PSAT 8/9 Prep with 2 practice tests - Princeton Review 2020

Chapter 5 Reading comprehension
Part III PSAT 8/9 Prep

Half of your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score comes from the Reading Test, a 55-minute test that requires you to answer 42 questions spread out over five passages. The questions will ask you to do everything from determining the meaning of words in context, to deciding an author’s purpose for providing a detail, to finding the main idea of an entire passage, to pinpointing information on a graph. Each passage ranges from 500 to 700 words and has 8 or 9 questions. Time will be tight on this test. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce you to a basic approach that will streamline how you take the test and allow you to focus on only what you need to get your points.

PSAT 8/9 READING: CRACKING THE PASSAGES

Answering passage-based reading questions is exactly like taking an open-book test: all of the information that you could be asked about is right in front of you, so you never have to worry about any history, literature, or chemistry that you may (or may not) have learned in school. Of course, you will use the passage to answer the questions, but you will not need to read the passage from beginning to end, master all its details, and then carefully select the one choice that answers the question perfectly. What you need is a way to get in and get out of this section with as little stress and as many points as possible.

If someone asked you in what year Louis Pasteur invented pasteurization, would you read the Wikipedia entry on Pasteur from the beginning until you found the answer? Or would you quickly scan through it looking for words like “invented” and “pasteurization”—or better yet, look for the numbers that represent a year, which are easy to spot? We’re sure his childhood was fascinating, but your job is to answer a specific question, not read an entire text. This is exactly how to approach passage-based reading questions on the PSAT 8/9.

Your Mission:

Process five passages and answer 8 or 9 questions for each passage (or pair of passages). Get as many points as you can.

Okay…so how do you get those points? Let’s start with the instructions for the Reading Test.

DIRECTIONS

Each passage or pair of passages below is followed by a number of questions. After reading each passage or pair, choose the best answer to each question based on what is stated or implied in the passage or passages and in any accompanying graphics (such as a table or graph).

Notice that the directions clearly tell you that the correct answer is based on “what is stated or implied in the passage.” This is great news! You do not have to rely on your outside knowledge here. All the College Board cares about is whether you can read a text and understand it well enough to answer some questions about it. Unlike in the Math or the Writing and Language Tests, there are no formulas to memorize, no comma rules to learn. You just need to know how to efficiently process the text, the questions, and the answer choices in order to maximize your score. A mantra you can use here: Don’t think! Just read!

Another benefit of this open-book test format: you can (and should!) flip back and forth between the passage and the questions so that you are reading only what you need in order to answer a given question.

Your POOD and Your Reading Test

You will get all five of the Reading passages at the same time, so use that to your advantage. Take a quick look through the entire section and figure out the best order for you to do the passages in. Depending on your target score, you may be able to temporarily skip (don’t forget LOTD!) an entire passage or two, so figure out which passages are hardest, and save them for last (or for never).

How do you decide which ones to do and which ones to skip? Consider these concepts:

·  Type of passage: You’ll have one literature passage, two science passages, and two history/social studies passages. If you like to read fiction, the literature passage may be a good place for you to start. If you like to read nonfiction, the science or history/social studies might be a better starting place for you.

·  Topic of passage: The blurb will give you some basic information about the passage that can help you decide whether to do the passage or skip it.

·  Types of questions: Do the questions have a good number of Line References and Lead Words? Will you be able to find what you’re looking for relatively quickly, or will you have to spend more time wading through the passage to find what you need?

Don’t forget: On any questions or passages that you skip, always fill in your LOTD!

Basic Approach for the Reading Test

Follow these steps for every Reading passage. We’ll go over these in greater detail in the next few pages.

1.  Read the Blurb. The little blurb at the beginning of each passage may not contain a lot of information, but it can be helpful for identifying the type of passage.

2.  Select and Understand a Question. For the most part, do the questions in order, saving the general questions for last and using your LOTD on any questions you want to skip.

3.  Read What You Need. Don’t read the whole passage! Use Line References, Lead Words, and the natural order of the questions to find the reference for the question, and then carefully read a window of about 10—12 lines (usually about 5 or 6 lines above and below the Line Reference/Lead Word) to find the answer to the question.

4.  Predict the Correct Answer. Your prediction should come straight from the text. Don’t analyze or paraphrase. Often, you’ll be able to find something in the text that you can actually highlight to predict the answer.

5.  POE. Eliminate anything that isn’t consistent with your prediction. Don’t necessarily try to find the right answer immediately, because there is a good chance you won’t see anything that you like. If you can eliminate answers that you know are wrong, though, you’ll be closer to the right answer. If you can’t eliminate three answers with your prediction, use the POE criteria (which we’ll talk about in a few pages).

Where the Money Is

A reporter once asked notorious thief Willie Sutton why he robbed banks. Legend has it that his answer was, “Because that’s where the money is.” While reading comprehension is safer and slightly more productive than larceny, the same principle applies. Concentrate on the questions and answer choices because that’s where the points are. The passage is just a place for the College Board to stash facts and details. You’ll find them when you need to. What’s the point of memorizing all 67 pesky details about plankton if the College Board asks you about only 9?

Let’s see these steps in action!

A sample passage and questions appear on the next few pages. Don’t start working the passage right away. In fact…you can’t! The answer choices are missing. Just go ahead to this page, where we will begin going through the steps of the Basic Approach, using the upcoming passage and questions.

SAMPLE PASSAGE AND QUESTIONS

Here is an example of what a reading comprehension passage and questions look like. We will use this passage to illustrate the reading Basic Approach throughout this chapter. You don’t need to do the questions now, but you might want to paperclip this page so it’s easy to flip back to later.

This passage is adapted from Agustín Fuentes, “Are We Really as Awful as We Act Online?” ©2018 by National Geographic Society.

These are the questions for the passage. We’ve removed the answer choices because, for now, we just want you to see the different question types the PSAT 8/9 will ask. Don’t worry about answering these here.

