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SK SSA ELA 7 study materials
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SK SSA ELA 7 practice questions

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Question 1Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

In a short story, a character's motivation is best understood as which element of literary analysis?

  1. The author's attitude toward the subject of the work
  2. The sequence of events that make up the plot
  3. The reasons behind a character's actions and choices Correct answer.
  4. The physical setting in which the plot unfolds

Explanation

Motivation refers to the internal needs, desires, or pressures that drive a character to act. Readers infer motivation from dialogue, actions, and narration. Setting and plot sequence are separate narrative elements, and author's attitude describes tone.

Question 2Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

A narrator says, "I knew the letter was bad news, but I opened it anyway." Which narrative point of view is used?

  1. Second-person
  2. Third-person omniscient
  3. First-person Correct answer.
  4. Third-person limited

Explanation

The pronoun "I" and the narrator's direct access to their own thoughts signal first-person point of view. Third-person narrators use he, she, or they, and omniscient narrators also enter other characters' minds. Second-person narration addresses the reader as "you."

Question 3Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this sentence from a story: "The old house groaned and shifted in the wind, as if it resented being left alone." Which literary device is the writer primarily using?

  1. Personification Correct answer.
  2. Onomatopoeia
  3. Hyperbole
  4. Alliteration

Explanation

Personification gives human qualities, such as resentment, to a nonhuman thing. The house is described as if it can feel and resent being abandoned. Hyperbole is exaggeration, alliteration is repeated initial sounds, and onomatopoeia is a word that imitates sound.

Question 4Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Which statement best describes the function of the exposition in a work of literary fiction?

  1. It resolves the central conflict and restores order.
  2. It introduces the setting, characters, and initial situation. Correct answer.
  3. It presents the moment of greatest tension in the plot.
  4. It reveals the consequences of the protagonist's choices.

Explanation

Exposition establishes the background a reader needs: setting, characters, and the situation before the main conflict develops. It typically opens a story. Resolution, climax, and falling action occur later in the plot structure.

Question 5Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

A story's theme is most accurately defined as which of the following?

  1. The time and place in which the action occurs
  2. The specific words a character speaks aloud
  3. The central message or insight about life the work conveys Correct answer.
  4. The series of events that drive the narrative forward

Explanation

Theme is the underlying idea or insight about human experience that a literary work communicates. It is broader than plot, setting, or dialogue, which are the materials a writer uses to develop theme. Readers infer theme by connecting details across the text.

Question 6Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

A narrator describes events using "he," "she," and "they" and reveals the thoughts of only one character. Which point of view is this?

  1. Second-person
  2. Third-person limited Correct answer.
  3. First-person
  4. Third-person omniscient

Explanation

Third-person limited narration uses third-person pronouns and stays inside one character's mind. Access to only one character's thoughts distinguishes it from omniscient narration. First-person and second-person narrators use "I" or "you" respectively.

Question 7Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

In literary analysis, the tone of a passage refers to which of the following?

  1. The literal, dictionary meaning of a word
  2. The recurring image that unifies a work
  3. The emotional response the author hopes to create in readers
  4. The narrator's attitude toward the subject and events Correct answer.

Explanation

Tone is the writer's or narrator's attitude toward the subject, conveyed through word choice, imagery, and syntax. Mood, by contrast, is the feeling the reader experiences. Connotation and motif are different concepts entirely.

Question 8Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

An author writes, "The wind whispered secrets through the wheat." Which two devices are most clearly combined here?

  1. Foreshadowing and flashback
  2. Simile and hyperbole
  3. Personification and imagery Correct answer.
  4. Irony and paradox

Explanation

The wind is given the human ability to whisper secrets, which is personification, and the sensory picture of wind through wheat creates imagery. No comparison using like or as, no exaggeration, and no time structure appear in the line.

Question 9Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this passage: "Mara had rehearsed the speech for weeks. When her name was called, she stepped forward, smoothed her notes, and spoke without a single stumble." What does the passage most strongly suggest about Mara?

  1. She is unprepared and improvises her remarks.
  2. She secretly hopes to be called on another day.
  3. She is indifferent to the audience's opinion.
  4. She is disciplined and has prepared carefully. Correct answer.

Explanation

The details that she rehearsed for weeks and spoke without a stumble support an inference about her diligence and preparation. Inference requires combining textual evidence with reasoning. The passage offers no evidence of improvisation, indifference, or reluctance.

