This test measures whether you can locate a stated fact and confirm it with evidence instead of a familiar-looking phrase. You get 28 original Paragraph Comprehension questions that test dates, numbers with labels, comparisons, pronoun references, exceptions and multi-part details.
The Riverside Community Center has posted its winter pool schedule. The building opens at 6 a.m. on weekdays, and lap swimming is available from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. Water aerobics classes meet at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Youth swim lessons begin at 4 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, and the pool closes to the public at 8 p.m. every evening. Staff ask swimmers to arrive a few minutes early so they can shower before entering the water.
According to the passage, at what time do youth swim lessons begin?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: 4 p.m. The question asks for the start time of one event, youth swim lessons. The sentence about lessons says they begin at 4 p.m.; the other times in the schedule belong to opening, aerobics, and closing.
A: This is closing time for the pool, so it is attached to a different event.
B (correct): The passage states that youth swim lessons begin at 4 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.
C: This time belongs to the water aerobics classes, a different event in the schedule.
D: This is when the building opens and lap swimming starts, not when youth lessons begin.
Question 2 of 28 · easy
A hardware store's spring delivery arrived on Tuesday morning. The truck carried 18 bags of potting soil, 24 bags of mulch, and 9 wheelbarrows. Store workers unloaded everything before noon and stacked the bags near the garden entrance. The manager said the wheelbarrows would be assembled later in the week, because each one needed its handles and wheel attached before it could be placed on the sales floor.
How many bags of mulch were on the truck?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: 24 bags. Find the number whose label is "bags of mulch." The passage lists 18 bags of potting soil, 24 bags of mulch, and 9 wheelbarrows, so the truck carried 24 bags of mulch.
A: This adds the soil and mulch bags together, which the question did not ask for.
B: Nine is the number of wheelbarrows, not bags of mulch.
C (correct): The passage pairs the number 24 directly with bags of mulch.
D: Eighteen is the number of bags of potting soil, so it is attached to the wrong item.
Question 3 of 28 · easy
Last week the Pine Street apartment building had a problem with the lights in its back stairwell. A tenant on the third floor noticed that the lights flickered at night and reported it to the building office. The property manager then called an electrician, who replaced a faulty switch on Thursday afternoon. The building owner later approved the cost of the repair and thanked the tenant for speaking up quickly.
According to the passage, who replaced the faulty switch?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: An electrician. The question asks for the agent of one action: replacing the switch. The sentence says the manager called an electrician, "who replaced a faulty switch," so the electrician did it. The tenant reported, the manager called, and the owner approved.
A (correct): The passage says the electrician who was called replaced the faulty switch.
B: The property manager called for help; making the repair was someone else's action.
C: The owner approved the cost afterward, which is a different action from replacing the switch.
D: The tenant noticed and reported the flickering lights but did not do the repair.
Question 4 of 28 · easy
At the county fairgrounds, the maintenance crew keeps its supplies in three separate places. Lawn mowers and trimmers are stored in the east barn. Paint, brushes, and ladders are kept in the small workshop beside the main gate. Bags of road salt and sand for winter use are stored in the west barn, where the floor stays dry. Crew members must sign out any equipment they take from these buildings.
According to the passage, where is the paint kept?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: In the workshop beside the main gate. Sort the items by location: mowers and trimmers in the east barn, paint, brushes, and ladders in the workshop by the main gate, and salt and sand in the west barn. The paint therefore belongs in the workshop beside the main gate.
A: The east barn holds the lawn mowers and trimmers, so this swaps the paint into the wrong place.
B: The west barn holds the road salt and sand, not the paint.
C (correct): The passage states that paint, brushes, and ladders are kept in the small workshop beside the main gate.
D: The passage never mentions an office near the grandstand as a storage place.
Question 5 of 28 · easy
The Maple Grove Public Library is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Saturdays it opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m. The library is closed on Sundays, except during the month of December, when it is open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. so that students have a place to study for final exams. The book drop outside the front door can be used at any hour.
According to the passage, what are the library's hours on a Sunday in December?
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Answer: C
The general rule is that the library is closed on Sundays, but the word "except" introduces December as an exception. During December, Sunday hours are 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and the exception controls the answer.
A: These are the weekday hours, not the hours for a December Sunday.
B: These are the Saturday hours, which apply to a different day.
C (correct): The exception for December Sundays sets the hours at 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
D: This applies the general Sunday rule and ignores the December exception.
Question 6 of 28 · easy
Over the summer, the town of Ashford made several changes to Lakeview Park. Workers installed twelve new benches along the walking path, planted shade trees near the playground, and added two drinking fountains by the picnic area. Town officials said the improvements were meant to make the park more comfortable for families, especially on hot afternoons. More changes, including new lighting for the parking lot, are planned for next year.
According to the passage, how many new benches were installed?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Twelve benches. A "how many" question needs a count, not the main point of the passage. The sentence about the benches states that workers installed twelve of them; the two fountains are a different item.
A (correct): The passage says workers installed twelve new benches along the walking path.
B: The passage never mentions twenty of anything; this number is not stated.
C: This repeats the overall purpose of the changes instead of giving the count the question asks for.
D: Two is the number of drinking fountains, so it is attached to the wrong item.
Question 7 of 28 · easy
The annual Harbor 5K race was scheduled for Saturday morning along the waterfront. On Thursday, the organizers announced that the race would be held on Sunday instead. They explained that the city needed to close the waterfront road on Saturday to repair a broken water main. Runners who could not attend on Sunday were offered a full refund, and about forty people requested one. The starting time of 8 a.m. did not change.
According to the passage, why was the race moved to Sunday?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: The city needed the road on Saturday to fix a water main. The question asks for a reason, so look for the explanation the organizers gave. They said the city needed to close the waterfront road on Saturday to repair a broken water main. The refund requests came afterward and are an outcome.
A (correct): The organizers explained that the city had to close the road on Saturday to repair a broken water main.
B: The refund requests happened after the change was announced, so they are a result, not the reason.
C: Weather is never mentioned; this is a guess, not a stated reason.
D: The passage gives no such goal; this reason is not stated anywhere.
Question 8 of 28 · medium
The shipping clerk received a large crate from a supplier and set it beside the loading door. The foreman then checked the crate's label and found that the order number was missing. He called the supplier's office to ask about it. The office explained that the order number had been printed on a packing list taped inside the lid. It also promised to print order numbers on the outside labels of future shipments.
According to the passage, who promised to print order numbers on outside labels?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: The office of the supplier. The promise appears in the sentence beginning "It also promised." Looking back, the nearest sensible noun for "it" is the supplier's office, which had just explained where the number was printed. So the office made the promise.
A: The foreman made the phone call; "he" refers to the foreman, but the promise is attached to "it."
B: No driver is mentioned in the passage, so this agent is invented.
C: The clerk only received the crate and set it down; the promise came from someone else.
D (correct): In the last sentence, "it" points back to the office, which made the promise.
Question 9 of 28 · medium
Before a new hire at Brightline Bakery can work on the production floor, several steps must be completed. First, the new employee watches a short food-safety video. Next, a supervisor gives a tour of the mixing and baking areas. After the tour, the employee is fitted for a uniform and hairnet. Then the employee passes a written quiz on handwashing and allergen rules. Finally, the employee shadows an experienced baker for one full shift.
What does a new hire do immediately before taking the written quiz?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Gets fitted for a uniform and hairnet. Map the order: video, tour, uniform fitting, written quiz, shadowing. The step directly ahead of the quiz is the uniform and hairnet fitting.
A: The video is the very first step, so it is not immediately before the quiz.
B: Shadowing is the final step and comes after the quiz, not before it.
C: The tour happens earlier in the sequence, but it is not the step immediately before the quiz.
D (correct): The fitting comes right after the tour and right before the quiz, as the word "Then" shows.
