Thirty questions make up this test, and each one asks you to justify an answer from what a short passage actually says. Expect exact-detail items, inferences that must stay modest, main-idea choices that need the full scope, negative stems such as NOT supported, and options that sound right but add facts the text never gives.
The Harbor Point ferry carries both cars and foot passengers across the bay. From Monday through Friday, boats leave the north dock every 40 minutes, starting at 6:00 a.m. On Saturdays and Sundays, the schedule thins out to one departure every 90 minutes because fewer commuters travel. Drivers are asked to arrive at least 15 minutes early so crews can load vehicles safely, while walk-on passengers may board up to 5 minutes before departure. Tickets can be bought at the dock or online, and the fare is the same either way.
According to the passage, how often does the ferry leave the north dock on a Saturday?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Every 90 minutes. The question asks about Saturday, so the evidence span is the sentence about Saturdays and Sundays. It gives one departure every 90 minutes; the 40-minute interval applies only on weekdays.
A: This is the Monday-through-Friday schedule; choosing it ignores the weekday limit on that number.
B: Five minutes is the boarding cutoff for walk-on passengers, not a departure interval.
C (correct): The passage says that on Saturdays and Sundays there is one departure every 90 minutes.
D: Fifteen minutes is how early drivers should arrive, not how often boats leave.
Question 2 of 30 · easy
When the storm knocked out power to the county, the hospital switched to its backup generators within seconds. Staff had practiced this change many times, so the transition was seamless; patients in the wards barely noticed that the main lights had flickered. Engineers later praised the drills, noting that equipment alone does not keep a building running during an emergency. People who know exactly what to do are just as important.
As used in the passage, the word "seamless" most nearly means:
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Answer: B
Correct answer: smooth and uninterrupted. Substitute each meaning into the sentence. Because the staff had practiced and patients barely noticed the flicker, the transition was smooth and uninterrupted.
A: This is close to the opposite; patients barely noticed anything happening.
B (correct): Patients barely noticed the change, so the switch went smoothly without a break in service.
C: The switch happened within seconds, so slow does not fit the sentence.
D: This is a literal sewing sense of the word, which does not fit a change in power supply.
Question 3 of 30 · easy
Vacant city lots are often seen as eyesores, but many neighborhoods have turned them into community gardens with real results. Families who tend plots can harvest fresh vegetables that might otherwise be expensive or hard to find nearby. Neighbors who once only nodded at each other now meet on weekends to weed, water and trade advice. The plants and soil also absorb heat, so a garden block can feel noticeably cooler than the bare pavement around it on summer afternoons. Some schools even bring classes to the gardens to show students how seeds become food.
Which statement best expresses the main idea of the passage?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Community gardens benefit neighborhoods in several different ways. A main idea must cover the whole passage. Each sentence after the first adds a different benefit (food, friendships, cooler blocks, lessons for students), so the best summary is that gardens help neighborhoods in several ways.
A: The passage says some schools visit gardens, but it never claims gardening is the best way to learn science.
B (correct): The passage lists food, social ties, cooling and education, and this statement covers all of them.
C: The passage never makes this recommendation and never mentions parking lots, so it reaches past the text.
D: This is true but covers only one of the several benefits, so it is too narrow.
Question 4 of 30 · easy
The supply sergeant compared two shipments of boots before signing for them. The first had arrived from the main depot on Monday. The second came from a private contractor on Wednesday, and it was missing six pairs. The sergeant noted the shortage on the receiving form and sent a copy to the contracting office, asking for a replacement order. Until the missing boots arrive, new recruits who need those sizes will be issued temporary footwear.
In the third sentence, what does the word "it" refer to?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: The shipment from the private contractor. Find the noun the pronoun replaces. In the third sentence, the subject is the second shipment, which came from a private contractor, so "it" refers to that shipment.
A (correct): The sentence is about the second shipment, which came from the contractor, and it is that shipment that was missing six pairs.
B: The depot shipment is described in the previous sentence; the third sentence is about the second shipment.
C: The receiving form is mentioned only later, in the fourth sentence.
D: The office appears later and could not be missing pairs of boots.
Question 5 of 30 · easy
The new walking trail along the river has drawn plenty of praise. It is wide, well marked and close to several bus stops, and many residents use it for their morning exercise. However, the trail has no lighting, and after sunset the path becomes so dark that several walkers have tripped on roots and loose stones. Park staff have received a dozen complaints about the darkness in the past month alone.
What is the writer's main concern about the trail?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: It is unsafe to use after dark because it has no lights. The word however signals the writer's turn from praise to the stronger point. What follows is the lack of lighting and walkers tripping in the dark, backed by a dozen complaints.
A (correct): The turn word however introduces the lack of lighting, and the rest of the passage supports this concern.
B: The trail is described as well marked, so this is the opposite of what the passage says.
C: The passage describes the trail as wide, so this contradicts the text.
D: The passage says the trail is close to several bus stops, so this contradicts the text.
Question 6 of 30 · easy
Employees who want to take part in the company's fall training course must turn in a signed enrollment form by Friday, October 3. Forms received after that date will be held for the spring session. The course itself begins on Monday, October 13, and runs until Friday, October 24. Participants should plan to stay until 4:00 p.m. on each class day, since the final hour is used for hands-on practice.
According to the passage, what is the last day an employee can turn in a form for the fall course?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Friday, October 3. The evidence span is the first sentence: forms are due by Friday, October 3. By marks the last allowed day, and forms after that date go to the spring session.
A: This is the first day of the course, not the form deadline.
B: This is the last day of the course, not the deadline for enrolling.
C (correct): The word by sets Friday, October 3, as the final day a form is accepted for the fall course.
D: This reads by as if it meant before; a form turned in on October 3 still counts.
Question 7 of 30 · easy
Every winter, emergency rooms treat people who have been poisoned by carbon monoxide from generators, grills or heaters used indoors. The gas has no color or smell, so victims often do not realize anything is wrong until they feel dizzy, confused or sleepy. Never run a generator inside a home, garage or basement, even with the door open. Place it outdoors, well away from windows, and install battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms near sleeping areas.
What is the writer's main purpose in this passage?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: To warn readers about a hidden danger and how to avoid it. Ask what the writer is doing. The passage explains why carbon monoxide is dangerous and then tells readers what never to do and what to do instead, so its purpose is to warn.
A: No brands are named or compared anywhere in the passage.
B: Emergency rooms are mentioned only in the first sentence; treatment is never described.
C (correct): The writer describes an invisible hazard and then gives direct safety instructions, which is a warning.
D: The passage warns against indoor use only; it does not argue against grills outdoors.
Question 8 of 30 · easy
The Pine Hollow campground offers 40 tent sites, each with a picnic table and a fire ring. Drinking water is available from pumps near the entrance, and a bathhouse with hot showers is open from May through September. Firewood is sold at the camp office. The campground does not have electrical hookups, so visitors who need power for medical equipment should reserve a site at a nearby state park instead.
According to the passage, the campground provides all of the following EXCEPT:
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Answer: D
Correct answer: electrical hookups. An EXCEPT question asks for the one item that is not supported. Picnic tables, hot showers and firewood are all listed, while the passage says there are no electrical hookups.
A: The bathhouse has hot showers from May through September, so this is provided.
B: Each tent site has a picnic table, so this is provided.
C: Firewood is sold at the camp office, so this is provided.
D (correct): The passage directly states that the campground does not have electrical hookups.
Question 9 of 30 · medium
Ridgeview Middle School's only gym floor was damaged last weekend when a pipe burst overnight and flooded the building's east wing. Crews have removed the warped boards, but the new flooring will not be delivered for three weeks. The school's basketball team had planned to host four home games during that period. The athletic director said she is contacting the other schools on the schedule.
Which inference is best supported by the passage?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: The team probably cannot play its upcoming home games in its own gym. Link the facts: the school's only gym floor is out for three weeks, and four home games fall in that time. The smallest reasonable step is that those games likely cannot be played in the team's own gym.
A: The director is only contacting the schools; no agreement is reported.
B: Nothing suggests the whole season is lost; this takes far too large a step.
C (correct): The only gym floor is torn up for three weeks, the same period as the four home games, so this small step follows.
D: The passage gives no cause for the burst, so this adds an unsupported claim.
Question 10 of 30 · medium
A company that sells a new sleep supplement says its product helps users fall asleep twice as fast as usual. The claim appears on the bottle and in online ads, along with photos of rested-looking customers. So far, the company has not released any study results, and no outside laboratory has tested the supplement. Sleep doctors note that many people fall asleep faster simply because they expect a pill to work.
