PSAT/NMSQT Prep 2022 - Eggert M.D., Strelka A. 2022
How to do PSAT reading
The method for PSAT reading questions
PSAT Reading
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
· Read PSAT Reading passages strategically
· Apply the Method for PSAT Reading Questions efficiently and effectively to PSAT Reading questions
How to do PSAT reading
The PSAT Reading section is made up of four passages and one set of paired passages, each approximately 500—750 words long and accompanied by 9 or 10 questions for a total of 47 questions in the section. To tackle all of this effectively in 60 minutes, the most successful test takers:
· Read the passages strategically to zero in on the text that leads to points
· Approach the questions with a method that minimizes rereading and leads directly to correct answers
The key to maximizing correct answers is learning in advance the kinds of questions that the test asks. PSAT Reading questions focus more on the author’s purpose (why she wrote this passage) and the passage’s structure (how the author makes and supports her points) than on the details or facts of the subject matter (what this passage is about).
Knowing that the PSAT rewards your attention to how and why the author wrote the passage or chose to include certain words or examples puts you in the driver’s seat. You can read more effectively and answer the questions more quickly and confidently.
In this chapter, we’ll give you an overview of how to tackle Reading passages and questions. The other chapters in this unit will help you become a stronger reader and introduce the six PSAT Reading question types, as well as provide tips for improving your approach to paired passages, primary sources passages, and literature passages (see online appendices).
Try the passage and questions that follow on your own. Then, compare your approach to our recommendations for how to approach PSAT Reading and reflect on how you can become a more efficient test taker.
Questions 1—10 refer to the following passage.
The following passage, adapted from an article in an encyclopedia of U.S. culture, addresses some of the influences of the automobile on life in the United States during the twentieth century.
1Few developments have so 2greatly affected American life as the 3automobile. Indeed, it would be hard 4to overestimate its impact. Since mass 5production of the automobile became 6feasible in the early twentieth century, 7the car has had a significant effect on 8nearly every facet of American life, 9including how we work, where we live, 10and what we believe.
11Interestingly, it was the process 12of building cars rather than the cars 13themselves that first brought a sea 14change to the American workplace. 15In 1914, a Ford plant in Highland 16Park, Michigan, used the first electric 17conveyor belt, greatly increasing the 18efficiency of automobile manufacturing. 19Assembly lines for the production of 20automobiles were quickly adopted and 21became highly mechanized, providing 22a new model for industrial business. In 23contrast to European manufacturers, 24which employed a higher percentage 25of skilled laborers to produce fewer 26and costlier cars, American companies 27focused on turning out a large quantity 28of affordable cars utilizing less-skilled 29laborers. Assembly-line production was 30a mixed blessing, as it enabled higher 31productivity and more affordable cars 32but resulted in less-satisfied workers 33with less-interesting jobs. The value 34of efficiency was emphasized over 35personal pride and investment in the 36work.
37As cars became more popular, their 38effect on population distribution was 39likewise profound. Unlike railroads, 40which helped concentrate the 41population in cities, the automobile 42contributed to urban sprawl and, 43eventually, to the rise of suburbs. People 44no longer needed to live near railroad 45lines or within walking distance of 46their jobs, and so were drawn to 47outlying areas with less congestion 48and lower property taxes. Business 49districts became less centralized for 50similar reasons. Sadly, this movement 51toward suburbs exacerbated social 52stratification. Since cars were initially 53affordable only to wealthier people, the 54upper and middle classes moved out 55of cities. Many businesses followed, 56attracted by the educated, well-trained 57workforce. As good jobs also moved 58out of cities, the people who remained 59were further disadvantaged and 60even less able to leave. Though few 61anticipated it in the heady early days of 62suburban growth, by the century’s end, 63cars had helped to further entrench 64social divisions in America by making 65possible great physical distances 66between rich and poor.
