Language Proficiency Reading Comprehension 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passage states: 'The committee tabled the motion after lengthy debate.' In American English, this most likely means the committee:
- Postponed discussion of the motion (Correct answer)
- Brought the motion forward for immediate vote
- Rejected the motion entirely
- Amended the motion before voting
Correct answer: Postponed discussion of the motion
In American English, 'tabled' means to postpone or set aside, unlike British English where it means to bring forward.
Question 2: When an author uses italics to emphasize a word in a passage, a reader should:
- Skip over the italicized word as a formatting error
- Recognize the word carries special stress or importance (Correct answer)
- Assume the word is a foreign term
- Read the italicized word more slowly
Correct answer: Recognize the word carries special stress or importance
Italics signal that the author wants to draw attention to that word's particular significance in context.
Question 3: A passage's final paragraph begins: 'In light of the evidence presented, one can only conclude...' This phrase signals:
- The author is introducing a new counterargument
- The passage is transitioning to background information
- The author is about to state their main conclusion (Correct answer)
- The author is questioning the evidence
Correct answer: The author is about to state their main conclusion
'In light of the evidence...one can only conclude' is a classic signal phrase indicating the author's final logical conclusion.
Question 4: A reader encounters an unfamiliar word in a technical passage. The most reliable strategy to determine its meaning is to:
- Replace the word with a synonym and see if the sentence still makes sense
- Skip it and continue reading the rest of the passage
- Look for context clues in the surrounding sentences (Correct answer)
- Assume it is the opposite of the previous word
Correct answer: Look for context clues in the surrounding sentences
Context clues in surrounding sentences are the most reliable in-passage strategy for inferring an unfamiliar word's meaning.
Question 5: A passage describes a scientist who 'doggedly pursued her hypothesis despite years of failed experiments.' The word 'doggedly' most nearly means:
- Carelessly
- Reluctantly
- Persistently (Correct answer)
- Brilliantly
Correct answer: Persistently
'Doggedly' means with tenacious, stubborn persistence, as implied by continuing despite repeated failure.
Question 6: Which reading strategy is MOST useful when a question asks about the author's attitude toward the subject?
- Counting how many times a topic is mentioned
- Identifying emotionally charged words and evaluative phrases (Correct answer)
- Focusing only on the first and last sentences of each paragraph
- Rereading only the passage's title and subheadings
Correct answer: Identifying emotionally charged words and evaluative phrases
An author's attitude (tone) is revealed through word choice, particularly emotionally charged or evaluative language.
Question 7: A passage arguing for stricter food labeling laws uses phrases like 'consumers deserve full transparency' and 'corporations must be held accountable.' These phrases suggest the author's tone is:
- Neutral and objective
- Skeptical and uncertain
- Persuasive and morally urgent (Correct answer)
- Humorous and lighthearted
Correct answer: Persuasive and morally urgent
Words like 'deserve' and 'must be held accountable' convey a tone of moral urgency and advocacy.
