ASVAB ASVAB Paragraph Comprehension and Inference 4

Question 1

Read the passage: 'The bald eagle was removed from the endangered species list in 2007 after decades of conservation efforts.
Populations had plummeted due to hunting and the pesticide DDT, which caused eggshell thinning.
Once DDT was banned in 1972 and legal protections were strengthened, eagle numbers rebounded dramatically.' What can be inferred about DDT's effect on eagles?

Accepted Answer

DDT prevented successful reproduction by weakening eggs before hatching

Answer

DDT directly poisoned adult eagles, reducing their lifespan

Answer

DDT caused eagles to abandon their nesting territories permanently

Answer

DDT reduced the fish populations that eagles depended on for food

Question 2

Read the passage: 'A thermostat works by using a bimetallic strip — two metals bonded together that expand at different rates when heated. As temperature rises, one metal expands faster than the other, causing the strip to bend and break an electrical circuit, shutting off the heat. When it cools, the strip straightens, reconnecting the circuit.' What happens when the room reaches the set temperature?

Accepted Answer

The strip bends and breaks the circuit, turning off the heating system

Answer

The bimetallic strip melts and needs replacing

Answer

The strip straightens, allowing more heat to flow into the room

Answer

An electrical surge causes the thermostat to reset automatically

Question 3

Read the passage: 'Many ancient civilizations built their cities near rivers. Rivers provided fresh water for drinking and irrigation, served as highways for trade, and deposited nutrient-rich silt during floods that made surrounding farmland extremely fertile. However, cities also faced the constant threat of devastating floods.' What is the most accurate inference from this passage?

Accepted Answer

Ancient civilizations accepted flood risks because rivers offered vital benefits

Answer

Ancient people were unaware of the dangers rivers posed

Answer

Rivers were too dangerous for ancient civilizations to rely upon

Answer

Most ancient cities were eventually destroyed by flooding

Question 4

Read the passage: 'Caffeine works by blocking adenosine receptors in the brain. Adenosine is a chemical that builds up during waking hours and promotes feelings of drowsiness. When caffeine occupies these receptors, adenosine cannot bind to them, so the drowsy signal is never sent. However, adenosine continues to accumulate, which is why fatigue hits hard once caffeine wears off.' What does the passage imply about the 'caffeine crash'?

Accepted Answer

The crash occurs because all adenosine that built up is suddenly able to act

Answer

Caffeine causes the body to produce extra adenosine as a side effect

Answer

Caffeine permanently damages adenosine receptors over time

Answer

The brain stops producing adenosine while caffeine is active

Question 5

Read the passage: 'In the 1800s, the Pony Express delivered mail across nearly 2,000 miles of American frontier in about 10 days — a remarkable achievement for the era. Yet the service lasted only 18 months before shutting down. Just two days after the Pony Express began operations, Congress approved funding for the transcontinental telegraph.' What is the most logical reason the Pony Express failed?

Accepted Answer

The telegraph provided faster communication, making mail delivery obsolete for urgent messages

Answer

Riders found the route too dangerous and quit in large numbers

Answer

The service was never profitable because postage rates were set too low

Answer

Horses could not maintain the pace required across the full 2,000-mile route

Question 6

Read the passage: 'Coral reefs cover less than one percent of the ocean floor, yet they support approximately 25 percent of all marine species. Scientists often call them the 'rainforests of the sea.' Rising ocean temperatures cause coral bleaching, a stress response in which corals expel the algae living in their tissues, turning white. Without these algae, corals can starve.' What can be concluded about coral bleaching's broader impact?

Accepted Answer

If bleaching kills corals, it could threaten the survival of a quarter of all marine species

Answer

Bleaching only affects the visual appearance of reefs without harming marine life

Answer

Coral bleaching is a natural cycle that reefs recover from within a few weeks

Answer

Rising temperatures cause algae to overgrow reefs, smothering the corals beneath

Question 7

Read the passage: 'A placebo is an inactive substance — such as a sugar pill — given to patients in clinical trials. Remarkably, some patients who receive placebos show genuine improvement in their symptoms, a phenomenon called the placebo effect. Researchers must account for this effect when evaluating whether a new drug actually works.' Why do researchers use placebos in drug trials?

Accepted Answer

To distinguish between improvement caused by the drug and improvement caused by belief alone

Answer

To save money by giving some patients cheaper treatments

Answer

To ensure some patients improve so the trial appears successful

Answer

To test whether patients can correctly identify which treatment they received