67Automobile ownership has also 68transformed our individual lives 69and values. Historian James Flink 70has observed that automobiles 71particularly altered the work patterns 72and recreational opportunities of 73farmers and other rural inhabitants by 74reducing the isolation that had been 75characteristic of life in the country. 76Of course, there were also profound 77changes in the recreational activities 78of suburban and urban dwellers. For 79example, the 1950s saw a huge increase 80in drive-in movie theaters, fast-food 81establishments, supermarkets, and 82shopping centers—most facets of how 83we ate, shopped, and played changed 84to accommodate the car. Family life 85was also affected: cars changed dating 86behavior by allowing teenagers more 87independence from parental supervision 88and control, and they provided women 89with more freedom to leave the home. 90This personal mobility and autonomy 91afforded by the car has become an 92integral part of American culture.
1. The primary purpose of the passage is to
A. defend the use of assembly lines in automobile manufacturing.
B.draw a contrast between U.S. population distribution before and after the advent of the automobile.
C.explain certain changes in recreational activities in cities, suburbs, and the country.
D. describe the wide-ranging impact of the automobile on American society.
2. The author refers to European and American manufacturing practices in lines 22—29 primarily to
A. demonstrate the quality difference between European and American cars.
B.argue for a return to a less mechanized but less efficient factory system.
C.highlight the positive and negative effects of the automobile on the American workplace.
D. suggest that greater efficiency and more skilled laborers can improve the American workplace.
3. As used in line 39, “profound” most nearly means
A. absolute.
B.unintelligible.
C.far-reaching.
D. thoughtful.
4. In lines 39—43 (“Unlike... suburbs”), what distinction does the author draw between the two types of transportation?
A. Railroads are a more efficient mode of transportation than automobiles.
B.Automobiles allow greater flexibility, while railroads operate on a fixed schedule.
C.Railroads promote clustered populations, while automobiles promote dispersed populations.
D. Automobiles replaced railroads as the preferred American mode of transportation.
5. It can be inferred that the author believes social stratification in the United States to be
A. a positive development caused by less centralized business districts.
B.an unfortunate result of ready but expensive transportation.
C.an outgrowth of the rise of supermarkets and shopping centers.
D. a collective choice resulting from personal mobility and autonomy.
6. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
A. Lines 48—50 (“Business... reasons”)
B.Lines 50—52 (“Sadly... stratification”)
C.Lines 78—84 (“For example... car”)
D. Lines 90—92 (“This personal... culture”)
7. The author regards the conclusions of historian James Flink as
A. insufficiently supported and unconvincing.
B.tangential to more important issues.
C.unimportant though persuasive.
D. accurate but incomplete.
8. Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?
A. Lines 67—69 (“Automobile... values”)
B.Lines 69—78 (“Historian... dwellers”)
C.Lines 78—84 (“For example... car”)
D. Lines 84—89 (“Family... home”)
9. As used in line 82, “facets” most nearly means
A. aspects.
B.faces.
C.surfaces.
D. viewpoints.
10. The author mentions dating behavior in lines 85—86 in order to
A. show why teenagers had more independence from parental supervision.
B.tie drive-in movie theaters to strained relationships between parents and their teenage children.
C.illustrate one way in which the automobile changed American family life.
D. challenge James Flink’s thesis that the effects of the automobile on recreational opportunities were limited to rural populations.
Strategic Reading
The PSAT Reading Test is an open-book test; the passage is right there for you to reference. Moreover, the PSAT actively tests your skill in looking up details; there are Command of Evidence questions that actually ask you to cite the line numbers for the evidence you used to answer a question. Because of the way the test is constructed, it is in your best interest to read fairly quickly, noting the outline of the passage as you go, marking up the page with margin notes as you read, getting a solid understanding of the main idea, but not taking the time to memorize details.
Be sure to read the pre-passage blurb, the short introduction that comes before the passage. Identify any information that helps you to understand the topic of the passage or to anticipate what the author will discuss. For the previous passage, the blurb states the topic (the automobile) and announces that the passage will discuss some of its influences on American life. That’s an invitation to keep your eye out for multiple effects of the automobile as you read.
