Mr. Osama Ahmad February 17, 2025 12 min read

Digital SAT Blue Book | Test 7 | Module 2 Hard Logical Conclusions | 12-14

SAT Reading: Mastering Logical Conclusion Questions - Blue Book Test 7

Mastering SAT Reading: Logical Conclusion Questions (Blue Book Test 7, Module 2 Hard)

Welcome back, beautiful people! It's your TT Pro, Mr. O, back with another episode. Today, we're going to be focusing on Test 7 of the College Board Blue Book app. We're going to be working on Module 2, the Hard Module. Today's focus will be on Domain 1 questions: Logical Conclusions. So that's what we'll be focusing on today and strategies for logical conclusions.

Shall we begin?

Question 12: Uto-Aztecan Languages and Maize

The Uto-Aztecan language family is divided into a northern branch, which includes the Shoshone language of present-day Idaho and Utah, and a southern one, whose best-known representative is Nahuatl, the language of the Aztec Empire in Mexico. Lexical similarities across the family, including of botanical terms, confirm descent from a single language spoken millennia ago, and the family's geographical distribution suggests an origin in what is now the US Southwest. However, vocabulary pertaining to maize isn't shared between northern and southern branches, despite the crop's universal cultivation among Uto-Aztecan tribes. Given archaeological evidence that maize originated in Mexico and diffused northward into what became the US Southwest, some linguists reason that _______.

Which choice most logically completes the text?

  1. northern Uto-Aztecan tribes likely obtained the crop directly from a southern Uto-Aztecan tribe rather than from a non-Uto-Aztecan tribe.
  2. variation in maize-related vocabulary within each branch of the Uto-Aztecan family likely reflects regionally specific methods for cultivating the crop.
  3. southern Uto-Aztecan tribes likely acquired maize at roughly the same time as northern Uto-Aztecan tribes did, though from different sources.
  4. the family's division into northern and southern branches likely preceded the acquisition of the crop by the Uto-Aztecan tribes.

Strategy: Breaking Down the Text

The key to logical conclusion questions is to carefully synthesize the information provided. Don't jump to conclusions; let the text guide you. Here's a breakdown:

  1. Initial Information (Premise):
    • Uto-Aztecan language family has two branches: Northern (S) and Southern (N).
    • These branches share vocabulary (lexical similarities), indicating a common ancestor language (1).
    • The origin point is the US Southwest.
    1 (Original Language - US Southwest)
    ↓
    S (Northern Branch) + N (Southern Branch) = MIXED Vocabulary
  2. The Shift (The "However"):
    • The word "However" is a HUGE signal. It indicates a contrast or exception to the established pattern.
    • The exception: Vocabulary for MAIZE is NOT shared between the two branches.
    • This is surprising because maize was widely cultivated by both groups.
    1 (Original Language - US Southwest)
    ↓
    S (Northern Branch) + N (Southern Branch) = MIXED Vocabulary - NO MAIZE words
  3. Additional Information (The Clue):
    • Maize originated in Mexico and spread northward.
    Mexico (Maize Origin) → US Southwest
    ↑
    1 (Original Language - US Southwest)
    ↓
    S (Northern Branch) + N (Southern Branch) = MIXED Vocabulary - NO MAIZE words

Explanation and Forming the Logical Conclusion

We need to create a conclusion that is directly supported by the text.

We can easily conclude that maize came after the break. So it was one language, and then it broke, and then maize came. So both languages created new words for maize, because if maize were around when there was one language, they would both have words for maize. But they don't.

Visualizing the Conclusion:

Mexico (Maize Origin) → US Southwest
↑
1 (Original Language - US Southwest)
↓
S (Northern Branch) + N (Southern Branch) = MIXED Vocabulary
↓
AFTER the split: Maize arrives. S and N develop separate words for it.

Let's check our answer choices as well.

  • (A) This doesn't explain the lack of shared vocabulary. It focuses on the source of the crop, not the words for it. Incorrect.
  • (B) This suggests different farming methods led to different words. But the text emphasizes the lack of shared vocabulary despite shared cultivation. They could have different methods but still share a root word. Incorrect.
  • (C) This contradicts the text. Maize originated in one place (Mexico), not different sources. Incorrect.
  • (D) This is the perfect fit. The division (the split into branches) happened before they got maize. This explains why they don't share maize vocabulary, even though they share other words. Correct.

Key Takeaway:

Pay close attention to signal words like "however" and "despite." They indicate crucial shifts in the argument that are essential for drawing the correct conclusion.

Question 13: Interpreting "Instant Mural"

For its 1974 work Instant Mural, the Chicano art collective Asco taped members Patsi Valdez and Humberto Sandoval to an outdoor wall in East Los Angeles. The work is manifestly a commentary on constraint, but many critics focus on Valdez and the social constraints women faced at the time, which is understandable but leaves the presence of Valdez's male collaborator Sandoval unexplained. We should instead consider that in 1974, the art establishment's recognition of Chicano artists was (and had long been) restricted to sociohistorical muralists, leaving nonmuralist Chicano artists—like Asco's members—struggling to even exhibit their work. Attending to this context opens an interpretation that accounts for all the evidence, allowing us to conclude that _______.

Which choice most logically completes the text?

  1. while Valdez's presence in Instant Mural represents the social constraints placed on women at the time, Sandoval's presence represents Chicano muralists' frustration at their lack of recognition by the art establishment.
  2. the main subject of Instant Mural is female Chicano artists' experience of being doubly constrained by gender-role expectations and the marginalization of certain types of art.
  3. Instant Mural is a reflection on the constraining aesthetic expectations placed on Chicano artists in general rather than on the social constraints placed on women specifically.
  4. Instant Mural is best understood not as a critique of the social constraints placed on women but rather as a critique of sociohistorical muralists' depictions of Chicano culture.

