PARCC Reading Comprehension 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passage explains a process step by step from start to finish. This text structure is best described as:
- Sequence (Correct answer)
- Cause and effect
- Compare and contrast
- Description
Correct answer: Sequence
Ordered steps from start to finish form a sequence structure.
Question 2: 'The drought lasted three years; as a result, crops failed and prices soared.' The phrase 'as a result' signals:
- Cause and effect (Correct answer)
- A comparison
- A definition
- A contrast
Correct answer: Cause and effect
'As a result' links a cause to its effects.
Question 3: When a poem refers to 'a journey home' to describe growing up, the home most likely symbolizes:
- Belonging or identity (Correct answer)
- A literal building
- A vacation
- A road map
Correct answer: Belonging or identity
In figurative use, 'home' often symbolizes belonging and self-understanding.
Question 4: Which question would a careful reader ask to evaluate an author's argument?
- Is the evidence relevant and sufficient? (Correct answer)
- How many pages is it?
- What font is used?
- Is the title in bold?
Correct answer: Is the evidence relevant and sufficient?
Evaluating an argument means judging the relevance and adequacy of evidence.
Question 5: A narrator who knows the thoughts of every character is writing from which point of view?
- Third-person omniscient (Correct answer)
- First person
- Second person
- Third-person limited
Correct answer: Third-person omniscient
Access to all characters' thoughts defines third-person omniscient narration.
Question 6: In 'the silence screamed louder than any words,' the author uses:
- Paradox (Correct answer)
- Simple fact
- Definition
- Dialogue
Correct answer: Paradox
Silence that 'screams' is a contradictory paradox used for effect.
Question 7: A reader notices a passage shifts from 'I' to 'we.' This change most likely emphasizes:
- A move from individual to shared experience (Correct answer)
- A spelling error
- A new chapter title
- A change in tense only
Correct answer: A move from individual to shared experience
Shifting from 'I' to 'we' broadens focus from one person to a group.
PARCC Reading Comprehension 4
A passage explains a process step by step from start to finish.
This text structure is best described as: