PSAT Reading Question 261: Answer and Explanation

Question: 261

Both speakers would most likely agree with which view of the military draft in the United States?

• A. It gives the President too much power.
• B. It is necessary for one more year.
• C. It is not an ideal recruitment method.
• D. It can replace a volunteer army.

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

The question asks for a statement about the military draft in the United States that both speakers would agree with. Because this is a question about both passages, it should be done after the questions that ask about each passage individually. In Passage 1, line 41 states, We must end the draft now! The speaker in Passage 1 is opposed to the draft and would like to end it immediately. Eliminate answers that do not match the prediction for Passage 1. Eliminate (A) because Passage 1 does not discuss whether the President has too much power under the draft. Eliminate (B) because the speaker in Passage 1 is in favor of ending the draft immediately. Keep (C) because it matches the prediction. Eliminate (D), which is a Right Words, Wrong Meaning trap answer: the speaker of Passage 1 discusses replacing the draft with volunteer recruitment, but he doesn't discuss whether the draft could replace a volunteer army. The only answer remaining is (C). For this question, all but one answer can be eliminated based solely on Passage 1. However, Passage 2 must also support (C). There was only one individual question about Passage 2, so a large part of the passage is still unread. Continue reading Passage 2, looking for information about the speaker's view of the draft. Lines 58–65 state, I favor a volunteer army…Because I do believe the volunteer army is a goal we can reach, I believe that the termination of the draft…within the next year, would be folly and do great damage to the ultimate adoption of a sound volunteer army concept. In other words, although the speaker in Passage 2 does not want to end the draft immediately, he also favors voluntary recruitment rather than a draft. The correct answer is (C).