This is the longest lesson test in the Paragraph Comprehension set, with 30 original ASVAB-style questions. Passages compare methods, designs, explanations, viewpoints and changes over time, and the questions ask which similarity, difference or trade-off the text actually supports.
The Elm Street garden and the Riverside garden both opened in 2019, and both are run entirely by volunteers. The Elm Street garden sits on the roof of an apartment building and waters its beds with rain collected in large barrels. The Riverside garden was built on a former parking lot and draws its water from a city hydrant under a seasonal permit. Most of the Elm Street beds hold herbs, while Riverside gives most of its space to tomatoes and squash.
According to the passage, where does the Riverside garden get its water?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: From a city hydrant, under a permit. Name the two subjects, then attach each detail to the right one. The rain barrels belong to Elm Street, while the hydrant and permit belong to Riverside.
A: No well is mentioned; the former parking lot is only where the garden was built.
B (correct): The passage states that Riverside draws water from a city hydrant under a seasonal permit.
C: The garden's name suggests a river, but the passage never says river water is used.
D: Rain barrels belong to the Elm Street garden; this choice swaps a detail from one garden to the other.
Question 2 of 30 · easy
Just as the county library added evening hours last spring, the community center also extended its schedule and now stays open until 9 p.m. on weekdays. Both buildings now offer free Wi-Fi to anyone who visits, and both have added more electrical outlets near their seating areas. The library, however, still closes on Sundays, while the community center is open seven days a week.
Which feature does the passage say the library and the community center share?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Free Wi-Fi for visitors. The similarity signal "both" introduces the shared feature: both buildings offer free Wi-Fi. The 9 p.m. time and the Sunday schedules each belong to only one building.
A: The 9 p.m. closing time is given only for the community center; the library's exact evening hours are not stated.
B: Sunday closing is stated only for the library, and the center is open all week.
C: Only the community center is open every day; the library still closes on Sundays.
D (correct): The passage says both buildings now offer free Wi-Fi, so this is a stated similarity.
Question 3 of 30 · easy
Unlike the old dishwasher in the staff kitchen, the new model finishes a load in about 45 minutes and uses roughly 3 gallons of water. The old machine needed close to 2 hours and about 6 gallons for each load. Kitchen staff reported that the two machines leave dishes equally clean. The new model, however, is noticeably louder while it runs, and some workers have asked that it be started only after the lunch rush.
According to the passage, how does the new dishwasher differ from the old one?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: It finishes faster and uses less water. Line up the same features: time per load (45 minutes versus about 2 hours) and water (3 gallons versus 6). On both measures the new model comes out lower, while cleaning results are the same.
A: The passage says the new model is louder, so this reverses the stated difference.
B: Staff said the two machines clean equally well, so cleaning is a similarity, not a difference.
C (correct): The new model takes about 45 minutes and 3 gallons, compared with nearly 2 hours and 6 gallons for the old one.
D: The speed half is right, but the new model uses about 3 gallons, half the old machine's 6.
Question 4 of 30 · easy
Two hiking trails lead to the Pine Ridge overlook. The North Trail is 3 miles long and crosses Clear Creek on a wooden footbridge. Signs posted along the North Trail say that dogs must be kept on a leash at all times. The South Trail is 4.5 miles long and climbs through an old apple orchard before reaching the overlook. The park's trail guide describes the South Trail's views and its steep final section but says nothing about pets.
What can a reader conclude about dogs on the South Trail?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: The passage does not say what the pet rules are there. The leash rule is stated only for the North Trail. Since nothing is said about pets on the South Trail, that cell of the comparison is unknown.
A: Silence about pets is not evidence of a ban, and the steep section is never linked to pets.
B: The passage never says leashes can be skipped on the South Trail; the leash rule is stated only for the North Trail.
C (correct): The guide is silent about pets on the South Trail, so its rule is an unknown, not a difference.
D: The leash signs are described only on the North Trail, so extending the rule to the South Trail goes beyond the text.
Question 5 of 30 · easy
The city opens three cooling centers whenever the temperature is forecast to top 100 degrees. All three sites offer cold water, seating, and a first-aid kit. The library branch and the senior center close at 8 p.m., while the recreation center stays open overnight. Only the recreation center has a backup generator, so it is the site the city lists first in its heat-wave announcements.
What does the passage tell us about a backup generator at the library branch?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: The library branch does not have one. The word "only" marks an exclusive feature. Because only the recreation center has a backup generator, the library branch and the senior center do not.
A (correct): "Only the recreation center" rules out a backup generator at the other two sites, including the library branch.
B: The word only means no other site has a generator, so there is nothing to compare in size.
C: This invents a generator the passage rules out with the word only.
D: The passage says nothing about sharing; it states that only the recreation center has a generator.
Question 6 of 30 · easy
A warehouse manager is choosing a coating for the loading-area floor. Epoxy coating forms a hard surface that resists oil and chemicals and can last for many years, but it needs about three days to cure before forklifts can drive on it. Acrylic floor paint dries in about four hours, so the area could reopen the same day, but it tends to wear through within a year or two under heavy traffic. The manager's report lists these facts and makes no recommendation.
Which statement best describes how the passage compares the two coatings?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Each has an advantage the other lacks, and neither is recommended. Epoxy gains durability but loses time; acrylic gains speed but wears out sooner. Since the report states no recommendation, the best description is a trade-off with no overall winner.
A: This invents a ranking; the report lists durability and resistance as advantages but makes no overall judgment.
B: Fast drying is one advantage, but the passage never calls acrylic the better choice.
C (correct): Epoxy lasts longer while acrylic dries faster, and the report names no winner, so this captures the trade-off.
D: Only acrylic dries in about four hours; epoxy needs about three days, so this blends the two sides.
Question 7 of 30 · easy
At Tuesday's town meeting, the parks director said the new skate park "will keep teenagers active and give them a safe place to gather." A resident whose home backs up to the site complained that the noise "starts too early in the morning and keeps going past dark." The newspaper article that covered the meeting added only that the park cost $310,000 and opened in May.
According to the passage, who raised a concern about noise?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: A resident living next to the park. Track who holds each view. The director praised the park, the writer reported facts, and the noise complaint is quoted from the neighboring resident.
A: No teenagers are quoted; this assigns the view to people the passage only mentions.
B: The writer reports the cost and opening date and quotes others but voices no concern of their own.
C (correct): The complaint about noise is quoted from the resident whose home backs up to the site.
D: The director praised the park; the noise complaint came from someone else.
Question 8 of 30 · medium
Two training programs prepare workers for a forklift operator exam. Last year, 60 percent of Program A's students passed on their first try; this year, 75 percent did. Over the same period, Program B's first-try pass rate went from 70 percent to 80 percent. Both programs added extra hours of hands-on driving practice this year, and both say they plan to keep the longer schedule.
Which statement about the change in first-try pass rates is accurate?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Program A rose 15 percentage points, a 25 percent increase over its starting rate. Program A went from 60 to 75 percent, a gain of 15 percentage points.
6015=0.25=25%
So the rise is 15 points, which is a 25 percent increase relative to the starting rate.
A: Program B is at 80 percent and Program A is at 75 percent, so this reverses the current comparison.
B (correct): 75 minus 60 is 15 points, and 15 divided by 60 is 0.25, a 25 percent relative increase.
C: Program B rose 10 percentage points, about a 14 percent relative increase from 70, while Program A rose more both in points and in relative terms.
D: This mixes up the terms: 25 percent is the relative increase, while the rise in points is 15.
Question 9 of 30 · medium
During the spring food drive, two warehouses packed boxes of groceries for local families. The north warehouse packed 540 boxes, and the south warehouse packed 360 boxes. Both warehouses had the same number of volunteers, and both worked the same two weekends in April. Organizers said they plan to use both sites again next spring and hope to add a third location in the east end of the county.
Which statement correctly compares the two warehouses' output?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: The north warehouse packed 50 percent more boxes than the south warehouse. The difference is 540 minus 360, or 180 boxes. Compared with the south warehouse as the base, 180 divided by 360 equals 0.5, so the north packed 50 percent more.
A: The difference of 180 is correct, but the warehouses are swapped; the north packed more.
