PSAT Writing and Language Practice Question 374
Question: 374
Queen Bess
The crowd was 31 gathering, on, September 3, 1922, as Bessie Coleman looked up to see a clear sky, ideal conditions for her air show. She was relieved that the sky was cloudless, and the temperature was mild; the show had already been postponed because of to bad weather. The crowd continued to grow at Curtiss Field in Long Island, NY for Bessie's first American airshow. She took a deep breath as she prepared to fly. The journey to this moment had been long.
Years prior, Bessie had fallen in love with flying while watching newsreels about World War I. 32 At this point of war, technological advancements, especially in aviation, increased, and many images of the war featured pilots and fighter planes. Inspired by these aviators, Bessie applied to many American flight schools but was rejected by each one because of her race and gender. For aspiring aviators, if they were white, they studied in the United States, but if they were black and female, like Bessie, 33 you had to look abroad to find training.
Bessie planned to attend a flight school in France, a more progressive nation than the United States in the early twentieth century. She worked hard, saved money, and learned French. In November 1920, she moved to France and enrolled in the Caudron Brothers' School of Aviation, where she met Gaston and Rene Caudron. These were the 34 instructors, who would train Bessie, in the skills and techniques of aviation. Bessie knew that aviation training was dangerous. 35 She persisted, and on June 15, 1921, she earned her pilot's license.
[1] When Bessie returned to the United States, she was disappointed by the lack of career opportunities. [2] Once again she was unable to find an instructor in any American school, so she headed back to Europe. [3] Rather than continue her career search, she decided to pursue advanced aviation training. [4] She studied in France, the Netherlands, and Germany to master a range of aerial tricks and stunts. [5] In August 1922, she came back to New York, ready to perform. 36
At Curtiss Field, Bessie took to the sky and performed daring stunts: barrel rolls, loops, figure eights, and low dives. 37 The crowd cheered loudly 38 because they loved her performance. When she landed, the show may have been over, but her career was only beginning. After that successful debut, Bessie went on to tour the country, showcasing a range of aerial maneuvers and 39 electrifying audiences. 40
Correct Answer: C
Explanation:
C
Punctuation is changing in the answer choices, so this question is testing STOP, HALF-STOP, and GO punctuation. Use the Vertical Line Test and identify the ideas as complete or incomplete. Draw the vertical line between the words gathering and on. The first part of the sentence, The crowd was gathering, is a complete idea. The second part, on September 3, 1922, as Bessie Coleman looked up to see a clear sky, ideal conditions for her air show, is an incomplete idea. To connect a complete idea to an incomplete idea, HALF-STOP or GO punctuation is needed. All the answer choices are either HALF-STOP or GO punctuation, so look for another way to eliminate choices. Although a comma is GO punctuation, there is no reason to use a comma after gathering. Eliminate (A) and (D). A colon implies that the following information is either a list or an explanation of a prior idea. Since neither happens in this sentence, there is no reason to use a colon after gathering. Eliminate (B). The correct answer is (C).