This lesson test focuses on the questions that sound alike but are not: what the passage is about, why it was written, what the author believes and how the author sounds. Across 28 original ASVAB-style passages you will judge primary purpose, separate author views from quoted sources, and pick tone words at the right intensity.
Over time, minerals from tap water build up inside a drip coffee maker and slow the brewing. To clear them, fill the water tank with equal parts white vinegar and water. Run a brewing cycle without any coffee grounds, then let the machine sit for fifteen minutes. Next, empty the pot and run two more cycles with plain water to rinse away the vinegar taste. Finally, wipe the outside of the machine and the warming plate with a damp cloth. Repeating this every few months keeps the coffee maker brewing at full speed.
What is the main purpose of the passage?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: To instruct readers how to clear mineral buildup from a coffee maker. The passage walks through a task in order, using signal words such as then, Next and Finally. That structure shows its purpose is to instruct readers in a process, not to argue, compare or give background.
A: Nothing in the passage recommends buying anything; it shows how to keep the current machine working.
B: This choice picks up the topic, coffee makers, but the passage gives cleaning steps, not history.
C (correct): The passage gives ordered steps for a task that applies to any drip coffee maker, which is what an instructional passage does.
D: No store-bought product is mentioned, so there is nothing being compared.
Question 2 of 28 · easy
Beginning March 4, the Riverside Branch Library will open at 9 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. on weekdays. Closing time will remain 7 p.m., and weekend hours are unchanged. The children's reading room will follow the new weekday schedule, and the computer lab will be available whenever the building is open. Patrons with questions about the change can call the front desk or ask any staff member during their next visit.
Which choice best states the author's main purpose?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: To inform patrons about the library's new weekday hours. The notice states dates and times in plain words and offers a way to ask questions. It contains no recommendation or judgment, so its purpose is to inform rather than to persuade or complain.
A (correct): Every sentence reports a plain fact about the schedule, with no judgment or call to action, so the purpose is to inform.
B: The passage never gives a reason for the change; it only states what the new hours are.
C: The passage contains no should or must and says closing time stays the same, so it argues for nothing.
D: No negative or judgment words appear; reading a complaint into the notice supplies emotion the text does not contain.
Question 3 of 28 · easy
Some parents have asked whether the school's new pickup app shares their location with other families. It does not. The app shows a parent's location only to the front office, and only during the twenty minutes before dismissal. Once a child is signed out, the location feature switches off automatically, and no location history is kept after the school day ends. Parents who prefer not to use the app may still pick up their children at the front desk as before.
What is the main purpose of the passage?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: To reassure parents that the app protects their location privacy. The passage opens with a worry parents have raised, answers it directly with It does not, and then gives details showing the sharing is narrow and temporary. Pushing readers toward feeling less concerned is the purpose of reassurance.
A: The author raises no doubts about the decision; the only question in the passage is the parents' concern, which is then answered.
B: The passage says the front desk is still available, so it is not pushing parents away from it.
C (correct): The passage answers a specific worry and shows it is smaller than feared, which is the job of reassurance.
D: The details point the other way: they show how limited the location sharing is, which lowers the worry rather than raising it.
Question 4 of 28 · easy
Welcome to Maple Court. Before you unload your furniture, please reserve the freight elevator through the leasing office so other residents can plan around your move. Your mailbox key is in the envelope with your lease, and your name will be added to the lobby directory within three business days. Trash and recycling rooms are on every floor next to the stairwell. If anything in your unit does not work on your first day, submit a repair request through the resident portal so it can be fixed quickly.
For whom is this passage most likely written?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: New residents who are moving into Maple Court. Audience is shown by what the writer assumes and asks. The text welcomes readers, refers to their lease, their furniture and their first day, and tells them what to do next, so it is written for new residents.
A: The leasing office is mentioned as a place readers contact, so the staff are not the ones being addressed.
B (correct): The passage welcomes readers, mentions their lease and first day, and tells them how to handle their move, which fits new residents.
C: Readers are told to submit repair requests, not to carry out repairs, so the passage is not addressed to repair workers.
D: The readers already have a lease and are unloading furniture, so they have made the decision already.
Question 5 of 28 · easy
Dana had worked at the hardware store for only two weeks when the power went out on a busy Saturday. The registers went dark, and a line of customers soon stretched past the paint aisle. Dana remembered a box of paper receipt pads in the back room. She found a calculator, wrote up each sale by hand, and kept the line moving until the lights came back an hour later. That evening, the manager thanked her in front of the whole crew.
Which choice best describes what the passage does?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: It tells a story about how one new worker handled a power outage. A narrative follows particular people through events, while a process passage gives general steps. This passage follows one named worker through a single afternoon, so it tells a story.
A (correct): The passage follows a particular person, Dana, through events in time order, which is narration.
B: No should or judgment appears; the receipt pads are simply part of what happened in the story.
C: The passage never sets the two methods side by side to note differences.
D: The events are what one person did on one day, not general steps meant to apply to any store.
Question 6 of 28 · easy
The Ridge Loop Trail is a 3.2-mile path that circles the north side of Pine Lake. The first mile follows a flat gravel road through a stand of tall pines. The trail then climbs about 400 feet over a series of rocky switchbacks before reaching a wooden lookout platform. From the platform, the lake and the town water tower are visible to the south. The return half of the loop runs along the shoreline and crosses two small footbridges.
What is the author mainly doing in this passage?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Describing the features of a hiking trail. Describing tells what something is like, while evaluating judges it. Every sentence reports a measurable or visible feature of the trail without praise or criticism, so the author is describing.
A: The passage gives no steps for getting ready, such as what to bring or wear.
B (correct): The passage reports length, surfaces, a climb, a lookout and bridges, which is what a description does.
C: No judgment words such as best, worth or disappointing appear, so the author does not evaluate the trail.
D: The rocky switchbacks are mentioned as a plain feature, with no advice to be careful and no mention of risk.
Question 7 of 28 · easy
The city plans to replace the downtown parking meters with pay stations that accept phone payments. Parking director Luis Ortega says the change will "end the hunt for quarters for good." The new stations will be installed one block at a time over the next six months, and the old meters will be removed as each block is finished. Rates will stay at $1.50 per hour during the switch, and drivers may pay with coins or by phone at the new stations.
According to the passage, whose view is it that the change will "end the hunt for quarters for good"?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: The parking director's. Ask who says this. The quoted claim is introduced with Parking director Luis Ortega says, and the author's own sentences only give plain facts about the schedule and rates, so the view is the director's.
A: The author only reports the quotation and adds no statement agreeing with it, so the view cannot be credited to the author.
B: Drivers are mentioned only as people who will use the stations; none of them is quoted.
C: No council members are mentioned in the passage, so nothing is attributed to them.
D (correct): The words appear in quotation marks after Parking director Luis Ortega says, so the view belongs to him.
Question 8 of 28 · medium
Our office is choosing between two printers for the copy room. The Model 200 costs $350 less up front, but each of its ink cartridges prints only about 1,500 pages. The Model 400 costs more to buy, yet each of its cartridges prints about 6,000 pages and sells for only a little more than a Model 200 cartridge. Because our staff prints roughly 4,000 pages a month, the Model 400's lower ink cost would make up for its higher price within the first year. We should order the Model 400 before the end of the quarter.
Which choice best states the primary purpose of the passage?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: To recommend that the office buy the Model 400. Check the closing lines. The passage compares the two printers' costs and then states, We should order the Model 400, so the comparison becomes evidence for a recommendation, which is the primary purpose.
A: The passage does compare, but its last sentence picks one, so it does not remain a neutral comparison.
B: The details about each printer serve a larger goal; the passage does not stop at describing them.
C (correct): The closing sentence uses should to call for buying the Model 400, and the cost comparison supports that choice.
D: This names part of the topic but not what the passage does; nothing about manufacturing is discussed.
Question 9 of 28 · medium
Homeowners clearing snow usually choose between a shovel and a single-stage snow blower. A good shovel costs under $40, needs no fuel or charging and fits in any corner of a garage, but moving heavy, wet snow by hand is slow and tiring. A single-stage blower clears a driveway far faster and throws snow several yards to the side. However, it costs several hundred dollars, runs on gas or a charged battery, and struggles with snow deeper than about eight inches. Driveway size, typical snowfall and the owner's strength all affect which tool suits a household.
Which choice best describes the author's purpose?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: To compare two snow-clearing tools without recommending either. The passage sets two tools side by side and lists advantages and drawbacks of each. Its final sentence says the choice depends on the household rather than picking a side, so its purpose is to compare.
A: Shoveling is called slow and tiring, but the passage gives no warning about risk and no advice to be careful.
B: The blower's speed is noted, but so are its cost and limits, and no sentence says readers should buy it.
