PSAT Critical Reading : PSAT Critical Reading

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for PSAT Critical Reading

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Example Questions

Example Question #1228 : One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

The clinic kept an __________ environment, even though maintaining the cleanliness was actually rather expensive.

Possible Answers:

antiseptic

obscene

derivative

inhospitable

filthy

Correct answer:

antiseptic

Explanation:

"Antiseptic" means clean and sterile. The clinic maintained cleanliness even though it cost more.

Example Question #1229 : One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

The new policeman became ill at the sight of the __________ blood; the victim’s thickened blood put him off pudding for a very long time.

Possible Answers:

flowing

mendacious

coagulated

prevaricating

streaming

Correct answer:

coagulated

Explanation:

"Coagulated" means thickened or clotted. The victim's thickened blood, resembling pudding, was very off-putting for the new policeman.

Example Question #1230 : One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

I adore humid climates, but I abhor __________ ones.

Possible Answers:

enhanced

mendacious

discredited

tenuous

arid

Correct answer:

arid

Explanation:

"Arid" means very dry.

Example Question #1061 : Sentence Completion Questions

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Before you drink the water from that dirty river, you need to filter it and treat it with certain chemicals; only then will it be __________.

Possible Answers:

enervated

jaded

unaccustomed

potable

chary

Correct answer:

potable

Explanation:

"Potable" means suitable for drinking.

Example Question #1062 : Sentence Completion Questions

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

“Don’t you think that assigning five hours of homework a night is a bit too __________?” the concerned parent asked the teacher.

Possible Answers:

onerous

explicit

surreptitious

gregarious

somatic

Correct answer:

onerous

Explanation:

"Onerous" means burdensome.

Example Question #1046 : One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

“It wasn’t very nice or __________ to tell that other little girl that you thought she was boring,” Ann said to her daughter.

Possible Answers:

jejune

tactful

ubiquitious

resilient 

derisive

Correct answer:

tactful

Explanation:

"Tactful" means skillful at not offending others.

Example Question #1047 : One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Ever since Jean Paul and I broke up, everyone tells me the same __________ phrase: there are always more fish in the sea.

Possible Answers:

abbreviated

opulent

hackneyed

aesthetic

scrutinizing

Correct answer:

hackneyed

Explanation:

"Hackneyed" means clichéd, or worn out by overuse.

Example Question #1048 : One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Marisol had only a(n) __________ understanding of how to fix and maintain her car, and so she took an automobile repair class.

Possible Answers:

prosaic

amicable

superficial

mundane

intrepid

Correct answer:

superficial

Explanation:

"Superficial" means shallow, or lacking depth.

Example Question #1049 : One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

Because Louisa had just jogged three miles in the sun, her face looked __________.

Possible Answers:

florid

restive

sanctimonious

implacable

ornate

Correct answer:

florid

Explanation:

"Florid" means having a red or flushed complexion. It also can mean flowery or ornate.

Example Question #1050 : One Blank Sentences

Choose the word or set of words that best completes the following sentence.

I don’t know what to do with a very __________ student whom I have. My usual responses to bad behavior, such as sending him to the principal’s office and having conferences with the parents, are not changing his actions.

Possible Answers:

diaphanous

laconic

recalcitrant

impractical

ingenuous

Correct answer:

recalcitrant

Explanation:

"Recalcitrant" means defiant or unapologetic.

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