Question 10Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

A writer describes a character as "a quiet storm gathering behind a calm face." Which technique is the writer using?

  1. Direct characterization through the narrator's stated opinion
  2. Indirect characterization through another character's dialogue
  3. Direct characterization through explicit description of personality
  4. Indirect characterization through metaphor and implication Correct answer.

Explanation

The metaphor of a gathering storm implies inner intensity that the character conceals, so the reader infers traits from figurative language. This is indirect characterization. Direct characterization would state the trait plainly, such as "she was angry."

Question 11Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

In a novel, a character who serves as a foil to the protagonist is best described as one who does which of the following?

  1. Serves as the primary source of the central conflict
  2. Narrates the story from an outside perspective
  3. Represents the story's central moral lesson
  4. Contrasts with the protagonist, highlighting particular traits Correct answer.

Explanation

A foil is a character whose contrasting qualities illuminate the protagonist's traits by comparison. The contrast is the defining feature, not the character's narrative role or moral function. Foils may be minor or major characters.

Question 12Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this passage: "The letter sat on the table for three days. Each morning Lena moved it to the edge, then put it back. On the fourth day, she finally slid her thumb beneath the seal." What does the passage primarily reveal about Lena?

  1. She plans to return the letter unopened.
  2. She is struggling with reluctance about its contents. Correct answer.
  3. She has forgotten what the letter contains.
  4. She is eager to share the letter with others.

Explanation

Moving the letter to the edge and back repeatedly shows indecision and avoidance, which suggests reluctance. The eventual opening indicates the struggle has resolved. The passage gives no evidence of forgetfulness, return plans, or sharing.

Question 13Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

A story opens with a character finding a cracked pocket watch that has stopped at midnight. Later, a disaster occurs at midnight. This detail is best understood as which technique?

  1. Situational irony
  2. Foreshadowing Correct answer.
  3. Flashback
  4. Dramatic irony

Explanation

Foreshadowing plants hints early that prepare readers for later events. The stopped watch at midnight hints at the disaster that follows at the same time. Flashback moves backward in time, while irony involves contrasts in meaning or knowledge.

Question 14Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

A reader notices that the narrator praises a character as "a model of honesty" while describing that character stealing from a neighbor. This gap between the narrator's words and the facts is best identified as which technique?

  1. Verbal irony Correct answer.
  2. Hyperbole
  3. Situational irony
  4. Symbolism

Explanation

Verbal irony occurs when a speaker's words contradict the actual meaning or the facts. The narrator calls the character honest while reporting theft, so the praise is ironic. Situational irony concerns events, hyperbole is exaggeration, and symbolism uses objects to stand for ideas.

Question 15Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Which example most clearly demonstrates dramatic irony?

  1. A character says exactly what she means in a tense conversation.
  2. A character wins a prize she did not want after all.
  3. A narrator exaggerates a hero's strength for comic effect.
  4. The audience knows a bridge is out, but the driver does not. Correct answer.

Explanation

Dramatic irony arises when the audience or reader knows something a character does not, creating tension or humor. The bridge example fits precisely because the audience sees the danger the driver cannot. The other options involve sincerity, situational reversal, or exaggeration.

Question 16Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

In a story, a caged bird repeatedly appears whenever the protagonist feels trapped by her circumstances. The bird is best interpreted as which of the following?

  1. A metaphor comparing the protagonist to an animal
  2. An allusion to a well-known myth about birds
  3. A symbol of the protagonist's sense of confinement Correct answer.
  4. A foil whose traits contrast with the protagonist's

Explanation

A symbol is an object that represents a larger idea through recurring association. Because the caged bird appears alongside the protagonist's feeling of being trapped, it symbolizes confinement. Metaphor, foil, and allusion involve different relationships.

Question 17Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Which statement best explains how a motif differs from a theme?

  1. A motif is a recurring element, while a theme is an idea the work explores. Correct answer.
  2. A motif is the setting, while a theme is the main character's goal.
  3. A motif is stated once, while a theme is repeated throughout the work.
  4. A motif applies only to poetry, while a theme applies only to prose.

Explanation

A motif is a recurring image, object, phrase, or situation that supports meaning. A theme is the broader idea or insight the work develops. Motifs are concrete and repeated; themes are abstract and inferred.

Question 18Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

A story's narrator comments, "I have told you only what I could bear to remember." What does this remark most likely signal about the narration?