B: Relative to the north's 540, the south's 180-box shortfall is one third fewer, not half.
C (correct): The difference is 180 boxes, and 180 divided by the south's 360 is 0.5, or 50 percent more.
D: One third comes from dividing 180 by 540, which uses the north warehouse as the base instead of the south.
Question 10 of 30 · medium
Two neighboring farms planted the same variety of winter wheat on the same day in October and followed the same fertilizer schedule. In June, the Hollis farm harvested about 70 bushels per acre, while the Brandt farm harvested about 52. A county farm agent pointed out that the Brandt fields lie lower than the Hollis fields and stayed waterlogged for much of April.
Which statement is best supported by the passage?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Using the same planting methods did not produce the same harvest. The methods match on seed, date and fertilizer, but the outcomes differ: about 70 versus 52 bushels per acre. Same method does not guarantee the same result, and the passage points to wet fields as one difference between the farms.
A: This assumes matching methods give matching outcomes, but the yields differed by about 18 bushels per acre.
B: The passage says both farms followed the same fertilizer schedule.
C (correct): Both farms used the same seed, date and fertilizer schedule, yet their yields were about 70 and 52 bushels per acre.
D: Both farms planted on the same October day, so planting date cannot explain the gap.
Question 11 of 30 · medium
Although the steel storage shed costs nearly twice as much as the resin model, the county chose steel for its road department yard. Resin sheds are lighter, and two workers can put one together in an afternoon. Even so, the department's purchasing officer wrote that steel "stands up far better to heavy snow and bumps from equipment," and that this mattered most in a yard where snowplows are parked all winter.
According to the passage, why did the county choose the steel shed?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Its durability mattered more than its higher price. The "although" clause admits a drawback of steel, its higher price. The writer then stresses the stronger point: steel holds up better to snow and equipment, which the officer said mattered most for this yard.
A: The passage explains the choice only for the road department yard and gives no ranking for other sites.
B: Quick assembly by two workers is stated for the resin shed, not the steel one.
C: This reverses the price detail; the steel shed costs nearly twice as much.
D (correct): The writer concedes the higher cost, then stresses that steel holds up better, which the officer said mattered most.
Question 12 of 30 · medium
Delivery drivers for a bakery used to take Route 9 to reach the downtown cafés, a drive of about 22 minutes. In March, the company switched to the Harbor Road route, which takes about 6 minutes less than Route 9. In January, drivers had briefly tried the Lakeview route, but it turned out to be slower than both of the others and was dropped after two weeks.
The 6-minute saving for Harbor Road is measured against which route?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Route 9. A comparative needs a reference point. The sentence says Harbor Road takes about 6 minutes less than Route 9, so the saving is measured against Route 9, making the Harbor Road drive about 16 minutes.
A: Lakeview is described only as slower than both others; the 6-minute figure is tied to Route 9.
B (correct): The passage says Harbor Road takes about 6 minutes less than Route 9, so Route 9 is the reference point.
C: The passage never mentions such a drive; it swaps in a reference point the text does not name.
D: No average is given; the comparison names one specific route.
Question 13 of 30 · medium
A consumer group tested four portable space heaters in the same 12-by-12-foot room. In its first round, the Model K heater warmed the room to 70 degrees faster than the Model L heater did. Models M and N were tested a week later, when the room started at a different temperature, and the group said those results could not be fairly compared with the first round.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Model K beat Model L, but its rank among all four heaters is unknown. "Faster than Model L" is a comparative between two heaters, not a ranking of all four. Because M and N were not fairly compared, K's place in the full group is unknown.
A: This turns a comparative into a superlative; K was compared only with L.
B: The group said the second-round results could not be fairly compared with the first.
C: L was slower than K, but nothing places it below M or N.
D (correct): The only stated comparison is K faster than L; M and N were not compared with them.
Question 14 of 30 · medium
A maintenance log compared two kinds of gaskets on the plant's water pumps over one year. The rubber gaskets usually sealed well for six months or longer, although a few cracked sooner in the hottest pump room. The silicone gaskets cost more, but in every pump where they were installed, they lasted the full year without a single leak. The log does not say whether silicone would be worth the cost on every pump.
Which statement agrees with the log?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Most rubber gaskets lasted six months or more, and every silicone gasket lasted the year. The rubber result is qualified (usually, with a few early cracks), while the silicone result is absolute (every pump, no leaks). The supported choice preserves both levels of certainty.
A: The log says usually, and a few rubber gaskets cracked sooner in the hottest room, so always drops the qualifier.
B: The log says every silicone gasket lasted the full year without a leak; the early failures in the hot room were rubber, so this weakens an absolute claim.
C: The log says silicone costs more, so this swaps the cost detail.
D (correct): This keeps both qualifiers: usually for rubber and every for silicone.
Question 15 of 30 · medium
Two companies sell compact water filters for backpackers. The packaging for the BlueStream filter claims that it "removes 99.9 percent of bacteria." The ClearPath filter was sent to an independent laboratory, which reported that it removed 99.9 percent of the bacteria in its test samples. The two filters each weigh about 3 ounces, sell for about $35, and are sold in the same outdoor stores.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: ClearPath's result was measured by a lab, while BlueStream's rests on the company's own claim. The two figures match, but they are different kinds of statements. ClearPath's 99.9 percent is a lab finding, while BlueStream's is a claim printed by the seller.
A (correct): The passage reports an independent lab result for ClearPath but only a packaging claim for BlueStream.
B: The lab tested only ClearPath; nothing is said about BlueStream's accuracy.
C: Only ClearPath was sent to a lab; treating BlueStream's packaging claim as independently proven goes beyond the text.
D: The passage says each weighs about 3 ounces, so weight is a similarity.
Question 16 of 30 · medium
Before a new traffic signal was installed at Oak and Fifth, city engineers predicted that it would cut the average wait for drivers on Oak Street from 90 seconds to about 45. Two months after the signal went in, a traffic count found that the average wait on Oak Street was 70 seconds. The engineers now plan to adjust the signal's timing and expect further improvement by fall.
Which statement accurately compares the prediction with what was observed?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: The wait dropped, but by less than the engineers predicted. Separate the forecast (about 45 seconds) from the observation (70 seconds). The wait fell by 20 seconds, less than the 45-second drop predicted, and the timing change is still only a plan.
A (correct): The observed wait fell from 90 to 70 seconds, a 20-second drop, while the forecast called for a 45-second drop.
B: The adjustment is only planned, and the further improvement is only expected.
C: The wait fell from 90 to 70 seconds, so it got shorter, not longer.
D: This treats the forecast as the result; the traffic count found 70 seconds.
Question 17 of 30 · medium
Two school districts set out to reduce the number of students who miss the morning bus. The Maple district sends families an automated phone call whenever a bus is running more than ten minutes late. The Cedar district instead posts live bus locations on a website that parents can check from a phone or computer. Both districts started their programs in September and will report results at the end of the school year.
Which statement best describes how the two districts' programs compare?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: They share a goal but use different methods to reach it. Put purpose and method in separate rows. The purpose, fewer missed buses, is the same; the method, phone calls versus a tracking website, is different.
A: No results have been reported yet; they are expected at the end of the year.
B: The methods differ, and both programs started in September.
C (correct): Both aim to reduce missed buses, but one uses phone calls and the other a live tracking website.
D: This reverses the comparison: the goal is shared and the method differs.
Question 18 of 30 · medium
In 2022, the Westside branch of the motor vehicle office had the longest average wait in the county, about 50 minutes, while the Eastside branch averaged about 30 minutes. In early 2023, Westside began requiring online appointments and cut its average wait to 25 minutes. Eastside made no changes to its system, and its average wait for 2023 rose to 40 minutes.
Which statement correctly compares the two branches in 2023?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Eastside had a longer average wait than Westside. Match the comparison to the time period asked. In 2023, Westside averaged 25 minutes and Eastside 40 minutes, so Eastside had the longer wait, the reverse of 2022.
A (correct): In 2023 Eastside averaged 40 minutes and Westside 25 minutes.
B: That description fits 2022; in 2023 Westside's wait fell below Eastside's.
