Ohio Civil Service Exam Reading Comprehension 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Passage: 'Redundancy in writing occurs when the same idea is expressed more than once without adding new information. Eliminating redundancy makes documents clearer and more concise.' Which sentence contains redundancy?
- 'The committee reviewed three proposals and selected the most cost-effective option.'
- 'Please return the completed form back to the front office when you are done finishing it.' (Correct answer)
- 'The audit report identified two compliance gaps that require immediate attention.'
- 'All employees must wear identification badges while on agency premises.'
Correct answer: 'Please return the completed form back to the front office when you are done finishing it.'
'Return back' and 'done finishing' are redundant phrases — 'return' and 'done' already convey the full meaning.
Question 2: Passage: 'Organizational patterns include chronological order, cause and effect, compare and contrast, and problem-solution. Recognizing the pattern helps readers follow the author's reasoning.' A paragraph begins: 'Budget shortfalls led to staff reductions, which in turn caused longer processing times for citizen requests.' What organizational pattern is used?
- Chronological order
- Compare and contrast
- Cause and effect (Correct answer)
- Problem-solution
Correct answer: Cause and effect
The paragraph shows a chain of causes leading to effects (shortfalls → reductions → longer times), which is the cause-and-effect pattern.
Question 3: Passage: 'Fact statements can be verified through evidence, data, or direct observation. Opinion statements reflect judgments or interpretations that may not be universally agreed upon.' Which of the following is a fact rather than an opinion?
- 'The new scheduling software is much easier to use than the old system.'
- 'Ohio has 88 counties, each served by an elected county commissioner board.' (Correct answer)
- 'The agency's customer service would improve significantly with more staff.'
- 'Remote work arrangements are more productive for most government employees.'
Correct answer: 'Ohio has 88 counties, each served by an elected county commissioner board.'
Ohio having 88 counties with elected commissioner boards is a verifiable fact, while the other options express judgments or predictions.
Question 4: Passage: 'The author's purpose is the reason the author wrote a piece of text. Common purposes include to inform, to persuade, to entertain, or to instruct. Government documents are most commonly written to inform or instruct.' A handbook section reads: 'Step 1: Log into the employee portal. Step 2: Select Benefits Enrollment. Step 3: Complete all required fields.' What is the author's most likely purpose?
- To persuade employees to enroll in benefits programs.
- To entertain employees with an overview of available benefits.
- To instruct employees on how to complete the enrollment process. (Correct answer)
- To inform employees about the history of the benefits system.
Correct answer: To instruct employees on how to complete the enrollment process.
The numbered step-by-step format is characteristic of instructional writing, guiding readers through a specific process.
Question 5: Passage: 'Transitional words connect ideas between sentences and paragraphs. Words like therefore, consequently, and as a result indicate conclusions. Words like furthermore and in addition indicate that more information is being added.' In the sentence 'The applicant met all minimum qualifications; therefore, she was invited to the next stage,' what does 'therefore' signal?
- A contrast between two unrelated events.
- A conclusion drawn from the preceding information. (Correct answer)
- An additional piece of information being introduced.
- A time sequence between two events.
Correct answer: A conclusion drawn from the preceding information.
'Therefore' indicates the invitation to the next stage is a conclusion or result drawn from meeting the qualifications.
Question 6: Passage: 'Passive voice occurs when the subject receives the action rather than performs it. Example — passive: The report was submitted by the clerk. Active: The clerk submitted the report. Government style guides generally recommend active voice for clarity.' Which sentence uses active voice?
- 'Errors were found in the annual budget report by the auditors.'
- 'The new regulation was approved by the director last Tuesday.'
- 'The safety officer conducts inspections of all work areas each quarter.' (Correct answer)
- 'All employee records are maintained by the human resources department.'
Correct answer: 'The safety officer conducts inspections of all work areas each quarter.'
In the third option, the subject (safety officer) performs the action (conducts), making it active voice.
Question 7: Passage: 'When reading multi-paragraph texts, each paragraph typically develops one aspect of the main topic. A reader who identifies the topic sentence of each paragraph can quickly grasp the overall structure.' A memo has four paragraphs with these topic sentences: (1) policy change announcement, (2) effective date, (3) affected employees, (4) contact for questions. What is the overall purpose of this memo?
- To recruit employees for a new program.
- To communicate a policy change and provide key details to affected staff. (Correct answer)
- To request feedback from employees on a proposed regulation.
- To summarize the results of a recent workplace survey.
Correct answer: To communicate a policy change and provide key details to affected staff.
The four topic sentences together show the memo announces a policy change and covers the essential details employees need to know.
Ohio Civil Service Exam Reading Comprehension 5
Passage: 'Redundancy in writing occurs when the same idea is expressed more than once without adding new information.
Eliminating redundancy makes documents clearer and more concise.' Which sentence contains redundancy?