focus.
10Test Prep★★★ Hard
This question tests IB-style literary analysis. Identify the device and its EFFECT in the passage below.
"We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender."
Which option BEST identifies the device AND explains its effect on the reader?
✅ Correct! Explanation:
This is Churchill's famous use of anaphora — the deliberate repetition of "we shall" at the start of successive clauses. The effect is precisely identified in B: the repetition creates a cumulative rhythm that builds momentum and reinforces the idea of a united, unbreakable collective will. There is no metaphor (no comparison), the alliteration of "f" is a minor incidental feature not the dominant device, and nothing is exaggerated beyond reality. For IB analysis: always name the device precisely, quote it, then explain the reader's emotional/thematic response.