PARCC - Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Reading Comprehension 7 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passage states: 'The old lighthouse stood at the edge of town, its beam sweeping the dark water each night, though no ships had passed in decades.' What does this detail most likely suggest about the lighthouse?
- It is a symbol of persistent duty despite irrelevance (Correct answer)
- It is a warning that the town is in danger
- It indicates the town was once a major fishing hub
- It shows that the narrator fears the ocean
Correct answer: It is a symbol of persistent duty despite irrelevance
The lighthouse continues its function even though ships no longer pass, making it a symbol of duty or habit persisting beyond its original purpose — a classic inference about symbolic meaning in literary passages.
Question 2: An author writes: 'She read every word twice, then a third time, her pen never leaving the margin.' What can the reader most reasonably infer about the character?
- She is a slow reader who struggles with comprehension
- She is a careful and analytical reader who engages deeply with text (Correct answer)
- She is copying the text for someone else
- She dislikes the book but must finish it for school
Correct answer: She is a careful and analytical reader who engages deeply with text
Rereading passages and annotating margins are behaviors associated with close, critical reading. The inference that she is analytical and engaged is the most reasonable conclusion from the described actions.
Question 3: In context, what does the word 'ephemeral' most likely mean in the sentence: 'The joy of the festival was ephemeral — by Sunday the streets were empty and silent'?
- Intense and overwhelming
- Lasting only a short time (Correct answer)
- Shared by the entire community
- Difficult to understand
Correct answer: Lasting only a short time
The contrast between the festival's joy and the quickly emptied streets signals that the feeling did not last long. Context clues indicating a swift transition support the meaning 'lasting only a short time.'
Question 4: Which of the following best describes the difference between a text's central idea and a supporting detail?
- The central idea appears only in the conclusion, while details appear throughout
- The central idea is the broad point the entire text develops; a detail is a specific piece of evidence that backs it up (Correct answer)
- The central idea is always stated in the first sentence; details are always in the last paragraph
- The central idea and supporting details are interchangeable terms
Correct answer: The central idea is the broad point the entire text develops; a detail is a specific piece of evidence that backs it up
A central idea is the overarching argument or message that the whole text works to establish, while supporting details are specific facts, examples, or evidence that develop and strengthen that central idea.
Question 5: A student reads: 'The committee approved the plan not because it was perfect, but because the alternatives were worse.' What does this sentence reveal about the committee's decision-making?
- The committee was excited about the plan's potential
- The plan was chosen by default rather than genuine enthusiasm (Correct answer)
- The committee had no alternatives to consider
- The plan was secretly the best option available
Correct answer: The plan was chosen by default rather than genuine enthusiasm
The phrase 'not because it was perfect, but because the alternatives were worse' makes clear the plan was selected as the least-bad option, indicating a decision made by elimination rather than conviction.
Question 6: An author ends a story with: 'Marcus locked the door behind him and never looked back — or so he told himself.' What effect does the phrase 'or so he told himself' create?
- It confirms that Marcus is completely at peace with his decision
- It introduces doubt about whether Marcus truly felt no regret (Correct answer)
- It signals that Marcus will return in a sequel
- It suggests Marcus forgot to take something with him
Correct answer: It introduces doubt about whether Marcus truly felt no regret
The qualifying phrase 'or so he told himself' undermines the certainty of the previous statement, hinting that Marcus may actually feel doubt or regret even as he tries to convince himself otherwise — a common technique for revealing inner conflict.
PARCC - Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Reading Comprehension 7
A passage states: 'The old lighthouse stood at the edge of town, its beam sweeping the dark water each night, though no ships had passed in decades.' What does this detail most likely suggest about the lighthouse?