ELAR Reading Comprehension and Analysis 5 â Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student needs to summarize a nonfiction article. Which action should she perform FIRST?
- Write a summary in her own words immediately
- Identify the main idea and key supporting details (Correct answer)
- Copy important sentences from the article
- Check the author's biography
Correct answer: Identify the main idea and key supporting details
Identifying the main idea and key details before writing ensures the summary captures essential information rather than trivial facts.
Question 2: Read this excerpt: 'The old house groaned in the wind, its windows like hollow eyes watching the street below.' Which literary device is used in the underlined portion?
- Alliteration
- Simile (Correct answer)
- Onomatopoeia
- Oxymoron
Correct answer: Simile
Comparing the windows to 'hollow eyes' using the word 'like' makes this a simile.
Question 3: An editorial states: 'Our school's new policy is deeply unfair and must be reversed immediately.' This sentence is BEST described as:
- A factual claim supported by data
- An opinion that expresses the author's viewpoint (Correct answer)
- A neutral summary of the policy
- A hypothetical question for debate
Correct answer: An opinion that expresses the author's viewpoint
Words like 'deeply unfair' and 'must be reversed' reflect a judgment and a call to action, marking this as opinion rather than fact.
Question 4: In a narrative, the point at which the main conflict reaches its greatest tension is called the:
- Exposition
- Falling action
- Climax (Correct answer)
- Resolution
Correct answer: Climax
The climax is the turning point where tension peaks before the story begins to move toward resolution.
Question 5: A reader encounters an unfamiliar word in a science article. The sentence reads: 'The sample was desiccatedâcompletely dried outâbefore analysis.' What type of context clue is used?
- Example clue
- Contrast clue
- Restatement/definition clue (Correct answer)
- Inference clue
Correct answer: Restatement/definition clue
The dash followed by 'completely dried out' provides a direct definition of 'desiccated,' making this a restatement clue.
Question 6: A student is asked to determine the author's purpose in a persuasive essay about recycling. Which question is MOST useful to ask?
- How many paragraphs does the essay have?
- What action or belief does the author want readers to adopt? (Correct answer)
- How many facts are included in the essay?
- Does the essay use first-person or third-person pronouns?
Correct answer: What action or belief does the author want readers to adopt?
Identifying the change in belief or action the author seeks reveals the persuasive purpose of the essay.
Question 7: Which sentence is an example of an objective, fact-based statement?
- The new park is the most beautiful place in the city.
- Everyone agrees that electric cars are better than gas cars.
- The city council approved the park renovation plan on March 5, 2025. (Correct answer)
- The renovation was a complete waste of taxpayer money.
Correct answer: The city council approved the park renovation plan on March 5, 2025.
A specific date and a verifiable governmental action make this a factual statement that can be confirmed independently.
ELAR Reading Comprehension and Analysis 5
A student needs to summarize a nonfiction article.
Which action should she perform FIRST?