Understanding SAT Texts: Effective Approaches to Punctuate in Questions

Set 1

1. The ancient Egyptians built the pyramids as tombs for their pharaohs _____ these massive structures have endured for thousands of years.

• A) pharaohs,
• B) pharaohs;
• C) pharaohs and
• D) pharaohs

2. Despite its name, the koala bear is not actually a bear _____ it is a marsupial, related to kangaroos and wombats.

• A) bear,
• B) bear;
• C) bear:
• D) bear

3. The Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef system _____ stretches for over 2,300 kilometers off the coast of Australia.

• A) system,
• B) system
• C) system;
• D) system:

4. Marie Curie, a pioneer in the field of radioactivity _____ was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first person to win two Nobel Prizes in different fields.

• A) radioactivity,
• B) radioactivity
• C) radioactivity;
• D) radioactivity—

The Sahara Desert, which covers much of North Africa _____ is the world’s largest hot desert.

• A) Africa
• B) Africa,
• C) Africa;
• D) Africa:

The Amazon rainforest, often called the “lungs of the Earth” _____ produces about 20% of the world’s oxygen.

• A) Earth,”
• B) Earth”,
• C) Earth,”—
• D) Earth”—

Vincent van Gogh, the famous Dutch post-impressionist painter _____ created over 2,100 artworks during his lifetime.

• A) painter,
• B) painter
• C) painter;
• D) painter:

The Great Wall of China, built over many centuries _____ stretches for approximately 21,196 kilometers across northern China.

• A) centuries,
• B) centuries
• C) centuries;
• D) centuries:

The human brain, despite weighing only about 3 pounds _____ consumes roughly 20% of the body’s total energy.

• A) pounds,
• B) pounds
• C) pounds;
• D) pounds:

Mount Everest, the highest peak on Earth _____ stands at 29,029 feet above sea level.

• A) Earth,
• B) Earth
• C) Earth;
• D) Earth:

Set 2

Although the platypus appears to be a blend of several animals _____ it is a unique species that has existed for millions of years.

• A) animals,
• B) animals;
• C) animals:
• D) animals

The Mona Lisa, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in the early 16th century _____ is one of the most recognized and visited artworks in the world.

• A) century,
• B) century—
• C) century;
• D) century:

Despite being called the “Eternal City” _____ Rome was, according to legend, founded on a specific date: April 21, 753 BCE.

• A) City,”
• B) City,”—
• C) City”,
• D) City”—

The Nobel Prize in Literature, awarded annually since 1901 _____ has been given to authors from over 40 different countries.

• A) 1901,
• B) 1901;
• C) 1901:
• D) 1901

Galileo Galilei, often called the “father of modern science” _____ made significant contributions to astronomy, physics, and mathematics.

• A) science,”
• B) science”,
• C) science,”—
• D) science”—

The Dead Sea, located between Israel and Jordan _____ is nearly ten times saltier than the ocean.

• A) Jordan,
• B) Jordan
• C) Jordan;
• D) Jordan:

Although honey bees are known for their role in pollination _____ they also produce beeswax, which has numerous applications in industry and medicine.

• A) pollination,
• B) pollination;
• C) pollination:
• D) pollination

The aurora borealis, also known as the Northern Lights _____ is a natural light display caused by charged particles from the sun colliding with gases in Earth’s atmosphere.

• A) Lights,
• B) Lights
• C) Lights;
• D) Lights:

Despite its name, the pencil lead used in modern pencils _____ actually contains no lead at all but is made primarily of graphite.

• A) pencils,
• B) pencils
• C) pencils;
• D) pencils:

The Great Barrier Reef, home to thousands of species of marine life _____ is visible from space and is often called one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

• A) life,
• B) life
• C) life;
• D) life:

Set 3

The Rosetta Stone, discovered by French soldiers in Egypt in 1799 _____ provided the key to deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, a feat accomplished by Jean-François Champollion in 1822.

• A) 1799,
• B) 1799;
• C) 1799:
• D) 1799

Although quantum mechanics is notoriously difficult to understand _____ its principles underlie many modern technologies, including semiconductors and lasers.

• A) understand,
• B) understand;
• C) understand:
• D) understand

The Voynich manuscript, an illustrated codex hand-written in an unknown writing system _____ has baffled cryptographers and linguists since its discovery in the early 20th century.

