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Question ID 051d72be
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 051d72be
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 1897, African American inventor Andrew Beard invented an automatic coupler.
It improved on the existing design of train car couplers. It made the job of connecting train cars safer.
In 1938, African American inventor Frederick Jones invented a mobile refrigeration system.
It improved on the existing design of food transport trucks. It enabled trucks to carry perishable foods farther.

The student wants to emphasize a similarity between Beard’s invention and Jones’s invention. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Beard’s automatic coupler and Jones’s mobile refrigeration system both improved on existing designs.

B. In 1897, Beard invented an automatic coupler, which made the job of connecting train cars safer.

Beard’s invention made the job of connecting train cars safer, whereas Jones’s invention enabled food transport
C. trucks to carry perishables farther.

Jones’s mobile refrigeration system, which he invented in 1938, made it possible for food transport trucks to carry
D. perishable foods farther.

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Question ID fedee38c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: fedee38c
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Some US reformers sought to improve society in the 1800s by building utopias.
A utopia is a community intended to represent a perfect society based on a specific set of principles.
One such community was Brook Farm near Boston, Massachusetts.
It was founded in 1841 by writer George Ripley.
Ripley wrote in a letter that his goal for Brook Farm was “to guarantee the highest mental freedom, by providing
all with labor, adapted to their tastes and talents, and securing to them the fruits of their industry.”

The student wants to explain the goal of Brook Farm using a quotation from George Ripley. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. In a letter, writer George Ripley explained his goal to “guarantee the highest mental freedom.”

Utopias, such as Brook Farm, founded by George Ripley in 1841, were based on a specific set of principles intended
B. to create a perfect society.

Founded by George Ripley near Boston, Massachusetts, Brook Farm was part of a trend in the 1800s, when
C. reformers in the United States built utopias.

Established in 1841, Brook Farm was a utopian community created to “guarantee the highest mental freedom, by
D. providing all with labor... [and] the fruits of their industry,” according to founder George Ripley.

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Question ID 931d2369
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 931d2369
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Oracles of the Pink Universe was a 2021 exhibition at the Denver Museum of Art in Colorado.
It featured eight artworks by South African artist Simphiwe Ndzube.
One of these works is a painting titled Assertion of Will. Assertion of Will depicts three standing figures.
The figures wear clothing made of fabric pieces stitched to the painting’s canvas.

The student wants to describe how fabric is used in Assertion of Will. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. In Assertion of Will, the figures’ clothing is made of fabric pieces stitched to the painting’s canvas.

B. The exhibition Oracles of the Pink Universe featured artworks by artist Simphiwe Ndzube.

C. Depicting three standing, clothed figures, Assertion of Will is a painting by Simphiwe Ndzube.

Simphiwe Ndzube’s Assertion of Will was one of eight artworks exhibited in Oracles of the Pink Universe at the
D. Denver Museum of Art.

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Question ID b78350ca
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: b78350ca
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
A wok is a cooking pan that originated in China during the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE).
The wok’s round, wide base helps to cook food evenly.
The wok’s high, angled sides help to contain oil splatters. Grace Young is a cook and culinary historian.
Her book The Breath of a Wok (2004) traces the history of the wok.

The student wants to describe the wok’s shape. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the
notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Grace Young’s 2004 book, The Breath of a Wok, traces the history of the cooking pan.

B. Able to cook food evenly and contain oil splatters, the wok is the subject of Grace Young’s 2004 book.

C. A wok is a cooking pan with a round, wide base and high, angled sides.

The design of a wok, a type of cooking pan that originated in China during the Han dynasty, helps the pan cook food
D. evenly and contain oil splatters.

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Question ID b81aa0f6
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: b81aa0f6
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Species belonging to the Orchidaceae (orchid) family can be found in both tropical and temperate
environments.
Orchidaceae species diversity has not been well studied in temperate forests, such as those in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Arelee Estefanía Muñoz-Hernández led a study to determine how many different Orchidaceae species are
present in the forests of Oaxaca.
Muñoz-Hernández and her team collected orchids each month for a year at a site in Oaxaca.
Seventy-four Orchidaceae species were present at the site.

