AFQT Paragraph Comprehension Strategies 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a passage contains an unfamiliar word, which strategy is MOST reliable for determining its meaning? "The soldier's comportment during the ceremony was exemplary, earning praise from senior officers." What does 'comportment' most likely mean?
- Military rank or title
- Behavior or manner of carrying oneself (Correct answer)
- A type of formal uniform
- A written commendation
Correct answer: Behavior or manner of carrying oneself
Context clues — 'ceremony,' 'earning praise,' and 'exemplary' — point to comportment meaning behavior or bearing.
Question 2: Read the passage and identify the author's purpose: "Servicemembers who maintain physical fitness not only perform better in the field but also recover from injury faster and report higher morale. Units with mandatory PT schedules consistently outperform those without." The author's primary purpose is to:
- Entertain readers with military anecdotes
- Persuade readers that mandatory PT benefits military units (Correct answer)
- Describe the history of physical training in the Army
- Inform readers about injury statistics
Correct answer: Persuade readers that mandatory PT benefits military units
The passage argues that mandatory PT leads to better performance and morale, which is a persuasive purpose.
Question 3: Which technique helps identify the main idea when a paragraph lacks a clear topic sentence? "Recruits wake at 0500. They run five miles before breakfast. Afternoons include strength training. Evenings involve tactical drills." The main idea is:
- Recruits dislike the training schedule
- Basic training follows a demanding daily routine (Correct answer)
- Morning runs are the hardest part of training
- Tactical drills occur only in the evenings
Correct answer: Basic training follows a demanding daily routine
When no single sentence states the main idea, summarize what all details have in common — here, a rigorous daily schedule.
Question 4: A passage states: "Unlike conventional warfare, counterinsurgency requires winning the support of the local population rather than simply defeating enemy forces militarily." This sentence primarily establishes a:
- Cause-and-effect relationship
- Chronological sequence of events
- Contrast between two types of warfare (Correct answer)
- Definition of conventional warfare
Correct answer: Contrast between two types of warfare
The word 'unlike' signals a contrast between counterinsurgency and conventional warfare.
Question 5: "The report was inconclusive, leaving commanders with more questions than answers about the enemy's next move." Which inference is best supported by this sentence?
- Commanders already knew the enemy's plan
- The enemy had been completely defeated
- Decision-makers lacked the information needed to act with certainty (Correct answer)
- The report contained classified information
Correct answer: Decision-makers lacked the information needed to act with certainty
An inconclusive report that raises more questions implies commanders could not make confident decisions.
Question 6: When skimming a long passage on the AFQT for key information, where should you look FIRST?
- The middle sentences of each paragraph
- The first and last sentences of each paragraph (Correct answer)
- Any words that appear in italics or quotation marks
- The longest paragraph in the passage
Correct answer: The first and last sentences of each paragraph
Topic sentences (first) and concluding sentences (last) typically carry the paragraph's main idea and summary.
Question 7: "Morale in the unit plummeted after the mission was canceled without explanation." The word 'plummeted' most closely means:
- Improved gradually
- Remained unchanged
- Dropped sharply (Correct answer)
- Fluctuated unpredictably
Correct answer: Dropped sharply
Plummeted means to fall or drop steeply, consistent with a sudden loss of morale.
AFQT Paragraph Comprehension Strategies 2
When a passage contains an unfamiliar word, which strategy is MOST reliable for determining its meaning?
"The soldier's comportment during the ceremony was exemplary, earning praise from senior officers."
What does 'comportment' most likely mean?