9.The primary purpose of the passage is to

10.The author indicates that the reason humans have been able to create inventions such as cars and rockets is that

11.Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

12.The phrase “You are whom you meet” (lines 29—30) most strongly suggests that

13.As used in line 44, “absorbed” most nearly means

14.The author most likely mentions Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as examples of

15.Based on information in the passage, it can reasonably be inferred that aggression

16.Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

Step 1: Read the Blurb

You should always begin by reading the blurb (the introductory material above the passage). The blurb gives you the title of the piece, as well as the author and the publication date. Typically the blurb won’t have much more information than that, but it’ll be enough to let you know whether the passage is literature, history/social studies, or science. It will also give you a sense of what the passage will be about and can help you make a POOD decision about when to do the passage.

The Strategy

1. Read the Blurb

Read the blurb at the beginning of the passage on this page. Based on the blurb, is the passage literature, history/social studies, or science? What will the passage be about?

Step 2: Select and Understand a Question

Select…

Notice that the steps of the Basic Approach have you jumping straight from the blurb to the questions. There is no “Read the Passage” step. You get points for answering questions, not for reading the passage, so we’re going to go straight to the questions.

The Strategy

1. Read the Blurb

2. Select and Understand a Question

On a test you take in school, you probably do the questions in order. That seems logical and straightforward. However, doing the questions in order on a Reading passage can set you up for a serious time issue. The College Board says the order of the questions is “as natural as possible, with general questions about central ideas, themes, point of view, overall text structure, and the like coming early in the sequence, followed by more localized questions about details, words in context, evidence, and the like.” So to sum it up, the general questions come first, followed by the specific questions.

That question structure works great in an English class, when you have plenty of time to read and digest the text on your own. When you’re trying to get through five passages in less than an hour, you don’t have time for that. Instead of starting with the general questions and then answering the specific questions, we’re going to flip that and do the specific questions first.

Look back at the questions on this page.

What does the first question ask you about?

In order to answer that question, you’d have to read what part of the passage?

And what we don’t want to do is read the whole passage! So skip that first question. You’ll come back to it, but not until you’ve done the specific questions. Once you go through and answer all (or most) of the specific questions, you’ll have a really good idea what the test-writers think is important. You’ll also have read most of the passage, so answering the general questions at the end will be easier than it would be if you had started with them.

Remember we mentioned earlier that the questions are in “natural” order? The specific questions are written roughly in the same order in which they appear in the passage. So work through them as they’re given, and you’ll work through the passage from beginning to end. Do not get stuck on a hard question, though. If you find yourself stumped, use your LOTD and move on to the next question. You can always come back if you have time.

Based on that logic, let’s skip the first question and move on to the second question.

…and Understand

Once you’ve selected a question, you need to make sure you understand what it’s asking. Reading questions are often not in question format. Instead, they will make statements such as, “The author’s primary reason for mentioning the gadfly is to,” and then the answer choices will follow. Make sure that you understand the question by turning it into a question—that is, back into a sentence that ends with a question mark and begins with What/Why/How?

10.The author indicates that the reason humans have been able to create inventions such as cars and rockets is that

Rephrase the Question…

…so that it asks:

What?

Why?

How?

What is this question asking?

Notice the phrase the author indicates that. This phrase lets you know that the question can be rephrased as a “what” question. That “what” question is, “What is the reason humans have been able to create inventions such as cars and rockets?” Notice that the question asks what the author indicates. This lets you know that you don’t have to come up with the answer on your own. You just need to find what the author actually said about humans creating cars and rockets and use that information to answer the question.

Step 3: Read What You Need

Line References and Lead Words

Many questions will refer you to a specific set of lines or to a particular paragraph. A set of lines that a question refers to is called a Line Reference. Other questions may not give you a Line Reference but may ask about specific names, quotes, or phrases from the text. We’ll call those words from the text Lead Words. Capitalized words, italicized words, and words that only appear in one place in a passage are good Lead Words because they are easy to find. It’s important to remember that a Line Reference or Lead Word shows you where the question is in the passage, but you’ll have to read more than that single line in order to find the answer in the passage.

The Strategy

1. Read the Blurb

2. Select and Understand a Question

3. Read What You Need

If you read a window of about five lines above and five lines below each Line Reference or Lead Word, you should find the information you need. It’s important to note that while you do not need to read more than these 10—12 lines of text, you usually cannot get away with reading less. If you read only the lines from the Line Reference, you will very likely not find the information you need to answer the question. Read carefully! You should be able to put your finger on the particular phrase, sentence, or set of lines that answers your question.

Read a window of about 5 lines above and 5 lines below the Line Reference to get the context for the question.

5 Above, 5 Below

5 is the magic number when it comes to Line Reference questions. Read about 5 lines above the Line Reference and then about 5 lines below it to get all of the information you need in order to answer the question correctly.

10.The author indicates that the reason humans have been able to create inventions such as cars and rockets is that

What are the Lead Words in this question?

What lines will you need to read to find the answer?

The best Lead Words for this question are cars and rockets because these words actually appear in the passage, and they will probably only be mentioned in one place. Remember that specific questions are written roughly in the order that they appear in the passage. Since question 10 is the first specific question, the window is probably near the beginning of the passage. Scan the first paragraph, looking for the Lead Words cars and rockets. These Lead Words appear in line 13. Once you use the Lead Words to find the reference, draw a bracket around a window of about 5 lines above and 5 lines below the reference to remind you which lines you need to read. The more you can get out of your brain and onto the page, the better off you’ll be. In this case, the end of the first paragraph and the first three sentences of the second paragraph would be a good window.

Now it’s time to read.

Step 4: Predict the Answer

The College Board does their best to distract you by creating tempting—but wrong—answers. However, if you know what you’re looking for in advance, you will be less likely to fall for a trap answer. Before you even glance at the answer choices, take the time to think about what specific, stated information in your window supplies the answer to the question. Be careful not to paraphrase too far from the text or try to analyze what you’re reading. Remember that what might be a good “English class” answer may lead you in the wrong direction on the PSAT 8/9! Stick with the text.

The Strategy

1. Read the Blurb

2. Select and Understand a Question

3. Read What You Need

4. Predict the Answer

As you read the window, look for specific lines or phrases that answer the question. Often what you’re looking for will be in a sentence before or after the Line Reference or Lead Word, so it’s crucial that you read the full window.

