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GED RLA study materials
GED RLA study resources

GED RLA practice questions

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Question 1Reading for Meaning

A passage opens with a paragraph describing a city's crowded night market, then shifts to a paragraph explaining how the market's vendors formed a cooperative. Which statement best describes the relationship between the two paragraphs?

  1. The second paragraph introduces a counterargument to the first paragraph's claim.
  2. The second paragraph contradicts the impression created by the first paragraph.
  3. The second paragraph provides background that explains how the situation described in the first paragraph came to exist. Correct answer.
  4. The second paragraph repeats the first paragraph's main idea in more concrete language.

Explanation

When a passage moves from describing a scene to explaining the origins of that scene, the later material functions as background or cause. The vendors' cooperative explains how the market came to be organized as described earlier, so the relationship is explanatory rather than contradictory or repetitive.

Question 2Reading for Meaning

Read this sentence from an informational passage: "Although the bridge was completed on schedule, the engineers had quietly replaced two of its original steel supports." What does the word "quietly" most nearly suggest about the engineers' action?

  1. It was done without public attention. Correct answer.
  2. It was done against the law.
  3. It was done at great expense.
  4. It was done carelessly.

Explanation

In context, "quietly" modifies how the replacement was carried out, implying it was not publicized or widely noticed. The sentence gives no evidence about cost, legality, or carelessness, so only the lack of publicity is supported by the word choice.

Question 3Reading for Meaning

A writer wants to show that a character's confidence is fragile rather than genuine. Which detail would best support that point in a literary passage?

  1. The character is described by the narrator as "tall and well dressed."
  2. The character has won several awards for public speaking in the past.
  3. The character rehearses compliments aloud before a party but avoids eye contact once guests arrive. Correct answer.
  4. The character owns an expensive car and a large house.

Explanation

Fragile confidence is shown through behavior that reveals effort covering for doubt, such as rehearsing words yet avoiding eye contact. The other details describe status, possessions, or appearance, none of which reveals whether confidence is stable or brittle.

Question 4Reading for Meaning

In an argumentative passage, an author writes: "Students who read for pleasure each day score higher on vocabulary tests. Therefore, schools should replace test preparation with free reading time." Which assumption does the argument depend on?

  1. Schools currently offer no free reading time at all.
  2. Daily pleasure reading, rather than some other factor, is what raises vocabulary scores. Correct answer.
  3. Students prefer free reading to test preparation.
  4. Vocabulary tests are the most important measure of student learning.

Explanation

The argument moves from a correlation to a policy recommendation, which requires assuming the reading itself causes the higher scores. If another factor, such as family background, explained both, the recommendation would not follow.

Question 5Reading for Meaning

A passage states: "The factory's new filtration system reduced emissions by forty percent. Neighboring towns, however, still report residue on windowsills." Which conclusion is best supported by both sentences taken together?

  1. The reduction in emissions has not eliminated all airborne particles affecting nearby areas. Correct answer.
  2. The towns' reports are inaccurate because emissions fell.
  3. The filtration system failed to reduce emissions at all.
  4. The factory should be closed immediately.

Explanation

The two sentences together indicate improvement alongside a continuing problem, so the safest conclusion is that emissions fell but some particles remain. The passage supports partial success, not total failure, total success, or a specific policy remedy.

Question 6Reading for Meaning

Read this excerpt: "The museum's director insisted the new wing was 'a bold step forward.' Visitors, however, described the same space as 'a maze with no exit signs.'" The contrast between these two descriptions mainly serves to

  1. explain the building's construction costs.
  2. highlight a gap between the director's perspective and the visitors' experience. Correct answer.
  3. prove that the director is dishonest.
  4. show that visitors dislike all modern architecture.

Explanation

The passage pairs an insider's promotional language with visitors' practical complaints, creating a contrast between viewpoints. This contrast emphasizes differing perspectives rather than proving dishonesty, generalizing about visitors, or discussing costs.

Question 7Reading for Meaning

An author writes: "Requiring community service in high school builds responsibility. After all, adults who volunteered as teenagers are more likely to volunteer later in life." Which weakness most affects this reasoning?

  1. It relies on a correlation that may not show that required service causes later volunteering. Correct answer.
  2. It defines responsibility too narrowly for a school setting.
  3. It appeals to emotion rather than to evidence.
  4. It uses a statistic without naming its source.

