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ACCUPLACER Reading study materials
ACCUPLACER Reading study resources

ACCUPLACER Reading practice questions

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Question 1Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "Each spring, the city's public library hosts a seed exchange. Visitors bring seeds saved from their own gardens and leave with packets donated by others. The event costs nothing, and no gardening experience is required." Which statement best expresses the main idea of the passage?

  1. The library sells seeds to raise money each spring.
  2. Seed packets are hard to find in most cities.
  3. A free community event lets gardeners share seeds. Correct answer.
  4. Gardening requires years of experience to do well.

Explanation

The passage centers on the library's seed exchange and emphasizes that it is free and open to anyone. The remaining sentences supply supporting details about how the event works rather than stating its overall point.

Question 2Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "The arctic tern travels farther than any other animal. Each year it flies from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back, a round trip of roughly 70,000 kilometers. The birds follow winding routes that take advantage of prevailing winds." According to the passage, why do arctic terns follow winding routes?

  1. To find warmer water for feeding
  2. To take advantage of prevailing winds Correct answer.
  3. To avoid predators along the coastline
  4. To remain close to their nesting sites

Explanation

The final sentence directly states the reason for the winding routes: they let the birds use prevailing winds. The other choices introduce reasons the passage never mentions.

Question 3Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "When the town's only grocery store closed, residents had to drive forty minutes to buy fresh produce. Within a year, a farmers market opened in the empty lot behind the old store, and it now runs every Saturday from May through October." What can reasonably be inferred about the farmers market?

  1. It is open every day of the week.
  2. It helps supply fresh food that residents had lost access to. Correct answer.
  3. It took over the grocery store's building.
  4. It is run by the former grocery store owner.

Explanation

The passage links the store's closing to a loss of nearby fresh produce and then describes a market opening soon afterward, which suggests the market meets that need. An inference must stay close to what the text supports without adding unsupported facts.

Question 4Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "Octopuses have no bones, which lets them squeeze through openings barely larger than their eyes. They can also change color and texture in less than a second, blending into rock or coral. Together, these abilities make them unusually hard for predators to catch." Which statement best states the central idea of the passage?

  1. Octopuses have far more predators than most other ocean fish do.
  2. Octopuses prefer to hide rather than swim.
  3. Octopuses are the most intelligent animals in the ocean.
  4. Their unusual bodies help octopuses escape predators. Correct answer.

Explanation

Both the boneless body and the rapid color change are presented as abilities that make octopuses hard for predators to catch, so the central idea ties those traits to survival. The other choices add claims the passage does not make.

Question 5Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "The first public lending library in the United States supported entirely by taxes opened in Peterborough, New Hampshire, in 1833. Its collection was small-about one hundred books-but any resident could borrow them at no charge." According to the passage, what was distinctive about the Peterborough library?

  1. It was paid for by taxes and free to local residents. Correct answer.
  2. It charged borrowers a small fee.
  3. It was open only to town officials.
  4. It held more than a thousand books.

Explanation

The passage identifies the library by its tax funding and its free borrowing policy, which together made it distinctive. The details about size and access in the other choices contradict the text.

Question 6Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "Honeybees communicate the location of food by dancing. A returning forager performs a figure-eight movement whose angle and duration encode the direction and distance of the flowers. Other bees in the hive follow the dance and then fly out to the same spot." Which sentence best summarizes the passage?

  1. Honeybees learn to find food by following older bees through fields.
  2. The figure-eight dance is used mainly to warn of danger.
  3. Honeybees use a dance to tell hive members where food is. Correct answer.
  4. Honeybees prefer flowers that are close to the hive.

Explanation

A summary captures the whole passage at a general level: bees dance, and the dance conveys food location to other bees. The other choices either contradict the text or describe only a detail.

Question 7Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "Before 1900, most American households made their own bread, often baking several times a week. By the 1920s, commercially sliced bread was widely available in cities, and home baking had begun to decline." What can be inferred from the passage?

  1. Home baking was illegal before 1900.
  2. Sliced bread was more nutritious than bread baked at home.
  3. Bread was the most expensive food in cities.
  4. Commercially baked bread reduced the need for home baking. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage presents the rise of store-bought bread and the decline of home baking in the same period, which supports an inference that one reduced the need for the other. The other choices introduce claims about laws, nutrition, or prices that the passage never makes.

