2010 PSAT - Wednesday - Section 1 (Reading)

The following are TestTakers' suggestions for solving the Sentence Completions on the October 13th, 2010 PSAT, Section 1 (a reading section). (For help with the passages, call or email your Site Director. We'll be happy to help out!) Click "Read More" to view!



1. Clue word: "indefatigable" [boxword 279! (incapable of being tired out)]
Anticipation: "sleep"

Answer: (C) sleep

2. Clue phrase: "promote the well-being of others"
Anticipations: "kind," "kindly"

Answer: (C) generous...unselfishly

3. Clue words: "while", "hailed" (hailed = praised)
Anticipation (first blank): "supporters"
Eliminate: (C) (detractors = critics), (D) (adversaries = enemies), (E) (auditors = people who check over stuff)
Anticipation (second blank): "non-supporters"
Eliminate: (B) (proponents = supporters)

Answer: (A) supports...critics
[advocate (supporter) is boxword 92 and antagonist (opponent) is boxword 203!]


4. Clue word: "innovative" [boxword 25! (creative, new)]
Anticipation (second blank): "innovative"
Eliminate: (C) (naive = foolish), (E) [tangible (capable of being touched) is boxword 232, so intangible means can't be perceived]
Anticipation (first blank): "honor"
Eliminate: (B), (D)

Answer: (A) recognition...groundbreaking


5. Clue phrase: "excellent care"
Anticipations: "excellent," "excellent"
Eliminate: (A) (pernicious = causing harm), (B) (lamentable = regrettable), (D) [erratic (inconsistent) is boxword 136!], (E)

Answer: (C) commendable [boxword 18!]...exemplary (worthy of being imitated)
[corrupt (to turn bad) is boxword 6, so incorruptible means cannot be turned bad]


6. Clue phrase: "undermining superficial" [undermine (weaken) is boxword 31 and superficial (shallow) is boxword 21!]
Anticipation: "deep"

Answer: (D) profound (deep)
[affected (artificial) is boxword 353!]


7. Clue phrase: "security", "excitement", "conflicting feelings"
Anticipation: "insecurity," "excitement"
Eliminate: (A) (impassive = without emotion), (B), (C), (E) (subjugate = to conquer)

Answer: (D) foreboding (predicting misfortune)...elation (excitement)
[optimism is boxword 349!]


8. Clue phrase: "shrugged off as minor annoyances"
Anticipation: "calm"

Answer: (B) placid (calm)
[enigmatic (mysterious) is boxword 59 and diffident (shy, reserved) is boxword 258!]