PSAT Reading Question 16: Answer and Explanation

Question: 16

As used in line 39, "quiet" most nearly means

• A. silent.
• B. still.
• C. understated.
• D. secluded.

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

C

The question asks what the word quiet most nearly means in line 39. Go back to the text, find the word quiet, and highlight it. Then read the window carefully, using context clues to determine another word that would fit in the text. The text says that they had rooted in him an instinct for quiet magnificence, the larger costliness which does not shriek of itself with a thousand tongues. The word quiet is contrasted with the phrase shriek of itself with a thousand tongues. Therefore, quiet must mean something like "subtle" or "reserved." Silent, still, and secluded are all possible definitions of the word quiet, but none of them is consistent with the prediction. Eliminate (A), (B), and (D). Understated is consistent with "subtle" and "reserved." The correct answer is (C).