Problem
Each member of a research group visited either the Virgin Islands or Hawaii...
|
So What?
Math questions involving two equations and two unknowns can usually be combined into one equation with one unknown.
Petersons.com
|
Add SAT* Tip of the Day to your personalized My Yahoo! page:
About My Yahoo! and RSS »
|
|
|
SAT: Paragraph Improvement Question #1 |
|
(1) For centuries, musicians have played "acoustical" guitars, or ones that produce sounds through the vibrations of their strings. (2) They are made of light wood, have curved sides and a flat or arched top and back. (3) Guitar strings are made of bronze, nylon, or steel. (4) Most guitars have 6 strings, but some have 4 or 12. (5) The strings are fastened to the bridge, a small piece of wood on top of the instrument, extend along the finger board and are tied to tuning keys at the head. (6) Narrow metal strips called "frets" are located on the finger board below the strings. (7) To play the guitar, a musician must press the strings against the frets with the fingers of one hand. (8) They strum or pluck the strings with the other hand or with a plectrum, also known as a "pick".
(9) In the 1930's, guitar companies begin to commercially produce the electric guitar. (10) An electric guitar is essentially that same as an acoustical. (11) Except it also has an electromagnetic device that picks up the vibrations of the strings and translates them into electrical impulses. (12) An amplifier is used to modify the impulses, and loudspeakers change impulses back into sound. (13) An electric guitar produces a greater range of sounds than an acoustical guitar, although some people find the acoustical to be far more pleasant to listen to.
Question:
Given the context, which of the following is the best version of sentence 1?
For centuries, musicians have played "acoustical" guitars, or ones that produce sounds through the vibrations of their strings.
Choices:
Sentence 1 contains the definition of an acoustical guitar, but the way sentence 1 is structured leaves the reader guessing. Is the acoustic guitar an instrument that produces sound through the vibrations of strings, or do musician play two types of guitar: acoustical OR one that produces sounds through string vibration? Since this is unclear, choice (A) is incorrect. Choice (C) is not the best choice, because the word "since" implies musicians have been playing these guitars because they produce sound through string vibration, which is not at all the same as defining the word "acoustical." Choice (D) is problematic because it is in the passive voice, and choice (E) is incorrect because it contains the same ambiguity as choice (A). Choice (B) is the best answer. The colon signifies a definition is following and we are able to clearly understand the author's message.
|
|
|
