PSAT Writing and Language Question 119: Answer and Explanation

Question: 119

Which of the following choices would introduce this paragraph most effectively?

• A. Gender discrimination does not really exist in whale communities.
• B. Whale grandmothers know things other than where to find the salmon.
• C. There is a beautiful scene in Herman Melville's Moby Dick featuring whale families.
• D. The findings are interesting to non-scientists as well.

Correct Answer: D

Explanation:

D

Note the question! The question asks which choice introduces the paragraph most effectively, so it tests consistency of ideas. Determine the subject of the paragraph and find the answer that is consistent with that idea. The paragraph states that the findings also show that societies that value youth and middle age to the detriment of old age may do so at their own peril and that in whale pods as well as human communities, it seems, life may depend on the accrued knowledge of older relatives. Eliminate (A) because gender discrimination is not discussed in the paragraph. Eliminate (B) because there is no discussion of what else whale grandmothers know. Eliminate (C) because Moby Dick is not mentioned in the paragraph at all. Keep (D) because it mentions the study discussed in the previous paragraph and how it connects to society at large. The correct answer is (D).