PSAT Reading Question 303: Answer and Explanation

Question: 303

What main purpose do Passages 1 and 2 share?

• A. To share discoveries about one type of particle
• B. To describe how researchers develop new measurement tools
• C. To summarize what physicists have learned about subatomic particles
• D. To persuade scientists to make more accurate measurements

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

A

The question asks for the main purpose of both passages. Because this is a question about both passages, it should be done after all the questions that ask about each passage individually. Passage 1 discusses a discovery that challenged a previous assumption about neutrinos and details future projects that will try to confirm this discovery. Passage 2 discusses one such project, the KATRIN experiment, and a discovery about neutrinos made from this experiment. Choice (A) matches the main focus of both passages, which is to discuss discoveries about one type of particle, the neutrino. Keep (A). Neither passage discusses how researchers developed the tools needed to make the calculations, so eliminate (B). Choice (C) is a Mostly Right, Slightly Wrong trap answer; a neutrino is a subatomic particle, but it is only one type of subatomic particle. Neither passage summarizes what physicists have learned about subatomic particles in general. Eliminate (C). Both passages indicate that scientists want to make more accurate measurements of the neutrino's mass, but neither author makes an argument intended to persuade scientists. Eliminate (D). The correct answer is (A).