PSAT Reading Question 54: Answer and Explanation

Question: 54

A student claimed that tardigrades would likely face extinction before humans. Would the author of Passage 2 most likely agree with the student's claim?

• A. Yes, because the author states that tardigrades are nearly indestructible and can go long periods without food or water.
• B. Yes, because the author states that tardigrades are vulnerable to both asteroid impacts and the death of the sun.
• C. No, because the author states that tardigrades may be protected from cataclysmic events that would be highly destructive for humans.
• D. No, because the author states that tardigrades are vulnerable to astrophysical events such as asteroid strikes.

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

C

The question asks whether the author of Passage 2 would agree with a student's claim that tardigrades would likely face extinction before humans. Since there is no line reference, use lead words to find the window. Look for the lead words extinction, humans, and tardigrades. The second paragraph mentions humans and extinction. The paragraph states, Astrophysical events such as asteroid strikes have been fingered as the causes of past mass extinctions on Earth. Such violent cataclysms could easily wipe out humans. The third paragraph states that an asteroid collision with earth would be catastrophic for many life-forms on the surface, but tardigrades would have a refuge. The next paragraph adds, "Tardigrades can live around volcanic vents at the bottom of the ocean, which means they have a huge shield against the kind of events that would be catastrophic for humans." Therefore, the author would probably not agree that tardigrades are likely to face extinction before humans. Eliminate answers that don't match this prediction. Eliminate (A) and (B). Keep (C) because it matches the prediction. Eliminate (D) because the passage indicates that tardigrades are not vulnerable to asteroid strikes. The correct answer is (C).