Read this sentence. The Tenement Museum which occupies a restored building on Orchard Street, offers guided tours that recreate the daily lives of immigrant families. Which edit should be made to correct the sentence?

Replace the comma after Street with a semicolon.

What is the main function of paragraph 4?

It fairly presents an opposing view so that the author can answer it in the next paragraph.

It shows that the author has partly changed position on removing parking spaces.

It supplies evidence that protected bike lanes have harmed many small businesses.

It restates and expands on the safety benefits of protected lanes described in paragraph 2.

Read this sentence. The subway line was closed for repairs, many commuters arrived late to work that morning. Which revision corrects the error in the sentence while keeping the relationship between the two ideas?

Because the subway line was closed for repairs, many commuters arrived late to work that morning.

The subway line was closed for repairs, however, many commuters arrived late to work that morning.

The subway line was closed for repairs, but many commuters arrived late to work that morning.

The subway line was closed for repairs; although many commuters arrived late to work that morning.

Paragraph 4 mainly serves to

acknowledge objections to the author's position before responding to them

explain why the author changed positions on school start times

present evidence that later start times have failed in several school districts

show that the way buses are currently scheduled can never be changed

x y 2 7 5 16 9 k 12 37 The table above shows values of a linear relationship between x and y. Which statement is true?

k = 28, and the relationship is not proportional

k = 28, and the relationship is proportional

k = 27, and the relationship is proportional

k = 25, and the relationship is not proportional

New York City SHSAT

Free New York City SHSAT Practice Questions

10 sample questions for the New York City SHSAT, with the correct answer and an explanation for each. No account needed. Try each one before you open the answer.

Sections covered on the exam: Revising and Editing, Reading Comprehension, Algebra and Functions, Numbers and Operations, Geometry, Data, Statistics, and Probability.