Which conclusion is best supported by the passage?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: The company's claim about faster sleep has not been independently confirmed. The word says marks a reported claim. Because no study results have been released and no outside lab has tested the product, the most the passage supports is that the claim is unconfirmed.
A: No testing by doctors is described, and safety is never discussed.
B (correct): The company says the product works, but no study results or outside tests exist, so the claim is unverified.
C: This states the company's claim as settled fact, which goes beyond a reported claim.
D: The passage does not show the product fails; it only shows it has not been tested.
Question 11 of 30 · medium
In March, the town of Millbrook painted bright crosswalks and installed new pedestrian signs near its elementary school. During the following six months, the number of reported near-miss incidents at those intersections fell from 14 to 5. Town officials were pleased with the drop. During the same period, however, the school also moved its start time an hour later, and a road construction project rerouted much of the morning traffic away from the area.
Which statement is best supported by the passage?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Near misses fell after the crosswalks were painted, but the cause is not shown. The passage reports that incidents fell after the crosswalks were painted, which is sequence, not causation. It also mentions a later start time and rerouted traffic in the same period, so no single cause is supported.
A: The passage says incidents fell from 14 to 5, so this contradicts the text.
B: This turns a sequence into a cause, which the passage never states.
C: The start time is one of several changes; the passage never says which one mattered most.
D (correct): The passage gives the order of events and names other changes at the same time, so it does not establish a cause.
Question 12 of 30 · medium
A regional survey counted public electric-vehicle charging stations in two neighboring counties. Lake County has three times as many stations as Brook County. Brook County, however, has more stations per resident because its population is much smaller. Both counties plan to add stations next year, and Brook County's plan calls for at least 12 new ones, most of them at grocery stores and libraries.
If Lake County has 45 charging stations, how many does Brook County have?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: 15. Three times as many means Lake's count equals 3 times Brook's count.
45÷3=15
So Brook County has 15 stations.
A (correct): Lake has three times as many as Brook, so Brook has 45 divided by 3, which is 15.
B: Twelve is the minimum number of new stations Brook plans to add, not its current total.
C: This reads three times as many as three more, giving 45 minus 3.
D: This multiplies by 3 instead of dividing, reversing the direction of the comparison.
Question 13 of 30 · medium
In 2022, researchers surveyed 300 night-shift warehouse workers in a single Ohio city about their sleep. Nearly two-thirds of those workers said they slept fewer than six hours on workdays, and many reported drinking three or more caffeinated drinks during a shift. The researchers noted that their sample did not include day-shift workers or workers in other industries, and they called for a larger follow-up study.
Which conclusion is best supported by the survey?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Most of the surveyed workers reported short sleep on workdays. Notice who, where and when: 300 night-shift warehouse workers in one Ohio city in 2022. Only a conclusion limited to that sample is supported, and nearly two-thirds is a majority.
A (correct): Nearly two-thirds of the 300 surveyed workers said they slept under six hours, and this keeps the claim within the sample.
B: The survey reports both facts but never links them as cause and effect.
C: This widens the group from one city's night-shift warehouse workers to all American workers.
D: Day-shift workers were not surveyed, so no comparison with them is possible.
Question 14 of 30 · medium
To apply for the county's volunteer firefighter program, a person must be at least 18 years old and hold a valid driver's license. Applicants who meet these requirements are invited to a physical fitness test and an interview. The department then selects a limited number of trainees each spring, based on test scores, interview results and the needs of each station.
Jordan is 22 and has a valid driver's license. What can be concluded from the passage?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Jordan meets the basic requirements but is not assured a trainee spot. Being 18 or older with a valid license is necessary to apply, and Jordan meets both. Because trainees are then chosen by test scores, interviews and station needs, meeting the requirements does not guarantee selection.
A: The fitness test comes after applying, for applicants who meet the requirements.
B: Experience is never listed as a requirement, so this adds an unsupported condition.
C: This treats the necessary conditions as sufficient, but selection is limited and depends on other factors.
D (correct): Age and license are necessary conditions, and the passage says selection still depends on tests, interviews and station needs.
Question 15 of 30 · medium
Two lawn mowers are popular with homeowners this year. The Model R runs on a rechargeable battery, is much quieter, and needs almost no maintenance beyond sharpening the blade. The Model G runs on gasoline and can cut a large yard without stopping, while the Model R's battery lasts about 45 minutes per charge. The Model G also handles thick, wet grass more easily.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: The Model G can mow longer without stopping, while the Model R is quieter. Sort the features: Model R is quieter and low-maintenance but runs about 45 minutes per charge; Model G can cut a large yard without stopping and handles wet grass. Only the statement that keeps each trait with its own mower is supported.
A: The passage compares separate traits and never ranks one mower as better overall.
B: This swaps a feature; the passage gives that advantage to the Model G.
C: This swaps features; quiet operation and low maintenance belong to the Model R.
D (correct): Each feature is assigned to the correct mower: nonstop cutting to G and quieter running to R.
Question 16 of 30 · medium
The council's decision to cut the library's weekend hours was short-sighted. For a savings of barely $40,000 a year, the city has shut out the students, job seekers and retirees who depend on those hours most. Officials claim the budget left them no choice, yet the same budget found room for a new fountain in front of City Hall. Residents deserve better than this careless trade.
Which word best describes the writer's attitude toward the council's decision?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Critical. Tone comes from word choice. The writer calls the decision short-sighted and a careless trade and contrasts it with spending on a fountain, which signals a critical attitude.
A: The writer states strong judgments without hedging, so the tone is not unsure.
B (correct): Words such as short-sighted, shut out and careless show clear disapproval of the decision.
C: The writer objects to the cut throughout, so approval is the opposite of the tone.
D: A neutral writer would report facts without judging words like short-sighted and careless.
Question 17 of 30 · medium
Forecasters are tracking a band of freezing rain expected to move into the region late Thursday night. If temperatures stay below freezing, the rain could coat roads and power lines with a thin layer of ice by Friday morning. Utility crews have been placed on standby, and the school district says it may announce a delayed opening by 6:00 a.m. Friday.
Which statement best reflects the information in the passage?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Icy roads are possible Friday morning if temperatures stay below freezing. The key sentence uses both a condition (if temperatures stay below freezing) and a possibility word (could). The only accurate answer keeps both limits instead of stating the ice as certain.
A: The passage describes a forecast; no damage has happened, and ice is expected by Friday morning.
B: The district only says it may announce a delay, and the ice itself is not certain, so this overstates certainty.
C (correct): This keeps both the condition (if temperatures stay below freezing) and the possibility word could.
D: This turns could into will and drops the temperature condition.
Question 18 of 30 · medium
Commuters on the city's west side have long complained that buses run only once an hour after 7 p.m. Last month the transit board proposed adding a second evening route and increasing service to every 20 minutes. The board will hold two public hearings this spring and vote on the plan in June. If approved, the changes would take effect in September.
According to the passage, what is the current status of the evening service plan?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: It has been proposed but not yet voted on. A proposal is not a result. The board proposed the plan last month, hearings are coming this spring, and the vote is in June, so the plan exists only as a proposal for now.
A: Hearings are scheduled for this spring, and the vote is in June; no approval is reported.
B: This treats the proposal as an outcome; buses still run once an hour in the evening.
C: The complaints came before the proposal, and no rejection is mentioned.
D (correct): The board proposed the plan last month and will not vote until June, so it is still at the proposal stage.
Question 19 of 30 · medium
Park rangers at Copper Ridge report that most rescue calls on the Summit Loop trail come in after 3 p.m., when hikers who started late try to finish before dark. Many of these hikers carry only a phone for navigation, and cell service fades on the trail's upper half. Rangers suggest that hikers begin the loop before 10 a.m. and carry a paper map.
Which statement drawn from the passage is a recommendation rather than an observation?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Hikers should start the loop early and bring a paper map. An observation describes what is; a recommendation says what should be done. Only the advice to start early and carry a paper map tells hikers what to do.
A: This reports how hikers behave, which is an observation.
B: This describes what happens on the trail, so it is an observation.
C: This describes a condition on the trail, so it is an observation.
D (correct): This tells hikers what they should do, which makes it a recommendation.
Question 20 of 30 · medium
The county opened its new recycling center in April. At the ribbon cutting, the county executive called the center "the best investment we have made in a decade." The facility cost $8 million and can sort about 200 tons of material a day. During its first two months, the center processed an average of 140 tons a day, and officials expect that number to rise as more towns sign contracts.