C: This was true in 2022, not in 2023, the year the question asks about.
D: The 2023 averages, 25 and 40 minutes, differ by 15 minutes.
Question 19 of 30 · medium
A coating study tested two paints on steel fence posts in a dry desert town. After three years, posts coated with Paint R showed almost no rust, while posts coated with Paint S had rust spots on about a third of their surface. The study's authors pointed out that neither paint was tested in humid or coastal areas, where rust usually forms much faster.
Which conclusion does the passage support?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: In the dry town studied, Paint R protected the posts better than Paint S. The comparison has a boundary: it was observed only in a dry desert town. Within that setting Paint R did better, but the passage gives no evidence about humid or coastal places.
A: No coastal test was done, so any coastal ranking goes beyond the passage.
B: There were no humid test areas; the authors say neither paint was tested there.
C: The study covered only a dry town, and the authors note that humid and coastal areas were not tested at all.
D (correct): This keeps the result within the setting where it was measured.
Question 20 of 30 · medium
A fire station is choosing between two handheld radios. The Ranger 2 weighs 14 ounces and runs about 10 hours on a full charge. The Sentinel weighs 18 ounces and runs about 16 hours on a full charge. Both models meet the department's waterproof standard, and both come with a two-year warranty. The station chief has asked for a summary of the differences before any order is placed.
Which statement makes a fair comparison of the two radios?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: The Sentinel runs about 6 hours longer per charge but weighs 4 ounces more. Compare the same dimension on both sides. Battery: 16 minus 10 is 6 hours more for the Sentinel. Weight: 18 minus 14 is 4 ounces more for the Sentinel.
A: This sets one radio's weight against the other's battery life, so nothing is actually compared.
B (correct): Battery life is compared with battery life (16 versus 10 hours) and weight with weight (18 versus 14 ounces).
C: The 6-hour gap is right, but it belongs to the Sentinel; this swaps the radios on battery life.
D: The Sentinel is the heavier radio at 18 ounces, so this reverses the weight difference.
Question 21 of 30 · medium
A gas furnace and an air-source heat pump are both central heating systems that send warm air through a home's ducts. A furnace makes heat by burning fuel such as natural gas. A heat pump uses electricity to move heat from the outdoor air into the house, and in summer it can run in reverse to cool the home. A furnace provides no cooling on its own and is usually paired with a separate air conditioner.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: The two systems belong to the same category but produce heat in different ways. Both systems are in the same group, central heating that uses ducts. Their methods differ: the furnace burns fuel, while the heat pump uses electricity to move outdoor heat inside and can also cool.
A (correct): Both are central heating systems, yet one burns fuel and the other moves heat using electricity.
B: Sharing a category and ductwork is a similarity, not proof that the systems make heat by the same method.
C: The passage says a furnace provides no cooling on its own; only the heat pump can run in reverse.
D: This swaps the two methods between the systems.
Question 22 of 30 · medium
After the annual safety inspection, the shop supervisor posted a summary on the break-room board. Every fire extinguisher in the building passed except the one near the paint booth, which was underweight and has been sent out for refilling. All three eye-wash stations passed. Of the six emergency exit lights, all worked except the two in the rear stairwell, which are scheduled for repair next week.
According to the summary, which statement is accurate?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Four of the six emergency exit lights worked. Words like except limit a claim. Two of the six exit lights failed, so 6 minus 2 equals 4 worked, while one extinguisher and no eye-wash stations failed.
A: It has only been sent out for refilling; no later pass is reported.
B (correct): All worked except two, and 6 minus 2 leaves 4 working lights.
C: All three eye-wash stations passed; the two failures were exit lights.
D: This ignores the exception: the extinguisher near the paint booth failed.
Question 23 of 30 · hard
The town runs two recycling programs. Both accept paper, metal cans, and plastic bottles. The curbside program picks up every other Tuesday and charges each household $6 a month. The drop-off center, open on Saturdays and Sundays, is free, but residents must sort their materials into separate bins when they arrive. Glass is accepted only at the drop-off center, which also takes cardboard boxes.
Which statement correctly gives both a similarity and a difference between the two programs?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Both take paper, cans and plastic bottles, but only the drop-off center accepts glass. Check each half separately. The shared materials (paper, cans, plastic bottles) are a true similarity, and "glass is accepted only at the drop-off center" is a true difference. Every other choice has one half that the passage contradicts.
A: The cost difference is true, but sorting is required only at the drop-off center.
B: The fee difference is true, but the similarity is false because glass is taken only at the drop-off center.
C: The similarity is true, but the weekend hours belong to the drop-off center, so the difference is swapped.
D (correct): Each half is stated: the shared materials and the glass rule marked by only.
Question 24 of 30 · hard
Last summer, the number of brook trout counted in Miller Creek fell by nearly half. A state biologist believes warmer water is mostly to blame, since warm water holds less of the oxygen trout need. A local fishing club argues instead that silt washing in from a new construction site has covered the gravel beds where trout lay their eggs. The article notes that both conditions were present last summer and that a full study of the creek is planned for next year.
Which statement best describes the passage?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: It presents two competing explanations for the decline without deciding between them. Two sources give two explanations: warm water (biologist) and silt (fishing club). The article reports both, notes both conditions existed, and leaves the question to a future study, so neither cause is established.
A: Silt covering the beds is the fishing club's view, not a proven cause; the article does not choose a side.
B (correct): The biologist and the fishing club each offer a cause, and the article only notes that a study is planned.
C: The study has not happened yet, so treating it as a result confuses a plan with an outcome.
D: The club argues instead for silt, which signals disagreement with the biologist.
Question 25 of 30 · hard
Facing a $40,000 shortfall in its fuel budget, the county transit agency cut weekend service on Route 5 from one bus every hour to one every two hours. Agency officials said their aim was to save money without ending weekend service altogether. In the first three months after the change, the agency spent about $9,000 less on fuel than in the same months a year earlier, while weekend ridership on Route 5 fell by about 30 percent.
Which statement correctly matches details from the passage to their roles?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: The budget shortfall prompted the change, and the $9,000 fuel saving was an early result. Sort each detail by kind. Cause: the $40,000 fuel shortfall. Purpose: save money while keeping some weekend service. Results so far: about $9,000 less spent on fuel and about 30 percent fewer weekend riders.
A: The $40,000 is the size of the shortfall; the reported saving was about $9,000.
B: The stated aim was to save money while keeping weekend service; the ridership drop came after the change and was not the goal.
C: This reverses cause and result; the shortfall came first and led to the cut.
D (correct): The shortfall is the stated reason for the cut, and the lower fuel spending is what happened afterward.
Question 26 of 30 · hard
A warehouse rule says that any ladder used on the loading dock must be rated to hold at least 300 pounds. The manager checked four ladders before the busy season. Ladder 1 is rated for 250 pounds. Ladder 2 is rated for 375 pounds. Ladder 3 is rated for exactly 300 pounds. Ladder 4 has no rating label, although the supplier told the manager it is "strong enough for any job."
Based on the warehouse rule, which ladders are shown to meet the requirement?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Ladders 2 and 3 only. Apply the same rule, at least 300 pounds, to every ladder. Ladder 1 (250) fails, Ladder 2 (375) passes, Ladder 3 (300) passes, and Ladder 4 has only an unverified claim, so it is not shown to qualify.
A: Ladder 1 is rated for only 250 pounds, which is below the 300-pound minimum.
B (correct): Ladder 2 (375 pounds) and Ladder 3 (300 pounds) are rated at least 300 pounds; the others are below or unrated.
C: This treats the rule as more than 300 pounds, but at least 300 includes a ladder rated for exactly 300.
D: Ladder 4 has no rating; the supplier's remark is a claim, not a stated rating of 300 pounds or more.
Question 27 of 30 · hard
A highway crew compared two brands of traffic paint on the same stretch of road. After one winter of plowing and road salt, inspectors reported that the Brand T lines were not more faded than the Brand V lines. Brand T costs about 20 percent less per gallon. The crew chief noted, however, that Brand V dries faster, which shortens the time lanes must stay closed.