C (correct): The passage gives strengths and weaknesses of both tools and ends by saying the right choice depends on the household, never naming a winner.
D: The low price of a shovel is one point in the comparison; the author never says it is the better choice.
Question 10 of 28 · medium
The Westside Community Pool will be closed from June 10 through June 24 while workers replace the main drain and repaint the deep end, work required under the county's updated safety code. During the closure, the Eastside Pool on Harmon Avenue will add a morning lap swim from 6 to 8 a.m. and stay open until 9 p.m. each evening. Westside members can use their passes at Eastside at no extra charge. Swim lessons scheduled at Westside during those two weeks will meet at Eastside at their usual times.
What is the primary purpose of the passage?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: To direct Westside swimmers to another pool during a closure. Ask which goal the other sentences serve. The repair details explain the closure, and the rest of the notice tells members how to keep swimming at Eastside, so the primary purpose is to guide swimmers during the closure.
A (correct): Most sentences tell members where and when they can swim and take lessons while Westside is closed, and the other details support that.
B: The arrangement covers only the two-week closure, so the passage is not urging a permanent switch.
C: The repairs are a secondary detail that sets up the closure; most of the passage is about where swimmers can go instead.
D: The safety code is mentioned only once as background; the passage never explains the reasons behind it.
Question 11 of 28 · medium
Starting July 1, the monthly fee for trash collection in Fairview will rise from $24 to $27. According to the public works department, the increase covers higher fuel and landfill costs. Bills mailed in late June will show the new amount. Residents who receive the senior or low-income discount will see their discounted rate rise by the same percentage. Questions about billing can be directed to the utility office on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Which choice best describes the tone of the passage?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Neutral and informative, reporting the change in plain words. Judge tone only by the writer's words. Every sentence gives a plain fact such as the new amount, the date, the reason cited by public works and how to ask questions, with no emotional language, so the tone is neutral and informative.
A: Readers might be unhappy about the increase, but the writer uses no angry words; that feeling would come from the reader, not the text.
B: No words of regret or apology appear; the reason for the increase is simply reported.
C: The passage never asks residents to accept or support anything; it only explains what will happen.
D (correct): The passage states amounts, dates and contacts with no judgment or emotional wording, which marks a neutral tone.
Question 12 of 28 · medium
Our town should launch a bike-share program on Main Street this spring. Downtown parking is full by 10 a.m. on most weekdays, and many trips between the train station and the shops are under two miles, an easy ride for most people. A bike-share would give commuters a cheap way to finish their trips and would free up parking spaces for shoppers. Nearby Clayton started a similar program two years ago, and its downtown lots now have open spaces even at midday.
Which statement about the author's point of view is best supported by the passage?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: The author favors starting a bike-share program downtown. Point of view is the position the text actually expresses. The author states that the town should launch a bike-share and supports that with parking and distance facts; claims about the author's other beliefs, wider goals or hobbies are not supported.
A (correct): The first sentence states this position directly, and the rest of the passage supports it.
B: The author argues about one town, using Clayton as an example; extending the view to every town goes beyond the text.
C: The passage says nothing about the author's personal life, so this guesses at identity rather than reading the text.
D: The passage asks only for a bike-share to ease parking; nothing suggests the author opposes car ownership.
Question 13 of 28 · medium
Last summer, our team at the county extension office tested four brands of tomato cages in a community garden. We placed ten cages of each brand around plants of the same variety and checked them every week. By the end of August, we had recorded how many cages of each brand had bent, tipped over or rusted. I also measured the height of each plant at harvest. The table that follows lists our results for each brand, along with the price we paid per cage.
Which choice best describes the passage?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: It is written in the first person and reports test results. Two checks are needed. The pronouns we, our and I make it first person, and the passage only reports how the test was done and what was recorded, with no judgment or recommendation, so it informs rather than argues.
A: First person does not mean persuasion; the passage never says which brand is best or what readers should buy.
B: The passage does not address the reader as you or tell the reader what to do.
C: The writer uses we, our and I, which is first person, not third person.
D (correct): The writer uses we and I to show who did the testing and simply reports what was done and recorded.
Question 14 of 28 · medium
A company selling a new window film claims it can cut a home's cooling costs by 40 percent. The film is thin, nearly invisible and easy to apply with a spray bottle and a squeegee. So far, however, the only figures available come from the company's own website, and no independent group has tested the film in real homes. The 40 percent number may turn out to be accurate, but it has not yet been shown outside the company's reports.
Which choice best describes the author's attitude toward the 40 percent claim?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: The author doubts it but does not call it false. Doubt appears in quiet wording: the company claims the figure, no independent test exists, and the number has not yet been shown. Since the author also says it may turn out to be accurate, the attitude is doubt, not rejection.
A: The author stresses that the figure has not been shown outside the company, so the author does not treat it as proven.
B: Pointing out that no independent test exists and that the figure is unproven is itself a stance of doubt.
C: The author never says the claim is false or that the company is being dishonest; this adds a motive the text does not support.
D (correct): Words like claims and has not yet been shown signal doubt, while may turn out to be accurate shows the author stays open to it.
Question 15 of 28 · medium
The plan to move the Saturday farmers market from the town square to the high school parking lot has some real advantages. The lot has room for twice as many vendors, plenty of parking and public restrooms nearby. Still, the move would take the market away from the downtown shops that depend on its weekend crowds, and the lot sits a mile from the nearest bus stop, leaving shoppers without cars few ways to get there. In the end, those losses matter more than the extra space.
Which statement best expresses the author's position on the plan?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: The plan's drawbacks outweigh its benefits. The author concedes the lot's advantages, then turns with Still to list harm to downtown shops and poor bus access. The closing sentence states the author's view after the turn: the drawbacks outweigh the benefits.
A: The author never proposes this condition; it is an idea a reader might add, not one the passage states.
B (correct): After granting the advantages, the author turns with Still and concludes that the losses matter more than the extra space.
C: The advantages come before the turn word Still; the author grants them but then argues the other way.
D: The final sentence states a judgment, that the losses matter more, so the author does take a position.
Question 16 of 28 · medium
I spent two weeks using the Torque 18 cordless drill on a deck repair project. Its battery lasted through a full day of driving screws, and the built-in light made it easy to work under the deck boards. The drill is also lighter than most models in its price range. On the downside, the chuck slipped several times when I used larger bits, and the plastic case cracked after one fall from a step stool. For light and medium jobs, though, it gets the work done.
Which choice best describes the author's overall evaluation of the drill?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Mixed, praising some features while noting real problems. List the praise (battery life, light, weight) and the criticism (slipping chuck, cracked case). Since the author finds both strengths and weaknesses, the evaluation is mixed, and choices with all-or-nothing wording miss that balance.
A: Words such as easy, lighter, downside and gets the work done are judgments, so the passage is not merely neutral.
B: This ignores the sentence beginning On the downside, which lists two problems.
C: The author praises several features and says the drill handles light and medium jobs, so the view is not wholly negative.
D (correct): The author approves of the battery, light and weight but criticizes the slipping chuck and fragile case, which is a mixed evaluation.
Question 17 of 28 · medium
The county's new online permit system is a welcome improvement over the old paper process. Contractors can now upload plans, pay fees and track a permit's status without visiting the county office, and most simple permits are approved within three days instead of two weeks. The system still has gaps, though. Large commercial projects must be filed on paper, and several users report that uploads fail when files are larger than 20 megabytes. Once those problems are fixed, the system could serve every applicant well.
Which choice best describes the author's tone toward the new system?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Approving but measured. Point to the words: welcome improvement shows approval, while The system still has gaps, though and Once those problems are fixed add limits. Praise combined with cautions is qualified approval, not excitement or criticism.
A: The author does point out problems, but opens by calling the system a welcome improvement and praises its speed.
B (correct): The author praises the system while keeping its limits in view, signaled by the word though and the conditional could.
C: Welcome improvement is positive but restrained, and the author goes on to list gaps, so the tone is neither gushing nor uncritical.
D: Words like welcome, improvement and gaps express judgment, so the tone is not neutral.
Question 18 of 28 · medium
An online ad says a new fuel additive will raise any car's gas mileage by 25 percent. The ad features several glowing comments from customers but no results from controlled tests. Gas mileage depends on driving habits, weather and tire pressure, so a few drivers' impressions are hard to judge on their own. Before spending $30 a bottle, drivers would be wise to wait until an independent lab or a government agency has tested the additive.
Which choice best describes the author's attitude toward the additive's claim?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Skeptical, wanting better evidence before accepting it. The author points out that the ad offers only customer comments, explains why those are hard to judge, and suggests waiting for independent tests. Questioning a claim while staying open to evidence is skepticism, not dismissal.
A: The author questions the evidence calmly and never accuses the seller of dishonesty.
