OAR Reading Comprehension: Inferences Flashcards

Read the passage: 'The city council passed the new zoning ordinance without a public hearing. Within a week, three neighborhood associations filed formal objections.' What can be inferred about the council's process?

Answer: Skipping the public hearing left residents feeling excluded from the decision.

Rapid organized objections following a bypassed hearing indicate residents felt their voices were not included in the process.

Read the passage: 'Investigators found that the bridge inspection reports from the previous five years had all been signed by the same engineer—who had retired two years ago—and that the signatures did not match his handwriting samples.' What can be inferred?

Answer: Bridge inspections were being falsified or forged.

Signatures attributed to a retired employee that do not match his actual handwriting strongly imply documents were fraudulently signed.

Read the passage: 'Although the advertisement claimed the supplement was 'clinically proven,' the fine print noted the study involved twelve participants over two weeks.' What can be inferred about the strength of that claim?

Answer: The clinical evidence supporting the claim is very limited.

A study of only twelve participants over two weeks is far too small and short to constitute strong clinical proof, making the advertisement's claim misleading.

Read the passage: 'The expedition's supply of freeze-dried meals ran out on day eighteen. The group's journal entries after that point became shorter and less detailed.' What can be inferred about the expedition members after day eighteen?

Answer: They became less motivated to document their experience, possibly due to hunger or fatigue.

The connection between food running out and shorter journal entries implies declining energy or morale affected their ability or desire to write.

Read the passage: 'The startup released its app with great fanfare in January. By April, the founders had stopped posting on social media about it, and the app's review page showed the last update was in February.' What can be inferred about the startup?

Answer: The app likely encountered serious problems or failed to meet expectations.

A sudden halt in promotion combined with no app updates strongly suggests the product struggled after its initial launch.

Read the passage: 'The professor handed back the midterm exams without comment and immediately began the next lecture. Several students exchanged worried glances.' What does the students' reaction suggest?

Answer: Students interpreted the professor's silence as a sign the results were poor.

Worried glances in response to silent exam distribution suggest students feared the grades were bad and were concerned about their performance.

Read the passage: 'Every year the museum held a gala to raise funds. This year, for the first time, the event was held in a smaller venue, the guest list was reduced, and the live orchestra was replaced by a DJ.' What can be inferred about the museum's financial situation?

Answer: The museum was facing budget constraints and needed to reduce costs.

Multiple simultaneous cost-cutting measures—smaller venue, reduced guest list, cheaper entertainment—together suggest financial pressure rather than a stylistic choice.