Question 10 of 28 · medium
The Delmar Water Department sent a notice to residents of Elm Avenue. Crews will replace the old water lines under the street beginning on May 3. During the work, water service to each home will be shut off for no more than four hours on a single day, and residents will receive a door hanger at least 24 hours before their shutoff. Parking on the north side of Elm Avenue will be prohibited while crews are working.
Which statement agrees with the notice?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Each household will be told at least a day before its water is turned off. The notice says residents get a door hanger "at least 24 hours before their shutoff." Being told at least a day before the water is turned off restates that fact in different words without changing it.
A: The department notifies residents with door hangers; nothing says residents must call.
B (correct): A door hanger arriving at least 24 hours ahead means at least a day of advance notice, an exact paraphrase.
C: The notice says no more than four hours, which is a limit, not an exact length.
D: Only the north side is mentioned, so this overstates the parking rule.
Question 11 of 28 · medium
Two community gardens in the city take different approaches to watering. The Oak Street garden relies on a drip system connected to a timer, so its plants receive water every morning at 5 a.m. In contrast, the Hill Road garden has no automatic system; volunteers there water by hand each evening, using rain barrels that collect runoff from a nearby shed roof. Both gardens grow tomatoes, beans, and squash, and both donate part of their harvest to a local food pantry.
According to the passage, how are the plants watered at the Hill Road garden?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: By hand each evening using rain barrels. The phrase "In contrast" separates the two gardens. The Hill Road side says volunteers water by hand each evening using rain barrels, while the drip system and morning timer belong to Oak Street.
A: Volunteers water by hand in the evening, and no hose is mentioned.
B (correct): The Hill Road sentence says volunteers water by hand each evening with water from rain barrels.
C: This mixes the Oak Street drip system with the Hill Road rain barrels.
D: This describes the Oak Street garden, the other side of the contrast.
Question 12 of 28 · medium
Because delivery trucks kept blocking the fire lane behind the Westgate Mall, the property managers painted new loading zones along the side of the building. They hoped the marked zones would give drivers a clear place to stop without blocking emergency access. The painting took two days and cost less than expected. Within a month, security staff reported that the fire lane had stayed clear on every inspection.
According to the passage, what was the managers' purpose in painting the new loading zones?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: To give drivers a place to stop that kept emergency access open. A purpose is what someone intended. The passage says the managers "hoped the marked zones would give drivers a clear place to stop without blocking emergency access." The blocked lane is the cause, and the clear inspections are the outcome.
A (correct): The managers hoped the zones would give drivers a clear place to stop without blocking emergency access.
B: Shopper parking is never mentioned; this purpose is not stated.
C: The painting cost less than expected, but that was a result, not what the managers set out to do.
D: Security inspections are how the outcome was checked a month later; they were not the purpose of the zones.
Question 13 of 28 · medium
The Cedar Hills youth soccer league has a weather policy for its Saturday games. Games go on as scheduled in light rain, and coaches may not cancel a game simply because the field is wet. Play stops immediately if thunder is heard or lightning is seen, and teams must wait in their cars until 30 minutes have passed without either one. Games are played as scheduled unless the city closes the fields; any closure is posted on the city website by 7 a.m.
According to the passage, what happens to a game when the field is wet from light rain and the city has not closed the fields?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: The game is played as scheduled. Games go on in light rain, coaches may not cancel because of a wet field, and games are played as scheduled unless the city closes the fields. Since the city has not closed them and no storm is mentioned, the game is played as scheduled.
A (correct): Light rain does not stop games, and the unless condition, a city closure, has not occurred.
B: Cancellation happens only when the city closes the fields, which has not happened here.
C: The policy says coaches may not cancel a game just because the field is wet.
D: The 30-minute wait applies after thunder or lightning, not after light rain.
Question 14 of 28 · medium
In March, a safety inspector checked the fire extinguishers on the first two floors of the Carver Office Building. She found that most of the extinguishers she checked were fully charged and properly tagged. A few had expired tags, and one was missing its safety pin. The inspector did not have time to check the third and fourth floors, so she scheduled a second visit for April.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: More than half of the extinguishers she checked were charged and tagged correctly. The passage says "most of the extinguishers she checked" were fully charged and properly tagged. Most means more than half, and the claim stays limited to the extinguishers she actually checked on the first two floors.
A: The passage says most, not all, mentions expired tags, and covers only the floors that were checked.
B (correct): Most means more than half, so this keeps the same strength and the same group as the passage.
C: The third floor was not inspected, so the passage says nothing about its extinguishers.
D: The passage reports a few expired tags and a missing pin without saying which floor they were on, so this claim is not stated.
Question 15 of 28 · medium
The county blood drive will take place at two locations next week. On Tuesday, donors can visit the Lincoln High School gym from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Thursday, the drive moves to the First Street fire station, where it runs from noon to 6 p.m. Donors are asked to eat a full meal and drink extra water before giving blood, and everyone should bring a photo ID.
According to the passage, when and where can someone donate blood on Thursday?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: At the First Street fire station from noon to 6 p.m. Both parts of the answer must match. On Thursday the drive is at the First Street fire station from noon to 6 p.m.; the gym and the 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. hours belong to Tuesday.
A: The place is right for Thursday, but these are the Tuesday hours.
B: Both the place and the hours describe the Tuesday session.
C: The hours are right for Thursday, but the gym is the Tuesday location.
D (correct): The Thursday sentence names the fire station and the hours of noon to 6 p.m.
Question 16 of 28 · medium
The highway department announced that the Route 9 bridge will close for deck repairs starting June 10. Officials expect the work to take about three weeks, depending on the weather. During the closure, traffic will be detoured through Millbrook, which adds up to 15 minutes to a typical trip. Pedestrians will still be able to cross on a temporary walkway along the south side of the bridge.
According to the passage, how long are the bridge repairs expected to take?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Roughly three weeks, depending on the weather. The passage says officials expect the work "to take about three weeks, depending on the weather." The correct choice keeps both the approximate wording and the weather condition, without adding an exact figure or a limit.
A: The passage says about three weeks, so an exact day count adds precision the text does not give; June 10 is only the start date.
B: Fifteen comes from the detour delay of up to 15 minutes, not from the repair schedule.
C: This turns an estimate into an upper limit and ignores the passage's point that the schedule depends on the weather.
D (correct): This matches the passage's wording of about three weeks, with the weather condition kept.
Question 17 of 28 · medium
The Northfield fire department sent two vehicles to the warehouse fire on Grant Street. Engine 4 arrived first and connected to the hydrant at the corner. Ladder 2 arrived about five minutes later. That truck had been equipped last spring with a new thermal camera, which its crew used to search the roof for hot spots. The fire was under control within an hour, and no one was injured.
According to the passage, which vehicle carried a thermal camera?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Ladder 2, which arrived second. Link two sentences: Ladder 2 arrived about five minutes later, and "That truck" had been equipped with a new thermal camera. The pronoun phrase points back to Ladder 2, so it carried the camera.
A: Only one truck is described as having the camera, so this overstates the fact.
B: No third vehicle or other town is mentioned in the passage.
C (correct): "That truck" refers back to Ladder 2, which had been fitted with the thermal camera.
D: Engine 4 connected to the hydrant; the camera sentence follows the mention of Ladder 2.
Question 18 of 28 · medium
The Fairview school district changed its bus routes this fall in order to cut fuel costs. For example, buses that once made separate trips to the Oak Ridge and Pine Hollow neighborhoods now pick up students from both areas on one combined route. The district also replaced three of its oldest buses with newer models. Some parents have complained that the combined route adds ten minutes to their children's ride each morning.
According to the passage, why did the district change its bus routes?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: To reduce the amount it spends on fuel. The phrase "in order to cut fuel costs" gives the reason. The sentence that begins "For example" shows one case of the change, and the parent complaints are a later reaction.
