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48 viewsPSAT Text Structure and Purpose-Hard
Digital SAT
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/ 36
SAT READING AND WRITING
PSAT 8&9'F FMS AA A
Text Structure and Purpose
(Hard) Question ID 2ed324dc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing | Craftand Structure | Text Structure and | gu gu gy
Purpose
ID: 2ed324de
The following text is from Sarah Orne Jewett’s 1899 short story “Martha's Lady.” Martha is employed by Miss Pyne as a
maid.
Miss Pyne sat by the window watching, in her best dress, looking stately and calm; she seldom went out now, and it
was almost time for the carriage. Martha was just coming in from the garden with the strawberries, and with more
flowers in her apron. It was a bright cool evening in June, the golden robins sang in the elms, and the sun was going
down behind the apple-trees at the foot of the garden. The beautiful old house stood wide open to the long-expected
guest
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
‘A. To convey the worries brought about by a new guest
B, To describe how the characters have changed over time
C.To contrast the activity indoors with the stillness outside
D. To depict the setting as the characters await a visitor's arrival
ID: Zed324dc Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately reflects the main purpose of the text. The text portrays
Miss Pyne as awaiting the arrival of a carriage while Martha brings strawberries and flowers from the garden
into the house. The text also describes the surroundings of the scene, stating that Miss Pyne looks “stately and
calm; the evening is bright and cool, and birds are singing in the garden as the sun sets, Then the last sentence
states that the house was “wide open to the long-expected guest which strongly suggests that Miss Pyne's
anticipation and Martha's activities were in preparation for the quest who is expected to arrive in the carriage.
Thus, the text depicts the setting and conveys what these characters are doing as they await the arrival of their
visitor.
Choice A is incorrect because there is nothing in the text to indicate that the characters feel any worry about the
guest's arrival. The text indicates that the guest was “Iong-expected,” but characterizing Miss Pyne as "stately
and calm" conflicts with the idea that the characters are worried about the guest. Choice B is incorrect because
the text describes a moment in time when two characters are awaiting the arrival of a visitor rather than an
extended period over which characters could be seen changing. Choice C is incorrect, Although the text
describes the activity indoors (Miss Pyne sitting calmly), it describes a higher level of activity, not stillness,
outside (Martha bringing fruit and flowers and birds singing).
Question Difficulty: Hard Question ID 9e480713
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing | Craftand Structure | Text Structure and | gu gu gy
Purpose
ID: 9¢480713
The following text is adapted from Gwendolyn Bennett's 1926 poem “Street Lamps in Early Spring.”
Night wears a garment
All velvet soft, all violet blue.
‘And over her face she draws a veil
‘As shimmering fine as floating dew...
‘And here and there
In the black of her hair
The subtle hands of Night
Move slowly with their gem-starred light.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
A. It presents alternating descriptions of night in a rural area and in a city.
B. It sketches an image of nightfall, then an image of sunrise.
C. It makes an extended comparison of night to a human being,
D. It portrays how night changes from one season of the year to the next
ID: 9e480713 Answer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice ¢ is the best answer because it most accurately describes the overall structure of the text. Throughout the
text, the speaker characterizes nighttime as if it were a person who wears clothing ("a garment" that is "velvet
soft” and “violet blue”) and a veil “over her face” and who moves her hands “slowly with their gem-starred light”
through her dark hair, Thus, the text is structured as an extended comparison of night to a human being
Choice A is incorrect because the text never mentions any particular location; instead, it focuses on presenting a
single description of night as a person with certain clothing and features. Choice B is incorrect because the text
doesn't make any reference to the sun or sunrise; instead, it focuses on presenting a single image of night as a
person with certain clothing and features. Choice D is incorrect, Rather than describing how nighttime changes
seasonally (or in any other way), the text presents a single image of night as a person with certain clothing and
features
Question Difficulty: Hard Question ID ead4518b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing | Craftand Structure | Text Structure and | gu gu gy
Purpose
ID: ead4518b
The following text is adapted from Susan Glaspell’s 1912 short story “Out There.” An elderly shop owner is looking at a
picture that he recently acquired and hopes to sell
It did seem that the picture failed to fit in with the rest of the shop. A persuasive young fellow who claimed he was
closing out his stock let the old man have it for what he called a song, It was only a little out-of-the-way store which
subsisted chiefly on the framing of pictures. The old man looked around at his views of the city, his pictures of cats and
dogs, his flaming bits of landscape. “Don't belong in here,” he fumed.