Question 8Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "Before you refinish an old wooden chair, test a small hidden area with your chosen stripper. Some finishes soften quickly; others resist standard chemicals, and a test patch will tell you which product you need before you commit to the whole piece." What is the author's main purpose in this passage?

  1. To offer practical advice about finishing a project Correct answer.
  2. To compare the prices of stripping products
  3. To argue that old furniture should be thrown away
  4. To describe the history of furniture making

Explanation

The passage gives a step-by-step recommendation designed to save the reader trouble on a hands-on task, which makes advice its purpose. It does not argue a position or present historical or price information.

Question 9Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "For years the mill dumped dye into the river, and the water below it ran blue on weekdays. After the state began monitoring discharges, the color faded. Fish that had disappeared from that stretch returned within three seasons." What can be inferred from the passage?

  1. The mill stopped producing dye altogether.
  2. The mill's waste had harmed the river's fish. Correct answer.
  3. The state took over operation of the mill.
  4. The fish returned because the state restocked the river.

Explanation

The passage shows fish absent while the dye was discharged and present after discharges were monitored, which supports the inference that the waste harmed them. The other choices add facts, such as a state takeover or restocking, that the text does not provide.

Question 10Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "Coral reefs cover less than one percent of the ocean floor, yet they shelter roughly a quarter of all marine species. That concentration makes them vital to fishing and tourism, and it also means that damage to a small area can affect an enormous number of organisms." Which statement best expresses the central idea?

  1. Reefs support a large share of marine life, which makes them both valuable and easily harmed. Correct answer.
  2. Most marine species live in the open ocean.
  3. Fishing and tourism are the main causes of reef damage.
  4. Coral reefs are too small to matter to most ocean species.

Explanation

The passage's key contrast is between the reefs' small area and their large share of species, and it draws two consequences: high value and high vulnerability. A correct central idea must account for both parts of that point.

Question 11Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "In a study of urban trees, researchers found that streets lined with mature trees were several degrees cooler in summer than bare streets nearby. The shade also reduced the electricity used for air conditioning in homes along those streets." Which statement is best supported by the passage?

  1. Tree shade can lower the energy used to cool homes. Correct answer.
  2. Trees raise the cost of air conditioning for nearby homes.
  3. Bare streets are cooler in summer than tree-lined streets.
  4. Researchers planted trees on every street in the city.

Explanation

The passage states directly that shade reduced the electricity used for air conditioning. A supported statement must match the direction of the evidence rather than reverse it.

Question 12Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "The museum's new wing was designed with narrow windows placed high on the walls. Visitors often describe the galleries as dim, but the curators say the design protects watercolors and textiles, which fade when exposed to direct sunlight." Why did the curators choose this design?

  1. To save money on electricity
  2. To make the galleries feel more spacious
  3. To discourage visitors from taking photographs
  4. To protect artworks that are sensitive to light Correct answer.

Explanation

The curators' stated reason is that direct sunlight fades watercolors and textiles, so the windows limit light on purpose. The explanation in the passage rules out cost, appearance, or visitor rules as motives.

Question 13Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the sentence: "Although the vaccine was initially available only to health workers, production increased until every adult in the region could receive it without charge." Which sentence best restates the original?

  1. The vaccine was never made available to the general public.
  2. Health workers paid for the vaccine while other adults received it free.
  3. Production fell after health workers were vaccinated.
  4. The vaccine first went to health workers, then became free for all adults in the region. Correct answer.

Explanation

A good paraphrase preserves the sequence and the key facts: an initial limit to health workers, followed by free access for all adults. It must also keep the cause-and-effect relation intact rather than reversing it.

Question 14Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "Advocates of the four-day workweek point to studies showing steady or improved output at companies that have tried it. Critics note that most of those trials involved office jobs, where hours are easy to measure and rearrange." What point do the critics raise?

  1. The four-day week has never been tested.
  2. Output always falls under a four-day schedule.
  3. The evidence may not apply to jobs unlike office work. Correct answer.
  4. Office jobs are harder to measure than other jobs.

Explanation

The critics focus on the narrow sample of the studies-office jobs with easily measured hours-which implies the findings may not generalize. Recognizing a limitation on evidence is different from denying the evidence exists.

Question 15Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "Bamboo is often called a tree, but it is a grass. It grows from an underground stem that sends up new shoots, so a grove can regrow quickly after cutting. This is one reason builders sometimes prefer it to timber trees, which may take decades to mature." What reason does the passage give for builders choosing bamboo?