Once you’ve found text to answer the question, highlight it if you can! Otherwise, jot down a prediction for the answer, sticking as close to the text as possible.

Let’s keep looking at question 10, this time with the window.

10.The author indicates that the reason humans have been able to create inventions such as cars and rockets is that

Here’s your window from the passage. Even though you’re reading only a chunk of the text, make sure you read it carefully. See whether you can find something in this chunk of text that answers the question. Highlight your prediction if you can.

Did you highlight Our brains got bigger, and our capacities for cooperation exploded? The passage gives you evidence that the author thinks that bigger brains and an increasing capacity for cooperation allowed humans to create cars, rockets, and other innovations.

Step 5: Use Process of Elimination

A multiple-choice test is a cool thing because you have all the right answers on the page in front of you. All you have to do is eliminate anything that isn’t correct. Sometimes, especially on Reading, it’s easier to find wrong answers that aren’t supported by the passage rather than trying to find the right answer that might not look the way you think it should.

The Strategy

1. Read the Blurb

2. Select and Understand a Question

3. Read What You Need

4. Predict Your Answer

5. Use Process of Elimination

Process of Elimination, or POE, involves two steps. The first step will be the question, “What can I eliminate that doesn’t match—or is inconsistent with—my prediction?” For many of the easy and medium questions, this step will be enough to get down to the right answer.

10.The author indicates that the reason humans have been able to create inventions such as cars and rockets is that

Remember, in the previous step, you used the text to predict that bigger brains and an increasing capacity for cooperation allowed humans to create cars, rockets, and other innovations. Start by eliminating anything that does not match your prediction.

Did you eliminate (A) and (B) right away? Neither choice involves either bigger brains or increasing cooperation. That was fast! Now you’re down to two answer choices that use words or ideas from your prediction. Look for the differences between the two answers and use the text to eliminate the incorrect one. Choice (C) says that online communication has led to cooperative problem-solving. Does that match the text in the window from the passage? No. The lines in the window don’t mention online communication, so eliminate (C). Choice (D) says that our ability to collaborate grew as we evolved. Does this match the text in the window? Yes. The phrase our ability to collaborate grew matches the idea that our capacities for cooperation exploded, and the word evolved matches the idea that humans transformed over the course of two million years. The correct answer needs to match the prediction, but it does not have to use exactly the same words used in the passage. The correct answer is (D).

POE Criteria

On most of the easy and medium questions, you’ll be able to eliminate three of the four answers simply by using your prediction. On other questions, usually the harder questions, your prediction will help you get rid of one or two answers, and then you’ll need to consider the remaining answers a little more carefully. If you’re down to two answers, and they both seem to make sense, you’re probably down to the right answer and the trap answer. Luckily, there are some common traps that the College Board will set for you, and knowing them can help you figure out which is the trap answer and which is the right answer. Here are a few of those traps:

·  Mostly Right, Slightly Wrong: These answers look just about perfect except for a word or two that doesn’t match what’s in the text.

·  Could Be True: These answers might initially look good because they make sense or seem logical. You might be able to support these answers in an English class, but they lack the concrete support from the text to make them correct PSAT 8/9 answers.

·  Right Words, Wrong Meaning: These answer choices have individual words that look exactly like what you saw in the passage, but the words are put together in such a way that they don’t actually match the meaning that is in the passage.

·  Right Answer, Wrong Question: These answer choices include details that are mentioned in the passage, but they don’t answer the question that was asked.

Predictions and POE

Use these criteria after you have eliminated anything that doesn’t match your prediction.

QUESTION TYPES AND FORMATS

Now that you know the steps of the Basic Approach, let’s consider the different types of questions you’ll be answering. It’s not important that you can identify the question types by the names we give them. But it is extremely important that you can read a question and know how to respond. Is the question asking you WHAT the author says, WHAT the author means, WHAT a particular word means, WHAT evidence supports a point, etc.? The next section of this chapter will help you decode those question types and formats. The final section will help you make sense of WHY or HOW an author does something, as well as the General WHAT questions.

WHAT Question Types

·  Detail

·  Infer/Imply/Suggest

·  Vocabulary-in-Context

·  Best Evidence

DETAIL (WHAT?)

When you see a question that contains a phrase such as according to the passage or the author indicates, your job is fairly simple. Get to that part of the text, find the detail that tells you WHAT the passage or the author is saying, and then use POE to get rid of wrong answers.

Carefully read the window and do not simply rely on your memory. The question writers are really good at tricking people who use their memories rather than their eyes.

A few pages ago, we discussed this question:

10.The author indicates that the reason humans have been able to create inventions such as cars and rockets is that

A)we are motivated by a tendency to be aggressively competitive.

B)we have gradually overcome our brutish human nature.

C)online communication has allowed us to problem-solve together.

D)our ability to collaborate grew as we evolved.

Question 10 is a Detail question. Recall how we solved it by going back to the text, finding relevant evidence, predicting an answer, and then using POE to eliminate answers that didn’t match the prediction. If you rely on this process, you will improve your performance with Detail questions.

INFER/IMPLY/SUGGEST (WHAT?)

When you see a question that contains the words infer, imply, or suggest, be extra careful. In real life, those words often signify a question asking your interpretation. You may think that the test-writers want you to do some English-class-level reading between the lines. In actuality, though, they don’t. It’s still just a straight reading comprehension question. There may be a tiny bit of reading between the lines, because the answer may not be as directly stated in the text as it will with a detail question, but there will still be plenty of evidence in the text to support the correct answer.

12.The phrase “You are whom you meet” most strongly suggests that

A)we are only affected by people we meet in person.

B)most nonhuman animals are not evolutionarily successful.

C)the people we regularly interact with influence our behavior.

D)we are most effective when we share our working space with others.

Here’s How to Crack It

The question asks what is suggested by the phrase “You are whom you meet.” Use Lead Words and the order of the questions to find the window for the question. The window for question 10 was in lines 8—19. Since the questions are in order, the window for this question probably starts after the window for question 10. Starting with line 19, scan the passage for the Lead Words “You are whom you meet.” Lines 28—34 state, But when it comes to our behavior, a more apt variation is “You are whom you meet.” How we perceive, experience, and act in the world is intensely shaped by who and what surround us on a daily basis—our families, communities, institutions, beliefs, and role models. Highlight the second of these two sentences, and eliminate answers that do not match the prediction.

