SAT Reading and Writing Practice Question #848 (Hard (800)) | Test Citadel
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SAT Reading and Writing Difficulty: Hard (800)

Digital SAT Reading and Writing Practice Question #848

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Although the poet’s later anthologies were praised for their lyricism, several prominent critics condemned his prose essays as unduly [____], lamenting that his aggressive, uncompromising polemics alienated the very readers he sought to persuade. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word?
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Socratic AI Engine Step-by-Step Derivation
0ms Precomputed
Tactical Insight (Hint 1)

Notice the clue words: 'aggressive, uncompromising polemics' and 'alienated... readers'. What word means quarrelsome or divisive?

Elimination Framework (Hint 2)

Rule out positive or calming adjectives immediately ('conciliatory', 'placid').

Masterclass Solution & Distractor Trap Analysis

Context Clues: The critics lamented the author's 'aggressive, uncompromising polemics' that 'alienated the very readers he sought to persuade'. 'Fractious' means irritable, quarrelsome, refractory, or divisive—matching an aggressive stance ...

Distractor Analysis: Trap choice eliminates careless test-takers who confuse roots with coordinates...

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