PSAT Reading Question 452: Answer and Explanation

Question: 452

Which option gives the best evidence for the answer to the previous question?

• A. Lines 27–29 ("I never . . . home")
• B. Lines 30–33 ("She was . . . master")
• C. Lines 34–35 ("She was . . . gone")
• D. Lines 35–37 ("Very little . . . suffering")

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

(B) Beginning in line 30, we learn about the circumstances under which Douglass's mother visits him, risking "a whipping" if not back "in the field at sunrise." Hence, these lines provide direct evidence for the previous question. Choices (A), (C), and (D) tell us briefly about Douglass's relationship with his mother but not why she was forced to visit only at night.