TSI Reading and Textual Analysis 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An author compares the human brain to a 'bustling city that never sleeps.' This figurative language is meant to convey the brain's:
- Constant, complex activity (Correct answer)
- Small physical size
- Need for darkness
- Lack of organization
Correct answer: Constant, complex activity
The city metaphor emphasizes ongoing, intricate activity.
Question 2: Which detail would best support the claim that a town's library is a community hub?
- It hosts free classes, story hours, and meeting spaces (Correct answer)
- It was built in 1965
- It has a brick exterior
- Its parking lot holds 40 cars
Correct answer: It hosts free classes, story hours, and meeting spaces
Programs and gathering spaces directly demonstrate community use.
Question 3: A passage shifts from describing a problem to listing solutions. This organizational pattern is best called:
- Problem and solution (Correct answer)
- Chronological order
- Spatial description
- Compare and contrast
Correct answer: Problem and solution
Presenting an issue then fixes is the problem-solution structure.
Question 4: The tone of a passage that uses words like 'gloomy,' 'fading,' and 'silent' is most likely:
- Somber (Correct answer)
- Cheerful
- Excited
- Humorous
Correct answer: Somber
Dark, quiet word choices create a somber mood.
Question 5: An argument claims phones harm sleep, then cites only one friend's experience. The reasoning is weak because it:
- Relies on insufficient anecdotal evidence (Correct answer)
- Uses too many statistics
- Defines all terms precisely
- Considers many studies
Correct answer: Relies on insufficient anecdotal evidence
A single anecdote cannot reliably support a broad claim.
Question 6: In 'The committee tabled the proposal,' the phrasal meaning of 'tabled' in U.S. usage is:
- Postponed for later consideration (Correct answer)
- Voted to approve immediately
- Placed on a literal table
- Destroyed entirely
Correct answer: Postponed for later consideration
In American usage, to 'table' a proposal is to set it aside.
Question 7: Which sentence contains an opinion rather than a fact?
- The museum's new exhibit is the most beautiful in the state (Correct answer)
- The museum opened in 1998
- The exhibit features 200 paintings
- Admission costs ten dollars
Correct answer: The museum's new exhibit is the most beautiful in the state
'Most beautiful' is a subjective judgment, not verifiable fact.
TSI Reading and Textual Analysis 3
An author compares the human brain to a 'bustling city that never sleeps.' This figurative language is meant to convey the brain's: