PSAT/NMSQT Reading Comprehension 3

Question 1

A primary purpose question asks what a passage chiefly accomplishes. The correct answer should reflect:

Accepted Answer

The overall main goal of the whole passage

Answer

Main-purpose answers must capture the passage as a whole, not one detail.

Question 2

In context, 'novel' in 'a novel approach to recycling' most nearly means:

Accepted Answer

New or original

Answer

Here 'novel' is an adjective meaning new or innovative.

Question 3

A passage shifts from describing a problem to proposing solutions. This structural shift functions to:

Accepted Answer

Move from analysis toward resolution

Answer

Problem-to-solution structure advances the argument toward proposed answers.

Question 4

When an answer choice is 'too extreme' (using words like 'always' or 'never'), it is often wrong because the passage:

Accepted Answer

Uses precise, measured language

Answer

PSAT passages favor nuanced claims, so extreme absolutes usually misrepresent them.

Question 5

An inference question asks what is 'most strongly suggested' by a paragraph. The best answer is:

Accepted Answer

A logical conclusion supported by the text

Answer

Inferences must follow logically from textual evidence without being directly stated.

PSAT/NMSQT Practice Test