SparkNotes: SAT Power Tactics

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Set 6: Paragraph Improvement

(1) Western Europe was beginning to look like a cultural wasteland when Charlemagne became king of the Franks in 768. (2) Education and the arts, which flourished under the rule of the Roman Empire, had been largely banished to monasteries. (3) Charlemagne recognized the importance of these cultural riches and took steps to restore them to their places as cornerstones of society.

(4) Charlemagne's family upbringing is probably what led him to place so much value on art and education. (5) Although schools had almost disappeared in the eighth century, historians believe that Charlemagne’s mother, Bertrade, taught the young prince to read. (6) His devotion to the church, which became the great driving force of his remarkable life, would also have inclined Charlemagne to emphasize education. (7) Monasteries depended on young men who could read and write to copy religious texts.

(8) Perhaps the most remarkable cultural achievement of Charlemagne’s reign was the standardization of Carolingian Minuscule. (9) A style of handwriting that resembled the lowercase letters used for written English and many other languages today. (10) In previous centuries, styles of handwriting had become so diverse that scribes would often make mistakes while copying books by hand. (11) As a consequence, the meaning of important texts would often be distorted or obscured. (12) Charlemagne may have appreciated arts and education, but he did not turn his nose up at life’s simple pleasures. (13) He took particular satisfaction from athletic pursuits such as hunting, riding, and swimming. (14) Such activities may have been more than pastimes, however. (15) As the commander of a powerful army, the king would often lead his troops into battle, it was important that he keep himself in prime physical condition.

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1.	In context, what is the most logical word to insert at the beginning of sentence 3?

	(A)	Moreover,
	(B)	Unnecessarily,
	(C)	Undoubtedly,
	(D)	Unfortunately,
	(E)	However,

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2.	The desired effect of the second paragraph is to

	(A)	summarize two contrasting opinions
	(B)	offer possible explanations for the events described elsewhere in the passage
	(C)	emphasize the importance of the thesis
	(D)	incite an emotional reaction from the reader
	(E)	argue the points made in the first paragraph from a different perspective

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3.	In context, what is the most effective way to deal with sentence 9?

	(A)	Join it to sentence 8 with a comma.
	(B)	Insert “Which was” before “a style”.
	(C)	Place it after sentence 10.
	(D)	Move “that resembled” to the beginning of the sentence.
	(E)	Leave it as it is now.

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4.	Which of the following subjects would be most appropriate for a sentence to insert at the end of the third paragraph?

	(A)	The importance of books in education
	(B)	The relationship between physical exercise and intelligence
	(C)	Charlemagne’s devotion to Christianity
	(D)	Charlemagne’s tastes in literature
	(E)	Charlemagne’s military prowess

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5.	What change should be made to correct sentence 15?

	(A)	Change “as” to ”he was”.
	(B)	Change the first comma to a semicolon.
	(C)	Change the second comma to a semicolon
	(D)	Change ”condition” to ”shape”.
	(E)	Place it before sentence 14.

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