  1. The narrator is recounting events in strict chronological order.
  2. The narrator is unreliable and may omit important information. Correct answer.
  3. The narrator is omniscient and knows every character's thoughts.
  4. The narrator is speaking directly to another character in dialogue.

Explanation

A narrator who admits to selective memory invites the reader to question the completeness of the account. This is a hallmark of an unreliable narrator. The remark says nothing about omniscience, dialogue, or chronology.

Question 19Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

In a short story, a character faces a choice between reporting a friend's wrongdoing and protecting the friendship. Which term best describes this situation?

  1. Subplot
  2. Conflict Correct answer.
  3. Resolution
  4. Climax

Explanation

Conflict is the struggle between opposing forces, including internal struggles between competing loyalties. Choosing between honesty and friendship is an internal conflict. Climax is the peak of tension, a subplot is a secondary story line, and resolution is the outcome.

Question 20Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Which sentence uses a simile rather than a metaphor?

  1. Her laughter was music to the crowded room.
  2. His voice was like gravel rolling down a hill. Correct answer.
  3. Hope is a thin thread that holds us together.
  4. The city was a sleeping giant beneath the fog.

Explanation

A simile makes a comparison using "like" or "as," while a metaphor states the comparison directly without those words. The sentence using "like gravel" is therefore a simile. The other three equate two things directly.

Question 21Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

An author writes a scene in which a wealthy character donates to charity only when cameras are present. Which technique does the author most likely use to criticize this character?

  1. Satire that exposes hypocrisy through the character's behavior Correct answer.
  2. Allegory that assigns the character a symbolic name
  3. Flashback that explains the character's childhood
  4. Foreshadowing that hints at a future disaster

Explanation

Satire uses humor or ridicule to expose flaws such as hypocrisy. Showing generosity only when it is observed reveals the character's vanity. Allegory, foreshadowing, and flashback involve different narrative structures.

Question 22Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this passage: "The factory whistle screamed at six. Tomas pulled on his coat, checked the stove twice, and left before the kettle could sing. He had not been late in eleven years." Which inference about Tomas is best supported?

  1. He is a new worker who fears being fired.
  2. He values routine and punctuality deeply. Correct answer.
  3. He resents the factory and plans to quit.
  4. He is careless about his home and belongings.

Explanation

Checking the stove twice and leaving early to avoid lateness show careful routine and reliability. The detail that he has not been late in eleven years supports this inference. Nothing suggests resentment, carelessness, or inexperience.

Question 23Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

A story ends with a character gazing at a road that disappears over a hill. The narrator offers no explanation of what happens next. This ending is best described as which of the following?

  1. A closed ending that resolves every conflict
  2. A comic ending that restores social order
  3. A circular ending that repeats the opening scene
  4. An unresolved ending that leaves meaning open Correct answer.

Explanation

An open or unresolved ending leaves key questions unanswered and invites the reader to interpret meaning. The road and lack of explanation signal possibility rather than closure. Closed, comic, and circular endings each provide different kinds of finality or structure.

Question 24Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

In a novel, the narrator says of a character, "She was generous with everyone but herself, and she never noticed the difference." Which interpretation best captures the function of this sentence?

  1. It introduces an external conflict between two rival characters.
  2. It states the work's theme explicitly so readers need not infer.
  3. It establishes the setting through details about the character's home.
  4. It reveals a contradiction in the character that the story may develop. Correct answer.

Explanation

The sentence exposes a tension between how the character treats others and how she treats herself, a contradiction that can drive development. It implies character rather than stating a theme outright, and it supplies no setting or rival.

Question 25Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

A writer uses a first-person narrator who is a young child and reports events without understanding their adult significance. What effect does this choice most likely create?

  1. It creates a gap between the narrator's account and the reader's understanding. Correct answer.
  2. It guarantees the reader can trust every factual detail.
  3. It removes the need for the reader to make inferences.
  4. It makes the story's tone consistently humorous.

Explanation

A naive first-person narrator reports events accurately as perceived but without adult interpretation, creating a gap the reader must fill. This gap produces dramatic irony and demands inference. It does not guarantee reliability, remove inference, or fix a single tone.

Question 26Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

In a literary text, the setting includes which of the following elements?

  1. The central insight the work conveys about life
  2. The time and place in which the action occurs Correct answer.
  3. The author's attitude toward the subject matter
  4. The sequence of events that drives the conflict

Explanation

Setting refers to the time, place, and social circumstances in which a narrative unfolds, and it can shape mood and character behavior. The other choices describe plot, tone, and theme, which are separate elements of fiction.

Question 27Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this passage: "The kitchen smelled of burnt toast. Dishes rose in crooked towers from the sink, and a single sock hung from the ceiling fan." Which mood does the description most strongly create?

  1. Disorder and neglect Correct answer.
  2. Tense suspense
  3. Formal celebration
  4. Quiet reverence

Explanation

Concrete details such as burnt toast, towering dirty dishes, and a sock on the fan build a mood of messiness and neglect. Mood is the feeling created in the reader through descriptive choices, and every detail here points toward chaos rather than ceremony or calm.

Question 28Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

A story is told by a narrator who stands outside the action, uses only characters' names and pronouns, and reports what is said and done without entering any character's mind. This narrator is best identified as which type?

  1. Third-person objective Correct answer.
  2. Second-person direct address
  3. Third-person limited
  4. First-person participant

Explanation

A third-person objective narrator observes from outside and reports observable actions and speech without revealing inner thoughts. Third-person limited would enter one character's mind, while first-person and second-person narrators use I or you.

Question 29Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

An author writes, "Her laughter was a door slamming in an empty house." Which statement best describes the effect of this comparison?

  1. It uses exaggerated numbers to stress a point.
  2. It states directly that the character is angry.
  3. It explains the cause of the character's laughter.
  4. It compares laughter to a harsh sound to suggest something unsettling. Correct answer.

Explanation

The metaphor equates laughter with a slamming door, an abrupt and jarring sound, which gives the laughter an unsettling quality. Figurative comparisons work by transferring associations from one thing to another rather than stating a fact outright.

Question 30Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this passage: "Dev had practiced the violin for an hour every night for a year. At the recital his bow slipped on the opening note, and he finished the piece with his ears burning." Which statement best describes how the passage develops character?

  1. It shows Dev abandoning his goal after a single mistake.
  2. It relies on another character's opinion to define Dev.
  3. It withholds all information about Dev's efforts.
  4. It reveals Dev's dedication through detail and then tests his response to failure. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage establishes Dev's commitment through the year of practice, then places him in a moment of public failure that invites the reader to infer his character from his reaction. Characterization often develops through contrast between effort and outcome.

Question 31Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

In a story, a character who changes significantly in attitude or understanding over the course of the narrative is best described as which of the following?

  1. A dynamic character Correct answer.
  2. A static character
  3. A stock character
  4. A round character

Explanation

A dynamic character undergoes an internal change, such as a shift in belief or maturity, across the story. Roundness concerns complexity of personality, while static characters remain essentially unchanged.

Question 32Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Which situation most clearly presents an internal conflict?

  1. A village prepares for a river that is rising.
  2. A hiker struggles against a sudden blizzard on a ridge.
  3. A student must decide whether to admit she copied an answer. Correct answer.
  4. Two neighbors argue over a property boundary.

Explanation

Internal conflict occurs within a character's mind, as when a person wrestles with a moral choice. The other options set characters against nature or against other people, which are external conflicts.

Question 33Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this passage: "The old man set two cups on the table, though he lived alone. He talked to the empty chair across from him as he poured." Which inference about the character is best supported?

  1. He is preparing to move to a smaller home.
  2. He has forgotten that he lives alone.
  3. He is expecting a guest who will arrive shortly.
  4. He is grieving someone who is no longer present. Correct answer.

Explanation

Setting out a second cup and addressing an empty chair suggests the man is holding on to the presence of someone absent, most likely someone he has lost. The details support grief, while other explanations require information the passage does not provide.

Question 34Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

A story is set in a mining town where the company owns every house and shop. Which statement best explains how this setting influences the plot?

  1. It limits the characters' choices and creates pressure toward dependence or rebellion. Correct answer.
  2. It guarantees that the story will end happily.
  3. It removes any possibility of conflict between characters.
  4. It prevents the author from describing the town.

Explanation

A setting in which one company controls housing and commerce constrains what characters can do and raises the stakes of any disagreement with that power. Setting shapes plot by defining the options available to characters.

Question 35Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this passage: "The train was late again. Ana checked her watch, then the board, then her watch. Somewhere a door opened and closed." Which technique does the writer use most clearly to build tension?