  1. It grows only in tropical climates.
  2. It needs no processing before use.
  3. It regrows quickly after it is cut. Correct answer.
  4. It is stronger than steel.

Explanation

The passage ties builders' preference to the fact that a bamboo grove regrows quickly, while timber trees take decades to mature. That comparison is the stated support, so the answer must come from it.

Question 16Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "Many cities now plant 'pocket forests'-dense clusters of native trees on vacant lots. The plots are too small for parks or housing, but the trees cool the surrounding blocks, absorb rainwater, and give birds a place to nest." Which statement best expresses the central idea?

  1. Native trees grow faster than other trees.
  2. Cities should stop building large parks.
  3. Small vacant lots can be planted to benefit nearby blocks. Correct answer.
  4. Vacant lots are usually too wet for construction.

Explanation

The passage's point is that tiny unused parcels can still serve a purpose through dense native planting, which brings several benefits. The central idea must cover the benefits as a group rather than isolate one detail.

Question 17Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "The recipe calls for one cup of buttermilk. If you have none, stir a tablespoon of lemon juice into a cup of milk and let it stand for five minutes before using it." What can be inferred about the lemon-and-milk mixture?

  1. It makes the recipe sweeter than buttermilk would.
  2. It should replace milk in all recipes.
  3. It can be used in place of buttermilk in the recipe. Correct answer.
  4. It must be heated before it is used.

Explanation

The instruction appears directly after the buttermilk requirement, which implies the mixture stands in for the missing ingredient. An inference should not widen the advice beyond the situation described.

Question 18Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "The author argues that cities should replace some parking spaces with outdoor seating: 'A single parking spot can hold ten diners or one car. Multiply that by a block, and a street becomes a destination rather than a place people drive through.'" Which claim does the quoted evidence support?

  1. Outdoor dining is more profitable than indoor dining.
  2. Converting parking spaces to seating can draw more people on foot. Correct answer.
  3. Cities have too few parking spaces downtown.
  4. Drivers spend too much money on downtown parking.

Explanation

The comparison of ten diners to one car, extended across a block, is offered to show that seating turns a street into a destination, which implies more foot traffic. The evidence is about how space is used, not about prices, profits, or supply.

Question 19Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "Early maps of the ocean floor showed a smooth plain, because sailors could measure depth only at scattered points and connect them with guesses. Satellite measurements later revealed mountains, trenches, and ridges." Why did early maps show a smooth plain?

  1. Satellites had already mapped the mountains but the data was withheld.
  2. Sailors were not allowed to map deep water.
  3. Depth readings were few, so mapmakers filled the gaps by guessing. Correct answer.
  4. The ocean floor was smoother in the past.

Explanation

The passage attributes the smooth appearance to sparse measurements joined by guesswork, not to the actual shape of the seafloor. The later satellite data show how much those guesses missed.

Question 20Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "A survey of commuters found that those who biked to work reported fewer sick days than those who drove. The researchers cautioned that bikers tended to be younger and more physically active overall." Why did the researchers add a caution?

  1. Because bikers lived farther from their jobs.
  2. Because the survey included too few people.
  3. Because sick days are difficult to count.
  4. Because other differences between the groups might explain the result. Correct answer.

Explanation

The caution points to age and overall activity as differences between bikers and drivers, which means the health gap may not come from commuting method alone. This is a concern about alternative explanations, not about sample size or measurement.

Question 21Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "Historians once credited the telegraph with shrinking distance. Yet a message sent from London to Bombay still traveled by wire only as far as the coast; the final leg went by ship. The speed of news depended less on the wire itself than on where the cables ended." Which claim does the passage imply?

  1. The telegraph was rarely used for overseas messages.
  2. Ships carried messages faster than the telegraph did.
  3. Historians have stopped studying the telegraph.
  4. The telegraph's reach was limited by where its cables ended. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage's final sentence states the thesis outright: news speed depended on cable endpoints, not on the wire alone. An implied claim must be consistent with that thesis rather than replace it with a separate assertion.

Question 22Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "Ecologists sometimes describe a river's floodplain as a sponge. During heavy rain the plain soaks up water that would otherwise surge downstream, releasing it slowly over the following weeks." What does the sponge comparison emphasize?

