PSAT Critical Reading : PSAT Critical Reading

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for PSAT Critical Reading

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Example Questions

Example Question #23 : Verbs And Adjectives Or Adverbs In Two Blank Sentences

Sentence completions: select the word or pair of words that most correctly completes the sentence.

__________ by the levels of poverty in the city, the activist took it upon herself to collect essential items for the __________ in the community.

Possible Answers:

Perturbed . . . indigent

Perplexed . . . despondent

Outraged . . . indignant

Troubled . . . affluent

Correct answer:

Perturbed . . . indigent

Explanation:

Any of the words in the first blank could describe a reasonable reaction to a high level of poverty, so the second-blank words are going to determine the correct answer. We can cross off "affluent," which means wealthy (no need to add to their wealth). The city's poor may also be "despondent," or lacking hope, though other things besides poverty could also cause this state. We are left with two words that look similar, though with very different meanings: "indigent" and "indignant." The second word, "indignant," means very angry because of an injustice (a word perhaps better used to describe the activist's own motivation), while "indigent"—the correct option here—means having no money.

Example Question #195 : Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Sentences

Townsfolk and outlaws who __________ the law or the sheriff's orders in Western movies invariably end up __________ the town's jail until they reconsider their actions, have a change of heart, and decide to be law-abiding citizens.

Possible Answers:

ignore . . . released from

charge . . . invited to

weather . . . unaware of

obey . . . incarcerated in

defy . . . confined to

Correct answer:

defy . . . confined to

Explanation:

For the first blank, we can infer that we need to pick out a verb that means something like "disobey," because the sentence mentions "outlaws," "the town's jail," and "until they . . . decide to be law-abiding citizens." So, either "defy" ("openly resist or refuse to obey") or "ignore" ("refuse to take notice of or acknowledge; disregard intentionally") could be correct. For the second blank, we need to pick out a phrase that means something like "imprisoned in," because we know that outlaws who defy the law would end up imprisoned in the town's jail. Either "confined to" ("restrain or forbid someone from leaving (a place)") or "incarcerated in" ("imprisoned or confined in") could be correct. Of the possible words that we've identified as potentially correct for each blank, only "defy" and "confined to" appear in the same answer choice, so the correct answer is "defy . . . confined to."

Example Question #24 : Verbs And Adjectives Or Adverbs In Two Blank Sentences

Because Jack was __________ driving a car that had a stick shift, he almost __________ the vehicle when he made too sharp of a turn, and later considered himself lucky that the car had somehow stayed upright.

Possible Answers:

inexperienced in . . . flipped

conscious of . . . settled

unaccustomed to . . . upended

inconsiderate of . . . stopped

used to . . . stabilized

Correct answer:

unaccustomed to . . . upended

Explanation:

We can infer that Jack either did not know how to drive a stick shift or was inexperienced at it, because he did something that made him "later [consider] himself lucky that the car had somehow stayed upright." So, either "unaccustomed to" or "inexperienced in" would make sense as an answer choice for the first blank. For the second blank, we know that Jack felt he was lucky that the car remained upright, so we can infer that he almost flipped it over. Either "upended" ("set or turned something on its end or upside down") or "flipped" could be a potentially correct answer choice for the second blank. Of the potentially correct answers we've identified, only "naive" and "benign" appear in a single answer choice, so "unaccustomed to . . . upended" is the correct answer.

Example Question #195 : Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

The crowds that originally saw the artist's ___________ sculptures flying through the sky and traveling across land with all of their complex moving parts __________ at the sight, pointing and staring with open mouths and wide eyes.

Possible Answers:

transparent . . . broiled

stationary . . . gaped

kinetic . . . marveled

moving . . . despaired

transitory . . . bristled

Correct answer:

kinetic . . . marveled

Explanation:

For the first blank, we need to pick out a word that describes the nature of art works that can "[fly] through the air and [travel] across land with . . . complex moving parts." Either "kinetic" ("of, relating to, or resulting from motion," or of a work of art, "depending on movement for its effect") or "moving" could be correct. For the second blank, we need to pick out a verb that describes how the crowd "point[ed] and star[ed] with open mouths and wide eyes." Either "marveled" ("was filled with wonder or astonishment") or "gaped" ("stared with one's mouth open wide, typically in amazement or wonder") could be correct. Of the possible words that we've identified as potentially correct for each blank, only "kinetic" and "marveled" appear in the same answer choice, so the correct answer is "kinetic . . . marveled."

Example Question #201 : Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

While Hannah knew that her teacher would consider her claim to have written three lab reports in a single evening __________, she knew that he would not be able to __________ her story because it was true.

