SAT #14 Reading (Question 42)

Question

Over the course of the passage, the main focus shifts from [...]?

Answer 1

Answer Choice D is the correct answer because the Passage begins by introducing the Hubble Space Telescope in the first paragraph, describing its “extraordinarily sensitive detectors.” It then looks at a series of research projects that used the Hubble Telescope, like the one that looked at the HUDF or CANDELS. This organization of the Passage best matches Answer Choice D which says that the focus of the passage shifts from “an overview of the capabilities of the HST to a discussion of research undertaken that utilized those capabilities.” Answer Choice A is incorrect because the Passage doesn’t begin with data that the HST collected and because the Passage doesn’t describe any design flaws of the telescope. Answer Choice B is incorrect because no “new theory of star formation” is mentioned in the Passage or tested. Answer Choice C is incorrect because the Passage doesn’t discuss the authors or their accomplishments. 

How to solve this? The Question asks, “Over the course of the passage, the main focus shifts from [...]?” To solve this Question, we should have a general understanding of the overall Passage and then go down to the answer choices to eliminate and select options. We can try to predict in advance where the Passage might present a clear shift in focus, but except for more obvious instances, it’s hard to know which break of several possible breaks the SAT will highlight. Generally, the Passage can be broken down like this:

“Staring Back to Cosmic Dawn”

1. The Hubble Space Telescope, and its ability to “see back in time.” wondering if it could see back to the beginning of the universe. (paragraph one).
2. Two scientists tried this using Hubble Ultra Deep Field and saw some of the oldest galaxies, but it was only a small part of the universe. (paragraph two).
3. So they designed a new program, CANDELS, to look at the early galaxy. (paragraph three).
4. This program became the largest ever done by Hubble and recovered a lot of information for five “patches” of the universe. (paragraph four).
5. The scientists chose these patches because they’re representative of the universe as a whole. (paragraph five).
6. Even though the area the telescope searched was small, it revealed a lot of data. (paragraph six).
7. The data will continue to be analyzed and has already helped scientists. (paragraph seven).

[...].