PSAT Reading Question 478: Answer and Explanation

Question: 478

Out of the following choices, which does the narrator suggest was of the greatest importance for people to fight the emus effectively?

• A. Military training from elite academies
• B. First-hand experience with the emus
• C. A scholarly understanding of emu anatomy
• D. A sophisticated relationship with the media

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

(B) It might be helpful to paraphrase this question. What changed between the ineffective and the effective raids on the emus? The passage attributes Major Meredith's minimal success his second time around to "his previous experience." Later, the locals succeed because they are "well equipped and knowledgeable." So choice (B) is the correct answer. No evidence indicates that the major or the locals receive further training, academic or military. Choice (D) inappropriately implies that the media was somehow responsible for the more successful onslaughts.