Possible Answers:

reasonable . . . authenticate

dubious . . . debunk

hazy . . . reject

doubtful . . . prove

authentic . . . disprove

Correct answer:

dubious . . . debunk

Explanation:

For the first blank, we can infer that Hannah's teacher might assume that her claim "to have written three lab reports in a single evening" might be untrue, so we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "false" or "probably false." Either "doubtful" ("not known with certainty; improbable; not established as genuine or acceptable") or "dubious" ("not to be relied upon; suspect") could be potentially correct. For the second blank, the word is describing what Hannah's teacher will not be able to do to her story because it is true. So, we need to pick out a word that means something like "reject" or "prove false." Either "disprove" ("prove that something is false") or "debunk" ("expose the falseness or hollowness of a myth, idea, or belief") could be potentially correct. Of the possible words that we've identified as potentially correct for each blank, only "dubious" and "debunk" appear in the same answer choice, so the correct answer is "dubious . . . debunk."

Example Question #202 : Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

The accidental __________ language of the school's speaker __________ the audience, causing many parents to complain and protest. 

Possible Answers:

propriety . . . appeased

lavish . . . excited

profane . . . horrified

superficial . . . scrutinize

explicit . . . mollified

Correct answer:

profane . . . horrified

Explanation:

The parents were protesting and complaining abut the speech, which means that some sort of bad language was used and they were upset about it. The choices that could fit in the first blank are profane and explicit, but only profane's match (horrified) shows that the audience did not like the speech.

Example Question #33 : Verbs And Adjectives Or Adverbs In Two Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

The speakers at the concert were so overpoweringly loud that they __________ John’s voice __________, so that even those directly beside him could not hear him at all.

Possible Answers:

engulfed . . . remarkably

rendered . . . inaudible

overwhelmed . . . considerably

destroyed . . . completely

rebounded . . . entirely

Correct answer:

rendered . . . inaudible

Explanation:

The implication of the sentence is that the speakers overpowered John’s voice to such an extend that those who were next to him could not hear him at all. On this count, his voice could be considered “inaudible,” meaning, “unable to be heard.” The “audible” portion of “inaudible,” is derived from the Latin root for “to hear,” and is found in other English words like “audio,” “audience,” and “auditorium.” The word render has a number of meanings. Here, it means “to make.”

Example Question #34 : Verbs And Adjectives Or Adverbs In Two Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Certain ancient cultures kept their records by __________ runes into stones that are still ___________ today to people who have studied those languages and can read them.

Possible Answers:

inscribing . . . legible

sculpting . . . unimportant

carving . . . invisible

erasing . . . readable

deleting . . . visible

Correct answer:

inscribing . . . legible

Explanation:

For the first blank, we need to pick out a verb that describes how one would mark a rune into a stone. Either "inscribing" ("writing or carving words or symbols on something, especially as a formal or permanent record") or "carving" could be correct. For the second blank, we need to pick out an adjective that means something like "able to be read" or "able to be understood." Either "legible" ("clear enough to read" and used with handwriting or print) or "readable" could be correct. Of the possible words that we've identified as potentially correct for each blank, only "inscribing" and "legible" appear in the same answer choice, so the correct answer is "inscribing . . . legible."

Example Question #161 : Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

In that scene of the movie, the __________ con man has committed a crime, and __________ the police officer into blaming it on his associate and arresting the wrong man.

Possible Answers:

dastardly . . . admits

ignoble . . . dupes

dreary . . . rescinds

meritorious . . . hoodwinks

contrived . . . assists

Correct answer:

ignoble . . . dupes

Explanation:

We can infer that because the con man commits a crime and then blames it on his associate, we need to pick out an adjective to describe him that means something like "not honorable." Either "ignoble" ("not honorable in character or purpose") or "dastardly" ("wicked and cruel") could be correct. For the second blank, we need to pick out a verb that means something like "fools" because we know that the police officer "arrest[s] the wrong man." Either "dupes" ("deceives; tricks") or "hoodwinks" ("deceives or tricks (someone") could be correct. Of the possible words that we've identified as potentially correct for each blank, only "ignoble" and "dupes" appear in the same answer choice, so the correct answer is "ignoble . . . dupes."

Example Question #162 : Parts Of Speech In Two Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

She tried to __________ her favorite writer's style, but found it awkward to use the same _________ vocabulary that had been popular when he was writing in the 1700s.

Possible Answers:

emulate . . . archaic

imitate . . . confident

obscure . . . outdated

narrow . . . novel

predict . . . gregarious

Correct answer:

emulate . . . archaic

Explanation:

For the first blank, we know that the subject of our sentence tried to use the same vocabulary as her favorite author, but found it awkward, so we can guess that she tried to mimic his style, and we need to pick out a verb that means something like "mimic." Either "emulate" or "imitate" could be correct. For the second blank, we need to pick out an adjective that describes what kind of vocabulary would have been popular in the 1700s but awkward to use today. Either "archaic" ("very old or old-fashioned" or when used of a word or a style of language, "no longer in everyday use but sometimes used to impart an old-fashioned flavor") or "outdated" could be correct. Of the possible words that we've identified as potentially correct for each blank, only "emulate" and "archaic" appear in the same answer choice, so the correct answer is "emulate . . . archaic."

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