PARCC Advanced Reading 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A central theme of a story can best be determined by examining:
- The cover illustration
- Recurring ideas and the characters' choices (Correct answer)
- The number of chapters
- The author's birthplace
Correct answer: Recurring ideas and the characters' choices
Theme emerges from patterns of ideas and how characters act throughout the text.
Question 2: An author writes, 'The factory belched smoke into a sky already choking.' The word 'choking' is an example of:
- Personification (Correct answer)
- Alliteration
- Flashback
- Rhetorical question
Correct answer: Personification
Giving the sky the human action of choking is personification.
Question 3: To determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word, the most reliable in-text strategy is to:
- Skip it entirely
- Use surrounding context clues (Correct answer)
- Guess based on length
- Count its syllables
Correct answer: Use surrounding context clues
Context clues in nearby sentences usually reveal a word's intended meaning.
Question 4: Two authors describe the same historical event, but one emphasizes economic causes and the other emphasizes leadership decisions. This difference reflects each author's:
- Word count
- Perspective or focus (Correct answer)
- Reading level
- Page layout
Correct answer: Perspective or focus
Differing emphasis on causes reveals the distinct perspective each author brings.
Question 5: The phrase 'the calm before the storm' functions as:
- A literal weather report
- Foreshadowing of trouble (Correct answer)
- A definition
- A counterargument
Correct answer: Foreshadowing of trouble
The idiom signals that difficulty is coming, hinting at later events.
Question 6: A persuasive essay repeatedly uses the words 'we,' 'our,' and 'us.' This choice most likely aims to:
- Confuse the reader
- Build a sense of shared community (Correct answer)
- Provide statistics
- Establish a timeline
Correct answer: Build a sense of shared community
Inclusive pronouns create solidarity, drawing readers into a shared cause.
Question 7: The word 'meticulous' most nearly means:
- Careless
- Extremely careful and precise (Correct answer)
- Loud
- Generous
Correct answer: Extremely careful and precise
Meticulous describes someone who shows great attention to detail.
PARCC Advanced Reading 3
A central theme of a story can best be determined by examining: