SAT Reading section historical timeline & themes

Historical timeline for SAT Reading section historical passages

• historical literacy can help students understand passage context and author purpose in historical passages
• students are NOT required to know the particular history, as questions are "evidence-based"
  • but it helps to know the time period and/or historical times, people and perspectives

click EXPAND for an example from an SAT practice test of how historical knowledge can answer questions

• • College Board practice test 10, 4hth passage, question 39:
    • the passages are from 1898 & 1900 regarding the Spanish-American War, in which the U.S. fully engaged in imperialism and colonialism
    • possible answers to question 39 are:

A) founding and history of the United States.
B) vibrancy and diversity of American culture.
C) worldwide history of struggles for independence.
D) idealism that permeates many aspects of American society

• simply by knowing the perspective of 1898/1900, we can eliminate:
• x B) "diversity" = a modern not a c. 1900 political value or expression
• x C) "worldwide history" = a modern not a c. 1900 political value or expression (which would be concerned about American and not "worldwide" history)
• x D) "idealism that permeates" = a modern and not a c. 1900 perspective
  • thus without looking at the text, we can eliminate down to the correct answer, A)