Category: PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10 Subject: Reading Test

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Writing and Language Practice Test 1

Passage I—The Weekly Visit 3. A. NO CHANGE

The requisite visit happened most typically1 on sunny B. would be
Saturdays, when my child spirits were at their highest C. being
and could be most diminished by the cramped interior D. were
of her house. My mother, accustomed to the bright Answer:____
spacious farmhouse2 that was once Grandma’s,
seemed no less sus- ceptible to the gloom. She would 4. A. NO CHANGE
set her jaw as Grandma described the many ailments B. impatience. And
attendant on age and would check her watch—an C. impatience; and
hour is3 the minimum she expected herself to D. impatience and
withstand. Her barely contained impatience, and4 my Answer:____
grandmother’s crippling age radiated out around me.
We were the women of the Carlson clan, each
throbbing with agitation, like eccentric,5 blinking circles 5. A. NO CHANGE
on a radar screen. B. concentric,
C. egocentric,
D. centric,
(1) I would sit at the white, red, metal table6 with the
Answer:____
pull-out leaves and built-in silverware drawer, cracking
(2) I would be lifting7 the lid carefully and try to set it
down on the metal table quietly, and then attempt to 6. A. NO CHANGE
crack the nuts without scattering the shell crumbs. (3) B. white, red and metal
This was the one good thing at Grandma’s house, the C. white and red metal
almonds, which she kept in a green Depression glass D. white, and red, metal
bowl. (4) It was not good to draw attention to myself Answer:____
at Grandma Carlson’s house.8 Sounding angry, she
would call to me in her croupy drawl. When I failed to
understand her, she would reach out to me with her 7. A. NO CHANGE
palsied, slick, wrinkled hand and shout, “Here”!9 She B. was lifting
would be offering some of her horehound candy, which C. lifted
tasted like a cross between butterscotch and bitter D. would lift
sticks. Answer:____

There was this lamentable air in the dim house with its 8. A. NO CHANGE
itchy mohair furniture and its dark colors, an B. Grandma Carlsons house.
awareness—Grandma’s— underlaying10 the C. Grandma Carlson house.
mentholatum, that her age scared her grandkids. I D. Grandma’s Carlson house
would during the duti- ful visit yearn11 to get outside Answer:____
into the yard, where Grandma had transplanted a few
flowers when she moved from the farm. But even the
yard, with its overgrown hedges and rusted metal 9. A. NO CHANGE
lawn chairs,12 seemed dreary. When I came back B. “Here.”
inside, light and air would burst in with me. Grandma, C. “here”!
her hair up in a gray bun, would rock a little and D. “Here!”
smile.13 I would lean then against my mother’s Answer:____
chair, Grandmas’ fond eyes14 peering at me, and
whisper out of the corner of my mouth, “Mom, can we 10. A. NO CHANGE
go?” B. laying under
C. underlying
1. A. NO CHANGE D. lying under
B. most usually Answer:____
C. typically
D. most typical
11. A. NO CHANGE
Answer:____
B. During the dutiful visit, I would yearn
C. I during the dutiful visit would yearn
2. A. NO CHANGE D. I would, during the dutiful visit yearn
B. bright-spacious farmhouse Answer:____
C. bright, and spacious farmhouse
D. bright, spacious farmhouse
Answer:____
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 Category: PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10 Subject: Reading Test
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12. The writer is considering deleting the of time with my mother and father. (3) They were
underlined portion. Should this be kept or deleted? always around, but they were always (4) My mother
 A. It should be kept, because the was always cooking, cleaning, nurs- ing, changing a
sentence would not be grammatically diaper, shopping, or had to take5 someone to baseball
correct without it. practice, and my father was always working. (5) He
 B. It should be kept, because the needed over- time whenever he could get it; and
images enhance the description of the weekends6were always full of projects around the
yard. house.
 C. It should be deleted, because the
description is off the topic of family. (6) Money was also a constant worry for my family. (7)
 D. It should be deleted, because the With so many children, our budget was always tight.
grammar is incorrect. (8) Back-to-school shopping was always a
Answer:____ stressful time as we7 all wanted the latest fashions,
but we could only get a few things. My younger
13. Which of the following alternatives to the siblings lived in hand-me- downs. We shopped at
underlined portion would NOT be acceptable? bargain stores and often got clothes that we didn’t
really like simply because they were on sale and
 A. Grandma would, her hair up in a
cheap.8 Our house always needed repairs, and there
gray bun, rock a little and smile.
was never enough money to keep up.
 B. With her gray hair up in a bun,
grandma would rock a little and smile.
 C. Grandma, her hair up in a gray bun, And yet another9 problem with large families is that the
would smile and rock a little. older siblings always end up being a babysitter.10 Like
 D. Grandma—her hair up in a gray it or not (and most of the time I didn’t like it), I had to
bun—would rock a little and smile. watch my younger brothers and sisters. At age six, I
Answer:____ could change a diaper like a pro. I was getting my
brothers and sisters dressed, giving them
breakfast, and helped them get ready for bed.11 I don’t
14. A. NO CHANGE want to give the impression that I didn’t have a happy
B. Grandmas’s fond eyes childhood; I most definitely did. I was loved as much as
C. Grandma’s fond eyes my parents could love me, and I have had12 wonderful
D. Grandmas fond eyes fun with my broth- ers and sisters. But I always wanted
Answer:____ a little more time with Mom and Dad, and I often
resented having so much responsibility. I wished my
mom wasn’t always so tired and my dad didn’t have to
15. The most appropriate order for the first four
work so much. Because I want to be there more for my
sentences of the second paragraph would be
kids, because I want13 them to be kids throughout
 A. 1, 2, 3, 4
their childhood, I plan to have a much smaller family.
 B. 2, 1, 3, 4
 C. 1, 2, 4, 3
 D. 1, 3, 2, 4 1. A. NO CHANGE
Answer:____ B. family, was
C. family, I was
D. family as
Answer:____
Writing and Language Practice Test 2