Explanation

The evidence links teenage volunteering with adult volunteering, but a correlation could reflect shared traits such as helpfulness rather than a causal effect of the requirement. The argument's leap to a benefit of requiring service is therefore unsupported.

Question 8Reading for Meaning

A passage about a scientist notes: "Her early notebooks are filled with crossed-out calculations, marginal questions, and sketches of equipment that was never built." The author most likely includes these details to

  1. demonstrate that the scientist's final results were wrong.
  2. suggest that the scientist was careless with records.
  3. show that the scientist preferred drawing to calculating.
  4. portray the scientist's work as a process of trial and error. Correct answer.

Explanation

Crossed-out work, questions, and abandoned designs are details that emphasize experimentation and revision. The author uses them to characterize scientific work as iterative rather than to criticize record keeping or question the results.

Question 9Reading for Meaning

Which sentence uses a colon correctly to introduce an explanation within a passage?

  1. The experiment failed: and the samples had been stored at the wrong temperature.
  2. The experiment failed for one reason: the samples had been stored at the wrong temperature. Correct answer.
  3. The experiment: failed because the samples were stored at the wrong temperature.
  4. The experiment failed for one reason: which was the wrong storage temperature.

Explanation

A colon may follow a complete clause to introduce an explanation or list. In the correct sentence, the clause before the colon is complete and the material after it explains the stated reason.

Question 10Reading for Meaning

A student is summarizing a passage and wants to distinguish the author's main claim from supporting details. Which sentence from the passage would best serve as the main claim?

  1. One gardener said she spends six hours a week weeding.
  2. Tomatoes and peppers grow well in raised beds.
  3. In 2022, the city counted forty-three community gardens.
  4. Urban gardens do more than grow food; they rebuild neighborhood ties. Correct answer.

Explanation

A main claim is a general assertion the author sets out to support, and the statement about rebuilding neighborhood ties is broad and arguable. The other sentences offer specific facts, examples, or quotations that could support such a claim.

Question 11Reading for Meaning

Read this sentence: "The committee's report was thorough, but its recommendations were so vague that no department could act on them." What is the main function of the word "but" in the sentence?

  1. It softens a criticism of the committee.
  2. It introduces a cause of the report's thoroughness.
  3. It adds a second example of the report's strengths.
  4. It signals a contrast between the report's quality and its usefulness. Correct answer.

Explanation

The conjunction "but" marks a turn between two ideas, setting the report's thoroughness against its impractical recommendations. It establishes contrast, not addition, causation, or softening.

Question 12Reading for Meaning

A passage describes a town that votes to ban plastic bags, then reports that several stores began selling reusable bags and that bag litter declined within a year. Which statement best evaluates how well the evidence supports the town's decision?

  1. The evidence proves the ban was the only possible solution.
  2. The evidence is irrelevant because it concerns stores rather than residents.
  3. The evidence supports the decision by showing a relevant outcome, though other causes for the decline are possible. Correct answer.
  4. The evidence is too emotional to evaluate the decision fairly.

Explanation

The reported decline is relevant evidence that the policy had its intended effect, but a single outcome cannot rule out other explanations. A fair evaluation credits the relevant support while noting the limits of the evidence.

Question 13Reading for Meaning

In a literary passage, a narrator says of a neighbor: "He lent tools he never expected back and remembered every debt owed to him to the penny." Which inference about the neighbor is best supported?

  1. He is wealthy and uninterested in small amounts.
  2. He is generous with possessions but exacting about money. Correct answer.
  3. He is careless with both tools and money.
  4. He distrusts everyone in the neighborhood.

Explanation

The sentence contrasts free lending of tools with precise tracking of money owed, supporting an inference of generosity in one area and strictness in another. The other options contradict one half of the description or go beyond it.

Question 14Reading for Meaning

An article states: "Critics of the new transit line argue that it will drain riders from buses. Supporters counter that buses will then run faster on less crowded roads." Which technique does the article use to present the debate?

  1. It avoids taking a position by refusing to describe either side.
  2. It resolves the debate with a statistical study.
  3. It endorses one side by presenting only its evidence.
  4. It pairs opposing claims and the reasoning offered for each. Correct answer.

Explanation

The article presents a criticism and a response, giving the reasoning behind each position. This balanced structure presents opposing claims without the passage itself endorsing either side or resolving the dispute.

