PARCC - Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Advanced Reading 1

Question 1

A student reads two passages on the same historical event — one written by a participant and one written by a historian fifty years later.
Which statement best describes an advantage the historian's account has over the participant's account?

Accepted Answer

The historian benefits from temporal distance, access to multiple sources, and reduced personal bias

Answer

The historian can include personal emotions that make the account more vivid

Answer

The historian's account is automatically more accurate because it is longer

Answer

The participant's account is always less reliable because memory fades over time

Question 2

An author opens an essay with a striking anecdote about a single struggling family, then transitions to national poverty statistics. This rhetorical strategy is best described as:

Accepted Answer

Using pathos to create emotional engagement before supporting claims with logos

Answer

Moving from logos to ethos to establish credibility before presenting data

Answer

Undercutting the statistical argument by making it seem too personal

Answer

Demonstrating syllogistic reasoning through a concrete example

Question 3

In a short story, the narrator describes a neighbor as 'generous to a fault,' yet every scene shows the neighbor giving only when others are watching. A skilled reader would interpret this as:

Accepted Answer

Situational irony, because the narrator's label contradicts what the scenes demonstrate

Answer

Hyperbole, because 'generous to a fault' exaggerates a positive quality for comic effect

Answer

Foreshadowing that the neighbor will eventually perform a truly selfless act

Answer

An allusion to a well-known literary character known for public charity

Question 4

A reader encounters the word 'ephemeral' in a passage about social media trends. The surrounding sentences state: 'Viral moments captivate millions overnight but are forgotten within days. Nothing online seems to last.' Which strategy best determines the word's meaning?

Accepted Answer

Using context clues — the sentences describe things that disappear quickly, suggesting 'ephemeral' means short-lived

Answer

Searching for a cognate in a familiar foreign language

Answer

Skipping the word because the main idea is still understandable without it

Answer

Assuming the word is negative because it appears in a criticism of social media

Question 5

An author writing an argumentative essay includes a paragraph that fairly presents the opposing viewpoint before refuting it. This technique is called a:

Accepted Answer

Counterclaim and rebuttal, used to demonstrate awareness of opposing views and strengthen credibility

Answer

Non sequitur, used to distract the reader from weak evidence

Answer

Red herring, inserted to make the essay appear balanced without engaging the opposition

Answer

Circular argument, restating the thesis in the language of the opposition

Question 6

A poem and an informational article both address the same environmental disaster. Compared to the article, the poem is more likely to:

Accepted Answer

Use figurative language and sensory imagery to convey emotional impact

Answer

Provide precise data about the extent of the damage

Answer

Present an objective, third-person chronology of events

Answer

Define technical terms for a general audience