OAT Reading Comprehension 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A reading passage argues that increased screen time correlates with myopia progression in children, then notes that 'correlation does not imply causation.' What is the author's purpose in adding this caveat?
- To invalidate the entire argument about screen time and myopia
- To acknowledge a methodological limitation and maintain scientific rigor (Correct answer)
- To encourage readers to ignore the statistical findings
- To introduce a competing hypothesis as the primary thesis
Correct answer: To acknowledge a methodological limitation and maintain scientific rigor
Noting that correlation does not imply causation is a standard scientific caveat that demonstrates awareness of interpretive limits without abandoning the presented data.
Question 2: In an OAT passage about the tear film, the phrase 'the outermost lipid layer retards evaporation' uses 'retards' to mean:
- accelerates
- stops completely
- slows or delays (Correct answer)
- reverses
Correct answer: slows or delays
In scientific contexts, 'retard' means to slow or delay a process, not stop it entirely or reverse it.
Question 3: Which of the following would WEAKEN an argument presented in a reading passage?
- A study that replicates the passage's central findings
- Evidence that directly contradicts the passage's main claim (Correct answer)
- A statistic that supports one of the passage's minor points
- A definition that clarifies terminology used in the passage
Correct answer: Evidence that directly contradicts the passage's main claim
Contradictory evidence directly undermines the validity of the passage's central argument.
Question 4: A passage uses the word 'although' at the start of a sentence. What relationship does this word signal between the two clauses it connects?
- The second clause is a consequence of the first
- The second clause contrasts with or qualifies the first (Correct answer)
- The second clause restates the first in simpler terms
- The second clause provides a chronological sequence to the first
Correct answer: The second clause contrasts with or qualifies the first
'Although' is a concessive conjunction that introduces a contrast or qualification between two clauses.
Question 5: When asked about the author's tone in a passage describing a controversial treatment, the BEST approach is to:
- Assume the author agrees with the majority medical opinion
- Analyze specific word choices and the presence or absence of hedging language (Correct answer)
- Focus only on the passage's conclusion for tone clues
- Determine tone based on the subject matter alone, not the language used
Correct answer: Analyze specific word choices and the presence or absence of hedging language
Tone is revealed through diction, hedging words, and evaluative language rather than subject matter alone.
Question 6: A passage states that a new diagnostic device 'may reduce misdiagnosis rates.' The word 'may' indicates the author is expressing:
- Certainty about the device's effectiveness
- A definitive clinical recommendation
- A tentative or uncertain claim about a potential benefit (Correct answer)
- Permission for clinicians to use the device
Correct answer: A tentative or uncertain claim about a potential benefit
Modal verbs like 'may' indicate possibility or uncertainty rather than certainty or obligation.
Question 7: If a passage's final paragraph begins 'In summary,' what should a reader expect?
- Introduction of a new argument not previously discussed
- A restatement and synthesis of the passage's main points (Correct answer)
- Detailed statistical data supporting one specific finding
- A challenge to the conclusions drawn earlier in the passage
Correct answer: A restatement and synthesis of the passage's main points
Transitional phrases like 'In summary' signal that the author is synthesizing and restating key points rather than introducing new information.
OAT Reading Comprehension 3
A reading passage argues that increased screen time correlates with myopia progression in children, then notes that 'correlation does not imply causation.' What is the author's purpose in adding this caveat?