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PSAT/NMSQT?Practice Test #1

Answer Explanations

Table of Contents:

Reading Test Answer Explanations (1)

Writing and Language Test Answer Explanations (29)

Math Test – No Calculator Answer Explanations (52)

Math Test – Calculator Answer Explanations (66)

Answer Key (93)

User Notes:

Please have a copy of the PSAT/NMSQT Practice Test #1 to reference for the passages and other information that form the basis for the questions in the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and the Math sections of the Practice Test. You can also refer to the test to see the information given to students about math formulas and how to record the student-produced responses.

In this document, we have provided the following for each question: ?difficulty level

?content description

?best or correct answer

?answer explanation

? 2015 The College Board. PSAT/NMSQT is a registered trademark of the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation. All other products and services may be trademarks of their respective

Reading Test Answer Explanations

Question 1

The main purpose of the passage is to

(A) describe a main character and a significant change in her life.

(B) provide an overview of a family and a nearby neighbor.

(D) explain the relationship between a main character and her father.

Item Difficulty: Easy

Content: Rhetoric / Analyzing purpose

Best Answer: A

Choice A is the best answer. Emma Woodhouse’s life and family are discussed, including the marriage of her governess Miss Taylor who then moves out of Emma’s home. In line 74, Emma wonders how she is to “bear the change” of Miss Taylor’s departure, which indicates its significance.

Choices B and D are incorrect because the passage focuses more on Emma than on her family and neighbors, and Emma’s relationship with her father is a relatively minor consideration. Choice C is also incorrect because Emma is characterized as handsome and clever with a happy disposition, and her arrogance is only briefly mentioned.

Question 2

Which choice best summarizes the first two paragraphs of the passage

(lines 1-14)?

(A) Even though a character loses a parent at an early age, she is

happily raised in a loving home.

(B) An affectionate governess helps a character to overcome the loss of

her mother, despite the indifference of her father.

leads a contented life.

(D) A character has a generally comfortable and fulfilling life, but then

she must recover from losing her mother.

Item Difficulty: Hard

Content: Information and Ideas / Summarizing

Best Answer: A

Choice A is the best answer. The passage indicates that Emma’s mother died long ago and that Emma barely remembers her. Emma is raised by an affectionate father and governess and is described as a person with a happy disposition. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect: Emma's father is not described as indifferent, Emma is not described as contented because of her father’s wealth, and Emma does not appear to suffer from the loss of her mother.

Question 3

The narrator indicates that the particular nature of Emma’s upbringing

resulted in her being

(A) despondent.

(B) self-satisfied.

(D) inconsiderate.

Item Difficulty: Medium

Content: Information and Ideas / Reading closely

Best Answer: B

Choice B is the best answer. According to the passage, Emma had “a disposition to think a little too well of herself” (line 30). Thinking a “little too well of herself” means that Emma had an elevated opinion of herself, or that she was self-satisfied.

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because Emma’s relationship with her father and Miss Taylor, the two characters who raised her, did not result in her being despondent, friendless, or inconsiderate.

Question 4

Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous

question?

(A) Lines 1-5 (“Emma . . . her”)

(B) Lines 9-14 (“Her . . . affection”)

(D) Lines 32-34 (“The danger . . . her”)

Item Difficulty: Medium

Content: Information and Ideas / Citing textual evidence

Best Answer: C

Choice C is the best answer. Lines 28-32 state that “The real evils indeed of Emma’s situation were the power of having rather too much her own way, and a

disposition to think a little too well of herself; these were the disadvantages which threatened alloy to her many enjoyments.” Thinking a “little too well of herself” means that Emma had an elevated opinion of herself, or that she was self-satisfied.

Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because they do not provide the best evidence for Emma being self-satisfied. Choice A describes Emma’s positive traits, choice B describes Emma’s affectionate relationship with Miss Taylor, and choice D discusses only that Emma’s problems were negligible.

Question 5

As used in line 26, “directed” most nearly means

(A) trained.

(B) aimed.

(D) addressed.

Item Difficulty: Medium

Content: Information and Ideas / Interpreting words and phrases in context

Best Answer: C

Choice C is the best answer. In lines 25-27, Emma’s situation is described as “doing just what she liked; highly esteeming Miss Taylor’s judgment, but directed chiefly by her own.” In other words, Emma respects Miss Taylor’s opinion but makes decisions directed, or guided, primarily by her own opinion.

Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because lines 25-27 emphasize that in “doing what she liked” Emma was directed, or guided, by her own opinion. Emma’s opinion is not trained by, aimed at, or addressed by anyone else.

