Core Academic Skills Assessment Reading Comprehension 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following sentences uses passive voice?
- The committee reviewed the proposal last Monday.
- The proposal was reviewed by the committee last Monday. (Correct answer)
- The committee will review three more proposals this week.
- Reviewing proposals takes the committee several hours.
Correct answer: The proposal was reviewed by the committee last Monday.
Passive voice occurs when the subject receives the action rather than performing it, as in 'The proposal was reviewed by the committee.'
Question 2: A passage about climate change includes a graph showing rising global temperatures over 150 years. What is the PRIMARY function of this visual aid?
- To replace the written text entirely
- To entertain the reader with colorful imagery
- To provide concrete evidence that supports the passage's claims (Correct answer)
- To show the author's graphic design skills
Correct answer: To provide concrete evidence that supports the passage's claims
Visual aids like graphs present data in a clear format that supports and strengthens the written claims in a passage.
Question 3: A student is asked to identify the theme of a short story. The theme is BEST described as:
- The sequence of events that make up the plot
- The central, underlying message or insight about life conveyed by the story (Correct answer)
- The setting in which the story takes place
- The main character's name and physical description
Correct answer: The central, underlying message or insight about life conveyed by the story
The theme is the universal message or insight about human experience that the author conveys through the story.
Question 4: Which of the following is the strongest evidence to support a claim in an academic essay?
- A personal anecdote from the author's own experience
- A statistic from a peer-reviewed study published in a reputable journal (Correct answer)
- An opinion shared widely on social media
- A quote from a fictional character in a novel
Correct answer: A statistic from a peer-reviewed study published in a reputable journal
Peer-reviewed studies published in reputable journals provide the most reliable and credible evidence for academic claims.
Question 5: An author ends an article with: 'The data is clear—if we do not act immediately, the consequences will be irreversible.' This conclusion is primarily designed to:
- Provide a balanced summary of all perspectives presented
- Create a sense of urgency and motivate the reader to take action (Correct answer)
- Introduce new evidence not mentioned earlier in the article
- Undermine the article's central argument with a counterpoint
Correct answer: Create a sense of urgency and motivate the reader to take action
Language emphasizing immediacy and irreversible consequences is a persuasive technique designed to motivate readers to act.
Question 6: Which organizational strategy would be MOST appropriate for a passage comparing the education systems of two different countries?
- Chronological order to trace historical events
- Point-by-point or block comparison to highlight similarities and differences (Correct answer)
- Spatial order to describe physical locations
- Cause-and-effect to explain why one system is better
Correct answer: Point-by-point or block comparison to highlight similarities and differences
A point-by-point or block comparison structure is ideal for systematically examining similarities and differences between two subjects.
Question 7: A passage uses the word 'ubiquitous.' Based on the surrounding context—'Smartphones have become ubiquitous; it is now rare to find someone without one'—what does 'ubiquitous' most likely mean?
- Expensive and difficult to obtain
- Present or found everywhere (Correct answer)
- Outdated and soon to be replaced
- Controversial and widely debated
Correct answer: Present or found everywhere
The context clue 'rare to find someone without one' indicates that smartphones are found everywhere, meaning ubiquitous.
Core Academic Skills Assessment Reading Comprehension 5
Which of the following sentences uses passive voice?