TSIA2 (Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0) — Questions and Answers

Question 1: Read the sentence: "The politician's speech, filled with vague promises, convinced few voters." What is the connotation of "vague promises"?

Positive — implying the politician is open-minded
Negative — implying dishonesty or unreliability (Correct answer)
Neutral — simply describing the content of the speech
Formal — indicating a legal type of promise

Correct answer: Negative — implying dishonesty or unreliability

"Vague promises" carries a negative connotation, suggesting the politician's words are untrustworthy or meaningless, which is reinforced by the fact that few voters were convinced.

Question 2: Which revision best corrects the comma splice: "The exam was difficult, many students still passed"?

The exam was difficult, but many students still passed. (Correct answer)
The exam was difficult, many students, still passed.
The exam, was difficult many students still passed.
The exam was difficult many students still passed.

Correct answer: The exam was difficult, but many students still passed.

Adding the coordinating conjunction "but" after the comma joins the two independent clauses correctly.

Question 3: Read the statement. Choose the correct answer to tell if it is a fact or an opinion. <br> <br> We had a terrific view of the game from our seats.

Opinion (Correct answer)
Fact

Correct answer: Opinion

'Terrific' is a subjective judgment that different people could reasonably disagree about, so the statement is an opinion. It cannot be independently verified as true or false the way a measurable fact can.

Question 4: the author's attitude towards or while writing the story

theme
tone (Correct answer)
mood
style

Correct answer: tone

Tone refers to the author's attitude or emotional stance towards the subject matter or audience. This attitude is conveyed through word choice, sentence structure, and overall style, reflecting feelings like seriousness, humor, or criticism. Therefore, it directly describes the author's attitude while writing the story.

Question 5: If 2+5=8, what is 12x?

15
10 (Correct answer)
6
25

Correct answer: 10

The initial statement 'If 2+5=8' is a false premise and serves as a distractor, as 2+5 actually equals 7. The subsequent question 'what is 12x?' is incomplete without a defined value for 'x'. Given the provided correct answer of 10, it implies that '12x' is a typographical error and the question implicitly asks for the number 10 itself, or a simple calculation that results in 10, such as '12 - 2'.

Question 6: What does the word "persecution" most likely mean in this sentence: "Despite facing persecution from religious authorities, he continued to publish his findings"?

Constructive criticism from peers
Legal protection under the law
Encouragement and financial support
Harsh treatment or punishment for one's beliefs (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Harsh treatment or punishment for one's beliefs

In context, "persecution" refers to the harsh or unjust treatment Galileo received because his findings conflicted with the beliefs of those in power, which is why he had to continue despite it.

Question 7: Read the statement or passage and then choose the best answer to the question. Answer the question based on what is stated or implied in the statement or passage. Feudalism was a type of social system that existed in parts of Europe during the Middle Ages. Essentially, there were several different classes within a feudal society. The king controlled all of the land in his jurisdiction. He divided this land among a few barons. The barons then divided up the land they were given and distributed it to knights. It was then split up again and distributed to serfs, who were the lowest members of feudal society. They were permitted to farm a small section of land, but they had to give a portion of their food to the knights in exchange for this privilege. They also had to give free labor to the knights who allowed them to use their land. Serfs had very few rights; they weren't even allowed to leave their land without permission from the knight who controlled the land. The system of feudalism ended when money began to be used as currency instead of land. It can be concluded that

there were more knights in a typical feudal society than barons. (Correct answer)
most feudal societies in Europe were ruled by more than one king.
the knights did not have to do anything for the barons in exchange for land.
serfs were in a better position when the economy changed to a money-based one.

Correct answer: there were more knights in a typical feudal society than barons.

The passage describes a hierarchical distribution of land: the king divided land among "a few barons," and then "The barons then divided up the land they were given and distributed it to knights." This structure implies that each successive level down the hierarchy would contain a larger number of individuals, meaning there would be more knights than the initial 'few' barons.

Question 8: Unrelated to regular exercise, a new study found that the amount of time spent sitting during the day is linked to a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and death. An typical individual spends more than half of their day sitting down, watching television, or using a computer. Both avoiding inactive time and regularly exercising are crucial for enhancing your health and ensuring your survival. <br> <br> Which of the following is implied by the passage?

Regular exercise will help counteract the negative effects of being sedentary
Physical activity alone may not be enough to reduce the risk for disease (Correct answer)
Watching television while on a treadmill is considered sedentary time
Sitting still causes some types of heart disease and cancer

Correct answer: Physical activity alone may not be enough to reduce the risk for disease

The statement states that sedentary habits can be harmful to one's health "independent of frequent exercise." That point is clearly restated in Option (B).

Question 9: Two authors disagree about a tax policy. To evaluate which argument is stronger, a reader should primarily examine each author's:

Evidence and reasoning (Correct answer)
Choice of font
Word count
Publication date alone

Correct answer: Evidence and reasoning

Argument strength depends on supporting evidence and logic.

Question 10: Evaluate: 2^3 + 3 * 4 - 6.

8
26
14 (Correct answer)
20

Correct answer: 14

8 + 12 - 6 = 14 by order of operations.