  1. The floodplain's role in filtering pollution
  2. The speed with which floods move downstream
  3. The floodplain's capacity to soak up and slowly release water Correct answer.
  4. The floodplain's value as farmland

Explanation

A comparison works by transferring specific traits: a sponge absorbs liquid and gives it up gradually, which is exactly what the passage says the floodplain does. The other choices import traits a sponge does not have in this context.

Question 23Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "The idea that people learn best in their preferred 'learning style' remains popular among teachers, but repeated experiments have failed to show that matching instruction to a student's stated preference improves learning. What the studies do show is that some material-riding a bicycle, for instance-is simply easier to learn by doing than by reading." Which statement best expresses the main idea?

  1. Experiments have clearly proven that reading is the weakest way for students to learn new material.
  2. Learning-style matching lacks support, though some skills need hands-on practice. Correct answer.
  3. Students learn best when they choose their own materials.
  4. Teachers should stop using any kind of visual aid in class.

Explanation

The passage sets a popular belief against the experimental evidence and then concedes a narrower point about hands-on skills. A strong main idea must hold both halves of that contrast rather than overstate either side.

Question 24Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "In 1850, the average American consumed about five pounds of sugar a year; by 1999 the figure exceeded 150 pounds. Much of the increase came not from sweets but from sugar added to foods such as bread, sauces, and yogurt." Which conclusion is best supported by the passage?

  1. Sugar was unavailable in 1850.
  2. Americans ate less bread in 1999 than in 1850.
  3. Much of the added sugar came from everyday foods, not desserts. Correct answer.
  4. Sweet desserts account for most modern sugar intake.

Explanation

The passage explicitly attributes much of the rise to sugar hidden in ordinary foods rather than to sweets, so that conclusion follows directly. Strong conclusions must reflect the stated finding without exaggerating it.

Question 25Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: "When researchers played recordings of city traffic in a forest, the birds nearby sang at a higher pitch than usual. Higher notes carry better through low-frequency noise, and the shift appeared within minutes of the recording's start." Which statement best interprets the finding?

  1. City birds are born with higher-pitched songs.
  2. Traffic noise causes birds to stop singing.
  3. Birds can change their songs quickly in response to noise. Correct answer.
  4. Forest birds sing higher than city birds do in silence.

Explanation

The key details are the minutes-long delay before the shift and the birds' improved audibility in noise, which together point to a rapid adjustment rather than an inherited trait. Interpretation must rest on both the timing and the explanation the passage supplies.

Question 26Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: The Westside Library noticed that many older residents stopped visiting after the bus route changed. The staff fitted a cargo bicycle with shelves and began pedaling a rotating collection of large-print books to senior centers twice a week. The 'book bike' now makes six stops, and checkouts at those sites have doubled. Which sentence best states the main idea of the passage?

  1. A rotating collection of books doubles the number of checkouts at a library.
  2. Large-print books are more popular with older readers than with younger readers.
  3. A change in a bus route made it harder for older residents to reach the library.
  4. A library delivers books by bicycle to residents who cannot easily visit. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage focuses on the library's new bicycle service and its purpose of reaching older residents who no longer visit easily. The bus route is background, and the doubled checkouts support the main idea rather than replace it.

Question 27Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: The roof of the new science building is covered with low plants and a thin layer of soil. On hot days, sensors show that the roof stays cooler than the gravel roof next door. The building's top floor therefore needs less air conditioning. According to the passage, what is one effect of the roof garden?

  1. It lowers the cooling needed upstairs. Correct answer.
  2. It makes the building taller than nearby structures.
  3. It adds a layer of gravel to the roof.
  4. It collects rainwater for the science labs.

Explanation

The passage states that the planted roof stays cooler and that the top floor therefore needs less air conditioning. The other choices mention details that the passage does not connect to the roof garden.

Question 28Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: Every morning, the bakery on Elm Street sets out a basket of yesterday's loaves with a sign that says 'pay what you can.' By noon the basket is usually empty, and the owner says waste has dropped sharply. What can be inferred about the bakery?

  1. It prefers selling old bread to throwing it out. Correct answer.
  2. It sells bread only in the morning hours.
  3. It now bakes fewer loaves each day than it used to.
  4. It throws away most of the bread it bakes each day.

Explanation

Offering yesterday's loaves for whatever customers can pay, with a resulting drop in waste, suggests the bakery would rather sell the bread than discard it. The passage does not support conclusions about baking less, discarding most bread, or limited hours.