Which statement is best supported by the passage?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: The county executive views the recycling center very favorably. Separate the speaker from the writer. The quoted words belong to the county executive, so they show the executive's opinion; the writer only reports facts such as cost and tonnage.
A: The center averaged 140 tons a day, below its 200-ton capacity.
B: The passage gives the $8 million cost but compares it with no other project.
C (correct): The quotation shows the executive's own strong approval of the center.
D: The praise is quoted from the executive; the writer never gives a personal opinion.
Question 21 of 30 · medium
The state highway department reported that crashes on Route 9 dropped by 30 percent in 2024 compared with 2023, the year before the speed limit was lowered. Statewide, highway crashes fell by only 5 percent over the same period. The department plans to study three other routes before deciding whether to lower limits elsewhere, and it has not yet announced when that study will begin.
According to the passage, the 30 percent drop in crashes on Route 9 is measured against which baseline?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Route 9 crashes in 2023. A percent change needs a baseline. The evidence span says crashes on Route 9 dropped 30 percent in 2024 compared with 2023, so the baseline is Route 9 in 2023.
A: The three routes are only planned for future study.
B: The statewide figure is a separate comparison, not the baseline for the Route 9 drop.
C (correct): The passage compares Route 9 crashes in 2024 with Route 9 crashes in 2023.
D: This changes the place of the baseline from Route 9 to the whole state.
Question 22 of 30 · medium
During the summer, the shuttle from the visitor center to the canyon overlook leaves at 8:00, 8:20, 8:40 and 9:00 a.m., and it keeps the same spacing between departures for the rest of the day. The last shuttle leaves the visitor center at 5:00 p.m. Each round trip takes about 50 minutes, including a short stop at the overlook, and riders may return on any later shuttle.
A visitor arrives at the visitor center at 9:05 a.m. When does the next shuttle leave?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: 9:20 a.m. The listed times show a 20-minute interval, and the passage says the spacing continues all day. The next departure after 9:00 is 9:00 plus 20 minutes, which is 9:20 a.m., and the visitor arrives at 9:05, in time for it.
A: This skips the 9:20 departure, which comes after the visitor arrives.
B (correct): Departures are 20 minutes apart and the pattern continues, so the one after 9:00 leaves at 9:20.
C: This assumes a 15-minute interval, but the listed times are 20 minutes apart.
D: This adds the 50-minute round trip to the arrival time, which describes the ride, not the schedule.
Question 23 of 30 · hard
For decades, many drivers believed that letting a car engine idle for several minutes on a cold morning was the best way to protect it. That habit made sense for older engines with carburetors, which needed time to warm up before they ran smoothly. Modern fuel-injected engines, however, adjust the fuel mixture automatically and warm up faster when the car is driven gently. Long idling burns fuel, adds pollution and does little for the engine. For most cars on the road today, about 30 seconds of idling followed by easy driving is enough.
Which statement best expresses the main point of the passage?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: Most modern cars do not need long warm-up idling on cold mornings. The first sentence states a belief the writer then challenges. The turn at however and the final sentence give the real point: modern engines need only about 30 seconds of idling followed by easy driving.
A: The passage says idling adds pollution but never calls it the leading cause.
B (correct): After the turn word however, the passage argues that today's engines need only brief idling and gentle driving.
C: This is a true supporting detail that explains the old habit, not the main point.
D: This is the older belief the passage opens with and then rejects.
Question 24 of 30 · hard
Starting in January, the Eastside Recreation Center will change its pool schedule. Lap swimming will be offered from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. on weekdays only. Family swim will move to Saturday and Sunday afternoons, and children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult in the water. Swim lessons for adults will be offered on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, provided that at least six people register for each session. Members swim free; guests pay $5 per visit.
Which statement is NOT supported by the passage?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Adult swim lessons will definitely run on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. In a NOT question, three statements are supported and one is not. The phrase provided that at least six people register limits the adult lessons, so calling them definite is unsupported, while each remaining statement matches the text.
A (correct): The lessons depend on at least six people registering for each session, so this statement drops the condition.
B: The passage directly requires this, so it is supported.
C: Guests pay $5 per visit, so this is supported.
D: Lap swimming is offered on weekdays only, so this is supported.
Question 25 of 30 · hard
In 2023, a coastal town replaced 400 of its old sodium streetlights with LED fixtures. The town's electric bill for street lighting fell by about 40 percent the following year. Some residents, though, have complained that the new lights give off a harsh, bluish glare, and a few have asked the town to install warmer-colored bulbs on residential streets. The council has agreed to test warmer LEDs on two blocks this summer.
Which statement is best supported by the passage?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: The lighting bill fell after the switch, but some residents dislike the new light. Check every part of each choice. The supported answer keeps the order of events (the bill fell after the switch) and the limited group (some residents). The wrong choices add crime, widen the group to most residents, or treat a planned test as done.
A: The passage never mentions crime, so this choice adds an unsupported claim to an otherwise accurate one.
B (correct): Both parts are stated: the bill dropped the following year, and some residents complain about glare.
C: The council has only agreed to a test this summer; this turns a plan into a completed outcome.
D: Only some residents complain, and they ask for warmer LEDs, not the old lights.
Question 26 of 30 · hard
The Clearwater Dam was completed in 1958 on the upper Tanner River. Before it was built, spring floods regularly swept through the farm towns downstream, destroying crops and washing out roads every few years. After two especially destructive floods in the early 1950s, the state approved the dam to hold back high water and release it slowly. Today the reservoir behind the dam is also a popular spot for boating and fishing, and a small power plant at its base supplies electricity to about 3,000 homes.
According to the passage, why was the Clearwater Dam built?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: To control flooding that damaged farm towns downstream. The question asks why, so the evidence span is the sentence saying the state approved the dam to hold back high water after destructive floods. The recreation and power details are true but describe later uses, not the purpose.
A: The power plant is an accurate detail about the dam today, but it does not answer why the dam was built.
B: Boating and fishing are current uses described with the word also, not the reason the dam was built.
C (correct): The state approved the dam to hold back high water after destructive floods, which is the stated reason.
D: No earlier dam is mentioned, so this adds an unsupported claim.
Question 27 of 30 · hard
Residents of Oak Street may park on the street overnight with a resident permit, except on the first Monday of each month, when the street is swept between 7:00 and 10:00 a.m. On sweeping days, cars must be moved before 7:00 a.m. and may return after 10:00 a.m. Vehicles without a permit may park on the street only between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., and never overnight. Cars left on the street during sweeping hours will be ticketed regardless of permit status.
A resident with a valid permit has parked on Oak Street on the night before the first Monday of the month. Which plan follows the rules for that Monday morning?
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Answer: A
The word except limits the permit on the first Monday. That day cars must be moved before 7:00 a.m. and may return after 10:00 a.m., and tickets apply regardless of permit, so only moving before 7:00 and returning at 10:30 follows every rule.
A (correct): Cars must be moved before 7:00 a.m. on sweeping days and may come back after 10:00 a.m., and this plan meets both limits.
B: The passage says cars are ticketed during sweeping regardless of permit status.
C: This drops the exception for the first Monday, when even permit holders must move.
D: Sweeping starts at 7:00, and the car must be moved before then, so 7:30 is too late.
Question 28 of 30 · hard
A small study at one university followed 40 students for a single semester. Students who took a 20-minute walk before studying scored slightly higher on weekly quizzes than students who did not walk. The researchers wrote that the results suggest light exercise may help some students concentrate, but they cautioned that the group was small and that the walkers might have differed from the others in other ways, such as sleep habits.
Which conclusion matches both the strength and the scope of the evidence?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Light exercise before studying might help some students focus, but more evidence is needed. Match both certainty and scope. The study was small, at one school, for one semester, and the researchers used weak words such as suggest and may. Only a tentative claim about some students fits that evidence.
A (correct): This keeps the researchers' cautious words (suggest, may, some) and their warning about the small group.
B: The study covered 40 students at one university for one semester, so this widens the scope.
C: The researchers said only that sleep habits might have differed; they reported no sleep data.
D: Proves is far stronger than suggest and may, and the researchers themselves raised other possible explanations.
Question 29 of 30 · hard
A hardware chain surveyed 1,200 customers who had bought its store-brand cordless drill in the past year. About 70 percent said they were satisfied with the drill's battery life, and 85 percent said they would recommend the drill to a friend. Only customers who had registered their purchase online were invited to take the survey. The chain says it will use the results to design next year's model.
Which statement accurately restates information from the passage?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Most surveyed buyers, all of whom had registered online, would recommend the drill. A good paraphrase keeps the same subject, claim and limits. The 85 percent figure belongs to recommending the drill, it describes surveyed customers only, and those customers had all registered online.