The student wants to present the study and its findings. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from
the notes to accomplish this goal?

A study led by Arelee Estefanía Muñoz-Hernández identified a total of 74 Orchidaceae species in the temperate
A. forests of Oaxaca, Mexico.

B. There are orchids in many environments, but there are 74 Orchidaceae species in Oaxaca, Mexico.

C. Oaxaca, Mexico, is home to temperate forests containing 74 Orchidaceae species.

Arelee Estefanía Muñoz-Hernández and her team wanted to know how many different Orchidaceae species are
D. present in the forests of Oaxaca, Mexico, so they conducted a study to collect orchids.

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Question ID d561db9c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: d561db9c
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Bioluminescence is the emission of light by living organisms.
This light is produced by chemical reactions in organisms’ cells. Jellyfish emit flashes of blue light.
This behavior serves to startle predators. Black dragonfish emit a steady red light.
This behavior helps them locate prey in deep waters.

The student wants to emphasize a difference between the behavior of jellyfish and that of black dragonfish. Which
choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Both jellyfish and black dragonfish are organisms that emit light, which is produced by chemical reactions in these
A. organisms’ cells.

B. Black dragonfish emit a steady red light, which helps them locate prey in deep waters.

C. Bioluminescence, the emission of light by living organisms, results from chemical reactions in organisms’ cells.

D. Jellyfish emit light to startle predators, whereas black dragonfish do so to locate prey.

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Question ID c04fe47d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: c04fe47d
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Organisms release cellular material into their environment by shedding substances such as hair or skin.
The DNA in these substances is known as environmental DNA, or eDNA.
Researchers collect and analyze eDNA to detect the presence of species that are difficult to observe.
Geneticist Sara Oyler-McCance’s research team analyzed eDNA in water samples from the Florida Everglades
to detect invasive constrictor snake species in the area.
The study determined a 91% probability of detecting Burmese python eDNA in a given location.

The student wants to present the study to an audience already familiar with environmental DNA. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Sara Oyler-McCance’s researchers analyzed eDNA in water samples from the Florida Everglades for evidence of
A. invasive constrictor snakes, which are difficult to observe.

An analysis of eDNA can detect the presence of invasive species that are difficult to observe, such as constrictor
B. snakes.

Researchers found Burmese python eDNA, or environmental DNA, in water samples; eDNA is the DNA in released
C. cellular materials, such as shed skin cells.

Sara Oyler-McCance’s researchers analyzed environmental DNA (eDNA)—that is, DNA from cellular materials
D. released by organisms—in water samples from the Florida Everglades.

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Question ID a94d75c0
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: a94d75c0
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 1978, Sámi activists staged protests to block the construction of a dam on the Alta River in Norway.
The dam would disrupt Sámi fishing and reindeer herding.
The dam was ultimately built, but the Alta conflict had a lasting impact.
It brought international attention to the issue of Sámi rights.
It led to a set of 2005 legal protections establishing Sámi rights to lands, waters, and resources.

The student wants to make and support a generalization about the Alta conflict. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

During the Alta conflict, Sámi activists staged protests to block the construction of a dam on the Alta River in
A. Norway that would disrupt local fishing and reindeer herding.

B. Although the dam that the Sámi activists had protested was ultimately built, the Alta conflict had a lasting impact.

Sámi rights to lands, waters, and resources received international attention and legal protections as a result of the
C. Alta conflict.

The Alta conflict had a lasting impact, resulting in international attention and legal protections for Sámi rights to
D. lands, waters, and resources.

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Question ID 25daf339
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 25daf339
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Yellowstone is a national park in the northwest United States.
In 1995, gray wolves were reintroduced into the park.
Since then, the number of gray wolves in the park has stabilized at roughly 100.
This number is believed to be the park’s carrying capacity.
Carrying capacity describes the maximum number of a species that a specific environment’s resources can
sustain over time.

The student wants to specify the number of gray wolves in Yellowstone. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Gray wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone, a national park in the northwest United States, in 1995.

