Core Academic Skills Assessment Reading — Questions and Answers

Question 1: A passage states: 'The committee voted unanimously to table the motion.' In US English, what does 'table' mean in this context?

To postpone or set aside for later discussion (Correct answer)
To bring forward for immediate debate
To permanently reject the motion
To pass the motion without further debate

Correct answer: To postpone or set aside for later discussion

In US parliamentary usage, 'table' means to postpone or set aside a motion indefinitely.

Question 2: Which text structure is used when an author presents a problem and then offers one or more solutions?

Cause and effect
Compare and contrast
Problem and solution (Correct answer)
Chronological order

Correct answer: Problem and solution

Problem-solution structure identifies an issue and proposes ways to address it.

Question 3: A reader encounters the word 'ephemeral' in a passage about social media trends. Based on the context clue 'here today and forgotten tomorrow,' what does 'ephemeral' mean?

Widespread and influential
Lasting only a short time (Correct answer)
Difficult to understand
Highly controversial

Correct answer: Lasting only a short time

The context clue 'here today and forgotten tomorrow' signals that ephemeral means short-lived.

Question 4: An author writes: 'While renewable energy has made strides, critics argue the infrastructure costs remain prohibitive for developing nations.' What is the author's primary purpose?

To argue that renewable energy is ineffective
To present a balanced view acknowledging both progress and limitations (Correct answer)
To persuade readers to oppose renewable energy
To explain how infrastructure is built

Correct answer: To present a balanced view acknowledging both progress and limitations

The author presents both a positive development ('made strides') and a counterpoint ('critics argue'), indicating a balanced perspective.

Question 5: Read: 'The senator, despite her party's platform, voted against the bill.' What does 'despite' signal about the relationship between ideas?

The senator supported her party's platform
The senator's vote was consistent with her party's position
The senator's vote contradicted expectations based on her party's platform (Correct answer)
The senator was unaware of her party's platform

Correct answer: The senator's vote contradicted expectations based on her party's platform

'Despite' is a contrast signal word indicating the senator's action was contrary to what her party's platform would suggest.

Question 6: A graph shows literacy rates rising steadily from 1990 to 2010, then plateauing. Which conclusion is best supported by this data?

Literacy rates will continue rising after 2010
Literacy programs were abandoned after 2010
Progress in literacy slowed after 2010 (Correct answer)
Literacy rates declined after 2010

Correct answer: Progress in literacy slowed after 2010

A plateau indicates that growth slowed, not that rates declined or that programs ended.

Question 7: Which of the following is an example of a primary source?

A textbook chapter summarizing the Civil War
A historian's biography of Abraham Lincoln
A diary entry written by a Civil War soldier (Correct answer)
A documentary film about the Civil War

Correct answer: A diary entry written by a Civil War soldier

A diary written by someone who directly experienced the event is a primary source.

Question 8: An author uses the phrase 'the economy is a ticking time bomb.' This is an example of which literary device?

Simile
Personification
Metaphor (Correct answer)
Alliteration

Correct answer: Metaphor

Comparing the economy directly to a ticking time bomb without using 'like' or 'as' makes this a metaphor.

Question 9: In a passage about climate policy, the author repeatedly uses the word 'must' when describing government actions. What does this word choice reveal about the author's tone?

Uncertain and questioning
Objective and neutral
Urgent and prescriptive (Correct answer)
Humorous and lighthearted

Correct answer: Urgent and prescriptive

The modal verb 'must' conveys obligation and urgency, revealing an assertive, prescriptive tone.

Question 10: A passage includes this sentence: 'Not everyone agreed — in fact, a vocal minority strongly opposed the measure.' What is the function of the dash here?

To indicate a pause before a contrasting or clarifying idea (Correct answer)
To introduce a list
To show a time range
To replace a semicolon between two independent clauses

Correct answer: To indicate a pause before a contrasting or clarifying idea

The dash introduces a clarifying clause that elaborates on 'not everyone agreed.'

Question 11: A researcher reads two articles on the same topic. Article A cites peer-reviewed studies; Article B cites anonymous blog posts. Which article is more credible, and why?

