PSAT Writing and Language Practice Test 5: I'd Rather Be With An Animal

Questions 12-22 refer to the following information.

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.

11 questions    9 minutesAll test questions


12.

13.

14. Which of the following true statements best supports the statement made earlier in this sentence?

15. Which choice completes the sentence with accurate data based on the graph?

16.

17.

18. Which choice best emphasizes that many pet owners consider their pets to be more human than animal?

19. For the sake of the cohesion of this paragraph, sentence 5 should be placed

20.

21.

22.

All content of site and practice tests © 2022 Jack.
Quick View

PSAT Practice Tests

More Information