PSAT Reading Question 28: Answer and Explanation

Question: 28

Figure 2 most directly supports which statement from the passage?

• A. Lines 1–4 ("With governments…percent")
• B. Lines 19–23 ("In comparison…expired")
• C. Lines 41–45 ("Along the…home")
• D. Lines 53–58 ("Countless…charities")

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

C

The question asks which statement from the passage is most directly supported by Figure 2. Work through each answer choice using the figure. The lines for (A) state, With governments fretting over how to feed more than nine billion people by 2050, a dominant narrative calls for increasing global food production by 70 to 100 percent. Figure 2 does not include information about increasing global food production. Eliminate (A). The lines for (B) state, developed nations waste more food farther down the supply chain due to the actions of retailers and consumers. Figure 2 doesn't include information about the ways developed nations in particular waste food, so eliminate (B). The lines for (C) state, Along the supply chain fruits and vegetables are lost or wasted at higher rates than other foods. Easily bruised and vulnerable to temperature swings en route from farm to table, they're also usually the first to get tossed at home. Figure 2 supports this statement, since it shows a higher percentage of waste for fruits and vegetables than for the other types of food in the graph. Keep (C). The lines for (D) state, Countless businesses, such as grocery stores, restaurants, and cafeterias, have stepped forward to combat waste by quantifying how much edible food isn't consumed, optimizing their purchasing, shrinking portion sizes, and beefing up efforts to move excess to charities. Figure 2 doesn't include information about measures businesses are taking to combat food waste, so eliminate (D). The correct answer is (C).