PSAT Reading Question 173: Answer and Explanation

Question: 173

It can be inferred from both Passage 1 and the graphic that

• A. English botanical gardens helped make the United Kingdom one of the highest tea-consuming countries in the world.
• B. if the French Academy of Sciences hadn't given up growing tea in 1763, France would be one of the highest tea-consuming countries in the world.
• C. Britain's success at growing tea in India in the 1800s helped make the United Kingdom one of the highest tea-consuming nations in the world.
• D. China's production of tea would be higher if Britain hadn't discovered a way to grow tea in India in the 1800s.

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

C

Difficulty: Hard

Category: Inference

Getting to the Answer: Keep in mind that the graphic focuses on tea consumption, not tea production. The last paragraph of Passage 1 describes Britain's great success growing tea in India, which resulted in great increases in the amount of tea arriving in London. Therefore, (C) is a reasonable conclusion that may be drawn by synthesizing information in Passage 1 and the graphic.