Making Inferences from Text Flashcards
7 cards from real OSSLT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Making Inferences from Text flashcards as text
A news report reads: 'The store owner said she noticed shoplifting incidents increasing after the local youth centre closed two years ago.' What inference does the store owner's statement support?
Answer: The loss of youth programming may have contributed to an increase in shoplifting.
The store owner connects the timing of the youth centre's closure to the rise in incidents, implying a possible link between lost programming and the behaviour.
A poem ends with the lines: 'I left the door ajar / in case you changed your mind.' What can readers infer about the speaker?
Answer: The speaker still hopes for reconciliation despite the separation.
Leaving the door 'ajar in case you changed your mind' signals lingering hope for the other person's return.
An editorial states: 'The city has repaved the same downtown block three times in four years, while residential streets in the east end remain full of potholes.' What can be inferred about how the city prioritizes road repairs?
Answer: The city may be prioritizing a visible area over neighbourhoods with greater need.
Repeated repairs in one high-profile area while neglecting others implies the city may favour visible or politically important locations.
A short story describes a character who flinches every time someone raises a hand quickly near her face. What does this detail most likely suggest?
Answer: She may have experienced physical harm in the past.
A conditioned flinch specifically to raised hands near the face is a recognized signal of past physical trauma.
A graph in a science magazine shows a steep drop in a lake's fish population that begins exactly when a nearby factory opened. What can readers infer from this pattern?
Answer: The factory's opening may be connected to the decline in fish population.
The precise timing of the drop matching the factory's opening strongly implies a connection between the two events.
A character in a story receives good news on the phone. The author writes: 'She set the receiver down slowly, as if it were made of glass.' What does this simile imply?
Answer: She is in a state of shock or disbelief and is moving with unusual care.
Treating an ordinary object with extreme delicacy after receiving news suggests a dazed or stunned emotional state.
A passage about a student says: 'Every time the teacher announced a group project, Jordan moved his desk slightly closer to the wall.' What can be inferred about Jordan?
Answer: Jordan is uncomfortable with or tries to avoid collaborative work.
Consistently moving away from others specifically when group work is announced implies Jordan is uncomfortable with or avoids collaboration.