PSAT Reading Question 23: Answer and Explanation

Question: 23

The author indicates that the amount of food wasted annually across the globe

• A. has steadily decreased since industrialization.
• B. could feed every starving person in the world.
• C. is the leading cause of malnutrition worldwide.
• D. is not given sufficient attention.

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

B

The question asks what the author indicates about the amount of food wasted annually across the globe. Notice that this is the first question in a paired set, so it can be done in tandem with Q14. Look at the answers for Q14 first. The lines for (14A) say that nearly 800 million people worldwide suffer from hunger. These lines don't discuss the amount of food wasted, so eliminate (14A). The lines for (14B) state that we squander enough food—globally, 2.9 trillion pounds a year—to feed every one of [the people suffering from hunger] more than twice over. Check the answers for Q13 to see if this information supports any of the answers; it supports (13B), so draw a line connecting (13B) with (14B). The lines for (14C) say, By the end of 2015 the UN and the U.S. had pledged to halve food waste by 2030. This information doesn't support any of the answers to Q13, so eliminate (14C). The lines for (14D) say that countries and companies are devising and adopting standardized metrics to quantify waste. These lines don't support any of the answers for Q13, so eliminate (14D). Without any support in the answers from Q14, (13A), (13C), and (13D) can be eliminated. The correct answers are (13B) and (14B).