B. As of 1995, there were gray wolves living in Yellowstone, a national park in the northwest United States.

The carrying capacity of an environment, such as Yellowstone, describes the maximum number of species that the
C. environment can sustain over time.

D. Yellowstone is a national park that has roughly 100 gray wolves living in it.

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Question ID 412eafc5
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 412eafc5
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 2018 researchers Adwait Deshpande, Shreejata Gupta, and Anindya Sinha were observing wild macaques in
India’s Bandipur National Park.
They saw macaques calling out to and gesturing at humans who were eating or carrying food.
They designed a study to find out if the macaques were intentionally communicating to try to persuade the
humans to share their food.
In the study trials, macaques frequently called out to and gestured at humans holding food.
In the study trials, macaques called out to and gestured at empty-handed humans less frequently.

The student wants to present the study’s results. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the
notes to accomplish this goal?

Macaques in the study called out to and gestured more frequently at humans holding food than at empty-handed
A. humans.

In 2018, researchers who had observed macaques in India’s Bandipur National Park calling out to and gesturing at
B. humans designed a study.

The researchers hoped to find out if the macaques were intentionally communicating to try to persuade humans to
C. share their food.

D. The researchers studied how macaques behaved around both humans holding food and empty-handed humans.

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Question ID 9eff0920
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 9eff0920
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The Pueblo of Zuni is located about 150 miles west of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
It is the traditional home of the A:shiwi (Zuni) people.
The A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center was established by tribal members in 1992.
Its mission is stated on its website: “As a tribal museum and heritage center for the Zuni people and by the Zuni
people we work to provide learning experiences that emphasize A:shiwi ways of knowing, as well as exploring
modern concepts of knowledge and the transfer of knowledge.”

The student wants to emphasize how long the museum has existed. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

The Pueblo of Zuni is home to the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center, which was founded by tribal
A. members.

B. The A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center has served the Pueblo of Zuni since 1992.

According to its website, the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center (founded in the 1990s) works to
C. “emphasize A:shiwi ways of knowing.”

Knowledge has been one of the central themes of the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center from its
D. founding.

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Question ID dd5ab42d
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: dd5ab42d
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
As engineered structures, many bird nests are uniquely flexible yet cohesive.
A research team led by Yashraj Bhosale wanted to better understand the mechanics behind these structural
properties.
Bhosale’s team used laboratory models that simulated the arrangement of flexible sticks into nest-like
structures.
The researchers analyzed the points where sticks touched one another.
When pressure was applied to the model nests, the number of contact points between the sticks increased,
making the structures stiffer.

The student wants to present the primary aim of the research study. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Bhosale’s team wanted to better understand the mechanics behind bird nests’ uniquely flexible yet cohesive
A. structural properties.

The researchers used laboratory models that simulated the arrangement of flexible sticks and analyzed the points
B. where sticks touched one another.

After analyzing the points where sticks touched, the researchers found that the structures became stiffer when
C. pressure was applied.

D. As analyzed by Bhosale’s team, bird nests are uniquely flexible yet cohesive engineered structures.

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Question ID 4fb9ac8c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 4fb9ac8c
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Muslins are woven cotton fabrics with a variety of uses.
Dhaka muslin is a handmade fabric produced in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
It has an extremely fine weave and is primarily used to make luxury clothing.
Sheeting muslin is a machine-made fabric produced in factories.
It has a coarse weave and is primarily used to upholster furniture and create backdrops for theater sets.

The student wants to emphasize a difference between the two muslins. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Dhaka muslin is a handmade fabric with an extremely fine weave, while sheeting muslin is machine made with a
A. coarse weave.

B. Dhaka muslin and sheeting muslin are two different types of woven cotton fabrics.

Muslins can be used in a variety of ways, from making luxury clothing to upholstering furniture and creating
C. backdrops for theater sets.