Choice (A) is a Mostly Right, Slightly Wrong trap answer. The text does indicate that we are affected by people we meet, but it does not say that we are only affected by people we meet in person. Eliminate (A).

Choice (B) says that most nonhuman animals are not evolutionarily successful. The text says that humans can work together more so than most other beings, and that the ability to work together is part of how we’ve become such a successful species. However, it does not indicate that most animals other than humans are not evolutionarily successful. Eliminate (B).

Choice (C) says that the people we regularly interact with influence our behavior. This matches the prediction that the people who surround us on a daily basis shape the way we act in the world. Keep (C).

Choice (D) says that we are most effective when we share our working space with others. Although the passage suggests that the ability to work together is part of how we’ve become such a successful species, it does not state that sharing working space makes us most effective. Choice (D) is a Right Words, Wrong Meaning trap answer. Eliminate (D).

Remember: don’t create your own interpretation just because a question uses the word suggests. Instead, read and highlight a prediction from the passage, and eliminate answers that don’t match the prediction.

VOCABULARY-IN-CONTEXT (WHAT?)

Another way that the College Board will test your reading comprehension is with Vocabulary-in-Context (VIC) questions. The most important thing to remember is that these are IN CONTEXT! Gone are the days of “SAT Vocabulary” when you had to memorize lists of obscure words like impecunious and perspicacious. Now the test-writers want to see that you can understand what a word means based on context. You’ll see words that look familiar but may be used in ways that are a little less familiar. Do not try to answer these questions simply by defining the word in your head and looking for that definition. You have to go back to the text and look at the context for the word.

13.As used in line 44, “absorbed” most nearly means

A)shared.

B)soaked.

C)tolerated.

D)learned.

Here’s How to Crack It

The question asks, “What does the word absorbed mean as it is used in line 44?” With Vocabulary-in-Context questions, you don’t need to read a full 10—12 lines. Typically, a few lines before and a few lines after will give you what you need. Go to line 44 and find the word absorbed. Cross it out. When you read a bit before and after the word, say lines 41—48, the text says, Today the who can include more virtual, social media friends than physical ones; more information absorbed via Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram than in physical social experiences; and more pronouncements from ad-sponsored 24-hour news outlets than from conversations with other human beings. Now read the sentence and put in a different word or phrase that means the same thing as absorbed. Did you use a word like “gained”? Compare your prediction to the answer choices, and you can quickly eliminate (A), (B), and (C).

Do not give into the temptation to simply answer the question without looking at the text. Did you notice that at least two of the wrong answer choices do legitimately mean absorbed? If you don’t go back to the text, you can easily fall for such a wrong answer. But if you make a prediction based on what the text actually says, you will avoid these tricky answers.

BEST EVIDENCE QUESTIONS (WHAT?)

Remember the full name of the “verbal” score for the PSAT 8/9? It’s the “Evidence-Based Reading and Writing” score. Throughout this chapter, you’ve been using evidence to answer all of these questions, so this question type won’t come as a complete surprise. In fact, once you get comfortable with the best way to manage evidence questions, you’ll be glad to see them. In some cases, you can do the work for one question and get points for two!

Best Evidence: Easy-to-Find Paired Questions

We discussed question 10 earlier. Here it is again:

10.The author indicates that the reason humans have been able to create inventions such as cars and rockets is that

The correct answer was (D): our ability to collaborate grew as we evolved. Recall that we based this answer on the part of the text that said that as humans evolved, our capacities for cooperation exploded.

Take a look at the question that follows:

11.Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

A)Lines 7—8 (“But that’s…nature”)

B)Lines 15—16 (“Our brains…exploded”)

C)Lines 19—24 (“I would…ourselves”)

D)Lines 40—41 (“But the…changing”)

Here’s How to Crack It

What to do? Since the text you already used to answer question 10 (our capacities for cooperation exploded) was in lines 15—16, simply pick (B) and move on! Buy one, get one free.

We’re not kidding: easy-to-find best evidence questions are like free points. Get them all!

Best Evidence: Harder-to-Find Paired Questions

Sometimes, though, the best evidence question follows a question that is harder to find in the passage. The first question may have no Line References or Lead Words, and the order of the questions might leave you with a long section of the passage to search. You might think that you have to answer the first question by reading a long section of the passage and then answer the evidence question based on that exhaustive research. But luckily, there’s a time-saving and accuracy-improving alternative: a strategy that we call Parallel POE.

Best Evidence

Not sure where to find the answer? Let the “best evidence” lines help!

Using Parallel POE, you’ll be able to work through both questions in a paired set at the same time! When you find yourself faced with a set of paired questions, you can start with the second question (the “best evidence” question) if (1) you aren’t sure where to look for the answer to the first question, or (2) the first question is a general question that asks about the passage as a whole. Because the second question in the pair asks which lines provide the best evidence for the previous question, the correct answer to the first question has to be in one of the four sets of lines given in the second question. You can use those lines to help you work through the answers for the previous question. Let’s take a look.

15.Based on information in the passage, it can reasonably be inferred that aggression

A)is reduced more effectively by a community response than by a response from one person.

B)increases when a culture begins to place less value on good manners.

C)has been a fundamental part of human nature throughout our evolution.

D)is more harmful to human society than is any other problem that we face today.

16.Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

A)Lines 58—61 (“If there…platforms”)

B)Lines 65—68 (“That is…aggression”)

C)Lines 69—72 (“Humans are…animal”)

D)Lines 85—88 (“But confronting…aggression”)

Here’s How to Crack It

Aggression is discussed throughout the whole passage, and question 13 asked about line 44. Half of the passage comes after line 44. So, even after using Lead Words and the order of the questions to narrow down the search, you’re left with a long section of the passage. What to do? Here’s where Parallel POE comes in. Notice that question 16 gives you the only possible lines for your evidence. Choice (16A) references lines 58—61, (16B) references lines 65—68, (16C) references lines 69—72, and (16D) references lines 85—88. So what would you rather do: read the entire second half of the passage hoping you might find an answer somewhere or read these tiny chunks one at a time to see if they answer the question? We hope you answered, “tiny chunks!”