Question 29Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: The trail to the summit was arduous: it rose steeply for miles, crossed loose rock, and offered no shade. Even experienced hikers arrived tired. As used in the passage, the word 'arduous' most nearly means

  1. difficult Correct answer.
  2. scenic
  3. crowded
  4. short

Explanation

The details that follow the word-a steep climb, loose rock, no shade, and tired hikers-show that the trail was hard to travel. 'Difficult' fits those context clues.

Question 30Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: Each spring, the town of Marlow dims its streetlights during the weeks when birds migrate. Bright lights can disorient the birds and pull them off course. Since the change, fewer birds have collided with buildings. What is the main idea of the passage?

  1. Collisions with buildings are the leading cause of bird deaths.
  2. Birds migrate through Marlow every spring.
  3. Streetlights are brighter than building lights.
  4. A town dims streetlights to help migrating birds stay on course. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage explains a town's action and its reason: dimming lights prevents migrating birds from being disoriented. The migration itself is background, and the passage does not compare light sources or rank causes of bird deaths.

Question 31Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: Dentists often recommend replacing a toothbrush every three months. After that, the bristles begin to bend and fray, and a worn brush cleans less effectively. People who have been sick may also want to replace a brush sooner. According to the passage, why should a toothbrush be replaced every three months?

  1. The toothpaste on it loses its flavor quickly.
  2. The brush no longer fits properly in its holder.
  3. The handle may develop small cracks over time.
  4. Its bristles bend and clean less well. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage directly states that after three months the bristles bend and fray, making the brush less effective at cleaning. The other choices introduce problems the passage does not mention.

Question 32Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: When Mateo reads a new word, he writes it in a small notebook and then uses it in a sentence of his own. His teacher has noticed that he now uses many of these words correctly in class discussion. What can be inferred about Mateo's method?

  1. It requires him to memorize definitions without context.
  2. It helps him remember and use new words. Correct answer.
  3. It works only for words he hears in class.
  4. It is less useful than copying words from a dictionary.

Explanation

Mateo records new words and practices them in original sentences, and his teacher observes him using many correctly later. That supports the inference that the method helps him retain and apply the words.

Question 33Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: A community refrigerator sits outside the neighborhood center. Local stores donate unsold produce, and residents may take what they need. A volunteer checks the fridge each morning to remove anything past its date. Which sentence best states the main idea?

  1. A volunteer checks a refrigerator every morning.
  2. Residents may take whatever they need from a refrigerator.
  3. A community fridge shares donated food with residents. Correct answer.
  4. Local stores donate unsold produce to a neighborhood center.

Explanation

The passage describes a refrigerator that receives donated food and makes it available to residents. The volunteer check and the store donations are supporting details rather than the overall point.

Question 34Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: Last year, the high school moved its start time from 7:30 to 8:15. Attendance rose slightly, and teachers reported fewer students sleeping in first-period classes. The district is now considering the same change for middle schools. What can be inferred about the later start time?

  1. It was opposed by most first-period teachers.
  2. It shortened the total length of the school day.
  3. It caused students to arrive late more often.
  4. It may help students stay more alert in class. Correct answer.

Explanation

Fewer students sleeping in first period suggests that the later start may improve alertness. The passage does not mention tardiness, the length of the school day, or teacher opposition.

Question 35Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: At repair cafes, volunteers help visitors fix broken lamps, toasters, and bicycles instead of throwing them away. The cafes charge nothing for the help, though visitors may buy parts. Organizers say the goal is to keep usable objects out of landfills and to teach practical skills. What is the main idea?

  1. Repair cafes sell replacement parts for broken household appliances.
  2. Repair cafes help visitors fix items rather than discard them. Correct answer.
  3. Volunteers at repair cafes are usually professional repairers.
  4. Landfills are filling up with discarded lamps, toasters, and bicycles.

Explanation

The passage explains that volunteers at repair cafes help people repair broken items so those items are not thrown away. Selling parts is a minor detail, and the passage does not describe volunteers' professions or claim that landfills are filling with specific objects.

Question 36Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: Penguin feathers are densely packed and overlap like roof tiles. This arrangement traps a layer of air next to the skin, which keeps the bird warm even in freezing water. The feathers also shed water quickly when the penguin climbs onto ice. According to the passage, how do penguin feathers help the bird stay warm?