D. Sheeting muslin is machine made, has a coarse weave, and is used for furniture and theater sets.

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Question ID b6c72ae9
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: b6c72ae9
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Marine biologist Camille Jazmin Gaynus studies coral reefs.
Coral reefs are vital underwater ecosystems that provide habitats to 25% of all marine species.
Reefs can include up to 8,000 species of fish, such as toadfish, seahorses, and clown triggerfish.
The Amazon Reef is a coral reef in Brazil. It is one of the largest known reefs in the world.

The student wants to introduce the scientist and her field of study to a new audience. Which choice most effectively
uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Located in Brazil, the Amazon Reef is one of the largest known coral reefs in the world.

Marine biologist Camille Jazmin Gaynus studies coral reefs, vital underwater ecosystems that provide homes to
B. 25% of all marine species.

Providing homes to 25% of all marine species, including up to 8,000 species of fish, coral reefs are vital underwater
C. ecosystems and thus of great interest to marine biologists.

As Camille Jazmin Gaynus knows well, coral reefs are vital underwater ecosystems, providing homes to thousands
D. of species of fish.

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Question ID 3584cb21
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 3584cb21
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Freddie Wong (born 1985) is a director and special effects artist from the United States.
He is best known for the action-comedy web series Video Game High School (VGHS).
VGHS premiered in 2012 on RocketJump, a YouTube channel that Wong cocreated.
The series was celebrated for its inventive video game–centric world and high-quality special effects.
VGHS was nominated for a Producers Guild Award for Outstanding Digital Series.

The student wants to begin a narrative about Wong’s award-nominated web series. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

In 2012, director and visual effects artist Freddie Wong launched a new action-comedy web series: Video Game
A. High School.

Video Game High School was celebrated for its inventive video game–centric world and high-quality special effects,
B. and it was nominated for a Producer’s Guild Award for Outstanding Digital Series.

Wong, cocreator of the YouTube channel RocketJump, would go on to see his web series be nominated for a
C. Producers Guild Award.

D. In 2012, Video Game High School premiered on RocketJump; it would later be nominated for an award.

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Question ID 6ab314a3
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 6ab314a3
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Stars form in a galaxy when gravity causes a massive cloud of dust and gas to collapse.
A galaxy in a phase of rapid star formation is called a starburst galaxy.
Quenching is a process in which a galaxy loses star-forming gas.
A galaxy that no longer forms stars is called a quenched galaxy.
A quenched galaxy has entered the poststarburst phase.

The student wants to explain what a quenched galaxy is. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from
the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Before quenching, a starburst galaxy will form stars at a rapid rate.

B. When it becomes quenched, a starburst galaxy enters the poststarburst phase.

C. Having entered the poststarburst phase, a quenched galaxy is one that no longer forms stars.

D. A starburst galaxy will lose star-forming gas and eventually become quenched.

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Question ID 0db6a123
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 0db6a123
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Maika’i Tubbs is a Native Hawaiian sculptor and installation artist.
His work has been shown in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Germany, among other places.
Many of his sculptures feature discarded objects.
His work Erasure (2008) includes discarded audiocassette tapes and magnets.
His work Home Grown (2009) includes discarded pushpins, plastic plates and forks, and wood.

The student wants to emphasize a similarity between the two works. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Erasure (2008) uses discarded objects such as audiocassette tapes and magnets; Home Grown (2009), however,
A. includes pushpins, plastic plates and forks, and wood.

B. Tubbs’s work, which often features discarded objects, has been shown both within the United States and abroad.

Like many of Tubbs’s sculptures, both Erasure and Home Grown include discarded objects: Erasure uses
C. audiocassette tapes, and Home Grown uses plastic forks.

D. Tubbs completed Erasure in 2008 and Home Grown in 2009.

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Question ID a5fc475f
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: a5fc475f
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Wool is a natural—and economically important—fiber that is obtained from animals like sheep.
Australia is a leading producer of wool. The thickness of wool fibers varies across sheep breeds.
Merino sheep produce fine wool that is used for apparel.
Rambouillet sheep produce fine wool that is used for apparel.
Romney sheep produce thick wool that is used for rugs and blankets.

