PTE Reading Comprehension 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passage states: 'The committee adjourned without reaching a decision, citing the need for further consultation with stakeholders.' What can be inferred about the committee's situation?
- The committee permanently abandoned the issue
- The decision requires input from additional parties before proceeding (Correct answer)
- The committee members disagreed strongly with each other
- The stakeholders refused to cooperate with the committee
Correct answer: The decision requires input from additional parties before proceeding
The phrase 'further consultation with stakeholders' directly implies the decision depends on gathering more input from outside parties.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes the relationship between a passage's topic sentence and its supporting sentences?
- The topic sentence summarizes the entire passage, while supporting sentences introduce new ideas
- The topic sentence states the main idea, and supporting sentences provide evidence or elaboration (Correct answer)
- The topic sentence asks a question that supporting sentences each answer independently
- The topic sentence and supporting sentences present opposing viewpoints
Correct answer: The topic sentence states the main idea, and supporting sentences provide evidence or elaboration
In standard paragraph structure, the topic sentence establishes the main claim and supporting sentences develop it with details, examples, or evidence.
Question 3: A PTE passage excerpt reads: 'Though often dismissed as mere entertainment, video games have demonstrated measurable cognitive benefits in controlled studies.' What is the author's implicit argument?
- Video games are superior to other forms of entertainment
- The popular dismissal of video games underestimates their potential value (Correct answer)
- Controlled studies are the only reliable way to assess video game benefits
- Entertainment and education are fundamentally incompatible goals
Correct answer: The popular dismissal of video games underestimates their potential value
The contrast between 'often dismissed' and 'demonstrated measurable benefits' implies the author believes video games deserve more serious consideration than they typically receive.
Question 4: In a PTE reading task, you encounter the phrase 'The proliferation of misinformation has eroded public trust.' What does 'proliferation' most likely mean in this context?
- Careful analysis
- Rapid spread or increase (Correct answer)
- Official publication
- Deliberate suppression
Correct answer: Rapid spread or increase
'Proliferation' means a rapid increase or spread, which fits the context of misinformation growing extensively enough to erode trust.
Question 5: A passage discusses two scientists with opposing theories. The author concludes by saying 'Subsequent experiments have largely validated Chen's model.' What does this tell the reader?
- Chen's model is perfect and no further research is needed
- The opposing scientist's work was fraudulent
- Evidence gathered after the debate tended to support Chen's position (Correct answer)
- Both theories were proven equally valid by later research
Correct answer: Evidence gathered after the debate tended to support Chen's position
'Largely validated' means experiments conducted after the debate mostly confirmed Chen's model, indicating it gained stronger empirical support over time.
Question 6: Which reading strategy is most effective when a PTE passage contains unfamiliar technical vocabulary?
- Skip the sentence entirely and focus on sentences with familiar words
- Use surrounding context clues to infer the approximate meaning of the unknown term (Correct answer)
- Assume the term is a proper noun and treat it as irrelevant to the meaning
- Reread the passage from the beginning every time an unfamiliar word appears
Correct answer: Use surrounding context clues to infer the approximate meaning of the unknown term
Context clues — such as surrounding sentences, examples, and contrasting ideas — are the primary strategy for inferring unfamiliar vocabulary during reading.
Question 7: A passage opens with: 'Contrary to popular belief, the Great Wall of China is not visible from space with the naked eye.' What rhetorical purpose does this opening serve?
- To express the author's patriotic admiration for Chinese engineering
- To correct a widely held misconception before presenting accurate information (Correct answer)
- To argue that space exploration is irrelevant to understanding history
- To introduce a comparison between ancient and modern construction techniques
Correct answer: To correct a widely held misconception before presenting accurate information
Opening with 'Contrary to popular belief' is a classic rhetorical move to debunk a myth, which signals that the passage will replace the misconception with accurate facts.
PTE Reading Comprehension 2
A passage states: 'The committee adjourned without reaching a decision, citing the need for further consultation with stakeholders.' What can be inferred about the committee's situation?