A: This swaps the numbers; 85 percent is the recommendation figure, and battery satisfaction was about 70 percent.
B: The passage reports both figures but never links the recommendations to battery life, so it adds a cause.
C: About 70 percent of surveyed buyers were satisfied, and not every buyer was surveyed, so all changes the meaning.
D (correct): Eighty-five percent is most, and the survey invited only customers who registered online, so this paraphrase keeps the meaning and limits.
Question 30 of 30 · hard
A delivery van left the depot at 7:00 a.m. with a full 20-gallon fuel tank. Its route that day covered about 300 miles, and the van averages roughly 15 miles per gallon on city streets. The driver's logbook shows no stops at fuel stations. At 4:30 p.m. the van returned to the depot, and the driver noted that the low-fuel warning light had come on during the last part of the route.
Which conclusion is best supported by the passage?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: The van used most or nearly all of its fuel during the route. Combine the numbers: 300 miles divided by 15 miles per gallon is about 20 gallons, the size of the full tank. With no fuel stops and the low-fuel light on, the smallest supported conclusion is that the van used nearly all its fuel; nothing tells why the driver did not refuel.
A (correct): About 300 miles at roughly 15 miles per gallon is about 20 gallons, the full tank, and the low-fuel light confirms the tank was nearly empty.
B: Highway mileage is never mentioned, so this is not supported.
C: The passage gives no reason for skipping fuel stops, so this adds an unstated cause.
D: The van returned to the depot, so this contradicts the passage.
A fishing boat lost engine power about six miles off the coast late Saturday afternoon. Its captain radioed the Coast Guard station at Port Willet, which sent a response boat within minutes. The response boat reached the drifting vessel just before dark and towed it back to the harbor. The station's commander later said the captain had done everything right. Before leaving the dock, he had filed a trip plan with the harbor office, and it gave rescuers his intended route, which shortened their search. She urged other boat owners to follow the same practice.
In the phrase "it gave rescuers his intended route," what does the word "it" refer to?
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: The trip plan the captain filed. Find the noun just before the pronoun and test it in the sentence: "he had filed a trip plan with the harbor office, and it gave rescuers his intended route." Only the trip plan can sensibly contain and give a route, so "it" refers to the trip plan. Earlier uses of "it" for the fishing boat do not decide this one; each pronoun points to its own nearby noun.
A: The harbor office received the plan, but the office itself is not what listed the route; the nearest sensible noun is the plan.
B: The response boat used the route information; it did not supply it, so it cannot be what gave rescuers the route.
C: The fishing boat is referred to by "it" earlier in the passage, but in this clause a boat cannot give rescuers a route.
D (correct): The captain filed a trip plan, and a written plan is the only noun in that clause that could list his intended route.
Practice 2 of 38 · easy
Building management has scheduled repairs to the main water line at Linden Court Apartments. Water will be shut off on Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and residents should fill containers with drinking water before the shutoff begins. Tenants who want the plumber to inspect a leaky faucet while the crew is on site must submit a request to the front office by Monday at 5:00 p.m. Requests received after that will be handled at the next regular maintenance visit.
According to the passage, by what time must a tenant submit a request to have a leaky faucet inspected during the water line repairs?
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Answer: B
This is a detail question, so find the sentence about faucet requests: they must be submitted "by Monday at 5:00 p.m." The word by marks the last allowed time. The Wednesday times describe the shutoff, which is true but answers a different question.
A: That is when the water shutoff begins, a different time given in the passage for a different purpose.
B (correct): The passage says requests must reach the front office by Monday at 5:00 p.m. to be handled while the crew is on site.
C: That is when the water comes back on, not the deadline for faucet requests.
D: Late requests go to the next regular visit; meeting that timing would miss the repair-day inspection the question asks about.
Practice 3 of 38 · easy
After three months with almost no rain, the Valley Water District asked homeowners to curb their outdoor water use. Under the new rules, lawn sprinklers may run only on Tuesday and Saturday mornings, and washing cars in driveways is discouraged. District officials say that if every household trims its outdoor use by about one fifth, the reservoir should hold enough water to last until the autumn rains arrive.
As used in the passage, the word "curb" most nearly means:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: restrict. Replace the word with each choice and check it against the rest of the passage. The rules limit sprinklers to two mornings and ask households to trim use by a fifth, so curb means restrict. "Stop completely" goes too far, because some watering is still allowed.
A: Curb can name the edge of a street, but that noun meaning makes no sense in "asked homeowners to curb their outdoor water use."
B: Watching water use is not what the rules describe; they reduce use by limiting sprinkler days.
C (correct): Sprinklers are allowed only two mornings a week and use should be trimmed, so the district is asking people to restrict, or hold down, their water use.
D: Sprinklers may still run on two mornings, and the goal is to trim use by a fifth, so use is reduced, not ended.
Practice 4 of 38 · easy
In many towns, a broken toaster or a jacket with a stuck zipper no longer has to go straight into the trash. Repair cafes, held once a month in community halls and church basements, pair owners of broken items with volunteers who know electronics, sewing, or woodworking. The volunteers do not simply fix the item; they work alongside the owner and explain each step so the owner can handle a similar problem next time. Organizers say the events keep usable goods out of landfills, save families the cost of buying replacements, and help neighbors learn practical skills.
Which statement best expresses the main idea of the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: Repair cafes help people fix broken items, which cuts waste, saves money, and teaches skills. Build a one-sentence map: repair cafes help people fix their own broken things, with three benefits. The main idea must cover that full scope without going past it. Single examples are too narrow, and claims about most landfill items or fees are not in the text.
A (correct): This covers the whole passage: what repair cafes do and all three benefits the organizers name.
B: These are examples from the passage, so the statement is too narrow to be the main idea.
C: The passage never measures how many discarded items could be fixed; this reaches beyond the text.
D: No fee is mentioned, and the passage stresses saving families money, so this adds an unsupported detail.
Practice 5 of 38 · medium
Buying a used car from a private seller often costs less than buying one from a dealer. Private sellers have no showroom to pay for and may want to sell quickly, so their prices can be hundreds of dollars below dealer listings. However, a private sale usually comes with no warranty, and the buyer has little recourse if the transmission fails a week later. For that reason, anyone who chooses a private sale should pay a trusted mechanic to inspect the car before handing over any money.
Which statement best expresses the writer's main point?
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: A buyer who saves money through a private sale should have the car inspected first to limit the risk. Watch the signal words. The first two sentences grant an advantage, "however" turns to the risk of no warranty, and "for that reason" leads to the writer's advice: have a mechanic inspect the car before paying. The main point is the one that keeps both the savings and the precaution.
A (correct): The point after the turn word however, and the conclusion signaled by for that reason, is that the savings come with risk, so an inspection is advised.
B: This is a supporting detail from before the turn, true but not the writer's main point.
C: The writer accepts private sales and only advises an inspection; avoiding them entirely overstates the advice.
D: The transmission failure is offered as a possible risk, not a claim that it usually happens.
Practice 6 of 38 · hard
The fitness center at Fort Alder is open to active-duty service members, their adult family members, and retirees. Visitors without base privileges may enter only as guests of a sponsor who holds a valid ID card, and each sponsor may bring no more than two guests per visit. Children under 14 may use the indoor track but not the weight room. Every Tuesday, the pool closes for cleaning from noon until 2:00 p.m.; the rest of the facility stays open during that time.
Each of the following statements is supported by the passage EXCEPT:
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: A guest who shows a valid ID card may enter the center without a sponsor. An EXCEPT question asks for the one statement the passage does not support. Check each against its evidence: the track rule covers children under 14, only the pool closes Tuesday at midday, and two guests is within the limit. The guest rule includes the condition "only as guests of a sponsor," so a guest entering alone breaks it.
A: Children under 14 may use the indoor track, and a 12-year-old is under 14, so this is supported.
B: Only the pool closes on Tuesday from noon to 2:00 p.m.; the rest of the facility stays open, so this is supported.
C (correct): Guests may enter only with a sponsor, and the ID requirement applies to the sponsor; this statement drops that condition, so it is the one not supported.
D: The limit is no more than two guests per visit, so bringing two is allowed and supported.
Practice 7 of 38 · medium
A refrigerator does not create cold. Instead, it moves heat from inside the cabinet to the room outside. A fluid called a refrigerant flows through a loop of tubing. Inside the cabinet, the refrigerant evaporates and absorbs heat from the food, much as sweat cools skin when it dries. A compressor then squeezes the vapor, which raises its temperature, and pushes it into coils on the back or bottom of the unit. There the heat escapes into the kitchen and the refrigerant turns back into a liquid. That is why the air behind a running refrigerator often feels warm.
