SAT Reading and Writing · Topic 1.2
Inferences Practice
Part of Information and Ideas.
Practice questions
150
Sample questions
5 of 150 — sign in to practice the rest with adaptive difficulty and mastery tracking.
Sample 1difficulty 2/5
The following is from a short story. Mara had walked the same route to the bakery every morning for eleven years. She knew which paving stones rocked under her step, which shop awnings dripped after rain, which neighbors she would greet by name. Today, however, she paused at the corner of Vine Street, looking left toward the train station rather than right toward the warm smell of bread.
Which choice most logically completes the text? The passage suggests that Mara is most likely _______
- A
lost and unsure of her location
- B
running an errand for one of her neighbors
- C
delivering bread to passengers at the train station
- Dcheck_circle
considering a departure from her familiar daily routine
Why
The detailed contrast between her eleven-year routine and her sudden glance toward the station suggests she is contemplating leaving her routine. B contradicts her familiarity; C and D are unsupported.
- A
Sample 2difficulty 2/5
Penguins of several species form long-term pair bonds, often returning to the same partner across multiple breeding seasons. Pairs share incubation duties, with one parent fasting on the nest while the other forages at sea, sometimes for weeks at a time. The fasting partner can lose up to a third of its body weight before the other returns with food.
Based on the passage, which inference is most strongly supported about penguin breeding?
- Acheck_circle
Penguin breeding requires substantial physical investment from both partners
- B
Penguins form pair bonds only for a single breeding season
- C
Penguins do not forage during the breeding season
- D
One penguin parent does all the work of raising offspring
Why
Shared incubation, weeks of fasting, and major weight loss supports A. B, C, D contradict the passage.
- A
Sample 3difficulty 2/5
The Mexican muralist Diego Rivera believed that art should serve as a public good, accessible to working people rather than confined to private galleries. He painted enormous frescoes on the walls of schools, government buildings, and union halls, depicting scenes of labor, indigenous heritage, and political struggle. Wealthy collectors sometimes complained that his most ambitious works could not be purchased and removed.
Based on the passage, which inference is most strongly supported?
- A
Rivera's murals depicted only scenes from Mexican mythology
- B
Rivera was financially supported primarily by wealthy collectors
- C
Rivera preferred painting on canvas over walls
- Dcheck_circle
Rivera's choice of medium and location reflected his views about who art should serve
Why
His belief in public art aligns with painting fixed murals in public spaces, supporting A. B and C contradict the passage; D contradicts the listed subjects.
- A
Sample 4difficulty 2/5
A survey of remote workers found that those who maintained a dedicated workspace at home reported higher productivity and lower stress than those who worked from kitchens, bedrooms, or living rooms. Respondents with dedicated spaces also reported clearer separation between work hours and personal time, and were more likely to take regular breaks during the day.
Based on the passage, which inference is most strongly supported?
- Acheck_circle
The physical organization of a home workspace appears related to several aspects of workers' experience
- B
Productivity is determined entirely by workspace layout
- C
Remote work is universally less productive than office work
- D
Workers in shared spaces always experience more stress than those in dedicated spaces
Why
Multiple correlated outcomes (productivity, stress, work-life separation, breaks) support B. A is unsupported; C overgeneralizes "always"; D overstates "entirely."
- A
Sample 5difficulty 2/5
Octopuses possess approximately 500 million neurons, two-thirds of which are distributed throughout their arms rather than concentrated in a central brain. Each arm can taste, smell, and respond to stimuli independently, even after being severed from the body. Researchers studying octopus behavior have observed that one arm can solve a puzzle while the others appear engaged in unrelated activities.
Which choice most logically completes the text? Based on the passage, octopus cognition most likely _______
- A
produces simpler behaviors than those observed in fish of comparable size
- B
is fundamentally similar to that of vertebrate animals with centralized brains
- Ccheck_circle
involves a distributed form of intelligence that differs from typical centralized models
- D
depends entirely on the central brain to coordinate every arm movement
Why
Two-thirds of neurons in arms plus arms acting independently points to distributed intelligence. A contradicts the contrast implied; C contradicts the independent-arm evidence; D is unsupported by the passage.
- A