Question 6

As used in line 54, “want” most nearly means

(A) desire.

(B) lack.

(D) request.

Item Difficulty: Hard

Content: Information and Ideas / Interpreting words and phrases in context

Best Answer: B

Choice B is the best answer. Lines 53-55 describe how Emma felt a loss after Miss Taylor married and moved out of Emma’s home: “but it was a black morning’s work for her. The want of Miss Taylor would be felt every hour of every day.” In this context, “want” means “lack.”

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because in this context “want” does not mean desire, requirement, or request.

Question 7

It can most reasonably be inferred that after Miss Taylor married, she had

(A) less patience with Mr. Woodhouse.

(B) fewer interactions with Emma.

(D) an increased appreciation for Emma.

Item Difficulty: Easy

Content: Information and Ideas / Reading closely

Best Answer: B

Choice B is the best answer. According to lines 76-81, following Miss Taylor’s marriage, “Emma was aware that great must be the difference between a Mrs. Weston only half a mile from them, and a Miss Taylor in the house; and with all her advantages, natural and domestic, she was now in great danger of suffering from intellectual solitude.” This implies that since Miss Taylor’s marriage, the two characters see each other less often.

Choice A is incorrect because the passage does not mention Miss Taylor’s relationship with Mr. Woodhouse. Choices C and D are incorrect because the passage describes how Miss Taylor’s marriage might affect Emma but not how the marriage might affect Miss Taylor.

Question 8

Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous

question?

(A) Line 37 (“Miss . . . married”)

(B) Lines 47-48 (“The event . . . friend”)

(D) Lines 74-81 (“How . . . solitude”)

Item Difficulty: Medium

Content: Information and Ideas / Citing textual evidence

Best Answer: D

Choice D is the best answer because lines 74-81 refer to Emma’s new reality of “intellectual solitude” after Miss Taylor moved out of the house.

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because none of these choices support the idea that Miss Taylor and Emma had fewer interactions following Miss Taylor’s marriage. Choice A mentions Emma’s “sorrow” towards losing Miss Taylor, choice B introduces how Miss Taylor may benefit from the marriage, and choice C describes Emma’s and Miss Taylor’s close friendship.

Question 9

Which situation is most similar to the one described in lines 84-92 (“The

evil . . . time”)?

(A) A mother and her adult son have distinct tastes in art and music

that result in repeated family arguments.

(B) The differences between an older and a younger friend are

magnified because the younger one is more active and athletic.

fact that the older one’s work is published more frequently.

(D) The age difference between a high school student and a college

student becomes a problem even though they enjoy the same diversions.

Item Difficulty: Medium

Content: Information and Ideas / Reading closely

Best Answer: B

Choice B is the best answer. Lines 84-92 describe the fact that though Emma and her father have a loving relationship, Mr. Woodhouse is much older than Emma and in poor health. For these reasons, he did not make a good companion for the spirited, young Emma. Their relationship is most similar to a friendship between an older and younger person that is negatively affected by the fact one is more lively and active than the other.

Choice A is incorrect because Emma and her father did not have regular arguments. Choice C is incorrect because the relationship between Emma and Mr. Woodhouse was affected by the difference in their age and activity, not any relative successes one or the other might have had. Choice D is incorrect because there is no indication that Emma and her father enjoyed the same activities.

Question 10

As used in line 10, “plot” most nearly means

(A) mark.

(B) form.

(D) claim.

Item Difficulty: Easy

Content: Information and Ideas / Interpreting words and phrases in context

Best Answer: C

Choice C is the best answer. The first paragraph discusses the “vast informal economy driven by human relationships” (lines 6-7) that existed in the Soviet Union as a result of the gaps in the official economy. Lines 9-10 state that “The Soviet people didn’t plot how they would build these [social] networks.” In this context, the word “plot” means “plan”; the paragraph is implying that the informal economy grew up spontaneously, without premeditation or planning. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because in this context “plot” does not mean mark, form, or claim.

Question 11

The references to the shoemaker, the programmer, and the apple farmer

in lines 37-40 (“We can easily . . . community”) primarily serve to

(A) illustrate the quality of products and services in countries around

the world.

(B) emphasize the broad reach of technologies used to connect people.

(D) call attention to the limits of the expansion of the global economy.