What is the primary purpose of the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: To explain how a refrigerator removes heat from its interior. To find purpose, ask what the writer is doing in every sentence. Here each sentence describes one stage of how heat leaves the cabinet, from evaporation to the coils, so the action is explaining. Nothing argues, warns, or makes a full comparison.
A: The passage never recommends a purchase or mentions energy efficiency.
B (correct): Each sentence describes a step in moving heat out of the cabinet, so the writer is explaining a process.
C: The passage notes the air behind the unit feels warm but gives no warning of danger.
D: The sweat comparison is a single analogy used to explain one step, too narrow to be the purpose.
Practice 8 of 38 · medium
Two Army motor pools keep records of how often their vehicles fail scheduled safety inspections. Inspectors check brakes, lights, tires, and fluid levels, and a vehicle that fails must be repaired and inspected again before it can be dispatched. Last quarter, the motor pool at Station North recorded twice as many failed inspections as the motor pool at Station South. Station North, however, maintains about four times as many vehicles as Station South.
Which statement is best supported by the passage?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Station North had a lower rate of failed inspections per vehicle than Station South. Keep each comparison in the right direction. If South had F failures and V vehicles, North had 2F failures and 4V vehicles.
4V2F=21⋅VF
So North's failure rate per vehicle was about half of South's, even though its total number of failures was higher.
A (correct): North had 2 times the failures spread over 4 times the vehicles, so its failures per vehicle were about half of South's.
B: Twice as many does not mean two more; this reads a ratio as a difference.
C: This looks only at the raw count of failures and ignores that North has four times as many vehicles.
D: This swaps the two motor pools; the passage says North has about four times as many vehicles.
Practice 9 of 38 · easy
The Benton County landfill accepts household trash and yard waste from county residents at no charge. Residents must show a driver's license or a utility bill with a county address at the gate. Tires, paint, and car batteries are accepted only on the second Saturday of each month, during the household hazardous waste collection. Commercial haulers are charged by weight and must use the scale entrance on Mill Road.
According to the passage, when may a resident drop off an old car battery?
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: The second Saturday of every month. Find the sentence that names car batteries: they are accepted "only on the second Saturday of each month." The words "only on" limit the rule, so an answer that drops or widens that limit is wrong.
A: The free, any-day rule covers trash and yard waste; it drops the only-on condition that applies to batteries.
B: The Mill Road entrance is for commercial haulers, a detail that does not answer when a resident may bring a battery.
C (correct): The passage says car batteries are accepted only on the second Saturday of each month, during the hazardous waste collection.
D: This widens the condition; batteries are accepted on the second Saturday only, not every Saturday.
Practice 10 of 38 · medium
In 2021, the town of Grafton planted 300 shade trees along both sides of its main shopping street. Two years later, the downtown business association reported that foot traffic on that street had risen by about 18 percent. The report did not say what drew the additional shoppers, and it counted pedestrians only on the main street, not on nearby side streets or at the shopping center on the edge of town.
Which statement is best supported by the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: D
Correct answer: Foot traffic on the main street rose in the two years after the trees were planted. The passage says the trees came first and the rise in foot traffic came later, but it states that the report did not explain the cause. A sequence is not proof of causation, so the supported answer keeps the order of events, the main-street limit, and no claim about why.
A: The passage gives only a sequence and says the report did not explain what drew the shoppers, so a cause is added.
B: The count covered only the main street, so this widens the scope beyond the evidence.
C: The shopping center was not measured, so no comparison of preferences is supported.
D (correct): This keeps the passage's order of events and its scope without claiming a cause, so it is fully supported.
Practice 11 of 38 · medium
Harlan County launched an emergency alert system this spring that sends text messages to residents' phones during floods, wildfires, and severe storms. "This system will save lives," the county's emergency management director said at the launch. So far, about 9,000 of the county's roughly 40,000 residents have signed up. Residents must register online or by phone to receive alerts, and the system does not reach anyone who has not enrolled.
Which statement is presented in the passage as a quoted speaker's opinion rather than as a fact reported by the writer?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: The alert system will save lives. Separate the speaker's words from the writer's. The prediction that the system "will save lives" sits inside quotation marks and is credited to the director. The enrollment number, the registration rule, and the description of the alerts are all stated by the writer.
A: The writer reports this enrollment figure directly, outside any quotation.
B: The writer states the registration rule as a fact in the final sentence.
C: The writer describes what the system does in the first sentence, as reported fact.
D (correct): These words appear only inside the director's quotation, so they are the speaker's view, not something the writer confirms.
Practice 12 of 38 · medium
Soldiers driving from Camp Easton to the regional airport can take either of two routes. County Route 14 is 32 miles long and passes through three small towns, each with several traffic lights and a 25 mph speed limit in its center. Highway 6 is 41 miles long but has no traffic lights and a 65 mph limit for most of its length. Highway 6 charges a $3 toll at the airport exit, while Route 14 is free. During winter storms, Highway 6 is usually plowed before the county roads.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: Route 14 is shorter and toll-free, while Highway 6 is usually plowed sooner in winter storms. Sort each feature to its own side: Route 14 is 32 miles, free, and has town traffic lights; Highway 6 is 41 miles, has a $3 toll, no lights, and is plowed first. The supported statement keeps every feature on the right route and makes no overall ranking or time claim.
A: Highway 6 has the toll and no lights, but it is the longer route at 41 miles, so this swaps a feature.
B (correct): Each feature is matched to the correct route: Route 14 is 32 miles and free, and Highway 6 is plowed first.
C: The passage compares separate traits and never ranks one route as better overall.
D: Travel time is never stated, and the towns' traffic lights and 25 mph limits could slow Route 14, so always faster adds a claim.
Practice 13 of 38 · hard
To check out a pickup truck from the battalion motor pool, a soldier must hold a valid military driver's license for that vehicle class and must complete a walk-around inspection checklist before leaving the lot. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee a truck, because vehicles are assigned on a first-come basis and the motor sergeant may hold some back for priority missions. Soldiers who will drive off post also need written approval from their section leader, unless the trip is a scheduled range run.
Sergeant Diaz holds a valid license for the truck class and has completed the inspection checklist. She plans to drive off post for an unscheduled supply pickup. Which statement is best supported by the passage?
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Answer: B
Treat the license and checklist as necessary but not sufficient, since the passage says they do not guarantee a truck. Then apply the condition: off-post trips need written approval unless the trip is a scheduled range run. Her supply pickup is unscheduled, so the exception does not cover her and she still needs approval, but she is not banned from going.
A: The passage says meeting the requirements does not guarantee a truck, since trucks go first come and some are held back.
B (correct): The trip is off post and is not a scheduled range run, so the unless exception does not apply and written approval is still required.
C: Same-day return is never mentioned; this invents a condition that the passage does not give.
D: The unless clause only removes the approval step for range runs; other off-post trips are allowed with written approval.
Practice 14 of 38 · hard
Researchers at a coastal field station attached small tracking tags to 60 young sea turtles that hatched on a single Florida beach in 2019. Turtles from nests that stayed cooler during incubation tended to swim farther offshore in their first month than turtles from warmer nests. In their report, the researchers wrote that nest temperature might influence early swimming behavior. They added that the sample was small, came from only one beach, and did not separate temperature from other factors, such as the amount of moonlight on the night each nest hatched.
Which conclusion matches the evidence in the passage most closely?
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Answer: A
Check both scope and certainty. The evidence comes from 60 turtles on one beach, and the researchers used might while listing limits of the study. Only the conclusion that stays with the tracked turtles and keeps the tentative wording matches; the others upgrade to cause, widen to the whole world, or add an unsupported explanation.
A (correct): This keeps both the limited sample of tracked turtles and the researchers' tentative word might, so it matches the evidence.
B: The researchers said temperature might influence swimming and did not separate it from other factors such as moonlight, so this turns a possibility into a certainty.
C: The study covered 60 turtles from one Florida beach, so worldwide widens the scope far beyond the sample.
D: The passage mentions moonlight only as an untested factor; it never says moonlight is the explanation.
Practice 15 of 38 · hard
Late Friday, the only gas station in the mountain town of Elk Gap posted a notice saying its underground tanks were empty and that the next fuel delivery was scheduled for Tuesday morning. The station's convenience store would keep its normal hours in the meantime. The nearest other gas station is in Carver, 25 miles down the valley road. The town's school buses are not affected, because they are fueled at the county garage in Carver.