A: Replacing old buses is a separate action, and it is not given as the reason for the route change.
B: The combined route is an example of the change, not the reason the district made it.
C (correct): The first sentence says the routes were changed in order to cut fuel costs.
D: The complaints came after the change and are about it; they did not cause it.
Question 19 of 28 · medium
Three routes connect the town of Bristow to the regional airport. The interstate route is 42 miles long and is usually the fastest. The county road route is shorter than the interstate route, but it passes through several small towns with lower speed limits. The river road route is 38 miles long and is sometimes closed in winter because of flooding. Most travelers choose the interstate unless there has been an accident.
Which statement about the county road route is supported by the passage?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: It is a shorter drive than the interstate. The only comparison given for the county road uses the interstate as its baseline: it is shorter than the 42-mile interstate. No length is given for the county road itself, so it cannot be ranked against the 38-mile river road.
A (correct): The passage directly compares the two and says the county road route is shorter than the interstate route.
B: This reverses the stated comparison, since the interstate is 42 miles and the county road is shorter.
C: The passage says the interstate is usually the fastest, not the county road.
D: The passage compares it only with the interstate; its length compared with the 38-mile river road is never given.
Question 20 of 28 · medium
Last fall, a volunteer group rebuilt the hiking trail at Stone Creek Preserve. Twenty-two volunteers worked on the project, which cost about $3,500 for gravel, lumber, and tools. The work took 9 weekends to finish, and the rebuilt trail is 2.4 miles long. The group plans to add a wooden footbridge over the creek next year, and it is already looking for more volunteers to help.
According to the passage, how long did the trail work take to complete?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: 9 weekends. The question asks for a duration. The passage gives several numbers (22 volunteers, about $3,500, 2.4 miles), but the one tied to time is "The work took 9 weekends to finish."
A: Twenty-two is the number of volunteers, not the length of time the work took.
B (correct): The passage says the work took 9 weekends to finish.
C: The number 2.4 is the trail length in miles, and the unit has been changed as well.
D: The number is right, but the unit is changed from weekends to months.
Question 21 of 28 · hard
The Greenway Transit Authority made several changes to its downtown bus service in January. Buses on the Main Street line now run every 10 minutes during rush hour instead of every 15 minutes. Riders can now pay with a mobile app in addition to cash and passes. Bike racks were added to the front of all Main Street buses, and the stop at Fifth and Market was moved one block north to reduce traffic backups. The authority says it will review ridership numbers in July before deciding whether to make similar changes on other lines.
Which of these changes is NOT stated in the passage?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Service on other lines was increased to match Main Street. Three of the choices restate changes made on the Main Street line. The passage says the authority will review ridership in July "before deciding" about other lines, so no change to other lines has been made or stated.
A (correct): The passage says a decision about other lines will wait until a July review, so this change is not stated.
B: The stop at Fifth and Market was moved one block north, as the passage says.
C: The passage states that riders can now pay with a mobile app.
D: This frequency change is stated in the second sentence.
Question 22 of 28 · hard
The cooling system in the computer room at Delta Logistics has an automatic backup. If the main air conditioner fails, a second unit switches on within 30 seconds. If the room temperature then rises above 85 degrees, an alarm sends a text message to the on-call technician. Technicians test the backup unit on the first Monday of each month by shutting off the main unit for a few minutes.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: A failure of the main air conditioner causes the second unit to start within half a minute. The passage states one direction: if the main unit fails, the second unit switches on within 30 seconds. It does not say the second unit runs only after a failure, and the alarm needs a second condition, a temperature above 85 degrees.
A: The passage allows for the temperature rising above 85 degrees and sets an alarm for it.
B: This reverses the conditional; the passage even describes monthly tests in which the backup runs without a failure.
C: The alarm depends on the temperature rising above 85 degrees, not on the failure alone.
D (correct): This restates the first if-then rule in the same direction, with 30 seconds paraphrased as half a minute.
Question 23 of 28 · hard
Four crews from the Linwood Public Works Department were assigned to storm cleanup on Monday. The Alpha crew cleared fallen branches on Birch Road starting at 7 a.m. The Bravo crew began pumping water from the Elm Street underpass at 8 a.m., while the Charlie crew repaired a damaged stop sign on Cole Avenue at the same hour. The Delta crew started at 9 a.m., hauling debris from the Birch Road site to the county landfill. By late afternoon, all four crews had finished their assignments.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
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Answer: D
A quick table helps: Alpha, branches on Birch Road, 7 a.m.; Bravo, underpass pumping, 8 a.m.; Charlie, stop sign on Cole Avenue, 8 a.m.; Delta, hauling Birch Road debris, 9 a.m. Only the Delta statement keeps every crew, task, and time together correctly.
A: The time is right, but pumping water was the Bravo crew's job; Charlie repaired a stop sign.
B: Bravo started at 8 a.m., but it pumped water at the underpass; clearing branches was Alpha's job.
C: Alpha did start at 7 a.m., but it cleared branches on Birch Road; the stop sign was Charlie's task.
D (correct): The passage says Delta started at 9 a.m., hauling debris from the Birch Road site to the landfill.
Question 24 of 28 · hard
The Westfield Community Apiary sits on a half-acre lot behind the public library. Volunteers care for 14 beehives there. During the summer, a beekeeper opens each hive about every 10 days to check the health of the queen and look for signs of disease. Last year the apiary harvested 310 pounds of honey; most of it was sold at the Saturday farmers market, and the money paid for new equipment. Visitors may watch the hives from a fenced viewing area, but only trained volunteers may enter the hive yard.
Which statement is directly supported by the passage?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Money from honey sales was used to buy new equipment. The passage states that most of the honey was sold at the farmers market "and the money paid for new equipment." The nectar statement comes from outside knowledge, the all statement overstates most, and the visitor statement contradicts the only-trained-volunteers rule.
A: This may be true in general, but the passage never says it, so it is background knowledge rather than text evidence.
B: The passage says most of the honey was sold there, so all overstates the claim.
C (correct): The passage says the honey was sold and the money paid for new equipment, which this restates.
D: The passage limits the hive yard to trained volunteers only; this adds an exception that is not stated.
Question 25 of 28 · hard
After a windstorm, the maintenance staff at Harbor View Apartments inspected the property. They found that the wooden fence along the north parking lot had several broken boards, which they repaired on Tuesday. A long section of gutter on Building C had pulled loose from the roof; the staff ordered a replacement gutter, which is expected to arrive next week. The playground equipment was undamaged, although staff removed fallen branches from the area as a precaution.
According to the passage, what is the status of the gutter on Building C?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: A replacement has been ordered and should arrive next week. Find the sentence about Building C, which says the gutter pulled loose, and staff ordered a replacement expected to arrive next week. Choices that mention Tuesday or a precaution reuse words from other sentences about the fence and the playground.
A: This borrows words from the passage but turns an ordered part into a finished replacement.
B (correct): The passage says staff ordered a replacement gutter that is expected next week.
C: Tuesday's repair was to the fence boards; the gutter has not been fixed yet.
D: The precaution was removing branches from the playground; the gutter had pulled loose and was not removed by staff.
Question 26 of 28 · hard
Every vehicle in the Summit County road crew fleet must carry a winter safety kit from November through March. According to county guidelines, the kit includes a shovel, a bag of sand, road flares, and a first-aid kit. Drivers are also required to carry a fully charged radio. Only supervisors may approve removing a kit from a vehicle, and any missing item must be reported to the fleet office within one day.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: A driver may not take a kit out of a vehicle without a supervisor's approval. The limiting word "only" in "Only supervisors may approve removing a kit" means no one else can give that approval, so a driver needs a supervisor's approval. The word "includes" does not mark a complete list, so the claim that the kit holds nothing else goes beyond the text.
A: The requirement covers November through March only, not the whole year.