B (correct): The author notes the lack of controlled tests and advises waiting for independent testing, which is a skeptical stance.
C: The author uses no scornful words and leaves room for testing to support the claim.
D: The glowing comments belong to customers quoted in the ad; the author treats them as weak evidence.
Question 19 of 28 · medium
The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning for Thursday and Friday, with afternoon temperatures expected to reach 105 degrees. Workers on outdoor crews should drink water every fifteen to twenty minutes, even if they do not feel thirsty, and take rest breaks in the shade. Supervisors should schedule the heaviest tasks before 11 a.m. Anyone who becomes confused, stops sweating or feels faint should be moved to a cool place right away while someone calls 911.
Which choice best describes the tone of the passage?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Urgent but calm, giving specific steps to stay safe. The passage names a real risk and uses should with specific actions such as drinking water often and moving heavy work to the morning. Clear steps without exaggerated words mark an urgent but controlled tone, not panic.
A: The passage treats the heat as a serious risk and gives instructions for emergencies, so it is not relaxed.
B: Nothing in the passage makes fun of the warning; it repeats it and explains how to respond.
C (correct): The passage stresses that action is needed and lists clear, practical steps without exaggerated language.
D: No frantic or exaggerated words such as disaster or doom appear; the instructions are steady and specific.
Question 20 of 28 · medium
The Mill Creek reservoir held 62 percent of its capacity on September 1, down from 80 percent a year earlier. Rainfall in the watershed was about 30 percent below average over the summer, while household water use stayed close to normal. Those figures suggest that the dry weather, more than heavier use, explains most of the drop. The water district should start offering rebates for low-flow toilets and washing machines before next summer, so the reservoir is better protected if another dry year follows.
Which part of the passage expresses an opinion rather than a fact or an interpretation?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: The statement that the district ought to offer appliance rebates. A fact can be checked, an interpretation explains what facts may mean, and an opinion states a judgment. The reservoir level and rainfall are facts, the sentence with suggest is an interpretation, and the should sentence about rebates is the opinion.
A: This explains what the figures may mean, signaled by suggest, so it is an interpretation rather than an opinion.
B (correct): Saying what the district should do is a judgment about the best course of action, which makes it an opinion.
C: Rainfall totals can be measured and checked, so this is a fact.
D: A reservoir level is a recorded measurement that can be checked, so this is a fact.
Question 21 of 28 · hard
The Harbor Street footbridge reopened Monday after a $2.1 million renovation. At the ribbon cutting, the project manager called the new deck "built to last a century," and a city council member praised the bridge as "the finest crossing on the waterfront." The bridge now has a wider lane for cyclists and new lighting along both rails. Its deck uses a composite material the city has never used before, and the maker's durability data come from lab tests rather than outdoor use. Engineers plan to inspect the deck after its first winter.
Which choice best describes the author's own attitude toward the renovated bridge?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Cautious, noting that the new deck material is unproven outdoors. Separate the voices. The glowing phrases are in quotation marks and belong to the project manager and a council member, while the author's own sentences note that the deck material is new and tested only in a lab, with an inspection still planned. That makes the author cautious, not enthusiastic.
A: That praise is quoted from a council member; the author never adopts it.
B: The author raises a gap in the evidence, not dishonesty; assigning hidden motives goes beyond the text.
C: The author reports the cost and new features without calling the project wasteful.
D (correct): In unattributed sentences the author points out that the material is new to the city and has only lab data, which shows caution.
Question 22 of 28 · hard
At Lincoln Elementary, three of the eight classroom heaters failed in January, and teachers kept their coats on during morning lessons. The roof over the gym has leaked since fall, and buckets now line the hallway on rainy days. The newest computers in the library are nine years old. Last week, the district office unveiled its newly remodeled board room, complete with leather chairs and a wall of video screens.
Which view does the author most likely hold?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: The district has neglected Lincoln Elementary's basic needs. No opinion is stated outright, but the passage lists one school's broken heaters, leaking roof and outdated computers and then ends with the district's lavish new board room. That contrast implies the author thinks the school is being neglected.
A: The passage is about one school and does not make a claim about all schools, so this stretches its scope.
B: The teachers are shown coping with cold rooms; the passage does not fault them for anything.
C: Facts can be arranged to imply a view; ending a list of school problems with the new board room creates a pointed contrast.
D (correct): Placing a costly remodel right after a list of failing heaters, leaks and old computers implies the district is spending on itself while the school goes without.
Question 23 of 28 · hard
The Brookfield school board is considering a plan to start high school classes at 8:45 a.m. instead of 7:30 a.m. At Tuesday's meeting, the transportation director said the change would require at least four more buses. Several parents spoke in favor, citing research on teen sleep, while coaches warned that a later dismissal could cut into practice time. The board will hold one more public hearing in April and is expected to vote in May. If approved, the new schedule may take effect the following fall.
Which statement is best supported by the passage?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: The later start time is still a proposal awaiting a board vote. Words like is considering, is expected to vote and If approved show the plan has not been decided. The sleep argument belongs to parents and the practice concern uses could, so only the statement that it remains a proposal keeps the passage's meaning and strength.
A (correct): The passage says the board is considering the plan and is expected to vote in May, so it remains a proposal.
B: The sleep research is cited by parents who spoke at the meeting; the author only reports their view.
C: Coaches said a later dismissal could cut into practice time, which signals possibility, not certainty.
D: The board is still considering the plan and has not yet voted, so treating it as approved misreads a proposal as a decision.
Question 24 of 28 · hard
Since the city installed speed humps on Oak Avenue in April, the average speed recorded by a radar sign there has dropped from 34 to 27 miles per hour. The humps appear to be slowing traffic on that block. Residents on nearby Elm Street, however, have reported more cars cutting through their neighborhood. The city has not yet counted traffic on Elm, so the humps may be pushing some drivers onto side streets, or the increase may have another cause.
Which statement best matches the author's level of certainty about the speed humps?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: The humps seem to slow Oak Avenue traffic, but their effect on Elm is unclear. The author is fairly confident about Oak Avenue (speeds fell and the humps appear to slow traffic) but uncertain about Elm Street, offering two possibilities with may because no count exists. The right answer must keep both levels of certainty, neither stronger nor weaker.
A: The radar data show a drop from 34 to 27 mph, and the author says the humps appear to slow traffic, so this is too weak.
B (correct): This keeps the author's appear to for Oak Avenue and the two may statements for Elm Street, matching both levels of certainty.
C: The author says the humps may be pushing drivers onto side streets or the increase may have another cause, so definitely is far too strong.
D: The passage discusses one street with one radar sign and says the humps appear to slow traffic, so a citywide claim of a solution goes beyond its scope and strength.
Question 25 of 28 · hard
Everyone knows the four-day workweek is the future, and only stubborn, old-fashioned managers still cling to the five-day schedule. Our company should switch immediately. Workers would be happier, customers would be better served, and turnover would vanish. Last spring, our twelve-person shipping department tried four ten-hour days for one month, and its packing error rate fell from 3 percent to 2 percent during that time.
Which statement is best supported by the evidence the passage actually provides?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: One department made fewer errors during a short trial of the schedule. Separate confident wording from evidence. Phrases like Everyone knows and stubborn, old-fashioned are loaded and unsupported, and the claims about happiness and turnover have no data. The only evidence is one department's one-month drop in errors, so only that limited statement is supported.
A (correct): The only evidence offered is the one-month shipping department trial, in which the error rate fell from 3 to 2 percent.
B: The author states this confidently, but no data about turnover are given.
C: The only trial involved one twelve-person department, so the evidence cannot support a claim about every department.
D: This repeats the author's loaded wording, which expresses attitude but offers no evidence.
Question 26 of 28 · hard
A pilot tutoring program at Grant Middle School paired eighth graders with college volunteers twice a week. Of the 18 students who finished the program, 14 raised their math grades by at least one letter. These are early results from a small group, and the students chose to sign up, so they may have been especially motivated from the start. A larger trial with a comparison group would show whether the tutoring itself caused the gains. Even so, the results give the school good reason to keep the program running this year.
Which choice best describes how the author treats the tutoring results?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: As encouraging but limited evidence that needs a larger test. The author reports a strong result (14 of 18 improved) but flags early results, a small group and self-selection, and asks for a larger trial. Ending with Even so, the results give the school good reason to keep the program shows caution combined with encouragement, not rejection or certainty.
A: Nothing suggests dishonesty; the author's concern is that motivated students may have signed up, not that the volunteers faked grades.
B: The author calls the results early and small and notes the students volunteered, so the author does not claim proof for everyone.
C (correct): The author notes the small, self-selected group and calls for a bigger trial, yet still sees reason to continue the program.
D: Pointing out limits is caution, not rejection; the author says the results justify keeping the program.
