College Board Blue Book | Test 7 | Module 2 Hard | Domain 2 | Vocabulary In Context
Mastering Digital SAT Reading Function Questions
Finding Digital SAT "function" questions tricky, especially in the harder modules? You're not alone. These questions ask you to think like an author and figure out *why* a specific sentence or phrase was included. They're less about what is said and more about the role it plays.
This expert guide breaks down two challenging examples from the official Bluebook App's Test 7, Module 2 (the Hard Module!). Mastering this skill is a crucial part of any effective sat test preparation plan. Let's get started.
Decoding Function Questions: Test 7, Hard Module 2
We'll dive into two specific examples to reveal the underlying logic of these questions. Notice how the first one even uses a poem—a format that can sometimes feel intimidating, but the same logical rules apply.
Question 5: Analyzing a Poem's Trigger
The following text is from H.D.’s 1916 poem “Mid-Day.”
A slight wind shakes the seed-pods—
my thoughts are spent
as the black seeds.
My thoughts tear me,
I dread their fever.
I am scattered in its whirl.
I am scattered like
the hot shrivelled seeds.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion?
(A) It illustrates a change in the natural environment that the speaker implies is responsible for the growing misgivings...
(B) It establishes an example of consistency in the natural landscape that the speaker then contrasts with the unpredictability...
(C) It presents an observation of an occurrence in the natural world that the speaker then expands on to convey a sense of a turbulent interior state.
(D) It evokes the ordinariness of an event in nature to suggest that the critical self-evaluation...is a common pursuit.
The Breakdown: The first line is a simple, factual observation of nature. Immediately after, the poem's tone shifts dramatically to describe intense personal feelings ("thoughts tear me," "dread," "scattered"). The underlined line, therefore, acts as a trigger—an external event that sparks or mirrors the speaker's internal emotional state.
Why (C) is Correct: This choice perfectly captures the relationship. "Observation of an occurrence in the natural world" describes the first line. "Expands on to convey a sense of a turbulent interior state" accurately describes the rest of the poem. It's the only option that correctly identifies both parts and their connection.
Key Strategy: Identify the Connection
For function questions, ask yourself: what is the relationship between the underlined part and the rest of the text? Is it a cause? An effect? An example? A contrast? Here, the connection is from an external observation to an internal feeling.
Question 6: Identifying Supporting Evidence
...some researchers claim that a close examination of the joins—the places where the panels are stitched together—suggests that the workers developed and refined their joining process over the course of production. For example, the first join the workers completed exhibits a clear misalignment...whereas the later joins are virtually invisible.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence?
(A) It identifies the people and events depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry.
(B) It supports an argument about the workers who produced the Bayeux Tapestry.
(C) It compares the Bayeux Tapestry with other tapestries...
(D) It describes how researchers determined where the Bayeux Tapestry was produced.
The Breakdown: The text first presents a claim made by researchers: the workers improved their skills over time. The underlined sentence begins with "For example," a huge clue that its function is to provide evidence for the preceding claim. By contrasting the messy first join with the clean later ones, it directly demonstrates the workers' improvement.
Why (B) is Correct: The underlined sentence provides the specific evidence (the messy vs. clean joins) that *supports the argument* about the workers developing their skills. It's a classic example of a claim followed by direct evidence.
Key Strategy: Look for Signal Words
Signal words like "For example," "However," "Therefore," and "In contrast" are powerful clues to a sentence's function. Spotting these words can often lead you directly to the correct answer. This is a core part of mastering the digital sat reading section.
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