Think again about how paired questions operate. The correct answer to the first question must be supported by an answer to the best evidence question, and the correct answer to the best evidence question must support an answer to the first question. In other words, if there is a best evidence answer that doesn’t support an answer to the first question, it is wrong. Period. Likewise, if there is an answer to the first question that isn’t supported by a best evidence answer, it too is wrong. Period.

Let’s use this to our advantage! Start making connections between the two answer sets. If a best evidence answer supports a first question answer, physically draw a line connecting them. Any best evidence answer that isn’t connected to an answer in the first question can be eliminated. Likewise, any best evidence answer that doesn’t address the first question can be eliminated.

Let’s take a look at how this first Parallel POE pass would look. (The paired questions have been arranged in two columns for your convenience. This does not represent what you will see on the official test.)

Question 15 asks what can be inferred about aggression. Start with the line references in the answers for question 16.

The lines in (16A) say, If there are no repercussions for it, that encourages the growth of aggression, incivility, and just plain meanness on social media platforms. Does this evidence support any of the answers for question 15? Choice (15B) looks possible, so draw a line physically connecting (16A) with (15B).

The lines in (16B) say, That is, how do we modify the whom by which our brains and bodies are being molded—and thereby reduce the aggression? Does this evidence support any of the answers for question 15? Nope. So eliminate (16B) and move on.

The lines in (16C) say, Humans are evolutionarily successful because our big brains have allowed us to bond together and cooperate in more complex and diverse manners than any other animal. These lines do not provide an answer to question 15 because they are not about aggression. Therefore, they cannot provide the best evidence to answer question 15, so eliminate (16C).

The lines in (16D) say, But confronting the bully with a group action—a reasoned, communal response rather than a knee-jerk, solo gesture—can be more effective at shutting down aggression. Does this evidence support any of the answers for question 15? Yes. It supports (15A), so draw a line physically connecting (16D) with (15A).

Look at your progress so far: (15C) and (15D) have no support from question 16, so go ahead and eliminate (15C) and (15D). No matter how good they may sound, they CANNOT be right if there is no evidence supporting them from the best evidence question.

Your work should look something like this at this point:

Now you’re down to a very nice 50/50 split. Go back to the question. Of the two pairs, which one best answers the question and matches the text of the passage? At this point, you may need to read a wider window around the remaining line references in question 16 and do some translating of the text to make sure you understand each answer. The window around the lines in (16A) says, Anonymity and the lack of face-to-face interaction on social media platforms…opens the door to more frequent, and severe, displays of aggression. Being an antagonizer, especially to those you don’t have to confront face-to-face, is easier now than it’s ever been. If there are no repercussions for it, that encourages the growth of aggression, incivility, and just plain meanness on social media platforms. In other words, the text indicates that the lack of face-to-face interaction and the lack of repercussions (consequences) for antagonizers (bullies) causes an increase in aggression. The text does not mention a culture placing less value on good manners, so these lines do not fully support (15B). Eliminate (16A) and (15B). Choose the remaining answers, (15A) and (16D), and get two points.

On the actual test, it would be too complicated for you to draw a full table like the one above, but all you need to do is create a column to the left of the best evidence answer choices for the answers to the previous question. Basically, it should look something like this:

Parallel POE

Since you can’t draw a full table on the actual exam, try making notations as shown in question 15; that is, create a column to the left of the best evidence answer choices listing out the choices to the previous question.

Best Evidence: Single Questions

You will also see some Best Evidence questions that are not paired with another question. When you see a single Best Evidence question, look at the lines given in each answer choice, and eliminate answers that don’t provide evidence for the claim in the question. You will see an example of a single Best Evidence question in the next section.

There is a list of common question wording in the Chapter Summary on this page. Use this list as you practice to help you identify the question types.

Sample Passage and Questions

Here is another example of a Reading Passage and questions. We will use this passage to let you independently practice the Basic Approach on the WHAT questions you already know how to do (Detail, Infer, Vocabulary-in-Context, Best Evidence) and to model for you how to manage the WHY and HOW questions, as well as the Charts and Graphs questions and General questions.

Questions 35-42 are based on the following passage and supplementary material.

This passage is adapted from Virginia Hughes, “Why Does Music Feel So Good?” ©2013 by National Geographic.

34.Which choice best describes the overall structure of the passage?

A)The author presents an effect of music, discusses literature written about the effect, and explains how the effect can be reproduced.

B)The author presents an outdated belief, summarizes an experiment that seemed to support the belief, and describes a new experiment that contradicts the belief.

C)The author presents a question, discusses a study related to the question, and describes findings that may help researchers develop an answer to the question.

D)The author presents a common musical experience, examines the experience in different cultures, and explains why many people have similar experiences.

35.As used in line 1, “moves” most nearly means

A)carries.

B)persuades.

C)transports.

D)affects.

36.The passage most strongly suggests that research has not yet determined

A)the best application for positron emission tomography.

B)the effects of previous experience on musical preference.

C)which brain regions are associated with feelings of boredom.

D)why music is capable of creating a sense of pleasure.

37.Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

A)Lines 3—5 (“Nobody really…experiences”)

B)Lines 12—13 (“these preferences…past”)

C)Lines 21—25 (“With this…dopamine”)

D)Lines 79—82 (“If you…disappointed”)

38.In the context of the passage, what is the main purpose of the sentence in lines 28-30?

A)To explain the role of dopamine in the evolution of animal behavior

B)To suggest the reason that Salimpoor’s team conducted the study described in the next paragraph

C)To point out the shortcomings of Salimpoor’s early research into brain chemistry

D)To predict the outcome of future studies about brain activity and music

39.Based on the passage, which additional information, if true, would challenge the conclusions Salimpoor drew from the study that was set up like an auction?

A)People’s decisions about how much they are willing to spend on a song are primarily based on their beliefs about their friends’ preferences rather than on their own enjoyment of the music.

B)Some people who work at national chain music stores are just as knowledgeable about music as people who work at local music stores are.

C)People experience increased activity in the nucleus accumbens when viewing paintings that they describe as beautiful.

