PSAT Reading Practice Test 25
Questions 1-10 refer to the following information.
A growing focus on STEM—science,
technology, engineering, and math—has
brought funding and excitement for these
subjects into schools. Meanwhile,
05the push for standardized testing is
requiring teachers to devote a large
proportion of class time to reading and
math test preparation. One consequence of
these dual trends is that schools are
10skimping on social studies instruction.
Mindful world citizens need, at a
minimum, a general awareness of foreign
cultures, a passing familiarity with
geography, and a basic understanding
15of history. If you're not sure your
child's school is instilling these basic
foundations of knowledge, you need to
support your kids' learning yourself.
Daunting as this may sound, it doesn't
20need to take an inordinate amount of
time and effort.
A good first step is to keep a globe
or world map in a prominent location
in your home. Whenever possible, refer
25to this resource in conversation. For
instance, if your child is interested in
a particular animal, point out where in
the world it lives. If older children ask
questions about the news, show them
30where current events are happening. If
your budget allows it, keep a good
children's atlas handy too. This will allow
your conversations to go into greater
depth if your children show interest.
35Children have ever-greater access to
high-quality fiction about people and
cultures around the world. If you're
reading together about a foreign place or
time—or if you see your older child
40picking up a historical or multicultural
book—take a moment to find a children's
nonfiction book on the same subject. If
you don't have time to do this research
during a family library trip, most
45libraries allow patrons to browse and
order books online.