Reading Comprehension Flashcards

Why was George Washington Carver known as the "plant doctor"?

Answer: He could nurse sick plants back to health.

Explanation: The first paragraph gives the information to correctly answer this question.

How is this passage structured?

Answer: problem and solution

Explanation: This passage is arranged by problem and solution. The author states a problem that the cotton farmers were having: "Eventually, cotton will no longer grow on this land." The author then presents a solution: "Carver told farmers to rotate their crops: plant cotton one year, then the next year plant peanuts and other soil-restoring plants, like peas and sweet potatoes. It worked! The peanut plants grew and produced lots of peanuts.”

According to the passage, what problem were cotton farmers facing?

Answer: The cotton had stripped the land of its nutrients.

Explanation: The second paragraph discusses the problem the cotton farmers were facing. The cotton crops had depleted the nutrients from the soil.

How did Carver resolve the farmers' problem?

Answer: He told the farmers to rotate their crops.

Explanation: The last paragraph answers this question. "Carver told farmers to rotate their crops: plant cotton one year, then the next year plant peanuts and other soil-restoring plants, like peas and sweet potatoes. It worked! The peanut plants grew and produced lots of peanuts."

This passage is mainly about:

Answer: how George Washington Carver helped farmers improve their crop production.

Explanation: Answer choice B best summarizes what this passage is mainly about. Choices A and C are not even discussed in this passage. Paragraph 5 does discuss choice D, but it is not the main focus of the passage.

According to this passage, "crop rotation" can be described as:

Answer: Planting a soil-depleting crop like cotton one year and then planting a soil-restoring plant like peanuts the next year

Explanation: Answer choice A best defines "crop rotation," as the passage gives the definition in the last paragraph.

Which is the best version of sentence (1)?

Answer: Just like having a working smoke detector in your home, having emergency supply kits will put the tools you may need at your fingertips.

Explanation: This choice is correct because both verbs agree. Choice A is not correct because "have" does not agree with the first verb, "having." Although the correct verbs are used in choice B, it still is incorrect because the singular article "a" should not be used with the plural noun "detectors." Choice D incorrectly uses a semicolon, although the verb choices are correct.

Which is the best version of sentence (4)?

Answer: Remember to include, and periodically rotate, medications you take every day such as insulin and heart medicine.

Explanation: This choice is correct because it uses commas to set off a phrase. Choice A omits the comma after "rotate." Choice C uses a comma after "Remember" where it is not needed. Choice D uses no commas at all, which is not correct.

Which is the best version of sentence (6)?

Answer: Store one gallon of water per person per day in clean plastic containers for drinking and sanitation.

Explanation: This choice uses the correct flow of ideas. Choice A incorrectly separates the idea of storing from "per person per day." Choice B is awkward and almost incomprehensible. Choice D incorrectly uses a comma after "day."

Which is the best version of sentence (7)?

Answer: If you live in a warm weather climate, more water may be necessary.

Explanation: No capitals are necessary for the words "warm," "weather" or "climate" because they are not proper nouns or geographical names. Choices A and C are not correct because they capitalize words that do not need to be capitalized. Choice B is not correct because it does not have a comma after the opening phrase.

Which sentence would be a good sentence to follow sentence 12 (reproduced below)? Periodically rotate your extra batteries to be sure they work when you need them.

Answer: Prioritize battery use to make sure your most important devices have enough power.

Explanation: Choice D is the best sentence to follow sentence 12 because it would be a good sentence to logically follow sentence 12 since both mention best practices for batteries. Although the objects in choice A could be good items to include in an emergency supply kit, choice A is not a complete sentence. Choice B may be a good reason to have an emergency supply kit, but it is not on-topic with the content of sentences 11 and 12, which focus on supplies that should be in your emergency supply kit. Choice C is incorrect for similar reasons. Preparing for cold weather would be important if you live in a cold climate, but this sentence would fit better after sentence 7 and it does not fit better after sentence 12 than choice D does.