B (correct): Since only supervisors may approve removing a kit, a driver needs that approval first.
C: The passage says the kit includes these items; it never says they are the only contents.
D: Missing items go to the fleet office within one day, so both the recipient and the time limit are changed.
Question 27 of 28 · hard
The Oakdale city recycling center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. On the first Saturday of each month, the center stays open until 7 p.m. to accept electronics, such as old computers and televisions. Electronics are accepted only on that day. The center is closed on Sundays and Mondays, except on Memorial Day, when it is open from 8 a.m. to noon for yard waste only.
A resident wants to drop off an old television. According to the passage, when can the resident do so?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: On the first Saturday of the month, as late as 7 p.m. The passage names televisions as electronics and says electronics are accepted "only on that day," the first Saturday of the month, when the center is open until 7 p.m. The regular hours and the Memorial Day exception do not cover electronics.
A: The Memorial Day opening is for yard waste only, so a television would not be accepted.
B: These are the regular hours, but electronics are accepted only on the first Saturday of the month.
C: The extended hours and electronics collection apply only to the first Saturday of each month, not every Saturday.
D (correct): Televisions are electronics, which are accepted only on the first Saturday, when the center stays open until 7 p.m.
Question 28 of 28 · hard
On Saturday the Brookside Fire Department held its first open house in five years. The parking lot was full by 10 a.m., and volunteers handed out 400 plastic helmets to children before noon. Firefighters showed visitors how to use a fire extinguisher and let them sit in the cab of a ladder truck. By the end of the day, the department had collected 85 sign-up forms from residents interested in its volunteer training program.
Which statement is directly stated in the passage rather than inferred from it?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: By noon, 400 plastic helmets had been given to children. Only the helmet statement can be pointed to in the text: volunteers handed out 400 plastic helmets to children before noon. The other choices require a reasoning step, such as concluding popularity from a full parking lot, that the passage never takes.
A: The 85 sign-up forms show interest, but the passage does not say anyone will actually join.
B: The passage mentions only this open house and the five-year gap; no future plans are stated.
C (correct): The passage says volunteers handed out 400 plastic helmets to children before noon, which this restates.
D: A full lot suggests popularity, but the passage never says what the department expected.
Three charter boats leave the Port Haven marina every Saturday. The Sea Lark, docked at Slip 6, takes fishing groups out at 6 a.m. and returns by noon. The Gray Heron, at Slip 2, runs a harbor sightseeing cruise at 10 a.m. The Tidewater sails from Slip 9 at 2 p.m. for an afternoon dinner trip along the coast. From December through February, however, the Sea Lark is hauled out of the water for repairs, and during those months the Tidewater uses Slip 6 instead of its usual slip. All passengers must check in at the dock office thirty minutes before departure.
According to the passage, from which slip and at what time does the Tidewater depart on a Saturday in January?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Slip 6 at 2 p.m. Sort the facts by boat: the Tidewater normally leaves Slip 9 at 2 p.m. The exception says that from December through February it uses Slip 6, and nothing changes its time. Both parts of the answer must match, so the Tidewater leaves Slip 6 at 2 p.m.
A: This is the Tidewater's usual slip, but the exception for December through February moves it to Slip 6.
B: Slip 6 is right for January, but 6 a.m. is the Sea Lark's departure time, not the Tidewater's.
C: 1:30 p.m. is when Tidewater passengers must check in, thirty minutes before the boat actually departs.
D (correct): January falls in the December-through-February exception, so the Tidewater moves to Slip 6, and its departure time stays 2 p.m.
Practice 2 of 38 · hard
Campers at Lake Arrow may take out canoes between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Each canoe must carry two people, and every paddler must wear a life jacket that a counselor has checked for fit. Canoes must stay inside the swimming area marked by orange buoys and may not cross to the far shore. While canoes are out, a counselor in a small motorboat watches the water. One long whistle blast from that counselor means every canoe must return to the dock at once.
Which of the following is NOT stated as a rule in the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: A counselor must ride in every canoe. In a NOT question, three choices are supported and the answer is the one that is not. The two-person rule, the buoy boundary and the whistle signal all appear in the passage. A counselor is mentioned only as watching from a motorboat, so a rule that a counselor ride in every canoe is not stated.
A: The passage states this rule directly, so it cannot be the answer to a NOT question.
B: This paraphrases the stated rule that canoes stay inside the area marked by orange buoys.
C (correct): The passage says a counselor watches from a motorboat; it never requires a counselor inside each canoe, so this is the unstated rule.
D: This restates the last sentence of the passage, so it is a stated rule.
Practice 3 of 38 · easy
A painting crew left a written estimate for the Larkin house on Maple Court. The job covers the 3 upstairs bedrooms and the hallway that connects them. The crew plans to use 14 gallons of paint and 6 rolls of masking tape, and it expects to finish the work in 2 days. The total price, including materials, is $1,850. The crew asks that furniture be moved away from the walls before it arrives.
According to the estimate, how many gallons of paint will the crew use?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: 14. Find the sentence with the label "gallons of paint": the crew plans to use 14 gallons. The other numbers in the passage are real, but they belong to the bedrooms (3), the tape rolls (6) and the total price in dollars (1,850).
A: Six is the number of rolls of masking tape, not gallons of paint.
B: Three is the number of upstairs bedrooms being painted.
C (correct): The passage attaches the number 14 to gallons of paint.
D: This is the total price of the job in dollars, not the number of gallons of paint.
Practice 4 of 38 · medium
The city bus had been parked in Bay 3 of the transit garage since morning with a loose rear wheel. Late that afternoon, the shop foreman handed two apprentices a torque wrench and a box of new lug nuts. The wrench had just come back from the calibration lab. They used it to tighten each nut to the setting listed in the service manual, while the bus driver waited in the break room. Afterward, the foreman checked their work and signed the repair order.
According to the passage, who tightened the lug nuts on the bus?
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: The two apprentices. The sentence that answers the question begins with "They." Look back for the nearest sensible plural noun that could use a wrench: the two apprentices. The foreman, the driver and the lab are all mentioned, but each is tied to a different action.
A: The foreman handed out the tools and later checked the work, but he did not tighten the nuts himself.
B (correct): "They" in the fourth sentence points back to the two apprentices, who used the wrench to tighten each nut.
C: The passage says the driver waited in the break room while the work was done.
D: The lab is mentioned only as the place the wrench came back from; nobody from the lab did the repair.
Practice 5 of 38 · medium
Every winter morning, a thin layer of ice formed on the concrete steps leading up to the warehouse loading dock. The warehouse manager had a heated rubber mat installed on each step in November, hoping to keep workers from slipping on their way to the dock. Since then, no falls have been reported on the steps. As an added benefit, the night crew no longer has to spread rock salt before the morning shift arrives.
According to the passage, what was the manager's purpose in installing the heated mats?
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: To keep workers from slipping on the steps. Separate cause, purpose and outcome. The cause was ice on the steps, the purpose was stated with "hoping to keep workers from slipping," and the outcomes were no reported falls and no more salting. The question asks for the purpose.
A: This is the cause of the problem, not the goal the manager was trying to reach.
B (correct): The phrase "hoping to keep workers from slipping" states what the manager intended.
C: This is the outcome that followed the change, not the intention behind it.
D: The passage calls this an added benefit that came afterward, not the reason the mats were installed.
Practice 6 of 38 · medium
Residents of Pine County may burn brush piles in their yards on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. unless the fire danger sign outside the county fire station reads "high" or "extreme." Burn piles must be smaller than 6 feet across, and a garden hose or a full bucket of water must be within reach until the fire is completely out. Burning trash, tires, or building materials is never allowed.
On a Wednesday at 10 a.m., the fire danger sign reads "high." According to the passage, may a resident burn a brush pile?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: No, because burning is not allowed when the sign reads high. The rule gives permission on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. "unless" the sign reads high or extreme. Because the sign reads high, the exception controls the answer, and burning is not allowed regardless of the pile size or water supply.
