PSAT/NMSQT Prep 2019 - Princeton Review 2019

The Kaplan Methods for Writing & Language and infographics
Writing & Language:expression of ideas
Writing

CHAPTER OBJECTIVES

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

1. Distinguish among the three different Writing & Language text types

2. Identify issues in a passage and select the correct answer by applying the Kaplan Method for Writing & Language

3. Identify and analyze quantitative information and infographics

4. Synthesize information from infographics and text

SMARTPOINTS

Prepare

OVERVIEW OF THE WRITING & LANGUAGE PASSAGE TYPES

You will see four Writing & Language passages on Test Day, each of which will have 11 questions. Recognizing the text type of a Writing & Language passage helps you focus on the questions as they relate to the passage’s general purpose. Knowing the overarching aim of the passage will help you answer questions more efficiently and accurately.

Remember

The PSAT rewards critical thinking in context. Pay attention to the text type to answer Writing & Language questions more efficiently.

Let’s look at three short Writing & Language passage excerpts (without errors) and see how a PSAT expert identifies the text type of each. The left column features the passage excerpt, while the right column demonstrates the strategic thinking a test expert employs when identifying Writing & Language text types.

THE KAPLAN METHOD FOR WRITING & LANGUAGE

The Kaplan Method for Writing & Language is the method you will use to boost your score on the Writing & Language Test. By understanding what the question is looking for, how it relates to the passage, and the questions you should ask yourself on Test Day, you will maximize the number of points you earn. Use the Kaplan Method for Writing & Language for every PSAT Writing & Language Test passage and question you encounter, whether practicing, completing your homework, working on a Practice Test, or taking the actual exam on Test Day.

The Kaplan Method for Writing & Language has three steps:

· Step 1: Read the passage and identify the issue

o If there’s an infographic, apply the Kaplan Method for Infographics.

· Step 2: Eliminate answer choices that do not address the issue

· Step 3: Plug in the remaining answer choices, and select the most correct, concise, and relevant one

On Test Day

The PSAT will expect you to be able to recognize errors in organization, pronouns, agreement, comparisons, development, sentence structure, modifiers, verbs, wordiness, style, tone, and syntax.

Let’s take a closer look at each step.

Step 1: Read the passage and identify the issue

This means:

· Rather than reading the whole passage and then answering all of the questions, you can answer questions as you read because they are mostly embedded in the text itself.

· When you see a number, stop reading and look at the question. If you can answer it with what you’ve read so far, do so. If you need more information, keep reading until you have enough context to answer the question.

Step 2: Eliminate answer choices that do not address the issue

Eliminating answer choices that do not address the issue:

· Increases your odds of getting the correct answer by removing obviously incorrect answer choices

Step 3: Plug in the remaining answer choices, and select the most correct, concise, and relevant one

Correct, concise, and relevant means that the answer choice you select:

· Makes sense when read with the correction

· Is as short as possible while retaining the information in the text

· Relates well to the passage overall

Remember

There is no incorrect answer penalty on the PSAT. When in doubt, eliminate what you can and then guess. You won’t lose points for guessing.

The correct answer will NOT:

· Change the intended meaning of the original sentence, paragraph, or passage

· Introduce new grammatical errors

On Test Day

If you have to guess, eliminate answer choices that are clearly incorrect and then choose the shortest one—the PSAT rewards students who know how to be concise.

You will see four Writing & Language passages on Test Day, each of which will have 11 questions. When you encounter a Writing & Language question, use the Kaplan Method, asking yourself a series of strategic thinking questions.

By asking these strategic thinking questions, you will be able to select the correct answer choice more easily and efficiently. Pausing to ask yourself questions before answering each question may seem like it takes a lot of time, but it actually saves you time by preventing you from weighing the four answer choices against each other; it’s better to ask questions that lead you directly to the correct answer than to debate which of four answers seems the least incorrect.

Let’s look at the following Writing & Language passage and questions. After the passage, there are two columns. The left column contains test-like questions. The column on the right features the strategic thinking a test expert employs when approaching the passage and questions presented.

THE KAPLAN METHOD FOR INFOGRAPHICS

The PSAT Writing & Language Test will contain one or more passages that include infographics. Each infographic will convey or expand on information related to the passage.

The Kaplan Method for Infographics has three steps:

· Step 1: Read the question

· Step 2: Examine the infographic

· Step 3: Predict and answer

Let’s examine these steps a bit more closely.

Step 1: Read the question

Analyze the question stem for information that will help you zero in on the specific parts of the infographic that apply to the question.

Step 2: Examine the infographic

Make sure to:

· Circle parts of the infographic that relate directly to the question

· Identify units of measurement, labels, and titles

Expert Tip

For more data-heavy infographics, you should also make note of any trends in the data or relationships between variables.