D)Dopamine may not flood a person’s brain until several minutes after the person experiences something pleasant.

40.According to the passage, Salimpoor visited local music stores after collecting surveys of volunteers’ music preferences in order to

A)seek information about what causes people to prefer certain musical genres.

B)compare the music available online with music available in stores.

C)select songs that the study participants had not heard previously.

D)determine which songs the staff had recommended to the study participants.

41.Which choice best supports the idea that human responses to music can be tracked by measuring specific types of brain activity?

A)Lines 61—64 (“It turns…song”)

B)Lines 65—67 (“So why…experiences”)

C)Lines 67—71 (“Depending…says”)

D)Lines 72—74 (“Whether you…have”)

42.According to the figure, which of the following correctly describes the effect size for songs on which $1.29 was spent?

A)0

B)Greater than 0 but less than 0.1

C)Greater than 0.1 but less than 0.2

D)Greater than 0.2

Do you recognize the formats of questions 35, 36, 37, 40 and 41? Q35 is a Vocabulary-in-Context question, Q36 is an Infer question, Q40 is a Detail question, and Q37 and Q41 are Best Evidence questions (Q37 is paired with Q36, and Q41 is a single Best Evidence question). Try answering these on your own, using the strategies we’ve been discussing. Answers can be found in Part IV.

That leaves us with a few other mysterious question types. In the following pages, we will demystify them for you.

PURPOSE QUESTIONS (WHY?)

Take a look at question 38, and think about how it’s different from the WHAT questions we’ve been talking about.

38.In the context of the passage, what is the main purpose of the sentence in lines 28—30?

Notice that it’s not asking you WHAT the sentence says. It is asking about the sentence’s purpose. The purpose for something is the reason it is there. How would you talk about that? You would explain WHY it is there, right? Yes! So when you see questions with phrases like “what is the purpose” or “in order to,” just translate them into questions starting with WHY.

Question 38 is really asking WHY the author included the sentence in lines 28—30. Doesn’t that feel easier to deal with than the way it was originally worded? We think so too.

Think for a moment about how authors make and support their points: they give details or examples to help convey a certain theme or to provide evidence for a claim. When the College Board asks why the author includes certain words, sentences, or paragraphs, you have to look for the larger idea the author is supporting with a particular detail. You won’t have to guess the author’s purpose—there will be evidence in the passage of the point the author is making. You do need to read a window around the line reference in order to identify the author’s point. In other words, the Basic Approach for a WHY question is similar to the approach for a WHAT question, but the prediction will be based on how the detail in the question relates to the surrounding text.

To work question 38, begin by carefully reading a window around the line reference. Lines 21—25 describe the results of an experiment: 15 minutes after participants listened to their favorite song, their brains flooded with dopamine. The sentence that question 38 asks about is a quote by Salimpoor about the experiment’s results. She says, “But animals don’t get intense pleasures to music…So we knew there had to be a lot more to it.” The next paragraph describes a new experiment that Salimpoor and her team conducted to learn more about the brain activity that occurs when people listen to music.

Remember, the question asks WHY the author includes the information in lines 28—30. In lines 28—30, Salimpoor indicates that the researchers knew there was more to learn, and the next paragraph describes a new experiment they conducted. Therefore, the purpose of the sentence in lines 28—30 is to suggest what prompted Salimpoor and her team to conduct the new experiment. Let’s compare that prediction with the answer choices.

A)To explain the role of dopamine in the evolution of animal behavior

B)To suggest the reason that Salimpoor’s team conducted the study described in the next paragraph

C)To point out the shortcomings of Salimpoor’s early research into brain chemistry

D)To predict the outcome of future studies about brain activity and music

This sentence does not explain the role of dopamine in the evolution of animal behavior, so eliminate (A).

The author’s intention is not to point out the shortcomings of Salimpoor’s early research—nothing in the surrounding text suggests that the author is critical of Salimpoor. Eliminate (C).

The sentence does not predict the outcome of future studies, so eliminate (D).

Choice (B) is consistent with the prediction, and it’s the correct answer. But do the words in the answer sound much like what you read in the passage? Not really—the answer choice doesn’t include the words animals, brain activity, or music. On certain WHY and HOW questions, instead of naming the actual people or topics from the passage, the College Board uses general language to make it tougher to pick out the correct answer. (They would probably describe the plot of a movie like this: “A character was introduced, a problem arose, possible solutions were explored and rejected, and a resolution emerged from an unexpected alliance with a former antagonist.”) Don’t dismiss these answers because they don’t contain words that remind you of the passage. Instead, if you see “a theory,” ask yourself: was a theory discussed? If you see “a disagreement,” try to identify whether there was such a disagreement in the text. Try to match the general words from the answer choices back to the specific words in the text.

STRUCTURE AND ARGUMENT QUESTIONS (HOW?)

Take a look at question 39, and think about how it’s different from the WHAT and WHY questions we’ve talked about.

39.Based on the passage, which additional information, if true, would challenge the conclusions Salimpoor drew from the study that was set up like an auction?

Notice that this question is not asking you WHAT the author is saying, nor is it asking you WHY the author says certain things. It’s asking you HOW you could weaken the researcher’s conclusions.

Begin by finding the window so that you can Read What You Need from the passage. Use lead words and the order of the questions to find the window. Question 38 asked about lines 28—30, so begin with those lines and scan for the lead words set up like an auction.

The paragraph describes a study in which participants listened to unfamiliar songs. To quantify how much they liked the music, participants were given the chance to buy the full version of each song using a computer program resembling iTunes. The program was set up like an auction, so participants would choose how much they were willing to spend on the song, with bids ranging from $0 to $2.

Notice that the question asks for additional information. The answers for some HOW questions may not come directly from the text, so you may not be able to predict exactly what the correct answer will say. However, the answers will still be supported by the text, and you can predict what the correct answer needs to do. The answer for question 39 needs to cast doubt on something that was important to Salimpoor’s study. Use Process of Elimination to eliminate answers that don’t relate to the study described in this paragraph, as well as answers that do not weaken the study.

A)People’s decisions about how much they are willing to spend on a song are primarily based on their beliefs about their friends’ preferences rather than on their own enjoyment of the music.

