Question 54·200 Super-Hard SAT Reading Questions·Craft and Structure
Although the town council’s public "listening sessions" are often derided as _____ gestures, a proposal first floated at last year’s session was adopted verbatim into the municipal code.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?
For Words in Context questions, first use clue words like "although," "but," or "however" to understand the sentence’s structure and whether the blank should be positive or negative. Then, restate in your own words what the blank must mean using only the surrounding context, and eliminate choices whose meanings or tones don’t fit or sound unnatural with nearby words (like collocations such as "___ gestures"). Finally, choose the option that both matches your paraphrase and reads smoothly in the sentence.
Hints
Pay attention to the contrast
Look at how the word "Although" sets up a contrast between how the listening sessions are described in the first half of the sentence and what actually happened in the second half.
Focus on "derided" and tone
Think about the word "derided"—if something is derided, is that positive or negative? Should the word in the blank carry a positive or negative tone?
Match the word to "gestures"
Ask which answer choices can naturally describe "gestures" and fit with the idea that people are criticizing the listening sessions.
Use the second half as a check
Since a proposal from the session was adopted into the municipal code, the second half shows the sessions actually had real impact; the first half should describe what critics wrongly think about them.
Step-by-step Explanation
Use the contrast signal "Although"
Notice the word "Although" at the beginning. It tells you that the first part of the sentence (how the sessions are viewed) contrasts with the second part (a real proposal was adopted into law). So the blank must describe a negative or dismissive view of the sessions.
Understand the key context words
Focus on the phrase "are often derided as ___ gestures." "Derided" means mocked or made fun of. So people criticize the listening sessions by calling them some kind of bad or insincere gesture, even though in reality they led to an actual policy change ("adopted verbatim into the municipal code").
Check which choices can be criticized and fit with "gestures"
Ask of each option: Does it sound like something you would mock the sessions for being, and does it go naturally before the word "gestures"? "Coercive" (using force) does not match the idea of a listening session and is not usually something you call a gesture. "Salutary" (producing good effects) is positive, so it is unlikely to be something people "deride." "Prescient" (having foresight) is unusual with "gestures" and doesn’t fit the idea of being mocked.
Choose the word that fits both meaning and common usage
The remaining choice is "token," which is commonly used in the phrase "token gesture" to mean an action done mainly for appearance, not to make a real difference. That is exactly how critics would be mocking the listening sessions, even though the second half of the sentence shows they did have a real effect, so the correct answer is A) token.