Question 27 of 28 · hard
The crosswalk at Fifth Street and Grove Avenue links the public library with a bus stop used by about 600 riders a day. It has no signal, only painted stripes that have faded to faint gray lines. Traffic counts from last fall show that more than 9,000 vehicles pass through the intersection daily, many above the 30 mph limit. Three pedestrians have been struck there in the past two years. How many more people must be hurt before the city acts? A pedestrian signal belongs at this crossing before the school year begins.
What is the primary purpose of the passage?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: To persuade the city to put a signal at a dangerous crosswalk. Most sentences are factual, but they serve the closing call for a pedestrian signal. The question How many more people must be hurt is rhetorical and pushes the point, so the primary purpose is to persuade the city to act.
A (correct): The facts build a case, the rhetorical question pushes the point, and the last sentence calls for a signal, so the passage aims to persuade.
B: The traffic counts and speeds are supporting details; the passage builds toward a demand for action rather than stopping at description.
C: The passage calls for a signal but never says the city has agreed, so this confuses the author's intent with a result.
D: The question is rhetorical; it is asked for effect and does not seek an answer from readers.
Question 28 of 28 · hard
Plant manager Karen Doyle has proposed moving the night shift's start time from 10 p.m. to midnight to reduce overtime. Doyle says the change would save about $80,000 a year, and her overtime figures are careful and clearly presented. I disagree with the plan for a different reason. Most night workers ride the Route 4 bus, which stops running at 11:30 p.m., so a midnight start would leave many of them with no way to get to work. Before changing anything, the plant should survey night workers about how they commute.
Which statement best describes the author's position?
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: The author opposes the plan because of workers' transportation needs. The savings claim belongs to Doyle, and the author even praises her figures, so the disagreement is about ideas, not personal hostility. The author's own reason is that the Route 4 bus stops before midnight, and the author asks for a survey of night workers before any change.
A: The author calls Doyle's figures careful and clearly presented, so nothing suggests distrust or bad faith.
B: The author objects to this one plan and asks for a survey first; nothing rules out every future change.
C (correct): The author disagrees because the last bus runs at 11:30 p.m., leaving many night workers unable to reach a midnight shift.
D: The author states I disagree with the plan, so the savings claim is Doyle's view, not one the author adopts as a reason to proceed.
A portable dehumidifier works much like a small refrigerator turned toward the air. A fan first draws damp room air across a set of metal coils kept very cold by a circulating refrigerant. As the air cools, the water vapor in it condenses into droplets on the coils, the same way moisture beads on a cold glass of iced tea. The droplets then drip into a collection bucket or drain hose. Finally, the dried air passes over a second set of warm coils and is blown back into the room slightly warmer than before.
The main purpose of the passage is to:
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Answer: D
Correct answer: explain how a dehumidifier removes moisture from room air. Finish the sentence "The author wrote this to (blank one) about (blank two)." The passage moves step by step (a fan first draws air, the vapor condenses, the droplets drip, the air finally returns) and never judges or recommends, so the action is to explain, and the topic is how a dehumidifier pulls water from the air.
A: Nothing in the passage recommends buying anything; there is no should, must or judgment about value.
B: The refrigerator and iced-tea comparisons only help explain the process; the passage never sets two products side by side to weigh their differences.
C: No particular people or events appear, so the passage does not tell a story about anyone.
D (correct): The passage walks through the steps in order (first, as, then, finally) and applies to any dehumidifier, so its job is to explain a process.
Practice 2 of 38 · medium
Island residents who commute to jobs on the mainland woke up Monday to learn that the ferry authority has once again trimmed the schedule without warning. The 6:15 a.m. boat, the only early crossing that gets nurses and dock workers to their shifts on time, has simply vanished from the timetable. Riders who called the authority's office were told the change was "routine." For the hundreds of people now stranded at the landing each morning, there is nothing routine about it.
Which word best describes the author's tone?
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: disapproving. Find the words that carry feeling: once again, without warning, simply vanished, stranded and the closing line rejecting the word routine. These show disapproval of the ferry authority, while a neutral notice would only report that the 6:15 a.m. boat was dropped.
A: A neutral report would state the schedule change in plain words; this one adds judgment through words like stranded and the pointed final sentence.
B: The author is critical but calm; there are no frantic, exaggerated words like disaster or doom.
C (correct): Loaded phrases such as once again trimmed, without warning, simply vanished and stranded show that the author finds the change unfair.
D: Nothing is praised; every judgment in the passage is negative toward the ferry authority.
Practice 3 of 38 · hard
Many grain farmers in the county have switched to no-till planting, in which seed is drilled directly into last year's crop stubble instead of into plowed ground. They point out that skipping the plow saves fuel and labor and that the leftover stubble shields the soil from wind. That reasoning holds up well on the dry upland fields north of town, where blowing soil has long been the biggest problem. On the heavy clay of the river bottom, however, the extension office's three-year trials found that unplowed fields stayed cold and wet in spring, and yields there fell by about a tenth.
Which statement best describes the author's view of no-till planting?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: It suits the dry upland fields but not the wet clay fields of the river bottom. Separate the farmers' view (their stated reasons for no-till) from the author's own unattributed judgments. The author says the reasoning "holds up well" on dry upland fields, then turns with however to report cold, wet soil and lower yields on clay, so the author's view is qualified: helpful in one setting, not in the other.
A: This credits the farmers' explained view to the author and ignores the however sentence, where the author points to lower yields on clay.
B (correct): The author accepts the farmers' reasoning for the uplands, then uses however and the trial results to limit it on clay soil, which is a qualified view tied to field type.
C: The author reports lower yields only on the river-bottom clay and says the reasoning holds up well on the uplands, so this answer is too broad and too strong.
D: The passage gives fuel, labor and erosion as the farmers' reasons; assigning a hidden motive like laziness goes beyond the text.
Practice 4 of 38 · hard
The Point Hollis lighthouse was first lit in 1912, when schooners still carried lumber along this coast. Its keepers lived in the brick cottage beside the tower until the light was automated in 1968, and the original lens now sits in the county museum. Today the tower still guides fishing boats past the reef at the harbor mouth. Last spring, however, inspectors found that seawater has rusted the iron stairs and widened cracks in the tower's base. The repairs are estimated at $640,000, and the inspectors warned that the cost will rise quickly as the damage spreads. The county should set aside repair money in next year's budget, before the tower has to be closed.
What is the primary purpose of the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: to persuade the county to pay for repairs to the lighthouse. Rank the purposes. The history (1912, keepers, automation) and the inspection findings (rust, cracks, $640,000) all lead to the last sentence, which says the county should set aside repair money. An explicit recommendation outranks the facts that support it, so the passage's main job is to persuade the county to fund repairs.
A: The history fills the opening sentences, but it is background; the passage builds toward the budget recommendation at the end.
B (correct): The final sentence makes an explicit should recommendation, and the history and inspection details serve as support for it.
C: The passage says the tower still guides boats; the risk it raises is future closure, and the advice is aimed at the county, not at boaters.
D: The passage reports what inspectors found but never explains an inspection process.
Practice 5 of 38 · easy
Before your first drill weekend with the 412th Support Company, stop by the supply office to collect your uniforms and field gear; bring your enlistment papers and a photo ID. Report to the motor pool at 0700 on Saturday, not to the main building, and ask for the duty sergeant when you arrive. Meals are provided both days, but pack your own water bottle. If you have not yet received your orientation packet, call the unit office before Friday.
The passage is mainly written for:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: newly joined members of the unit. Audience shows in what the writer assumes and asks. The words first drill weekend, collect your uniforms and orientation packet tell you the reader has just joined the company, so the passage addresses new members.
A: Officers who run the unit would not need to be told where to report or to pick up their first uniforms.
B: Families are never mentioned, and they would not collect field gear or report to the motor pool.
C (correct): The passage speaks directly to you about a first drill weekend, collecting gear and getting an orientation packet, which only matters to people just joining.
D: The supply office is a place readers are sent to; its clerks are not the ones being given directions.
Practice 6 of 38 · medium
Members of the Harlan Volunteer Ambulance Squad answered 1,150 emergency calls last year, more than three a day, and each volunteer completed about 120 hours of unpaid training. They respond at all hours from their own homes, often leaving family dinners and warm beds to reach car wrecks and heart attacks within minutes. Yet the squad's entire share of the town budget is a single line item that barely covers fuel for its two ambulances. Work this important deserves far more support than the town has been willing to give it.
Which statement best describes the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: It is told in the third person and argues that the squad deserves more funding. Two different meanings of point of view are tested here. Grammatically, the narration is third person (they, their). For the author's stance, look at the unattributed closing judgment: the work "deserves far more support," so the passage argues for more funding.
A: No I or we appears; the volunteers are described from outside as they, so the narration is third person.