Which statement does the passage support?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Brand T's lines faded no more than Brand V's lines did. "Not more faded" rules out Brand T fading more, but it leaves open that the two faded the same amount. The only safe reading is that Brand T faded no more than Brand V.
A (correct): This restates the inspectors' finding without stretching it; the two brands may have faded equally.
B: Not more faded does not mean less faded; the brands could be equal, so this stretches the negation.
C: Faster drying is stated for Brand V, not Brand T.
D: The passage says Brand T costs about 20 percent less, so this swaps the cost detail.
Question 28 of 30 · hard
The school board voted last month to replace the high school's grass football field with artificial turf. Board member Lena Ortiz called the turf "a long-term savings, since we will no longer pay for mowing or watering." Parent group leader Sam Reyes argued that the surface "gets dangerously hot on sunny days." District figures show the turf will cost $1.1 million to install, while upkeep of the grass field has cost about $45,000 a year. The article does not say which side is right.
Which statement is best supported by the passage?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: The savings claim comes from a board member, and the article does not settle whether it is true. Track who says what. Ortiz claims savings, Reyes warns about heat, the district supplies cost figures, and the writer declines to judge, so the savings claim remains an opinion the article does not confirm.
A (correct): The savings view is quoted from Ortiz, and the writer explicitly takes no side.
B: Reyes raised a heat concern; the savings remark came from Ortiz, so the speakers are swapped.
C: The district figures cover costs only; the heat warning is Reyes's opinion.
D: The savings argument belongs to Ortiz; the writer reports figures and opinions without endorsing either.
Question 29 of 30 · hard
The two home security cameras reviewed this month differ in several ways. The Vista camera records sharper video and stores 30 days of footage online. The Hawk camera covers a wider viewing angle and runs six months on a single battery charge. Yet testers found that neither camera could reliably tell a person from a passing car at night, so both sent owners frequent false alerts after dark. The reviewers concluded that this flaw matters more than any of the differences between the two models.
What is the main point of the passage?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Both cameras share a nighttime weakness that outweighs their differences. The passage lists small differences (video quality, storage, angle, battery) but turns on "Yet" to a shared limitation. The reviewers say that shared flaw matters most, which makes it the main point.
A: The passage says neither camera could tell people from cars, so both send false alerts.
B: The wider angle belongs to Hawk, but the 30 days of online storage belongs to Vista.
C (correct): The reviewers state that the shared false-alert flaw matters more than any difference between the models.
D: Sharper video is one difference, but the reviewers rank no model above the other.
Question 30 of 30 · hard
A youth soccer league is choosing a vehicle to rent for away games. A minivan seats seven people and averages 28 miles per gallon. A 15-passenger van seats the whole team plus a coach but averages only 16 miles per gallon. The league's written policy says the main standard for any team vehicle is fitting the entire team in a single trip, so that parents are not needed as extra drivers.
According to the standard the league states, which vehicle is the better choice?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: The 15-passenger van, because it fits the whole team in one trip. Which vehicle is better depends on the criterion. The league's stated standard is carrying the entire team in one trip, which only the 15-passenger van does, even though the minivan gets better mileage.
A (correct): The policy names fitting the whole team in one trip as the main standard, and only the larger van does that.
B: Rental cost is never given, and cost is not the league's stated standard.
C: There is a trade-off, but the policy supplies a criterion that picks a winner.
D: The fuel figures are correct (28 minus 16 is 12), but fuel economy is not the standard the league names.
Two fuel depots on the same base each have a storage tank that holds 20,000 gallons. At the start of the month, the North Depot tank was 30 percent full and the South Depot tank was 80 percent full. During the month, North received two large deliveries and is now 55 percent full. South made no new orders while it supplied the motor pool, and its tank is now 70 percent full. The base fuel officer plans to review both depots' ordering schedules next quarter.
Which statement about the two tanks is accurate?
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: North's tank gained more fuel during the month, but South's tank is still fuller. Separate the change from the current state. North rose from 30 to 55 percent, a gain of 25 percentage points (5,000 gallons), while South fell from 80 to 70 percent. Even after those changes, 70 percent is more than 55 percent, so North gained more but South is still fuller.
A: This confuses the size of the change with the current level; 55 percent full is still less than 70 percent full.
B (correct): North gained 25 percentage points while South lost 10, yet South's current 70 percent is still above North's 55 percent.
C: The rise was 25 percentage points of a 20,000-gallon tank, which is 5,000 gallons, not 25.
D: South dropped 10 percentage points, from 80 to 70, which is a loss of 12.5 percent of the fuel it started with, not 10 percent.
Practice 2 of 38 · medium
Harmon Technical College offers two trade apprenticeships. The electrical apprenticeship lasts four years and pays students an hourly wage from their first day on a job site. The welding apprenticeship, by contrast, lasts eighteen months, and students earn no pay during its first six months of classroom study. Welding graduates take their certification exam in the school's own shop, whereas electrical apprentices must travel to the state capital to sit for their licensing test.
Which statement correctly matches each feature to its program?
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: The welding program is shorter, and its graduates test at the school. Build a quick grid. Electrical: four years, paid from day one, tests in the state capital. Welding: eighteen months, unpaid at first, tests on campus. Only the statement that gives welding both the shorter length and the on-campus exam matches the grid.
A: Both halves are swapped: electrical takes four years, and its apprentices must travel to the state capital to test.
B: This gives the electrical program's feature to welding; welding students are unpaid during the first six months.
C: Only the electrical apprentices travel to the capital; welding graduates take their exam on campus.
D (correct): The passage gives welding eighteen months versus four years for electrical and says welding graduates test in the school's own shop.
Practice 3 of 38 · medium
Two restaurants on Market Street each cut their food waste by about one third over the past year. Rosa's Diner shrank its standard side dishes and now offers free refills to anyone who wants more. The Corner Grill kept its portions the same but began giving unsold bread and soup to a nearby shelter at the end of each night. Both owners say they plan to keep their new practices in place.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: The two restaurants got a similar result by using different methods. Put method and result in separate rows. The result row matches (about one third less waste), but the method row differs: the diner changed portion sizes, and the grill donated leftovers. A shared outcome says nothing about a shared method.
A: Only Rosa's Diner changed portion size; this choice assumes a shared method because the results matched.
B: Donating to the shelter is described only for the Corner Grill; the diner's method was smaller sides with refills.
C: The passage says each cut waste by about one third, so it names no winner on this measure.
D (correct): Both cut waste by about one third, but one shrank portions and the other donated unsold food.
Practice 4 of 38 · easy
Volunteers who want to join the Oak Hill fire company must first complete a 40-hour first-aid course. Likewise, the Bay View fire company requires new members to finish first-aid training, although its course runs 24 hours. Oak Hill also asks members to live within five miles of its station, and Bay View requires every driver to hold a commercial driver's license.
According to the passage, what do both fire companies require of new members?
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: Completion of first-aid training. The word likewise signals a similarity. Both companies require first-aid training before a person can join; the length of the course, the distance rule and the license rule each belong to only one company.
A (correct): The passage says Oak Hill requires a first-aid course and, with the signal word likewise, says Bay View does too.
B: Only Oak Hill's course is 40 hours; Bay View's runs 24 hours, so the length is a difference, not a shared feature.
C: The distance rule is stated only for Oak Hill, so it is not a shared requirement.
D: The license rule is stated only for Bay View drivers, so it belongs to one side of the comparison.
Practice 5 of 38 · easy
Unlike a flathead screwdriver, which has a single straight blade at its tip, a Phillips screwdriver has a tip shaped like a cross. The cross shape fits screws with an X-shaped slot in the head and helps keep the tip centered while the screw turns. Both kinds of screwdriver are sold in many sizes, and most home tool kits include at least one of each.
According to the passage, how does a Phillips screwdriver differ from a flathead screwdriver?
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: It has a tip shaped like a cross. The signal word unlike introduces the contrast: a flathead has a single straight blade, while a Phillips has a cross-shaped tip. Coming in many sizes is something the two share.
A (correct): The passage contrasts the Phillips screwdriver's cross-shaped tip with the flathead's single straight blade.
B: The passage says both kinds come in many sizes, so this is a similarity rather than a difference.
