PSAT Reading Question 481: Answer and Explanation

Question: 481

As used in line 41, "tenuous" most closely means

• A. precarious.
• B. fatalistic.
• C. biological.
• D. cosmopolitan.

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

(A) To approach this question, use context clues and substitute your own synonym. The successful resistance of the emus, though humorous, was actually harmful to the veterans' already dangerously uncertain situation. Choice (A) sounds most like uncertain or unpredictable. Choice (B) is too extreme because it implies a submission to fate, but the veterans/farmers are not merely resigned to fail. Choice (C) just means that the situation is related to living organisms. Choice (D) means cultivated in the sense of being well-traveled.