PERT Reading Comprehension & Analysis 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the best strategy for determining the meaning of an unfamiliar word in a passage?
- Use context clues from surrounding sentences (Correct answer)
- Skip the sentence entirely
- Replace it with any familiar word
- Assume it has no meaning
Correct answer: Use context clues from surrounding sentences
Surrounding words and sentences often reveal a word's meaning through context.
Question 2: An article presents a problem and then offers several ways to fix it. What text structure is this?
- Problem and solution (Correct answer)
- Sequence
- Description
- Compare and contrast
Correct answer: Problem and solution
Problem-and-solution structure identifies an issue and proposes remedies.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes a summary?
- A brief restatement of the main points (Correct answer)
- A word-for-word copy of the text
- The author's personal opinion
- A list of unfamiliar vocabulary
Correct answer: A brief restatement of the main points
A summary condenses a text into its essential ideas in your own words.
Question 4: A writer states, 'Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius at sea level.' This is an example of what?
- A fact (Correct answer)
- An opinion
- A prediction
- An exaggeration
Correct answer: A fact
This statement can be objectively verified and is therefore a fact.
Question 5: What is the author's purpose when a passage is written mainly to convince the reader to take an action?
- To persuade (Correct answer)
- To entertain
- To narrate
- To describe
Correct answer: To persuade
Persuasive writing aims to convince readers to adopt a viewpoint or take action.
Question 6: In a passage, the phrase 'as a result' most likely signals which relationship?
- Cause and effect (Correct answer)
- Comparison
- Definition
- Chronological reversal
Correct answer: Cause and effect
'As a result' indicates that one event leads to or causes another.
Question 7: What should a reader do to identify the central theme of a longer passage?
- Look for the message repeated across the whole text (Correct answer)
- Read only the first sentence
- Count the paragraphs
- Focus on one minor detail
Correct answer: Look for the message repeated across the whole text
A theme is the overarching message that recurs throughout the entire passage.
PERT Reading Comprehension & Analysis 3
What is the best strategy for determining the meaning of an unfamiliar word in a passage?