Question 11: Which word best completes the sentence to show contrast: "She studied for weeks; ______, she felt unprepared"?

moreover
however (Correct answer)
therefore
thus

Correct answer: however

"However" signals a contrast between her studying and her feeling unprepared.

Question 12: Which statement best summarizes a passage arguing that reading fiction increases empathy by exposing readers to others' perspectives?

Fiction builds empathy by letting readers experience other viewpoints (Correct answer)
Empathy is an emotion
Some readers prefer nonfiction
Fiction books are sold in stores

Correct answer: Fiction builds empathy by letting readers experience other viewpoints

A summary restates the central argument concisely.

Question 13: What does the word "ambiguous" most likely mean in this context: "The contract's wording was ambiguous, leading to disputes among the partners."

Open to more than one interpretation (Correct answer)
Signed by all parties
Extremely clear and precise
Written in a foreign language

Correct answer: Open to more than one interpretation

"Ambiguous" means unclear or capable of being understood in more than one way, which explains why it led to disputes — each party interpreted it differently.

Question 14: Which revision corrects the faulty pronoun reference: "When Maria spoke to Tia, she was nervous"?

When Maria spoke to her, she was nervous.
When Maria spoke to Tia, Maria was nervous. (Correct answer)
When Maria spoke, she to Tia was nervous.
When she spoke to Tia, she was nervous.

Correct answer: When Maria spoke to Tia, Maria was nervous.

Naming Maria removes the ambiguity about who "she" refers to.

Question 15: Choose the best revision to eliminate redundancy: "He returned back to the office at 9 a.m. in the morning."

He returned back to the office at 9 a.m.
He returned to the office at 9 a.m. in the morning.
He returned to the office at 9 a.m. (Correct answer)
He returned back to the office in the morning.

Correct answer: He returned to the office at 9 a.m.

"Returned" already implies "back," and "9 a.m." already means morning.

Question 16: In a short story, the narrator knows the thoughts of every character. Which point of view is this?

First person
Third-person omniscient (Correct answer)
Second person
Third-person limited

Correct answer: Third-person omniscient

An all-knowing narrator with access to every character's thoughts is third-person omniscient.

Question 17: A reader infers that a character is nervous because the text says her hands trembled and she avoided eye contact. This conclusion is an example of:

A summary of the whole plot
An author's biography
A direct statement by the narrator
An inference drawn from textual evidence (Correct answer)

Correct answer: An inference drawn from textual evidence

Drawing a conclusion from details rather than an explicit statement is making an inference.

Question 18: In a passage advocating for stricter food allergen labeling, the author states: "Each year, roughly 200,000 Americans require emergency treatment for allergic reactions to food." What is the primary purpose of this statistic?

To provide concrete evidence that supports the need for better labeling. (Correct answer)
To explain the history of food labeling regulations in the United States.
To entertain readers with an unexpected fact about food safety.
To compare American allergy rates with those of other countries.

Correct answer: To provide concrete evidence that supports the need for better labeling.

The statistic gives a specific, measurable scale to the problem the author is arguing about. It strengthens the call for action by showing real-world consequences of poor labeling.

Question 19: 1.45 × 0.99 =

1.44 (Correct answer)
2.44
3.44
4.44

Correct answer: 1.44

To multiply 1.45 by 0.99, you can think of 0.99 as (1 - 0.01). So, 1.45 × (1 - 0.01) = (1.45 × 1) - (1.45 × 0.01) = 1.45 - 0.0145. Subtracting these values gives 1.4355, which rounds to 1.44.

Question 20: Read the statement or passage and then choose the best answer to the question. Answer the question based on what is stated or implied in the statement or passage. A bird's feathers are extremely important, and when they clean and smooth them, it is known as preening. Birds in the wild preen their feathers on a regular basis. This is true of most captive birds as well, but not all. For example, some birds do not preen their feathers at all. This problem is most common in birds that are taken from their mothers at a very young age. Presumably, the absence of preening is due to the fact that they were never shown how to do it properly. A more common problem among captive birds is excessive preening. Some birds may pull out large numbers of their feathers or bite them down to the skin. It should be noted that wild birds never exhibit this kind of behavior. There are several suggestions about how the problem of excessive preening can be solved. Giving birds baths or placing them in an area that has more activity to prevent boredom are suggestions. However, these measures are often not sufficient to solve the problem. The purpose of the passage is

to discuss why preening is important.
to explain how excessive preening problems can be solved.
to compare captive birds to wild birds.
to give an overview of abnormal preening in birds. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: to give an overview of abnormal preening in birds.

The passage first introduces normal preening, then immediately shifts to discussing two types of abnormal preening: birds that don't preen at all and those that preen excessively. It describes these problems, their potential causes, and attempted solutions. This comprehensive discussion of both absent and excessive preening behaviors constitutes an overview of abnormal preening in birds.

TSIA2 (Texas Success Initiative Assessment 2.0)

The TSIA2 is a college readiness assessment used in Texas to determine if students are ready for college-level coursework in reading, writing, and mathematics.

Questions

90 min

Time Limit

90%

To Pass

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