  1. A flashback to an earlier journey
  2. Dialogue between two passengers
  3. Direct statements of the character's fear
  4. Repeated small actions that suggest restless waiting Correct answer.

Explanation

The repeated checking of watch and board, along with the unexplained door, creates unease through concrete, repetitive action. Tension can be built through pacing and gesture rather than through naming emotions.

Question 36Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Which statement best explains the difference between a symbol and a metaphor?

  1. A symbol appears only once, while a metaphor must repeat.
  2. A symbol is always a person, while a metaphor is always an object.
  3. A symbol states a comparison directly, while a metaphor never compares.
  4. A symbol is a concrete thing that carries meaning beyond itself, while a metaphor states a comparison between two things. Correct answer.

Explanation

A symbol is an object, image, or action that suggests larger meaning through association, whereas a metaphor is a figure of speech that asserts one thing is another. The two can overlap, but their definitions differ in this way.

Question 37Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this passage: "The committee praised the new park in glowing terms. Outside, the gate was chained, the fountain dry, and a sign read CLOSED FOR THE SEASON." Which technique does the writer use to criticize the committee?

  1. Irony created by contrasting praise with visible neglect Correct answer.
  2. Flashback that explains the park's history
  3. Personification that gives the gate human feelings
  4. Hyperbole that exaggerates the park's beauty

Explanation

The gap between the committee's praise and the chained gate and dry fountain produces irony that undercuts the praise. Contrast between words and observable facts is a common way authors signal criticism without stating it.

Question 38Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this passage: "Grandfather's compass hung by the door. Mara passed it each morning on her way to the bus, and each evening it seemed to point a little more toward the hills she had never visited." Which interpretation of the compass is best supported?

  1. It proves that the grandfather is still alive.
  2. It indicates that the family plans to sell the house.
  3. It represents a pull toward a future Mara has not yet chosen. Correct answer.
  4. It shows that Mara dislikes her daily routine.

Explanation

The compass, tied to the grandfather and repeatedly pointing toward unvisited hills, suggests an inherited longing or direction Mara has not acted on. Symbolic readings must be grounded in details such as placement, repetition, and the direction of the needle.

Question 39Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

A novel begins in the middle of a crisis, then returns to the events that led up to it before continuing forward. Which term best describes this structure?

  1. Chronological narration
  2. Frame narrative
  3. In medias res with flashback Correct answer.
  4. Epistolary structure

Explanation

Starting in the middle of the action is in medias res, and returning to earlier events to explain how the crisis arose is flashback. Together they create a structure that opens with tension and then supplies context.

Question 40Reading Comprehension of Literary Texts

Read this passage: "My brother says I am the brave one. He says it at dinner, at the store, to anyone who will listen. He says it while I check the locks twice and sleep with the light on." Which statement best explains how the narrator's characterization is developed?

  1. Through a description of the narrator's physical appearance
  2. Through dialogue in which the narrator defends himself
  3. Through direct statements by the narrator about his childhood
  4. Through the brother's repeated claims set against the narrator's private behavior Correct answer.

Explanation

The brother's public label of bravery is placed against the narrator's private rituals of fear, and the gap between them reveals the narrator's true state. Indirect characterization often works through such contradiction between what others say and what the character does.

Question 41Reading Comprehension of Informational Texts

An author writes, "Urban gardens do more than beautify empty lots; they lower summer temperatures and give residents fresh produce." What is the main idea of this sentence?

  1. Urban gardens provide practical benefits beyond decoration. Correct answer.
  2. Fresh produce is too expensive for most city residents.
  3. Urban gardens are mainly a way to decorate empty lots.
  4. Summer temperatures are rising in cities nationwide.

Explanation

The main idea is the central claim the author wants readers to take away. The phrase "more than beautify" signals that decoration is only the starting point and that the real point is the added practical benefits named afterward.

Question 42Reading Comprehension of Informational Texts

A passage states, "Because the bridge inspection reports were filed late, the city council delayed the repair vote." Which relationship does this sentence show?

  1. Cause and effect Correct answer.
  2. Comparison between two bridges
  3. Problem and solution
  4. Sequence of unrelated events

Explanation

The word "because" introduces a cause, and the delayed vote is the result that follows from it. Signal words such as because, since, and as a result mark cause-and-effect relationships in informational text.