You’ll learn all the skills you need to read strategically in the next chapter, but for now, here’s an example of an expert’s passage map. Don’t worry if yours doesn’t look exactly like this (or even anything like this) yet. Follow the expert’s thought process in the discussion that follows the passage to see what he was thinking and asking as he read the passage.
BIG PICTURE
Main Idea: The growth of the automobile profoundly changed how Americans work, where they live, and how they spend their personal and family time.
Author’s Purpose: To outline the impact of the car’s popularity on three aspects of American life and culture
PSAT READING STRATEGY
A good rule of thumb for summarizing a passage’s main idea is to boil down the author’s takeaway to the reader to a single sentence. If the author had only a few seconds to make his point, what would he like the reader to remember?
Notice that the PSAT expert reads actively, consistently summing up and paraphrasing what the author has said, asking what must come next, and never getting too caught up in details. The expert reader is not thrown off by encountering a new or unfamiliar term. He uses context to understand what it must mean and remembers that he can always consult the passage if he needs to remember a name or a definition. Finally, before turning to the questions, the expert takes a few seconds to summarize the “big picture.” This will help him answer questions about the passage’s main idea and the author’s purpose or point of view.
The Method for PSAT Reading Questions
The best-prepared PSAT test takers know that time is one of the PSAT Reading section’s biggest challenges. They also know that trying to speed up and cut corners can lead to sloppy mistakes, or worse, to reading a paragraph over and over because it just isn’t sinking in. So, after setting themselves up for success with helpful passage notes and a clear big picture summary, PSAT experts use a simple four-step method to tackle each question quickly and confidently.
For example, take a look at this question from the set above:
In lines 39—43 (“Unlike... suburbs”), what distinction does the author draw between the two types of transportation?
A. Railroads are a more efficient mode of transportation than automobiles.
B. Automobiles allow greater flexibility, while railroads operate on a fixed schedule.
C. Railroads promote clustered populations, while automobiles promote dispersed populations.
D. Automobiles replaced railroads as the preferred American mode of transportation.
Because different question types require different strategies, start by unpacking the information in the question stem and identifying the question type. You’ll learn to name and characterize the six PSAT Reading question types in chapter 12. This is a Detail question, which means that you should be able to find the correct answer in the passage almost verbatim.
Next, based on the type of question, research the passage or consult your passage map to get the information you need. This question provides specific line numbers to go to. Here’s the sentence you need: “Unlike railroads, which helped concentrate the population in cities, the automobile contributed to urban sprawl and, eventually, to the rise of suburbs.”
Now, with the relevant part of the passage in mind, predict what the correct answer will say. In this case, you’re looking for an answer choice that says that railroads tend to keep people in cities or that cars promote urban sprawl or both.
Finally, use your prediction to evaluate the choices and find the one correct answer. Only choice (C) is a match for the prediction based on the research you did: railroads promote “clustered populations,” that is, cities, while cars promote “dispersed populations,” that is, suburbs.
Notice that experts don’t merely read or look at the answers; they evaluate them, knowing that only one of them answers the question correctly and that the other three are demonstrably incorrect in some way. Because PSAT experts arm themselves with strong predictions in step 3, they can often zero in on the correct response without wasting time by rereading or hunting around in the passage to check each answer. You’ll go over the strategies and tactics that experts use for steps 2—4 in chapter 13.
The steps are shown in the table below:
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The Method for PSAT Reading Questions |
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Step 1. |
Unpack the question stem |
Step 2. |
Research the answer |
Step 3. |
Predict the answer |
Step 4. |
Find the one correct answer |
Take a look at our expert’s application of the Method for PSAT Reading Questions to the questions from the passage on automobiles. Look for questions on which your own approach could have been faster and more confident.
