Reading Comprehension 8 Flashcards
6 cards from real PARCC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Reading Comprehension 8 flashcards as text
A passage states: 'The old lighthouse had guided sailors home for generations, but the night it went dark, the harbor held its breath.' What literary device is primarily used in the italicized phrase?
Answer: Personification, giving the harbor a human physical response
Giving the harbor the human action of 'holding its breath' attributes a living, emotional quality to an inanimate place — this is personification.
An author writes: 'Maya folded the letter without reading it and slid it beneath the mattress.' What can the reader most reasonably infer about Maya?
Answer: She is avoiding information she is not ready to face
Hiding an unread letter suggests avoidance — Maya's deliberate choice not to read it implies she fears or is unprepared for its contents.
Which sentence from a student essay best demonstrates an evidence-based claim?
Answer: The author's repeated use of empty rooms and unanswered letters establishes a pervasive theme of isolation.
Only the third sentence connects specific textual evidence (empty rooms, unanswered letters) to a named literary element (theme of isolation), meeting the standard for evidence-based writing.
A passage describes a character who 'wore his silence like armor.' What does this figurative language most likely suggest?
Answer: The character uses quietness as a means of self-protection
Comparing silence to armor implies it serves a defensive purpose — the character shields himself from vulnerability or harm by not speaking.
Two authors write about the same historical drought. Author A focuses on government policy failures; Author B focuses on the experiences of farming families. How does point of view most likely affect each text?
Answer: Author A will emphasize systemic causes while Author B will emphasize human impact
Point of view shapes what an author selects and emphasizes — a policy lens highlights institutional failures, while a personal lens foregrounds lived human consequences.
A poem ends with the lines: 'She planted seeds in frozen ground / and called it faith.' What is the most likely central idea of the poem?
Answer: Acting with hope despite unfavorable circumstances defines belief
Planting in frozen ground — an act that defies practical logic — and labeling it 'faith' suggests the poem equates hope-driven action against odds with the nature of belief itself.