PSAT Reading Question 62: Answer and Explanation

Question: 62

As used in line 12, "claim" most nearly means

• A. application.
• B. remark.
• C. appeal.
• D. demand.

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

C

The question asks what the word claim means in line 12. Go back to the text, find the word claim, and highlight it. Carefully read the surrounding text to determine another word that would fit in its place, based on the context of the passage. In line 12, the narrator notes that May was making no claim on John, and contrasts this with the fact that, with another woman, John might have feared the recall…of some imbecile "offer." Therefore, claim must mean something like "request." Application and Remark do not match "request," so eliminate (A) and (B). Appeal matches "request" more closely than Demand, which is too strong. Eliminate (D). The correct answer is (C).