# Opinions on the best answer for this SAT sample question
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-best-answer-for-this-sat-sample-question/508846
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [September 4, 2009, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-best-answer-for-this-sat-sample-question/508846 "2009-09-04T11:34:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 19
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2009, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-best-answer-for-this-sat-sample-question/508846/21 "2009-09-04T15:21:02Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#):
>
> \*What?! \*That was the best part!
I agree..especially as an SAT prep instructor. It was certainly a lot more fun to teach than SAT grammar or critical reading. And it was a lot easier to improve a student’s scores in this area, too.
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### Author:  [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-best-answer-for-this-sat-sample-question/508846/22 "2009-09-04T15:32:02Z")
Just another agreement. B, unequivocally.
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### Author:  [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2009, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-best-answer-for-this-sat-sample-question/508846/23 "2009-09-04T15:44:40Z")
No, ecology is right. Here’s why.
JK, it’s a mistake.
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### Author:  [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2009, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-best-answer-for-this-sat-sample-question/508846/24 "2009-09-04T16:42:39Z")
> [@batsto](#):
>
> I agree..especially as an SAT prep instructor. It was certainly a lot more fun to teach than SAT grammar or critical reading. And it was a lot easier to improve a student’s scores in this area, too.
Well, in my experience they were a definite source of angst for my students, and I can see why they took them off. There was a minor subset of questions which were sufficiently “close” so as to create a dilemma for the tester: in this case B is certainly the “best” answer, precisely because “animals” is the sole province of a zoologist, as are “plants” to a botanist. But ecologists study pollution, in part (as in, yes, that’s not their entire job description), and chemists do study atoms, but not solely (maybe). In more than a few cases students would have to split semantic hairs like this, and it often drove them batty, even if they got a magic “50/50” guess in the process.
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### Author:  [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-best-answer-for-this-sat-sample-question/508846/25 "2009-09-04T17:00:33Z")
Selection A is clearly the right choice.
First, notice the similarity in the precedents’ letters. Ecology and Zoology are the only two selections that have multiple "o"s in their words. Similarly, pollution has an L in the word, just like animal. I can understand how you’d pick plant seeing as it also has an “L.” Rookie mistake. Pollution has two of them, making it twice as likely to be the correct answer.
Now, look at the syllables. Zoology: 4. Ecology: 4
It’s true that mathematics also has 4, but look at the other words.
Animals: 3. Pollution:3.
It’s the only three syllable choice. Also, E’s never the right answer in a multiple choice exam. The creators know that no one reads down that far, so you can elliminate 20% of your options right off the bat.
But you’re probably asking yourself where the actual analogy comes in. Fair enough.
Zoology is about the capturing of animals. After all, where do animals get captured but at a zoo?
So what else comes close to that? Mathematics the capturing of geometry? No, for that you’d have to show a proof and we’re in the English section so that can’t be right.
History the capturing of people? Right out. The creators of the SATs have had enough problems with cultural bias to bring up this old chestnut.
Chemistry the capturing of atoms? It’s possible…but according to Heisenberg we’d never know enough information to be able to narrow down where one puts the cage.
So that leaves us with two. Obviously if you’re studying ecology you’d need to be dealing with the ozone layer and you’d then realize that pretty much all our pollution gets captured in our atmosphere. It’s almost as perfect a containment device as the Dyson Sphere (and be thankful that wasn’t one of your choices!)
On the other hand, Botony doesn’t involve the capturing of plants. I mean, duh. Plants don’t move! What the hell kind of trap are you going to use? The one with lasso tied to a tree triggered by a plant moving into the center? You’ll be waiting there a long time, my friend.
So yeah, A is the right answer. I’m frankly surprised that anyone here thought differently.
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### Author:  [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2009, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-best-answer-for-this-sat-sample-question/508846/26 "2009-09-04T17:04:17Z")
> [@Enderw24](#):
>
> Selection A is clearly the right choice.
>
> First, notice the similarity in the precedents’ letters. Ecology and Zoology are the only two selections that have multiple "o"s in their words. Similarly, pollution has an L in the word, just like animal. I can understand how you’d pick plant seeing as it also has an “L.” Rookie mistake. Pollution has two of them, making it twice as likely to be the correct answer.
>
> Now, look at the syllables. Zoology: 4. Ecology: 4
> It’s true that mathematics also has 4, but look at the other words.
> Animals: 3. Pollution:3.
> It’s the only three syllable choice. Also, E’s never the right answer in a multiple choice exam. The creators know that no one reads down that far, so you can elliminate 20% of your options right off the bat.
>
> But you’re probably asking yourself where the actual analogy comes in. Fair enough.
>
> Zoology is about the capturing of animals. After all, where do animals get captured but at a zoo?
> So what else comes close to that? Mathematics the capturing of geometry? No, for that you’d have to show a proof and we’re in the English section so that can’t be right.
> History the capturing of people? Right out. The creators of the SATs have had enough problems with cultural bias to bring up this old chestnut.
> Chemistry the capturing of atoms? It’s possible…but according to Heisenberg we’d never know enough information to be able to narrow down where one puts the cage.