B)Some people who work at national chain music stores are just as knowledgeable about music as people who work at local music stores are.

C)People experience increased activity in the nucleus accumbens when viewing paintings that they describe as beautiful.

D)Dopamine may not flood a person’s brain until several minutes after the person experiences something pleasant.

Choice (A) says that people don’t decide how much money to spend on a song based on their own enjoyment of the music. The passage says that the study was set up like an auction to quantify (measure) how much the participants liked the music. If it’s true that people do not decide how much money to spend on a song based on their own enjoyment of the music, then the experiment would not have shown what the researchers thought it showed. That would weaken the conclusions that they drew from the study, so keep (A).

Choice (B) says that some employees of national chain music stores are just as knowledgeable about music as employees of local music stores are. The researchers found some of the music used in the study by talking to people who worked in local music stores. But the fact that people at other stores are also knowledgeable about music would not mean that local music store employees were not knowledgeable, so this information does not weaken the conclusions of the study. Eliminate (B).

Choice (C) says that people experience increased activity in the nucleus accumbens when they look at beautiful paintings. The study showed that people experience increased activity in the nucleus accumbens when they listen to music they enjoy. Since looking at beautiful paintings is also probably enjoyable, this information might actually support the study’s conclusions, and the question asks for something that weakens them. Eliminate (C).

Choice (D) says that dopamine may not flood a person’s brain until several minutes after a pleasant experience. The earlier study that Salimpoor did found that dopamine flooded the brain 15 minutes after the person listened to a song that gave them goosebumps or chills. However, the study that this question asks about wasn’t about the amount of time it takes dopamine to flood the brain, so this information doesn’t affect the study’s conclusions. Eliminate (D).

The correct answer is (A).

CHARTS AND GRAPHS

Charts, graphs, and diagrams are not limited to the Math Test! You will see a variety of graphics in the Reading Test and even in the Writing and Language Test. (More on the Writing and Language Test later.) The good news is that the graphics you’ll be dealing with in the Reading Test are very straightforward and do not require any computations. All you need to do is make sure you can put your pencil on the place in the graphic that supports the answer. Let’s take a look at an example.

Step 1: Read the Graphic

Carefully look at the title, labels, and units. In this figure, we have a bar graph showing the size of the participants’ brain activity changes (in the brain region called the nucleus accumbens) corresponding to the amount of money they were willing to spend on particular songs.

Step 2: Read the Question

42.According to the figure, which of the following correctly describes the effect size for songs on which $1.29 was spent?

Since the question asks for a description based on the figure, your job will be to carefully look up the correct information in the graph and eliminate answers that are not consistent with that information. Make sure you can put your pencil on the data you’re using to keep or eliminate certain answers.

The horizontal axis shows “Money spent,” and the third bar is for the bid value of $1.29. The vertical axis shows “Effect size,” and the bar for $1.29 comes a little less than halfway to the mark for an effect size of 0.1.

Step 3: Read the Answers

A)0

B)Greater than 0 but less than 0.1

C)Greater than 0.1 but less than 0.2

D)Greater than 0.2

Choice (B) is consistent with the graph, since the effect size for the $1.29 bar is greater than 0 but less than 0.1. Keep (B). Eliminate (A), (C), and (D) because they are not consistent with the information in the graph. Notice that (A) and (C) are Right Answer, Wrong Question trap answers: (A) describes the effect size for bids of $0, and (C) describes the effect size for bids of $2. The correct answer is (B).

GENERAL QUESTIONS

For many of the Reading passages, the very first question will ask a question about the passage as a whole. It might ask about the main idea or primary purpose, the narrative point of view, or the structure of the passage. In other words, General questions can be what, why, or how questions.

Remember the Select a Question step? General questions are not good to do first because you haven’t read the passage yet, but once you’ve answered the other questions, you’ll have a good idea of the general themes of the text. So, it’s best to do General questions last.

Let’s take a look at question 34.

34.Which choice best describes the overall structure of the passage?

Because this question asks about the overall structure of the passage, there’s no one place you can look for the answer. General questions don’t have specific windows in the passage to read. It’s okay, though: after answering all of the specific questions, you’re quite familiar with the passage. Not only that, but you also have a good sense of what the test-writers found most interesting about the passage. If there are answer choices that have nothing to do with either the questions or the answers you’ve seen repeatedly, eliminate them and instead choose the one that is consistent with those questions and answers. For question 34, consider what the passage begins with (neuroscientists are trying to figure out why music creates such rewarding experiences for people), what is described in the middle of the passage (a study done by the neuroscientists to help them figure it out), and how the passage ends (an explanation for what the neuroscientists found during their study). Eliminate any answer that is inconsistent with those major pieces of the structure.

Let’s take a look at the answer choices:

A)The author presents an effect of music, discusses literature written about the effect, and explains how the effect can be reproduced.

B)The author presents an outdated belief, summarizes an experiment that seemed to support the belief, and describes a new experiment that contradicts the belief.

C)The author presents a question, discusses a study related to the question, and describes findings that may help researchers develop an answer to the question.

D)The author presents a common musical experience, examines the experience in different cultures, and explains why many people have similar experiences.

Remember what we said earlier about answers that use general language. Try to match the general language in these answers back to the specifics discussed in the passage, and eliminate what does not match.

The first part of (A) is consistent with the idea that music creates a rewarding experience for people, but the middle part of (A) doesn’t match the passage. The text describes a study, not literature written about the effect of music. The passage also doesn’t explain how to reproduce the effect of music, so eliminate (A).

Choice (B) mentions an outdated belief. Can you find any evidence in the passage of a belief that has changed? No. Eliminate (B).

The first part of (C) is consistent with the idea that neuroscientists are trying to find out why music creates such rewarding experiences for people. The middle part of (C) is consistent with the study described in the passage, and the last part is consistent with the explanation for what the neuroscientists found during their study. Keep (C).

The first part of (D) is consistent with the idea that music moves people of all cultures. However, the passage does not examine a musical experience in different cultures, so eliminate (D).

The correct answer is (C).