‘And yet the old man was secretly proud of his acquisition. There was a hidden dignity in his scowling as he shuffled
about pondering the least ridiculous place for the picture.
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
‘A To reveal the shop owner's conflicted feelings about the new picture
B. To convey the shop owner's resentment of the person he got the new picture from.
C.To describe the items that the shop owner most highly prizes
D. To explain differences between the new picture and other pictures in the shop
ID: ead4518b Answer
Correct Answé
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text. The text begins
by stating that the new picture “failed to fit in” with the other items that the shop owner has. The text goes on to
illustrate that point by describing the other pictures the shop owner has, indicating that the shop owner is
fuming because he doesn't think the new picture belongs in the store, In the second paragraph, however, the text
indicates that the shop owner is "secretly proud of his acquisition.’ The main purpose of the text is thus to reveal
the shop owner's conflicted feelings about the new picture.
Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn't suggest that the shop owner resents the young man who sold him
the new picture; in fact, the text gives no indication of the owner's feelings about the young man at all. Choice C
is incorrect. Although the text indicates that the new picture is different from the other items in the shop, there's
no suggestion that the shop owner prizes either the new picture or the pictures of the city, pets, and landscapes
more than he prizes any other items. Choice D is incorrect because the text doesn’t describe what the new
picture looks like; rather, the text identifies some of the other kinds of images that the shop owner has and states
that they're different from the new picture without explaining how they're different.
Question Difficulty: Hard Question ID a9f2dc3c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reat
Craft and Structure | Text Structure and
Purpose ann
Astronomers are confident that the star Betelgeuse will eventually consume all the helium in its core and explode in a
supernova, They are much less confident, however, about when this will happen, since that depends on internal
characteristics of Betelgouse that are largely unknown, Astrophysicist Sarafina El-Badry Nance and colleagues recently
investigated whether acoustic waves in the star could be used to determine internal stellar states but concluded that this
method could not sufficiently reveal Betelgeuse’s internal characteristics to allow its evolutionary state to be firmly fixed,
Which choice best describes the function of the second sentence in the overall structure of the text?
A It describes a serious limitation of the method used by Nance and colleagues.
B. It presents the central finding reported by Nance and colleagues.
C. Itidentifies the problem that Nance and colleagues attempted to solve but did not.
D. It explains how the work of Nance and colleagues was received by others in the field.
DRE rt ete Ung
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it best describes how the second sentence functions in the text as a whole.
The first sentence establishes something astronomers believe with some certainty: that Betelgeuse will explode
in a supernova. The second sentence then introduces a problem: astronomers aren't certain when Betelgeuse
will explode because they don’t have enough information about the star's internal characteristics. Finally, the
third sentence indicates that researcher Sarafina El-Badry Nance and colleagues investigated a possible method
of obtaining the necessary information about Betelgeuse’s internal characteristics, though they found that the
method wouldn't be sufficient, Thus, the function of the second sentence is to identify the problem that Nance
and colleagues attempted to solve but didn't.
Choice A is incorrect because the second sentence introduces the general problem Nance and colleagues hoped
to solve, not a serious limitation of how Nance and colleagues tried to solve it. It is the third sentence that
introduces Nance and colleagues, but no serious limitation of their approach to studying a method of
determining internal stellar states is described. Choice B is incorrect because the second sentence introduces
the general problem Nance and colleagues hoped to solve, not the central finding they ultimately reported. It is,
the third sentence that presents Nance and colleagues’ conclusion that a potential method for determining
internal stellar states would be insufficient. Choice D is incorrect because the second sentence doesn't indicate
how other astronomers or astrophysicists responded to the work done by Nance and colleagues; the text doesn't
address this information at all.