>
> So that leaves us with two. Obviously if you’re studying ecology you’d need to be dealing with the ozone layer and you’d then realize that pretty much all our pollution gets captured in our atmosphere. It’s almost as perfect a containment device as the Dyson Sphere (and be thankful that wasn’t one of your choices!)
> On the other hand, Botony doesn’t involve the capturing of plants. I mean, duh. Plants don’t move! What the hell kind of trap are you going to use? The one with lasso tied to a tree triggered by a plant moving into the center? You’ll be waiting there a long time, my friend.
>
> So yeah, A is the right answer. I’m frankly surprised that anyone here thought differently.
Nicely done - I bow. 😃
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### Author:  [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2009, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-best-answer-for-this-sat-sample-question/508846/27 "2009-09-04T17:11:33Z")
> [@Enderw24](#):
>
> … On the other hand, Botony doesn’t involve the capturing of plants. I mean, duh. Plants don’t move! What the hell kind of trap are you going to use? The one with lasso tied to a tree triggered by a plant moving into the center? You’ll be waiting there a long time, my friend. …
I’ve caught lots of plants, and the fact that plants don’t move makes them a lot easier to catch. Trying to get a typical animal to stand still while you tie a rope around it can be a real pain, unless it’s very slow-moving animal (like most molluscs). And some fight back: if you try to lasso a lion or tiger, you risk getting badly scratched, or worse. But plants just stand there while you catch them: they hardly move at all, and they never fight back.
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### Author:  [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2009, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-best-answer-for-this-sat-sample-question/508846/28 "2009-09-04T18:12:48Z")
deleted
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### Author:  [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)
#### Post date: [September 4, 2009, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-best-answer-for-this-sat-sample-question/508846/29 "2009-09-04T19:22:26Z")
I’d like to take this opportunity to point out that the entire SAT/ACT business is a scam.
SAT :: Scam as Cheese :: Dairy
The College Board, the company who runs the SAT, is a money factory.
They make and issue the tests. They also sell the most SAT prep and study material. They make the test, and they sell guides for how to take the test.
And they charge you to take the test. Which the schools usually put on for free, with teachers volunteering their time to proctor them.
And them they _sell_ your scores and information to colleges so they can spam you. After I took the SATs I started hearing from colleges I didn’t know existed trying to get me to go there. A place in North Dakota offered me a whopping $1,000 scholarship. Yeah, I’m going to relocate to North Dakota for a $1,000 savings on a $40,000 education. Value!
They make money on every possible angle. If that’s not a racket, I don’t know what is.
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### Author:  [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Metal_Lotus)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2009, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-best-answer-for-this-sat-sample-question/508846/30 "2009-09-05T04:35:21Z")
B: Correct
A:
1. Stupid
2. Wrong
3. Hi Opal
4. Aardvark
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### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [September 5, 2009, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-best-answer-for-this-sat-sample-question/508846/31 "2009-09-05T04:42:54Z")
Without looking at the answers, I’ll go with botany:plants.
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### Author:  [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-best-answer-for-this-sat-sample-question/508846/32 "2009-09-06T03:21:41Z")
I feel like B is the most obviously correct, but coming from a chemistry background, I would argue that C is also correct. Or, it could be, and the fact that I’ll never understand P-chem taunting me into THINKING that this worldview makes sense.
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### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-best-answer-for-this-sat-sample-question/508846/33 "2009-09-06T03:28:12Z")
I say B is the only correct answer, too. Perhaps the OP should e-mail the SAT people and point this out? I feel sure it’s an error.
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### Author:  [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-best-answer-for-this-sat-sample-question/508846/34 "2009-09-06T03:34:15Z")
B.
That’s my answer; I have not read the other responses. I do not mean to imply that this settles the matter.
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### Author:  [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)
#### Post date: [September 6, 2009, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-best-answer-for-this-sat-sample-question/508846/35 "2009-09-06T03:36:50Z")
Ok, now I have read the thread. “A” is plainly an error. And that settles that.
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### Author:  [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2009, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-best-answer-for-this-sat-sample-question/508846/36 "2009-09-07T01:07:58Z")
I got it wrong too…I picked B.
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### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2009, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-best-answer-for-this-sat-sample-question/508846/37 "2009-09-07T08:30:06Z")
> [@chaoticbear](#):
>
> I feel like B is the most obviously correct, but coming from a chemistry background, I would argue that C is also correct. Or, it could be, and the fact that I’ll never understand P-chem taunting me into THINKING that this worldview makes sense.
No, it isn’t, chemistry isn’t the study of atoms. Atoms are involved in what chemistry studies, but only in the way that wood is involved in carpentry. I wouldn’t say that carpentry is the study of wood any more than I would say chemistry is the study of atoms.
**Nava** , Chemical Engineer, MSc in Quantum Chemistry
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### Author:  [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2009, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-best-answer-for-this-sat-sample-question/508846/38 "2009-09-07T09:42:05Z")
I too had B.
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### Author:  [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2009, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/opinions-on-the-best-answer-for-this-sat-sample-question/508846/39 "2009-09-07T12:48:56Z")
Your answer is correct.
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