OOPT - Oxford Online Placement Reading Comprehension Flashcards

Read the passage: "Critics who dismiss the new transit plan as 'merely ambitious' miss the point. Ambition, after all, was precisely what the previous administration lacked; its cautious incrementalism left the city with buses older than most of their passengers. That said, ambition without funding is a wish, not a plan, and the council has yet to explain where the money will come from." What is the writer's overall attitude toward the transit plan?

Answer: Supportive of its aims but doubtful about whether it can be paid for

The writer defends the plan's ambition against critics and contrasts it favourably with the previous administration's caution. Then 'That said' introduces a reservation: without funding it is 'a wish, not a plan.' The attitude is qualified support. Option C ignores the reservation, B misreads who is being criticised, and D ignores the writer's clearly evaluative language.

Read the passage: "The museum's decision to remove the labels from its paintings was intended to encourage visitors to look rather than read. In practice, however, most visitors simply walked faster." What does the second sentence suggest?

Answer: The change did not have the effect the museum hoped for

'In practice, however' sets the real result against the intention. The museum wanted visitors to look more closely, but they spent less time in front of each painting, so the policy failed in its purpose. Option D is a plausible next step, but the passage never says it happened. Option A turns walking faster into enjoyment without any evidence.

Read the passage: "Dr. Ellis had warned the committee that the bridge's supports were corroding. The committee, preoccupied with the upcoming election, shelved her report. Eighteen months later, it was the committee members who found themselves answering questions." What does the final sentence imply?

Answer: Something went wrong with the bridge and the committee was held responsible

The ironic phrase 'it was the committee members who found themselves answering questions' implies they were held accountable. The likeliest reason is that the corrosion Dr. Ellis warned about caused a problem they had ignored. The stress on 'committee members' contrasts them with Dr. Ellis, who was right, so option B is the opposite of what is implied.

Read the passage: "Remote work was once a perk reserved for a handful of tech firms. Today it is a bargaining chip, an expectation and, for some managers, a source of quiet anxiety. This last point deserves more attention than it usually receives." What is the writer most likely to discuss next?

Answer: The reasons some managers feel uneasy about remote work

'This last point' refers back to the final item in the list, 'a source of quiet anxiety' for managers. Saying it 'deserves more attention than it usually receives' tells the reader that this is what the writer will develop next. Options A and B relate to earlier items in the passage, not the one being singled out.

Read the passage: "The novel's ending is not so much ambiguous as unfinished; the author seems to have run out of either time or nerve." Which statement best reflects the writer's view?

Answer: The ending feels incomplete, which the writer sees as a weakness

The construction 'not so much X as Y' rejects the generous reading ('ambiguous', meaning deliberately open) in favour of a critical one ('unfinished'). The writer guesses the author ran out of 'time or nerve', which is criticism. Option C states as fact something the writer only offers as one of two guesses, and options A and D express the very view the writer rejects.

Read the passage: "Few scientists now doubt that the climate is changing. What remains contested — and fiercely so — is how quickly particular regions will be affected, and therefore how urgently local governments must act." Which statement is supported by the passage?

Answer: There is strong disagreement about regional timing and local urgency

'Few scientists now doubt' means almost all scientists agree that the climate is changing, which rules out option A. The disagreement is about regional speed and, as a result, local urgency, and 'fiercely so' shows it is intense. Option B contradicts 'contested', and the passage says nothing about governments reaching agreement (option D).