PSAT Writing and Language Practice Question 48
Question: 48
I'd Rather Be With An Animal
Many children dream of being veterinarians. Working all day with animals just like one's dog, cat, 12 fish or horse seems, like a dream come true. For some reason, though, kids seem to grow out of this fantasy as they get older, with 13 fewer than 3,000 veterinary-school graduates each year in the United States. It may be time, however, to bring the dream back: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that, between 2010 and 2020, 14 the U.S. economy will see some slow growth. The need for veterinary technicians is predicted to grow even more quickly, 15 although the data show that other professions will grow even more quickly.
For many years, veterinarians have provided a series of basic services for household 16 pets. From basic check-ups and shots to neutering and defanging. Today, however, pets have a longer life expectancy than in the past, and 17 they are required to perform more and more procedures involving animal cancers, skin abscesses, and torn ligaments and cartilage. Medical expenses are now a significant factor in the cost of pet ownership, and companies offering Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) are sprouting up all over the country.
[1] If this seems to resemble medical care for humans, it's not mere coincidence. [2] In fact, the word "owners" may itself be a misnomer: 18 some pets are shared between friends. [3] There are many cultural factors leading to this increase in attention and intimacy. [4] The main one may be that as young men and women are getting married and starting families later in life, they are more likely to own pets as new college graduates and young professionals. [5] For many pet owners, dogs and cats are more "human" than ever before. 19
As pets continue to take on a new symbolic importance, the need for veterinary specialization is increasing. There is a huge 20 demand, for instance, for the work of specialists in veterinary dentistry and animal behaviorism as these fields become better understood. In the latter particularly, there is an obvious correlation between the humanity of pets and the perceived complexity of 21 their minds and of the way they think. There have also been significant increases in the very "human" procedures of hip replacements, blood transfusions, and organ transplants.
Veterinary advocates have been quick to point out that increases in animal health correlate directly with increases in human health. Given the increase in people living alone and the decrease in the average number of children per family, an animal's companionship can provide 22 stuff that is often attributed to the traditional nuclear family. The grandeur of childhood dreams may not be so unreasonable after all: as the veterinary profession grows, veterinary science will increasingly become a part of how we understand the human experience.
Which choice completes the sentence with accurate data based on the graph?
Correct Answer: B
Explanation:
B
Note the question! The question asks for the choice that has accurate data based on the graph, so it's testing consistency. First, understand the labels and the data from the graph. The graph shows the percent change in employment, projected 2010–20 and lists three groups of jobs. Next, read each choice and determine whether it's consistent with the data in the graph. Other professions will grow even more quickly is not consistent because the veterinary technicians have the highest percent change; eliminate (A). Veterinary technicians will grow at over three times the rate of all occupations in the United States is consistent with the data because 52% is greater than 3 × 14% = 42%; keep (B). A health technician has equally positive job prospects is not consistent because the bar for veterinary technicians is at 52% and the bar for health technicians is at 26%; eliminate (C). Those who have not gone to veterinary school are not mentioned on the graph, so eliminate (D). The correct answer is (B).