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SAT Reading: Why Does Thoreau Use the Phrase "Mechanical Aids" in this Passage?
57 Views

Thoreau was all about simplicity; anything that took away from his vision was the enemy. Mechanical aids were one of them. Guess he had to train a...

SAT Reading: Suggesting a Reason for Thoreau's Word Choice
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Thoreau wants our lives to be simplified. He claims that we gain less from life when we over-complicate things.

How Does Thoreau Feel about Commerce?
41 Views

How does Thoreau feel about commerce? He writes, "We don't ride upon the railroad; it rides upon us." He wants and end to the war fighting for the...

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SAT Reading 3.7 Sentence Completion 169 Views


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Description:

SAT Reading Sentence Completion Drill 3, Problem 7

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:03

Here's your Shmoop du jour... Which words could fill in the blanks so that

00:06

the sentence below makes sense?

00:08

According to his autobiography, noted polymath Benjamin Franklin sees education as an active

00:13

and ongoing blank rather than a(n) blank and limited training ground.

00:18

And here are the potential answers...

00:25

In this sentence, the phrase "rather than" tells us that we'll need to look for opposing

00:30

ideas. Opposite ones. Ones on the other side.

00:33

In the red corner, wearing green trunks with gold trim, we have something that's "active

00:37

and ongoing."

00:39

In the blue corner, wearing black trunks with white trim, we have some kind of limited training

00:43

ground.

00:45

Since it's easier to find an antonym for "active" than for "training ground," let's start with

00:51

the second blank.

00:53

"Expanded" is not the opposite of passive.

00:59

Neither is "liberal."

01:01

Or "free."

01:03

Or "unbounded."

01:05

Looks like we're putting our money on (B). "Passive" is the only word that means nonactive...

01:11

...and "vocation" refers to active employment, not training.

01:17

(B) wins in a 12th-round knockout.

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