Step 3: Predict and answer

Just as in Step 3 of the Kaplan Method for Reading Comprehension, do not look at the answer choices until you’ve used the infographic to make a prediction. Asking questions and taking time to assess the given information before answering the test question will increase your chances of selecting the correct answer. Infographics vary in format—there can be tables, graphs, charts, and so on—so be flexible when you ask yourself these critical-thinking questions.

When you apply the Kaplan Method for Infographics, keep in mind that infographics will either represent data described in the passage or present new data that expand on what the passage is about.

Let’s look at the following Writing & Language infographic and questions. After the infographic, there are two columns. The left column contains test-like questions. The column on the right features the strategic thinking a test expert employs when approaching the infographic and questions presented.

Practice

You have seen the ways in which the PSAT tests you on Infographics in Writing & Language passages and the way a PSAT expert approaches these types of questions.

Use the Kaplan Method for Writing & Language to answer the three questions that accompany the following Writing & Language passage excerpt. Remember to look at the strategic thinking questions that have been laid out for you—some of the answers have been filled in, but you will have to complete the answers to others.

Use your answers to the strategic thinking questions to select the correct answer, just as you will on Test Day.

1. Questions 3—5 are based on the following passage.

2. Migrant Birds and Wind Power

During their seasonal migration, there are large numbers migrating through the mountainous landforms used for wind power. Wind power development could potentially impact populations of several species. Baseline information on nocturnally migrating birds and bats has been collected at some wind power development sites in the Appalachians, generally within a single season. However, a stronger scientific basis is critically needed to assess and mitigate risks at a regional scale.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is studying the distribution and flight patterns of birds and bats that migrate at night. Researchers analyze weather surveillance radar data (NEXRAD) to allow for a broad view of spring and fall migration through the Appalachians and assessing the response of migrant birds to mountain ridges and other prominent landforms. Although NEXRAD data provide information on the broad-scale spatial and temporal patterns of nocturnal migration through the region, the devices generally do not detect bird or bat targets within the altitudinal zone potentially occupied by wind turbines. Therefore, researchers are using two complementary ground-based techniques—acoustic detection and portable radar sampling—to obtain site-specific information on the abundance and flight characteristics of nocturnal migrants in lower airspace.

Perform

Now, try a test-like Writing & Language passage and infographic on your own. Give yourself 5 minutes to read the passage and answer the questions.

1. Questions 6-14 are based on the following passage and supplementary materials.

2. Business Entities

In the business sector of New York City, giant corporations conduct their business in colossal towers. But what about the individual who wants to operate a business without being subject to the whims of corporate shareholders? How can such an individual realize her dreams to own a business, perhaps not equal in size to large corporations, but at least their rival in ambition? Life goes on, for the eager entrepreneur has two options.

For the confident entrepreneur looking to succeed on her own, there is sole proprietorship. In a sole proprietorship, there is one owner who is “solely” responsible for the business and any decisions regarding it’s operation. Of course, as with all choices in life, it does not come without its share of disadvantages. Sole proprietorships aren’t seen as separate from their owners, so credit may be a problem, especially if you don’t have a lot of financial assets on hand. You’re fine if the business is lucrative, but if not, sole proprietorships can be a scary proposition because being the only boss also means taking on any and all debt that your business incurs.

If our entrepreneur is lucky enough to have a group of like-minded acquaintances with who to start her company, she and her associates might instead opt to form a partnership. A partnership sacrifices some of the operational freedom that comes with a sole proprietorship, as you now have a bunch of “friends” to convince before you can have things your way on any business decisions that need to be made however these same individuals will also be chipping in on expenses and sharing responsibility for any debt that the business may incur.

Profits are shared with your partners on payday, but the extra support they can provide if the business struggles helps to make up for that. Partnerships, however, are less lucrative for the individual than sole proprietorships.

While the partnership seems to alleviate many of the problems that plague the sole proprietorship, it does have its share of disadvantages. In a sole proprietorship, the business could be sold if you, the owner, desire it, but a partnership requires consent from your partners before it can take place. Moreover, unlike corporations, which come with limited liability for their shareholders, if the business runs deeply into debt, you are still responsible for your complete share of the debt, even if you do have others to share that debt with. When viewed in this light, the “evil corporations” surrounding us may be a necessary evil indeed.

6.

1. NO CHANGE

2. Never fear,

3. Don’t worry,

4. In fact,

7.

1. NO CHANGE

2. their

3. its

4. its’

8.

1. NO CHANGE

2. sole proprietorship

3. business

4. this operation

9.

1. NO CHANGE

2. with

3. between

4. by

10.

1. NO CHANGE

2. who’s

3. whose

4. whom

11.

1. NO CHANGE

2. made, however

3. made; however,

4. made, however,

12.