Passage I—My Childhood

2. A. NO CHANGE
B. will have
I grew up in a large family, as being1 the oldest of six C. had
siblings, and I have many wonderful memories from D. have
my childhood. I am very close to most of my siblings Answer:____
and I treasure my relationships with them. But when
I have had2 my own family someday, it won’t be as big
as the one I grew up in. As much as my large family
was full of love, and as much as I learned about 3. A. NO CHANGE
sharing, giving, and patience, I think having too many B. in terms of both emotion and money.
kids strains the parents and the oldest child, both in C. both emotionally and financially.
terms of emotion and money.3 D. both in emotion and money.
Answer:____

When I think back on my early years with my family, I

remember playing with my siblings and grandparents.
(2) However, I4 don’t remember spending a whole lot
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 Category: PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10 Subject: Reading Test
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4. A. NO CHANGE Answer:____
B. However I
C. But,
D. I however 13. A. NO CHANGE
Answer:____ B. and because I want
C. I want
D. and for
5. A. NO CHANGE Answer:____
B. needed to
C. had to bring
D. taking 14. The writer wishes to separate the second
Answer:____ paragraph into two paragraphs. The best place to do
so would be between
A. sentences 4 and 5.
6. A. NO CHANGE B. sentences 5 and 6.
B. it, and weekends C. sentences 6 and 7.
C. it, weekends D. sentences 7 and 8.
D. it and weekends
Answer:____
Answer:____

7. A. NO CHANGE
15. The writer wishes to change the title of this
B. time; we
passage to “Family.” This change
C. time: we
A. should not be made. The passage contains more of
D. time. As we
the writer’s thoughts about childhood than about
Answer:____
family.
B. should not be made. The title is unimportant.
C. should be made. The passage contains more of the
8. A. NO CHANGE writer’s thoughts about family than about childhood.
B. simply because they were on sale, and cheap. D. should be made. The title should not be longer than
C. simply for they were on sale and cheap. one word.
D. simply, because they were on sale and cheap.
Answer:____
Answer:____

9. A. NO CHANGE
B. And, yet another
C. Yet, another
D. Another
Answer:____

10. A. NO CHANGE
B. a babysitter.
C. being babysitters.
D. as a babysitter.
Answer:____

11. A. NO CHANGE
B. and I helped them get ready for bed.
C. and helping them get ready for bed.
D. helped them get ready for bed.
Answer:____

12. A. NO CHANGE
B. would have
C. was having
D. had
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