The student wants to emphasize how Romney wool differs from Merino and Rambouillet wool. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Romney wool is just one of the many kinds of wools, each originating from a different breed of sheep.

B. Sheep wool varies from breed to breed, so Romney wool will be different than other kinds of wool.

The fine wool produced by Merino and Rambouillet sheep is used for apparel, whereas the thicker wool of Romney
C. sheep is used in rugs and blankets.

Wool is an economically important fiber—especially in Australia—that can be used to make apparel or even rugs and
D. blankets.

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Question ID df4ccc47
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: df4ccc47
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In geology, an Aeolian landform is one that has been created by the wind.
In Greek mythology, Aeolus is the keeper of the winds.
Aeolian landforms are created when the wind erodes, transports, or deposits material.
A mushroom rock is a rock formation in which the top is wider than the base.
A mushroom rock can be formed when the wind erodes the base and the top at different rates.

The student wants to provide an explanation and an example of Aeolian landforms. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Aeolian landforms are created by different wind-based processes; for example, some are created by wind erosion.

Aeolian landforms—landforms created by the wind—include the mushroom rock, a rock formation in which the wind
B. erodes the base of the rock faster than the top.

Erosion, transportation, and deposition are three examples of how the wind can create Aeolian landforms and
C. mushroom rocks.

A mushroom rock is a rock formation that owes its shape to the wind, a natural force associated with Aeolus in
D. Greek mythology.

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Question ID 2d452923
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 2d452923
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
A marathon is a long-distance running race that is 26.2 miles long.
An ultramarathon is a long-distance running race of more than 26.2 miles.
The Kepler Challenge is a one-day, 37.3-mile ultramarathon in New Zealand.
The Spreelauf is a six-day, 261-mile ultramarathon in Germany.

The student wants to make a generalization about ultramarathons. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Examples of ultramarathons include the 37.3-mile Kepler Challenge in New Zealand and the 261-mile Spreelauf in
A. Germany.

B. A marathon is 26.2 miles long, but the Spreelauf ultramarathon, at 261 miles, is far longer.

C. Ultramarathons range widely in length, from a few dozen miles to a few hundred.

D. While the Kepler Challenge is a one-day ultramarathon, the Spreelauf is a six-day ultramarathon.

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Question ID 28e6339e
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 28e6339e
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Some powerful works of literature have so influenced readers that new legislation has been passed as a result.
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (1789) is the autobiography of a man who endured
slavery on both sides of the Atlantic.
Equiano’s book contributed to the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807.
The Jungle (1906) is a fictional work by Upton Sinclair that describes unsanitary conditions in US meatpacking
plants.
Sinclair’s book contributed to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906.

The student wants to emphasize a difference between the two books. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Although both are powerful works of literature that contributed to new legislation, Equiano’s book is an
A. autobiography, while Sinclair’s is fictional.

B. They may have written about different topics, but Equiano and Sinclair both influenced readers.

The 1807 Slave Trade Act resulted in part from a book by Equiano, while the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act resulted
C. in part from a book by Sinclair.

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano and The Jungle are two works of literature that contributed
D. to new legislation (concerning the slave trade and food safety, respectively).

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Question ID a475bccb
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: a475bccb
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Etel Adnan was a Lebanese American poet and artist known for making many leporellos.
A leporello is an artist’s book that is folded accordion style.
When the book is expanded, the artist’s work is revealed, and its zigzag shape allows it to stand on its own.
Her leporello December from My Window (1993) features a panoramic landscape.
It is painted using ink and watercolor.

The student wants to describe Adnan’s December from My Window to an audience already familiar with leporellos.
Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Featuring a panoramic landscape, the 1993 work is one of Adnan’s many leporellos, which are accordion-style
A. folded books that when expanded reveal the artist’s work.

When expanded, Adnan’s 1993 leporello December from My Window reveals a panoramic landscape painted in ink
B. and watercolor.

Known for making many other accordion-style folded books called leporellos, Adnan created December from My
C. Window in 1993.

A leporello, such as Adnan’s December from My Window, is folded accordion style, and due to its zigzag shape it is
D. able to stand on its own when fully expanded.