Article B, because blog posts are more current
Article A, because peer-reviewed studies are vetted by experts (Correct answer)
Both are equally credible since they cover the same topic
Article B, because it is easier to read

Correct answer: Article A, because peer-reviewed studies are vetted by experts

Peer-reviewed sources undergo expert evaluation, making Article A more credible.

Question 12: A passage opens: 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.' This sentence is best described as an example of:

Paradox (Correct answer)
Hyperbole
Understatement
Foreshadowing

Correct answer: Paradox

Presenting two contradictory truths as simultaneously valid is a paradox.

Question 13: Which type of context clue is used in: 'The ornithologist, or bird scientist, spent years in the field'?

Synonym clue
Antonym clue
Definition clue (Correct answer)
Example clue

Correct answer: Definition clue

The phrase 'or bird scientist' directly defines 'ornithologist,' making it a definition/restatement clue.

Question 14: A student is skimming an article to find specific facts quickly. Which strategy is most appropriate for skimming?

Reading every word carefully from start to finish
Reading only headings, bold text, and the first sentence of each paragraph (Correct answer)
Reading only the conclusion
Highlighting every sentence

Correct answer: Reading only headings, bold text, and the first sentence of each paragraph

Skimming involves focusing on structural elements like headings and topic sentences to locate information quickly.

Question 15: A passage argues that standardized testing improves educational outcomes and cites only studies funded by testing companies. What weakness does this argument have?

It uses too many statistics
The sources may be biased due to a financial conflict of interest (Correct answer)
The argument is too complex for readers
The author failed to define standardized testing

Correct answer: The sources may be biased due to a financial conflict of interest

Studies funded by companies with a financial stake in the outcome may be biased, weakening the argument's credibility.

Question 16: Which sentence uses the word 'affect' correctly?

The medication had little affect on her symptoms.
The storm will affect flight schedules. (Correct answer)
The policy's affect was widely debated.
Scientists studied the affect of pollution on fish.

Correct answer: The storm will affect flight schedules.

'Affect' is typically used as a verb meaning to influence; 'effect' is typically the noun.

Question 17: An article states: 'Studies suggest that reading fiction may improve empathy.' The word 'may' indicates that the claim is:

An established fact
A tentative or uncertain finding (Correct answer)
A false statement
An opinion with no research basis

Correct answer: A tentative or uncertain finding

The modal verb 'may' signals possibility and uncertainty rather than certainty.

Question 18: Read this passage: 'After decades of decline, the wolf population rebounded following reintroduction efforts. Elk herds, previously overgrazing meadows, began to migrate more. Vegetation recovered, stabilizing riverbanks.' What organizational pattern does this passage use?

Compare and contrast
Cause and effect (Correct answer)
Order of importance
Problem and solution

Correct answer: Cause and effect

Each sentence describes an effect triggered by the previous cause, forming a cause-and-effect chain.

Question 19: An author writes a restaurant review and says: 'The pasta was so salty it could preserve a mummy.' This is an example of:

Understatement
Hyperbole (Correct answer)
Allegory
Irony

Correct answer: Hyperbole

Exaggerating the saltiness to an extreme degree for effect is hyperbole.

Question 20: Which of the following best describes the difference between a fact and an opinion?

Facts are written by experts; opinions are written by non-experts
Facts can be verified objectively; opinions express personal beliefs or judgments (Correct answer)
Facts appear in textbooks; opinions appear in newspapers
Facts are always long; opinions are always short

Correct answer: Facts can be verified objectively; opinions express personal beliefs or judgments

Facts are objectively verifiable claims, while opinions express personal beliefs that cannot be proven true or false.

Question 21: A test passage ends with: 'Given the evidence above, the benefits of urban green spaces clearly outweigh the costs.' What is the function of this sentence?

To introduce a new argument
To provide supporting evidence
To summarize and state the author's conclusion (Correct answer)
To raise a counterargument

Correct answer: To summarize and state the author's conclusion

The phrase 'given the evidence above' signals a wrap-up, and the sentence states the author's final conclusion.

Core Academic Skills Assessment Reading

A passage states: 'The committee voted unanimously to table the motion.' In US English, what does 'table' mean in this context?

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