Item Difficulty: Easy

Content: Rhetoric / Analyzing text structure

Best Answer: B

Choice B is the best answer. The third paragraph of the passage (lines 27-46) describes how new technologies are affecting new economies, as people are using social media to vet people and businesses through eBay, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. The author uses broad examples (a business in South America, a person in Asia, and a farmer in the reader’s local community) to imply that these technologies have a global reach.

Choice A is incorrect because the passage provides no comment about the quality of products or services. Choice C is incorrect because the passage never alludes to

the trustworthiness of online recommendations. Choice D is incorrect because the idea that the new global economy will have only a limited expansion is oppositional to the passage’s main points.

Question 12

The passage’s discussion of life in the Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1970s

primarily serves to

(A) introduce the concept of social networking.

(B) demonstrate that technology has improved social connections.

(D) emphasize the importance of examining historical trends.

Item Difficulty: Medium

Content: Rhetoric / Analyzing text structure

Best Answer: A

Choice A is the best answer. The Soviet Union of the 1960s and 1970s was most notable for the disparity between its official economy and a second, unofficial one. The author explains how unwanted items sold at state stores were not the “nice furnishings” found in people’s homes. These “nice furnishings” were a result of the Soviet Union’s unofficial economy driven by social networking, or “relationship-driven economics” (lines 16-17).

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because the author does not use the discussion of life in the Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1970s to show how technology has changed social conditions, how the Soviet Union was different from other countries, or how important it is to consider historical trends.

Question 13

As used in line 45, “post” most nearly means

(A) publish.

(B) transfer.

(D) denounce.

Item Difficulty: Easy

Content: Information and Ideas / Interpreting words and phrases in context

Best Answer: A

Choice A is the best answer. The third paragraph of the passage (lines 27-46) describes how new technology has impacted the economy. The author states that

people can use websites to post descriptions of projects, which means that people can write these descriptions and publish them online.

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because in this context “post” does not mean transfer, assign, or denounce.

Question 14

The author indicates that, in comparison to individuals, traditional

organizations have tended to be

(A) more innovative and less influential.

(B) larger in size and less subject to regulations.

(D) less efficient and more expensive.

Item Difficulty: Medium

Content: Information and Ideas / Understanding relationships

Best Answer: D

Choice D is the best answer. The passage explains that socially driven economies create new societies where “amplified individuals—individuals empowered with technologies and the collective intelligence of others in their social network—can take on many functions that previously only large organizations could perform, often more efficiently, at lower cost or no cost at all, and with much greater ease” (lines 66-72). It is clear from these lines that the author views some large organizations as less efficient and more expensive than individuals.

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because the passage offers no evidence that the author believes traditional organizations are more innovative, less regulated, or less reliable than individuals.

Question 15

Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous

question?

(A) Lines 22-26 (“Empowered . . . connectedness”)

(B) Lines 40-42 (“We no longer . . . ideas”)

(D) Lines 66-72 (“amplified . . . ease”)

Item Difficulty: Medium

Content: Information and Ideas / Citing textual evidence

Best Answer: D

Choice D is the best answer. Lines 66-72 explain how socially driven economies are creating societies where individuals no longer rely on traditional organizations to perform specific tasks. Instead, individuals can use technology and social relationships to more efficiently perform these tasks at a lower cost.

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because they do not directly compare individuals to traditional organizations.

Question 16

The author recognizes counterarguments to the position she takes in the

passage by

(A) acknowledging the risks and drawbacks associated with new

technologies and social networks.

(B) admitting that some people spend too much time unproductively

on the Internet.

the Soviet Union of the 1960s and 1970s.

(D) conceding that the drawbacks of socialstructing may prove over

time to outweigh the benefits.

Item Difficulty: Medium

Content: Rhetoric / Analyzing arguments

Best Answer: A

Choice A is the best answer. While the author argues throughout the passage that new technologies benefit modern economies, she also recognizes that some people believe this new technology “distances us from the benefits of face-to-face communication and quality social time” (lines 86-87).

Choice B is incorrect because the author provides no evidence of Internet overuse. Choice C is incorrect because the author provides an example of the Soviet Union of the 1960s and 1970s to explain an economic process called “socialstructing.” Choice D is incorrect because the author concludes that socialstructing may ultimately be “opening up new opportunities to create, learn, and share”

(lines 91-92).

Question 17

Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous

question?

(A) Lines 35-37 (“We can look . . . videos”)

(B) Lines 74-76 (“a world . . . hackers”)

(D) Lines 85-87(“Much . . . time”)

Item Difficulty: Medium

Content: Information and Ideas / Citing textual evidence

Best Answer: D

Choice D is the best answer as it acknowledges that people have identified some risks and drawbacks to using new technology to form social connections. Some people believe that new technology distances users from the advantages of “face-to-face communication and quality social time” (lines 86-87).

