Question 67·Easy·Inferences
Historian Maya Lopez is revising her upcoming biography of inventor Carlos Reyes. In a recent interview, Lopez explained that she removed a chapter cataloging every minor patent Reyes filed because early test readers said it slowed the narrative. Lopez added that she has instead devoted more space to Reyes’s numerous failed experiments, which she thinks best reveal his persistence.
This information most strongly suggests that Lopez now believes ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For SAT inference questions like this, first restate in your own words what actually happens in the passage—what decisions are made and why. Then ask, “What belief or conclusion would someone have to hold to make those choices?” Eliminate any answer that contradicts a clear detail (like removing something but calling it essential) or that introduces a new idea not supported by the text (such as assuming what readers like without evidence). Choose the option that best matches what is most strongly suggested by the author’s actions and explanations, not what merely sounds reasonable in general.
Hints
Look at what Lopez removed and why
Focus on the sentence about the chapter she removed. What exactly did that chapter contain, and what complaint did test readers have about it?
Notice what she added more of
Now look at the second change: which part of Reyes’s life does Lopez say she has given more space to, and what reason does she give for that choice?
Think about reader experience
Ask yourself: based on these two changes, what does Lopez now seem to believe will make the biography read more smoothly and hold readers’ interest?
Step-by-step Explanation
Identify the key actions Lopez took
First, note what Lopez changed in the biography:
- She removed a chapter that "catalog[ed] every minor patent Reyes filed" because test readers said it slowed the narrative.
- She added more space to Reyes’s "numerous failed experiments" because she thinks they "best reveal his persistence."
Infer why she removed the patent chapter
If test readers said the patent catalog slowed the narrative, that means it made the book less enjoyable or less engaging to read. By removing that chapter, Lopez is responding to that problem, so she no longer sees that detailed list as helpful for the story’s pacing or appeal.
Infer why she expanded the failed-experiments sections
Lopez says she has devoted more space to the failed experiments and believes they "best reveal his persistence." That suggests she thinks these parts do a better job of showing an important character trait and will likely improve the story for readers compared to the dry list of patents.
Match the inference to the answer choice
Putting those ideas together, Lopez’s changes show that she believes emphasizing Reyes’s failed experiments makes the biography better to read than including a slow, exhaustive list of patents. The choice that matches this inference is: “focusing on Reyes’s failed experiments makes the biography more engaging for readers.”