• A) system,
• B) system
• C) system;
• D) system:

Despite being one of the most famous monuments in the world _____ the Sphinx of Giza remains shrouded in mystery, with debates ongoing about its age, purpose, and original appearance.

• A) world,
• B) world
• C) world;
• D) world:

The human genome, consisting of approximately 3 billion base pairs _____ was first fully sequenced in 2003 after a 13-year international effort known as the Human Genome Project.

• A) pairs,
• B) pairs
• C) pairs;
• D) pairs:

Although Shakespeare is widely regarded as the greatest playwright in the English language _____ some scholars argue that the works attributed to him were actually written by someone else, a theory known as the “Shakespeare authorship question.”

• A) language,
• B) language;
• C) language:
• D) language

The Antikythera mechanism, an ancient Greek analog computer _____ is considered the world’s first known mechanical computer and has been dated to between 150 and 100 BCE.

• A) computer,
• B) computer
• C) computer;
• D) computer:

Despite its reputation as a “primitive” time _____ the Medieval period saw numerous technological advancements, including the invention of the mechanical clock, eyeglasses, and the printing press.

• A) time,
• B) time
• C) time;
• D) time:

The Mpemba effect, a counterintuitive phenomenon where, under certain conditions, hot water can freeze faster than cold water _____ has puzzled scientists since its discovery and still lacks a conclusive explanation.

• A) water,
• B) water
• C) water;
• D) water:

Although the theory of continental drift was proposed by Alfred Wegener in 1912 _____ it wasn’t until the 1960s that the theory gained widespread acceptance with the development of plate tectonics.

• A) 1912,
• B) 1912;
• C) 1912:
• D) 1912

Set A 1

The discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012 confirmed a key prediction of the Standard Model of particle physics ______ some scientists argue that this discovery actually highlights gaps in our understanding of the universe.

• A) physics,
• B) physics;
• C) physics, but
• D) physics but

Archaeologists studying the ancient Mayan city of Tikal have uncovered evidence of complex water management systems ______ these systems allowed the city to sustain a population of up to 100,000 in a region prone to severe droughts.

• A) systems:
• B) systems;
• C) systems,
• D) systems

The paintings of Frida Kahlo often incorporate elements of Mexican folk art and explore themes of identity, postcolonialism, gender, class ______ her work has become increasingly recognized for its cultural significance and feminist themes.

• A) class, and
• B) class;
• C) class, whereas
• D) class and

Despite its reputation as a simple parlor trick, the art of origami has applications in fields as diverse as mathematics, engineering, and space exploration ______ in 1995, Japanese astrophysicist Koryo Miura used origami principles to design a solar array that could be compactly folded for space missions.

• A) exploration,
• B) exploration;
• C) exploration:
• D) exploration—

The human microbiome, consisting of trillions of microorganisms living in and on the human body ______ plays a crucial role in digestion, immune function, and even mental health.

• A) body,
• B) body;
• C) body:
• D) body

Although Charles Darwin is often credited with developing the theory of evolution ______ Alfred Russel Wallace independently conceived the idea of natural selection and co-published with Darwin in 1858.

• A) evolution,
• B) evolution;
• C) evolution:
• D) evolution

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the interconnected network of physical devices embedded with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity ______ enables these objects to collect and exchange data.

• A) connectivity, which
• B) connectivity that
• C) connectivity; which
• D) connectivity which

The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered between 1947 and 1956 ______ include the oldest known manuscripts of books later included in the Hebrew Bible and have provided invaluable insights into the development of Judaism and Christianity.

• A) 1956,
• B) 1956:
• C) 1956;
• D) 1956

Quantum entanglement, a phenomenon in which particles become interconnected and share their quantum states regardless of distance ______ Einstein famously referred to as “spooky action at a distance,” has been demonstrated over distances of more than 1,200 kilometers.

• A) distance,
• B) distance—which
• C) distance, which
• D) distance which

The use of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology has revolutionized genetic research and holds promise for treating genetic disorders ______ raises ethical concerns about the potential for creating “designer babies” and altering the human genome in ways that could have unforeseen consequences.

• A) disorders, but
• B) disorders but
• C) disorders; however, it
• D) disorders; however it