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because they do not show that the author recognized counterarguments to her argument. Choices A and B provide examples of the impact and use of the new technologies, and choice C summarizes the benefits of socialstructing.

Question 18

Which statement best summarizes the information presented in the

graph?

(A) Far more people around the world own computers and cell phones

today than in 2005.

(B) The number of people sharing digital information has more than

tripled since 2005.

tremendously in recent years.

(D) The amount of digital information created and shared is likely to be

almost 8 zettabytes in 2015.

Item Difficulty: Medium

Content: Synthesis / Analyzing quantitative information

Best Answer: C

Choice C is the best answer. The graph shows a steady increase in digital information created and shared in recent years, beginning with less than one zettabyte in 2005 and rising to nearly 8 zettabytes projected for 2015.

Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because they do not summarize the information presented in the graph. Choices A and B provide details that, while likely true, cannot be directly inferred from the information in the graph, and choice D provides a detail from the graph but not a summary of it.

Question 19

According to the graph, which statement is true about the amount of

digital information projected to be created and shared globally in 2012?

(A) Growth in digital information creation and sharing was projected to

be wildly out of proportion to growth in 2011 and 2013E.

(B) The amount of digital information created and shared was projected to

begin a new upward trend.

to peak.

(D) The amount of digital information created and shared was projected

to pass 2 zettabytes for the first time.

Item Difficulty: Medium

Content: Synthesis / Analyzing quantitative information

Best Answer: D

Choice D is the best answer. The graph shows that the amount of digital information projected to be created and shared in 2012 is about 2.5 zettabytes. Since the graph shows a steady increase in the creation and sharing of digital information, and the digital information created and shared in 2011 was approximately 1.75 zettabytes, the graph shows that the 2012 projections passes the 2 zettabyte barrier for the first time.

Choice A is incorrect because the graph shows the projected 2012 numbers to be part of a steady increase consistent with the 2011 and 2013E numbers. Choice B is incorrect because the graph projects the 2012 number to continue the increase started in 2005. Choice C is incorrect because the 2012 numbers are projected to continue increasing through at least 2015.

Question 20

The passage is written from the perspective of someone who is

A)actively involved in conducting hibernator research.

B)a participant in a recent debate in the field of cardiology.

C)knowledgeable about advances in hibernator research.

D)an advocate for wildlife preservation.

Item Difficulty: Hard

Content: Rhetoric / Analyzing point of view

Best Answer: C

Choice C is the best answer. The author is someone who knows about advances in hibernator research but isn’t necessarily an active participant in that research. Choice A is incorrect because the passage mentions that “Fr?bert and his colleagues” (line 32) are conducting hibernator research. Choice B is incorrect because the passage discusses the heart health of bears but never provides evidence that this research is contested. Choice D is incorrect because the passage focuses on hibernating animals and their health more than wildlife preservation.

Question 21

It is reasonable to conclude that the main goal of the scientists conducting

the research described in the passage is to

A)learn how the hibernation patterns of bears and squirrels differ.

B)determine the role that fat plays in hibernation.

C)illustrate the important health benefits of exercise for humans.

D)explore possible ways to prevent human diseases.

Item Difficulty: Medium

Content: Information and Ideas / Reading closely

Best Answer: D

Choice D is the best answer. The author begins the passage by suggesting that the bear hibernation research may be beneficial to human health: “Understanding how hibernators, including ground squirrels, marmots and bears, survive their long winter’s naps may one day offer solutions for problems such as heart disease, osteoporosis and muscular dystrophy” (lines 1-5). In the last paragraph of the passage, the author suggests that Fr?bert hopes to use his research findings to “stave off hardened arteries in humans as well” (lines 76-77).

Choice A is incorrect because the passage briefly mentions ground squirrels and does not specifically compare them to bears. Choice B is incorrect because the passage clearly states that during hibernation fat acts as fuel for a resting animal.

Choice C is incorrect because the passage discusses exercise only within the context of bears.

Question 22

Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous

question?

