PSAT Reading Question 317: Answer and Explanation

Question: 317

The boardwalk is most appealing to the narrator as a result of

• A. the widespread practice of kite-flying by users of it.
• B. the happy memories she has of time she spent there with family.
• C. the opportunities it gives for independent scholarly research.
• D. the freedom it gives her to explore independently.

Correct Answer: D

Explanation:

(D) Immediately after introducing the boardwalk in line 20, the narrator states that she was able to spend "hours wandering alone" on the boardwalk (lines 22–23). Additionally, the narrator discusses in lines 43–45 that she enjoyed being unattended. So the narrator clearly enjoys how the boardwalk gives her the freedom to explore independently. Choice (A) mentions something too specific and irrelevant to her overall opinion of the boardwalk. She doesn't seem to spend much time with her family on the boardwalk, wandering alone along it instead, making choice (B) incorrect. She is a young child having fun, not a researcher, making choice (C) incorrect.