Question Difficulty: Hard Question ID dfad9bd5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing | Craftand Structure | Text Structure and | gu gu gy
Purpose
ID: dfad9bd5
When ancient oak planks were unearthed during subway construction in Rome, Mauro Bernabei and his team examined
the growth rings in the wood to determine where these planks came from. By comparing the growth rings on the planks
to records of similar rings in oaks from Europe, the team could trace the wood to the Jura region of France, hundreds of
kilometers from Rome. Because timber could only have been transported from distant Jura to Rome by boat, the team's
findings suggest the complexity of Roman trade routes.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined sentence in the text as a whole?
‘A It presents a conclusion about Roman trade routes based on the team’s findings
B. It questions how the team was able to conclude that the planks were used to build a boat.
C. It explains why the planks were made from oak rather than a different kind of wood.
D. It describes common methods used in Roman subway construction,
ID: dfad9bd5 Answer
Correct Answer: A
Rationale
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined sentence functions in the
text as a whole. The first sentence explains that Bernabei and his team studied growth rings to obtain
information about the ancient oak planks found during a construction project in Rome. The next sentence
presents what the researchers leaned: the wood from the planks came from France's Jura region, which is far
from Rome. The underlined sentence then presents the implications of the findings about the planks: the wood
must have been brought to Rome by boat, a difficult task that suggests Roman trade routes were complex. Thus,
the underlined sentence mainly functions to present a conclusion about Roman trade routes based on the team’s
findings.
Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn't suggest that the team thought the ancient planks were used in the
construction of a boat, nor does the underlined sentence question that conclusion. Instead, the text states that,
the wood could only have been transported from Jura to Rome in a boat. Choice C is incorrect because the
underlined sentence simply offers a conclusion drawn from the team's findings about the likely place of origin of
the ancient planks; the text never mentions why oak was chosen for the planks instead of other wood. Choice D
is incorrect because neither the underlined sentence nor the text as a whole addresses any methods that
Romans used in constructing subways, Instead, the underlined sentence offers a conclusion drawn from the
team’s findings about the likely place of origin of the ancient wooden planks discovered.
Question Difficulty: Hard Question ID aad6de37
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing | Craftand Structure | Text Structure and | gu gu gy
Purpose
In the Here and Now Storybook (1921), educator Lucy Sprague Mitchell advanced the then controversial idea that books
for very young children should imitate how they use language, since toddlers, who cannot yet grasp narrative or abstract
ideas, seek reassurance in verbal repetition and naming. The most enduring example of this idea is Margaret Wise
Brown's 1947 picture book Goodnight Moon, in which a young rabbit names the objects in his room as he drifts off to
sleep. Scholars note that the book’s emphasis on repetition, rhythm, and nonsense rhyme speaks directly to Mitchell's
influence
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
‘A The text outlines a debate between two authors of children’s literature and then traces how that debate shaped
theories on early childhood education.
B, The text summarizes an argument about how children’s literature should be evaluated and then discusses a
contrasting view on that subject:
C. The text lists the literary characteristics that are common to many classics of children’s literature and then indicates
the narrative subjects that are most appropriate for young children.
D. The text presents a philosophy about what material is most suitable for children’s literature and then describes a book
influenced by that philosophy.
ID: aad6de37 Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer, The text starts by introducing Mitchell's philosophy about using simple, repetitive
language in books for young children, Then it describes a book influenced by that philosophy, Goodnight Moon
Choice A is incorrect. Although two authors are mentioned in the text, they both agree about the type of language
that should be contained in books for young children, Choice B is incorrect. The text never discusses the
evaluation of children's literature, It does provide one view of how children’s books should be written, but never
introduces a competing view. Choice C is incorrect. The text doesn't mention “many classics of children’s,
literature” Instead, it describes an educational theory and identifies one example of a famous children’s book
that was influenced by that theory.
Question Difficulty: Hard Question ID 5f8c29cf
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reat
Craft and Structure | Text Structure and
Purpose ann
The field of study called affective neuroscience seeks instinctive, physiological causes for feelings such as pleasure or
displeasure, Because these sensations are linked to a chemical component (for example, the release of the
neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain when one receives or expects a reward), they can be said to have a partly
physiological basis. These processes have been described in mammals, but Jingnan Huang and his colleagues have
recently observed that some behaviors of honeybees (such as foraging) are also motivated by a dopamine-based
signaling process.
What choice best describes the main purpose of the text?