Question 15Reading for Meaning

A writer claims: "Our library should extend its hours because students need a quiet place to study after school." Which piece of evidence would most directly strengthen this claim?

  1. A survey showing that the library is at capacity most weekday evenings. Correct answer.
  2. A statement that the library director enjoys reading.
  3. A list of the library's most popular novels.
  4. A report that the building was renovated ten years ago.

Explanation

Evidence strengthens a claim when it directly supports the stated reason. A survey showing heavy evening demand demonstrates that students are using the library and would benefit from longer hours, while the other items are unrelated to the claim.

Question 16Reading for Meaning

Read this sentence: "The scientist's findings were not merely surprising; they overturned a model that had stood for decades." What is the effect of the phrase "not merely surprising"?

  1. It suggests the findings were unremarkable.
  2. It implies that the scientist was surprised by the results.
  3. It signals that the findings were more consequential than unexpected alone. Correct answer.
  4. It indicates that the findings were later disproven.

Explanation

The construction "not merely X; Y" elevates the description beyond X, indicating that the findings were more than surprising. The following clause explains the greater consequence: overturning a long-standing model.

Question 17Reading for Meaning

A passage about a failed expedition notes that the team's maps were "accurate to the mile" but that the team still ran out of water. Which explanation best fits both facts?

  1. The maps showed distances correctly but did not mark water sources. Correct answer.
  2. The team's supplies were lost in a storm.
  3. The maps were drawn by an inexperienced cartographer.
  4. The team ignored the maps entirely.

Explanation

The best explanation must account for accurate distances alongside a water shortage. Maps precise about distance but silent on water locations would explain both facts, while the other options conflict with the stated accuracy or add unsupported events.

Question 18Reading for Meaning

An author writes: "Every great city has a river at its heart. Therefore, our town should invest in restoring its waterfront." Which statement best describes the role of the first sentence in the argument?

  1. It provides a specific statistic about waterfront investment.
  2. It concedes a point made by opponents of the plan.
  3. It offers a broad generalization that the author treats as support for the recommendation. Correct answer.
  4. It states the conclusion the author wants readers to accept.

Explanation

The first sentence is a sweeping generalization used as a premise, and the recommendation follows from it. The conclusion is the second sentence, and no statistic or concession appears in the passage.

Question 19Reading for Meaning

A passage states that a novelist rewrote her opening chapter thirty times. Which statement best explains why an author might include this detail in a profile?

  1. To emphasize the novelist's commitment to precise language. Correct answer.
  2. To prove that first chapters are the hardest to write for everyone.
  3. To suggest the novelist lacked talent.
  4. To show that the novel was published without editing.

Explanation

Repeated revision is commonly used to illustrate dedication and care in craft. The detail supports a claim about the novelist's standards rather than about lack of ability, absent editing, or a universal rule for all writers.

Question 20Reading for Meaning

Read these sentences: "The proposal promised lower costs. It did not say who would pay for the new equipment." The second sentence mainly functions to

  1. point out an omission that weakens the proposal's promise. Correct answer.
  2. describe the equipment in technical detail.
  3. restate the first sentence in different words.
  4. provide a reason to support the proposal.

Explanation

The second sentence identifies information the proposal leaves out, which undercuts the promise of lower costs. It adds a critical qualification rather than restating, supporting, or describing equipment.

Question 21Reading for Meaning

A passage argues: "If we allow students to choose their own reading books, they will read more. Students who read more become stronger readers. So choice leads to stronger reading skills." Which statement best evaluates the logic?

  1. The conclusion is unrelated to the premises.
  2. The conclusion follows only if the first two claims are both true and connected as stated. Correct answer.
  3. The argument is invalid because it contains no evidence at all.
  4. The argument proves that assigned reading is harmful.

Explanation

The argument is a chain of conditional claims, so its conclusion depends on both links holding. Evaluating it means testing whether choice really increases reading and whether more reading really strengthens skills, not dismissing it as evidence-free.

Question 22Reading for Meaning

A passage describes two historians who examine the same letters and reach opposite conclusions about a treaty. The author then notes that one historian focused on public statements and the other on private notes. What does this detail most likely suggest?

  1. One historian must have misread the letters.
  2. The treaty's meaning cannot be determined at all.
  3. Public statements are always more reliable than private notes.
  4. Interpretive differences can arise from which sources a researcher emphasizes. Correct answer.

