Written Comprehension Skills Flashcards

Read the following passage and answer the question. "Officers responding to a disturbance must first secure the perimeter before approaching the subject. If the subject is armed, backup must be requested immediately. Under no circumstances should an officer proceed alone against an armed suspect." According to this passage, what must an officer do FIRST when responding to a disturbance?

Answer: Secure the perimeter

The passage explicitly states that officers must 'first secure the perimeter before approaching the subject.'

Which sentence contains a grammatical error? A) The suspect fled the scene before officers arrived. B) Neither the witness nor the officers was able to identify the vehicle. C) The detective and her partner reviewed the evidence carefully. D) Both officers filed separate incident reports.

Answer: Neither the witness nor the officers was able to identify the vehicle.

When 'neither...nor' connects a singular noun to a plural noun, the verb agrees with the nearest subject; 'officers' is plural, so the verb should be 'were,' not 'was.'

A police report states: "The vehicle was traveling northbound on Main Street at an estimated speed of 65 mph in a posted 35 mph zone when it struck the pedestrian in the crosswalk at the intersection of Main and Oak." What is the posted speed limit on Main Street?

Answer: 35 mph

The report specifies a 'posted 35 mph zone,' making 35 mph the correct speed limit.

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: "The officer's testimony was so __________ that the jury found it difficult to believe."

Answer: inconsistent

If testimony is difficult to believe, it is 'inconsistent' (contradictory or unreliable), which logically causes doubt.

Read this policy excerpt: "Firearms may be discharged only when an officer reasonably believes that doing so is necessary to protect the officer or another person from imminent death or serious bodily harm." Under this policy, when may an officer fire a weapon?

Answer: Only when death or serious injury is imminently threatened

The policy limits firearm discharge to situations where the officer reasonably believes imminent death or serious bodily harm is at stake.

Which of the following most accurately restates this sentence? "The coroner's report was inconclusive regarding the cause of death, necessitating further toxicological analysis."

Answer: The cause of death could not be determined from the coroner's report alone, so more tests were needed.

'Inconclusive' means no conclusion was reached, and 'necessitating further analysis' means additional testing was required.

An officer's report reads: "At approximately 2145 hours, I observed a male subject, approximately 6'1" and 180 lbs, wearing a red hoodie and dark jeans, exit the rear door of the establishment." What time did the officer observe the subject?

Answer: 9:45 PM

2145 hours in 24-hour military time equals 9:45 PM (2145 minus 1200 = 945, which is 9:45 PM).