A)Lines 1-5 (“Understanding . . . dystrophy”)

B)Lines 10-13 (“Fat . . . squirrels”)

C)Lines 31-35 (“To . . . bears”)

D)Lines 42-46 (“Once . . . tissues”)

Item Difficulty: Medium

Content: Information and Ideas / Citing textual evidence

Best Answer: A

Choice A is the best answer. This sentence supports the idea that one of the goals of the hibernation research discussed in the passage is to try to improve human health: “Understanding how hibernators, including ground squirrels, marmots and bears, survive their long winter’s naps may one day offer solutions for problems such as heart disease, osteoporosis and muscular dystrophy” (lines 1-5).

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because they do not address the main goal of the hibernator research. Choice B is incorrect because lines 10-13 describe only one aspect of hibernation: fat as fuel. Choices C and D are incorrect because lines 31-35 and 42-46 describe the field research, not the goal of this research.

Question 23

What main effect do the quotations by Andrews in lines 10-18 have on the

tone of the passage?

A)They create a bleak tone, focusing on the difficulties hibernators face

during the winter.

B)They create a conversational tone, relating scientific information in

everyday language.

C)They create an ominous tone, foreshadowing the dire results of

Andrews’s research.

D)They create an absurd tone, using images of animals acting as if they

were human.

Item Difficulty: Medium

Content: Rhetoric / Analyzing word choice

Best Answer: B

Choice B is the best answer. In lines 10-18 the molecular biologist Matthew Andrews explains how fat is important to hibernating animals, stating “‘Fat is where it’s at’” and “‘You bring your own lunch with you.’” The use of this nonscientific language creates a conversational tone that allows readers to understand what might otherwise be a complex topic.

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because Andrews’s phrases, such as “‘Fat is where it’s at,’” are relaxed rather than bleak, ominous, or absurd.

Question 24

As used in line 19, “stores” most nearly means

A)preservatives.

B)reserves.

C)stacks.

D)shelters.

Item Difficulty: Medium

Content: Information and Ideas / Interpreting words and phrases in context

Best Answer: B

Choice B is the best answer. Lines 19-20 describe how fat is important to hibernating animals, as “[b]igger fat stores mean a greater chance of surviving until spring.” In this context, hibernating animals have “stores,” or reserves, of fat that they put away for later use.

Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because in this context “stores” does not mean preservatives, stacks, or shelters.

Question 25

Based on the passage, what is Fr?bert’s hypothesis regarding why bears’

arteries do not harden during hibernation?

A)The bears’ increased plasma cholesterol causes the arteries to be more

flexible.

B)Sluggish circulation pinches off the blood vessels rather than hardening

the arteries.

C)Bears exercise in short, infrequent bursts during hibernation, which

staves off hardened arteries.

D)Bears possess a molecule that protects against hardened arteries.

Item Difficulty: Medium

Content: Information and Ideas / Reading closely

Best Answer: D

Choice D is the best answer. The passage concludes by noting that “Fr?bert hopes to find some protective molecule that could stave off hardened arteries in humans as well” (lines 75-77). This makes clear the scientist’s belief that even though bears begin hibernation while “‘very, very fat’” (lines 62-63) and do not exercise for many months, these animals have some molecule that protects them from hardened arteries.

Choices A and B are incorrect because lines 58-69 explain that the bears’ elevated plasma cholesterol levels combined with the sluggish circulation that results from their lack of exercise during hibernation “are a recipe for hardened arteries” (lines 67-68). Choice C is incorrect because lines 63-64 state that hibernating bears “get zero exercise during hibernation.”

Question 26

Which choice provides the best evidence for the answer to the previous

question?

A)Lines 19-20 (“Bigger . . . spring”)

B)Lines 24-27 (“The brown . . . day”)

C)Lines 70-73 (“Even . . . streaks”)

D)Lines 74-77 (“It’s . . . well”)

Item Difficulty: Medium

Content: Information and Ideas / Citing textual evidence

Best Answer: D

Choice D is the best answer. The passage concludes by noting that “Fr?bert hopes to find some protective molecule that could stave off hardened arteries in humans as well” (lines 75-77). This sentence explains Fr?bert’s hypothesis that the reason bears do not “build up such artery-hardening streaks” (lines 72-73) is because they have some molecule that protects them from hardened arteries.

Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because they do not address Fr?bert’s hypothesis. Choice A is incorrect because lines 19-20 highlight the importance of fat to hibernators. Choice B is incorrect because lines 24-27 describe the diet of one group of hibernating bears. Choice C is incorrect because lines 70-73 describe the hardening of arteries in inactive humans.

Question 27

What information discussed in paragraph 10 (lines 58-69) is represented

by the graph?