  1. They store a supply of body fat.
  2. They trap air next to the skin. Correct answer.
  3. They absorb water from the environment.
  4. They change color in cold water.

Explanation

The passage says the overlapping feathers trap a layer of air next to the skin, which keeps the penguin warm. It does not attribute warmth to body fat, color change, or water absorption.

Question 37Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: When the mayor said the new policy would 'move the needle,' she did not promise that the problem would disappear. She meant that the policy could produce measurable progress, even if the final goal remained far off. What does the phrase 'move the needle' mean in the passage?

  1. Measure something with a special tool
  2. Change a vote during an election
  3. Produce visible progress Correct answer.
  4. End a problem completely and permanently

Explanation

The passage explains that the mayor meant the policy could create measurable progress without solving the problem entirely. 'Produce visible progress' matches that explanation.

Question 38Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: The art museum now issues timed tickets for its most popular gallery. Visitors choose a half-hour entry window, and staff admit a limited number at each time. On busy weekends, tickets for the gallery are often gone by noon. What can be inferred about the timed tickets?

  1. They are easier to get on weekends than on weekdays.
  2. They are required for every gallery in the museum.
  3. They allow visitors to stay in the gallery all day.
  4. They cap the number of people entering at once. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage says staff admit a limited number of visitors at each entry time, so the tickets control how many enter at once. It does not say visitors may stay all day, that every gallery requires tickets, or that weekend tickets are easier to obtain.

Question 39Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: Farmer Diaz plants strips of wildflowers along the edges of his vegetable fields. The flowers attract bees and other insects that pollinate his crops. Since he began, his yields have risen, and he has sprayed fewer pesticides. What is the main idea?

  1. Wildflowers are more valuable than vegetables.
  2. Planting wildflowers can benefit a farm's crops. Correct answer.
  3. Pesticides are necessary for pollinating crops.
  4. Bees prefer wildflowers to vegetable plants.

Explanation

The passage describes how wildflowers attract pollinators and lead to higher yields and less pesticide use, so planting them can benefit crops. It does not compare the value of wildflowers and vegetables, endorse pesticides, or compare bees' plant preferences.

Question 40Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: Large bridges are built with small gaps called expansion joints. In summer, the metal and concrete expand as they heat up. The joints give the materials room to grow without cracking the bridge deck. According to the passage, what is the purpose of expansion joints?

  1. To make the bridge cheaper to build
  2. To reduce the weight of the bridge
  3. To let rainwater drain off the bridge deck
  4. To allow bridge materials to expand Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage states that expansion joints give metal and concrete room to grow as they heat up, preventing cracks. Drainage, cost, and weight are not given as purposes of the joints.

Question 41Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: The novelist's first drafts are famously messy. She writes scenes out of order, leaves notes to herself in the margins, and sometimes changes a character's name halfway through. Only after several revisions does she show the work to her editor. What can be inferred about the novelist?

  1. She writes only a single draft of each novel.
  2. She uses revision to shape her stories. Correct answer.
  3. She never shares her work with anyone.
  4. She plans every scene in advance.

Explanation

The passage says her first drafts are messy and that she shows work to her editor only after several revisions, implying that revision is central to shaping the final story. The other choices contradict details in the passage.

Question 42Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: After the film ended, Lena complained that the ending explained too little. 'A good story should answer its questions,' she said. Marco disagreed. 'Leaving something open can be more honest,' he replied. 'Real life rarely ties everything up.' What is Marco's view of open endings?

  1. They work only in films, not in novels.
  2. They can be more truthful than tidy endings. Correct answer.
  3. They should answer every question the story raises.
  4. They are always a sign that the writer was careless.

Explanation

Marco says leaving something open can be more honest because real life rarely resolves everything, so he sees open endings as potentially more truthful. The other choices either reflect Lena's view or add claims not made in the passage.

Question 43Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: During sleep, the brain replays patterns of activity from the day. In experiments, people who slept after learning a list of words recalled more of it than people who stayed awake. Researchers think sleep helps stabilize new memories. What is the main idea?

  1. The brain is inactive during sleep.
  2. Staying awake improves a person's memory of word lists.
  3. People forget most of what they learn each day.
  4. Sleep appears to help stabilize new memories. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage presents evidence that sleeping after learning improves recall and concludes that sleep helps stabilize memories. It does not claim most learning is forgotten, that staying awake improves memory, or that the brain is inactive.