Which inference is best supported by the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: C
Correct answer: A resident who needs gasoline on Monday will probably have to drive toward Carver to get it. Link the facts: the town's only station is out of fuel until Tuesday morning, and the nearest other station is 25 miles away in Carver. The smallest inference is that someone needing gas on Monday will likely have to go toward Carver. The remaining choices contradict the passage about the buses or the store, or invent a cause.
A: The passage says the buses are fueled in Carver and are not affected, so this contradicts the text.
B: The store keeps its normal hours, so this contradicts the passage.
C (correct): Elk Gap's only station has no fuel until Tuesday morning and the nearest other station is in Carver, so this is the smallest reasonable step.
D: The tanks were empty on Friday and no reason is given; this adds a cause that the passage never states.
Practice 16 of 38 · medium
For 27 years, retired Navy cook Walter Briggs has organized the free Thanksgiving dinner at the Harbor Street community center. Each November he recruits dozens of volunteers, persuades local grocers to donate turkeys, and checks every oven himself the night before. Last year the dinner served more than 600 people, many of whom would otherwise have spent the holiday alone. Briggs shrugs off praise and insists the volunteers deserve the credit, but anyone who has watched him calmly direct a crowded kitchen knows the event would not happen without his tireless, generous leadership.
Which word best describes the writer's attitude toward Walter Briggs?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Admiring. Tone comes from word choice. The writer stresses Briggs's 27 years of service, lists his hands-on efforts, and closes with "tireless, generous leadership," which signals admiration. The "but" in the last sentence turns from Briggs's modesty to the writer's own praise.
A: The writer finds no fault with Briggs; every detail about him is positive.
B: The writer clearly cares about Briggs's work, choosing warm, approving words rather than flat ones.
C: The writer never questions Briggs's role; instead the passage rejects his modest claim that the volunteers deserve all the credit.
D (correct): Words such as tireless and generous, and the claim that the event would not happen without him, show strong approval and respect.
Practice 17 of 38 · easy
The Maple Avenue veterinary clinic sees pets by appointment Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. On Saturdays, the clinic accepts walk-in patients from 9:00 a.m. until noon, but only for vaccinations and nail trims. Emergency cases are referred to the animal hospital on Route 30, which is open around the clock. Owners bringing a new pet should arrive ten minutes early to fill out a health history form.
According to the passage, what can a pet owner get on a Saturday walk-in visit?
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Answer: B
The evidence span is the second sentence: on Saturdays, walk-ins are taken from 9:00 a.m. until noon, but only for vaccinations and nail trims. A correct detail answer must keep both the time limit and the service limit.
A: This keeps the hours but drops the condition "only for vaccinations and nail trims," so it widens what the clinic offers.
B (correct): The Saturday sentence gives both the time window and the limited list of services, and this answer keeps both.
C: These are the weekday appointment hours, not the Saturday walk-in hours.
D: Round-the-clock emergency care belongs to the animal hospital on Route 30, not to the clinic's Saturday hours.
Practice 18 of 38 · medium
The laundry room in Building 12 has six washers and six dryers. On Monday, a maintenance notice was taped to the door: four of the dryers are out of service until a replacement part arrives, which the supplier says should take about two weeks. The washers are working normally. Residents have been asked to run only one load at a time and to remove their clothes promptly when a cycle ends.
Which inference is best supported by the passage?
Show the answer
Answer: B
Correct answer: Residents may have to wait longer than usual to use a dryer. Link the facts: four of six dryers are down, so only two remain, and residents are asked to limit loads and clear machines quickly. The smallest inference is that dryer use will be slower or more crowded; nothing supports a cause, an exact repair date, or a washer outage.
A: The passage never says why the dryers failed, so this adds a cause that is not in the text.
B (correct): With only two of six dryers working and residents asked to move clothes promptly, longer waits are the smallest reasonable step beyond the facts.
C: The supplier says the part should take about two weeks; this turns an estimate into a guaranteed date.
D: The passage states the washers are working normally, so this contradicts the text.
Practice 19 of 38 · hard
Last spring, the Dalton warehouse replaced its overhead fluorescent lights with brighter LED panels. In the three months after the change, the number of picking errors, meaning orders packed with the wrong item, fell from about 90 per month to about 55. The warehouse manager highlighted the new lights in her quarterly report. The same report noted that during those months the company also began requiring workers to scan each item's barcode before placing it in a box, a step that had often been skipped, and that two experienced supervisors returned from extended leave.
Which statement is best supported by the passage?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Picking errors fell after the lighting change, but other changes happened during the same period. The passage reports a sequence (new lights, then fewer errors) but also names two other changes in the same months, so no single cause is established. Checking the numbers, 90 minus 55 is 35, and 35 is under half of 90, so "more than half" is also wrong. Only the statement that keeps sequence separate from cause is fully supported.
A (correct): The passage gives the order of events and lists barcode scanning and returning supervisors in the same months, so this stays within the evidence.
B: The passage shows only that the drop came after the new lights; it never says the lights caused it, and other changes occurred at the same time.
C: This picks a different cause and adds a claim about how much it contributed, which the passage never states.
D: A drop from about 90 to about 55 is a decrease of about 35, which is less than half of 90.
Practice 20 of 38 · medium
Before hurricane season begins, the county urges every household to assemble an emergency kit. Officials recommend storing at least three days of water, about one gallon per person per day, along with canned food, a flashlight, spare batteries, and copies of important papers in a waterproof bag. "People tend to think they can gather supplies once a storm is announced," said the county's emergency planner, "but by then store shelves are often bare and the lines are long." She added that a kit assembled early lets families focus on leaving safely if an evacuation order comes.
As used in the passage, the word "bare" most nearly means:
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Answer: B
Correct answer: empty. Replace the word with each choice and reread the sentence. The planner warns that waiting until a storm is announced fails because supplies are gone and lines are long, so "shelves are often empty" keeps the sentence logical.
A: This is a common meaning of bare, as with bare skin, but shelves that are uncovered would not stop anyone from buying supplies.
B (correct): The planner is saying that supplies have already been bought up, so the shelves have nothing left on them.
C: Plain describes something simple or undecorated, which does not explain why waiting to shop is a problem.
D: Nothing in the sentence suggests the shelves are broken; the point is about missing goods.
Practice 21 of 38 · medium
Welding creates hazards that go well beyond the obvious sparks. The arc gives off intense ultraviolet light that can injure the eyes quickly, which is why welders wear helmets with darkened lenses. The fumes rising from heated metal can carry particles that irritate the lungs, so shops use exhaust fans or welders wear respirators. Molten spatter can set clothing on fire, so welders choose heavy cotton or leather rather than synthetic fabrics that melt. Even the noise of some cutting tools calls for ear protection.
Which statement best expresses the main idea of the passage?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Welding involves several hazards, and each one calls for its own form of protection. Build a one-sentence map: the passage lists hazards (light, fumes, spatter, noise) and the protection for each. The main idea must cover that whole pattern, so the answer naming several hazards and their matching protections fits, while a single example is too narrow.
A (correct): Every sentence after the first pairs a hazard with a protective measure, so this covers the whole passage without going beyond it.
B: This is a true detail from one sentence, but it leaves out the fumes, spatter, and noise, so it is too narrow.
C: The passage never discusses training or says welding is too dangerous; this reaches past the text.
D: The passage mentions synthetic fabrics only as a poor clothing choice and never ranks causes of injury.
Practice 22 of 38 · easy
The Hilltop Community Center runs a tool-lending shed for local residents. Members may borrow drills, ladders, stud finders, and pressure washers and keep them for up to seven days. Borrowers must be at least 18 years old and must sign a safety agreement the first time they check out a tool. Tools cannot be reserved in advance; they are lent on a first-come basis. Late returns are charged $2 for each day, and volunteers inspect every tool for damage when it comes back.
All of the following are stated in the passage EXCEPT:
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Answer: C
Correct answer: Tools may be reserved a week ahead of time. An EXCEPT question reverses the task: three choices are supported, and the answer is the one that is not. Checking each against the passage, the age limit, seven-day limit, and $2 daily late fee all appear, but the passage says tools cannot be reserved in advance.
A: The third sentence states this age requirement, so it is supported and cannot be the exception.
B: The second sentence gives the seven-day borrowing limit, so this is supported.
C (correct): The passage says tools cannot be reserved in advance, so this contradicts the text and is the exception.
D: The late fee of $2 per day appears in the last sentence, so this is supported.