A: The time is within the normal window, but this ignores the "unless" condition, which overrides it.
B: Pile size is a separate requirement; meeting it does not override the fire danger condition.
C: Having water nearby is required for any burn, but it does not lift the ban when the danger is high.
D (correct): The "unless" clause cancels the weekday permission whenever the sign shows high or extreme danger.
Practice 7 of 38 · easy
Dear vehicle owner: The registration for your pickup truck expires on June 30. You may renew online beginning May 15, or you may renew in person at any county office during business hours. Bring proof of insurance if you renew in person. Registrations renewed after July 15 will be charged a late fee of $25. Your new sticker will be mailed within ten business days after payment is received.
According to the notice, when can the owner begin renewing online?
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: May 15. The question asks for a starting date tied to online renewal. The sentence "You may renew online beginning May 15" answers it. The other dates belong to different events: expiration, the late-fee cutoff and sticker mailing.
A (correct): The notice says the owner may renew online beginning May 15.
B: June 30 is the date the current registration expires, not when online renewal opens.
C: July 15 is the date after which a late fee applies.
D: This is how long it takes for the new sticker to be mailed.
Practice 8 of 38 · easy
Before the convoy left for the training area, each truck at the motor pool had to pass a final check. Specialist Grant crawled under the lead truck to inspect its brake lines. Sergeant Lee reviewed the results and signed the inspection form. Private Moss then refueled the truck and topped off its coolant. The motor pool dispatcher, who had assigned the truck to the convoy that morning, logged its departure time at 0700.
According to the passage, who signed the inspection form?
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: Sergeant Lee. Several people did different jobs, so match the action to its agent. The sentence containing "signed the inspection form" names Sergeant Lee. The others performed nearby actions: inspecting, refueling and logging.
A: Specialist Grant inspected the brake lines but did not sign the form.
B (correct): The passage states that Sergeant Lee reviewed the results and signed the inspection form.
C: Private Moss refueled the truck and added coolant after the form was signed.
D: The dispatcher assigned the truck and logged its departure time; signing the form is not mentioned for the dispatcher.
Practice 9 of 38 · medium
When her front tire went flat on a county road, Dana pulled onto a level shoulder and turned on her hazard lights. First, she set the parking brake and placed a wheel wedge behind a rear tire. Next, she loosened each lug nut about half a turn while the flat was still on the ground. Then she raised the car with the jack, removed the lug nuts and the flat tire, and mounted the spare. Finally, she lowered the car and tightened the nuts fully in a star pattern.
What did Dana do immediately before she raised the car with the jack?
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: Partly loosened the lug nuts. Map the order: hazard lights, parking brake and wedge, loosen lug nuts, raise the car, remove the flat and mount the spare, lower the car and tighten. The step just ahead of raising the car is loosening the lug nuts.
A: This happened at the very start, several steps before the car was raised.
B: This came earlier, but loosening the lug nuts falls between it and raising the car.
C: This happened after the car was raised, not before.
D (correct): The word "Next" places loosening each lug nut about half a turn directly before "Then she raised the car."
Practice 10 of 38 · easy
Aboard the training ship Resolute, safety gear is kept in assigned places so that any crew member can find it in the dark. Life jackets are stored in the red lockers on the main deck. Fire hoses hang in the blue cabinets along the lower passageway. Spare flashlights and batteries are kept in the gray bins beside the galley door. First-aid kits are mounted on the wall of the bridge and in the engine room.
According to the passage, where are spare flashlights kept?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: In gray bins next to the galley door. Build a quick list: life jackets in red lockers, fire hoses in blue cabinets, flashlights and batteries in gray bins by the galley, first-aid kits on the bridge and in the engine room. The flashlight entry gives the answer.
A: The red lockers hold life jackets, so this swaps one category of gear for another.
B: The blue cabinets hold fire hoses, not flashlights.
C (correct): The passage assigns spare flashlights and batteries to the gray bins beside the galley door.
D: The bridge wall holds a first-aid kit, not the spare flashlights.
Practice 11 of 38 · medium
All 25 students in an evening welding class took the practical exam in April. Most of them passed on their first attempt. A few did not, usually because their welds showed small gaps or uneven beads. Those students practiced for another week, retook the exam in May, and every one of them passed on the second try. The instructor said the class had the best results in the program's history.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Every student in the class eventually passed the practical exam. Track each quantity word: all 25 took the exam, most passed the first time, a few did not, and every one of those passed in May. Linking the last two facts shows that all students passed eventually, while no student passed only partly or never.
A (correct): Most passed the first time, and the passage says every student who retook the exam passed, so all 25 passed in the end.
B: The passage says a few students did not pass the first time, so "every" overstates the first-attempt result.
C: This reverses the numbers: most passed the first time, and only a few needed a retake.
D: This misreads the passage; the few who failed at first all passed on the second try.
Practice 12 of 38 · medium
The contractor told the Patel family that their kitchen remodel would take about four weeks, starting the Monday after the permit is approved. The cost was estimated at between $18,000 and $22,000, depending on the countertop material they chose. The contractor warned that the new cabinets could take up to ten days to arrive after they are ordered, and that the family would be without a working sink for at least three days near the end of the project.
According to the passage, how long did the contractor say the remodel would take?
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: About four weeks. Find the sentence about the length of the job: the remodel "would take about four weeks." Keep the word "about"; a choice that turns it into an exact number goes beyond the text, and the other time spans describe different parts of the project.
A: Four weeks is 28 days, but the passage says "about," so "exactly" adds precision the contractor never gave.
B (correct): This keeps the passage's own wording and its level of precision.
C: Up to ten days is the possible wait for cabinets to arrive, not the length of the whole remodel.
D: At least three days is how long the family may be without a sink, not the length of the project.
Practice 13 of 38 · hard
At the Clearwater treatment plant, a sensor measures the chlorine level in the water leaving for city pipes. If the level drops below the set minimum, an alarm sounds in the control room, and the operator on duty must collect a test sample within fifteen minutes. The same alarm also sounds during the plant's monthly system test, so that staff can confirm it is working. Operators record every alarm in a logbook, along with its cause.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: A drop in chlorine below the minimum sets off the control room alarm. The rule runs one way: if chlorine drops below the minimum, then the alarm sounds. Reversing it fails because the passage gives another reason for the alarm, the monthly test. Read the fifteen-minute requirement exactly: it concerns taking a sample.
A (correct): This restates the if-then rule in its original direction: a low chlorine level leads to the alarm.
B: This reverses the conditional; the passage says the alarm also sounds during the monthly test, when chlorine may be normal.
C: The fifteen-minute rule is for collecting a test sample, not for correcting the chlorine level.
D: The passage says nothing about chlorine levels during the test, so this claim is unsupported.
Practice 14 of 38 · medium
The library at Fort Calder extended its weekend hours this fall to serve service members who work long weekday shifts. For example, aircraft mechanics on the flight line often work from dawn until evening Monday through Friday, and many of them can now check out books and use the computer lab on Saturday mornings. The library also added a Sunday afternoon study hall for soldiers taking college courses online.
According to the passage, why did the library extend its weekend hours?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: To accommodate personnel whose long shifts fall on weekdays. Separate the reason from the example. The first sentence gives the reason (serving people who work long weekday shifts), and the next sentence begins "For example" to show one group helped. The question asks why, so the reason is the answer.
A (correct): The first sentence states the reason with the phrase "to serve service members who work long weekday shifts."
B: The mechanics are introduced with "For example"; they illustrate the reason but are not the full reason itself.
C: The passage never mentions a decline in weekday visits; this is an invented reason.
D: The study hall is an additional change the library made, not the stated reason for the longer hours.