1. NO CHANGE

2. You will share profits with your partners

3. Profits will be shared with your partners

4. Partners will share your profits

13.Which choice best reflects the data in the graph?

1. NO CHANGE

2. Sole proprietorships, however, are more lucrative for the individual than partnerships.

3. Partnerships, however, have a lower net income per person than sole proprietorships.

4. Partnerships are also more lucrative for the individual than are sole proprietorships.

14.

1. NO CHANGE

2. this partnership

3. this consent

4. this sale

On your own

1.

1. Questions 1—11 are based on the following passage and supplementary materials.

2. The North American Suburb

The North American suburb is an architectural and civic phenomenon distinct from suburban areas in any other part of the world. It was a counterreaction to the need, especially keen after World War II, to “get away” from the city and all the noise, pollution, and general nastiness that went along with it. Cities were where the factories were, and the factories before modern pollution and safety standards were horrific things to behold. Of those who could get out, many did.

Suburban communities, however, were not sufficient by themselves to support life. The people who lived in them needed to work, shop, and socialize, and most of the active part of their lives remained fixed in urban centers. Paradoxically, suburbs were clustered around their parent cities, with the suburban inhabitants avoiding the city center.

All this seems perfectly logical and inevitable. The suburb should be the ambiguous halfway point between city and country—away from the noise, congestion, and pollution but not so far away that there’s no access to culture, to income, to all the exciting pitfalls of urban life. In reality, though, few suburbs have actually approached this ideal. Moreover, the structure of the modern suburb, while offering a respite from city pollution, has created health and environmental risks of its own.

Suburban zoning laws have forced the separation of living and commercial spaces. As such, the city dweller’s fond experience of walking down the block to the neighborhood café may be rare or entirely alien to a suburbanite. Should suburban dwellers, on a Saturday morning, desire a change of scenery and a cup of coffee, they must get in their cars and drive some distance. Come to think of it, nearly everything aside from the nearby houses and the occasional neighborhood park requires an automobile trip. All of this driving comes at the cost of pollution and a lack of daily exercise. Surely, we must begin to balance the appeal and freedom of the car with ecological and civic responsibility.

[1] Some have charged that America doesn’t need any more of these bland developments, that these projects line construction companies’ pockets without contributing much to the value and diversity of American culture. [2] I, however, think that the problem of suburbs can be described as one of degree rather than kind. [3] We don’t need to abandon suburbs altogether; instead, we need to more knowingly pursue that ideal of the best of city and country. [4] Suburbs could be fascinating and beautiful places; we need only exercise our power to determine the nature of the places in which we live.

1.

1. NO CHANGE

2. an avoidance of

3. a response to

4. an intensifier of

2.

1. NO CHANGE

2. get out many did.

3. get out . . . many did.

4. get out; many did.

3.

1. NO CHANGE

2. self-sufficient.

3. entirely sufficient by themselves to support life.

4. sufficiently able to adequately support life by themselves.

4.

1. NO CHANGE

2. Therefore, suburbs were unnecessarily far from their parent cities, hampering suburban inhabitants’ intent to commute to the city for work and play.

3. Therefore, suburbs were clustered around their parent cities, with suburban inhabitants commuting daily to the city center for work and play.

4. Suburbs therefore developed the amenities needed for suburbanites who were unwilling to ever go back into the city.

5.

1. NO CHANGE

2. drawbacks

3. perils

4. benefits

6.

1. NO CHANGE

2. modern suburb while offering a respite from city pollution has created

3. modern suburb, (while offering a respite from city pollution) has created

4. modern suburb; while offering a respite from city pollution; has created

7.

1. NO CHANGE

2. has

3. having

4. had

8.

1. NO CHANGE

2. As fate would have it, nearly everything

3. Contrary to popular belief, nearly everything

4. In fact, nearly everything

9.

1. NO CHANGE

2. I, however, believe that the problem of the suburbs should be described as one of degree rather than kind.

3. I, however, see the problem of suburbs as one of degree rather than kind.

4. I, however, think that one can see the problem of suburbs as one of degree rather than kind.

10.Which answer choice best describes the data in the graph as it relates to the passage?

1. Despite the growing awareness of the shortcomings of suburban living, America’s suburban population continues to grow faster than that of the country’s primary cities.

2. It also seems that Americans’ opinions of the suburbs are objectively changing—from 2010 to 2011, population growth in cities outstripped growth in the suburbs.

3. Suburbs may have their naysayers, but the fact remains that it is hard to detect any change in where Americans are settling.

4. Contrary to continued positive perceptions of the suburbs, population growth swung back in favor of primary cities in the early twenty-first century.

11.What is the best placement for the sentence featured in the answer to the previous question?

1. After sentence 1

2. After sentence 2

3. After sentence 3

4. After sentence 4