Practice 23 of 38 · medium
Many people pour used cooking oil down the kitchen drain without a second thought. Once it cools, however, the grease hardens inside the pipes and traps food scraps and other debris. Over time these clogs can push sewage back up into basements and force cities to spend heavily on cleanup. A better habit is simple: let the oil cool, pour it into a sealed container such as an old jar, and put it in the trash, or take it to a collection site if your town has one.
What is the writer's main purpose in this passage?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: To warn readers about a common habit and suggest a safer way to dispose of oil. To find purpose, ask what the writer is doing. The passage names a common habit, explains the damage it causes, and ends by recommending a different way to get rid of the oil, so its purpose is to warn and advise.
A: The passage mentions sewers only as the place where grease causes clogs; it never describes how wastewater is treated.
B: The passage speaks of cleanup costs in general and names no city, date, or dollar figure.
C (correct): The writer describes the harm caused by pouring oil down drains and then gives a better method, which is a warning followed by advice.
D: The writer objects only to how oil is thrown away, not to cooking with it.
Practice 24 of 38 · easy
The afternoon's work centered on the landing gear of a small transport plane. The crew chief handed the new mechanic a torque wrench and a printed checklist. Before the inspection began, he reminded her that it had been calibrated only last week, so its readings could be trusted. He then asked her to initial each line of the checklist as she completed the step.
In the third sentence, what does the word "it" refer to?
Show the answer
Answer: A
Correct answer: The torque wrench. To resolve a pronoun, find the earlier noun that fits what the sentence says about it. "It" was calibrated and has readings, which only makes sense for a measuring tool, so it refers to the torque wrench.
A (correct): A tool is calibrated and gives readings, so "it" points back to the torque wrench.
B: A checklist is not calibrated and does not give readings; it is mentioned separately in the last sentence.
C: The inspection had not yet begun, and an inspection is not something that is calibrated.
D: The landing gear is the part being worked on, but landing gear does not produce readings that need to be trusted.
Practice 25 of 38 · hard
The Harmon Trades Scholarship pays up to $3,000 toward tuition at an accredited welding, plumbing, or electrical program. To be considered, applicants must live in Clay County, hold a high school diploma or its equivalent, and submit a one-page essay by March 1. A committee reviews the eligible applications and chooses up to five winners each year, giving extra weight to applicants who have already arranged an apprenticeship.
Dana lives in Clay County, earned a GED, and submitted her essay on February 20 for an accredited plumbing program. She has not yet arranged an apprenticeship.
Based on the passage, which statement about Dana is best supported?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: She is eligible to be considered, but she is not guaranteed a scholarship. The residence, diploma-or-equivalent, and essay-by-March-1 rules are necessary conditions, and Dana meets all of them. They are not sufficient, because a committee chooses only up to five winners. The apprenticeship is a preference, not a requirement, so she is eligible but not assured of an award.
A: Meeting the requirements only gets an application considered; the committee still picks up to five winners, so an award is not guaranteed.
B: An apprenticeship earns extra weight but is not listed as a requirement, so lacking one does not disqualify her.
C (correct): She meets every stated requirement, which makes her eligible, yet the requirements are necessary rather than sufficient for winning.
D: The passage accepts a diploma or its equivalent, and a GED is a high school equivalency credential.
Practice 26 of 38 · hard
Two neighboring fire districts tracked their emergency calls last year. The North District, which covers mostly farmland, answered 600 calls. The South District, which includes the county's largest town, answered three times as many. The South District's average response time was 6 minutes, which was half the North District's average. District leaders said longer drives on rural roads explain most of the difference in response times.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: The North District answered 1,200 fewer calls than the South District. Work each comparison in the right direction. South answered 3 times 600 = 1,800 calls, so North answered 1,800 minus 600 = 1,200 fewer. South's 6 minutes is half of North's time, so North averaged 12 minutes, not 3, and "most of the difference" does not mean "the only reason."
A: This halves the South District's time instead of doubling it; if 6 minutes is half of North's average, North's average is 12 minutes.
B: This divides 600 by 3 instead of multiplying; three times as many as 600 is 1,800.
C (correct): The South District answered 3 times 600, or 1,800 calls, and 1,800 minus 600 is 1,200.
D: Leaders said rural roads explain most of the difference, and changing "most" to "only" overstates the passage.
Practice 27 of 38 · medium
A Denver startup advertises that its new window film blocks "up to 70 percent" of the summer heat that enters a home through glass, which it says can noticeably lower cooling bills. According to the company's website, the film goes on like a large sticker and can be peeled off without leaving residue. The product went on sale in May. Consumer groups have asked to see test data, but the company has said only that it is "finalizing results" from its own trials.
Which conclusion is best supported by the passage?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: The company's heat-blocking claim has not yet been backed by released test data. Notice the reporting words: the company "advertises" and "says," and its website is the source for the other details. Since outside groups have requested data and the company has released none, the most that can be concluded is that the claim remains unverified.
A: This treats the company's advertising as proven fact and also drops the words "up to," which mark a maximum.
B (correct): The passage reports the claim through the company's ads and notes that test data has been requested but not provided.
C: This moves the 70 percent figure from heat blocked to money saved and states it as a certainty, neither of which the passage supports.
D: Consumer groups only asked for data; the passage says nothing about them testing the film or reaching a finding.
Practice 28 of 38 · hard
In the fall of 2024, a team from a state university interviewed 150 dairy farmers in three northern counties about how they keep barns cool in summer. About 80 percent said they had installed large fans in the past five years, and roughly half said they also ran water misters on the hottest days. Most of the farmers using both methods said their cows produced more milk during heat waves than before. The researchers noted that every farm they visited was family-run and kept fewer than 200 cows.
Which conclusion stays within the scope of the passage?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Most of the interviewed farmers had added large fans within the previous five years. Check who, where, and when the evidence covers: 150 family-run farms with fewer than 200 cows, in three counties, interviewed in 2024. Only the statement limited to the interviewed farmers matches that scope; the others widen the group, add causation, or describe farms outside the sample.
A: The interviews covered 150 farmers in three counties, so extending the result to the whole country widens the group and the place.
B: This turns what some farmers reported into a proven cause, which the interviews do not establish.
C: No farm with 200 or more cows was in the sample, so the passage gives no information about larger farms.
D (correct): About 80 percent of the 150 interviewed farmers reported installing fans in the past five years, and this answer keeps that exact group and time frame.
Practice 29 of 38 · medium
Laminate flooring has become a popular choice for kitchen remodels. It costs less than hardwood, comes in many colors and wood-grain patterns, and can often be installed in a weekend by a homeowner with basic tools. Its tough surface also resists scratches from pets and chair legs. However, most laminate swells and warps if water sits on it for long, and a single dishwasher leak can ruin a section that is hard to replace without matching boards. In a room where spills are common, that weakness deserves serious thought.
What is the writer's main concern about using laminate flooring in a kitchen?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: It can be damaged by standing water. The signal word "However" marks the turn from laminate's advantages to its drawback. What follows the turn carries the writer's stronger point: water can swell and ruin the boards, which matters in a kitchen where spills are common.
A: The passage says laminate costs less than hardwood, so this contradicts the text.
B: The passage says the surface resists scratches, so this reverses a stated strength.
C: This is true, but it is listed as an advantage before the turn and is not the writer's concern.
D (correct): After "However," the writer explains that water makes laminate swell and warp and calls this a weakness that deserves serious thought.
Practice 30 of 38 · easy
Soldiers in Alpha Company who plan to take holiday leave must submit their leave requests to the orderly room by 1600 on December 5. Requests turned in after that time will be reviewed only if space remains on the leave roster. Approved soldiers may depart after the final formation on December 19 and must return no later than 2100 on January 2. Anyone delayed by weather while traveling should call the staff duty officer right away.
According to the passage, what is the deadline for submitting leave requests to the orderly room?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: 1600 hours on December 5. Time words set limits: "by 1600 on December 5" makes that the last time for a request to receive normal review. The other dates in the passage control departure and return, which are different tasks.
A: December 19 is the earliest day approved soldiers may depart, not the request deadline.
B (correct): The first sentence sets 1600 on December 5 as the deadline for submitting requests.
C: This is the latest time soldiers may return from leave, not the time to submit a request.
D: Late requests are reviewed only if space remains, so this drops the stated deadline and its condition.
Practice 31 of 38 · easy
Lifeguards at Sandy Cove Beach report that most of the swimmers they pull from rip currents in July are visitors who did not notice the warning flags. Rip currents are narrow channels of fast-moving water that flow away from the shore. Swimmers caught in one often panic and try to swim straight back to the beach, which quickly wears them out. The beach patrol advises anyone caught in a rip current to swim parallel to the shore until free of the current and then head back to land.
