PSAT-READING Exam Questions and Answers

QUESTION: 21

The neighborhood group's rendering of the proposed office complex ____________ the ____________ of the project: as they appeared on the drawing, the proposed office buildings appeared to dwarf the rest of the downtown area.

minimized . . grandiosity
accentuated . . beauty
underscored . . vastness
trivialized . . enormity
revealed . . immensity

Answer(s): C

Explanation:

The second half of the sentence shows that "vastness" is the dominant quality of the proposed office complex.

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QUESTION: 22

Twentieth-century Japan faced the question of how to ____________ the best of modern civilization without losing the benefits of Japan's ____________ way of life.

reject . . ancient
adopt . . outmoded
assimilate . . traditional
incorporate . . contemporary
reshape . . historic

Answer(s): C

Explanation:

The sentence describes something that twentieth-century Japan wanted to do; therefore, it must be referring to a desirable combination of the best of the old and the new. Choice C. makes sense because it refers to "assimilating," that is, absorbing, what is good in modern life while retaining what is "traditional." A negative word like "outmoded," choice B, wouldn't fit this context.

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QUESTION: 23

The proposal to forbid the use of indoor furniture on front porches has divided the town along ____________ lines: the affluent feel the old couches are eyesores, while those who cannot afford new outdoor furniture are ____________ about what they feel is an attempt to restrict their lifestyle.

political . . nonplussed
aesthetic . . dismayed
class . . pleased
racial . . angry
socioeconomic . . incensed

Answer(s): E

Explanation:

Because the second half of the sentence contrasts "the affluent" with "those who cannot afford new outdoor furniture," we can see that the first blank should be filled with a word referring to class or economic differences. This narrows the possibilities to choices C. and (E). Choice C. doesn't work because an attempt to restrict someone's lifestyle wouldn't logically make them feel "pleased."

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QUESTION: 24

In his politics, Aristotle characterizes Plato's support of collectivism as ____________ and ____________ the unity of the city; not
only would it be difficult to institute and enforce, but the absence of private property would lead to bickering among the citizens.

commendable . . deleterious to
controversial . . essential to
impractical . . detrimental to
divisive . . indifferent toward
unattainable . . supportive of

Answer(s): C

Explanation:

The two words in this answer choice nicely paraphrase the two points made later in the sentence:
"impractical" = "difficult to institute," and "detrimental to . . . unity" = "lead[ing] to bickering"

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QUESTION: 25

The bright coloration of American coot chicks is an anomaly: although colorful plumage is usually ____________ to newborn birds because it may attract predators, among this species it appears to be ____________ , because parents are more likely to notice and care for brightly-colored offspring.

pernicious . . fatal
dangerous . . unnecessary
deleterious . . favorable
beneficial . . advantageous
detrimental . . helpful

Answer(s): E

Explanation:

The words "anomaly" and "although" both suggest that the second half of the sentence is built around a contrast between the role colorful plumage usually plays among birds and the role it actually plays in this particular species. Thus, the two words we want must be nearly opposite in meaning, as the two words in choice E. are.

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College Board PSAT-READING Exam (page: 5) College Board Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test - Reading Updated on: 12-Feb-2026

QUESTION: 21

Explanation:

QUESTION: 22

Explanation:

QUESTION: 23

Explanation:

QUESTION: 24

Explanation:

QUESTION: 25

Explanation:

College Board PSAT-READING Exam (page: 5)
College Board Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test - Reading
Updated on: 12-Feb-2026