PSAT Reading Practice

Questions 1–10 are based on the following two passages.

Passage 1
Climate change is the greatest threat that humanity is facing today, and whether we choose to close our eyes to our impending doom or not, it’s on its way. That is, unless we start making some fundamental changes in the way that we live. Governments around the globe need to start making more forceful moves to encourage their citizens to buy into green living.

The average citizen can’t impact every aspect of climate change, but if the government pressures people to make real changes in their everyday lives, the summative impact would be immense. One way that the government can affect change is by applying more strict taxes on gas-guzzling vehicles and providing monetary incentives for citizens who choose hybrid and electric vehicles. In some countries, citizens have to pay a large fee just for the right to own a vehicle, a fee that contributes to the development of new, more efficient public transit. This may be an audacious move for the American government, but dire situations require drastic action.

The American government can also pass legislation to ban harmful products, including plastic bags, straws, and other plastic materials that have turned our oceans into garbage dumps. Something as simple as using a reusable bag made of biodegradable materials when you shop for groceries would make a huge difference, and really doesn’t force people to make a hug sacrifice.

Change is difficult, and if we want people to really make a difference and slow climate change, we need to use the law to compel them to do so. As long as the majority of cars we produce and sell are fueled by gas, or our grocery stores are stocked with convenient and deadly plastic bags, people won’t make a change. Once we make these harmful products less accessible, real change will begin.

Passage 2
Climate change may be a real danger, but anyone who advocates for more government intervention into how we live our lives is oversimplifying the problem and trying to turn this country into a police state. Proponents of this movement often discuss sweeping governmental intervention as if it’s the magic bullet that will kill climate change for good. All it will really do, though, is restrict our freedom while having little environmental impact.

Many conservationists focus all of their energy on plastic, what they believe is the leviathan pollutants. They conjure up images of birds stuck in can holders, turtles with straws up their noses, and whales is stomachs full of bags. In reality, though, plastics are just one of thousands of different pollutants in the oceans (and plastic bags aren’t even the worst offender). If the government starts sending storm troopers into our streets to take our straws, what impact are they really going to have?

There are plenty of things that we can do to combat climate change, but it starts with education, not legislation. People will buy in to green movements if they understand the problem and what reasonable solutions they can contribute to in order to fix the problem. An autocratic ruler arbitrarily deciding what products are acceptable and what products are unacceptable is never going to inspire people to change.