Mastering the “Recycled Language” Elimination Strategy for the Digital SAT Reading & Writing Section
In our first post on mastering the Digital SAT Reading & Writing section, we introduced three key strategies under the First Principles of Elimination: Irrelevant, Contradictory, and Extreme. These principles help you efficiently identify and eliminate incorrect answer choices. Now, in Part 2, we introduce another essential elimination strategy: Recycled Language.
Understanding Recycled Language in the Digital SAT
Recycled Language refers to answer choices that reuse key terms directly from the passage but misrepresent their meaning. These choices can be tricky because they sound correct at first glance. However, upon closer inspection, they often mischaracterize or incorrectly describe the key terms, making them unreliable. Identifying and eliminating these choices is crucial for achieving success on the SAT Reading & Writing section.
Recycled Language is particularly deceptive because it plays on a common test-taking strategy: looking for familiar words or phrases from the passage in the answer choices. While this strategy can sometimes lead you to the correct answer, in the case of Recycled Language, it can lead you astray. The SAT test creators are well aware of this tactic and design Recycled Language answers to trap students who rely too heavily on this method.
Applying Recycled Language: A Sample SAT Question
Let’s examine how Recycled Language works in the context of a sample SAT question:
Passage:
The field of study called affective neuroscience seeks instinctive, physiological causes for feelings such as pleasure or displeasure. Because these sensations are linked to a chemical component (for example, the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain when one receives or expects a reward), they can be said to have a partly physiological basis. These processes have been described in mammals, but Jingnan Huang and his colleagues have recently observed that some behaviors of honeybees (such as foraging) are also motivated by a dopamine-based signaling process.
Question:
What choice best describes the main purpose of the text?
Answer Choices:
A. It describes an experimental method of measuring the strength of physiological responses in humans.
B. It illustrates processes by which certain insects can express how they are feeling.
C. It summarizes a finding suggesting that some mechanisms in the brains of certain insects resemble mechanisms in mammalian brains.
D. It presents research showing that certain insects and mammals behave similarly when there is a possibility of a reward for their actions.
Explanation of Each Answer Choice
Choice A – There is no experimental method discussed in the text. Therefore, this choice is Irrelevant. We will explore more about Irrelevant choices in a future post. For now, Choice A is incorrect.
Choice B – The terms “feeling” and “insects” are examples of Recycled Language. While these words are present in the passage, the text does not discuss the process by which insects express their feelings. This choice incorrectly uses key terms from the passage, making Choice B incorrect.
Choice C – This choice is correct. The passage primarily makes two points: that feelings and sensations have a chemical origin, and that these chemical processes are found not only in mammals but also in insects. Choice C accurately reflects the passage.
Choice D – This choice also contains Recycled Language. It uses terms like “reward” and “behave,” both of which are key terms from the passage. However, the passage does not discuss any similarity in the behavior of insects and mammals or how they behave when expecting a reward. As a result, Choice D is incorrect.
Conclusion: Master Recycled Language to Boost Your SAT Score
The Recycled Language strategy is an essential tool for students tackling the SAT Reading & Writing section. By learning to identify and eliminate these tricky answer choices, you can significantly improve your chances of selecting the correct answers. At MentoMind, we’re dedicated to helping you excel in this challenging section with strategies grounded in first principles. Start mastering the Recycled Language strategy today, and watch your SAT score rise!
Ready to boost your SAT score? Explore MentoMind, where you can access thousands of practice questions, full-length digital SAT tests, and get personalized study tips and tricks from our AI chatbot. Start your SAT prep with us today!
Related Resources:
- If you missed Part 1 of our series on Elimination Strategies, check it out here.
- Read our upcoming posts on other elimination strategies like “Half right” and “Could be true.”
