Question 164·200 Super-Hard SAT Reading Questions·Craft and Structure
During the nineteenth century, many astronomers dismissed the tiny perturbations in Mars’s orbit as mere observational error; to Celeste Alcott, however, the deviation seemed far too _____ to be ignored, hinting at the gravitational pull of an as-yet undiscovered moon.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For SAT Words-in-Context questions, first ignore the answers and restate in your own words what must go in the blank, using clues like contrast words (“however,” “but”) and cause/effect phrases (“hinting at”). Decide whether the missing idea is positive/negative, real/imagined, random/patterned, etc. Then test each choice in the full sentence, eliminating any that contradict the context or create a meaning that doesn’t logically follow. This context-first approach is faster and more reliable than trying to match dictionary definitions alone.
Hints
Focus on the contrast around “however”
Look closely at the part before and after the word “however.” How do the other astronomers see the perturbations, and how does Celeste Alcott see them differently?
Think about what would hint at a gravitational pull
If something in a planet’s orbit is hinting at the gravitational pull of a moon, would you expect it to be random and irregular, or to show some kind of pattern or consistency?
Check how each option fits the whole sentence
Try reading the sentence with each choice aloud. Which word makes the deviation sound like strong, reliable evidence, instead of a mistake, something unreal, or something random?
Step-by-step Explanation
Use the contrast to understand the situation
Notice the contrast word “however”:
- Many astronomers: “dismissed the tiny perturbations … as mere observational error” (they think it’s random noise, not meaningful).
- Celeste Alcott: “however, the deviation seemed far too _____ to be ignored, hinting at the gravitational pull …”
So Alcott thinks the deviation is not just random error; it is important and meaningful enough that it points to a real cause (a moon’s gravity).
Decide what kind of deviation Alcott is seeing
Ask: What quality must a deviation have to “hint at the gravitational pull” of a moon?
- A gravitational pull would cause a consistent, patterned effect on Mars’s orbit, not something random or imaginary.
- So in the blank, we need a word that suggests the deviation is orderly or systematic enough that it clearly points to a real physical cause, instead of being random or fake.
Test each answer choice in the sentence
Now plug each option into the sentence and see if it matches the meaning from Step 2:
- A) volatile: means unstable or likely to change suddenly and unpredictably. A volatile deviation would look wild and chaotic, not like a clear, reliable hint of a moon’s pull.
- C) illusory: means not real, based on illusion. If the deviation were illusory, it would not point to a real gravitational cause; this contradicts the sentence.
- D) sporadic: means occurring irregularly or at random intervals. A sporadic deviation would also seem random, like observational error, not like a steady effect of gravity.
- B) methodical: means orderly and systematic. A methodical deviation would look consistent and patterned, making it reasonable for Alcott to see it as meaningful evidence of a moon.
Only B) methodical fits the idea that the deviation is too orderly and consistent to dismiss as error, so the correct answer is B) methodical.