PSAT 10 Practice Test #2 (1-11)

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

• forgetting

• rejection

• imitation

• opinion

Answer explanation

The word 'imitation' logically fits the context, suggesting that the text discusses the act of copying or mimicking behaviors or ideas, which aligns with the concept of imitation. The other options do not convey this meaning.

Shoppers can help keep money cycling within a community by making purchases at small local businesses instead of large retailers. Some cities are ________ programs to encourage this behavior, establishing reward points and other incentives for shopping at small businesses. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

• instituting

• occupying

• underestimating

• encountering

Answer explanation

The word 'instituting' fits best as it means to establish or set up programs. The context is about cities creating initiatives to promote local shopping, making 'instituting' the most logical choice compared to the other options.

Economists often assert that countries looking to increase their reliance on solar energy should expand their capacity for storage; having an ample reserve of stored energy can mitigate the effects of solar energy collection caused by unpredictable shifts in cloud cover and haze. Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

• developments of

• fluctuations in

• calibrations with

• incentives for

Answer explanation

The phrase 'fluctuations in' accurately describes the unpredictable changes in solar energy collection due to cloud cover and haze, making it the most logical choice to complete the text.

As discussed by scholar Anna Mladentseva, many artworks produced in the mid-1990s to the early 2000s exclusively for exhibition on the internet, such as Sinae Kim’s Genesis (2001), have become inaccessible because viewing them requires the use of ___ software (most notably Adobe Flash, discontinued in 2021). Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

• defunct

• arcane

• ubiquitous

• extraneous

Answer explanation

The term 'defunct' accurately describes the software that is no longer in use or operational, such as Adobe Flash, which is essential for viewing certain mid-1990s to early 2000s internet artworks. The other options do not convey this meaning.

As used in the text, what does the word “determine” most nearly mean?

• Conclude

• Dictate

• Evaluate

• Select

Answer explanation

In the context of the text, "determine" most closely means "dictate," as it implies a sense of authority or control over a decision or outcome, rather than merely concluding or evaluating.

Which choice best states the purpose of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

• It describes the effects of a process devised by researchers that increases the longevity of an object discussed in the text.

• It details the circumstances that prompted the research discussed in the text.

• It presents a reason why the phenomenon discussed in the text that the researchers wanted to avoid will inevitably occur.

• It mentions a method discussed in the text that researchers intend to test in future experiments.

Answer explanation

The correct choice highlights how the underlined portion describes the effects of a process that enhances the longevity of the object, aligning with the overall focus of the text on increasing durability.

Which choice best states the function of the underlined portion in the text as a whole?

• It illustrates a change in Tule geese’s usual flight behavior.

• It suggests an explanation for why Tule geese breed in Alaska.

• It describes part of the Tule geese’s typical winter migration journey.

• It compares Tule geese to other birds that migrate south for the winter.

Answer explanation

The underlined portion specifically details the typical winter migration journey of Tule geese, highlighting their behavior during this period, which aligns with the correct choice.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

• To discuss the benefits of studying mapmaking

• To explain how travelers created maps

• To describe a collection of medieval maps and how it was created

• To compare medieval Arabic and Greek mapmaking techniques

Answer explanation

The correct choice highlights the text's focus on a specific collection of medieval maps and the process of their creation, which aligns with the main purpose of the text, unlike the other options that address broader topics.

Which choice best describes the main purpose of the text?

• To describe a widely held belief and how a study’s results support that belief

• To argue that researchers were surprised by the results of a certain study

• To suggest ways to improve a certain study’s experimental design

• To explain a study’s conclusion and how a research team arrived at that conclusion

Answer explanation

The correct choice explains the study's conclusion and the research team's methodology, which aligns with the text's main purpose of detailing how the findings were reached.

According to the text, what is one way that Vargas differed from other ranchera singers?

• She possessed a voice that was clear and polished.

• She avoided singing songs written from a male point of view.

• She disliked performing classic songs.

• She altered classic songs by slowing them down.

Answer explanation

Vargas distinguished herself from other ranchera singers by altering classic songs, specifically by slowing them down, which set her apart in style and interpretation.