Word Smart SAT Hit Parade

There could hardly be a more miserable lot in life than being a teenager having to study for the SAT test. This sorry bunch has been targeted by The Princeton Review in this well-organized and appealing audio program. It's not a drill but a scripted play, in which an unnamed man and woman trade narration; he is glib, while she is reassuring. They work Thesaurus-like, playing off one vocabulary word's meaning to the next, putting the words into context in willfully silly sentences. Words are grouped together by meaning, as with: ""cogent, convincing, reasonable, compelling."" Basic definitions are offered then nuances are explored through mini-dramatizations, with anecdotal scenarios and academic asides thrown in by way of example. The results are consciously corny, repetitive by design--and surprisingly effective. This is a happy case of a self-help program that seems like it might actually work. Original production. (June)