Question 44Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: Weather balloons carry instruments high into the atmosphere. As a balloon rises, the air around it thins, and the balloon expands. At a certain height, the balloon bursts, and a small parachute lowers the instruments back to the ground. According to the passage, why does a weather balloon burst?

  1. It is struck by lightning.
  2. Its instruments become too heavy to carry.
  3. It runs out of fuel.
  4. It expands as the air around it thins. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage explains that the air thins as the balloon rises, causing the balloon to expand until it bursts. Weight, fuel, and lightning are not given as causes.

Question 45Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: The restaurant prints a new menu every month. In January it serves root vegetables and citrus; in July it offers tomatoes, corn, and berries. The owner says the kitchen buys from nearby farms and cooks what is freshest. What can be inferred about the restaurant?

  1. It serves the same dishes all year.
  2. It changes its menu with the season. Correct answer.
  3. It is open only during the summer months.
  4. It imports most of its ingredients.

Explanation

The monthly menu and the different foods listed for January and July show that the restaurant changes its menu with the seasons. The passage also says it buys from nearby farms, which contradicts importing most ingredients.

Question 46Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: The historian studied a merchant's diary that covered twenty years but skipped entire months. She found the silences revealing: the gaps often fell during epidemics, when the merchant had no time or heart to write. 'What is missing,' she argued, 'can be evidence too.' Which statement best expresses the historian's argument?

  1. Historians should ignore documents with many missing months.
  2. Merchants wrote more often during epidemics.
  3. Gaps in a diary can be evidence themselves. Correct answer.
  4. Diaries are reliable only when they are complete.

Explanation

The historian argues that the diary's missing months are meaningful because they often correspond to epidemics. She treats the gaps as evidence rather than as a reason to reject the diary.

Question 47Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: The city's noise ordinance sets a limit on amplified music after ten o'clock. Street musicians say the rule protects residents but leaves them few places to play. Residents say the music enlivens the neighborhood but makes sleep difficult. The council is considering a permit system that would designate a few late-night performance spots. What is the main idea of the passage?

  1. Residents do not enjoy hearing street music.
  2. The noise ordinance has ended all late-night performances.
  3. Street musicians should be banned after ten o'clock.
  4. A city seeks a balance between music and quiet. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage presents competing concerns about street music and describes a proposed permit system meant to address both. The main idea is the city's effort to balance those interests, not a call for a ban or a claim that all performances have ended.

Question 48Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: In the paragraph, the author repeats the word 'small': small garden, small table, small hopes. The repetition does not suggest pettiness. Instead, it creates a mood of careful, modest comfort, as if the writer is protecting something fragile. What is the effect of repeating the word 'small'?

  1. It creates a mood of modest comfort. Correct answer.
  2. It shows that the author dislikes the garden.
  3. It suggests that the table is poorly built.
  4. It makes the scene seem cramped and unpleasant.

Explanation

The passage explicitly says the repetition does not suggest pettiness but instead creates a mood of careful, modest comfort. The other choices contradict that stated effect or add details not in the passage.

Question 49Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: A study found that people who volunteered regularly reported better health than those who did not. The authors cautioned, however, that people who are already healthy may be more able to volunteer. They called for further research before claiming that volunteering causes better health. What do the authors suggest about the study's finding?

  1. It shows that healthy people never volunteer.
  2. It does not by itself establish cause and effect. Correct answer.
  3. It proves that volunteering improves health.
  4. It should be dismissed because volunteers are unusual.

Explanation

The authors note that healthy people may be more able to volunteer, meaning better health might lead to volunteering rather than the reverse. They therefore caution against claiming causation without further research.

Question 50Information and Ideas (reading closely, central ideas, details, inference, interpretation)

Read the passage: The poem's final line is a question: 'Who will remember the garden when we are gone?' The garden has appeared throughout the poem as a place of work and affection. By ending with a question, the poet leaves the reader with a sense of uncertainty rather than closure. What is the effect of ending the poem with a question?

  1. It answers the poem's central concern.
  2. It suggests that gardens are unimportant.
  3. It changes the poem's setting to a new and distant place.
  4. It leaves the reader uncertain rather than settled. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage states directly that the question leaves the reader with uncertainty rather than closure. The other choices either contradict the passage or introduce ideas it does not support.