Reading Comprehension Making Inferences from Text 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A passage describes a neighborhood where 'FOR SALE signs dotted every other yard, the grocery store had shuttered its windows, and the playground sat empty even on warm Saturday afternoons.' What can you infer about this neighborhood?
- It is a thriving, growing community
- It is experiencing economic decline and population loss (Correct answer)
- Residents prefer indoor activities
- The houses are too expensive for most buyers
Correct answer: It is experiencing economic decline and population loss
Multiple FOR SALE signs, a closed grocery store, and an empty playground all indicate people are leaving the area and businesses are failing — signs of economic decline.
Three details form a consistent picture of decline: high housing turnover (FOR SALE signs everywhere), commercial failure (grocery store shuttered), and reduced family activity (empty playground). These are classic indicators of a community losing population and economic vitality. A thriving community (A) would show the opposite. Indoor preferences (C) wouldn't explain closed stores and mass selling. Expensive houses (D) contradicts the mass exodus implied by the signs.
Question 2: A passage states: 'Dr. Patel glanced at the lab results, set them down without a word, and asked the patient to call her family.' What can you infer from Dr. Patel's actions?
- The lab results are normal and routine
- The results likely contain serious or life-changing news (Correct answer)
- Dr. Patel is too busy to discuss the results
- The patient's family members also need medical testing
Correct answer: The results likely contain serious or life-changing news
Setting down results 'without a word' suggests difficulty delivering news, and asking the patient to call family implies the news is serious enough to warrant family support.
Dr. Patel's behavior follows a recognizable pattern: reviewing results silently (processing difficult information), setting them down without speaking (reluctance to deliver bad news), and recommending family contact (the patient will need emotional support). Normal results (A) would be shared casually. Being too busy (C) doesn't explain the silence or the family request. Family testing (D) isn't suggested. The inference is that the results contain serious medical news.
Question 3: An author writes: 'The candidate spoke eloquently about education reform, affordable housing, and healthcare access. The crowd responded with polite applause but noticeably fewer cheers than the previous speaker had received.' What can you infer?
- The crowd strongly supported the candidate's positions
- The crowd was moderately receptive but less enthusiastic compared to the previous speaker (Correct answer)
- The previous speaker discussed the same topics
- The candidate performed poorly and lost the election
Correct answer: The crowd was moderately receptive but less enthusiastic compared to the previous speaker
Polite applause indicates some acceptance, but 'noticeably fewer cheers' compared to the previous speaker suggests the audience was less enthusiastic about this candidate.
'Polite applause' is a revealing phrase — it's positive enough to not be hostile, but the modifier 'polite' suggests measured rather than enthusiastic response. The explicit comparison to the previous speaker ('noticeably fewer cheers') confirms reduced enthusiasm. The crowd isn't hostile (ruling out dislike), but they're clearly less energized. We can't infer the topics of the previous speech (C) or election outcomes (D). The supported inference is moderate but comparatively reduced enthusiasm.
Question 4: A passage mentions that 'the hiking trail was marked with fresh blazes on the trees, a recently cleared fallen log blocked by orange cones, and a new sign warning about bear activity in the area.' What can you infer?
- The trail has been recently maintained and monitored by park staff (Correct answer)
- The trail is dangerous and should be avoided
- Bears have attacked hikers on this trail
- The trail was just opened for the first time
Correct answer: The trail has been recently maintained and monitored by park staff
Fresh blazes, recently cleared obstacles, and new warning signs all indicate active, ongoing trail maintenance and monitoring by park personnel.
Three details share a common element — recency: 'fresh' blazes, 'recently cleared' log, and 'new' warning sign. All indicate that someone has recently been on the trail performing maintenance and safety tasks. This points to active management by park staff. The trail isn't necessarily dangerous (B) — bear warnings are standard in bear country. No attacks are mentioned (C). A 'recently cleared fallen log' suggests the trail existed before, ruling out a brand-new trail (D).
Question 5: A passage reads: 'Elena spoke three languages fluently, had lived on four continents, and could navigate any city with or without a map. Yet she always said her greatest journey was becoming a mother.' What inference can you make about Elena's values?
- She regrets her years of traveling
- She believes her skills are unimportant
- She values her role as a mother above her worldly accomplishments (Correct answer)
- She thinks traveling is a waste of time
Correct answer: She values her role as a mother above her worldly accomplishments
By calling motherhood her 'greatest journey' despite impressive global experiences, Elena reveals that she values parenthood above her considerable worldly accomplishments.
The passage first establishes Elena's impressive worldly credentials (multilingual, well-traveled, self-reliant) and then contrasts these with her own assessment: motherhood is her 'greatest journey.' The word 'Yet' signals that this ranking might surprise people given her background. The inference is about her values — she places motherhood above her adventures. This doesn't mean she regrets traveling (A), considers her skills unimportant (B), or thinks travel is wasteful (D). She simply values one thing most.
Question 6: A passage describes how 'the old factory's windows were dark, the parking lot had been overtaken by weeds, and a chain-link fence now surrounded the property with NO TRESPASSING signs.' What can you infer?
- The factory is operating a night shift
- The factory has been closed and abandoned for some time (Correct answer)
- The factory is being renovated for reopening
- The factory workers are on vacation
Correct answer: The factory has been closed and abandoned for some time
Dark windows, weed-covered parking lot, and security fencing with no trespassing signs all indicate a property that has been shut down and left vacant for a significant period.
Multiple details converge on abandonment: dark windows (no activity inside), weeds overtaking the parking lot (extended neglect — weeds need time to grow through pavement), and NO TRESPASSING signs on chain-link fencing (securing an unoccupied property). A night shift (A) would still show some car presence. Renovation (C) would involve construction activity, not weeds. Vacation (D) wouldn't explain weeds or security fencing. The inference is prolonged closure and abandonment.
Reading Comprehension Making Inferences from Text 2
A passage describes a neighborhood where 'FOR SALE signs dotted every other yard, the grocery store had shuttered its windows, and the playground sat empty even on warm Saturday afternoons.' What can you infer about this neighborhood?