Question 43Reading Comprehension of Informational Texts

Read this sentence: "The museum's new wing, which took three years to build, houses a collection of ancient coins." What does the phrase set off by commas do?

  1. It states the sentence's main claim.
  2. It adds extra detail about the wing. Correct answer.
  3. It contrasts the wing with the coin collection.
  4. It gives the reason the museum was built.

Explanation

A nonrestrictive phrase between commas supplies additional information without changing the sentence's core meaning. Removing it leaves a complete statement: the wing houses a collection of ancient coins.

Question 44Reading Comprehension of Informational Texts

A writer wants to persuade readers that their town should add more bike lanes. Which sentence best serves as a claim rather than a fact?

  1. Bike lanes are usually painted with white stripes.
  2. Our town installed twelve miles of bike lanes last spring.
  3. The state reports that bike commuting rose 9 percent.
  4. Bike lanes are the smartest investment our town can make. Correct answer.

Explanation

A claim expresses a judgment that must be supported with evidence, while a fact can be checked directly. Calling bike lanes the "smartest investment" is an evaluation that requires reasoning and proof.

Question 45Reading Comprehension of Informational Texts

In an article about sleep, the author writes, "Teens need about nine hours of sleep, yet most report getting fewer than seven." What is the author's purpose in including this contrast?

  1. To highlight a gap between need and reality Correct answer.
  2. To describe how beds are manufactured
  3. To argue that sleep is unimportant
  4. To entertain readers with a humorous anecdote

Explanation

The word "yet" sets up a contrast between what teens need and what they actually get. Authors use such contrasts to point readers toward a problem worth noticing.

Question 46Reading Comprehension of Informational Texts

Which detail from a passage about honeybees would best support the claim that bees communicate location to one another?

  1. Honey has been used as a sweetener for thousands of years.
  2. Honeybees live in colonies that can contain thousands of workers.
  3. A researcher observed bees performing a waggle dance that pointed toward a food source. Correct answer.
  4. Beekeepers wear protective suits when inspecting hives.

Explanation

Relevant evidence directly supports the specific claim being made. An observation of a dance that indicates a food source connects communication to location, which is exactly what the claim asserts.

Question 47Reading Comprehension of Informational Texts

A textbook chapter opens with a short story about a student who loses power during a storm, then explains how electrical grids work. Why might the author begin this way?

  1. To summarize the chapter's conclusion
  2. To prove that storms are becoming more common
  3. To engage readers before presenting technical information Correct answer.
  4. To list the chapter's vocabulary terms

Explanation

Opening anecdotes are a common text feature used to hook readers and connect an abstract topic to a familiar experience. The technical explanation that follows is made more accessible by that entry point.

Question 48Reading Comprehension of Informational Texts

An article includes the sentence, "According to a 2022 survey of 500 librarians, 68 percent reported increased demand for digital audiobooks." What makes this evidence credible?

  1. It uses emotional language to persuade readers.
  2. It is the author's personal opinion about libraries.
  3. It names a source, a date, and a sample size. Correct answer.
  4. It appears at the beginning of the article.

Explanation

Credibility in informational text often depends on citing where information came from, when it was gathered, and how large the sample was. These details let readers judge how much weight the statistic deserves.

Question 49Reading Comprehension of Informational Texts

Two articles discuss a city's new recycling program. Article A is written by the city's sanitation department; Article B is an opinion column by a resident. Which statement best describes how their purposes likely differ?

  1. Article A will probably explain how the program works, while Article B may argue for changing it. Correct answer.
  2. Article B will probably list collection schedules, while Article A will argue a position.
  3. Both articles will avoid discussing the program's costs.
  4. Both articles will present only statistics with no opinions.

Explanation

An author's role shapes purpose: a government department typically explains procedures and services, while an opinion columnist is free to evaluate and advocate. Recognizing who wrote a text helps readers anticipate its slant.

Question 50Reading Comprehension of Informational Texts

A passage explains that a new park will cost more than expected. It then states, "However, the park is projected to raise nearby property values and attract visitors." What is the function of the word "However"?

  1. It repeats the earlier idea in new words.
  2. It signals a shift to a contrasting point. Correct answer.
  3. It introduces a cause of the higher cost.
  4. It provides an example of park expenses.

Explanation

Transition words like "however" signal a contrast or turn in the argument. Here the author moves from a drawback to a counterbalancing benefit, which helps readers track the reasoning.