C2 Reading Comprehension 3

Question 1

A passage includes the sentence: 'The critics, far from dismissing the novel, lavished it with qualified praise.' What does 'qualified praise' mean?

Accepted Answer

Praise that comes with reservations or conditions

Answer

Qualified praise means praise accompanied by reservations, caveats, or limitations — not unrestrained admiration.

Question 2

In a complex text, the phrase 'ipso facto' is used. A C2 reader understands this Latin phrase to mean:

Accepted Answer

By that very fact or action itself

Answer

'Ipso facto' is Latin for 'by the fact itself,' meaning something is a direct logical consequence of an action.

Question 3

An author uses an extended metaphor comparing a bureaucratic system to a 'labyrinthine maze with no Ariadne's thread.' What does this imply?

Accepted Answer

The system is complex and there is no guide or solution to navigate it

Answer

Ariadne's thread helped Theseus navigate the labyrinth; its absence here implies the system has no guiding solution or aid.

Question 4

A passage argues a position, then states: 'To be sure, counterarguments exist.' The phrase 'to be sure' signals that the author is about to:

Accepted Answer

Acknowledge an opposing view before reasserting the main claim

Answer

'To be sure' is a concessive phrase signaling acknowledgment of a counterpoint, typically before the author reaffirms their position.

Question 5

The word 'tendentious' in an academic passage most accurately describes writing that is:

Accepted Answer

Deliberately biased toward a particular cause or point of view

Answer

Tendentious describes writing that promotes a particular cause or viewpoint in a biased or partisan way.

C2 Practice Test