Today’s SAT question of the day is a single-blank sentence completion about Queen Elizabeth I.  There’s a colon in this sentence, so we know it contains a definition: we need a word that means that she knew what others were thinking.

Let’s take a look at the answer choices:

• symbiosis: do you remember hearing this word in biology? It has to do with the relationship between two species. Not relevant here!
• malevolence: “mal” means bad, so if you don’t remember the meaning of this word you can at least eliminate it based on that root.
• punctiliousness: punctilious sounds like “punctual” but isn’t exactly the same; it does, however, mean proper, like proper behavior. Don’t get confused, because we’re not looking for a word about the Queen’s behavior.
• consternation: this is similar to disappointment or frustration. Not applicable today.
• perspicacity: we’ve eliminated all of the other answers, so this one has to be it. Luckily, it means vision, insight, and shrewd perception. Perfect!