Which statement from the passage is a recommendation rather than an observation?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: Anyone caught in a rip current should swim parallel to the shore. An observation describes what is; a recommendation says what should be done. The only sentence that tells readers how to act is the beach patrol's advice to swim parallel to the shore.
A: This reports what lifeguards have seen, so it is an observation.
B: This describes what a rip current is, which is an observation, not advice.
C: This describes how swimmers usually behave, so it is an observation even though it explains a mistake.
D (correct): The beach patrol "advises" this action, so it tells readers what should be done, which is a recommendation.
Practice 32 of 38 · medium
Engineers inspecting the Mill Creek bridge last week found rust on several of the steel beams that support the roadway. Their report states that the bridge remains safe for cars and light trucks for now. However, the engineers wrote that if the rust keeps spreading at its current rate, the county might have to lower the bridge's weight limit within the next two years. Repainting the beams could slow the damage, and the county board is expected to discuss funding for that work at its March meeting.
According to the passage, which statement about the bridge's weight limit is accurate?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: It may need to be lowered within two years if the rust keeps spreading. The evidence span is the third sentence, which uses both a condition ("if the rust keeps spreading") and a possibility word ("might"). A correct answer must keep both, so the limit may need to be lowered within two years under that condition.
A (correct): This keeps both the condition (if the rust keeps spreading) and the uncertainty (might) that the engineers expressed.
B: The engineers said the county might have to lower it, and only if the rust keeps spreading; this turns a possibility into a certainty.
C: The passage describes a possible future change; nothing says the limit has been lowered.
D: The report says the bridge remains safe for cars and light trucks, so this contradicts the passage.
Practice 33 of 38 · medium
Parents at Westfield Elementary have long complained about the crowded drop-off line, which often backs traffic onto Lincoln Road for several blocks each morning. At last month's meeting, the school board's transportation committee proposed a staggered schedule in which students with last names beginning A through L would arrive ten minutes before the rest. The committee estimated that the change could cut the line's length roughly in half. The full board will vote on the plan in April after collecting comments from families.
Which statement is supported by the passage?
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Answer: C
Correct answer: A staggered arrival plan has been proposed but not yet approved. Keep the passage at the stage it describes. The committee has only proposed the schedule, its effect is an estimate, and the vote is set for April, so the plan has neither been approved nor produced results.
A: The halving is only the committee's estimate for a plan that has not been adopted, so this treats a proposal as a result.
B: Nothing has changed yet; the passage describes the backup as an ongoing problem.
C (correct): The committee proposed the plan, and the full board will not vote until April, so the plan is still at the proposal stage.
D: Comments are still being collected, and the passage reports no reaction from families.
Practice 34 of 38 · medium
Hikers choosing a water filter often compare pump filters with gravity filters. A pump filter is compact and works wherever there is a stream or even a puddle, but someone must work the handle for every liter, which gets tiring when filling bottles for a large group. A gravity filter hangs from a branch and lets water drain through on its own, so it can clean several liters while the hikers set up camp. However, it is bulkier to pack and needs a spot to hang. Both types remove bacteria and protozoa when used correctly.
According to the passage, what is one advantage of a gravity filter over a pump filter?
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Answer: B
Correct answer: It can clean water without anyone working a handle. Sort each feature to its side: pump filter = compact, works anywhere, needs hand pumping; gravity filter = drains on its own, bulkier, needs a place to hang. The only gravity advantage among the choices is that it filters water without anyone pumping.
A: The passage says the pump filter is compact and the gravity filter is bulkier, so this swaps the features.
B (correct): The passage says the gravity filter lets water drain through on its own, while the pump requires someone to work the handle.
C: The passage says both types remove bacteria and protozoa, so this contradicts the text.
D: This flexibility is described as a feature of the pump filter, not the gravity filter.
Practice 35 of 38 · easy
The parking garage at Lakeview Regional Airport charges $3 for each hour, up to a maximum of $18 for any 24-hour period. Travelers leaving their cars for several days can use the economy lot on Kent Road instead, which costs $9 per day and is served by a free shuttle every 15 minutes. Both lots accept credit cards only, and no exit gate takes cash.
According to the passage, how much does it cost to park in the economy lot?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: $9 for each day. This is a detail question, so find the sentence about the economy lot: it costs $9 per day. The $3 and $18 figures belong to the garage, and "free" describes only the shuttle.
A: This is the hourly rate for the parking garage, not the economy lot.
B: This is the garage's 24-hour maximum, not the economy lot's rate.
C: The shuttle ride is free, but the passage gives a daily charge for parking in the lot.
D (correct): The second sentence states that the economy lot on Kent Road costs $9 per day.
Practice 36 of 38 · hard
The town of Brennan recently opened a skate park on a lot that had sat empty for a decade. At the opening, the parks director called it "exactly what our teenagers have been asking for." Attendance has been strong, especially on weekends. Still, neighbors on Elm Street have filed several noise complaints about evening use, and the park has no lights or staff after 6 p.m. The town has not said whether it will set closing hours. Whether the park becomes a lasting asset may depend on how those concerns are handled.
Which statement best describes the writer's own view of the skate park?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: The writer sees promise in the park but treats its long-term success as uncertain. Separate the quoted speaker from the writer. The enthusiastic words belong to the parks director. The writer's own sentences mention strong attendance, then turn with "Still" to unresolved complaints and close with the cautious "may depend," which shows a balanced, uncertain view.
A: These are the parks director's quoted words; the writer reports them but does not adopt them.
B: The writer raises the noise complaints as a concern but never suggests closing the park.
C: The passage says the town has not yet announced any response, so there is nothing for the writer to praise.
D (correct): The writer notes strong attendance, then turns with "Still" to the complaints and ends by saying success "may depend" on how they are handled.
Practice 37 of 38 · hard
A regional hospital network reported that emergency room wait times at its Carter Street hospital fell by 25 percent in 2025 compared with 2024, after the hospital opened a fast-track area for minor injuries. The network's four other hospitals, which did not open fast-track areas, saw their average wait times rise by about 10 percent over the same period. Across the country, average emergency room wait times changed little. The network has not decided whether to add fast-track areas at its other locations.
Which statement correctly describes the 25 percent figure in the passage?
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Answer: A
Correct answer: Carter Street's 2025 wait times were 25 percent shorter than its own 2024 wait times. A percentage change needs a baseline. Here the 25 percent drop compares Carter Street's 2025 wait times with its own 2024 wait times. Switching the baseline to the national average or to other hospitals, or claiming the fast-track area caused the drop, goes beyond what the passage states.
A (correct): The passage compares Carter Street in 2025 with Carter Street in 2024, and this keeps that baseline.
B: The national average is mentioned separately; the 25 percent drop was measured against the hospital's own previous year.
C: This adds two percentages that use different baselines; the passage never compares the hospitals' actual wait times with each other.
D: The passage says the drop came after the fast-track area opened, which gives sequence, not proof of cause.
Practice 38 of 38 · medium
At Camp Ridgeway, the dining facility serves breakfast to one company at a time so the lines stay short. Alpha Company eats at 0600, Bravo Company at 0615, and Charlie Company at 0630, and the same 15-minute spacing continues for each remaining company in the order listed on the duty roster. Each company has 25 minutes to finish its meal. On field training days, the entire breakfast schedule moves 30 minutes earlier.
Delta Company is listed right after Charlie Company on the roster.
At what time does Delta Company eat breakfast on a field training day?
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Answer: D
Correct answer: 0615. First extend the pattern: 0600, 0615, 0630, so Delta, the next company, normally eats at 0645. Then apply the condition for field training days, 30 minutes earlier: 0645 minus 30 minutes is 0615.
A: This is Delta's time on a normal day, but it forgets that the schedule moves 30 minutes earlier on field training days.
B: This adds the 30 minutes instead of subtracting them; "earlier" means the time moves back.
C: This subtracts 30 minutes from Charlie Company's normal time instead of Delta's.
D (correct): Delta normally eats 15 minutes after Charlie at 0645, and moving 30 minutes earlier gives 0615.
About this test
Each question includes a written explanation showing which phrase supports the correct choice and why the distractors fail. That makes this test a good place to practice working steadily: try to keep a consistent pace, then compare how many errors came from rushing versus misreading. The score you see measures accuracy on this practice set, nothing more.
Sort your mistakes by type. Inference errors send you back to the inference and scope sections of the lesson, signal-word errors to the contrast and condition sections, and timing problems to the guided drills. When you want more repetition, 38 additional practice questions are linked to this lesson.
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