Question 1 · Revising and Editing
Read this sentence.
The Tenement Museum which occupies a restored building on Orchard Street, offers guided tours that recreate the daily lives of immigrant families.
Which edit should be made to correct the sentence?
- A.Insert a comma after tours .
- B.Replace the comma after Street with a semicolon.
- C.Insert a comma after Museum .
- D.Change which to that .
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. Insert a comma after Museum .
The clause "which occupies a restored building on Orchard Street" adds nonessential information about a specific, named museum, so it must be set off by a pair of commas; the sentence has the closing comma but is missing the opening one after Museum . Changing which to that would make the clause essential, so the comma after Street would then wrongly separate the subject from its verb. A semicolon after Street would cut the subject off from offers , and a comma after tours would separate the verb's object from the clause that describes it.
Question 2 · Reading Comprehension
As it is used in paragraph 4, the word wanting most nearly means
- A.desirable
- B.inadequate
- C.unexamined
- D.unpopular
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. inadequate
Paragraph 4 goes on to show that some tardigrade species survive drying with little or no trehalose, so the trehalose explanation was not enough to account for their survival; wanting here means lacking or inadequate. Desirable reflects the more common meaning of want and does not fit. The explanation had been tested—researchers measured trehalose—and the problem was its failure, not its popularity.
Question 3 · Reading Comprehension
What is the main function of paragraph 4?
- A.It shows that the author has partly changed position on removing parking spaces.
- B.It supplies evidence that protected bike lanes have harmed many small businesses.
- C.It restates and expands on the safety benefits of protected lanes described in paragraph 2.
- D.It fairly presents an opposing view so that the author can answer it in the next paragraph.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. It fairly presents an opposing view so that the author can answer it in the next paragraph.
Paragraph 4 presents business owners' objection and grants that it "deserves respect," and paragraph 5 then begins "Yet the evidence suggests the fear is usually misplaced." The paragraph reports a fear, not evidence of actual harm. The author's position does not change, and paragraph 4 says nothing about safety.
Question 4 · Algebra and Functions
What is the greatest integer x that satisfies 5 − 3(x + 2) > 2*x* − 16?
- A.5
- B.2
- C.3
- D.4
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. 2
Distribute: 5 − 3x − 6 > 2x − 16, so −3x − 1 > 2x − 16. Then −5x > −15, and dividing by −5 flips the sign: x < 3. The greatest integer less than 3 is 2. The answer 3 ignores the strict inequality; 5 comes from writing −3(2) as +6; 4 comes from forgetting to flip the sign (x > 3).
Question 5 · Algebra and Functions
If 7*x* + 3*y* = 41 and 3*x* + 7*y* = 19, what is the value of x + y?
- A.60
- B.6
- C.23/4
- D.11/2
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. 6
Add the equations: 10x + 10y = 60, so x + y = 6. The value 11/2 is x − y (from subtracting the equations and dividing by 4); 60 forgets to divide by 10; 23/4 is the value of x alone.
Question 6 · Revising and Editing
Read this sentence.
The subway line was closed for repairs, many commuters arrived late to work that morning.
Which revision corrects the error in the sentence while keeping the relationship between the two ideas?
- A.The subway line was closed for repairs, however, many commuters arrived late to work that morning.
- B.The subway line was closed for repairs, but many commuters arrived late to work that morning.
- C.The subway line was closed for repairs; although many commuters arrived late to work that morning.
- D.Because the subway line was closed for repairs, many commuters arrived late to work that morning.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. Because the subway line was closed for repairs, many commuters arrived late to work that morning.
The original is a comma splice, and the closing caused the late arrivals, so the revision beginning with "Because" fixes the splice and states the cause-and-effect link. Joining the clauses with "but" is grammatical but signals a contrast that does not exist. Inserting "however" between commas leaves the splice in place, and the version with "although" after a semicolon turns the second half into a fragment.
Question 7 · Reading Comprehension
As used in paragraph 1, the word "betrays" most nearly means
- A.abandons
- B.deceives
- C.endangers
- D.reveals
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. reveals
The diver passes the octopus "without seeing it" because nothing about the motionless animal gives away where it is, so "betrays" means reveals or exposes. "Deceives" and "abandons" are other meanings of "betray" that make no sense here. "Endangers" confuses the result of being noticed with the act of revealing.
Question 8 · Reading Comprehension
Paragraph 4 mainly serves to
- A.explain why the author changed positions on school start times
- B.present evidence that later start times have failed in several school districts
- C.show that the way buses are currently scheduled can never be changed
- D.acknowledge objections to the author's position before responding to them
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. acknowledge objections to the author's position before responding to them
Paragraph 4 opens by granting that "opponents of later start times raise real concerns" and then describes the objections about buses and after-school schedules, which paragraph 5 answers with "These costs are not imaginary, but . . ." The paragraph reports critics' worries, not evidence of failure, and the author never describes changing positions. Paragraph 5 argues that bus schedules can change.
Question 9 · Data, Statistics, and Probability
A spinner is divided into 4 equal sections, and 1 section is red. If the spinner is spun 3 times, what is the probability that it lands on red at least once?
- A.1/64
- B.3/4
- C.37/64
- D.27/64
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. 37/64
The probability of not landing on red on one spin is 3/4, so the probability of no red in three independent spins is (3/4)³ = 27/64. The complement, at least one red, is 1 − 27/64 = 37/64. The answer 27/64 is the probability of no red at all, and 3/4 comes from adding 1/4 three times.
Question 10 · Algebra and Functions
x y
2 7
5 16
9 k
12 37
The table above shows values of a linear relationship between x and y. Which statement is true?
- A.k = 28, and the relationship is proportional
- B.k = 27, and the relationship is proportional
- C.k = 28, and the relationship is not proportional
- D.k = 25, and the relationship is not proportional
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. k = 28, and the relationship is not proportional
The rate of change is (16 − 7) ÷ (5 − 2) = 3, so y = 3x + b and 7 = 3(2) + b gives b = 1; check: 3(12) + 1 = 37. Then k = 3(9) + 1 = 28. Because the y-intercept is 1, not 0, the relationship is not proportional; 25 comes from adding 3 per row instead of per unit of x, and 27 assumes y = 3x.

x	y
2	7
5	16
9	k
12	37

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