Digital PSAT Reading and Writing Practice Question 104: Answer and Explanation

Question: 104

At the turn of the nineteenth century, a prominent physicist stated that physics as a field of study was finished due to the belief that everything about the physical world had already been discovered. Newtonian Mechanics had held sway for over two hundred years and our understanding of the atom had not advanced much beyond the concepts of the ancient Greeks. The view of a static universe was the accepted construct and humanity's ignorance was a kind of simple bliss and arrogance.

As used in the text, what does the word construct most nearly mean?

• A. Building
• B. Observation
• C. Theory
• D. Astronomy

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

(C) On vocabulary problems, if there is any uncertainty, it is best to plug the options into the text in place of the word. Theory, in this case, makes far more sense than building, observation, or astronomy. Construct isn't often used as a noun rather than verb, but when it is, its meaning is generally an idea or theory.