Digital PSAT Reading and Writing Practice Question 170: Answer and Explanation

Question: 170

The familiar, somewhat calligraphic anachronism that today we often refer to as "Old English" did not emerge until the twelfth century, around the time of the extinction of the Old English language. The Old English script or, more accurately, blackletter, is in reality not even English, but evolved in medieval universities along the Franco-German border as an efficient alternative to both the highly variable insular scripts of England and Ireland, and the consistent though cumbersome Carolingian miniscule of Christian monasteries.

The text suggests that the most significant problem with the insular scripts was what?

• A. They lacked consistency in their letterforms.
• B. They were elaborate and time-consuming.
• C. They were isolated in England and Ireland.
• D. They were only used in Christian monasteries.

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

(A) The text refers to the insular scripts as being highly "variable," meaning that people hand-wrote them in a variety of ways making them more difficult to read. Choice (B) is incorrect, since only the Carolingian miniscule is mentioned as cumbersome. Choice (C) is incorrect, because the text does not support the notion that these scripts were limited to England and Ireland. Choice (D) is incorrect, because the text does not support that these scripts were only used in monasteries.