C: This swaps the features; the single straight blade belongs to the flathead screwdriver.
D: The passage never compares strength or durability, so this difference is invented.
Practice 6 of 38 · medium
A regional delivery company has bought twelve electric trucks to replace part of its diesel fleet. The company's president told reporters that the new trucks "will cost far less to run than anything we have owned." A spokesperson for the drivers' union disagreed, saying that charging stops "will add an hour or more to the longer routes." The article itself reports only that each truck can travel about 250 miles on a full charge and that the first trucks will go into service in May.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: The claim about lower running costs comes from the company president, not the reporter. Track who says what. The low running cost is the president's claim, the longer routes are the union spokesperson's claim, and the reporter adds only the 250-mile range and the May start date. A choice that hands either opinion to the reporter or treats it as proven goes beyond the text.
A: This turns the president's quoted opinion into the author's own conclusion, which the article never states.
B (correct): The quotation about lower costs is attributed to the president; the reporter states only range and timing.
C: The spokesperson's concern is about charging stops lengthening routes, not about the purchase price.
D: The trucks have not entered service yet, so the longer routes are a prediction by the spokesperson, not an observed result.
Practice 7 of 38 · medium
A hardware store sells two kinds of push mowers. A manual reel mower has no engine, so it runs quietly, needs no fuel and costs about $120. It cuts short grass cleanly but struggles once the lawn grows more than a few inches tall. A gas rotary mower costs about $350 and needs fuel, oil and a yearly tune-up. It is loud, but it handles tall or wet grass easily and covers a large yard much faster. The store's flyer lists these points side by side without recommending either model.
Which statement best describes the comparison in the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: Each mower offers advantages that the other one lacks. Each mower wins on some features: the reel mower on noise, fuel and price, the gas mower on tall grass and speed. Because the flyer recommends neither, the best summary is a trade-off, not a winner.
A (correct): The reel mower is quieter, cheaper and fuel-free, while the gas mower handles tall grass and large yards better, a true trade-off.
B: The flyer makes no recommendation, so naming an overall winner invents a judgment the passage avoids.
C: Handling tall grass is only one criterion; the gas mower also costs more, is louder and needs upkeep.
D: Noise is only one of several differences; price, fuel, upkeep and grass height also differ.
Practice 8 of 38 · medium
A regional manager for an ice cream chain wrote a memo comparing two of its shops. She noted that the Lakeside shop sold 2,400 cones in July, while the Hilltop shop sold only 1,100 cones in November. From these figures, she concluded that Lakeside is the more popular location and suggested moving one Hilltop employee there. The memo includes no other sales numbers for either shop.
What is the main weakness of the manager's comparison?
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: It compares sales from two different months, when demand may naturally differ. A fair comparison uses the same time period for each subject. The memo sets a peak summer month at one shop against a cold-weather month at the other, so the gap in sales may reflect the season rather than the location.
A: This accepts the comparison at face value and ignores that the figures come from different months.
B: Flavors are not part of the comparison, and their absence does not explain the problem with mismatched months.
C (correct): July and November are different seasons for ice cream, so the numbers are not lined up on the same period.
D: The memo reports actual cone sales, not predictions, so this misidentifies the weakness.
Practice 9 of 38 · easy
The base blood drive ran on two days last week. On Monday, donors gave 84 pints of blood at the gym. On Thursday, the drive moved to the dining hall, and donors gave 63 pints. Organizers said the Thursday total was lower partly because a training exercise kept one battalion in the field that day, and they hope to schedule the next drive for a week with no field exercises planned.
How many more pints were collected on Monday than on Thursday?
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: 21 pints. A difference question calls for subtraction: 84 pints minus 63 pints equals 21 pints.
A (correct): Subtracting the Thursday total from the Monday total gives 84 - 63 = 21 pints.
B: This adds the two days together (84 + 63) instead of finding how far apart they are.
C: This is a subtraction slip; 84 - 63 is 21, not 29.
D: This is simply Thursday's total, not the difference between the two days.
Practice 10 of 38 · hard
A bakery that supplies several school cafeterias runs two shifts. Last Tuesday, the night shift baked 450 loaves of bread and the day shift baked 600. Each shift had the same number of workers and used the same ovens. The owner posted the totals on the break-room board and said she would like both shifts to reach 650 loaves by spring.
Which statement correctly compares the two shifts' output?
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: The day shift baked one third more loaves than the night shift. The difference is
600 - 450 = 150
loaves. Measured against the night shift, 150/450 is one third, so the day shift baked one third more. Measured against the day shift, 150/600 is one quarter, so the night shift baked 25 percent fewer, not one third fewer.
A: When the day shift's 600 is the base, 150 is one quarter of it, so the night shift baked 25 percent fewer, not one third fewer.
B (correct): The day shift's extra 150 loaves divided by the night shift's 450 equals one third.
C: This divides the 150-loaf gap by 600, the wrong base; compared with the night shift's 450 loaves, the gain is one third.
D: The gap of 150 is correct, but the subjects are swapped; the day shift baked more.
Practice 11 of 38 · hard
An outdoor gear magazine tested three camp stoves. At sea level, the canister stove, the liquid-fuel stove and the wood-burning stove each boiled a quart of water in under eight minutes. The editors then took the canister and liquid-fuel stoves to a campsite at 10,000 feet; the wood stove was left behind because of a fire ban. At that height, the canister stove usually took longer to boil water than the liquid-fuel stove. In freezing wind, only the liquid-fuel stove lit on every single attempt.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: D
Keep each qualifier attached. The canister stove was slower usually, not always. The word only means the canister stove failed at least once in the wind, not that it never lit. The wood stove was not tested at altitude, so nothing ranks it there; the one safe claim is that the liquid-fuel stove alone lit every time in the wind.
A: The passage says usually; changing it to always drops the qualifier.
B: The wood stove was left behind and never tested at altitude, so its performance there is unknown.
C: Only the liquid-fuel stove lit on every attempt, which means the canister stove failed at least once, not that it failed every time.
D (correct): The word only gives this feature to the liquid-fuel stove alone, and only two stoves were tested at that height.
Practice 12 of 38 · medium
Patients at the Pine Valley clinic often wait more than an hour past their appointment times. A review by the clinic's staff found that most of the delay happens at the front desk, where new patients spend twenty minutes or more filling out paper forms that are then typed into the computer by hand. Doctors, the review noted, usually see patients within ten minutes once they reach an exam room. Even so, the clinic's board has voted to hire a third doctor to cut the waits.
Which statement best compares the board's plan with the problem described in the review?
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: The plan adds a doctor, but the review traces most of the delay to front-desk paperwork. Line up the problem's cause with the proposed fix. The review places most of the delay at front-desk paperwork and says doctors move quickly, but the board's fix adds a doctor. The plan and the identified cause do not match.
A: The review blames paperwork at the front desk, not a shortage of doctors, so the plan does not match the stated cause.
B: The board has only voted to hire; no result is reported, so this treats a plan as an outcome.
C (correct): The review says doctors see patients quickly and that paperwork causes most of the wait, so the fix targets a different part of the visit.
D: The review says the opposite, noting that doctors usually see patients within ten minutes.
Practice 13 of 38 · hard
Two years ago, the Brookfield school district switched from a five-day to a four-day school week. The superintendent says the change "has not hurt learning at all," pointing to steady test scores. In this column, I grant that the shorter week has cut the district's bus and heating costs by about $300,000 a year. Even so, the state has not yet released test results for either year since the switch, and many working parents now pay for a fifth day of child care. Until real scores are available, I believe the district should return to the five-day schedule.
Which statement best describes the columnist's comparison of the two schedules?
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: The columnist admits that the four-day week saves money but still favors the five-day week. The columnist concedes a point (the four-day week saves money) and then makes the stronger claim (return to five days). The steady-scores claim belongs to the superintendent, and the columnist even questions it because no state scores have been released.
A: This mistakes the concession for the main point; the columnist ends by calling for a return to five days.
B: The claim about steady scores is the superintendent's, and the columnist points out that state scores have not been released.
C (correct): The phrase I grant marks the cost savings as a concession, and the closing sentence states the columnist's real position.