Practice 15 of 38 · medium
This year's canned-food drive at the Pinecrest fire station collected 2,300 cans, which was more than the station collected in last year's drive. Even so, it was not the largest drive in the county. The drive at Hollis High School brought in 3,100 cans, and the Main Street grocery store collected about 1,800. All of the food was delivered to the county food bank the week before Thanksgiving.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: The Pinecrest drive collected more cans this year than it did last year. Check what each comparison is measured against. Pinecrest's 2,300 cans is compared with its own total from last year and is higher. It is not compared favorably with the high school, which collected 3,100. Only the statement using the correct baseline is supported.
A: Being higher than last year is a different baseline; the high school drive collected 3,100 cans, more than Pinecrest.
B: This swaps the comparison: 3,100 cans at the high school is more than 2,300 at Pinecrest.
C (correct): The passage compares this year's 2,300 cans with the station's own total from last year and says this year's was higher.
D: The number 2,300 belongs to this year's drive; the passage does not give last year's total.
Practice 16 of 38 · hard
The county water rescue team keeps two boats at its river station. Boat 1 is a flat-bottom aluminum skiff, and Boat 2 is an inflatable raft. During last week's flood drill, the team launched Boat 2 to reach a volunteer playing a stranded hiker on a sandbar. That boat had been fitted in March with a new outboard motor. The team normally launches from the main ramp, except when the river is above flood stage; then it uses the upper ramp near the parking lot, which stays dry. On the day of the drill, the river was above flood stage.
Which statement about the drill is supported by the passage?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: The team launched a raft with a new motor from the upper ramp. Link the stated facts: the team launched Boat 2, Boat 2 is the inflatable raft, and "that boat" had a new motor fitted in March. Because the river was above flood stage, the exception applies and the team used the upper ramp. Every part of the correct choice must match.
A: The boat used was Boat 2, the inflatable raft; the skiff is Boat 1, so this attaches the facts to the wrong boat.
B: The main ramp is the normal launch point, but the river was above flood stage, so the exception called for the upper ramp.
C: The passage says only Boat 2 was launched during the drill, so this adds a fact the text never states.
D (correct): Boat 2 is the raft, "that boat" received a new motor in March, and the flood-stage exception sent the team to the upper ramp.
Practice 17 of 38 · hard
Twice each day, staff at a regional weather office release a large balloon that carries a small instrument package called a radiosonde. As the balloon climbs, the radiosonde measures air temperature, humidity, and air pressure and radios the readings back to the ground. The balloon swells as the surrounding air grows thinner, and it usually bursts somewhere more than 15 miles up. A small parachute then slows the package as it falls. Each radiosonde carries a mailing label, so a person who finds one can send it back to be repaired and flown again.
Each of the following is stated in the passage EXCEPT:
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Answer: A
Correct answer: The radiosonde measures wind speed as it rises. This is a negative question, so three choices are in the passage and the answer is the one that is not. The parachute, the swelling balloon, and the mail-back label are all stated. The passage names only temperature, humidity, and pressure as measurements, so the claim about wind speed is the one it does not make, even if it sounds true from outside knowledge.
A (correct): The passage lists only temperature, humidity, and air pressure; wind speed may come from background knowledge, but the passage never states it, so this is the unstated item.
B: The passage says that after the burst a small parachute slows the package as it falls, so this is stated.
C: This restates "the balloon swells as the surrounding air grows thinner," so it is supported.
D: The mailing label lets a finder send it back to be repaired and flown again, which this choice paraphrases accurately.
Practice 18 of 38 · easy
The Coastline train to Port Ellis leaves Union Station at 7:40 a.m. Passengers may begin boarding at 7:15 a.m. The café car opens at 8:00 a.m., once the train has cleared the city, and it serves sandwiches and hot drinks until 30 minutes before arrival. The train reaches Port Ellis at 11:25 a.m. Tickets bought on board cost $6 more than tickets bought at the station window.
According to the passage, when does the café car open?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: 8:00 a.m. The question targets one event: the café car opening. The sentence "The café car opens at 8:00 a.m." gives the time directly. The other times in the passage belong to boarding, departure, and arrival.
A: This is when boarding begins, a different event from the café opening.
B: This is the departure time from Union Station, not the café opening time.
C (correct): The passage states that the café car opens at 8:00 a.m., once the train has cleared the city.
D: This is the arrival time in Port Ellis; the café actually closes before then.
Practice 19 of 38 · medium
Dr. Reyes asked her assistant to label the water samples from Fox Creek. They had been collected at three different depths that morning. The assistant packed the samples in ice and drove them to the county laboratory, which tests water for nitrates and bacteria. It promised to send the results within one week. Dr. Reyes plans to compare them with last year's readings.
According to the passage, what promised to send the results within one week?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: The county's testing lab. Do a backward check on the pronoun "It." It is singular and refers to a thing, so it cannot mean Dr. Reyes, the assistant, or the plural samples. The nearest fitting noun before it is the county laboratory, so the lab promised the results within a week.
A: Dr. Reyes is a person referred to as "her" and "she," not "it"; she plans to compare the results, but she made no promise about timing.
B (correct): "It" points back to the nearest sensible singular noun, the county laboratory, which tests the water and promised the results.
C: The assistant packed and delivered the samples; "it" would not be used for a person, and the assistant is not the one making the promise.
D: The samples are plural and are referred to as "they," so the singular "it" cannot refer to them.
Practice 20 of 38 · easy
The supply sergeant issued field gear to a newly formed platoon of 32 soldiers. Each soldier received 2 pairs of boots, 4 sets of uniforms, and 1 sleeping bag. The sergeant also ordered 10 extra canteens to keep in the supply room in case any were lost or damaged during training.
How many sets of uniforms did each soldier receive?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: 4. Find the number attached to the label "sets of uniforms." The passage says each soldier received 4 sets of uniforms. The other numbers belong to boots, soldiers, and canteens.
A: Two is the number of pairs of boots each soldier received, not sets of uniforms.
B: Thirty-two is the number of soldiers in the platoon, not a count of uniforms.
C: Ten is the number of extra canteens ordered for the supply room.
D (correct): The passage says each soldier received 4 sets of uniforms.
Practice 21 of 38 · hard
The Hendersons' new thermostat follows a few simple rules. If no one walks past the hallway motion sensor for two hours, the thermostat lowers the heat to 62 degrees. The heat also drops to 62 degrees every night at 11 p.m. When the front door is unlocked with the keypad, the thermostat raises the house back to 68 degrees within twenty minutes.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Unlocking the front door with the keypad causes the house to be warmed back to 68 degrees. Keep each if-then rule in its stated direction. The passage says unlocking with the keypad leads to the house returning to 68 degrees, which the keyed choice restates. Reversing the motion-sensor rule fails because the 11 p.m. setback also produces 62 degrees, and adding "only" claims more than the passage says.
A: This reverses the first rule; the heat also drops to 62 degrees every night at 11 p.m., whether or not anyone has moved past the sensor.
B: The passage says the keypad brings the house back to 68 degrees, but it never says this is the only way the house reaches 68 degrees.
C (correct): This keeps the stated condition and result in the same direction: keypad unlock leads to the house returning to 68 degrees.
D: The passage sets the waiting period at two hours, not one, so the number is changed.
Practice 22 of 38 · hard
A county inspector visited the Harbor Street farmers market and tested the scales at 20 of its 35 stands. Most of the tested scales were accurate. Three gave readings that were too high, and their owners were told to fix them before the next market day. None of the tested scales read too low. The inspector plans to test the scales at the remaining stands next month.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Every scale the inspector tested was either accurate or read too high. Keep every quantity word tied to its group. The "none read too low" statement covers only the tested scales, and those scales were either accurate (most) or too high (three). The passage says nothing about the 15 untested stands, and it says the three owners must fix, not replace, their scales.