A It describes an experimental method of measuring the strength of physiological responses in humans.
8. It illustrates processes by which certain insects can express how they are feeling,
C. It summarizes a finding suggesting that some mechanisms in the brains of certain insects resemble mechanisms in
‘mammalian brains.
D. It presents research showing that certain insects and mammals behave similarly when there is a possibility of a reward
for their actions.
ID: 5f8c29cf Answer
Correct Answé
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text, which is to
summarize a finding suggesting that some mechanisms in the brains of certain insects resemble mechanisms
in mammalian brains, The text begins by explaining that feelings such as pleasure and displeasure are linked to
chemical processes in the brain, such as the release of dopamine when one receives a reward, The text then
indicates that such processes have been seen in mammals but that researchers have recently observed similar
processes involving dopamine in honeybees. Taken together, this information serves to sum up the discovery
that some mechanisms in the brains of certain insects may resemble mechanisms linked to feelings such as
pleasure and displeasure in mammals.
Choice A is incorrect because the text doesn’t describe any experiments or experimental methods. Instead, the
text describes a phenomenon that has been observed in mammals and then presents the recent observations of
Huang and colleagues that this phenomenon is also seen in honeybees. Choice B is incorrect because there's
nothing in the text to suggest that certain insects can express how they're feeling through particular processes.
The text does indicate that certain honeybee behaviors such as foraging are linked to dopamine, but it doesn’t
suggest that these behaviors enable honeybees to communicate feelings or sensations, Choice D is incorrect
because the text presents research showing that certain honeybee behaviors such as foraging are linked to
dopamine and therefore may be motivated by similar mechanisms to those in mammalian brains, not that
honeybees and mammals behave similarly when there is the possibility of reward for their actions.
Question Difficulty: Hard Question ID 66b7cf61
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reat
Craft and Structure | Text Structure and
Purpose ann
ID: 66b7cf61
The following text is from the 1923 poem "Black Finger” by Angelina Weld Grimké, a Black American writer. A cypress is a
type of evergreen tree.
I have just seen a most beautiful thing,
slim and still,
Against a gold, gold sky,
A straight black cypress,
Sensitive,
Exquisite,
Ablack finger
Pointing upwards.
Why, beautiful stil finger, are you black?
‘And why are you pointing upwards?
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
‘A The speaker assesses a natural phenomenon, then questions the accuracy of her assessment.
B. The speaker describes a distinctive sight in nature, then ponders what meaning to attribute to that sight.
C. The speaker presents an outdoor scene, then considers a human behavior occurring within that scene.
D. The speaker examines her surroundings, then speculates about their influence on her emotional state.
Dats oo Urs
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the overall structure of the text, First, the
speaker describes observing a “most beautiful” sight: a tree ("black cypress”) standing out from the golden sky
behind it, looking like a person's finger “pointing upwards" and appearing “sensitive” and “exquisite.” Then the
speaker wonders about the image's meaning, asking why the finger is black and why it's pointing upward. Thus,
the text moves from the speaker's description of a distinctive sight in nature to her pondering about what
meaning to attribute to that sight.
Choice A is incorrect because the speaker assesses a natural sight—a “black cypress” tree standing “against a
gold, gold sky’ like a pointed finger—but doesn't question the accuracy of her own assessment, Although she
wonders why the finger, which is really a tree, is black and why it's pointing, the speaker doesn’t suggest that her
belief that the tree resembles a finger is wrong, Choice C is incorrect. Although the speaker describes seeing a
"black cypress” tree standing “against a gold, gold sky” like a pointed finger, she wonders about that natural
image (asking why the finger, which is really a tree, is black and why it's pointing) and doesn’t give any
indication that any people are present in the scene. Choice D is incorrect. Although the speaker examines and
wonders about one thing in her surroundings—a “black cypress” tree standing "against a gold, gold sky” like a
pointed finger—she doesn't address her own emotional state or consider how it's affected by her surroundings Question Difficulty: Hard Question ID d6190a7b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing | Craftand Structure | Text Structure and | gu gu gy
Purpose
ID: d6190a7b
‘The mimosa tree evolved in East Asia, where the beetle Bruchidius terrenus preys on its seeds. In 1785, mimosa trees were
introduced to North America, far from any B. terrenus, But evolutionary links between predators and their prey can persist
across centuries and continents, Around 2001, 8. terrenus was introduced in southeastern North America near where
botanist Shu-Mei Chang and colleagues had been monitoring mimosa trees. Within a year, 93 percent of the trees had
been attacked by the beetles.
