PARCC Reading Comprehension 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An author writes that a new factory 'promises jobs but threatens the river that feeds the town.' What is the author's overall tone toward the factory?
- Conflicted (Correct answer)
- Enthusiastic
- Indifferent
- Mocking
Correct answer: Conflicted
Pairing a benefit with a threat signals a conflicted, mixed attitude.
Question 2: A passage states: 'The bridge had stood for two centuries, yet it took only one flood to erase it.' What does the contrast emphasize?
- The fragility of long-standing things (Correct answer)
- The strength of old engineering
- The frequency of floods
- The cost of repairs
Correct answer: The fragility of long-standing things
The contrast between 'two centuries' and 'one flood' highlights sudden vulnerability.
Question 3: Which sentence best states a central idea rather than a supporting detail?
- Recycling programs reduce waste and create local jobs. (Correct answer)
- The bin was painted blue last Tuesday.
- One worker drives a truck on Route 9.
- Glass was collected at 7 a.m.
Correct answer: Recycling programs reduce waste and create local jobs.
A central idea summarizes the broad point; the others are narrow details.
Question 4: In context, the word 'meticulous' in 'her meticulous notes left nothing out' most nearly means:
- Extremely careful (Correct answer)
- Hastily written
- Confusing
- Brief
Correct answer: Extremely careful
Leaving 'nothing out' shows careful, detailed attention.
Question 5: Two passages describe the same storm: one calls it 'a gift of rain,' the other 'a wall of ruin.' What accounts for the difference?
- The authors' differing purposes or perspectives (Correct answer)
- A factual error in dates
- Different spelling rules
- The length of each passage
Correct answer: The authors' differing purposes or perspectives
Opposite framings of one event reflect different authorial perspectives or purposes.
Question 6: A character 'tightened her jaw and said nothing as the verdict was read.' What can the reader most reasonably infer?
- She is suppressing a strong reaction (Correct answer)
- She did not hear the verdict
- She is bored by the trial
- She agrees completely
Correct answer: She is suppressing a strong reaction
A tightened jaw with forced silence implies controlled, strong emotion.
Question 7: Which detail would best support the claim that 'the town valued education'?
- It built three new libraries in a decade. (Correct answer)
- It paved several roads downtown.
- It hosted an annual fair.
- It had a small population.
Correct answer: It built three new libraries in a decade.
Building libraries is direct evidence of valuing education.
PARCC Reading Comprehension 2
An author writes that a new factory 'promises jobs but threatens the river that feeds the town.' What is the author's overall tone toward the factory?