A (correct): Most tested scales were accurate, three read too high, and none of the tested scales read too low, so each tested scale falls into one of the first two groups.
B: Only 20 stands were tested, and three of those scales read too high, so this is both overstated and contradicted.
C: The passage makes the "none" claim only about the 20 tested scales; the 15 untested stands have not been checked.
D: The owners were told to fix their scales, not replace them; the choice borrows passage words but changes the action.
Practice 23 of 38 · hard
Four volunteer teams counted birds at Marsh Point on Saturday. Team Osprey surveyed the north shore starting at 6 a.m. and counted 48 birds. Team Heron worked the cattail marsh beginning at 7 a.m. and counted 61 birds. Team Kestrel began on the south dunes at 6 a.m. and counted 35. Team Plover started last, at 8 a.m., on the tidal flats, where it counted 92 birds, the most of any team.
Which statement about the survey is supported by the passage?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: The team that counted 35 birds started at the same hour as the north shore team. Build a quick table: Osprey, north shore, 6 a.m., 48; Heron, cattail marsh, 7 a.m., 61; Kestrel, south dunes, 6 a.m., 35; Plover, tidal flats, 8 a.m., 92. Kestrel (35 birds) and Osprey (north shore) both started at 6 a.m. Each other choice keeps one true part but attaches a place, time, or count to the wrong team.
A: Heron did start at 7 a.m. and count 61 birds, but it worked the cattail marsh; the south dunes belong to Team Kestrel.
B: Osprey did start at 6 a.m., but it counted 48 birds; Team Plover counted the most, 92.
C: The tidal flats team, Plover, counted 92 birds but started at 8 a.m.; 7 a.m. was Heron's start time.
D (correct): Kestrel counted 35 birds and began at 6 a.m., the same start time as Osprey on the north shore.
Practice 24 of 38 · medium
Because ships kept running aground on the reef near Gull Rock during heavy fog, the lighthouse keepers added a steam-powered fog whistle in 1887. They intended its loud blast to warn captains whenever the light itself could not be seen. In the ten years after the whistle was installed, only one ship struck the reef, compared with seven ships in the ten years before.
According to the passage, what result followed the installation of the fog whistle?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Fewer ships struck the reef than in the ten years before. Sort the details: fog groundings are the cause, warning captains is the purpose, and the drop from seven ships to one is the outcome. The question asks for the result, so the answer is that fewer ships struck the reef. Saying none struck it goes beyond the passage.
A: This is the cause that led the keepers to add the whistle, not what happened afterward.
B (correct): The passage reports one ship striking the reef in the following ten years, compared with seven before, which is the outcome.
C: This describes what the keepers intended the whistle to do, its purpose, rather than the result the passage reports.
D: This overstates the outcome; the passage says one ship still struck the reef.
Practice 25 of 38 · hard
The service advisor told Marcus that the transmission repair on his car would cost about $1,200 and would take two or three days once the parts arrived. The parts were expected within up to five business days. The shop agreed to provide a loaner car at no charge for at least the first two days of the repair. Marcus signed the work order and left his car at the shop on Monday morning.
Which statement agrees with what the service advisor told Marcus?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Marcus would get a free loaner car for no less than two days. Match the passage's level of precision. "About $1,200" is not exactly $1,200, "up to five business days" is not five days, and no completion date is given. "At least two days" at no charge is accurately restated as a free loaner for no less than two days.
A: The advisor said "about $1,200," so "exactly" adds precision the passage does not give.
B: The passage says "up to five business days," which allows fewer days; this choice turns a limit into a fixed amount.
C: No finishing day is stated; this guess ignores the unknown wait for parts and invents an exact date.
D (correct): "No less than two days" means the same as "at least the first two days," and "free" restates "at no charge."
Practice 26 of 38 · medium
To set up the field radio, Corporal Diaz first unfolded the tripod and leveled it on firm ground. She then attached the antenna mast to the top of the tripod. After that, she ran the cable from the mast to the radio and tightened both connectors. Before turning the radio on, she checked that the battery showed a full charge. Finally, she switched on the set and called the command post for a signal check.
What did Corporal Diaz do immediately before switching on the radio?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: She checked that the battery had a full charge. Map the order: level the tripod, attach the mast, run and connect the cable, check the battery, then switch on and call. The step just ahead of switching on is the battery check. Other steps came before it, and the radio call came after.
A (correct): The passage says she checked the battery "before turning the radio on," and this is the step listed just ahead of switching it on.
B: This happened earlier, before the battery check, so it is not the step immediately before switching on.
C: This came after she switched on the set, so it reverses the order.
D: This was the second step, well before the radio was turned on.
Practice 27 of 38 · medium
At the Ridgeway plant, the first-floor assembly line builds door frames, whereas the second-floor line builds window frames. The first-floor crew works four 10-hour shifts each week. The second-floor crew, in contrast, works five 8-hour shifts. Both lines are inspected every Friday afternoon by the plant's quality manager.
According to the passage, which statement is true of the second-floor line?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Its crew works five 8-hour shifts each week. Use the contrast words to split the facts. The first floor builds door frames and works four 10-hour shifts; the second floor builds window frames and works five 8-hour shifts. Only the five 8-hour shifts belong to the second-floor line, and the inspection day is Friday.
A: "Whereas" separates the two lines; door frames belong to the first-floor line.
B: This schedule belongs to the first-floor crew; "in contrast" signals that the second floor is different.
C (correct): The passage says the second-floor crew, in contrast, works five 8-hour shifts.
D: Both lines are inspected on Friday afternoons, not Mondays.
Practice 28 of 38 · easy
For the town's Fourth of July picnic, Mayor Ortiz reserved the large pavilion at Willow Park, and the Rotary Club bought the food. Volunteers from the high school band set up the tables and chairs. Before the fireworks, the fire chief gave a short talk on safety.
According to the passage, who bought the food for the picnic?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: The Rotary Club. The question asks for the agent of one action: buying the food. The first sentence assigns that action to the Rotary Club. Each other person or group did a different job.
A (correct): The passage states that "the Rotary Club bought the food."
B: The mayor reserved the pavilion; the passage does not say the mayor bought the food.
C: The band volunteers set up tables and chairs, a different task.
D: The fire chief gave the safety talk, not the food purchase.
Practice 29 of 38 · easy
At the Glenwood Clinic, patients check in at the front desk on the first floor. Blood tests are done in the lab at the end of the east hallway, and X-rays are taken in Room 112, also on the first floor. Physical therapy has moved to the second floor, next to the elevators. The pharmacy is in a separate building across the parking lot.
According to the passage, where is physical therapy located?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: On the second floor, next to the elevators. Keep each service tied to its location. The sentence about physical therapy places it on the second floor, next to the elevators. The other locations belong to X-rays, blood tests, and the pharmacy.
A: Room 112 is where X-rays are taken, not physical therapy.
B: The lab at the end of the east hallway is where blood tests are done.
C: The separate building across the parking lot holds the pharmacy.
D (correct): The passage says physical therapy has moved to the second floor, next to the elevators.
Practice 30 of 38 · medium
The dining facility at Camp Ridley serves breakfast from 6 to 8 a.m., lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. every day. On federal holidays, however, breakfast and lunch are replaced by a single brunch served from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; dinner hours do not change. Soldiers on night duty may pick up a boxed meal at the side window at 10 p.m.
On a federal holiday, during which hours is the first meal of the day served?
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Answer: D
The routine schedule starts with breakfast at 6 a.m., but "however" introduces an exception for federal holidays. On those days breakfast and lunch become one brunch from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., so that is the first meal. The exception, not the routine, controls the answer.
A: These are the normal breakfast hours, but on federal holidays breakfast is replaced by brunch.
B: These are the normal lunch hours, which the holiday brunch also replaces.
C: These are dinner hours, which do not change, but dinner is not the first meal of the day.
