PSAT Writing and Language Question 23: Answer and Explanation

Question: 23

Which of the following choices would best introduce the essay by identifying a way that a historical period understood a particular medium?

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. If you don't own a TV today, it's not considered that weird anymore.
• C. It's very possible that the only thing you listen to on the radio is music.
• D. The old cathode-ray-tube TVs are relics of the past by this point.

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

Note the question! The question asks which choice would best introduce the essay, so it tests consistency of ideas. Look for an answer choice that is consistent with the purpose stated in the question. The paragraph states that Americans spent anywhere from three to five hours a day in front of the tube. Look for an answer choice that is consistent with the discussion of American television-watching habits and identifies a way that a historical period understood a particular medium. Eliminate (C) because it does not discuss television. Keep (A) because it states that people in the 1980s and 1990s (a historical period) expressed concern that Americans watched too much television (a medium). Eliminate (B) because a historical period is a defined length of time that happened in the past, not today. Eliminate (D) because it does not describe how anyone understood the medium of television in the past. The correct answer is (A).