DUAL PASSAGES

One of your Science or History/Social Studies passages will be a set of dual passages. There will be two shorter passages about one topic. Although the two passages will be about the same topic, there will also be differences that you’ll need to pay attention to. Rather than attempting to read and understand both passages at the same time, just follow the Basic Approach and focus on one passage at a time.

The questions for Passage 1 will come before the questions for Passage 2. The questions about both passages will follow the questions for Passage 2.

Two-Passage Questions

For questions that ask you to compare or contrast both passages, it’s helpful to consider one passage at a time rather than trying to juggle both passages at the same time. First, find the answer for the first passage (or the second passage if that one is easier) and use POE to narrow down the answer choices. Then find the answer in the other passage and use POE to arrive at the correct answer. This will save time and keep you from confusing the two passages when you’re evaluating the answer choices. Always keep in mind that the same POE criteria apply, no matter how two-passage questions are presented.

·  If a question is about what is supported by both passages, make sure that you find specific support in both passages, and be wary of all the usual trap answers.

·  If a question is about an issue on which the authors of the two passages disagree or on how the passages relate to one another, make sure you find support in each passage for the author’s particular opinion.

·  If the question asks how one author would respond to the other passage, find out what was said in that other passage, and then find out exactly what the author you are asked about said on that exact topic.

The bottom line is that if you are organized and remember your basic reading comprehension strategy, you’ll see that two-passage questions are no harder than single-passage questions! In the following drill, you’ll have a chance to try a set of dual passages. Answers and explanations can be found in Part IV.

Dual Passage Drill

Answers and explanations can be found in Part IV.

Passage 1 is adapted from a speech delivered on April 23, 1971, by Mark O. Hatfield, “Democracy’s Stake in Voluntary Armed Forces.” Passage 2 is adapted from a speech delivered on June 4, 1971, by Lloyd M. Bentsen, “The Military Selective Service Act.” Hatfield served as a United States senator from 1967 to 1997. Bentsen served as a United States senator from 1971 to 1993. These speeches were given as part of an ongoing debate in the Senate about whether to extend or end the military draft (a system of required, rather than voluntary, military service).

26.In Passage 1, the speaker most clearly implies that one reason that the military draft is harmful to American society is that it may

A)give citizens a false sense of hope.

B)reduce the public’s trust in the government.

C)draw criticism from the nation’s allies.

D)encourage men to find safety in other countries.

27.Which choice best describes the main shift in focus that occurs within lines 8-35 (“Mr. Nixon’s…means”) of Passage 1?

A)The passage provides an overview of careers in the military and then shifts to a discussion of the current use of the draft.

B)The passage describes equipment used by the United States during World War II and then shifts to a discussion of how that equipment could be used today.

C)The passage outlines all of the Senate’s past actions related to volunteer armed forces and then shifts to a discussion of the Senate’s actions on other legislation.

D)The passage praises the idea of a volunteer army and then shifts to a discussion of arguments against the military draft.

28.Based on Passage 1, raising wages for some members of the armed forces would result in which of the following?

A)It would satisfy the demands of draftees and inspire them to serve for longer.

B)It would frustrate military recruits by changing the primary motivation for military service.

C)It would leave civilians feeling underappreciated and prompt them to join the military.

D)It would encourage an adequate number of people to volunteer for the armed forces.

29.Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

A)Lines 11—15 (“They declared…War II”)

B)Lines 16—19 (“They estimated…manpower”)

C)Lines 19—23 (“and they…skills”)

D)Lines 39—41 (“Now is…now”)

30.As used in line 30, “rigorous” most nearly means

A)strict.

B)harsh.

C)excessive.

D)unlikely.

31.As used in line 52, “extension” most nearly means

A)reaching.

B)addition.

C)being enlarged.

D)being continued.

32.Both speakers would most likely agree with which view of the military draft in the United States?

A)It gives the President too much power.

B)It is necessary for one more year.

C)It is not an ideal recruitment method.

D)It can replace a volunteer army.

33.Based on Passage 2, which point of view would the speaker most likely have of people who agree with Passage 1’s central claim?

A)He would think that they are overestimating the amount of manpower a volunteer army could provide in the near future.

B)He would think that they are overly optimistic that the war in Vietnam will end within a year.

C)He would think that they are too focused on citizens’ confidence in the government.

D)He would think that they are uninformed about the history of the military draft in the United States.

34.Which choice from Passage 2 provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

A)Lines 44—50 (“There have…Government”)

B)Lines 54—58 (“If I…army”)

C)Lines 65—69 (“Killing the…army”)

D)Lines 70—74 (“The argument…legislation”)

Summary

o The Reading Test on the PSAT 8/9 makes up 50 percent of your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score.

o Reading questions are not presented in order of difficulty, but the specific questions are written roughly in the order they appear in the passage.

o Use your POOD to pick up the points you can get, and don’t forget LOTD on the rest!

o Reading is an open-book test! Use that to your advantage by focusing only on the text you need to get each point.

o Translate each question back into a what, why, or how question before you start reading your window. See the table below for a guide to translating the question types.

o Use Line References, Lead Words, and the natural order of the specific questions to help you find the answer in the passage. Always start reading a few lines above the Line Reference or the Lead Words and read until you have the answer.

o Use the text to predict the answer to the question before you look at the answer choices.

o Use POE to eliminate answers that don’t match your prediction.

o If you have more than one answer left after you eliminate the ones that don’t match your prediction, compare the remaining answers to see if any of them:

·  are mostly right but slightly wrong

·  could be true but are not supported by the text

·  have the right words but the wrong meaning

·  have the right answer to the wrong question

o For Paired Sets, make sure you’re following the right strategy.

·  Easy-to-find Paired Questions simply require you to follow the Basic Approach, making sure you’ve highlighted the evidence for your prediction in the text.

·  Harder-to-find Paired Questions will be much more straightforward if you use Parallel POE to consider the “best evidence” in tandem with the previous question.

o For Dual Passages, do questions about the first passage first, questions about the second passage second, and dual questions last. Remember that even with dual questions, you must find support in the passages.

o Save Main Idea or General Questions until the end of the passage. POE will be much more efficient once you’ve completed all the other questions.

o Don’t get bogged down by hard or time-consuming questions! If you find yourself stuck or running short on time, use LOTD and move on!