Strategy: Identifying the Shift and the Problem

  1. Initial Interpretation:
    • Instant Mural is about constraint.
    • Critics focus on Valdez and women's constraints. This is understandable.
  2. The Problem:
    • This interpretation leaves Sandoval's presence unexplained. Why is he there?
  3. The Shift ("We should instead consider..."):
    • The text presents a new perspective. We need to consider the context of 1974.
    • The art establishment only recognized sociohistorical muralists.
    • Asco members (including Sandoval) were nonmuralists. They were excluded.
    Initial Focus: Valdez → Women's Constraints (Sandoval: ???)
    ↑
    SHIFT: Consider 1974 Context
    ↓
    Art Establishment → Recognizes ONLY Muralists → Excludes Nonmuralists (like Asco)

Explanation and Forming the Logical Conclusion

The text is guiding us to a conclusion that explains Sandoval's presence by considering the broader context of artistic constraints, not just gender constraints. Sandoval was there not for women's restrictions but for non-muralist restrictions, because Sandoval is an ASCO member, and ASCO members are non-muralists, and the text tells us that the art world doesn't recognize non-muralists.

Let's check our answer choices.

  • (A) This seems good at first, but it says Sandoval represents muralists' frustration. The text clearly states Asco members were nonmuralists. This is a subtle but crucial error. Incorrect. I'm rereading it here. And Sandival's presence represents Chicano muralists' frustration at the lack of recognition. Right? It's not Chicano muralists that have frustration. Oh, my God! I almost got this wrong. It's non-muralists. The muralist is someone who makes a big painting.
  • (B) This focuses only on female artists and doesn't explain Sandoval's role. It misses the broader context. Incorrect.
  • (C) This is the correct answer. It acknowledges the broader issue of "constraining aesthetic expectations" (muralist vs. nonmuralist) and says it's more important than just the women's issue. This explains both artists' presence. Correct. Yeah, we'll go with answer C here, because it's more of a general protest against what the art establishment wants, not a specific protest where it's only about women.
  • (D) This suggests the work critiques what the muralists were depicting. The text focuses on the exclusion of nonmuralists, not the content of muralist art. Incorrect.

Key Takeaway:

Be extremely careful with the wording of answer choices. A single word (like "muralists" instead of "nonmuralists") can make an answer incorrect. Always double-check! I almost got that wrong! Very tricky, College Board.

Question 14: The Case of the Yellow Coins

An analysis by Alain Elayi and colleagues of coins minted in Sidon in the fifth and fourth centuries BCE reveals a change in their composition over time: while a coin from circa 450 BCE contains about 98% silver and 1% copper, a coin from 367 BCE (the end of Ba'alšillem II's reign) contains 74.2% silver and 24.7% copper, giving it a relatively yellowish appearance that traders would have noticed. Because coins with a silver content below 80% were widely considered unsuitable for trade, Elayi et al. speculate that a crisis in confidence in the currency occurred in Sidon around 367 BCE, which was likely relieved—despite Sidon's persistent oppressive financial obligations—as a result of Ba'alšillem II's successor Abd'aštart I's decision to _______.

Which choice most logically completes the text?

A. proclaim that the percentage of silver in coins suitable for trade would be raised to a threshold higher than 80%.

B. keep the amount of silver in Sidonian coins consistent with that in coins minted in 367 BCE but decrease their weight.

C. begin minting heavier coins with a proportion of silver to copper similar to that in coins minted in 367 BCE.

D. fund the mining of some copper deposits that were not available to Ba'alšillem II.

Strategy: Following the Chain of Events

  1. The Problem:
    • Coins from 367 BCE have a lower silver content (74.2%) and are yellowish.
    • Coins below 80% silver were considered unsuitable for trade.
    • This caused a currency crisis in Sidon.
  2. The Situation:
    • The crisis was relieved (fixed).
    • But, Sidon had "oppressive financial obligations" (they were likely short on silver).
  3. The Question:
    • How did the successor (Abd'aštart I) fix the crisis despite the financial problems?
yellow → crisis → Fixed <financial obligations>

Explanation and Forming the Logical Conclusion

So, we got shady yellow coins, and these shady yellow coins caused the currency crisis because ain't nobody accepting coins below 80%, but Sidon has 74%. And so this crisis was fixed, but it was fixed although there was financial obligations. That's an important piece of information. Never overlook anything.

Let's check our answer choices.

  • (A) This would solve the problem, but it's impossible. Sidon has financial obligations; they can't increase the silver content. Incorrect.
  • (B) This is the correct answer. Here's the logic:
    If I have 100g silver coin, and we say 75g is silver, 25g is copper. The problem people have is too much copper makes the coins yellow, which makes it unacceptable for trade. What the answer is telling us is that we are going to decrease the weight. So let's say we go from 100g, let me make it an easier way to do this, 80g. Now we said we're going to keep the silver the same. So we're still going to keep the same amount of silver, 75g, but decrease the weight. So, where is the decrease coming from? It's coming from the copper. So, although it's below 74%, it no longer will have that yellowish appearance, which solves that currency crisis. Although, it's a shady move because it feels like he's cheating the market. But here, we'll go with answer B.
    100g [75g(S) + 25g(C)] = yellow/X
    ↓
    80g [75g(S) + 5g(C)] = Xyellow
  • (C) This keeps the same proportion of silver and copper. The coins would still be yellow and unacceptable. Incorrect.
  • (D) Finding more copper doesn't solve the problem of the coins being too yellow. Incorrect.

Key Takeaway:

Logical conclusion questions often involve a chain of cause and effect. Break down the situation into steps, and look for an answer that logically follows from all the given information. Don't overlook seemingly minor details (like "oppressive financial obligations").


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