PSAT Reading Question 1: Answer and Explanation

Question: 1

The author mentions infections and cancers (lines 8–9) in order to

• A. provide an example of the types of diseases that electrospun scaffolds have cured.
• B. point out illnesses that still do not have effective treatments.
• C. illustrate types of medical conditions that are more effectively treated by precisely controlled internal drug delivery.
• D. demonstrate the kind of vaccines electrospinning technology will help to develop.

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

The question asks why the author mentions infections and cancers. Use the given line reference to find the window. Lines 3–9 state, The more site-specific a delivery system is, the more effective the drug it is delivering will be…This is especially true of different drugs used to predominantly treat infections and cancers. Eliminate answers that don't match the prediction. Choice (A) is a Right Words, Wrong Meaning answer; the passage discusses treating these types of illnesses, but not curing them, so eliminate (A). Choice (B) is contradicted by the passage; the paragraph refers to drugs used to treat infections and cancers, so eliminate (B). Choice (C) matches the prediction: the phrase precisely controlled internal drug delivery matches The more site-specific a delivery system is, so keep (C). Choice (D) is a Mostly Right, Slightly Wrong trap answer because it references vaccines, rather than treatments. Eliminate (D). The correct answer is (C).