Explanation

The detail about different source emphases offers an explanation for divergent conclusions without declaring either historian wrong. It illustrates how interpretive choices shape historical conclusions rather than proving error or total uncertainty.

Question 23Reading for Meaning

An essay states: "Technology has made us more connected than ever. Yet loneliness rates have risen sharply in the same period." Which response best describes the relationship between these sentences?

  1. The second sentence repeats the first sentence's idea in different terms.
  2. The second sentence challenges the assumption that connectivity produces genuine connection. Correct answer.
  3. The second sentence explains the technology that caused the change.
  4. The second sentence provides additional support for the first sentence's claim.

Explanation

The word "yet" signals tension between technical connectivity and experienced loneliness, implicitly questioning whether the two are the same. The sentences contrast rather than reinforce, explain, or restate each other.

Question 24Reading for Meaning

A passage reports that a city's bike-share program doubled in size and that bike-related injuries rose by fifteen percent. The author concludes the program is unsafe. Which question most directly tests the soundness of that conclusion?

  1. Do residents prefer bikes to buses?
  2. Did the number of riders and total trips also rise during the same period? Correct answer.
  3. How many bike-share stations were built downtown?
  4. How much did the program cost the city?

Explanation

If total ridership grew, a rise in injuries may reflect more exposure rather than greater danger per ride. Asking about ridership tests whether the injury increase actually supports a claim about safety, unlike questions about cost, preference, or station locations.

Question 25Reading for Meaning

Read this sentence from a review: "The film's score is so insistent that it competes with the dialogue rather than supporting it." What does the reviewer imply about the score?

  1. It draws attention away from what characters are saying. Correct answer.
  2. It is the film's only weakness.
  3. It improves the film's dialogue.
  4. It is too quiet to be heard clearly.

Explanation

The phrase "competes with the dialogue rather than supporting it" implies the music distracts from or overwhelms the spoken words. It does not suggest quietness, improvement, or that the score is the only flaw.

Question 26Reading for Meaning

A passage states: "The city council approved the new park by a wide margin, citing strong public support." Which sentence from the passage would best serve as evidence for the claim that public opinion influenced the vote?

  1. "The council meets on the first Tuesday of each month."
  2. "The park will include a playground and a walking trail."
  3. "The city council approved the new park by a wide margin, citing strong public support." Correct answer.
  4. "Construction is expected to begin next spring."

Explanation

Evidence must directly support the claim about public opinion shaping the vote. Only the sentence linking the wide approval margin to cited public support makes that connection explicit. The other sentences describe park features, timing, or meeting schedules and say nothing about public influence.

Question 27Reading for Meaning

Read this excerpt: "The recipe promised a cake 'ready in thirty minutes.' The baker, who had creamed butter by hand for twenty, knew better." What does the phrase "knew better" most nearly suggest about the baker?

  1. She planned to follow the recipe exactly.
  2. She thought the cake would taste bad.
  3. She doubted the recipe's time estimate. Correct answer.
  4. She had never baked a cake before.

Explanation

The contrast between the promised thirty minutes and the baker's own twenty minutes of hand-creaming signals skepticism about the timing claim. "Knew better" means she recognized the estimate was unrealistic based on experience. Nothing in the excerpt concerns her inexperience, her plan to comply, or the cake's flavor.

Question 28Reading for Meaning

A passage describes a character who "always arrived early, arranged the chairs in perfect rows, and checked the microphone three times before anyone else spoke." Which inference about the character is best supported?

  1. The character dislikes the other speakers.
  2. The character values order and preparation. Correct answer.
  3. The character is hoping to leave early.
  4. The character has never organized an event.

Explanation

Arriving early, aligning chairs, and testing equipment are all behaviors that reveal a preference for order and readiness. Readers infer traits from repeated actions rather than from statements the author never makes. The passage offers no evidence about her feelings toward others, her desire to leave, or her inexperience.

Question 29Reading for Meaning

Read this sentence: "The volunteers sorted donations, packed boxes, and loaded the truck before noon." Which statement best describes the structure of this sentence?

  1. It states a cause followed by its effect.
  2. It presents a problem and then a solution.
  3. It lists three actions performed by the same subject. Correct answer.
  4. It compares two groups of workers.

Explanation

The sentence places three parallel verbs after a single subject, "the volunteers," so it enumerates actions rather than comparing, causing, or solving anything. Recognizing parallel verb lists helps readers track who did what in a passage. The remaining options describe relationships the sentence does not contain.

