PARCC Reading Comprehension Practice Test story 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: 8. The Curies' _________ collaboration helped to unlock the secrets of the atom.
- friendly (Correct answer)
- competitive
- courteous
- industrious
- chemistry
Correct answer: friendly
Marie and Pierre Curie were a married couple who shared a deep intellectual bond and a common passion for scientific discovery. Their collaboration was characterized by mutual respect, support, and shared enthusiasm, which are hallmarks of a friendly working relationship. This amicable and supportive environment was instrumental in their groundbreaking research and discoveries in radioactivity.
Question 2: 9. Marie had a bright mind and a ______ personality.
- strong
- lighthearted (Correct answer)
- humorous
- strange
- envious
Correct answer: lighthearted
While Marie Curie was known for her immense intellect and strong will, 'lighthearted' suggests a cheerful, optimistic, and perhaps even easygoing aspect of her personality. This trait could have provided a necessary balance to the intense focus and demanding nature of her scientific pursuits. Without specific textual context, 'lighthearted' implies a pleasant and agreeable disposition.
Question 3: 10. When she learned that she could not attend the university in Warsaw, she felt _________.
- hopeless
- annoyed (Correct answer)
- depressed
- worried
- None of the above
Correct answer: annoyed
Marie Curie was a highly intelligent and ambitious young woman with a strong desire for higher education. When she discovered that women were barred from attending the University of Warsaw, she would have felt a deep sense of frustration and irritation. 'Annoyed' accurately captures this feeling of being unfairly hindered and prevented from pursuing her intellectual goals due to discriminatory rules.
Question 4: 11. Marie _________ by leaving Poland and traveling to France to enter the Sorbonne.
- challenged authority (Correct answer)
- showed intelligence
- behaved
- was distressed
- Answer not available
Correct answer: challenged authority
By leaving Poland to study at the Sorbonne in France, Marie Curie directly defied the societal norms and educational restrictions of her time and country. In Poland, women were not permitted to pursue higher education at universities. Her determined action to seek knowledge abroad was a clear challenge to the established authority and traditional expectations placed upon women.
Question 5: 12. _________ she remembered their joy together.
- Dejectedly (Correct answer)
- Worried
- Tearfully
- Happily
- Irefully
Correct answer: Dejectedly
'Dejectedly' means sadly, dispiritedly, or in a downcast manner. If she remembered their joy together dejectedly, it implies that her current emotional state was one of sorrow or loss, making the recollection of past happiness bittersweet or painful. This adverb sets a somber tone, suggesting she was feeling low as she recalled happier times, perhaps after a significant personal loss.
Question 6: 13. Her _________ began to fade when she returned to the Sorbonne to succeed her husband.
- misfortune
- anger
- wretchedness (Correct answer)
- disappointment
- ambition
Correct answer: wretchedness
'Wretchedness' refers to a state of extreme unhappiness, misery, or deep distress. After the tragic death of her husband, Pierre Curie, Marie experienced profound grief. Her return to the Sorbonne to take over his professorship and continue their scientific work provided her with a renewed purpose and focus, gradually helping to alleviate her intense sorrow and allowing her 'wretchedness' to diminish.
Question 7: 14. Even though she became fatally ill from working with radium, Marie Curie was never _________.
- troubled
- worried
- wretchedness (Correct answer)
- disappointment
- ambition
Correct answer: wretchedness
Despite the severe health consequences, including the fatal illness caused by her work with radium, Marie Curie remained deeply committed to her scientific mission. She never expressed regret or felt utterly miserable about her dedication to science, understanding the profound importance of her discoveries. Her unwavering resolve meant she was never in a state of 'wretchedness' regarding her life's work, even in the face of personal sacrifice.
PARCC Reading Comprehension Practice Test story 2
8.
The Curies' _________ collaboration helped to unlock the secrets of the atom.