Which choice best describes the function of the third sentence in the overall structure of the text?
A It states the hypothesis that Chang and colleagues had set out to investigate using mimosa trees and 8. terrenus.
B. It presents a generalization that is exemplified by the discussion of the mimosa trees and B. terrenus.
C. It provides context that clarifies why the species mentioned spread to new locations.
D. It offers an alternative explanation for the findings of Chang and colleagues.
ID: d6190a7b Answer
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes the function of the third sentence within the
overall structure of the text. The third sentence makes a generalization, asserting that evolutionary links
between predators and prey can persist across great expanses of time and distance. This generalization is
exemplified by the text's discussion of the relationship between mimosa trees and B. terrenusbeetles. When
mimosa trees were introduced to North America in 1785, no B. terrenus beetles were present, so the relationship
between the trees and the beetles that exists in their native Fast Asia was disrupted, When the beetles were
introduced to North America more than 200 years later, however, they quickly attacked mimosa trees, illustrating
the generalization that links between predators and prey "can persist across centuries and continents”
Choice A is incorrect because the third sentence doesn’t indicate that Chang and colleagues were investigating
any hypothesis. According to the text, Chang and colleagues were simply monitoring mimosa trees when the
beetles happened to be introduced to the area. Choice C is incorrect because the third sentence doesn't discuss
any particular species, let alone the species mentioned elsewhere in the text, nor does the sentence explain why
species spread to new locations. Choice D is incorrect because the third sentence offers a generalization about,
the relationship between predators and prey, not an explanation for the findings by Chang and colleagues that's
an “alternative” to an explanation presented elsewhere in the text.
Question Difficulty: Hard Question ID 8fa22275
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reat
Craft and Structure | Text Structure and
Purpose ann
A study by a team including finance professor Madhu Veeraraghavan suggests that exposure to sunshine during the
workday can lead to overly optimistic behavior. Using data spanning from 1994 to 2010 for a set of US companies, the
team compared over 29,000 annual earnings forecasts to the actual earnings later reported by those companies, The
‘team found that the greater the exposure to sunshine at work in the two weeks before a manager submitted an earnings
forecast, the more the manager's forecast exceeded what the company actually earned that year.
Which choice best states the function of the underlined sentence in the overall structure of the text?
‘A. To summarize the results of the team’s analysis
B. To present a specific example that illustrates the study's findings
C. To explain part of the methodology used in the team’s study
D. To call out a challenge the team faced in conducting its analysis
1D: 8fa22275 Answ
Correct Answer: C
Rationale
Choice C is the best answer because it best describes how the underlined sentence functions in the text as a
whole, The first sentence presents the implications of Veeraraghavan’s team's study: sunshine exposure during
work hours can cause overly optimistic behavior. The underlined sentence then describes the data the team
consulted and how they were used (comparing predictions about earnings to what the companies actually
earned), and the final sentence presents what the team found in their examination of the data. Thus, the
underlined sentence mainly functions to explain part of the methodology used in the team’s study,
Choice A is incorrect because the underlined sentence explains in part how the team conducted their analysis of
the effect of sunshine but doesn’t address what the team found; a broad summary is instead given in the other
two sentences. Choice B is incorrect because the underlined sentence doesn't present any specific examples
from the team's comparisons of 29,000 earnings predictions to actual earnings; it simply explains in part how
the team conducted their analysis. Choice D is incorrect because the underlined sentence simply explains in
part how the team conducted their analysis; the text never mentions any challenges that the team encountered
in their study.
Question Difficulty: Hard Question ID f914b408
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing | Craftand Structure | Text Structure and | gu gu gy
Purpose
DELL)
Industrial activity is often assumed to be a threat to wildlife, but that isn't always so. Consider the silver-studded blue
butterfly (Plebejus argus): as forest growth has reduced grasslands in northern Germany, many of these butterflies have
left meadow habitats and are now thriving in active limestone quarries. Ina survey of multiple active quarries and patches
of maintained grassland, an ecologist found silver-studded blue butterflies in 100% of the quarries but only 57% of the
grassland patches. Moreover, butterfly populations in the quarries were four times larger than those in the meadows.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?