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Question ID bcc61492
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: bcc61492
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Nissologists are scientists who study islands.
Some nissologists define an island as any piece of land surrounded by water.
Using that definition, they determined that Sweden has 221,000 islands.
Other nissologists define an island as being 1 kilometer square, a certain distance from the mainland, and
having at least 50 permanent residents.
Using that definition, they determined that Sweden has 24 islands.

The student wants to make and support a generalization about nissologists’ definition of an island. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish these goals?

The definition of an island as any piece of land surrounded by water is supported by some nissologists, scientists
A. who study islands.

B. Multiple counts of Sweden’s islands have been based on different definitions of an island.

C. Based on a recent count, Sweden has a relatively small number of islands with at least 50 permanent residents.

Nissologists’ different definitions can result in huge disparities in counts of islands, as the example of Sweden
D. shows.

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Question ID 4fec02dc
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 4fec02dc
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The Azores is a group of islands about 870 miles off the coast of Portugal.
Historians have long believed that in the fifteenth century Portuguese mariners were the first humans to
populate the Azores.
A 2015 study coauthored by Sofia Gabriel and Maria da Luz Mathias found that Vikings from Scandinavia may
have populated the Azores as early as the ninth century.
The researchers found a genetic connection between house mice in the Azores and house mice in Scandinavia.
House mice may have traveled from Scandinavia to the Azores on Viking ships.

The student wants to specify who may have first populated the Azores, according to the 2015 study. Which choice
most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Historians have long believed that the first humans to populate the Azores, a group of islands about 870 miles off
A. the coast of Portugal, arrived in the fifteenth century.

B. Portuguese mariners may not have been the first humans to populate the Azores.

In their 2015 study, the researchers found a genetic connection between house mice in the Azores and those in
C. Scandinavia.

According to a 2015 study, the first humans to populate the Azores may have been Vikings from Scandinavia, not
D. mariners from Portugal as previously believed.

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Question ID dd9d2249
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: dd9d2249
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Archaeologist Dr. Sada Mire founded the Horn Heritage Foundation to preserve the cultural history of regions in
the Horn of Africa.
Horn Heritage has overseen a preservation project to create 3D digital scans of ancient rock art in Somaliland.
Paintings found at the Laas Geel caves are included in the scans.
The Laas Geel paintings feature human figures and animals.
Paintings found at the Dhagah Nabi Galay caves are included in the scans.
The Dhagah Nabi Galay caves feature what are thought to be the earliest examples of writing in East Africa.

The student wants to emphasize a similarity between the Laas Geel paintings and the Dhagah Nabi Galay paintings.
Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

The earliest examples of writing in East Africa are thought to be featured in the paintings at the Dhagah Nabi Galay
A. caves in Somaliland.

The paintings at the Dhagah Nabi Galay caves feature examples of writing, while those at the Laas Geel caves
B. feature humans and animals.

C. In Somaliland, the paintings in the Laas Geel caves feature human figures and animals.

The Laas Geel paintings and the Dhagah Nabi Galay paintings are both examples of ancient rock art found in
D. Somaliland.

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Question ID 2b8d7931
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 2b8d7931
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Claude McKay (1889–1948) was a Jamaican American writer.
Songs of Jamaica (1912) and Constab Ballads (1912) are two acclaimed poetry collections that McKay
published while living in Jamaica.
McKay moved to Harlem in New York City in 1914.
He is best known as a poet and novelist of the Harlem Renaissance, a literary and cultural movement of the
1920s and 1930s.
His most famous works include the poetry collection Harlem Shadows (1922) and the novel Home to Harlem
(1928).

The student wants to emphasize Claude McKay’s accomplishments before moving to Harlem. Which choice most
effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

Jamaican American writer Claude McKay is the author of works such as Songs of Jamaica (1912), Constab Ballads
A. (1912), Harlem Shadows (1922), and Home to Harlem (1928).