D: This swaps the features; the passage says the four-day week is the one that cut bus and heating costs.
Practice 14 of 38 · medium
A road crew tested two kinds of work gloves over a summer of paving jobs. In most of the cut tests, the leather gloves resisted sharp edges better than the synthetic gloves did, though in a few tests the synthetic pair held up just as well. In every wet-weather trial, however, the synthetic gloves kept the workers' hands drier. Both pairs cost about the same, and the crew chief said he would order some of each.
Which statement agrees with the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: Leather usually resisted cuts better, and synthetic kept hands drier in every wet trial. Keep each qualifier with its own subject. The leather gloves did better in most cut tests, not all of them, and the synthetic gloves stayed drier in every wet trial. Only the statement that keeps usually for leather and every time for synthetic matches.
A: The passage says most tests, and it notes a few where the synthetic gloves held up just as well.
B: This weakens an absolute claim; the passage says the synthetic gloves stayed drier in every wet-weather trial.
C: Both features are swapped between the two kinds of gloves.
D (correct): This keeps the qualifier most for the leather gloves and the absolute every for the synthetic gloves, just as the passage does.
Practice 15 of 38 · medium
A warehouse is choosing between two forklifts. Inside the building, managers prefer the electric forklift because it gives off no exhaust and runs quietly near workers. When lifting loads heavier than 5,000 pounds, the propane forklift holds its speed better than the electric one, which slows noticeably near its weight limit. The salesperson's report gives purchase prices for both machines but says nothing about how they compare on lighter loads.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: The propane forklift's speed advantage is described only for loads over 5,000 pounds. Keep the condition attached to each comparison. The propane forklift's speed edge is stated only for loads over 5,000 pounds, and the electric forklift is preferred only for indoor work. Lighter loads are never compared, so that cell of the grid is empty.
A: This stretches a comparison stated only for loads over 5,000 pounds to all loads.
B: The preference for the electric forklift is stated for work inside the building, not outdoors.
C (correct): The passage limits the speed comparison to heavy loads and says nothing about lighter ones.
D: The report says nothing about lighter loads, so a difference there cannot be assumed.
Practice 16 of 38 · easy
Travelers arriving at the Sandport airport have four ways to reach downtown. The train is the fastest, making the trip in about 20 minutes for a fare of $14. The shuttle bus is the cheapest at $9, but it stops at several hotels and takes close to an hour. A ride-share car runs about $30 and takes roughly 30 minutes. A taxi costs about $45, yet it is the only choice whose driver will help load heavy bags.
According to the passage, which way of getting downtown costs the least?
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: The shuttle bus. The question asks about cost, so compare the four prices: train $14, shuttle bus $9, ride-share about $30, taxi about $45. The shuttle bus is the cheapest; being fastest is the train's feature.
A: The train is the fastest way downtown, but at $14 it costs more than the shuttle bus.
B (correct): At $9, the shuttle bus is the lowest fare of the four, as the passage says outright.
C: At about $45, the taxi is the most expensive choice; its special feature is help with heavy bags.
D: At about $30, the ride-share costs more than both the shuttle bus and the train.
Practice 17 of 38 · hard
A plumber described two water heaters to a homeowner. Both models run on natural gas, and both come with a ten-year warranty. The tank model stores 50 gallons of hot water and costs about $900 installed. The tankless model heats water only as it flows through the unit, so it does not run out during a long shower, but it costs about $2,000 installed and may need a larger gas line. The plumber said either heater would meet the family's needs.
Which statement correctly gives one similarity and one difference between the two heaters?
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: Both carry a ten-year warranty, but the tankless model costs more to install. Check each half of a two-part answer separately against the passage. Only the statement pairing the shared ten-year warranty with the higher installed price of the tankless model has a true similarity and a true difference.
A: The difference is accurate, but the similarity is false: the tank model costs about $900 and the tankless about $2,000.
B: The similarity is accurate, but the difference swaps the prices; the tankless model is the more expensive one.
C: The similarity is accurate, but the passage never compares how much gas each heater uses, so this difference is invented.
D (correct): Both halves are stated: each model has a ten-year warranty, and the tankless model costs about $2,000 versus about $900.
Practice 18 of 38 · easy
A safety supply store stocks two work boots. The Ridgeline boot has a steel toe and weighs about 4 pounds per pair. The Trailhead boot has a composite toe made of hard plastic, weighs about 3 pounds per pair, and has a waterproof lining. Both boots are rated to protect against electrical hazards, and both have slip-resistant soles. The store manager says the two boots sell in about equal numbers.
According to the passage, which feature belongs to the Ridgeline boot?
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: A steel toe. Sort each detail into a column for its boot. The Ridgeline column holds a steel toe and a weight of about 4 pounds; the other listed features belong to the Trailhead or to both.
A: The waterproof lining is listed for the Trailhead boot, not the Ridgeline.
B (correct): The passage states that the Ridgeline boot has a steel toe.
C: The composite toe made of hard plastic belongs to the Trailhead boot.
D: About 3 pounds is the Trailhead's weight; the Ridgeline weighs about 4 pounds.
Practice 19 of 38 · easy
Two ferries carry passengers from Port Kendall to Gull Island each day. The morning ferry stops at the old fishing pier on the way, whereas the afternoon ferry runs straight to the island. Both boats carry cars as well as walk-on passengers, and both charge the same $18 round-trip fare. Riders are asked to arrive fifteen minutes before either departure.
According to the passage, how do the two ferries differ?
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: Only the morning ferry stops at the fishing pier. The contrast signal whereas marks the difference: the morning ferry stops at the fishing pier and the afternoon ferry does not. Fare, car service and arrival time are all shared.
A (correct): The word whereas sets up the contrast: the morning ferry stops at the pier, while the afternoon ferry goes directly.
B: Both ferries charge the same $18 round-trip fare, so fare is a similarity.
C: The passage says both boats carry cars, so this is a shared feature.
D: This swaps the sides; it is the morning ferry that stops at the pier.
Practice 20 of 38 · medium
All three campgrounds in Cedar Lake State Park have fire rings and picnic tables at every site. Only the Lakeshore campground has hot showers. Pine Hollow and Lakeshore both allow RVs, while Bluff Top is open to tents only. Bluff Top, however, is the only campground whose sites overlook the lake from a high ridge, and it fills up first on summer weekends.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: Campers at Pine Hollow will not find hot showers there. The word only marks an exclusive feature. Saying only Lakeshore has hot showers rules out showers at Pine Hollow and Bluff Top, so a camper at Pine Hollow will not find them.
A: All three campgrounds have fire rings; Bluff Top's exclusive feature is its ridge view.
B: Pine Hollow also allows RVs, so RV access is not exclusive to Lakeshore.
C: Bluff Top is tents only; the RV sites are at Pine Hollow and Lakeshore.
D (correct): Because only Lakeshore has hot showers, the other two campgrounds, including Pine Hollow, lack them.
Practice 21 of 38 · hard
In September, two Army recruiting offices in the same district scheduled applicants for the ASVAB. The Dayton office, which has three recruiters, scheduled 60 applicants. The Akron office, which also has three recruiters, scheduled 80. The district commander posted both totals at the monthly meeting and asked each office to explain its numbers. Neither office had any recruiters on leave during the month.
Which statement correctly compares the two offices?
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: Dayton scheduled 25 percent fewer applicants than Akron. Find the gap, then divide by the subject after than. The gap is
80 - 60 = 20
Compared with Akron, Dayton had
20/80 = 25 percent
fewer; compared with Dayton, Akron had 20/60, about 33 percent more.
A: This divides the gap of 20 by Dayton's 60, but a fewer-than comparison with Akron must use Akron's 80 as the base.
B: This divides 20 by Akron's 80; a more-than-Dayton comparison uses Dayton's 60 as the base, giving about 33 percent.
C: This treats the gap of 20 applicants as a percent without dividing by any base.
D (correct): The gap is 80 - 60 = 20 applicants, and 20 out of Akron's 80 is 25 percent.
