> I subscribe to a-SAT-question-a-day. A couple of the "right" answers have puzzled me. Perhaps you would like to join the "fun".
>
> http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/answered-question-of-the-day?src=
> E&questionId=20121115&answerCd=B&ep_ch=QD&ep_mid=10640255&ep_rid=10917
> 9597
>
> why is "b" better than "a"?
>
> http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/answered-question-of-the-day?src=
> E&questionId=20121107&answerCd=D&ep_ch=QD&ep_mid=10635451&ep_rid=10917
> 9597
>
> Shouldn't "across" be changed to "wide"? Across does not match the
> earlier "thick" reference very well.

Here's cleaned up versions of the questions.

Question 1

Question 2

Re: Question 1 - It could easily be frivolous without echoing routine feelings.

Re: Question 2 - You might say "wide" instead of "across" but "across" isn't wrong. It's just a stylistic choice.

Re: Question 1 - It could easily be frivolous without echoing routine feelings.

True, but I think "fresh and unexpected" were the clues

Exactly. That's why B is correct. I was explaining why A was not correct.