Question 30Reading for Meaning

A passage notes that a mayor "promised transparency" but then held closed meetings and declined to release the budget. Which statement best describes the relationship between the mayor's words and actions?

  1. The actions have no relation to the promise.
  2. The actions repeat the promise.
  3. The actions illustrate the promise.
  4. The actions contradict the promise. Correct answer.

Explanation

Promising openness while holding closed meetings and withholding the budget creates a direct contradiction between word and deed. Skilled readers track such gaps because authors often use them to characterize a figure critically. The actions do not illustrate, echo, or stand apart from the promise; they undercut it.

Question 31Reading for Meaning

Read this excerpt: "The bridge was built in 1902. It carried wagons, then streetcars, then automobiles. Today it carries only pedestrians." What is the main idea of the excerpt?

  1. Pedestrians are the only people who ever used the bridge.
  2. Streetcars were the most popular form of transport.
  3. The bridge was poorly constructed in 1902.
  4. The bridge has adapted to changing transportation over time. Correct answer.

Explanation

The excerpt traces the bridge's uses across three eras, showing how it changed with transportation needs. A main idea must account for all the details rather than just one. Construction quality, pedestrian exclusivity, and streetcar popularity are not claims the passage makes.

Question 32Reading for Meaning

A passage states: "The novelist kept a list of overheard phrases in her pocket. Years later, those scraps appeared in her dialogue." What does the passage suggest about the novelist's writing process?

  1. She drew on everyday observations for her work. Correct answer.
  2. She composed her novels in a single sitting.
  3. She avoided listening to strangers.
  4. She wrote only about people she knew well.

Explanation

Collecting overheard phrases and later using them shows that ordinary observation fed her writing. The passage emphasizes gathering raw material from daily life rather than speed, familiarity, or avoidance of strangers. Only the first option captures that connection between notes and finished dialogue.

Question 33Reading for Meaning

Read this sentence: "The report was praised for its detail; nevertheless, few readers finished it." What does the word "nevertheless" signal?

  1. A restatement of the first idea
  2. An additional reason for the praise
  3. A contrast between praise and reader behavior Correct answer.
  4. A cause-and-effect relationship

Explanation

"Nevertheless" is a transition that introduces a fact running counter to what the first clause would lead you to expect. Praise would seem to predict readers finishing, but few did. Recognizing contrast transitions helps readers follow shifts in a passage's logic.

Question 34Reading for Meaning

A passage reports that a study found students who kept reading logs scored higher on a comprehension test. The author then writes: "This proves that reading logs cause stronger comprehension." Which statement best evaluates the author's conclusion?

  1. It is fully supported because test scores are objective measures.
  2. It is irrelevant because comprehension tests are unreliable.
  3. It is too cautious because the study already shows a clear trend.
  4. It overstates the finding, since a correlation does not establish cause. Correct answer.

Explanation

The study shows that log-keepers scored higher, which is an association, not proof that logging caused the improvement. Other factors, such as motivation or prior skill, could explain both behaviors. The author's leap to "proves" and "cause" exceeds what the evidence supports.

Question 35Reading for Meaning

Read this excerpt: "The old lighthouse stood at the edge of the cliff, its beam sweeping the water like a slow, patient hand." Which literary device is used in the comparison to "a slow, patient hand"?

  1. A paradox that contradicts itself
  2. An allusion to a well-known story
  3. A hyperbole that exaggerates the beam's brightness
  4. A simile that gives the beam a human quality Correct answer.

Explanation

The comparison uses "like" to link the sweeping beam to a hand, which is a simile. Describing the hand as "patient" adds a human trait, giving the image a personified feel. The comparison is not an exaggeration, a literary reference, or a self-contradiction.

Question 36Reading for Meaning

An author writes: "We should replace the factory's coal boilers with electric ones. Electric boilers produce no local smoke, and our town's asthma rates are highest near the factory." Which assumption does the argument depend on?

  1. Coal boilers have been used in the factory for many years.
  2. Electric boilers are cheaper to install than coal boilers.
  3. The factory employs most of the town's residents.
  4. Reducing local smoke will help lower asthma rates near the factory. Correct answer.

Explanation

The argument links smoke-free boilers to a health benefit, so it must assume that cutting local smoke improves respiratory outcomes. Without that bridge, the asthma detail would not support the recommendation. Cost, employment, and the length of coal use are not needed to connect the evidence to the conclusion.

