PSAT Reading Question 2: Answer and Explanation

Question: 2

In Passage 1, the reference to "nanometers to micrometers" (lines 13–14) serves to

• A. give a precise measurement of fibers used in electrospinning.
• B. further elaborate on the minuteness of electrospun fibers.
• C. relate the size of the fibers in electrospun scaffolds to that of the cells of the human body.
• D. inform the reader of one of the qualities of electrospun fibers absent in other similar technological approaches.

Correct Answer: D

Explanation:

The question asks the purpose of the reference to nanometers to micrometers in Passage 1. Use the given line reference to find the window. Lines 12–16 state, Electrospinning creates biodegradable scaffolds composed of fibers ranging from nanometers to micrometers in diameter, an attribute that is intrinsically difficult to obtain from other fiber-fabrication processes. Eliminate answers that don't match this prediction. Choice (A) is a Mostly Right, Slightly Wrong trap answer: the text gives a range of measurements, not a precise one, so eliminate (A). Eliminate (B) because the passage is describing the sizes of the fibers for the first time, not further elaborating on their size. Eliminate (C) because the size of cells of the human body is not mentioned in the window. Choice (D) matches the prediction: the range of diameters is one of the qualities of electrospun fibers and the phrase absent in other similar technological approaches in the answer matches is intrinsically difficult to obtain from other fiber-fabrication processes. The correct answer is (D).