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Question |
Analysis |
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Step 1: Unpack the question stem. Questions that ask for the main idea or primary purpose of a passage are Global questions. With a strong big picture summary, these can be answered quickly and confidently. Step 2: Research the answer. Your big picture summary would be the place to go to research this. If you struggled to come up with a good summary, the first and last paragraphs are often good places to research. Step 3: Predict the correct answer. A good big picture summary will say that the purpose of this passage is to outline three specific influences of the car on American life. Step 4: Find the one correct answer. Choice (D) is correct; it matches the scope of the passage without being too broad or too narrow. (A), (B), and (C) are all too narrow, referring to only portions of the passage. The correct answer to a Global question must take the entire passage into account. |
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Step 1: Unpack the question stem. Questions that provide a detail and ask about the role it plays in the text are Function questions. The correct answer will be found by returning to the indicated portion of the text and considering the context as well as the author’s purpose. Step 2: Research the answer. Return to the lines indicated in the question stem. The sentence in lines 22—29 begins with the phrase “In contrast,” and discusses how Europeans used skilled labor to create “fewer and costlier cars,” while Americans used less-skilled laborers to produce a larger quantity of goods. This statement is followed by a discussion of the “mixed blessing” of assembly-line car production. Step 3: Predict the correct answer. The author used these lines to indicate a difference between the types of laborers and the quantity of products produced in each country, in addition to indicating the benefits and disadvantages of assembly-line production. Step 4: Find the one correct answer. The prediction matches correct answer (C). Choice (A) is a faulty use of detail; the author never makes the claim that American and European cars differ in quality, only that the laborers producing them are more or less skilled. While the author does point out disadvantages of assembly-line production, at no point does the author indicate that a return to a less efficient factory system would be better, eliminating (B). The author never claimed that using more skilled laborers was necessarily good or bad, as stated in (D), instead only pointing out the variation in skill as a difference between European and American manufacturing. |
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Step 1: Unpack the question stem. Questions that ask you to define how an author used a word in a passage are Vocabulary-in-Context questions. The correct answer is a word that could easily replace the indicated word without altering the sentence’s meaning. Step 2: Research the answer. Return to the line indicated in the question stem and read the sentences around the indicated word to get context. Given the theme of the preceding paragraph, the word “likewise” in line 39 indicates that the author will discuss another important impact that cars had on American life. Step 3: Predict the correct answer. Since “profound” is used in reference to population distribution and the next sentence states that “the automobile contributed to urban sprawl,” look for an answer choice that means “important” or “extensive.” Step 4: Find the one correct answer. The prediction leads to the correct answer, (C). Choice (A) is extreme; an “absolute” effect would imply that there were no other influences. (B) means impossible to understand, and it is clear from the rest of this paragraph that the profound effects on population distribution were both observable and understandable. (D) is a synonym of the word “profound” when it is used to describe an idea; however, the previous paragraph did not discuss a “thoughtful” impact of the automobile, but rather a “far-reaching” one. |
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Step 1: Unpack the question stem. A question asking what “distinction” the author draws in a specific portion of the passage is a Detail question. The correct answer must be stated explicitly in the passage. Step 2: Research the answer. Return to lines 39—43. The author states that while railroads concentrated people in cities, the automobile “contributed to urban sprawl” and the rise of suburbs. Step 3: Predict the answer. Look for an answer choice that indicates that railroads brought people together, while cars moved people apart. Step 4: Find the one correct answer. Choice (C) matches the prediction and is correct. While (A), (B), and (D) may be true statements, these comparisons are never discussed in the passage. |
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Step 1: Unpack the question stem. Questions that use the word “inferred” are almost always Inference questions. They require you to identify something that follows from the passage without having been directly stated. Step 2: Research the answer. Social stratification is mentioned in lines 51—52. In line 50, the author uses the word “Sadly” to introduce the topic. Step 3: Predict the answer. In most Inference questions, you won’t be able to predict the correct answer word for word, but, in this case, you can characterize the tone of the correct answer choice as one of sadness or regret. Step 4: Find the one correct answer. Choice (B) is correct; it is the only choice that reflects the author’s use of “Sadly.” The author would not be saddened by a positive development, as in choice (A). While the increase in the number of supermarkets and shopping centers, (C), is mentioned, as is the increase in personal mobility and autonomy, (D), neither is cited as the cause of social stratification. |
