OSSLT Making Inferences from Text 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: 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?
- Shoplifting is entirely unrelated to community resources.
- The loss of youth programming may have contributed to an increase in shoplifting. (Correct answer)
- Youth centres cause shoplifting in surrounding areas.
- The store owner is blaming teenagers unfairly.
Correct 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.
Question 2: A poem ends with the lines: 'I left the door ajar / in case you changed your mind.' What can readers infer about the speaker?
- The speaker is angry and wants the other person to leave permanently.
- The speaker still hopes for reconciliation despite the separation. (Correct answer)
- The speaker forgot to close the door before going to sleep.
- The speaker is moving out of the home described in the poem.
Correct 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.
Question 3: 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?
- The city's road repair process is perfectly fair and data-driven.
- The city may be prioritizing a visible area over neighbourhoods with greater need. (Correct answer)
- The downtown block has unusually poor soil conditions that cause rapid deterioration.
- East-end residents have not reported the potholes to the city.
Correct 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.
Question 4: 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?
- She has an unusual sensitivity to sudden movements in general.
- She may have experienced physical harm in the past. (Correct answer)
- She is practising a martial arts defensive reflex.
- She is playing a prank on those around her.
Correct 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.
Question 5: 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?
- Fish populations always decline naturally after a few years.
- The factory's opening may be connected to the decline in fish population. (Correct answer)
- The graph contains a data error that skews the results.
- Local fishermen increased their catch at the same time, causing the decline.
Correct 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.
Question 6: 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?
- She is afraid the phone will break.
- She is in a state of shock or disbelief and is moving with unusual care. (Correct answer)
- She is angry at the person who called.
- She is trying not to wake someone who is sleeping nearby.
Correct 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.
Question 7: 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?
- Jordan finds group projects exciting and prepares intensely.
- Jordan is uncomfortable with or tries to avoid collaborative work. (Correct answer)
- Jordan moves his desk to get a better view of the board.
- Jordan's desk has wheels that make it easy to move accidentally.
Correct 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.
OSSLT Making Inferences from Text 4
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?