Question 1

What is the primary strategy for answering a Vocabulary in Context question on the SAT?

Accepted Answer

Substitute your own word for the underlined word based on context, then choose the answer choice that most closely matches your substitution.

Question 2

Why is it dangerous to choose the most familiar definition of an underlined word in a Vocabulary in Context question?

Accepted Answer

SAT questions often use common words in less familiar or secondary meanings; the most familiar definition is frequently a trap answer.

Question 3

After substituting each answer choice back into the passage, what criterion should you use to select the correct answer?

Accepted Answer

Choose the answer that preserves the original meaning of the sentence without changing the author's intended tone or logic.

Question 4

What does it mean when a Vocabulary in Context question asks for the word that 'most nearly means' the underlined word?

Accepted Answer

It asks for the closest synonym in the specific context of the passage, not necessarily the word's general dictionary synonym.

Question 5

In the sentence 'The scientist's seminal work transformed the field of genetics,' what does 'seminal' most nearly mean?

Accepted Answer

'Seminal' means highly influential and providing the basis for future development, not relating to seeds in a biological sense.

SAT Vocabulary in Context

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