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Step 1: Unpack the question stem. This is a Command of Evidence question that asks you to locate a piece of text stated in the passage that supports the correct answer to the preceding question. Step 2: Research the answer. In Command of Evidence questions, the answer choices all designate specific sentences or statements in the passage and indicate their precise locations by line numbers. After researching the answer to the previous question in the passage, leave your finger on the lines where you found the support for the correct answer. Then, see if those lines appear in the choices. Step 3: Predict the answer. Lines 50—52 are the only ones that directly address social stratification, and, as stated in the previous question, the author’s use of the word “Sadly” supports the answer that social stratification was an unfortunate development. Step 4: Find the one correct answer. Choice (B) cites the evidence for the correct answer to the preceding question, making it the correct choice for this Command of Evidence question. None of the incorrect choices refer to “social stratification,” much less the author’s opinion of it. |
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Step 1: Unpack the question stem. Questions that ask for conclusions that can be drawn from information in the passage but are not explicitly stated are Inference questions. The correct answer may require you to combine two seemingly unrelated statements from the text. Step 2: Research the answer. James Flink is mentioned in line 69 as a historian who observed lifestyle changes for “farmers and other rural inhabitants” as a result of the increasingly widespread use of automobiles. To better gauge the author’s opinion of Flink, read the lines prior to and after line 69. The keywords “Of course” in line 76 indicate the beginning of the author’s point of view. The author uses the connection keyword “also” and the emphasis keyword “profound” to state that lifestyle changes were not solely limited to “farmers and other rural inhabitants.” Step 3: Predict the answer. Predict that the author generally agrees with Flink but also adds another aspect to Flink’s thesis. Step 4: Find the one correct answer. Choice (D) is correct. (A) is incorrect because, overall, the author does agree with Flink. Choices (B) and (C) are incorrect because the author does not view Flink’s conclusions as “tangential” or “unimportant.” |
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Step 1: Unpack the question stem. This is a Command of Evidence question that asks you to locate a piece of text stated in the passage that supports the correct answer to the preceding question. Step 2: Research the answer. As per the last question, after introducing historian James Flink, the author proceeds to first agree with his observation about the automobile’s impact on rural communities and then extend that idea to other populations. The keywords “Of course” and “also” (line 76) indicate the author’s opinion. Step 3: Predict the answer. The correct answer will include line 76. Step 4: Find the one correct answer. Choice (B) includes the relevant lines and is correct. (A) explains why the author included Flink’s work, but does not provide the author’s opinion of that work. (C) is an example cited to support the author’s opinion, not Flink’s opinion. (D) indicates another effect of the automobile on the personal lives of Americans, but does not provide the author’s opinion of Flink’s conclusion. |
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Step 1: Unpack the question stem. Questions that ask you to define how an author used a word in a passage are Vocabulary-in-Context questions. The correct answer is a word that could easily replace the indicated word without altering the sentence’s meaning. Step 2: Research the answer. Reread the sentence that includes line 82 and replace “facets” with a word or phrase that gives the sentence the same meaning. Step 3: Predict the answer. “Facets” can be replaced with ways or characteristics without changing the intended meaning. Step 4: Find the one correct answer. Choice (A) is a match for the prediction and the correct answer. Choices (B), (C), and (D) are all alternative definitions of “facets,” but they do not fit the context. |
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Step 1: Unpack the question stem. A question that asks why the author included something in the text is a Function question. The correct answer will explain the author’s purpose for discussing dating behavior in paragraph 4. Step 2: Research the answer. This question stem leads you directly to lines 85—86, where the author discusses various ways that family life was affected by the automobile. The author provides dating behavior as an example of these changes. Step 3: Predict the answer. Predict that dating behavior was included as an example of how the automobile changed family life. Step 4: Find the one correct answer. This prediction matches (C), the correct answer. (A) is a distortion of information in the passage. The passage mentions the increased independence of teenagers as further evidence of the changes to American family life. (B) is incorrect because the author does not attempt to make such a connection in this passage. (D) is incorrect because the passage never suggests that Flink has such a thesis. While Flink happened to limit his studies to rural populations, that does not imply that Flink believed other populations were unaffected by the automobile. The author is attempting to expand upon Flink’s work, not challenge his ideas. |
Putting It All Together
That’s the expert’s approach to PSAT Reading in action. Take a moment to go over the steps one more time. Imagine applying them to the next question set you’ll try. As you use the Method for PSAT Reading Questions repeatedly, it will become second nature. You won’t have to say “step 1, step 2,. . .” in your head; you’ll just be performing them, and you’ll be improving your score in the PSAT Reading section as you do.