D (correct): On federal holidays the first meal is the single brunch, served from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Practice 31 of 38 · medium
The Brandt County extension office began offering free soil tests this spring to help farmers avoid using more fertilizer than their fields need. For instance, a corn grower near Wilton learned that one of his fields already had plenty of phosphorus, so he skipped that nutrient this year. The office tests samples within ten days and mails back the results with suggested amounts for each crop.
According to the passage, why did the extension office begin offering free soil tests?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: To help farmers avoid applying fertilizer their fields do not need. The reason appears in the first sentence after "to help": farmers should avoid using more fertilizer than needed. "For instance" introduces an example, the corn grower, which illustrates the reason but is not the reason itself.
A: This is an example of how the tests help, not the reason the office started offering them.
B: The ten-day turnaround is a true detail about the service, but it does not explain why the tests were offered.
C (correct): The passage states the tests were offered "to help farmers avoid using more fertilizer than their fields need."
D: Fertilizer prices are never mentioned; this choice relies on outside assumptions rather than the passage.
Practice 32 of 38 · medium
A research ship had planned to spend twelve days mapping the seafloor off Cape Lorne. On the eighth day, the ship's main winch broke while lowering a sampling device, and the captain ordered an early return to port. By then, the crew had mapped about two-thirds of the planned area. The remaining work has been rescheduled for next summer.
Which statement accurately restates information from the passage?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: The trip ended sooner than planned after a piece of equipment failed. A correct paraphrase uses different words but keeps the same meaning. "Ordered an early return" after the winch broke becomes "ended sooner than planned after a piece of equipment failed." Each other choice changes a fact: the amount mapped, the day of the breakdown, or the fate of the remaining work.
A (correct): The winch broke on day eight of a planned twelve-day trip and the ship returned early, which this choice restates without changing any fact.
B: The passage says only about two-thirds of the area was mapped.
C: Twelve days was the planned length; the winch broke on the eighth day.
D: The remaining work was rescheduled for next summer, not canceled permanently.
Practice 33 of 38 · medium
Attendance at the Clayton County Fair rose this year compared with last year, when heavy rain kept many families at home. Even so, this year's crowd was smaller than the one at the fair's 50th anniversary celebration three years ago, which still holds the attendance record. Livestock entries, on the other hand, reached a new record this year.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: This year's crowd was larger than last year's but smaller than the record crowd. Check what each comparison is measured against. This year's attendance is higher than last year's and lower than the anniversary record, and both parts are stated. The new record this year applies to livestock entries, and the rain belongs to last year.
A: The anniversary fair still holds the attendance record; the record set this year was for livestock entries, not crowd size.
B (correct): The passage compares this year's attendance to two baselines: it rose over last year but stayed below the anniversary record.
C: Livestock entries set a new record this year, so they could not have been lower than at the anniversary fair.
D: The rain kept families home last year, and attendance rose this year; this choice moves the detail to the wrong year.
Practice 34 of 38 · medium
Two helicopters flew the medical training mission on Tuesday. Pilot Hayes flew Aircraft 418, and Pilot Gomez flew Aircraft 422. Crew chief Ames inspected both aircraft before takeoff. Aircraft 422 had been fitted last month with a new rescue hoist, and its crew practiced lifting a dummy patient from a rooftop.
According to the passage, which pilot flew the helicopter equipped with a rescue hoist?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Pilot Gomez. Connect two stated facts. One sentence says Gomez flew Aircraft 422, and another says Aircraft 422 had the rescue hoist. Linking them shows that Gomez flew the hoist-equipped helicopter, without adding anything new.
A (correct): Gomez flew Aircraft 422, and the passage states that Aircraft 422 was fitted with the rescue hoist.
B: Hayes flew Aircraft 418; the hoist is linked to Aircraft 422, not 418.
C: The passage mentions a hoist on Aircraft 422 only, so it cannot be applied to both helicopters.
D: Ames inspected both aircraft but is not described as a pilot or as flying either one.
Practice 35 of 38 · medium
For the scout troop's weekend campout, each patrol was assigned specific supplies to bring. The Eagle patrol brought 3 tents and the cooking stove. The Wolf patrol brought 2 water jugs and the first-aid kit. The Fox patrol brought 4 tarps and the firewood. The scoutmaster brought the maps and the troop's radio.
According to the passage, what did the Wolf patrol bring?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Two water jugs plus the first-aid kit. Each choice has two parts, and both must match. The sentence about the Wolf patrol lists 2 water jugs and the first-aid kit. The other choices mix in at least one item that belongs to a different patrol.
A: The water jugs are right, but the cooking stove was brought by the Eagle patrol.
B (correct): The passage assigns both of these items to the Wolf patrol.
C: The first-aid kit is right, but the 4 tarps belong to the Fox patrol.
D: The tents came from the Eagle patrol and the firewood from the Fox patrol.
Practice 36 of 38 · easy
Students at Lakeside High School built a greenhouse for the science department this year. The project took 6 weeks and involved 14 students. The materials cost $4,800, which was less than the $6,000 the school board had set aside. A local lumber yard also donated the framing boards, which were worth about $900.
According to the passage, how much did the materials cost?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: $4,800. The question asks for one cost: the materials. The passage gives that number directly as $4,800. The other dollar amounts describe the board's budget and the donated boards, and $5,700 is a sum nobody asked for.
A: This is the amount the school board set aside, not what the materials actually cost.
B (correct): The passage states that "the materials cost $4,800."
C: This is the value of the donated framing boards, not the cost of the materials.
D: This adds the donated boards to the material cost, a total the passage never gives.
Practice 37 of 38 · easy
The two-day boater safety class at Mill Lake covers how to read channel markers and the rules for passing other boats. It also includes a session on what to do if someone falls overboard. Students who pass the final test receive a card that allows them to operate a motorboat on the lake.
According to the passage, how many topics does the class cover?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: 3. Count the listed topics: reading channel markers, rules for passing, and, signaled by "also," what to do if someone falls overboard. That makes three. The "two" in the passage refers to days, not topics.
A: Two is the length of the class in days; counting that way also misses the topic introduced by "also."
B: The passage lists more than one topic in its very first sentence.
C (correct): The class covers channel markers and passing rules, and "also" adds a third topic, falling overboard.
D: Only three topics are named; the final test and the card are not topics the class covers.
Practice 38 of 38 · hard
Members of the Eastside Makerspace may use the laser cutter on any day the space is open unless a staff member has hung a red "Out of Service" card on the machine. Only members who have completed the two-hour laser safety course may operate it, and a second trained member must be in the room the entire time it runs. Cutting PVC or vinyl is never allowed, because these materials give off harmful fumes.
Jordan completed the laser safety course last month. On a day the space is open, no card is hanging on the machine, and Jordan plans to cut plywood while alone in the room. According to the rules, may Jordan use the laser cutter?
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: No, because a second trained member must be in the room. Check every condition. The space is open, no card is posted, Jordan has the course, and plywood is not banned, so those parts allow use. But the rule that a second trained member must be in the room fails because Jordan will be alone, so Jordan may not use the cutter.
A: These two conditions are met, but this ignores the rule that a second trained member must be in the room.
B: Only PVC and vinyl are banned; plywood is not named as a forbidden material.
C (correct): The rules require a second trained member in the room the whole time the cutter runs, and Jordan will be alone.
D: The passage requires a second trained member in the room, not just a staff member somewhere in the building.
About this test
Each answer is explained with the decisive sentence from the passage and a note on why the other options fail. When you review, label each miss by trap type: the right number attached to the wrong group, a reversed sequence, absolute wording from a limited claim, or a list assumed to be complete. Those labels match specific sections of the Supporting Details lesson, so you can reread only what you need.
There are 38 extra practice questions for this lesson if you want more items after reviewing. Remember that this result is your practice accuracy on detail questions, not an ASVAB score of any kind.
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