News Todays 1

PSAT/NMSQT Practice Test
Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Sections: Reading, Writing & Language, Math (No Calculator & Calculator)

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Section 1: Reading Test (60 minutes, 47 questions)

Directions: Read each passage and answer questions based on content, rhetoric, and data interpretation.

Passage 1: Literature (Fiction)

Excerpt from “The Catcher in the Rye” (9 questions)

1. Holden’s description of “phonies” reveals his:
   a) Social anxiety
   b) Fear of adulthood
   c) Intellectual superiority
   d) Artistic temperament
2. The museum symbolizes Holden’s desire for:
   a) Educational achievement
   b) Permanence in a changing world
   c) Cultural sophistication
   d) Childhood friendships

Passage 2: Science (12 questions)

Study on sleep deprivation’s cognitive effects with accompanying graph

3. The control group in the experiment:
   a) Slept 8 hours nightly
   b) Took memory tests
   c) Drank caffeine daily
   d) Skipped breakfast
4. Based on the data, reaction times were slowest after:
   a) 24 hours awake
   b) 5 hours sleep
   c) 36 hours awake
   d) 8 hours sleep

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Section 2: Writing & Language (35 minutes, 44 questions)

Directions: Improve underlined portions for grammar, style, and accuracy.

Passage 1: Careers in Technology (11 questions)

5. “Many software engineers (work/works) long hours to meet deadlines.”
   a) work
   b) works
   c) working
   d) is working
6. Which version most effectively combines these sentences?
   “Coding requires logic. It also demands creativity.”
   a) Coding requires logic, it also demands creativity.
   b) Coding requires both logic and creativity.
   c) Being logical, coding also creative.
   d) Coding requires logic while demanding creativity.

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Section 3: Math – No Calculator (25 minutes, 17 questions)

Directions: Solve problems without computational aids.

7. If 5(x – 3) = 20, then x =
   a) 4
   b) 5
   c) 7
   d) 10
8. The system:
   2x + y = 7
   x – y = 2
   Has solution:
   a) (3,1)
   b) (1,3)
   c) (-1,5)
   d) (5,-1)

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Section 4: Math – Calculator (45 minutes, 31 questions)

9. A car travels 240 miles in 4 hours. Its average speed is:
   a) 50 mph
   b) 55 mph
   c) 60 mph
   d) 65 mph
10. The scatterplot shows:
    a) Positive correlation
    b) Negative correlation
    c) No correlation
    d) Parabolic trend

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Answer Key:
1-b, 2-b, 3-a, 4-c, 5-a, 6-b, 7-c, 8-a, 9-c, 10-a