As you consider the purpose of strategic reading and the steps of the Method for PSAT Reading Questions, think back to what you saw the PSAT expert accomplish in each step as she tackled the Automobile passage and its questions.
PSAT READING PASSAGE STRATEGY
· Extract everything you can from the pre-passage blurb
· Read each paragraph actively
· Summarize the passage’s big picture
· PSAT experts never skip the pre-passage blurb. They quickly process any information that it provides for the context of the passage or that helps them anticipate what the author will cover.
· Great test takers read actively, asking what the author’s purpose is in writing each paragraph. They also anticipate where the passage will go. Experts map the passage by jotting down summaries for each paragraph. They might also circle or underline keywords or phrases that indicate the author’s opinion, details he wishes to highlight or emphasize, and the comparisons and contrasts he makes in the text. You will focus on these active reading and mapping skills in chapter 11.
· Experts pause for a moment after actively reading the passage to summarize the big picture by noting the passage’s main idea and the author’s primary purpose in writing it.
|
The Method for PSAT Reading Questions |
|
Step 1. |
Unpack the question stem |
Step 2. |
Research the answer |
Step 3. |
Predict the answer |
Step 4. |
Find the one correct answer |
· Step 1. Great test takers determine the kind of question being asked, which indicates the kind of thinking and research the question requires. They also look for clues in the question stem to tell them where in the passage to find the correct answer. In chapter 12, you’ll learn the characteristics of six types of questions found in the PSAT Reading section, and you’ll learn to spot the most common research clues.
· Step 2. PSAT experts never answer a question on a whim. Instead they turn to the passage text or to their summaries of it. Here’s where a good passage map becomes invaluable. If you’re unsure where in the passage a detail or opinion was mentioned, many PSAT Reading questions could lead you to reread all or most of the passage. That’s a huge waste of time. With practice, you’ll learn to use the research clues from the question stem to zero in on the relevant lines of text or paragraph summary.
· Step 3. Before reading the answer choices, top scorers predict (or at least characterize) what the correct answer will say. This allows them to evaluate each choice against the prediction. It’s not always possible to predict the correct answer word for word, but you should be able to use your research to establish the criteria for the correct answer.
· Step 4. In a PSAT Reading question, there is one correct answer. The other choices are demonstrably incorrect. Test takers who start reading the answer choices before completing steps 2 (Research) and 3 (Predict) often find themselves rereading portions of the passage after each answer choice, or worse, comparing the answer choices to each other instead of testing them against a strong prediction. If you find yourself struggling with two or more answer choices, stop. Rephrase your prediction to establish what the correct answer must say and evaluate the choices against that prediction.
By reading strategically and using the Method for PSAT Reading Questions every time you practice, you’ll internalize the steps. By test day, you’ll be attacking this section efficiently and accurately without even thinking about it.
In the next section, you’ll see another PSAT Reading passage accompanied by 10 questions. Map the passage and apply the Method for PSAT Reading Questions presented in this lesson to answer the questions as quickly and confidently as possible.