B (correct): The writer uses they and their for the volunteers, and the final sentence states the writer's own judgment that the squad deserves more support.
C: Third person is right, but the last sentence clearly takes a side, so the passage is not neutral.
D: The passage never addresses the reader as you and gives no steps to follow.
Practice 7 of 38 · medium
Shop note, Truck 14: After two overheating episodes on the delivery route last month, the cooling system was flushed and refilled with a new long-life coolant. Since then the temperature gauge has stayed in the normal range on every run. The new coolant seems to have solved the problem, but the truck has only been driven in mild spring weather so far. I will keep logging gauge readings through the first hot weeks of summer before signing off on the repair.
How certain is the writer that the new coolant fixed the overheating?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: fairly hopeful but not yet sure. Authorial certainty is graded by word choice. Seems marks a belief that is not confirmed, and the note that the truck has only seen mild weather plus the plan to keep logging readings show caution. The writer is hopeful but waiting for proof, neither certain nor doubtful.
A: This turns seems into certainty and ignores the writer's plan to keep testing before signing off.
B: The gauge has stayed normal since the flush, and the writer leans toward the coolant working, so this reverses the writer's view.
C (correct): The writer says the coolant seems to have solved the problem, notes that testing so far was only in mild weather, and plans more checks, which shows tentative confidence.
D: The writer does form a view, that the fix seems to work; it is cautious, not absent.
Practice 8 of 38 · medium
Passenger traffic at the Tri-County Regional Airport rose from about 410,000 travelers in 2022 to nearly 520,000 last year, helped by two new airline routes. State planners expect the number to pass 600,000 within three years if current trends continue. Airport director Ana Pruitt has said the terminal will need more gates and a larger security area to handle that many travelers. The airport board has not yet discussed any expansion plans.
Which statement best describes what the author of the passage does?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: reports rising traffic and a forecast of more growth without recommending any action. Watch the verbs and the attributions. Expect and "if current trends continue" signal a prediction, the call for more gates is credited to the director, and the board has not even discussed a plan. The author's own sentences only report and predict, so the passage recommends nothing.
A (correct): The author gives past numbers and the planners' prediction; the only call for change comes from the director and is attributed to her, and no plan has been decided.
B: That view belongs to the director, credited with "has said"; the author never adopts the call for more gates and security space as his or her own.
C: The passage says the board has not yet discussed expansion, so treating it as an approved decision misreads it.
D: Neighborhoods and harm are never mentioned; this adds a claim the passage does not make.
Practice 9 of 38 · hard
The regional transit board is weighing a proposal to add a late-night bus route between downtown and the Bayview shipyard, where the second shift ends at 11:30 p.m. Shipyard union steward Carl Mendes told the board the route would "get hundreds of workers home safely every night." A transit planner noted that a similar route in another city carried few riders in its first year. The board has asked staff for a cost estimate, which has not yet been released, and expects to vote in the spring.
Which statement is best supported by the passage?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: The route is still only a proposal, and its cost has not been made public. Ask "Who says this?" for each opinion: the optimistic claim is the steward's and the cautious example is the planner's, and the author endorses neither. Then check the verbs: is weighing, has asked for an estimate and expects to vote all describe a proposal still under consideration with an unreleased cost.
A: A spring vote is planned, not an approval; this treats a proposal as a final decision.
B: That prediction is quoted from the union steward; the author never adopts or judges it.
C (correct): The board is weighing the idea, has requested a cost estimate that is not yet released, and will vote in spring, so nothing is final and the cost is unknown.
D: The author reports the planner's comment as one side of the discussion and adds no evaluation, so the author takes no stance.
Practice 10 of 38 · medium
The elevator at Linden Senior Apartments broke down on March 3. The building's owner promised a repair "within days." Six weeks later, the doors are still taped shut, and residents on the upper four floors who use wheelchairs or walkers have not been able to leave the building without help from firefighters. The owner now says a replacement part is on back order. Must people who have lived here for decades wait yet another month to step outside their own front door?
The question in the last sentence mainly serves to:
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Answer: A
Correct answer: stress that the delay is unacceptable. A rhetorical question is asked for effect. After listing the broken promise, the six-week wait and residents trapped upstairs, the writer asks whether they must wait yet another month, which really means "they have waited far too long." Its job is to push the complaint, not to request information.
A (correct): It is a rhetorical question; it does not seek an answer but pushes the point that residents have waited too long.
B: A genuine request for information would ask when the part will arrive; this question is built to make a complaint, not to gather a date.
C: The question raises the prospect of another month to show frustration; it does not forecast when the work will end.
D: The passage says residents need firefighters' help to leave, not that they have stopped trying, and the question reports no new fact.
Practice 11 of 38 · easy
The Driftline 10 is a sit-on-top kayak made of molded plastic. It is 10 feet long, 31 inches wide and weighs 38 pounds. A padded seat with an adjustable backrest sits in the middle of the deck, and there is a sealed storage hatch at the bow and an open cargo well with bungee cords at the stern. Two molded handles, one at each end, are used for carrying, and a paddle holder runs along the left side.
What is the main purpose of the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: to describe the features of a kayak. Describing tells what something is like; evaluating judges it. Every sentence here gives a measurement or a part (10 feet, 38 pounds, seat, hatch, handles), and no word judges whether the kayak is good, so the purpose is to describe it.
A: No judgment words like best, worth or should appear, so the passage does not evaluate or persuade.
B: No steps for paddling are given; the passage only tells what the kayak is like.
C: No person or event appears, so nothing is narrated.
D (correct): The passage lists size, weight, seat, storage and handles, all features, with no judgment about quality.
Practice 12 of 38 · medium
Starting this summer, a night at a tent site in Cedar Ridge State Park will cost $38, up from $24 last year, and the state has added a new $12 reservation fee on top of that. Officials say the money will cover rising maintenance costs, yet the shower houses still have no hot water and half the picnic tables are broken. It seems the state has decided that families who camp here are a cash cow, to be squeezed a little harder every season.
The author's use of the phrases cash cow and squeezed mainly shows that the author:
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: disapproves of the higher camping fees. Loaded words carry feeling beyond their literal meaning. Calling campers a cash cow that is squeezed harder every season frames the fee increase as unfair, so the phrases reveal disapproval even though the fee numbers themselves are reported accurately.
A (correct): Both phrases carry strong negative feeling and suggest the state is taking money unfairly, which reveals the author's critical attitude.
B: The state's explanation is about maintenance costs; cash cow and squeezed are the author's own words, not attributed to officials.
C: The loaded words criticize the increase, so this reverses the author's attitude.
D: The author does not dispute the dollar amounts; the loaded words express attitude, not proof that any number is wrong.
Practice 13 of 38 · easy
If a water pipe in your home freezes, first shut off the main water valve so that a burst section cannot flood the house. Then open the faucet the pipe feeds, which lets melting ice and steam escape. Warm the frozen section with a hair dryer or a heating pad, starting near the faucet and working back toward the frozen spot. Never use an open flame such as a propane torch. Keep applying heat until full water pressure returns, then check the pipe for cracks.
The main purpose of the passage is to:
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Answer: D
Correct answer: instruct readers in how to thaw a frozen pipe safely. Use the purpose-statement test: "The author wrote this to (blank one) about (blank two)." The sentences are commands in order (shut off, open, warm, keep applying, check), so the action is to instruct, and the topic is thawing a frozen pipe safely. An answer that names only the topic misses the action.
A: This names only the topic; it does not say what the passage does with it, which is to give step-by-step directions.
B: The passage tells readers how to do the job themselves and never mentions plumbers.
C: No particular people or events appear; the steps apply to any reader.
D (correct): The passage gives ordered steps (first, then, keep applying) for the reader to follow, so its action is to instruct.
Practice 14 of 38 · hard
Last year the Fenwick Tool plant began offering free lunches to workers on all three shifts. The program costs about $210,000 a year. Since it began, absences have fallen by 12 percent, and the plant's turnover rate dropped from 22 percent to 15 percent, saving an estimated $260,000 in hiring and training costs. Not every result was positive: the cafeteria line now adds about ten minutes to lunch breaks, and a survey found that a quarter of workers dislike the menu. Weighing these figures, the program appears to pay for itself, and the plant would be wise to keep it while shortening the line and adding menu choices.
Which statement best describes the author's reasoning?
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: The author reaches a conclusion from evidence that includes the program's drawbacks. Check what evidence is presented and whether anything is left out. The author gives the $210,000 cost, the savings of about $260,000, and the drawbacks (a longer line and menu complaints), then concludes the program should stay with changes. A conclusion drawn from evidence that includes the downsides is careful reasoning, not one-sided bias.
A: Having a conclusion is not bias; bias would mean hiding or distorting facts, and this author reports the program's cost and its problems.