A It challenges a common assumption about the species under investigation in the research referred to in the text.
B. It introduces discussion of a specific example that supports the general claim made in the previous sentence.
C. It suggests that a certain species should be included in additional studies like the one mentioned later in the text.
D. It provides a definition for an unfamiliar term that is central to the main argument in the text.
DUT ars
Correct Answer: B
Rationale
Choice B is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined portion functions in the
text as a whole. The first sentence presents the general claim that industrial activity is not always a threat to
wildlife. The underlined portion of the sentence that follows suggests that the silver-studded blue butterfly is an
example of wildlife thriving in areas of industrial activity: active limestone quarries. Thus, the function of the
underlined portion is to introduce a specific example in support of the general claim in the previous sentence
Choice A is incorrect. Although the first sentence indicates that “industrial activity is often assumed” to harm
wildlife, in the case of the silver-studded blue butterfly the text mentions neither an assumption about this
species nor any challenge to such an assumption. Choice C is incorrect because the text mentions only one
study: the “survey.” Additional studies are not mentioned in the text. Choice D is incorrect because neither the
underlined portion nor any other portion of the text provides a definition for any of the terms used in the text's,
argument.
Question Difficulty: Hard Question ID 9e5df0a7
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reat Craft and Structure | Text Structure and
Purpose ann
The following text is from Lucy Maud Montgomery's 1908 novel Anne of Green Gables. Anne, an eleven-year-old girl, has
come to live on a farm with a woman named Marilla in Nova Scotia, Canada,
Anne reveled in the world of color about her.
‘Oh, Marilla,” she exclaimed one Saturday morning, coming dancing in with her arms full of gorgeous boughs, "I'm
so glad | live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to
November, wouldn't it? Look at these maple branches. Don't they give you a thrill several thrills? I'm going to
decorate my room with them.”
"Messy things,” said Marilla, whose aesthetic sense was not noticeably developed. “You clutter up your room entirely
too much with out-of-doors stuff, Anne. Bedrooms were made to sleep in.”
Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
‘A To demonstrate that Anne has a newly developed appreciation of nature
B, To describe an argument that Anne and Marilla often have
C. To emphasize Marilla’s disapproval of how Anne has decorated her room
D. To show that Anne and Marilla have very different personalities
ID: 9e5df0a7 Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately describes the main purpose of the text, The text begins
by noting that Anne “reveled in the world of color about her’—that is, she takes great delight in colorful things. It
then relates a scene when she enthusiastically enters the house with autumn foliage and announces that she
will decorate her room with it. The focus of the text then shifts to Marilla, who has an undeveloped “aesthetic
sense,’ or appreciation of beauty, as can be seen when she dismisses the maple leaves as "messy things” and
criticizes Anne for cluttering her room with objects from outside, This episode thus illustrates that Anne and
Marilla differ in their appreciation of beauty and, more generally, in their basic character: Anne is exuberant and
joyful, while Marilla is stern and critical. Therefore, the purpose of the text is to show that Anne and Marilla have
very different personalities.
Choice A is incorrect because the text presents Anne's appreciation of nature as a basic personality trait, not as a
newfound enthusiasm, and never indicates how recently she developed that appreciation. Choice B is incorrect
Although the text portrays Anne and Marilla as having different personalities and attitudes toward natural
beauty and home decoration, it doesn’t show them engaging in an argument about this difference or suggest that
they often argue about it. Choice C is incorrect. Although the text does indicate that Marilla disapproves of how
Anne plans to decorate her room, Marilla's disapproval is a supporting detail that serves to develop her
personality, which the text as a whole contrasts with Anne's personality.
Question Difficulty: Hard Question ID f7214ef4
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reat
Craft and Structure | Text Structure and
Purpose ann
The following text is from Charlotte Perkins Gilman's 1910 poem “The Earth’s Entail.”
