PSAT Reading Question 27: Answer and Explanation

Question: 27

Which idea is supported by both the passage and the information in figure 1?

• A. Retail markets and consumers are responsible for a greater percentage of food waste in developed nations than in developing nations.
• B. In developed nations, a lack of adequate food storage is responsible for the majority of postproduction food waste.
• C. Each year, developed and developing nations account for roughly the same amount of food waste.
• D. A smaller percentage of food is lost during production and processing in developing nations than in developed nations.

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

A

The question asks which idea is supported by both the passage and the information in Figure 1. First, work through each answer using the figure. Choice (A) is supported by Figure 1: in developed nations, food discarded by retail markets and consumers accounts for 14.7% of dairy waste, while in developing nations, waste by retail markets and consumers accounts for only 8.5% of waste. Keep (A). Choice (B) is not supported by Figure 1, because the figure does not include information about a lack of adequate food storage. Eliminate (B). Choice (C) is not supported by the figure. Figure 1 only shows what percent of the food within each region is wasted; it doesn't give a basis for comparing the actual amounts of food wasted in developing versus developed nations. Eliminate (C). Choice (D) is not supported by the figure. Figure 1 shows that 16.4% of food is lost during production and processing in developing nations, while only 5.2% of food is lost during production and processing in developed nations. Eliminate (D). Check to see whether (A) is supported by the passage. Lines 17–23 indicate that in comparison with developing nations, developed nations waste more food farther down the supply chain, when retailers order, serve, or display too much and when consumers ignore leftovers in the back of the fridge or toss perishables before they've expired. This information supports (A). The correct answer is (A).