THEA THEA Reading 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Read: 'The council's decision, though unpopular, was grounded in fiscal responsibility.' Which inference is best supported?
- The council made the decision to gain popularity
- The decision prioritized financial considerations over public opinion (Correct answer)
- Council members were unaware of public sentiment
- The decision had no financial implications
Correct answer: The decision prioritized financial considerations over public opinion
'Grounded in fiscal responsibility' and 'though unpopular' together imply financial priorities outweighed public approval.
Question 2: Which transition word would best connect these two sentences: 'The experiment failed repeatedly. ___, the team continued their research.'
- Therefore
- Nevertheless (Correct answer)
- For example
- In addition
Correct answer: Nevertheless
'Nevertheless' signals contrast, showing the team persisted despite repeated failures.
Question 3: A passage describes a character who 'always arrived early, organized every detail, and prepared extensively.' What character trait is implied?
- Creativity
- Impulsiveness
- Conscientiousness (Correct answer)
- Indifference
Correct answer: Conscientiousness
Arriving early, organizing details, and extensive preparation all suggest a conscientious, diligent personality.
Question 4: In a persuasive essay, the author writes: 'Many experts agree that this policy is flawed.' Without naming the experts, this statement is an example of:
- A well-supported claim
- A vague appeal to authority (Correct answer)
- A logical deductive argument
- An anecdote
Correct answer: A vague appeal to authority
Citing unnamed 'experts' without specific credentials or references is a vague appeal to authority.
Question 5: The phrase 'the roaring twenties' uses which literary device to characterize the 1920s?
- Simile
- Hyperbole
- Personification
- Epithet (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Epithet
An epithet is a descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of a person or thing; 'roaring' characterizes the decade.
Question 6: A reader notices that the details in a passage about a historical event are arranged from most recent to oldest. What pattern does this reflect?
- Chronological order
- Reverse chronological order (Correct answer)
- Order of importance
- Cause and effect
Correct answer: Reverse chronological order
Presenting events from most recent to oldest is reverse chronological order.
Question 7: Which of the following best defines a 'topic sentence' in a paragraph?
- The sentence that provides a specific example
- The sentence that states the paragraph's main idea (Correct answer)
- The sentence that concludes the paragraph
- The sentence that defines a key term
Correct answer: The sentence that states the paragraph's main idea
A topic sentence expresses the main idea of a paragraph and guides the content that follows.
THEA THEA Reading 3
Read: 'The council's decision, though unpopular, was grounded in fiscal responsibility.' Which inference is best supported?