No matter how we cultivate the land,
Taming the forest and the prairie free;
No matter how we irrigate the sand,
Making the desert blossom at command,
We must always leave the borders of the sea;
‘The immeasureable reaches
Of the windy wave-wet beaches,
The million-mile-long margin of the sea
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
A, The speaker argues against interfering with nature and then gives evidence supporting this interference.
B, The speaker presents an account of efforts to dominate nature and then cautions that such efforts are only
temporary.
C. The speaker provides examples of an admirable way of approaching nature and then challenges that approach.
D. The speaker describes attempts to control nature and then offers a reminder that not all nature is controllable.
ID: £7214ef4 Answer
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer, This best describes the overall structure of the text, In the first half of the text, the
speaker describes our attempts to control nature: cultivating, taming, and irrigating different kinds of land. In the
second half, the speaker states that we can never tame the sea or the beach,
Choice A is incorrect. This doesn’t describe the overall structure of the text. The speaker never argues that we
should not interfere with nature, Rather, the speaker says that we are able to tame many different kinds of land,
but we are unable to tame the sea or beaches. Choice B is incorrect. This doesn't describe the overall structure of
the text. The speaker never describes our cultivation, taming, and irrigation of land as “temporary.” Rather, the
speaker says that we are able to tame many different kinds of land, but we are unable to tame the sea or
beaches. Choice C is incorrect. This doesn’t describe the overall structure of the text. The speaker never
describes our cultivation, taming, and irrigation of land as an “admirable” approach to nature” Rather, the
speaker says that we are able to tame many different kinds of land, but we are unable to tame the sea or
beaches.
Question Difficulty: Hard Question ID c9e5b0ad
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing | Craftand Structure | Text Structure and | gu gu gy
Purpose
Part of the Atacama Desert in Peru has surprisingly rich plant life despite receiving almost no rainfall. Moisture from
winter fog sustains plants once they're growing, but the soil’s tough crust makes it hard for seeds to germinate in the first
place. Local birds that dig nests in the ground seem to be of help: they churn the soil, exposing buried seeds to moisture
and nutrients. Indeed, in 2016 Cristina Rengifo Faiffer found that mounds of soil dug up by birds were far more fertile and
supported more seedlings than soil in undisturbed areas.
Which choice best describes the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?
A It elaborates on the idea that the top layer of Atacama Desert soil forms a tough crust.
B, It describes the process by which seeds are deposited into Atacama Desert soil
C. It identifies the reason particular bird species dig nests in Atacama Desert soil
D. It explains how certain birds promote seed germination in Atacama Desert soil
DRE Punic
Correct Answer: D
Rationale
Choice D is the best answer because it most accurately describes how the underlined portion functions in the
text as a whole. The first two sentences establish a natural phenomenon: there is a richness of plant life found in
the Atacama Desert despite the hard soil that makes it challenging for seeds to germinate. The next sentence,
which contains the underlined portion, offers a potential explanation for the phenomenon: local birds dig ground
nests exposing seeds to moisture and materials in the soil necessary for germination, The last sentence
summarizes a study that compared the fertileness of mounds of dirt dug up by birds to mounds that were
undisturbed to support the explanation in the underlined portion, Thus, the underlined portion mainly functions
to explain how certain birds promote seed germination in the Atacama Desert soil,
Choice A is incorrect because the underlined portion doesn't address the topic of the soil's tough crust or its
formation. Instead, the text elaborates on the idea that local birds that build ground nests may help seeds
germinate in the hard soil. Choice B is incorrect because the underlined portion describes how some birds may
support seed germination in Atacama Desert soil but doesn't describe how the seeds are deposited into the soil
before germination begins. Choice C is incorrect because neither the underlined portion nor the text as a whole
identifies a reason that a particular bird species may choose to dig ground nests in the Atacama Desert soil.
Question Difficulty: Hard Question ID d11b5a4a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing | Craftand Structure | Text Structure and | gu gu gy
Purpose
ID: d11bSada
Yawn contagion occurs when one individual yawns in response to another's yawn. Studies of this behavior in primates
have focused on populations in captivity, but biologist Elisabetta Palagi and her colleagues have shown that it can occur
in wild primate populations as well, In their study, which focused on a wild population of gelada monkeys (Theropithecus