B (correct): The author reports costs, savings and two complaints, then concludes; presenting evidence on both sides before judging is reasoning, not bias.
C: The $210,000 yearly cost is stated plainly, right next to the savings.
D: The author does list the figures, but the final sentence says the program appears to pay for itself and that the plant would be wise to keep it, which is a clear judgment.
Practice 15 of 38 · medium
For the first time in its history, the Westbrook High School robotics team has won the state championship. The eight students designed and built their robot after school in a borrowed auto-shop garage, writing every line of its code themselves. In the final round, their machine stacked more crates than any other in the competition and finished without a single penalty. Team captain Rosa Iqbal, a junior, also earned the tournament's award for leadership. The team will now represent the state at the national finals in Houston this June.
What is the main purpose of the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: to celebrate the team's achievement. Ask which direction the details push. First time in its history, more crates than any other, no penalties and a leadership award all praise the students, and no sentence recommends, explains a process or raises a risk. The purpose is to celebrate the win.
A: The borrowed garage is mentioned as a detail of the team's effort; the passage never says the school should provide anything.
B: Design and coding are mentioned only in passing; no process is explained.
C: Cost is never mentioned; the trip to Houston is reported as good news.
D (correct): The passage highlights a first-ever title, a perfect final round and an individual award, all details that praise what the team accomplished.
Practice 16 of 38 · easy
The dining facility on Camp Ridley rolled out a new menu this month. Sergeant First Class Dana Ellis, who manages the facility, calls the new food "restaurant quality." The menu adds three hot entrees at dinner, a salad bar at lunch and an omelet station on weekend mornings. Hours are unchanged, and meal card prices remain the same. Soldiers with dietary needs can request special meals by speaking with the shift cook at least one day in advance.
Whose opinion is expressed by the phrase restaurant quality?
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: the manager of the dining facility. Credit each opinion to the person who holds it. The words restaurant quality are in quotation marks after "Sergeant First Class Dana Ellis, who manages the facility, calls the new food," so the praise belongs to the manager, not to the author, who reports facts plainly.
A (correct): The phrase appears in quotation marks right after "calls the new food," with Sergeant Ellis as the speaker.
B: The author only reports the quote; the author's own sentences list menu items and hours without praise.
C: No diners are quoted or described as giving an opinion.
D: No commander appears in the passage, so this credits the view to someone the text never mentions.
Practice 17 of 38 · medium
Residents of the Glenwood neighborhood may notice brown or cloudy tap water this week while city crews flush the water mains. Flushing sends a rapid rush of water through the pipes to clear out mineral sediment that settles over time. The loosened sediment can tint the water for a few hours, but it is not a health risk, and the water continues to meet all drinking standards. If your water looks discolored, run the cold tap for three to five minutes until it clears. Waiting to do laundry until the water runs clear will keep light-colored clothes from staining.
What is the primary purpose of the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: To reassure residents that the discolored water is safe and temporary. Ask which direction the details push. The passage admits the water may look brown, then stresses that it is not a health risk, that it clears in hours and that a simple step fixes it. Lessening a worry in this way is reassurance; the laundry tip and the flushing explanation support that goal.
A: This reverses the passage, which states the water still meets drinking standards; reading a risk into it ignores the calming wording.
B: The passage only briefly mentions how flushing works; it never describes water treatment, so this names a broader topic rather than the passage's job.
C (correct): The passage names a worry (brown water), says it is not a health risk and will pass, and gives simple steps, which is the direction of reassurance.
D: No judgment words blame the city; the passage says sediment settles over time, which is a neutral fact.
Practice 18 of 38 · easy
Starting in May, the Pine County Recycling Center will accept old electronics on the first Saturday of each month from 8 a.m. to noon. Residents may bring televisions, computer monitors, printers, cell phones and small appliances. Items must fit in a passenger vehicle, and there is a limit of five items per household per visit. Batteries should be dropped off separately at the hazardous waste booth near the entrance. Proof of county residency, such as a driver's license, is required.
What is the main purpose of the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: To inform residents about a new electronics drop-off service. Finish the sentence: the author wrote this to (action) about (topic). The passage lists dates, hours, accepted items and rules, and it never argues or warns. Its action is to inform, and its topic is the new electronics drop-off.
A (correct): The passage gives the who, what, when and rules of the new service without taking a side, which is an informative purpose.
B: There is no should, must or judgment urging more recycling; this choice is pulled toward the topic rather than what the passage does.
C: The passage never explains what happens to the items after drop-off, so this purpose does not match its sentences.
D: Batteries are mentioned only in one detail about where to leave them; no risk is described, so this is not the passage's main job.
Practice 19 of 38 · hard
Last fall, Mercy Valley Hospital installed a robotic system that sorts and packages patient medications. The company that sells the robot says it "eliminates dispensing errors." The head of nursing called it "the best investment this hospital has made in a decade." Reported medication errors did fall, from 14 in the three months before the robot arrived to 9 in the three months after. During those same months, however, the pharmacy also switched to new, larger labels on every medicine package. With both changes made at once, there is no way yet to tell how much of the drop the robot deserves credit for.
Which statement best expresses the author's own view?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: The robot may have helped, but the drop in errors cannot yet be credited to it alone. Ask who says each opinion. The error-free claim is the seller's and the praise is the head of nursing's. The only unattributed judgment is the last sentence, which says the two changes cannot be separated, so the author is cautious: the robot might deserve some credit, but the evidence cannot show how much.
A: This repeats the seller's claim, which the author does not adopt, and the numbers themselves show 9 errors remained.
B: This glowing judgment belongs to the head of nursing; quoting it does not mean the author agrees.
C: This swings too far the other way; the author says the two changes cannot be separated yet, not that the labels were responsible.
D (correct): The final, unattributed sentence is the author's voice; it accepts that errors fell but says the cause is still unclear because two changes happened together.
Practice 20 of 38 · easy
Private Jamal Reyes had never used a compass in the dark. When the land navigation course opened at 2100, he clicked on his red-lens flashlight, checked his first bearing and stepped into the pine woods. Twice he walked into thick brush and had to back out, counting his paces again from the last trail marker. Just before midnight, his light caught the orange stake of his final point. He punched his scorecard, let out a long breath and headed back toward the trucks.
What is the author mainly doing in this passage?
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: Telling a story about one soldier's night on a navigation course. A narrative follows specific people through events in time, while a process passage gives steps that apply to any case. Here a named private moves from 2100 to just before midnight, meeting obstacles and finishing, so the passage tells a story.
A: No general instructions are given; the compass and flashlight details describe what one soldier did, not steps any reader should follow.
B: The passage contains no judgment or should statement about the training; it only recounts one soldier's night.
C (correct): The passage follows a particular person through events in time, from the start of the course to the final point, which is narration.
D: Daytime navigation is never mentioned, so nothing is being set side by side.
Practice 21 of 38 · hard
At the crossing of County Roads 9 and 14, drivers on Road 14 must stop, but drivers on Road 9 do not. Sheriff's records show eleven crashes there in the past three years, eight of them involving a car on Road 14 pulling out into cross traffic. Some residents argue that a four-way stop would slow travel on Road 9, the main route to the grain elevator, and that point is fair: harvest trucks would lose a minute or two. But eight similar crashes in three years outweigh that delay. The county should make the crossing a four-way stop before next harvest season.
Which statement best describes the author's reasoning?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: The author weighs the crash record against a stated drawback and concludes a four-way stop is needed. Look at how the author handles the other side. The passage gives crash numbers, grants that a four-way stop would delay trucks, and then argues the crashes outweigh the delay before recommending the change. Reaching a conclusion from evidence while acknowledging a counterpoint is reasoning, not bias.
A: Having a conclusion is not bias; bias means hiding or distorting evidence, but this author openly states and addresses the opposing point.
B: The final sentence uses should to recommend a four-way stop, so the author does not leave the decision to readers.
C: The author calls the residents' point fair and answers it with the crash numbers, so dismissive goes too far.
D (correct): The author presents the crash data, admits the delay objection is fair, and then explains why safety matters more, which is reasoning to a conclusion.
Practice 22 of 38 · medium
The pothole on Lakeview Drive has finally been patched. It took only three winters, two flattened tires on the mayor's own car and more than forty complaints to the city's repair hotline. Crews needed just forty minutes to fill it once they showed up. Drivers who spent those years swerving around the crater can now enjoy a smooth ride past the post office, at least until the next freeze.
Which choice best describes the tone of the passage?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Sarcastic and exasperated. Point to the words that carry feeling. Finally signals impatience, it took only three winters is ironic praise for a long delay, and at least until the next freeze adds doubt. Those exact words support a sarcastic, exasperated tone rather than a neutral or joyful one.
