TSIA2 College Readiness Reading 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student reads a passage about urban sprawl that states: 'Cities expanding outward consume farmland, increase commute times, and strain municipal budgets.' What is the author's primary claim?
- Urban sprawl is an inevitable result of population growth
- Urban sprawl creates multiple interconnected problems for communities (Correct answer)
- Commute times are the most serious consequence of urban sprawl
- City governments are responsible for stopping urban sprawl
Correct answer: Urban sprawl creates multiple interconnected problems for communities
The author lists three distinct negative effects, showing sprawl creates multiple interconnected problems rather than singling out one issue.
Question 2: Which sentence best uses context clues to define the word 'reticent' in the phrase: 'Unlike her outspoken colleagues, Maria remained reticent, rarely voicing her opinions during meetings'?
- Maria is shy because she dislikes her colleagues
- Reticent means unwilling to speak or express oneself (Correct answer)
- Maria is respectful of other people's opinions
- Reticent means thoughtful and deliberate in decision-making
Correct answer: Reticent means unwilling to speak or express oneself
The contrast with 'outspoken' and the description of 'rarely voicing opinions' signals reticent means unwilling to speak.
Question 3: A passage presents two experts debating renewable energy. Expert A cites economic savings; Expert B cites infrastructure costs. What reading strategy helps you evaluate both arguments?
- Accept the argument from the more credentialed expert
- Identify the evidence each expert uses to support their claims (Correct answer)
- Focus only on the argument that appears first in the passage
- Look for which expert uses more emotional language
Correct answer: Identify the evidence each expert uses to support their claims
Evaluating the evidence each expert provides allows a reader to assess the strength of competing arguments objectively.
Question 4: Read this passage excerpt: 'The wolf population decline reshaped the entire ecosystem. Without predators, deer overpopulated, overgrazing vegetation and destabilizing riverbanks.' The word 'destabilizing' most likely means:
- Strengthening the structure of riverbanks over time
- Making riverbanks less secure and more prone to erosion (Correct answer)
- Redirecting the flow of rivers toward new channels
- Encouraging plant growth along river edges
Correct answer: Making riverbanks less secure and more prone to erosion
The prefix 'de-' signals reversal, and context links overgrazing to damage, making 'making less secure' the logical meaning.
Question 5: An author writes: 'While critics argue the policy failed, unemployment data from three independent agencies shows a 12% drop in two years.' What is the author doing?
- Dismissing critics without engaging their evidence
- Using quantitative evidence to counter an opposing view (Correct answer)
- Admitting the policy had significant flaws
- Presenting both sides of the debate equally
Correct answer: Using quantitative evidence to counter an opposing view
The author acknowledges the opposing view and then uses specific data from multiple sources to refute it.
Question 6: Which of the following is an example of an inference rather than a directly stated fact?
- The experiment was conducted over six weeks
- The researcher collected data from 200 participants
- The declining response rate suggests participants lost interest (Correct answer)
- The results were published in a peer-reviewed journal
Correct answer: The declining response rate suggests participants lost interest
An inference draws a conclusion not explicitly stated; 'suggests participants lost interest' is a logical deduction, not a reported fact.
Question 7: A passage's first paragraph describes a problem, the second proposes a solution, and the third evaluates the solution's limitations. What is the text structure?
- Chronological order
- Compare and contrast
- Problem-solution with evaluation (Correct answer)
- Cause and effect
Correct answer: Problem-solution with evaluation
The three-part structure (problem → solution → limitations) defines a problem-solution pattern extended with critical evaluation.
TSIA2 College Readiness Reading 2
A student reads a passage about urban sprawl that states: 'Cities expanding outward consume farmland, increase commute times, and strain municipal budgets.' What is the author's primary claim?