Practice 22 of 38 · medium
In June, the transit authority retired the Route 6 bus and launched Route 14 to serve the same neighborhoods. Route 14 is about 3 miles shorter because it no longer loops through the industrial park. Workers who commute to the park now ride Route 20, a line that has run for years and is slower than Route 14 during rush hour. Transit officials call Route 14 the most popular line the city has added in a decade.
When the passage says Route 14 is about 3 miles shorter, what is it being compared with?
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: The Route 6 line it replaced. A comparative needs a reference point. The sentence about length follows directly from Route 14 replacing Route 6, and it explains that the new route skips the loop, so Route 14 is shorter than Route 6.
A: Route 20 is compared with Route 14 on speed during rush hour, not on length.
B (correct): Route 14 replaced Route 6 and is shorter because it skips the loop that Route 6 made through the industrial park.
C: Those lines are mentioned only in the officials' popularity claim, not in the length comparison.
D: The loop explains why the route is shorter; it is not the route being measured against.
Practice 23 of 38 · hard
Two contractors bid to insulate the base gym. Northfield Insulation proposed spray foam and promised that it "will cut the gym's heating bills by 40 percent." Delmar Builders proposed fiberglass batts and pointed to a nearby school it insulated last year; the school's records show its heating bill fell 18 percent the following winter. The base engineer noted that the gym is older than the school and has more air leaks around its doors and windows.
Which statement best compares the evidence each contractor offered?
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: Northfield offered a prediction, while Delmar pointed to a measured result at another building. Separate claims and forecasts from observed results. Northfield's figure is a promise using will, while Delmar's figure was recorded at a different building, so the fair comparison is a prediction versus a measured result elsewhere.
A: This treats Northfield's promise as a measured fact and compares it with a result from a different building.
B (correct): Northfield's 40 percent is a forecast in quotation marks, and Delmar's 18 percent comes from the school's actual records.
C: Only Delmar cited an earlier job; Northfield gave only a promise about the gym.
D: The 18 percent was measured at the school, and the engineer notes the gym is older and leakier, so the result cannot simply be carried over.
Practice 24 of 38 · hard
A testing lab compared three portable generators, each started with a full tank. Running at half load, Generator A kept going for 9 hours, longer than Generator B did under the same load. Generator C ran for 11 hours, but the lab tested it only at quarter load because the test schedule ran short. The lab's report does not give Generator B's exact run time.
Which conclusion is supported by the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: At half load, Generator B ran for less than 9 hours. Apply one rule to every case: compare only generators tested under the same condition. A and B share the half-load test, and A lasted 9 hours, longer than B, so B ran for less than 9 hours; C's quarter-load result cannot be ranked with them.
A (correct): The passage says A ran 9 hours at half load, longer than B did under the same load, so B ran for less than 9 hours.
B: C was tested only at quarter load, so its 11 hours cannot be ranked against the half-load results.
C: A was compared only with B at half load; this superlative adds C and all loads without support.
D: B's exact time is not given, and B and C were tested under different loads.
Practice 25 of 38 · easy
The Oakwood apartments ban smoking in every unit and on every balcony. Likewise, the Grand Terrace building across the street does not allow smoking anywhere indoors. Oakwood allows tenants to keep cats but not dogs, while Grand Terrace accepts both. Grand Terrace also has a rooftop deck with grills that residents can reserve. Both buildings are managed by the same rental company.
What do the two buildings have in common?
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: Neither allows smoking indoors. Likewise is a similarity signal: it tells you Grand Terrace follows the same kind of rule as Oakwood. Both buildings forbid indoor smoking, while pets and the rooftop deck are differences.
A: Only Grand Terrace is said to have a rooftop deck.
B: Oakwood allows cats but not dogs, so this is a difference.
C: Rent is never mentioned, so this similarity is invented.
D (correct): The signal word likewise links Oakwood's smoking ban to Grand Terrace's ban on indoor smoking.
Practice 26 of 38 · hard
A county road report compared two routes from Millbrook to the regional hospital. During the morning rush, Highway 12 averages 25 minutes, while Old Mill Road averages 19 minutes. Late at night, when traffic is light, Highway 12 takes about 14 minutes and Old Mill Road about 17, because the old road has a lower speed limit and several stop signs. The report did not study weekend traffic.
A driver must make the trip at 2 a.m. on a Wednesday. Based on the report, which route should be faster?
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: Highway 12, by about 3 minutes. Match the time condition in the question. A weekday trip at 2 a.m. falls under the late-night figures:
17 - 14 = 3
so Highway 12 is faster by about 3 minutes, even though Old Mill Road wins at rush hour.
A: The 6-minute edge for Old Mill Road applies to the morning rush, not to late night.
B (correct): At night Highway 12 takes about 14 minutes and Old Mill Road about 17, a difference of 3 minutes.
C: This subtracts Highway 12's night time from its own rush-hour time instead of comparing the two roads.
D: The 3-minute gap is right, but it favors Highway 12; this swaps the two routes.
Practice 27 of 38 · medium
A landscaping company is shopping for a pickup truck. According to the dealer's sheet, the Colt XL can tow 9,000 pounds and gets 19 miles per gallon on the highway. The Granite 2500 can tow 12,500 pounds and has a longer cargo bed. The sheet does not list the Granite's highway fuel mileage. The company's owner says the truck will often pull a trailer loaded with mowers.
Which statement makes a fair comparison based on the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: The Granite 2500 can tow 3,500 pounds more than the Colt XL. A fair comparison lines up the same feature on both sides. Towing capacity is given for both trucks, and
12,500 - 9,000 = 3,500 pounds
mileage is known for only one truck.
A (correct): Both towing ratings are given, and 12,500 - 9,000 = 3,500 pounds.
B: The Granite's mileage is not listed, so no mileage comparison can be made.
C: This weighs mileage on one side against towing on the other, which compares different dimensions.
D: The dimension is matched, but the subtraction is off; 12,500 - 9,000 is 3,500.
Practice 28 of 38 · medium
Sleet and hail are both forms of frozen precipitation, but they form in different ways. Sleet usually falls in winter, when snowflakes melt as they pass through a layer of warm air and then refreeze into small ice pellets in colder air near the ground. Hail forms inside strong thunderstorms, where rising air carries raindrops high into the cloud again and again, adding layers of ice until the stones are heavy enough to fall. Hailstones can grow much larger than sleet pellets.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: Both are frozen precipitation, but hail builds up inside thunderstorm updrafts. Belonging to the same group is a similarity, not proof of identity. The passage puts both in the category of frozen precipitation and then gives hail the thunderstorm-updraft process and sleet the melt-and-refreeze process.
A: Sharing a category does not make them identical; the passage stresses that they form in different ways.
B: The passage describes two different formation processes, not one process at different times.
C (correct): This keeps the shared category and correctly assigns the thunderstorm process to hail.
D: The category is right, but the thunderstorm process belongs to hail, not sleet.
Practice 29 of 38 · easy
A new resident is choosing between two gyms near her home. Iron Works offers a free first week for new members and has an indoor lap pool. Summit Fitness offers free group classes every morning and stays open 24 hours a day. Both gyms charge a one-time sign-up fee, and both offer a discount to members who pay for a full year in advance.
What does the passage say about a pool at Summit Fitness?
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: Nothing; a pool is mentioned only for Iron Works. In a two-column grid, the pool cell for Iron Works is filled, but the cell for Summit Fitness is empty. An empty cell is an unknown, not a difference.
A (correct): The passage lists a pool for Iron Works and is silent about one at Summit, so Summit's pool is an unknown.
B: Silence is not evidence that a feature is missing; the passage never says Summit lacks a pool.
C: No pool is described at Summit, so no size comparison is possible.
D: The 24-hour detail applies to the gym's hours, and no pool is mentioned there.
Practice 30 of 38 · easy
Engine 4 and Engine 7 are the two pumpers in the county fire district. Both trucks carry 750 gallons of water and can pump 1,500 gallons per minute from a hydrant. Engine 4 is fitted with a 75-foot aerial ladder for reaching upper floors. Engine 7 carries only a 35-foot ground ladder, but it holds extra rescue tools for highway crashes.