Question 37Reading for Meaning

Read these sentences: "The councilor spoke for forty minutes. Her slides were flawless. Not once did she mention the budget shortfall." What is the effect of the final sentence?

  1. It shifts the passage's emphasis to a critical omission. Correct answer.
  2. It explains why the slides were flawless.
  3. It repeats the idea that the speech was long.
  4. It confirms that the councilor gave a strong presentation.

Explanation

The first two sentences build a positive impression, and the last turns sharply to what was left out. That turn signals the author's real concern: the missing budget topic. The sentence does not praise the presentation, explain the slides, or restate the length of the speech.

Question 38Reading for Meaning

A student claims that a passage's author is biased against a proposal. Which evidence from the passage would most directly support that claim?

  1. The author quotes two experts who favor the proposal.
  2. The author calls the proposal's supporters "misguided" without addressing their data. Correct answer.
  3. The author notes that the proposal has been debated for years.
  4. The author summarizes the proposal's costs and benefits.

Explanation

Bias is best shown through loaded language and refusal to engage opposing evidence. Dismissing supporters as "misguided" while ignoring their data reveals a one-sided stance. Quoting supporters, summarizing both sides, or noting a long debate suggests balance rather than bias.

Question 39Reading for Meaning

Read this excerpt: "The museum's new exhibit is free on Sundays. Attendance on Sundays has tripled since the policy began." Which conclusion is best supported by the excerpt?

  1. Free admission is associated with higher Sunday attendance. Correct answer.
  2. The exhibit is more popular than any other in the city.
  3. Free admission causes visitors to spend more in the gift shop.
  4. Sunday visitors are more knowledgeable about art.

Explanation

The excerpt gives two linked facts: free Sundays and a rise in Sunday attendance. The safest supported conclusion states that association without claiming more than the text shows. Gift-shop spending, citywide popularity, and visitor knowledge are never mentioned.

Question 40Reading for Meaning

A passage presents a historian's claim that a treaty was "a failure." It then notes that the treaty prevented a war for twenty years. Which statement best describes how the author handles this tension?

  1. The author proves the treaty was a success.
  2. The author exposes a conflict between the claim and the evidence. Correct answer.
  3. The author agrees that the treaty was a complete failure.
  4. The author ignores the historian's claim entirely.

Explanation

By placing the label "failure" beside evidence of twenty years of peace, the author highlights a tension the reader must weigh. The passage does not simply endorse or refute the historian, nor does it ignore the claim. Recognizing such juxtaposition is key to evaluating an argument's strength.

Question 41Reading for Meaning

Read this sentence: "The startup's growth was meteoric, though its profits remained modest." What does "meteoric" most nearly mean as used here?

  1. Highly profitable
  2. Gradually declining
  3. Widely criticized
  4. Very rapid Correct answer.

Explanation

"Meteoric" comes from the image of a meteor streaking quickly across the sky, so it describes fast, dramatic growth. The contrast with modest profits confirms the word concerns speed and scale, not money. Context clues such as "growth" and "though" help pin down the meaning.

Question 42Reading for Meaning

An essay argues: "Cities should plant more street trees. Trees lower summer temperatures, absorb rainwater, and improve air quality." Which sentence, if added, would most strengthen the argument?

  1. Planting trees requires hiring trained arborists.
  2. The city has planted trees in some neighborhoods for decades.
  3. A study found that shaded blocks were up to five degrees cooler than unshaded ones. Correct answer.
  4. Some residents dislike the smell of certain tree flowers.

Explanation

The argument rests on benefits such as cooling, so concrete data showing a measurable temperature difference directly reinforces it. The other choices either raise a drawback, add a cost, or note a neutral fact. Strong evidence connects specifically to the claim being made.

Question 43Reading for Meaning

A narrator says: "My brother could fix any engine, but he could not fix the silence at our dinner table." What does the sentence mainly reveal?

  1. The narrator's plan to repair the table
  2. A contrast between practical skill and emotional difficulty Correct answer.
  3. The brother's dislike of mechanical work
  4. The family's habit of eating late

Explanation

The sentence sets mechanical competence against an inability to address emotional distance, using "fix" in two senses. That contrast is the point of the line. The brother clearly enjoys engines, the meal's timing is irrelevant, and the table is not literally broken.