A)The information in lines 58-62 (“Recent . . . reported”)

B)The information in lines 62-64 (“These . . . hibernation”)

C)The information in lines 64-66 (“Lolling . . . circulation”)

D)The information in lines 67-69 (“It’s . . . strokes”)

Item Difficulty: Medium

Content: Synthesis / Analyzing quantitative information

Best Answer: A

Choice A is the best answer. The graph compares the total plasma cholesterol found in seven bears during periods of their hibernation and nonhibernation, exemplifying how that cholesterol is generally higher during the hibernating stage. Meanwhile, lines 58-62 describe the very phenomena that the graph depicts: “Recent analyses revealed that Scandinavian brown bears spend the summer with plasma cholesterol levels considered high for humans; those values then increase substantially for hibernation, Fr?bert and his colleagues reported.”

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because none of the other lines in paragraph 10 discuss the comparative levels of plasma cholesterol found in bears during their hibernating and nonhibernating phases. Lines 62-64 describe how bears spend their hibernating phase. Lines 64-66 describe the poor circulation those bears experience during hibernation. Lines 67-69 explain the heart risks that may occur in humans who are overweight and inactive.

Question 28

Which statement about the effect of hibernation on the seven bears is best

supported by the graph?

A)Only one of the bears did not experience an appreciable change in its

total plasma cholesterol level.

B)Only one of the bears experienced a significant increase in its total

plasma cholesterol level.

C)All of the bears achieved the desirable plasma cholesterol level for

humans.

D)The bear with the lowest total plasma cholesterol level in its active state

had the highest total plasma cholesterol level during hibernation.

Item Difficulty: Medium

Content: Synthesis / Analyzing quantitative information

Best Answer: A

Choice A is the best answer because the graph shows that six of the seven bears experienced increased plasma cholesterol during hibernation; the seventh bear experienced neither an increase nor a decrease in plasma cholesterol.

Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because they are not supported by the graph.

Question 29

Which choice best describes the structure of the first paragraph?

(A) A personal history is narrated, historical examples are given, and a

method is recommended.

(B) A position is stated, historical context is given, and earnest advice is

given.

consensus is reached.

(D) A historical period is described, and its attributes are reviewed.

Item Difficulty: Medium

Content: Rhetoric / Analyzing text structure

Best Answer: B

Choice B is the best answer. In the first paragraph, Andrew Carnegie states his position that the changes in society that are occurring are “not to be deplored, but welcomed as highly beneficial” (lines 12-13). After providing historical context on the interactions between rich and poor, Carnegie concludes the first paragraph by giving earnest advice: “It is a waste of time to criticize the inevitable” (lines 27-28). Choice A is incorrect because the first paragraph emphasizes the current realities of humanity as a whole—the very “conditions of human life” (lines 4-5)—but not any one personal history. Choice C is incorrect because the first paragraph describes the author’s personal opinion and his conclusion, not a conclusion reached by a consensus. Choice D is incorrect because the first paragraph focuses more on “our age” (line 1) than on the past.

Question 30

The author most strongly implies which of the following about “the ties of

brotherhood” (line 2)?

(A) They were always largely fictitious and are more so at present.

(B) They are stronger at present than they ever were before.

(D) They will no longer be able to bring together the rich and the poor.

Item Difficulty: Hard

Content: Information and Ideas / Reading closely

Best Answer: C

Choice C is the best answer. Carnegie states in lines 1-4 that a serious problem of his time was how to distribute wealth so that “the ties of brotherhood may still bind together the rich and poor in harmonious relationship.” In other words, he was concerned that the “ties of brotherhood” between rich and poor were not as strong as they used to be.

Choice A is incorrect because Carnegie implies that changes in modern society have negatively impacted the relationship between the rich and poor, but he does not suggest that such a relationship never existed. Choice B is incorrect because the passage implies that “the ties of brotherhood” are weaker than they were previously. Choice D is incorrect because Carnegie states that these ties continue and “may still bind together the rich and poor in harmonious relationship.”

Question 31

The author uses “dwelling, dress, food, and environment” (lines 7-8) as

examples of

(A) things more valued in the present than in the past.

(B) bare necessities of life.

(D) possible indications of differences in status.

Item Difficulty: Medium

Content: Rhetoric / Analyzing text structure

Best Answer: D

Choice D is the best answer. Carnegie explains that the contrast between the rich and poor is greater than in the past: “In former days there was little difference between the dwelling, dress, food, and environment of the chief and those of his retainers…” (lines 6-9). Carnegie uses the examples of “dwelling, dress, food, and environment” to show the difference in status between the rich and the poor.