PSAT Reading Question 300: Answer and Explanation

Question: 300

The author uses the word "weirdest" in line 1 most likely to

• A. point out problems with previous observations.
• B. indicate that neutrinos can be puzzling.
• C. suggest the unusual nature of recent experiments.
• D. describe previous observations as awkward.

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

B

The question asks why the author uses the word weirdest in line 1. Use the given line reference to find the window. The first paragraph of Passage 1 says that neutrinos are nearly massless, and it discusses how a prior belief about the weight of neutrinos was surprisingly overturned. The paragraph suggests that not much is known about neutrinos, as the true weight of neutrinos has remained a mystery. Therefore, the correct answer should indicate that neutrinos are perplexing to scientists. Eliminate answers that don't match the prediction. Though the paragraph discusses previous observations, the word weirdest is not used to describe these observations. Eliminate (A) and (D). The word weirdest is used to point out the puzzling nature of neutrinos. Keep (B). Choice (C) is a Mostly Right, Slightly Wrong trap answer: the word unusual could match the word weirdest, but (C) uses unusual to refer to recent experiments, not neutrinos. Eliminate (C). The correct answer is (B).