A: The facts could be reported plainly, but words like finally, only and crater add a clear attitude, so the tone is not neutral.
B (correct): Phrases like finally, it took only three winters and at least until the next freeze mock how long the repair took, which shows irritated sarcasm.
C: The repair is good news, yet the author uses it to point out the long delay; reading only the surface event misses the irony.
D: This is an intensity error; the author is mocking and annoyed, but there is no rage, threat or demand.
Practice 23 of 38 · medium
Beginning with units installed after January 1, the company will stock only systems charged with the new A2L refrigerant. Because A2L blends are mildly flammable, recover all charge with an A2L-rated recovery machine and use spark-proof tools within ten feet of the line set. Target superheat and subcooling values differ from those of the older R-410A units, so use the charging chart on each condenser's service panel rather than the numbers you have memorized. Completion of the two-hour A2L safety module is required before your next service call.
The passage is most likely written for:
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Answer: A
Correct answer: trained heating and cooling technicians who service the company's units. Audience shows in what the writer assumes readers know and what the writer asks them to do. Technical terms are left undefined, readers are told to change how they charge systems and to finish a module before their next service call, so the text addresses the company's working technicians.
A (correct): The passage leaves terms like superheat, subcooling and line set unexplained and refers to service calls, which signals readers already working in the trade.
B: The passage gives no buying advice and assumes technical skills a typical homeowner would not have.
C: Beginners would need terms such as superheat and subcooling explained; the writer assumes readers already know them.
D: The passage gives work instructions, not a policy argument, and the switch to A2L is presented as already happening.
Practice 24 of 38 · medium
The Harmon City Council is considering a proposal to let food trucks park on three downtown blocks during weekday lunch hours. Truck owner Maria Santos told the council that downtown workers "want more choices than the same four restaurants." Restaurant owner Phil Grady countered that the trucks pay far lower rent and "would take customers from businesses that have stayed here through hard times." A city planner said parking spaces on the three blocks are about 70 percent full at noon. The council plans to vote on the proposal next month.
Which statement best describes the author's position on the proposal?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: The author does not take a side and reports views from both supporters and opponents. Use the author-versus-source test: ask who says each opinion. Both opinions are attributed to named people, and the only other sentences are plain facts about parking and the vote. With no unattributed judgment, the passage is a neutral report of the range of opinion.
A (correct): The author quotes a supporter and an opponent, adds a neutral fact, and never adds an evaluation of either, so no stance is revealed.
B: That reason belongs to Maria Santos; quoting her does not show the author agrees.
C: That concern is Phil Grady's; the author reports it without endorsing it.
D: This assigns a hidden motive the passage never states; the author only reports Grady's stated reasons.
Practice 25 of 38 · medium
Electric vehicles made up about one in ten new cars sold in the region last year, and state planners expect that share to roughly double within five years. The Millbrook rest stop on Interstate 70, which has four fast chargers, already sees drivers waiting twenty minutes or more on holiday weekends. If sales follow the forecast, those waits will likely grow longer and start to appear on ordinary weekends as well, especially during summer travel.
Which statement best describes what the author does in this passage?
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: Predicts that charging waits will grow, without recommending a solution. Watch the verbs. Should and ought recommend, while will, likely and expect predict. Every forward-looking statement here uses prediction language, and no sentence calls for action, so the author forecasts longer waits without recommending anything.
A: No should, must or ought appears; the passage describes a likely future but stops short of proposing a fix.
B (correct): Words like expect, will likely and if sales follow the forecast signal prediction, and the passage never says what anyone should do.
C: The author makes no judgment about electric vehicles; the waits are presented as a forecast, not as proof of a flaw.
D: No approval or decision is mentioned anywhere, so this adds a fact the passage does not contain.
Practice 26 of 38 · easy
Which hiking boots are right for you? The answer depends mostly on where and how far you plan to walk. For short day hikes on dry, well-kept trails, lightweight low-cut shoes are usually enough. For rocky ground or a heavy backpack, mid-height boots give the ankles more support. On wet trails, look for a waterproof lining, keeping in mind that it can make feet hotter in summer.
The question in the first sentence mainly serves to:
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: introduce a topic that the passage then answers. A rhetorical question is asked for effect, while a genuine question expects information. Here the following sentences answer the opening question point by point, so the question simply introduces what the passage will explain.
A: Nothing in the passage questions the value of boots; it assumes readers need them and explains how to choose.
B (correct): The rest of the passage directly answers the question with advice for different trails, so it is a genuine question that sets up the topic.
C: A rhetorical complaint would push a point without answering; this passage goes on to give clear, calm guidance.
D: The author answers the question in detail, which shows knowledge rather than uncertainty.
Practice 27 of 38 · medium
(1) Cabin 7 at Bear Creek State Park sits about fifty yards from the lake on a gravel loop road. (2) It has two bedrooms, a sleeping loft and a screened porch facing the water. (3) The kitchen includes a four-burner stove, a full-size refrigerator and a microwave. (4) At $95 a night, it is the best deal in the park for families of five or six.
Which sentence evaluates the cabin rather than simply describing it?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Sentence 4, which calls the cabin the best deal for larger families. Describing tells what something is like, while evaluating judges whether it is good, useful or worth the cost. Sentences 1 through 3 give location, rooms and appliances. Only sentence 4 uses a judgment phrase, the best deal, so it is the evaluation.
A: The distance from the lake and the gravel road are checkable features, so this sentence describes rather than judges.
B: Listing the rooms and the porch's view tells what the cabin is like without saying whether it is good or bad.
C (correct): The phrase the best deal is a judgment about value, which turns the sentence from description into evaluation.
D: A list of appliances is a description of features; no judgment word appears.
Practice 28 of 38 · medium
A new billboard on Route 5 calls Ashford "the safest city in the state," pointing to a 30 percent drop in reported burglaries last year. That number is real, but it covers only one year, and the year before had the highest burglary count in a decade, so some decline was likely no matter what. The billboard also leaves out car thefts and assaults, which held steady. Ashford may well be a safe place to live, but one year of one crime figure is a thin basis for so large a claim.
What is the main purpose of the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: To raise doubts about whether the evidence supports the billboard's claim. Identify which direction the details push. Every point after the billboard's claim limits its evidence: a single year, an unusually high starting point and missing crime types. The closing sentence keeps an open mind about Ashford but calls the evidence thin, so the purpose is to question the claim.
A: The author accepts the 30 percent drop as real but does not praise it; the details all push toward doubt, not celebration.
B (correct): The author points out that the figure covers one year, follows an unusual high and leaves out other crimes, all of which question the claim's support.
C: The author says Ashford may well be safe; the passage questions the billboard's evidence, not the city's actual safety.
D: The billboard's location is a minor detail; the passage gives no risk or advice for drivers.
Practice 29 of 38 · medium
You step off the bus at the reception station just after 0300, and someone is already shouting for you to find a set of yellow footprints painted on the pavement. You set your bag down where you are told. You stand straight, eyes forward, while drill instructors pace the rows. Within the hour you have handed in your phone, signed for a bedroll and learned that the word sir ends every answer.
Which statement best describes the passage's point of view?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: It is written in the second person, placing the reader inside the experience. Point of view can mean the narrator's grammatical position: first person uses I or we, second person uses you, and third person uses he, she or they. Every sentence here is built around you, which pulls the reader into the scene, and none of the sentences takes a side on the experience.
A: First person would use I or we; this passage uses you, so the narrator is not telling his own story.
B: Third person would use he, she or they; the passage addresses the reader directly as you.
C: This confuses grammatical point of view with opinion; the passage contains no judgment or should statement about training.
D (correct): The passage uses you throughout to put the reader in the recruit's shoes, and it reports events without arguing for anything.
Practice 30 of 38 · medium
The base housing office has proposed turning the old rifle range behind Building 40 into a fenced dog park. Although the land is flat, already fenced and would cost very little to convert, decades of target practice have left lead from spent bullets in the soil. Dogs dig, and children often follow their pets into the dirt. The range should not open as a dog park until the soil has been tested and, if needed, cleaned up.
Which statement best expresses the author's position?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: The range should not become a dog park until its soil is shown to be safe. Concession words such as although signal a turn. The author first grants the site's advantages, then states the problem after the turn and closes with a recommendation to wait for soil testing. The main stance is the part after the turn, limited to that condition.
A: The low cost appears in the conceded part before the turn; the author grants it and then argues against opening right away.
B (correct): After the turn word although, the author raises the lead problem and ends with a clear should not until, which is the author's stance.
C: The author disagrees with the timing, not with the office's character; no words accuse anyone of bad faith.
D: This is a scope error; the author asks only for testing and cleanup first, not a permanent ban.
