PARCC - Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Reading Comprehension 7

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?

Accepted Answer

It is a symbol of persistent duty despite irrelevance

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

She is a careful and analytical reader who engages deeply with text

Answer

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'?

Accepted Answer

Lasting only a short time

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

The central idea is the broad point the entire text develops; a detail is a specific piece of evidence that backs it up

Answer

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?

Accepted Answer

The plan was chosen by default rather than genuine enthusiasm

Answer

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.

PARCC Practice Test

PARCC Practice Test

PARCC - Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Reading Comprehension 7