PSAT 10 Practice Test #1 (12-22)

#12

Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to illustrate the claim?

• the percentage of 2016 cookbook sales that were e-books with the percentage of 2016 science fiction and fantasy sales that were e-books.

• the percentage of 2006 romance sales that were e-books with the percentage of 2016 romance sales that were e-books.

• the percentage of 2006 romance sales that were e-books with the 2006 science fiction and fantasy sales that were e-books.

• the percentage of 2011 travel guide sales that were e-books with the percentage of 2016 travel guide sales that were e-books.

Answer explanation

The correct choice compares e-book sales in 2016 for two different genres, effectively illustrating trends in e-book popularity within the same year, making it a relevant and direct comparison.

#13

Which finding from Medina and her colleagues’ study, if true, would most directly challenge the assumption in the underlined sentence?

• Species that build open nests tend to have higher extinction rates than species that build domed nests.

• Species that build open nests tend to be smaller in size than species that build domed nests.

• Species that build open nests tend to use fewer materials to build their nests than species that build domed nests do.

• Species that build open nests tend to have larger ranges than species that build domed nests.

Answer explanation

The finding that species building open nests tend to have larger ranges directly challenges the assumption by suggesting that range size, rather than nest type, may influence extinction rates.

#14

Which quotation from an article about One Night in Miami... would be the most effective evidence for the student to include in support of this claim?

• “When Powers learned of the meeting, he initially planned to write a much longer work about its four famous participants rather than focusing on the meeting itself.”

• “One Night in Miami... received numerous awards and nominations, including an Academy Award nomination for Powers for Best Adapted Screenplay.”

• “Powers has described One Night in Miami... as the story of four friends encouraging and supporting one another while engaged in a crucial political debate about how best to achieve equality for Black people in the United States.”

• “Powers could find only the most superficial historical details about the meeting, so he read extensively about the four individuals and their thinking at the time in an effort to portray what might have happened between them.”

Answer explanation

The correct choice highlights Powers' extensive research on the individuals involved, emphasizing the depth of character exploration in the film, which supports the claim about its focus on personal and political dynamics.

#15

Therefore, the team concluded that _______________________________

Which choice most logically completes the text?

• mid-1400s Europeans could not have known about the eastern coast of present-day North America.

• the Vinland Map could not have been drawn by mid-1400s mapmakers.

• mapmakers must have used titanium compounds in their ink in the 1400s.

• there isn’t enough information to determine when the ink was created.

Answer explanation

The team concluded that the Vinland Map could not have been drawn by mid-1400s mapmakers, likely due to evidence suggesting it contained elements not available or known to them at that time.

#16

Unlike earlier aerogels, Duan’s team’s material contracts rather than expands when heated and fully recovers after compressing to just 5% of its original volume, suggesting that ______.

Which choice most logically completes the text?

• the aerogel’s remarkable flexibility results from its higher proportion of air pockets to solidified gel as compared to other aerogels.

• the aerogel’s overall strength is greater than that of other insulators but its ability to withstand exposure to intense heat is lower.

• the aerogel will be more effective as an insulator for uses that involve gradual temperature shifts than for those that involve rapid heat increases.

• the aerogel will be less prone to the structural weakness that ultimately causes most other aerogels to break down with use.

Answer explanation

Duan's aerogel contracts when heated and recovers from compression, indicating it is structurally resilient. This suggests it is less prone to the weaknesses that typically lead to breakdown in other aerogels.

#17

Hyacinthe and colleagues note that differences in sonic communication could accumulate to the point of inhibiting interbreeding among fish from different locations, suggesting that ______.

Which choice most logically completes the text?

• although A. mexicanus living in rivers are genetically similar to those living in caves, river fish rely on sonic communication less than cave fish do.

• although A. mexicanus is a single species at present, it could be in the process of splitting into distinct populations with different characteristics.

• although all A. mexicanus emit sounds, the fish living in rivers produce some sounds that the fish living in caves do not, and vice versa.

• although A. mexicanus from different locations can interbreed currently, river fish and cave fish are sufficiently genetically distinct that they can be considered separate species.

Answer explanation

The correct choice highlights that A. mexicanus, while currently a single species, may be evolving into distinct populations due to differences in sonic communication, which aligns with the idea of inhibiting interbreeding.

#18

This approach suggests that Isla thought that if he hadn’t already seen it, the whalelike geoglyph __________.

Which choice most logically completes the text?

• must represent a species of whale that went extinct before there were any people in Peru.

• is actually located in Germany, not Peru, and isn’t part of the Nazca Lines at all.

• is probably in a location Isla hadn’t ever come across while on the ground.

• was almost certainly created a long time after the other Nazca Lines geoglyphs were created.

Answer explanation

The correct choice suggests that Isla believed the geoglyph was in an unfamiliar location, which aligns with the idea that he hadn't seen it before. The other options do not logically connect to his thought process.

#19

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

• digest

• will digest

• to digest

• digesting

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'to digest' because it fits the structure of the sentence, indicating purpose or intention. The other options do not grammatically complete the text in a way that conforms to Standard English.

#20

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

• included

• includes

• including

• will include

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'including' because it introduces a list or examples that follow, fitting the context of the sentence. The other options do not grammatically align with the structure needed for this completion.

#21

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?

• occurs

• have occurred

• occur

• are occurring

Answer explanation

The correct choice is 'occurs' because it is the simple present tense form that fits the context of the sentence, indicating a general truth or habitual action. The other options do not match the required tense.