According to the passage, how do the two engines differ?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Engine 4 has the longer ladder. Line up each feature for both engines. Water and pump rate match, but ladder length differs: 75 feet on Engine 4 versus 35 feet on Engine 7.
A: Both trucks carry 750 gallons, so water capacity is a similarity.
B: This swaps the ladders; Engine 7's ladder is 35 feet and Engine 4's is 75 feet.
C (correct): Engine 4 has a 75-foot aerial ladder, while Engine 7 has a 35-foot ground ladder.
D: Both engines pump 1,500 gallons per minute, so pump rate is shared.
Practice 31 of 38 · medium
A heating company's training director wrote a note about certification prep. "Admittedly, our evening classroom course gives technicians more hands-on time with real furnaces than the online course does. Even so, I recommend the online course for most of our staff. Technicians can study between service calls, and most finish in about six weeks instead of the twelve the classroom course takes."
What is the director's main point?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: The online course's flexibility and speed outweigh the classroom's extra hands-on time. A concession word such as admittedly grants a point before the writer makes a stronger one. The director grants the classroom's hands-on edge, then stresses the online course's flexibility and six-week finish as the reason for the recommendation.
A: Admittedly marks the hands-on advantage as a point the director concedes, not the main point; the director recommends the online course.
B (correct): After conceding the hands-on advantage, the director recommends the online course for its flexible schedule and faster finish.
C: The director says the classroom course gives more hands-on time, so they are not equal.
D: This moves the hands-on advantage to the wrong side; it belongs to the classroom course.
Practice 32 of 38 · medium
The motor pool manager reported on last week's winter-readiness check of the unit's 12 vehicles. Every vehicle passed the antifreeze test except the two cargo vans, which needed fresh coolant. Snow tires were installed on all of the trucks but not on the sedans, which are still on all-season tires because the tire order was delayed. The manager expects the sedan tires to arrive next week.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Ten of the 12 vehicles passed the antifreeze test. Exception words limit a comparison. Except the two cargo vans means
12 - 2 = 10
vehicles passed the antifreeze test, and but not on the sedans means the snow-tire statement does not cover every vehicle.
A: This ignores the exception; the two cargo vans did not pass.
B: The sedans' problem was tires, not antifreeze; only the cargo vans needed coolant.
C: The phrase but not on the sedans excludes them; they are still on all-season tires.
D (correct): Every vehicle passed except the two cargo vans, and 12 - 2 = 10.
Practice 33 of 38 · medium
A hardware store sells two kitchen thermometers. The dial model needs no battery and can stay inside a roast while it cooks in the oven, but it takes about 20 seconds to settle on a reading. The digital model shows a reading in about 3 seconds and can switch between Fahrenheit and Celsius, but it runs on a small battery and must not be left in a hot oven. The store's display card lists these features side by side.
Which statement best describes how the passage presents the two thermometers?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: It describes how the thermometers differ without saying which to buy. Describing differences is not the same as evaluating. Each model has an advantage the other lacks, and the passage never states a criterion or a winner, so it compares without recommending.
A: Speed is one listed difference, but the passage never ranks the thermometers.
B: Needing no battery is a listed feature, not a stated preference.
C (correct): The passage lists strengths and drawbacks of each model and names no winner.
D: The dial model takes about 20 seconds and the digital about 3, so their speed differs.
Practice 34 of 38 · medium
After two workers slipped on icy steps last winter, a warehouse installed heated mats at both of its entrances. Managers said the goal was to prevent any more falls. During the first winter with the mats, no one fell at either entrance, but the building's electric bill rose by about $300 a month. The managers plan to review the cost again next spring.
Which statement correctly separates the cause of the change from its results?
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: Earlier falls led to the mats, and the first winter brought no falls but higher power bills. Sort the details by kind. Cause: two workers slipped last winter. Purpose: prevent falls. Results: no falls at the entrances and an electric bill about $300 a month higher.
A (correct): The falls caused the change, and the first winter's results were zero falls and about $300 more a month for power.
B: The purpose was to prevent falls; the electric bill actually went up.
C: The higher bills were a result of the mats, not the reason they were installed.
D: The purpose is right, but the result is reversed; no one fell at either entrance during the first winter.
Practice 35 of 38 · medium
A state forestry study compared two kinds of fence posts in wet, low-lying pastures along the coast. After eight years, pressure-treated pine posts showed little rot, while untreated cedar posts had rotted at ground level in about one third of cases. The researchers noted that soggy soil speeds decay. The study did not test any posts in dry upland fields.
Which conclusion does the study support?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: In wet coastal pastures, treated pine held up better than untreated cedar. A comparison stated for one setting stays inside that setting. The study tested only wet coastal pastures, where treated pine showed little rot and cedar often rotted, so the supported conclusion is limited to that setting.
A: The study covered only wet coastal pastures, so it says nothing about other kinds of fields.
B: The one-third figure comes from the wet coastal pastures; dry upland fields were never tested.
C (correct): This keeps the result inside the setting the study actually tested.
D: This reverses the result; the cedar posts were the ones that rotted.
Practice 36 of 38 · medium
The Harbor Inn and the Plaza Suites are both a short walk from the convention center. A standard room at either hotel costs $139 a night. The Harbor Inn includes a hot breakfast with every stay, while the Plaza Suites charges $12 for its breakfast buffet. The Plaza Suites, however, offers free parking, which costs $20 a night at the Harbor Inn.
Which statement correctly restates information from the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: The two hotels are equally priced for a standard room. Compare meanings, not exact wording. The passage says a standard room costs $139 at either hotel, which is the same as saying the rooms are equally priced, while parking and breakfast are real differences between the hotels.
A: Both hotels charge $139 a night for a standard room.
B (correct): A cost of $139 a night at either hotel means the standard rooms are priced the same, said in different words.
C: Parking is free at the Plaza Suites but $20 a night at the Harbor Inn.
D: Only the Harbor Inn includes breakfast; the Plaza Suites charges $12.
Practice 37 of 38 · easy
Unlike the paper logbook the motor pool used for years, the new tablet system records each vehicle's mileage automatically when it returns to the lot. Drivers no longer have to write down their odometer readings by hand. The dispatcher says the tablets have also made it easier to see which vehicles are due for oil changes. A few older drivers say they still keep a small notebook in the glove box out of habit.
Which two things does the first sentence compare?
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: A paper logbook and a tablet system. Start by naming the two subjects. The contrast signal unlike points to the paper logbook on one side and the tablet system on the other.
A (correct): The word unlike sets the old paper logbook against the new tablet system.
B: No two vehicles are compared; the vehicles are what both systems keep track of.
C: These are details the tablet system tracks, not the two subjects being compared.
D: These are people mentioned in the passage, not the subjects of the comparison.
Practice 38 of 38 · hard
The county is weighing two plans to stop flooding on Mill Street. Engineer Dana Cho favors a larger storm drain, which she says "will end the flooding for good." Council member Ray Ellis prefers a retention pond upstream, calling the drain "a costly fix that just moves the water downstream." According to county estimates, the drain would cost about $2.1 million and the pond about $1.4 million. A similar pond in a neighboring town reduced street flooding there but did not end it.
Which statement is supported by the article itself rather than only by a quoted speaker?
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: The pond plan is estimated to cost less than the drain plan. Track who holds each view. The quoted claims belong to the engineer and the council member, while the cost estimates are reported by the article itself: $1.4 million for the pond is less than $2.1 million for the drain.
A: This is the engineer's prediction in quotation marks, not something the article reports as fact.
B: This is the council member's opinion, and the article does not confirm it.
C (correct): The article reports county estimates of about $1.4 million for the pond and $2.1 million for the drain.
D: The neighboring town's pond reduced flooding but did not end it, so this goes beyond the evidence.
About this test
Each answer includes an explanation that sets the two sides next to each other and shows where a distractor swapped attributes, changed the comparison dimension or treated a forecast as a result. Build a quick two-column grid for any passage you missed, then reread the matching sections of the Compare and Contrast lesson, such as comparatives needing a reference point or not stated versus not true.
For more work on this skill, 38 extra practice questions for this lesson are available after review. Your result shows practice accuracy for comparison items and is not an ASVAB or AFQT score.
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