PARAGRAPH COMPREHENSION PRACTICE QUESTIONS

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PARAGRAPH COMPREHENSION PRACTICE QUESTIONS

EXAM QUESTIONS

Actual Qs and Ans - Expert-Verified Explanation -Guaranteed passing score -20 Questions and Answers

-Format: Multiple-choice / Flashcard

Question 1: In a pole-vaulting competition, the judge decides on the minimum height to be jumped. The vaulter may attempt to jump any height above the minimum. Using flexible fiberglass poles, vaulters have jumped as high as 18 feet 8 ¼ inches. According to the passage above, pole vaulters...

• may attempt to jump any height in competition.
• must jump higher than ½ to win.
• must jump higher than the height set by the judge.
• must use fiberglass poles.

Answer:

c; The vaulter may attempt to jump any height above the minimum that is set by the judge.Question 2: A year-the time it takes the earth to go exactly once around the sun-is not 365 days.It is actually 365 days 6 hours 9 minutes 9 ½ seconds or 365 ¼ days. Leap years make up for this discrepancy by adding an extra day once every four years. The purpose of a leap year is to...

• adjust for the fact that it takes 365 ¼ days for the earth to circle the sun.
• make up for time lost in the work year.

• occur every four years.
• allow for differences in the length of a year in each time zone.

Answer:

a; The time it takes the earth to go around the sun is 365 ¼ days rather than 365 days. Leap years are correct for this discrepancy by adding an extra day once every four years.Question 3: Unfortunately, specialization in the industry creates workers who lack versatility.When a laborer is trained to perform only one task, he or she is almost entirely dependent on employment on the demand for that particular skill. If anything happens to interrupt that demand, he or she is unemployed. The paragraph best supports the statement that...

• the demand for labor of a particular type is constantly changing.
• the average laborer is not capable of learning more than one task at a time.
• some cases of unemployment are due to laborers' lack of versatility.
• too much specialization is as dangerous as too little.

Answer:

c; A laborer who has only one skill may find himself or herself unemployed if that skill is not in demand.A more versatile worker can find a job requiring another skill.Question 4: When gas is leaking, any spark or sudden flame can ignite it. This can create a "flashback," which burns off the gas in a quick puff of smoke and flame. But the real danger is in a large leak, which can cause an explosion. According to the passage above, the real danger from leaking gas is a(n)...

• flashback.
• puff of smoke and flame.
• explosion.
• spark.

Answer:

c; The last sentence in the passage states that the real danger is in a large leak that can cause an explosion.

Question 5: Kindling temperature is the lowest temperature at which a substance catches fire and continues to burn. Different fuels have different kindling temperatures. Paper catches fire easily because it has a low kindling temperature. Coal, because of its high kindling temperature, requires much heat before it will begin to burn. Matches are tipped with phosphorus, or some other low-kindling material, to permit the small amount of heat produced by friction to ignite the match. The property of phosphorus that makes it ideal for use on matches is....

• its light color.
• its high kindling temperature.
• its low kindling temperature.
• the fact that it contains carbon.

Answer:

c; Phosphorus catches fire easily. Therefore, it has a low kindling temperature.

Question 6: The meter is equal to...

• the distance from the Equator to the North Pole.
• 1/1,000,000 of the distance from the Equator to the North Pole.
• 1/10,000,000 of the distance from the Equator to the North Pole.
• 1/100,000,000 of the distance from the Equator to the North Pole.

Answer:

c; A meter is one ten-millionth of the distance from the Equator to the North Pole.

Question 7: Questions 13-15 are based on the following passage.

The two systems of weights and measures are the English system and the metric system. The English system uses units such as foot, pound, and quart; the metric system uses meter, gram, and liter. The metric system was first adopted in France in 1795 and is now used by most countries in the world. In the metric system, the unit of length is the meter, which is one ten-millionth of the distance from the Equator to the North Pole. The British recently changed their system of weights and measures to the metric system; however, in the United States, there has been much opposition to this change. It would cost billions of dollars to change all our weights and measures to the metric system.According to the passage, the metric system is used...

• in all of Europe except Great Britain.
• in almost all countries of the world.

• in only a few countries.
• mostly in Europe.

Answer:

b; See the second sentence in the reading passage.Question 8: A survey to determine the subjects that have helped students most in their jobs shows that word processing leads all other subjects in the business group. It also leads among the subjects college students consider most valuable and would take again if they were to return to high school. The paragraph best supports the statement that...

• the ability to word process is an asset in business and in school.
• students who return to night school take word processing.
• students with a knowledge of word processing do superior work in college.
• success in business is assured to those who can word process.

Answer:

a; The survey showed that of all the subjects, word processing helped most in business. It was also considered valuable by college students in their schoolwork.Question 9: It can be deduced that suppression of racketeering is difficult because...

• many people want services that are not obtainable through legitimate sources.
• racketeers are generally engaged in fully legitimate enterprises.
• victims of racketeers are not guilty of violating the law.
• laws prohibiting gambling are unenforceable.

Answer:

a; From the second sentence in the reading passage, it may be deduced that it is difficult to suppress racketeering because so many people want services that are not obtainable through legitimate sources.Question 10: Complaints from the public are no longer regarded by government officials as mere nuisances. Instead, complaints are often welcomed because they frequently bring into the open conditions and faults in operation and service that should be corrected. The passage above means most nearly that...

• government officials now realize that complaints from the public are necessary.