Question 44Reading for Meaning

A passage notes that a company's sales rose after it redesigned its packaging. Before concluding that the redesign caused the increase, which question would a careful reader most want answered?

  1. How long has the company been in business?
  2. Did other factors, such as a price cut, change at the same time? Correct answer.
  3. Who designed the original packaging?
  4. How many colors were used in the new packaging?

Explanation

To test a causal claim, a reader should check whether another change could explain the result. A simultaneous price cut would be an alternative cause that weakens the redesign explanation. Design details, designer identity, and company age do not address what drove the sales increase.

Question 45Reading for Meaning

Read this excerpt: "The garden club met every Tuesday. Members traded seedlings, argued about mulch, and planned the spring fair." What is the main purpose of the excerpt?

  1. To criticize the club's planning
  2. To explain how to grow seedlings
  3. To persuade readers to join the club
  4. To describe the regular activities of a group Correct answer.

Explanation

The excerpt reports what the club does at its meetings, which makes description its purpose. There is no call to join, no instructional steps for growing plants, and no criticism of the members. Identifying an author's purpose begins with noticing whether the text describes, persuades, explains, or judges.

Question 46Reading for Meaning

A writer states: "Anyone who has ever waited in a long line at the airport knows the frustration I am describing." Why does the writer include this statement?

  1. To introduce an opposing viewpoint
  2. To build common ground with readers through a shared experience Correct answer.
  3. To define an unfamiliar technical term
  4. To provide statistical evidence about airport delays

Explanation

The phrase "anyone who has ever" invites readers to recall a familiar experience and agree with the writer's feeling. This technique creates rapport rather than presenting data. No statistics, counterargument, or definition appears in the sentence.

Question 47Reading for Meaning

A passage quotes two witnesses to an accident. One says the light was red; the other says it was green. The author then writes: "Both witnesses were certain. Neither had seen the other's car." What point is the author making about eyewitness testimony?

  1. Traffic lights are often poorly maintained.
  2. Witnesses usually agree about what they see.
  3. Confidence alone does not guarantee accuracy. Correct answer.
  4. Only drivers can report reliably on accidents.

Explanation

The author pairs each witness's certainty with the fact that neither had a full view, implying that confidence can coexist with error. That is the lesson the details are arranged to teach. The passage shows disagreement, says nothing about light maintenance, and does not limit reliable reporting to drivers.

Question 48Reading for Meaning

An essay argues: "If the library extends its hours, more students will study there. More study will raise test scores. Therefore, extending hours will raise test scores." Which statement best identifies a weakness in this chain of reasoning?

  1. It fails to describe the library's current hours.
  2. It assumes students will actually use the extra hours to study. Correct answer.
  3. It relies on too many statistics about test scores.
  4. It ignores the cost of library staff.

Explanation

The argument depends on a chain of assumptions, and the first link, that students will use added hours for study, is unproven. If they do not, the later claims about scores do not follow. The passage presents no statistics, and missing details about hours or staffing do not break the logical chain.

Question 49Reading for Meaning

Read this excerpt: "The inventor's notes read like a conversation with someone who was never quite satisfied. Each page ends with a question, and each question is answered on the next page by a new doubt." What does the description suggest about the inventor's thinking?

  1. It was restless and self-questioning rather than settled. Correct answer.
  2. It reached conclusions quickly and rarely changed.
  3. It was disorganized and careless.
  4. It depended heavily on other people's ideas.

Explanation

Endless questions answered by new doubts portray a mind that kept testing its own ideas. The metaphor of a conversation emphasizes ongoing internal debate. The notes are described as structured enough to link pages, not careless, and the excerpt stresses independence and revision rather than speed or reliance on others.

Question 50Reading for Meaning

A passage describes a town that banned gas-powered leaf blowers. It reports that noise complaints fell but that some landscapers lost customers who wanted faster service. The author concludes: "The ban was a clear success." Which statement best evaluates this conclusion?

  1. It is too narrow because it ignores noise.
  2. It overlooks the costs the passage itself reports. Correct answer.
  3. It restates the landscapers' position fairly.
  4. It is well supported because complaints fell.

Explanation

The conclusion calls the ban a clear success while the passage documents lost business for landscapers. A sound evaluation must weigh both benefits and costs, so the conclusion is one-sided. The fall in complaints supports a partial benefit but does not justify ignoring the reported drawback.