PSAT Reading Question 88: Answer and Explanation
Question: 88
The passage suggests that the Kansas Flint Hills
- A. are an ecologically sensitive area that must be treated with extreme caution.
- B. must be regularly burned to remain economically viable.
- C. have a unique composition of grasses and forbs that must be studied further.
- D. will not support healthy livestock if the burning schedule changes.
Correct Answer: B
Explanation:
B
The question asks for something that is suggested about the Kansas Flint Hills. Notice that this is the first question in a paired set, so it can be done in tandem with Q32. Look at the answer choices for Q32 first. The lines for (32A) say that for The Flint Hills…frequent burning is integral to its preservation and economic utilization. Check the answers for Q31 to see if any of the answers are supported by those lines. They support (31B), so draw a line connecting (31B) and (32A). Consider the lines for (32B), which say that a good understanding of the consequences of burning at different times of the year is necessary to maintaining the Flint Hills. This answer does suggest an ecologically sensitive area, but it does not describe a need for extreme caution; these lines do not support any of the answers for Q31, so eliminate (32B). The lines for (32C) say that Burning earlier in spring has been regarded as undesirable because it putatively…lowers monthly weight gains of steers compared to burning in late spring, which may seem to support (31D). However, this is a Deceptive Language trap answer. Putatively means "supposedly," and lines 60–68 suggest that burning grasses in the early spring may support species that are beneficial to the diet of grazers. Therefore, (32C) does not support any of the answers to Q31, so eliminate (32C). The lines for (32D) mention grasses and forbs, but the text does not suggest that these must be studied further. These lines do not support any of the answers for Q31, so eliminate (32D). Without any support in the answers from Q32, (31A), (31C), and (31D) can be eliminated. The correct answers are (31B) and (32A).