Question 123·200 Super-Hard SAT Reading Questions·Craft and Structure
In her account of the 1906 earthquake, journalist Anna Strunsky wrote in a tone that is ____ the Progressive Era’s broader critique of municipal corruption: by juxtaposing shattered infrastructure with officials’ evasive statements, she implies dereliction rather than mere misfortune.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For “words in context” questions that ask for the best phrase to complete a sentence, first paraphrase the key idea using the strongest context clues (often found after commas or colons). Decide the logical relationship you need (agreement, contrast, cause, ignorance, etc.), then test each option by reading it in the full sentence. Eliminate choices whose core meaning (like “dependent on,” “unaware of,” or “in conflict with”) creates a logical mismatch with the sentence’s description, and choose the one whose meaning and tone best align with the relationship you identified.
Hints
Use the explanation after the colon
Read the part after the colon starting with “by juxtaposing shattered infrastructure…” to figure out whether Strunsky is criticizing officials or excusing them.
Ask how her tone relates to the Progressive Era critique
Once you know her attitude, decide whether it seems aligned with, unaware of, dependent on, or opposed to the Progressive Era’s broader critique of municipal corruption.
Eliminate illogical relationships
Cross out any choices that would say her tone ignores the critique, contradicts it, or depends on it in a way that doesn’t match the idea that she implies dereliction rather than misfortune.
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what Strunsky’s tone is
Focus on the explanation after the colon: “by juxtaposing shattered infrastructure with officials’ evasive statements, she implies dereliction rather than mere misfortune.” This means:
- She shows broken infrastructure next to evasive official statements.
- That contrast suggests the officials are at fault (dereliction), not just unlucky (misfortune). So her tone is critical of officials and highlights corruption or negligence.
Connect her tone to the Progressive Era’s critique
The blank describes how her tone relates to “the Progressive Era’s broader critique of municipal corruption.”
- The Progressive Era critique is negative toward corrupt city officials.
- Strunsky’s tone also criticizes officials’ behavior. So the relationship between her tone and that broader critique should be one of similarity or alignment, not opposition or ignorance.
Test each answer choice in the sentence
Plug in each option and see if it fits the logic:
- A) “wrote in a tone that is ____ the Progressive Era’s broader critique…”
- B) “contingent upon” = dependent on
- C) “oblivious to” = unaware of
- D) “at odds with” = in conflict with, opposed to Only one of these accurately describes a tone that matches and reinforces a critique of corruption, as shown by implying dereliction instead of misfortune.
Choose the phrase that shows alignment
Because Strunsky’s tone clearly supports and echoes the Progressive Era’s criticism of municipal corruption, the phrase that best completes the sentence is “consonant with” (Choice A), which means “in agreement with” or “consistent with.”