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33. The correct answer is (C). Yellow journalism or yellow press refers, usually in a pejorative way, to
newspapers that seek to increase circulation by publishing sensationalized accounts of news events.
Yellow journalism was first practiced by Joseph Pulitzer in the 1890s. Pulitzer realized that increased
rates of literacy and greater urban populations had created a potential market for a new kind of
newspaper. Under his management, the New York World became famous for its sensational–though
essentially accurate–reporting. To increase circulation, the paper employed huge front page cartoons,
gave extensive coverage to crime stories, and included a comic strip. Under Pulitzer, the World also
campaigned on behalf of ordinary people against the rich and powerful. For example, the World
sought to expose corruption in New York City’s government. William Randolph Hearst purchased the
Morning Journal and proceeded to use similar techniques. Other newspapers, such as the New York
Times, refused to employ the new techniques. Even today, many cities have two major daily newspa-
pers–one that relies on techniques similar to those used by Pulitzer and Hearst, and one that is more
staid. And you sometimes hear the phrase “yellow press” to describe disapprovingly the more sensa-
tional paper.

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U.S History Subject Test
143
ARCO
■ SAT II Subject Tests
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34. The correct answer is (B). The chart shows the change in prices paid to and by farmers for a certain
period. It uses an arbitrary figure of $1.00 for 1914. By 1916, prices paid to farmers had increased by
72 percent, while prices paid by farmers increased by only 42 percent. In other words, the value of the
farmers’ dollar increased during that period. Between 1916 and 1918, the prices paid to farmers again
increased, but the prices farmers had to pay increased even more. So farmers were worse off in 1918
than in 1916. In 1920 and 1922, the prices paid by farmers remained higher than prices paid to them,
so in those years farmers were worse off than they were in 1914.