Practice 31 of 38 · hard
Brightwell Paper's new television ads show sparkling streams under the slogan "Clean water is our promise." State records show that the company's Riverton mill exceeded its wastewater limits on nine occasions last year. The mill's plan to install a new filtering system, first announced in 2019, has been delayed three times. Meanwhile, the company spent about $4 million on the ad campaign.
Which statement best describes the author's implied view?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: The company's actions so far do not match the promise in its ads. When no opinion is stated, look at what the writer places side by side. The slogan promises clean water, while the facts that follow show repeated violations, a long-delayed fix and heavy ad spending. That contrast implies the company's record does not live up to its message, but it does not prove intentional lying or call for a specific penalty.
A: This assigns a secret motive and dishonesty that the passage never states; the contrast suggests a mismatch, not proven deceit.
B: No recommendation of any penalty appears; this goes beyond what the passage states or clearly implies.
C: Nothing reports how viewers reacted; the passage says nothing about whether the ads worked.
D (correct): The author never states an opinion, but placing the slogan next to the violations, delays and ad spending implies a gap between words and actions.
Practice 32 of 38 · hard
To the Hospital Board: I am a nurse on the night shift at St. Anne's, and I am writing to ask you to add a security guard to the staff parking garage between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. The garage's lower level has three broken lights, and in the past year two staff members have had their cars broken into while on duty. Many of us walk to our cars alone after midnight. A guard during those hours would cost far less than losing experienced nurses who no longer feel safe coming to work.
Editor's note: The board is scheduled to discuss this letter at its June meeting.
Which statement is best supported by the passage?
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Answer: A
Separate what a text tries to do from what it achieves. The letter states a clear request and supports it with facts, which shows a persuasive purpose. The editor's note reports only that a discussion is planned, so any answer claiming the board agreed, or that the writer distrusts the board, goes beyond the passage.
A (correct): The letter asks for a guard and gives reasons, while the editor's note shows only that the board will discuss it, so the outcome is unknown.
B: This treats intent as proof of success; the note says only that the board will discuss the letter in June.
C: Some readers may feel uneasy, but the letter is addressed to the board and built to request a change, so frightening nurses is an effect, not the purpose.
D: The writer asks politely and offers a cost argument; nothing accuses the board of indifference or mentions earlier complaints, so this reads hostility into a request.
Practice 33 of 38 · hard
Blacklegged ticks, sometimes called deer ticks, are most active in the region from April through September. Young ticks are about the size of a poppy seed, which makes them easy to miss. A tick that carries the bacteria behind Lyme disease usually has to stay attached for more than a day before it can pass the infection on. That delay is why quick action matters. After hiking in tall grass or brush, check your whole body, including behind the knees and along the hairline, and remove any tick with fine-tipped tweezers by pulling straight up. Wearing long pants tucked into socks also makes it harder for ticks to reach your skin.
What is the primary purpose of the passage?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: To warn hikers about tick bites and tell them how to protect themselves. Rank the purposes. The facts about tick size, season and attachment time explain why speed matters, and the sentence that says so leads into body checks, removal and clothing tips. A warning with instructions outranks the background details it uses, so the passage mainly warns and advises hikers.
A: The passage mentions young ticks and active months only as background; it never walks through a life cycle.
B: No symptoms or treatments are described anywhere, so this purpose does not match the passage.
C (correct): The background facts lead to the point that quick action matters, followed by specific checks and prevention steps, so a warning with instructions is the main goal.
D: The advice is aimed at individual hikers, and no should or call for government spraying appears.
Practice 34 of 38 · easy
Only one shuttle bus runs between the barracks on the north side of Fort Calder and the airfield, and it makes the round trip once every forty minutes. During the morning shift change, so many soldiers try to ride it that the bus often leaves people waiting at the curb. Those who miss it must walk nearly two miles or arrive late. The base should add a second shuttle during the morning rush.
What is the main purpose of the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: To persuade base leaders to add a second shuttle bus. An explicit should statement is strong evidence of a persuasive purpose. The first sentences give facts about the single crowded shuttle, and the final sentence recommends a second one, so the facts serve the recommendation.
A (correct): The last sentence states a recommendation with should, and the earlier facts about crowding and missed rides support it.
B: The route is mentioned only briefly; the passage is built around a problem and a proposed fix.
C: Walking is mentioned as a drawback of missing the bus, not as a set of directions.
D: No second shuttle exists yet; the author is asking for one, so this treats a proposal as a decision.
Practice 35 of 38 · easy
The new Riverside Commons park is nothing short of a gem. Its winding paths curl past gardens bursting with color, and a sparkling splash fountain draws delighted children from morning until dusk. Families spread out on the soft lawn, and the shaded benches along the water offer some of the loveliest views in the county. Anyone who has not yet visited is missing a true treasure.
Which choice best describes the tone of the passage?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Enthusiastic. Find the words that carry feeling. Gem, bursting with color, sparkling, delighted, loveliest and true treasure are all strongly positive, and no cautions or limits appear. That unrestrained praise marks an enthusiastic tone.
A: A matter-of-fact passage would list features in plain words; this one is full of emotional praise.
B: Mixed tone requires both praise and criticism, and the passage never names a single drawback.
C: Nothing in the passage questions or doubts the park; every detail is positive.
D (correct): Words such as gem, bursting, sparkling, delighted, loveliest and true treasure express strong, unqualified approval.
Practice 36 of 38 · medium
Fire Chief Teresa Long has asked the town to require sprinkler systems in all newly built homes. At a public meeting, she said that modern furniture made with synthetic materials burns much faster than older furniture, leaving families only a few minutes to escape. She added that sprinklers can control a fire before firefighters arrive and that adding them during construction costs less than adding them later. Several home builders said the rule would raise the price of a new house.
Which statement is best supported by the passage?
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Answer: D
Stick to the reasons the passage actually gives. It reports that the chief wants the rule because furniture burns faster and sprinklers buy escape time. Answers that add secret motives, personal dislike or a vote that never happened go beyond the text.
A: This invents a hidden motive; the passage gives only safety and cost reasons for her view.
B: Disagreement about a policy does not show personal hostility, and the passage reports no exchange between them.
C: The chief has only asked for the rule; nothing says the town has voted on it.
D (correct): The passage reports her reasons directly: fast-burning furniture, little escape time and sprinklers controlling fires early.
Practice 37 of 38 · hard
Two years ago, Lakeside Regional Hospital began paying nursing assistants to train as licensed practical nurses while they kept working part-time. Of the 22 people who entered the program, 19 have finished and 17 still work at the hospital. Managers there credit the program with cutting the number of open nursing jobs nearly in half. For a mid-sized hospital struggling to fill night shifts, paying its own staff to train has proven a smart use of money.
Which statement best reflects the author's view?
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: The program has worked well for this particular hospital. Keep the author's view tied to the case discussed. The closing judgment names a specific kind of hospital and says the program proved a smart use of money there. Choices that turn this into advice for every hospital, a claim about colleges or the only possible solution are broader or stronger than the passage.
A: This stretches praise of one program into a rule for all hospitals, a scope error the passage does not support.
B (correct): The author's judgment, a smart use of money, is tied to Lakeside, a mid-sized hospital with a night-shift shortage, and stays within that case.
C: The passage never mentions colleges, so this assigns the author a view on an unrelated topic.
D: The word only makes this far stronger than the passage, which praises one approach without ruling out others.
Practice 38 of 38 · easy
Ray Delgado, who has run Delgado's Tire and Brake for twenty years, calls the Roadmaster AT "the toughest truck tire on the market." The Roadmaster AT has a 60,000-mile tread warranty and costs about $210 per tire. It is sold in sizes for most half-ton pickups and comes in two tread patterns, one for highway driving and one for gravel and mud. Delgado's shop currently stocks both patterns.
According to the passage, who considers the Roadmaster AT the toughest truck tire on the market?
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: The shop owner, Ray Delgado. Ask who says it. The quoted phrase is directly attributed to Ray Delgado, and the rest of the passage gives only plain facts about warranty, price and sizes, so the opinion belongs to Delgado, not the author.
A: Quoting a person does not mean the author agrees; the author adds no judgment of the tire.
B: The manufacturer is not quoted; only the warranty and size facts relate to the maker.
C (correct): The phrase is in quotation marks and credited to Delgado, so the opinion is his.
D: No survey of truck owners is mentioned, so this spreads one person's view to a large group.
About this test
An explanation follows every answer, pointing to the diction, concession or recommendation that settles it. Look for patterns in your misses. Choosing the topic instead of the purpose sends you back to the purpose-statement test; crediting the author with a source's opinion means reviewing the author-versus-source section; picking strong emotions points to the tone-evidence test in the Author Purpose and Point of View lesson.
You can follow up with 38 extra practice questions for this lesson. Treat the result as practice accuracy for this skill rather than as any ASVAB score.
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