Although he is best known as a Harlem Renaissance writer, Claude McKay had published two acclaimed poetry
B. collections in 1912 while living in Jamaica: Songs of Jamaica and Constab Ballads.

In 1914, Claude McKay moved to Harlem, where he would become known as a poet and novelist of the Harlem
C. Renaissance (a literary and cultural movement of the 1920s and 1930s).

Before moving to Harlem, Claude McKay—author of the poetry collection Harlem Shadows (1922) and the novel
D. Home to Harlem (1928)—lived in Jamaica.

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Question ID 8ecf234b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 8ecf234b
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
In 2013, paleontology professor Hesham Sallam and his students from Mansoura University in Egypt made a
discovery.
The team found a partial dinosaur skeleton at a site in Egypt’s Dakhla Oasis.
The skeleton belonged to a dinosaur species that lived approximately 80 million years ago.
The new species was named Mansourasaurus to recognize the team that discovered it.

The student wants to explain the origin of the species’ name. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information
from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Mansourasaurus, a new species discovered in Egypt in 2013, lived approximately 80 million years ago.

B. A partial dinosaur skeleton found in Egypt’s Dakhla Oasis belonged to a species named Mansourasaurus.

Mansourasaurus, a species that lived approximately 80 million years ago, was discovered in 2013 by Egyptian
C. paleontologist Hesham Sallam and a team of university students.

The new species was named Mansourasaurus to recognize the team that discovered it, a professor and students
D. from Mansoura University.

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Question ID 40de026c
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 40de026c
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Annie Wu is a prominent American flutist who graduated from the New England Conservatory.
She has won multiple national flute competitions.
She is best known for a 2011 YouTube video that has been viewed over two million times.
The video shows her performing Three Beats for Beatbox Flute, an original work by composer Greg Pattillo.
Wu combines flute playing and beatboxing in the video.

The student wants to emphasize Wu’s most well-known achievement. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Annie Wu, who has won multiple national flute competitions, has also combined flute playing and beatboxing.

Among her many achievements, prominent American flutist Annie Wu graduated from the New England
B. Conservatory and has won multiple national flute competitions.

Annie Wu is best known for a 2011 YouTube video performance of Three Beats for Beatbox Flute that has been
C. viewed over two million times.

D. Composer Greg Pattillo’s original work Three Beats for Beatbox Flute combines flute playing and beatboxing.

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Question ID 7a6a974b
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 7a6a974b
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
Novelist Willa Cather grew up in Nebraska and attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Some of Cather’s best-known novels are set in Nebraska.
Two such novels are O Pioneers! (1913) and My Ántonia (1918).
Cather’s novels describe the experiences of immigrants who settled in the Great Plains.

The student wants to identify the setting of Cather’s novel My Ántonia. Which choice most effectively uses relevant
information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. My Ántonia is set in Nebraska, where Cather grew up.

B. Cather, author of My Ántonia, described the experiences of immigrants in her novels.

C. Among Cather’s best-known novels are O Pioneers! (1913) and My Ántonia (1918).

D. Cather attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and set some of her novels in Nebraska.

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Question ID 84ce416a
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

PSAT 8/9 Reading and Writing Expression of Ideas Rhetorical

Synthesis

ID: 84ce416a
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
The painter Frida Kahlo is one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century.
She was born in Coyoacán, Mexico, in 1907. She is best known for her vivid and richly symbolic self-portraits.
The Two Fridas (1939) features two versions of Kahlo sitting together.
One version wears a European-style dress and the other a traditional Tehuana dress.

The student wants to introduce Kahlo to an audience unfamiliar with the artist. Which choice most effectively uses
relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?

A. Known for being vivid and richly symbolic, Frida Kahlo’s self-portraits include The Two Fridas (1939).

B. The 1939 painting The Two Fridas is one example of a self-portrait by Frida Kahlo.

One painting by Frida Kahlo features two versions of herself, with one version wearing a European-style dress and
C. the other a traditional Tehuana dress.

One of the most influential artists of the twentieth century, Mexican painter Frida Kahlo is best known for her self-
D. portraits, which are vivid and richly symbolic.

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